Ella's Birthday

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

It's not so easy to buy a birthday gift for an 11 year-old girl anymore! Too old for Barbies, too young for "teenage" stuff...what's an aunt to do? 
My gorgeous niece Ella turns 11 today. I searched high and low for something special...not too young, not too old, but meaningful. I ended up at one of my favorite shops, Helen Thomas in Andover, MA, feeling pretty confident that I would find just the right present there.
I got a bit distracted by all the treasures at Helen Thomas.
Check out the paintings behind me. The artist is Stephanie Mobbs Deady and her work is incredible! 
Stephanie is also known for her whimsical cow paintings. 
I NEED this cozy robe! Oops, I'm supposed to be birthday shopping for Ella, not me! Before I tell you what I got Ella, I need to give you all the outfit details. 
You're not going to believe who makes this dress.
Give up? It's LuLaRoe!! Generally you see their clothes worn very casually, but I jazzed up this feather print dress by adding a moto jacket and high boots.
I'm new to LuLaRoe--I always thought of it as a line for younger women. But honestly, it's perfect for all ages! 
This dress is so fabulous for many reasons....I love the print, the length is spot on, and it's amazingly comfy. Plus I can dress it up (as shown), or down. I can even wear it all year round!  Similar knit moto jacket HERE and HERE.
These earrings are made by my high school friend Aileen Peters and sold at Helen Thomas. Aileen creates the most gorgeous (and unique) silver jewelry. These earrings may look heavy, but they're actually very light. I think I need them.
A fringe bag (similar HERE) gives the outfit a little more edge. And suede tall boots dress it up a bit. These boots are very comfortable by the way! Find them HERE.

Now on to Ella---first I need to find her a special card.
Lisa, who owns Helen Thomas, has a fabulous selection of hand-made cards created by her mom! I love cards and I can easily spend hours reading them.
 Since Ella is a beautiful ballerina, I chose this one. You can't tell from the photo, but the card is covered in red sparkles.
And for her present, I found this Lucky Feather ballet slipper necklace. I think she'll like it! And isn't that quote beautiful?
Time to check out...thanks Kristina!
Be sure to check out Helen Thomas (they ship too!).

This blog is dedicated to my brilliant, gorgeous and very special niece Ella who I adore. Happy 11th birthday Ella...love you SO much!  "Auntie Susie".

XO Susan

Hair by the fabulous Robert Jason Salon.
Photos by Chantal Kellerd

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Some links in this blog may generate a small commission and the LuLaRoe dress was gifted. However, the content of my posts are based on my own honest opinions and are not in any way influenced by partnerships.  

















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