Ballet Slipper Cookies

I needed to come up with an easy snack for our ballet class end-of-year party, and I think these pink slippers are ballerina perfect!

I am so tickled with this idea and hope my ballet slipper cookies will be appearing at ballet recitals and birthday parties all over! They are tutu cute and certain to bring a standing ovation from your favorite prima ballerinas. Please let me know if you try them!

To make these sweet ballet slipper cookies, melt a 14-ounce bag of pink Wilton Candy Melts in a double boiler according to package directions. Use tongs to dip Nutter Butters in the melted candy and place the cookies on a freezer-safe wax-paper covered plate. Use a knife or small icing spatula to smooth the melted candy as needed. Place the cookie plate in the freezer for a few minutes to harden the candy coating. Then use a paring knife to shave away any drips. Fill a decorating bag fitted with a small round tip with canned vanilla frosting, and pipe on the finishing details. Place the completed ballet slippers in the freezer to harden the icing. Yield: 12 pairs of ballet slippers.

Ballerina Babies

It is so sweet to see Mary Ashley's tenderness toward her younger sister. Mary Ashley has guided Emma through ballet class, showing her where to stand, helping her put on her shoes, and teaching her how to curtsy.

It warms my heart to see my girls enjoying the kind of closeness my sister and I share. Jennifer joined us for the recital, and it's a good thing I'm so proud of her. Otherwise, I might have felt some sibling rivalry.

She is a Disney princess, after all!

When the girls' ballet teacher told me that princesses would lead the girls in a parade for the show's opening number, I knew I had the perfect Belle. Mary Ashley and Emma were delighted to be escorted to their recital by a princess, and all their friends were so excited to meet Beauty. Jennifer did a great job, and Emma was so glad to have a royal hand to hold for her first appearance onstage!

I love the ballet numbers, and the girls enjoy tumbling and baton.

This year I joined Mary Ashley onstage for the mother-daughter number, "I Want to Be Like You" from The Jungle Book. I love this picture Jennifer took during our performance.

Time for a little toe tapping!

Other favorite images from the show. The costumes for this year's Disney-themed show were so pretty!

The girls received medals from their ballet teacher, Miss Gigi, and flowers from their daddy. Emma was hesitant to go onstage for the finale, but Mary Ashley helped her savor her moment in the spotlight.

By the end of the night, we were tutu tired to twirl! We all went to bed with visions of ballerinas dancing in our heads!

Ballerina's Banana Pudding

As the first guest to arrive for the girls' ballet recital, my sister, Jennifer, was probably not surprised to discover that I still needed to remove my vacuum cleaner from the family room, but our dessert dishes were already wearing pink tutus!

Creamy Banana Pudding

Whether you layer this pudding in a trifle bowl or prepare individual servings, this easy dessert is worth a pirouette.

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 (6-serving size) package instant vanilla flavor pudding mix
1 large container fat-free Cool Whip, thawed
1 box mini vanilla wafers
3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix, and beat well. Chill for at least 5 minutes, or until pudding is set. In individual dessert dishes or a trifle bowl, layer pudding, wafers, bananas and Cool Whip. Serves 8 to 10.

Dinner at the Ballet

Over the weekend we enjoyed one of my favorite springtime events: the girls' ballet recital!

It seems like it was just yesterday that Emma insisted on wearing a tutu to Mary Ashley's ballet class, watching in awe as her big sister swayed and twirled to the music. After class Mary Ashley gave her a private lesson, and Emma's dream of becoming a ballerina was born. After the Christmas recital, she leaped at the opportunity to take the stage for pictures with Mary Ashley. Little did I realize, Emma wanted her own turn to dance! So Emma joined Mary Ashley's class this spring, and we have been anticipating this year's spring recital.

(Thanks, Katy, for editing the above picture of the girls!)

We celebrated the recital with dinner at our house before the show.

A billowy white tablecloth set the stage for dinner at the ballet, and my spring centerpiece took the starring role featuring a bouquet of hydrangeas. A menu of mostly make-ahead dishes like poppy seed chicken and pineapple au gratin allowed us to squeeze in a relaxing sit-down dinner on a very busy day. Serving dinner buffet style and placing desserts on the table before the meal allowed me to leave the table as needed to make final preparations for the recital without stalling dinner for everyone else.

A roll of tulle added frothy touches of pink to the tablescape. Even our footed dessert dishes were on their toes for the evening, with little pink tutus! I tied a tulle bow to each dessert dish, then used the remaining tulle to make a garland to drape around the table. With the last little bit of tulle on the roll, I made a final bow and tucked it into the hydrangeas.

Stuffed with white tulle and tied with ribbon, Emma's new ballet shoes added the final touch of sweetness to the table.

I will be on my toes all week, sharing ideas, photos and highlights from the recital!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame ...

For a baseball-themed birthday party!

