Dance Recital Tussie-Mussie

For Chickadee Baby Love’s first dance recital three years ago, I came up with the idea of making a tussie-mussie for her, as a way to give her her flowers. When her second recital came around, I thought it would be nice to make another one for her (you can see two versions HERE, and more to come), and have made one for every recital since (two last year and two this year, for her piano and dance recitals). This year, at age 7, when she didn’t see one in my hands after her dance recital, she asked me if I had made one for her! Oh, my happy heart! She likes them! She likes the fact that I make them for her!

The Columbus Dance Arts Academy puts on an incredible program to showcase the incredible talent of their students. It has become such a big event that this year it was held at a theatre in downtown Columbus (Ohio)! (Which also explains why the dancers need to wear heavy makeup!) Baby Love was—appropriately, I thought—a Love Bug!

  And here’s our very own Love Bug, aka Baby Love, enjoying the treats that accompanied her tussie-mussie. (More on the treat bags later :) )

Given her dance number, I set out to coordinate her tussie-mussie to the theme and to her costume~

  

The lady Love Bugs are buttons I found at Jo-Ann. Don’t they look right at home nestled in the hydrangeas in our yard?

For the “roses” in the tussie-mussie I used Hershey’s kisses (how appropriate is that, kisses for our precious baby?!), wrapped in red tulle. I added silk rose leaves to make them more realistic, plus ivy and other greenery.

  Her favorite, of course, was the fat lady Love Bug, made out of a Tootsie Roll Pop that I covered in red felt and added a pompom for its head. Little googly eyes and rhinestones on her antennae, and she was ready to attend the recital! (Since I’ve saved all her tussie-mussies and have them displayed in her room here at out house, the Love Bug and kisses were not eaten. There were plenty of treats to accompany the tussie-mussie and for her little brothers who benefit from her performance.

Tussie-mussies need handles, in order to not crush them or damage the decorations, so another Love Bug button graced the top of the handle.

THIS is what a Love Bug looks like!

And this…

And just in case you’re wondering why all the fuss, it’s for that smile…those sweet eyes..those beautiful curls…but most of all, it’s for her most beautiful heart.

  I am blessed to be her Ata (ah-tah), and that she is my Baby Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The tussie-mussie idea came about as I thought about a gift to give her after her first recital, and I’m glad I’ve been able to carry it on to now have it be a tradition, because I find that it’s not easy to come up with ideas that relate to the theme. I hope you’ll share the ideas you’ve come up with for recital gifts, because I’m sure many of our blog friends will welcome them!

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