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*Traveling Lily's Secret Admirer and Farewell*
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(public)(09.07.07)
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On Traveling Lily's next-to-last day at my house, she decided to spend a day playing with my doll family. Card shark Kit offered to play cards with Lily, but...
...Samantha popped by and said, "Lily, can you figure out this Rubik's Cube for me?" The truth is, Sammie knew that Lily had no clue that Kit is a terrible cheat at cards (she really is), so she thought Lily would be better off doing something else.
Anyway, although it took Lily about 15 minutes to figure out the Rubik's Cube, she finally completed it. "Hooray!" Lily said in excitement.
"Wow, Lily," Samantha said, "you're a genius!"
Soon after, Addy came by because she wanted to introduce someone to Lily.
"Lily," Addy began, "I'd like you to meet our Cousin Stitch!"
But before Lily could even say hello, Stitch took one look at her, froze, and suddenly ran away.
"Hey, wait!" Addy cried.
Yet Stitch decided to hide behind my dresser.
"Hmm," said Molly to Mary, who both saw what happened. "That's so odd. I wonder why he isn't acting more like his usual mischievous self."
"I do hope he's okay," Mary replied.
But an hour later, Mini Kaya rode by on her little pink pony with a special delivery. "Lily, this is a letter and flower for you," she said.
So Lily opened up the letter and read it. What a mysterious and interesting message!
"Oh!" Lily gasped in wonder and surprise, and she tucked the pretty flower in her hair. "I have a secret admirer here? But I'm leaving tomorrow! Who could it be?" Although she was astonished, she was also secretly very flattered.
Then Lily showed the letter to Addy and Molly, who read it right away.
It turned out that both Addy and Molly recognized the handwriting in the letter. "It's Stitch!" they shouted.
Then Molly fell over, laughing and whooping. "Ooooh, Stitch has a crush! Stitch likes a giiirl!" she teased, giggling.
"Stop that, Molly," scolded Addy. "That isn't nice!"
While Lily sat, worrying and marveling over having Stitch as a secret admirer, she felt someone sit on her leg. It was Mini Kaya, who said, "I think you should talk to him!"
Although Lily was very nervous about it, she decided it would be the best thing to do.
So she sat down with Stitch and said, "Stitch, I got your letter. It is so sweet and exciting to have an admirer, and you seem so nice, but...I have to tell you that since I'm a traveling doll, I must leave soon for a new destination, so nothing can happen between us. I'm sorry."
"Stitch understands," Stitch said miserably. Although he knew Lily was right, he let out a sob and started to cry.
"Oh, Stitch," said Lily sadly, "please don't cry! I still want to be your friend, even if I am a traveler." And she gave him a little hug. Stitch was so surprised by the hug that he actually started to feel a bit better.
"I won't ever forget you," Lily added.
And finally it was time for everyone to say good-bye to Lily before her departure.
Lily and Addy gave each other a hug. "Thanks for being a great friend," Lily said to her.
"Good-bye," said Mary. "We loved having you here. Bon voyage!"
"We're going to miss you," said Kit.
Here's a shot of my entire doll family with Lily. (Notice how Mini Kaya insisted on including her pink pony in the photo.)
Thanks so much for staying with us, Lily. We hope that you will enjoy the rest of your travels! :)
(Special note: Many of the cute props/non-AG items in this album were given to me by thoughtful and generous board friends and my Secret Sister. My Secret Sister also made the beautiful necklace that Addy wears here. I just wanted to say thank you to all for your kindness!)
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*Traveling Lily Visits Everyone's Favorite Doll Store*
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(public)(08.25.07)
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One day, I decided to drive Traveling Lily out for a special outing.
"Where are we going?" she asked, curious.
"You'll see," I replied. "But you can see downtown Los Angeles up ahead." (Not to mention LA traffic.)
(Sorry the above pic is a bit dark.)
Once we got off the freeway, we drove through LA's Little Ethiopia in South Fairfax (otherwise known as SoFax, as the banners on the lampposts say). On the left are some Ethiopian restaurants.
"Are we going here?" asked Lily.
"No, just wait," I said.
As we finally reached the Grove in the Third and Fairfax area, we saw this!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lily screamed, overwhelmed by the surprise. "American Girl Place! Let me out! I wanna go now!"
After we parked, I had Lily take a photo on the eighth floor of the parking lot.
