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!
