yanela is 9...

It feels like just the other day that I met Yanela.  She was just three, and she had been watching me from around corners for a few days.   Early one morning as I was unlocking the shop I looked down and there was this dumpling, staring up at me and mumbling, "You the cookie lady." Since then we've been inseparable. I met her mom, Coco who was then unemployed.  She started working that day, as a cleaner and a year later, she was leading the kitchen, training the staff and baking all our cakes and cupcakes.  And little Yanela is not so little anymore.  Turning nine and still as sweet as ever!

Yanela's party was supposed to be celebrated at our awesome local park, and though the day started off with blue skies, by the afternoon it rather miserable and chilly.  So instead we surprised the girls with a party at home.  (Sorry the lighting in my house is not too bright, so photo's aren't the best quality.)

We went with a red and white stripy theme (because i had these cool paper straws!)

We made the stripy invites and bunting. And a last minute stripy-dotty vanilla sponge cake.

For snacks there were hotdogs, popcorn, jelly & custard, cupcakes, grapejuice and fruit.  And hot chocolate with marshmallows to beat the chill...

And as for entertainment.... thank goodness I have been on this super organising spree at home.  And just that week i had made a dress-up cupboard for the girls with all my old lady hats, gloves, dresses, jewellery etc that i used to use for tea parties back in the days when I used to organise everything for kiddies parties.  So the girls just piled into the cupboard and went wild, dressing up and acting like divas.