My friend Julie hit a home run with 5-year-old son Austin's recent birthday party. The children loved playing outside at "Knapp Stadium," while the adults watched all the action from the stands. Guests munched on game-day favorites like hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and nachos. A baseball diamond cake and baseball cupcakes rounded out the menu, and Julie sent us all home with a box of Cracker Jacks. Penned to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," a poem printed on baseball-glove paper explained that special party favors will be sent through the mail. (Julie took pictures of each child at the party, and plans to send a pack of baseball cards to each guest -- complete with pink bubblegum!)

Mary Ashley and I loved attending Austin's grand-slam party. I think you can tell from all the happy faces in the photos above that Julie hit this one out of the park!

Peonies for Your Thoughts

I couldn't resist buying a bouquet of peonies for Christian's kindergarten teacher last year. Arranged in a pretty covered casserole dish she could keep, the huge pink blooms made a lovely end-of-year gift.

Frilly Floral Cupcakes

Wouldn't you love to pause during your busy day for a cup of tea and one of these frothy pink cupcakes?

I hope that when our elementary school teachers stepped into the teachers lounge yesterday, these lemon cupcakes with ribbons of buttercream icing transported them far from their bustling classrooms to the quiet serenity of a favorite tea room.

Whether prepared for Teacher Appreciation Week or afternoon tea, a frilly floral cupcake is sure to please.

One recipe of buttercream icing yields enough icing for two dozen cupcakes. To create a variegated color effect in the flowers, use a hand mixer to distribute pink icing paste through the icing, stopping before the color is completely mixed in. To make ruffled cupcakes, use an angled decorating tip 108 or 125. Hold the icing bag in one hand and the cupcake in the other. With the point of the decorating tip angled toward the cupcake, apply even pressure to cover the cupcake in a ribbon of icing, rotating the cupcake as you go. You can wind the ruffles from the outside in or from the inside out. If needed for definition, pipe a little rosebud in the center of the cupcake.

Garden-Inspired Teacher Gift

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child." -- Carl Jung

I love honoring our teachers with a gift of flowers at the end of the school year, presented in a container they can reuse throughout the summer. This year's trip to Jasmine Hill Gardens inspired this gift for the women who have so faithfully planted seeds of knowledge this year and helped my children bloom.

To make an arrangement like the one above, cut floral foam to fit a garden pail (ours came from Hobby Lobby). Soak the foam according to package directions, then wedge the foam into the pail. Cut fresh flower stems at an angle, and insert them into the wet foam. Tuck moss around the stems to camouflage the foam, and tie a card expressing thanks to the pail to complete the gift.

Mother's Day Memories

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! The children and I spent Mother's Day with my mother, grandmother and sister-in-law. It was so special to have four generations together to celebrate the blessing of family. My post "Little Moments with Mother," which appeared in Ideals Magazine several years ago, shares some of my special memories of growing up. You can read that post here.

Tomorrow I'll share this year's teacher gift!

The Secret Is Out ...

We know who won the pillowcase dress giveaway!

Reading your comments has been so much fun, and I have really enjoyed getting to know so many of you. I hope you know how much I enjoy hearing from you! I am pleased to announce our winner ...

Mackenzie, daughter of Dawn O!

When Mackenzie gets out of school this year, I hope she and her mom will share a garden tea party together. Congratulations, Dawn, and I will look forward to hearing from you!

Pardon the Interruption ...

But I must tell you about our fabulous afternoon yesterday!

I was thrilled to learn that Phyllis Norton Hoffman would be in Montgomery for the afternoon signing her latest book, Gracious Spaces. As publisher of Hoffman Media, she is the creative mind behind Southern Lady, TeaTime, Victoria, Sew Beautiful and many more of our favorite magazines and books. I was positively giddy with anticipation knowing I would get to meet her, but the girls looked at me blankly when I tried to explain her role in modern media. So finally I told them, "Basically, for all of us southern ladies, she would be the queen."

From that moment on, we were all excited about our upcoming visit! Five-year-old Mary Ashley announced to anyone who would listen, "We're going to meet the queen! We're going to meet the queen!" She asked if we could get her some pink flowers, explaining, "Everybody loves pink." And she wondered if she could give her a hug and kiss.

As we drove to Capitol Books in the Historic Mulberry District, I said a prayer about our visit and tried to gather my thoughts. I was so nervous trying to think what I could say in our brief encounter that would encapsulate my feelings about her work. Knowing I might only have a few moments, I hoped for the best as we shook raindrops from our unbrellas and opened the door to the bookstore.

And our visit with Phyllis Norton Hoffman was a dream come true!

She really is the kind and gracious southern lady we know through her publications. She immediately welcomed Mary Ashley and Emma into the shop, drawing them to her for hugs and pictures. We had a lovely visit with Mrs. Hoffman and her public relations director, Wendy. They put us at ease immediately and made us feel like they were as excited to meet us as we were to meet them.

You might not be able to tell in this photo, but my feet were not even touching the ground!

Our visit was so lovely that later in the evening when we crossed the interstate that leads to the Mulberry District, Mary Ashley pointed out, "That was the way we went to meet the queen! Can we go back to see her again now?" All I could say was that I hope we will meet her again someday. And until then, we can visit with her in the pages of our favorite Hoffman Media publications, drawing daily inspiration for gracious southern living from the queen herself!

