Ice Skating Winter Wonderland

Saturday we welcomed a few of Mary Ashley's friends for an ice skating party. The girls gathered here before heading to a local ice skating rink.

This fresh evergreen wreath greeted guests at the front door. I made this the day before the party, simply tucking sprigs into a wire wreath form I found at Hobby Lobby.

See yesterday's post for details of our pretty hot chocolate bar.

Our pink and aqua color scheme was reflected in these napkin bundles. I found the pink yarn at Jo-Ann's Fabrics and used it liberally throughout our decor. I loved the cozy softness it added to our wintertime celebration. Here you see the yarn tied around the napkins and a pink tin bucket. (Aqua napkins and bucket, Target; pink napkins, Caspari.)

Figure skating printables carried out our theme. The straw tags read, "Let's lace up our skates and do figure 8s * We Celebrate That Sweet Mary Ashley Is 8." (Aqua bucket, Target; figure skate embellishment, Jolee's; scrapbook papers, Michaels; straws, The Sugar Diva.)

I began the week trying to make a floor-length ruffled tablecloth but had to abandon the project due to sewing machine problems. So the hunt was on for a white tablecloth. I looked several places and could not be more pleased with the queen size white coverlet I found at a spur-of-the-moment stop at Tuesday Morning. This matelasse coverlet's allover diamond pattern is broken up by floral medallions, and it is edged with white fringe. It is so beautiful! I used it on the table, and now I am trying it out on our bed. I will have to show pictures of that soon. (Pink plates, Caspari.)

Here is a broader view of the dining room before I added the cake to the table. My photographs do not fully convey the beauty of the coverlet or the softness of the room, but you get a little taste here.

Here is our group of eight ready to celebrate! (Left to right, Emma, Lynleigh, Mary Ashley, Emma Cate, Kimber, Carlie, Emma and Lizzy).

I'll be back next week with details of our menu, along with a recipe perfect for warming up a winter day.

Then speaking of warming things up, we'll wrap up our ice skating party with fun favors perfect for a day on the ice.

Congratulations to JoAnne Kennedy, winner of the cupcake cookbook and wrapper giveaway. JoAnne is a longtime friend of A Little Loveliness, so I was thrilled to see that she won. JoAnne is a very talented cake decorator (visit her cake site here), so I can't wait to see what lovely creations she has in store!



Ice Skating Birthday Party

"Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again."

~ Bill Morgan, Jr.



We did figure eights for Mary Ashley's birthday this year with an ice skating party last weekend.

See yesterday's post for more details about our cozy mitten invitations. These set the tone for our afternoon of wintertime fun. A soft palette of pink, aqua and white gave our party a sweet, wintry feel.

I wish our climate allowed for ice skating at a picturesque frozen pond, but the only ice skating option for us near Montgomery, Ala., is an indoor rink at a local mall. We invited a few of Mary Ashley's girlfriends to join us for an afternoon of skating, but hosted them at our house for refreshments first. 

Here is a shot of our buffet set up in the dining room for a hot chocolate bar.

The right side of the buffet held cookies from favorite Etsy baker Lisa of Batches. These were a perfect complement to our hot chocolate.

Mitten and ice skate cookies glided off this white porcelain ruffled platter to energize guests for an afternoon on the ice.

This cheery bouquet added a touch of softness to the buffet.

I asked Mary Ashley if I could borrow her doll-sized ice skates for our party. With a cuff of fleece tucked into the skates, these added a wintry touch to a wire dress form.

Sheer aqua ribbon and a fleece scarf also dressed up the form.

Here is the dress form positioned on the corner of the buffet.

This vignette was my favorite. I found the frame in a sweet little gift shop in Florida. I plan to use it in  Emma's room, but it was perfect for our party. I took the photo of Mary Ashley when we planned our Christmas card photo session and played with it in Picnik. (And by the way, when I started uploading party photos I learned that Picnik will be closing April 19, but premium services are free until then.)

I invited the girls to fix up their mugs of cocoa with marshmallows and sugar sprinkles. Don't these look like ice chips with my ice skate printables tucked in the bowl? I made these with polka dotted scrapbook papers from Michaels and Jolee's Figure Skate Embellishments.

White hydrangeas look almost like snowballs slipped into this bouquet of pink roses. Sprigs of evergreen tucked here and there added a warm winter fragrance to the room.

Here is another view of the buffet all set for the little ice skaters. Eyelet lanterns available here in pink and blue.

I have much more to share of our party decor, menu and favors, so come back soon!

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination." ~ Terri Guillemets

Ice Skating Party Invitation

Hey Friend,

Let's Lace Up Our Skates,

Do Figure Eights

And All Celebrate

Mary Ashley Is 8!

