Fashionistas Again

Ivory turned 13 last month. An official teenager. Tyler and I are outnumbered, but we still hold the higher ground. (Or at least the older ground.) Because it is an odd year, there is the potential for friend parties. Ivory knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted the fashion party that we did for June when she was 13. (It could become a tradition?) But first, let's check out some photos from her actual day. I got her balloons and brought them to school. Ivory didn't appreciate that I thought she was a little like a pineapple...prickly on the outside, but sweet in the middle.

Ives got measured. Not quite five feet but she is getting there. (Still our petite one.)

We didn't get her family gifts, but Grandma Dargan sent a hoodie that Ivory wanted. This may be her favorite gift. She loves otters.

We waited to do cake on her party day. Check out these cute invites Ivory made. She wrapped them with hair ties because that is a fashion accessory. (Get it?)

 As everyone arrived, we played Scream. Yes, I know we play this all the time, but it is a really easy game to add people to and keep people entertained before moving on to a main activity. Don't judge. Oh, and my kids still enjoy it.

Then we loaded everyone into vehicles and took them to Saver's. Tyler happened to be out of town this weekend and we had too many kids for one car, so Ipo came and drove her van. She was a lifesaver. And June drove my kids in the truck. We had a full crew. The girls were already divided onto teams. (We drew colored beads to pick teams.) Let's see who we have searching for the right outfit for Ivory.

TEAM 1

Your mission is to find an ‘accessory’ for Ivory. It can be anything to add a little color or bling. Scarf, necklace, hat, gloves, shoes...you name it. (You can buy more than one item if your money allows.) Did I mention that each team had $10. That can go quite a ways at Saver's.

TEAM 2

Your mission is to find a ‘covering’ for Ivory. Think sweater, hoodie, shawl, jacket, etc. Something that might keep her toasty in this never-ending winter.

TEAM 3

Your mission is to find a ‘top’ for Ivory. Some kind of shirt. It needs to be modest, so no sleeveless ones, unless you have another shirt to go under. Good luck.

TEAM 4

Your mission is to find a ‘bottom’ for Ivory. A skirt would probably be easiest, but if you are brave, you can try for shorts, legging or pants. Be creative.

Ivory was blindfolded the whole time, but she was on sight for size comparisons. I'm not sure how she managed to keep that band over her eyes the whole time, but she did. Most teams didn't have too hard a time. Unfortunately, the shirt crew did not agree. Annie was determined to get Ivory something hideous, but June was rooting for something cute that she could wear over and over.

Robyn was in charge of Ivory. She led her around and made sure she didn't peek. What a great sister.

There is cute Ipo. I'm so glad she helped out. It actually took the girls a lot longer to shop than I expected. Too many choices.

The accessory team struggled. I'm not sure why. There are so many options. Like this cute hat? But no, they ended up getting her a scarf and guess what else?

Yes, crutches. Actually, $4 is a pretty good deal on crutches. Alright ladies, time to buy everything and get back to home base.

Back at our house, I dressed Ivory (still with her eyes closed) and the girls added the accessories. I think she could tell something was up when we put crutches under her arms. But she was a good sport.

Because we bought multiple shirts, we dressed her in multiple layers and it took her a while to find everything. In the end, her favorite item was the bottoms...cute shorts with leggings.

It was a really fun group. We got mermaid sequin kitty ears as a party favor. What is more fashionable than those??

Then Ivory opened gifts while I worked on her 'cake'. (She requested brownies again. Possibly the fourth year running.) June made her a cute card. Ivory's first PG-13 movie that she watched was The Help. She read the book earlier and was so excited for the movie. June's card had a great movie quote.

Time to blow out the candles. Then the girls ate while Ivory finished opening gifts.

We had a chance to play one round of My Team before moms came to pick up kids. I think the party was a success and Ivory is certainly very fashionable now. So, we'll end the evening with some pictures of my cute kiddos. The camera was passed around all evening, so it was fun to look through the photos after.

The best part is that Ivory felt loved and had a great time. She dutifully wore her special outfit to school on Monday. I actually liked everything she got, although I hope she doesn't actually have any use for the crutches for a long time.