Tomorrow I will announce the pillowcase dress giveaway winner!

Make a Pillowcase Dress

Warm sunny days invite us to picnic at the park, and a breezy sundress is perfect for relaxing in the fresh spring air. My grandmother has developed her own techniques for making pillowcase dresses in under an hour. Her directions follow. And while you're here, don't forget to enter yesterday's drawing for a pillowcase dress!

1. Our version of the pillowcase dress uses cut fabric instead of actual pillowcases. Cut two rectangles of 45-inch-wide fabric for dress fabric and lining. Before you cut, measure the length you want from underarm to hem. Then add about 5 inches to this measurement to determine the length you need to cut. Sew a seam in each rectangle, right sides together, to create two tubes of fabric -- one for the dress and one for the lining. Press seams open.

2. If you would like to add a generous ruffle to the bottom of the dress, cut two 9" long strips of 45-inch wide fabric and stitch them right-sides together to create a ring. Press the seams open, then fold the fabric wrong sides together and press. Sew two rows of gathering stitches, and pull the bobbin thread to gather the ruffle. Pin the ruffle to the bottom of the dress fabric, as shown in photo 2 above. Sew the ruffle to the dress, right sides together, using a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim excess fabric from this seam, press the ruffle down, and remove gathering threads from the ruffle.

3. Pin the dress and lining tubes, right sides together, around the top. Make sure the seams match up, and center these for the back of the dress. Draw a pattern for the arm holes, and trace it onto each side of the dress with a blue fabric-marking pen. (My grandmother's guide is about 3 inches wide and 3.75 inches at the longest point.)

4. Mark about 1 inch down on each side of the guide, and sew around the arch from point to point. Leave the top open so you can create a casing for the ribbon straps.

5. After you sew the armhole stitching, trim excess fabric and clip the curves.

6. Using a narrow seam allowance, sew a straight seam across the top of the dress from one arm hole to the other to join the outer and lining fabrics. (Leave space between this seam and your arm holes so you will have room to run the ribbon through.) Do this for the front and back of the dress. Trim excess fabric, then turn the dress right side out and press.

7. To complete your casings, sew straight seams on front and back from arm hole to arm hole again, leaving enough room for your ribbon width. Cut two lengths of 1/2- to 1-inch ribbon, at least 26 inches long, for the straps. (I used 48-inch grosgrain ribbon lengths for the dress in my giveaway.) Pin the end of each ribbon, and thread them through the casings front and back. Center the ribbon in the casing, and mark the center of the dress. Gather each side of the casing to 3 inches from the center, and tack the casing shut. (This will make the gathered casings on front and back both 6 inches wide.) Top stitch around the arm holes.

8. Press the dress again, and fold the edge of the lining under. Stitch the lining to the dress, careful to cover the edge of the ruffle. Finish the dress with a monogram if desired, or add details with ribbon trim sewn around the bottom of the dress. Trim the ends of the ribbon, and finish them with a fray-check solution.

9. Take your little girl for a garden tea party in her breezy summer sundress!

Tomorrow, another of my grandmother's ideas for completing this summertime look!

Pillowcase Dress Giveaway

Won't you join us for a garden tea party?

I love the pillowcase dresses my grandmother and I made for the girls so much, I made a third one to share with someone special: You! Sized to fit most girls between ages 2 and 6, all this dress needs is a monogram to make it complete. Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win, and leave separate comments if you follow this blog and/or have me listed on your blog roll. And if you can already picture the little girl who will wear this dress, leave me her monogram and your preference for pink or green thread. I will reveal the winner Friday. Then by next week, I hope you will be sharing a garden tea party with the special little girl in your life!

Garden Tea Party

Recently the girls and I visited one of our favorite picnic spots: Southern Homes and Gardens in Montgomery. We had not been back since we visited in the fall, and the grounds look so lovely this spring. Since I planned our picnic in the middle of a busy day, I thought I would delight the girls by offering to pick up Happy Meals. But Mary Ashley insisted that we have a tea party just like last time. She then recited every detail of our menu and decor. So we dashed home to fill our picnic basket with teatime treats.

After all, who could turn down a tea party with these sweet girls? Especially when they are wearing the pillowcase dresses my grandmother and I made during her last visit.

We left the ribbons long for these lined sundresses. A ruffle at the hem gives the dress body, and a monogram adds the finishing detail.

Please come back each day this week as we celebrate the arrival of warm weather with lots of pillowcase dress fun. Wednesday I'll post my grandmother's easy instructions for constructing pillowcase dresses like the ones pictured. But even if you don't sew, be sure to drop in tomorrow. I have a special surprise in store for a little girl in your life!

Taking Another Garden Path

As much as I enjoyed experiencing the beauty of spring in my own backyard last weekend at Jasmine Hill Gardens in Wetumpka, Ala., this weekend I am looking forward to experiencing the delights of this season in an area of the country I have never visited. I will be speaking for the Laurel, Del., Church of Christ's ladies day tomorrow morning. If you live nearby, I would love to see you there!