"Oooh," I said as I snapped a photo. "What a pretty background behind you, Lily. Don't you just love those smoggy mountains?"
"Sure," she said absentmindedly. "Can we please go to the store now?"
(The little red circle in the background marks where the Hollywood sign should be, if it weren't obscured by smog.)
Ahhh... And here it is: American Girl Place Los Angeles!
The first place that Lily rushed to was Samantha's section.
"Oh!" Lily cried. "They look just like the pretty girls I knew back at home!" It was a little bittersweet moment as she posed with the store's Samantha and Nellie. "Although I love traveling, I have missed my family so much," she said. "I hope my Mommy and everyone else knows that I think about them everyday."
Then Lily went to go visit Molly and Emily at their campsite.
"They must be so lucky if they get to camp out in a doll store," Lily mused. "I wish I could do that too. It is one of my secret lifelong dreams." Then she gestured toward the redheaded Emily. "Wow," said Lily, "isn't it strange how much this Emily girl looks just like Jenny at home?"
Since Lily isn't one to stay in a single place too long, she soon found the colonial area of the store.
"Hey!" Lily shouted as she climbed up to Elizabeth's bedroom. "Is this Sleeping Beauty?"
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Lily whispered. "I want to say hello."
But the dozing Elizabeth did not stir.
Undaunted, Lily went off to discover more new friends. Here she found Kaya, who had kindly prepared some Nez Perce foods to share with her new visitor.
"Guess what!" Lily said. "I learned a new phrase! 'Katsee-yow-yow' means 'thank you' in Kaya's language. Katsee-yow-yow for lunch," she said to Kaya.
"No problem!" Kaya replied.
(Don't they look cute here! But I have to be careful or else I am going to enable myself!)
And here we found several Addy dolls behind glass. Lily was disappointed that these girls could not come out to play, but she commented, "Doesn't that Addy look so comfy in bed?"
As we walked over to the Just Like You doll section, Lily let out a little shriek. "I found a girl who looks exactly like me!" she said, stunned. Then she spoke to the bespectacled girl. "My name is Lily Amelia. What is your name?" Lily asked.
"Amelia Lily," the girl answered.
"What an incredible coincidence," said Lily in awe.
Soonafter, Lily found a pretty abandoned bed. "Hmmm," she murmured. "Well, I'm sure no one will mind if I take a nap, just for a little bit." Then she climbed in and closed her eyes.
"But Lily," I protested, "I don't know if it's polite to sleep in the middle of a store."
But Lily only let out a little snore, already fast asleep. (In that case, I guess she sort of fulfilled her dream of camping out in a doll store!)
Being a heavy sleeper, Lily napped for an hour while I waited. But after she woke up, we went to go look at Halloween costumes.
"So," I asked her, "what would you like to be for Halloween? You could be a black cat or a mermaid..."
"...or maybe a ballerina or an Irish dancer?"
"I don't know," said Lily.
Then she tried on the Irish dancer's curly red wig. "Maybe I could be a redhead for Halloween!" she said gleefully.
"Um, sure," I said.
Then we toured the rest of the store. Here's Lily with the rest of the JLY lovelies.
And here are the wonderful costumes from 2006's Molly movie.
A glance at the JLY area. Notice how the ceiling lights are shaped like American Girl's star logo.
And here's a shot outside of the rooms belonging to Samantha, Molly, and Felicity.
"I wish I could buy everything here," said Lily.
We also saw this interesting sign. (Sorry for the camera glare!) It read: "There's a new American Girl on the scene--come meet her September 10th!"
"A new American Girl?!" Lily gasped. "Who could that be?!"
"The new girl is Julie, and she has a best friend named Ivy," I explained. "They're from the 1970's."
Lily stared at me blankly.
"You know...the 1970's, about thirty or so years ago?" I said. "Like the Brady Bunch." (Well, I wasn't alive during the Seventies, but I had to explain the decade somehow!)
"Ohhhhh," replied Lily, finally understanding.
Before we left the store, we got a few more photos. Here's a shot of the yummy Cafe.
And here's the doll hair salon, where all stylish dolls go.
Lily found a lovely Nicki doll back on the first floor, and they spent some time chatting away. "I know someone at home who looks just like you!" Lily said to her new friend.
Then last, but not least, we stopped by the Personal Shopper office, where I introduced Julie and Ivy to Lily.
