4th Annual Nutcracker Tea Party

The magic of our annual Nutcracker Tea Party with Ballet Wichita always seems to come to life every holiday season. It is one of my favorite events and I always love seeing how the children interact with the ballet dancers. It was extra special for me personally because my daughter was able to attend and interact this year - once she found a little courage to jump in on the fun. Thank you to the wonderful Sally Cavanaugh for capturing the event!

Table settings were Nutcracker perfection thanks to a new line we decided to carry this holiday season - they introduced this holiday collection and it was perfect for the occasion. Ended up selling out quickly in the shop as well. I loved that the colors on the plates let you take it in a traditional or dreamy color scheme. We decided with the table to have fun with a traditional Christmas look. For head accessory, we decided to keep everyone happy this year and do all tiaras except for the extra place settings we put the extra nutcracker hats we had (they are just so cute!).

Decor was pretty easy to put together because we let the tableware be the main focus. For the holidays, I love mixing flowers with evergreen. I had some nutcracker picks from a craft store last year I added to keep the theme. The Rifle Paper Co. holiday greens paper was a fun touch and we did festive confetti in between. This year we opted for one long party table because it's best to give the dancers plenty of room. Our main statement pieces were the fun balloon wreaths. We had one hanging in the back and then a giant one for the backdrop - that pink bow is a fav! The ballet slippers we had, so decided to add for a ballet element.

At children's events, I like to keep the food fairly simple. Of course September Moon cupcakes are always a favorite (and the only way I could get a picture of my child with the dancers)! Since it was brunch time, we picked up Chick-fil-a mini chicken biscuits, I set out mini pastries and made a green grape wreath with raspberries - easy and usual way I serve fruit at this event.

Photo credit: Sally Cavanaugh

The Ballet Wichita dancers did an amazing job this year, as always. They performed for the children, showed them ballet techniques, moves and more! The way they try to make each child feel special is heart warming. The Sugar Plum Fairy did flutter spins with so many little girls - they thought it was magic. Clara, took the time to make the shy girls feel special and brave enough to join in. The Nutcracker helped teach them tricks to avoid dizziness while spinning and the Rat King taught them good fighting moves. They make the event so special for our party guests! Plus, they are able to share the wonderful story of the Nutcracker with them! This year we also added a simple craft, so kids could space out their time with the dancers and let others take turns.

Thank you so very much to Ballet Wichita for being apart of this event every year. It truly means the world to us and our customers. Shout out to the LOC team for helping pull this event together in the midst of holiday craziness - Emily and I had fun setting up one evening after finishing 2 events, while waiting for a 3rd to finish. It was a busy December to say the least ha!

Lots of Love & Happy New Year!