A Nutcracker "Sweet" Birthday!

This was a really fun party to plan, and the birthday girl's excited cries and joyous exclamations were just icing on the cake!  :)  Although a bit early for what is often considered a Christmas season tale, the young lady of the hour latched onto the idea of having a party based on one of her favorite stories.  I was more than happy to oblige so without further ado, I give you A Nutcracker "Sweet" Birthday...

These are invitations and the book that we sent with the invitations so each girl would thoroughly understand the story and music behind this beloved tale before arriving at the party.  For pictures and more details regarding the beautiful invitations designed by Andrea of "The Green Grass Grows" (Etsy), see this post: http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2011/09/nutcracker-sweet-birthday-invitations.html

Instead of a wreath greeting the guests when they arrived, we hung a picture frame and candy canes.  We also posted a sign welcoming guests to the "Land of Sweets".

Once inside, the guests saw a sign asking: "Uh oh!  Where's the Land of Sweets?".  It then invited them to help the birthday girl find her way there.

We would of course need everyone's help so I had a temporary coloring station/activity set up while we waited for everyone to arrive.  Boxes of new crayons were hung on a bright pink Christmas tree (one box for each girl - these were also one of the favors the girls could take home at the end of the party), and pictures of characters from the story lay waiting for guests to embellish them.

Once all the guests had arrived, I led them to the mantle where glittery pink paper stockings were hung, one for each girl to take with her on the hunt for the "Land of Sweets". They were to fill up their stockings with fun prizes along the way as they followed clues leading them to the "Land of Sweets".



These are some ornaments which were tied to presents hidden for the girls to find. Each clue was related to a Nutcracker character. The girls had to then find a present with that character attached and open it. Inside was their next clue and some little treat or prize for each of them as well.

The hunt ended when the girls opened the final present, solved the last clue, and found their way to the "Land of Sweets" at last!

This was the small dining table which awaited the girls inside the "Land of Sweets".  Streamers and balloons in shades of pink added to the very festive look as well.

Behold the scrumptious desserts table!  Delicacies included:  sugar plums, peppermint hot chocolate sticks, white peppermint bark, white mice cookies, individual candy cane trifles, nut"stackers" (mini sandwiches made of layered bread, peanut butter, and nutella), and the birthday cake!

The cake topped with the Sugar Plum Fairy herself!

All in all, a simply delicious party!  :)
(For those interested, Nutcracker ornaments were purchased at Hobby Lobby).

Linking to:
www.houseofhepworths.com
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://www.whipperberry.com/
www.mushkiloves.blogspot.com
www. cleanandscentsible.blogspot.com
http://www.lilluna.com/
www.733blog.blogspot.com
www.bearrabbitbear.blogspot.com
www.tatertotsandjello.com