"Are you guys in the Brady Bunch?" Lily asked them.
"No," Julie answered with a friendly giggle. "But I have been told that I look just like Marcia Brady."
"We're just normal little girls, just like you," said Ivy.
(I would have gotten more photos in the PS office but was politely asked to stop.)
Well, that's the end of my Lily at AGPLA album. We had a great time that day, so we hope you liked our photos!
***Bonus Photos***
The Farmer's Market and the Grove
Here are some random photos of scenes at the nearby Farmer's Market.
There are lots of different eateries at the Market, including Mexican, French, Cajun, etc., but the food is bit overpriced.
The Farmer's Market clock tower.
Lots of shoppers walking around one part of the Grove.
The small dancing water fountain at the Grove. You can see spurts of water hanging in the air.
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*Traveling Lily Visits the Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Marino/Pasadena, California*
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(public)(08.16.07)
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Happyagmommykatie's Traveling Lily has finally reached sunny Southern California! So my fiance and I decided to take her out to the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino/Pasadena, California. (Also, I have to credit my fiance with all the photos seen here!)
Here's a shot of Lily at the fountain in front of the Huntington Library, sporting her admission sticker on her tank top.
She is saying, "Hi, Mommy! It's really hot out here in California, but I am loving it!"
Lily takes a brief rest and is sitting pretty on a bench. "Phew," she said. "This weather is really something, so I need to keep my strength up!"
Then we came by this beautiful sculpture surrounded by French Lace roses, called the Temple of Love. This is from the Huntington's website, which explains this statue: "The young maiden believes she has love within her grasp and she is in control of the situation; whereas, Cupid knows that love is his province...and he is totally in charge."
Then Lily wandered off onto a nearby path. If you look into the distance, you can see some Red Hat Society ladies!
Afterwards, we made our way into the Japanese Garden. We weren't allowed to walk over the moon bridge, so Lily is standing in front of it instead.
"This place is just so gorgeous," she sighed.
And here are some colorful koi fish in the sparkling waters of the garden.
Lily poses in front of a Japanese-designed pond. "It is so peaceful-looking," she said. "Wish you could be here, Mom!"
Here she is again, taking a quick break from the heat by a small waterfall.
And then Lily plopped down on the grass to admire the lush beauty and harmony of the garden. It is so lovely here!
"Doesn't it look just like a painting?" she asked me.
"Yes, it really does," I replied.
Later, we went to go look at some bonsai trees at the garden.
"This is the smallest tree I have ever seen," said Lily. "It's almost the same height as I am."
As we were leaving the Japanese garden, we stumbled upon the rock (or Zen) garden. Lily was amazed to see a garden consisting of rocks and pebbles raked into patterns.
"It's supposed to be calming," I told her.
"Well," she mused, "it is very practical, too. No lawnmowers necessary!"
Our next stop was the Huntington's Desert Garden. At this point I was pooped from the hot summer weather (LOL), but Lily was a terrific and curious little adventurer, always wanting to see more.
"It's so neat being here," Lily said, sitting down. She looked just like a sweet little desert bloom herself. "I just felt like I visited Japan, and now I'm here in the desert, and I never had to buy a plane ticket."
"Doesn't this cactus look like it has bunches of prickly Mickey Mouse ears on it?" Lily asked.
And Lily trotted off to examine even more desert plants. Look at how big these are! They are practically towering over this little girl.
Then we paused by these large Golden Barrel cacti. I've heard that these plants have been nicknamed "Mother-in-Law Cushions." We can only imagine why. LOL! (But, for the record, my future mother-in-law is a very nice lady!)
Here are some plants inside the desert greenhouse. The hanging ones are among the strangest plants I have ever seen.
Our last photo of Lily at the garden, who is standing by some cacti (which we think look like weird fuzzy snowballs).
"Okay, Mommy," said Lily, "we'll see you again later! I had a great day. Bye for now!"
***Bonus Photos***
My fiance tried taking Lily up to Mount Wilson on August 12th to see the Perseid meteor shower. He couldn't get too many good photos because it was so dark, though, so here are just a few that we can share:
Lily is sitting on a box, trying to catch a view of the city lights below. (You can only see a little bit of the lights here because there were too many trees blocking the view.)
A better view of the lights of the San Gabriel Valley.