You Are Invited to An

Ice Skating Party For

Mary Ashley Lester

Saturday, January 21, 2012

RSVP to Melissa for Details

555-5555

Mitten invitations encouraged 8-year-old Mary Ashley's little girlfriends to join us for an ice skating birthday party. To make these, I found a mitten graphic I liked, re-sized it and removed extra details. Copying the altered graphic and flipping it horizontally allowed me to have a pair of mittens to work with. I personalized the left mittens with the guests' names and a greeting. Then the right mitten contained more details. My plan for the afternoon was a little complicated, so I wanted to talk with each guest's parents to coordinate details. I actually think not including all the party information on the invitation encourages guests to RSVP. To complete the front of the invitation, I hot glued mini-ball fringe across the cuffs. Then I connected the mitten pairs by hot gluing grosgrain ribbon to the back. Finally, I used polka dotted polar fleece to cover the backside of the mittens. When I printed my invitations, I printed an extra copy to use as a pattern. I traced the fleece with a blue marking pen and cut it out. Then I secured the fleece to the invitation with a light coating of spray adhesive and allowed the invitations to hang overnight to make sure they were dry before we distributed them. If you would like to make this invitation, click on the mittens below to copy the graphic I used.

If you make mitten invitations, I would love to see photos. If you would like to share, upload photos to the A Little Loveliness page on Facebook. I will be gliding through this week sharing lots of ice skating party ideas, so pour a cup of hot chocolate and stop in again soon!

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." ~ Edith Sitwell

Cupcake Giveaway

Last year after Mary Ashley's cupcake party I offered a cupcake-themed giveaway, but the prize was never claimed. So I am offering up this copy of Perfect Cupcakes, Cookies and Muffins and box of cupcake liners again today. Please leave a comment below to get your name in the teacup. And if you follow my blog via Google, Facebook, Networked Blogs or RSS feed, leave extra comments to let me know. I plan to announce the winner sometime next week.



Now let me go finish my party projects so I can clean house. This place is a mess!
 

Birthday Time: Baking Memories

It seems like it was just yesterday I was making aprons for Mary Ashley's cupcake baking 7th birthday celebration, and now I am busy preparing for her 8th birthday party. We will celebrate her big day with girlfriends this weekend, so look for details of our celebration next week. And in the meantime, you can reminisce with me about baking memories here.




To get us in the party spirit, I will be back tomorrow with a little giveaway!




Photo by Allison Hilyer Photography. Used with permission.

Wrestling Up Some Grub: Wrestlers Breakfast

Twelve-year-old Carson joined his middle-school wrestling team in the fall, and this boy has found his passion! Carson is quick and muscular, but he is not especially tall, so wrestling is a good sport for him because competitors are paired based on weight. One of my pleasures as a mother is helping the children discover their talents, so earlier this week we celebrated Carson's hard work with a wrestling-themed breakfast. I can't say that our menu would be appropriate before a tournament, so we didn't risk it. We enjoyed this brunch on our last lazy day of Christmas vacation.

Wrestling Up Some Grub Brunch

Flapjacks Pinned with Strawberries
Eggs Over Easy
Sausage Links
Twisted Raspberry Punch 

I saw mini-pancakes skewered with blueberries on Pinterest and loved the idea for our wrestling brunch. Raspberries or strawberries seemed appropriate fruits for a wrestler's breakfast. I planned to make the pancakes from scratch, but opted for the time savings when I discovered mini-pancakes in my grocer's freezer. I also found frozen turkey sausage, and none of the children noticed the difference. Serving eggs over-easy was an obvious choice for a wrestling theme, but my children only eat them scrambled. So I scrambled eggs and served them in foil cupcake liners to keep them from mingling with the pancake syrup. Other wrestling menu ideas include any dishes that are wrapped, rolled or twisted.

Served with a twisty straw, this frothy, tart beverage packed a punch for brunch.



Twisted Raspberry Punch
This punch was a little tart for my tastes, but the children loved it.

6 cups chilled lemon-lime soda

1/2 can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

Country Time powdered pink lemonade

Raspberry sherbet

Vanilla ice cream

Combine soda, limeade and powdered lemonade in a pitcher and chill. To serve, use a melon baller to scoop raspberry sherbet and vanilla ice cream into six tea glasses. Pour soda mixture over ice cream and sherbet, and serve.

Wrestling is a sport I knew nothing about before this year, but I am getting quite an education through Carson's efforts. When we went to the middle school's first meet, I stifled a giggle watching another team warm up as I bit my tongue to keep from calling out, "Boys, settle down or take it outside!" I told friends that I enjoyed that tournament except for all the roughhousing. It really is an intense sport and one that requires vigorous training and focus. Carson told me yesterday that a wrestler from another school was seriously injured during a tournament over the holiday break, so I am not without worry that Carson could be injured or injure someone else. But I also understand that done correctly, wrestling can be a great character-shaping and strength-building endeavor. I am proud of Carson for working so hard, and I hope Monday's breakfast let him know that win or lose, he is always a champ to us.

I must admit, I feel a bit out of my element with all the boys' sporting endeavors, but wrestling is totally new to me. If you have any advice you can share as the mom, sister or supporter of a high school or collegiate wrestler, please offer that in the comments below.



