Ahnalin Is Now 8 Years Old!!!

Today my precious baby Ahnalin turned 8.

I can hardly believe it. 

In my mind, she is still this yummy little dumpling.

And I am so grateful that she is mine.

Ahnalin decided she wanted a tea party with a sewing lesson

for her birthday party.

This is a very blurry photo,

but Ahnalin designed, cut out, and created these invitations herself.

And India created the banner to celebrate her baby sister.

I have quite a large stash of scrapbooking supplies

from the days when I actually still made scrapbooks.

So the girls went shopping for supplies in my 

stash of papers.

She chose Janet Gilbert's pattern

"Vintage Natalie".

You can order the pattern here:

Martha Pullen Company

I didn't get great photos this time because 

Ahnalin was so excited about the party that she 

was jumping around like a frog!

But I adore this pattern!

Ahnalin chose the fabrics from my stash

and it had to be polka dots.

This dress twirls well!

I had originally added the band of larger dots

so that I could enclose the hem.

But Ahnalin wanted the dress long,

so I just made the teeniest rolled hem.

 

I love how the piping frames the center panel

of the dress. 

Ahnalin has already requested another dress

from this pattern for the first day of school.

And it must be polka dots as well.

Well, yes, of course!

But let's get back to the details of the party, 

shall we?

The birthday princess requested

strawberries and Nutella sandwiches.

The tea server belonged to my grandmother.

And she wanted her favorite mango oolong tea 

served in my Alice In Wonderland tea pot.

And the sugar and creamer set belonged 

to my aunt.

 

I made honey cupcakes

from scratch.

(Don told me they were too dry, 

so I am glad I didn't eat one.)

India picked some flowers for the table.

Ahnalin was so excited because she wanted

a Barbie Doll very much and her friend

Mikayla gave her one!

She also requested Top Ramen!

I am NOT KIDDING!

Her friend Julia made her the sock monkey

and the card and we loved them.

Brynn gave her a little pink caddy

filled with goodies for doing her nails!

Oh the joy and excitement!!

 And Annette gave her a bead craft kit,

sticker, and sparkly shoes!!!!

After Ahnalin opened her presents 

from her friends,

we had a little sewing lesson.

Ahnalin thought it would be fun for her friends to sew

their own "goody bags" using the leftover

fabric from her dress.

Some of the girls chose to sew theirs 

by hand and some chose to try out my sewing machine.

After they finished sewing their 

goody bags, they got to fill them with 

Hershey Kisses!

After the party, Ahnalin thanked me

and hugged me so tightly.

She told me that this was the perfect birthday

party and she said it was exactly what she wanted.

She loved all of her gifts and was

so grateful that all of her friends were so kind and generous.

This is the first
"friend" birthday that Ahnalin has had in many years.

She was always nervous about birthday parties

and never wanted to have one.

She is usually nervous about attending parties as well.

But she really wanted a party this year,

so we threw it together 

just a few days ago.

And my girl handled it beautifully.

I am so proud of her 

and so grateful of the progress she has made.

Happy birthday my precious girl.

I love you and am so grateful that

God gave you to me.