And on a very different note, congratulations to Claire K., who won a copy of the Jan./Feb. 2012 issue of TeaTime Magazine. Claire, please e-mail me your address so I can get your magazine to you.

Blessing the Teacher

 

One of the bittersweet moments of December was bidding farewell to one of our favorite elementary school teachers. As the gifted education teacher, Mrs. Wilson poured herself into her students -- appreciating them for their unique gifts and personalities; challenging them to stretch their minds; and encouraging them to reach their full potential in the classroom and beyond. Christian was one of Mrs. Wilson's fourth-grade students, and their last class was quite emotional for teacher and students alike. Another mother and I planned a farewell celebration during their last meeting. We prepared cupcakes, cheese straws and punch for Mrs. Wilson and took a picture of her with the class to fit a signed picture frame.

It seems to me the best gift a teacher could receive at the end of her career would be to know that she made a difference in the lives of her students. I asked the children seated at their desks, "If Mrs. Wilson has helped you stretch your mind, if she has taught you new things, if she has made your life at Wetumpka Elementary School better, will you please stand up?" All the children rose. One by one we went around the classroom, letting each child speak to Mrs. Wilson before taking his or her seat. I printed a dozen quotes about teachers, and each student read one and then shared thoughts on Mrs. Wilson.

The quotes the children read follow, but the real treasure came from the hearts of the children. The first boy I approached bowed his head bashfully when I asked him to read a quote, so I didn't want to pressure him to speak. I read his quote and asked him if he had anything he wanted to share. He looked at the floor for a moment, then said quietly, "Mrs. Wilson is the nicest teacher I've ever had." It was difficult to maintain composure as one by one these 9- and 10-year-olds shared their hearts with Mrs. Wilson. One little girl paused after reading her quote, then said, "I never knew I was important until I took that test in second grade and met you." And another revealed, "I didn't think I was smart until you showed me how big my brain could be." It was truly a privilege to witness this experience between a beloved teacher and her students, and I hope it showed Mrs. Wilson that the time she has given children these many years has been a worthy investment.



Teachers are grossly underpaid for their investment of time and energy, but they make the world vastly richer for their efforts. Thank you, teachers!

Thoughts on Teachers

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." ~ Henry Brooks Adams

"A good teacher is like a candle -- it consumes itself to light the way for others." ~ Mustafa Kemal Atatürk



"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it." ~ Margaret Fuller



"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



"What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased." ~ Author Unknown



"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." ~ Kahlil Gibran



"Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number." ~ Author Unknown



"A truly special teacher is very wise, and sees tomorrow in every child's eyes." ~ Author Unknown



"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." ~ Mark Van Doren



"Teachers who inspire realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them." ~ Author Unknown



"Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another. And surely the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures." ~ Eugene P. Bertin



"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~ William Arthur Ward

What are your ideas for blessing teachers? And if you are a teacher, I would love to know what tokens of appreciation have meant the most to you.

 

Welcome 2012

A happy New Year! Grant that I

May bring no tear to any eye

When this New Year in time shall end

Let it be said I've played the friend,

Have lived and loved and labored here,

And made of it a happy year.

~Edgar Guest

Wishing You Well in 2012,

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Days before many of us will part with sweets for the new year, let me slip this one last delicious recipe in for the holidays. My sister-in-law Shannon made chocolate bread pudding recently, and it was love at first bite. I knew immediately this would be the perfect rich, gooey dessert to enjoy after the girls' Christmas recital. Friends joined us for dinner after the show, and I let the bread pudding bake during dinner. Served warm from the oven with vanilla bean ice cream, it was heavenly! The recipe follows, along with a few photos of the evening's best sweets: my little ballerinas Mary Ashley and Emma.

 

 

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Enjoy this delicious dessert a la mode while it is still warm from the oven.

 

6 cups cubed French bread, crusts removed

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 cup cream

2 packages chocolate chips

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cream

1 cup confectioners sugar

 

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl, and drizzle with melted margarine. Toss to coat. Mix together the sugar and cocoa powder, sprinkle evenly over the bread cubes, and toss again. Reserve 1 cup chocolate chips for glaze, and toss the rest of the first bag with the bread mixture. Spread bread cubes evenly into an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk just to the boiling point and remove from heat. Add the second package of chocolate chips, and whisk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour over bread cubes in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, or until the pudding is set but the center moves slightly when the dish is shaken.

Meanwhile, prepare glaze. Place reserved cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup cream in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave, stirring frequently, until the chips are melted. Whisk in the confectioners sugar until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle over warm pudding, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Emma took center stage with her class for the first song of the night. This is the first year the girls have been in separate ballet classes, so they were excited to watch each other's performances. Emma was a little bashful when she first went onstage, but she warmed up and her cute personality came through.

Mary Ashley (second from the right, sitting) moved up to an older class this year, and her performance brought tears to my eyes. She floated gracefully across the stage, and friends said she needed wings because she looked like a little fairy. She is a natural ballerina!

Here are our little ballerinas, ready to head home for some chocolate bread pudding!




Wishing You and Yours a Happy and Blessed New Year!