Even though my fiance couldn't get any pictures of the meteor shower itself, Lily did get to see a few meteors! :)
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*This is what happens when Stitch goes to a birthday party*
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(public)(05.29.07)
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I'm embarrassed to say this, but this birthday album is really, really late. (My birthday was sometime last year, but I won't say when!) I apologize for the ridiculous tardiness. :( Anyway, since these pics were taken last year, they will only feature Mary, Molly, and Kit, who were the only dolls I had at that time. I hope you will enjoy this album! (And happy birthday to anyone else whose birthday is today!)
It was the week of my birthday, so the girls wanted to do something special for me.
Mary, believe it or not, knows how to drive, so she grabbed my car keys. Molly happily waved a dollar that she and Mary could spend at the store. She said she had been saving up hard for that dollar, but I'll bet she just found it in my sock drawer.
After Molly and Mary came back home, they found Kit and showed her all the things they had bought for me.
"Oooh," breathed Kit, holding a box of matches on her lap. "Chocolate cupcakes and candles! How fun! Mommy is going to like this!"
As the girls were trying to set up my party at the dining table, an unexpected guest showed up.
"Hi, Cousin Stitch!" the girls said.
"Hi," Stitch said, but he immediately turned his attention to the delicious cupcakes on the side.
His eyes widened at the sight of the tantalizing cakes and he sniffed them.
"Stitch wants dessert now!" he exclaimed. He was just about to open his mouth wide to gobble up the food, but Kit cried, "STITCH! Stop that right now! Those cupcakes aren't for you!"
Stitch stopped and scurried back to the girls' side. "Me sorry," he said, trying hard not to stare at the food anymore.
"Oh, that's all right," Mary said. "But let's light the candles now!"
And so they did.
But it was a shame that these cupcakes were so tasty and pretty, because we would never get a chance to eat them.
Molly, Kit, and Mary gathered around me for a big birthday hug.
"Thank you, girls," I said. "This was a wonderful party."
But as soon as we turned around, the cupcakes were gone!
And so was Stitch!
"Look!" shouted Molly, pointing down the hallway. There was Stitch, running away with my birthday cupcakes as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.
"Come on," Kit said hastily to Molly. "Let's catch him!"
So they started to run off as fast as they could. Unfortunately, Kit did not notice that one of her bootlaces was untied, and...
...OOPS! The girls crashed into one another!
Seeing the accident, patient Mary devised another plan. She found a balloon, held on tightly to it, and...
...up, up and away she went!
Mary floated quickly through the hallway, over the dolly collision below, and hurried into my bedroom.
(Don't ask me how I did those floating shots, because DPS would be sure to kill me!)
This is what Mary found: A devoured plate of cupcakes and a keeled-over Stitch, who was sick from a bad tummy ache.
The sad aftermath of Stitch's appetite.
"Ohh," moaned Stitch miserably, covering his eyes in shame. "Stitch could not help it, so sorry! The cupcakes were just too good! So sorry if you are all angry with me now!" And he began to sniffle.
At that moment, Molly and Kit arrived late, both looking like a mess from their big accident.
"Cousin Stitch, how could you be so naughty?" Molly cried.
"Shhh," said Mary softly. She gently pulled a blanket over Stitch, who could barely move anymore because of his painful stomachache. "I think he has already learned his lesson."
The very next day, I found that Stitch had left a note for me. It read:
Deer aunty Kristie,
Stitch is verry sorry for eating your berthday cupcakes. Stitch promise never to do that agen! Happy berthday.
Yours turly,
Stitch
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*Pre-Mattel Samanthas comparison: Face, hair, and eyes*
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(public)(05.10.07)
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So I have decided to make an album comparing two pre-Mattel Samanthas--one tan-bodied doll from the mid-1990's or so, and one white-bodied doll from the 1980's. Both were pre-owned by other people before I "adopted" them.
My white-bodied Samantha was renamed Mary, while my tan-bodied Samantha kept her name. (Okay, I hope that wasn't too confusing.)
I hope you will enjoy this comparison of their faces, hair, and eyes!
Samantha (left) and Mary (right), enjoying some time together. Here you can see the differences in their hair color and eye color! (More hair and eye comparison pictures to come.)
Another picture of Samantha (left) and Mary (right). Even though I know that they're technically the same doll, I cannot get over how different they look. I do consider them to be directly related, but they almost look like two totally different dolls.
Here is a shot of Mary using a flash.
Here's Mary without using a flash. I think she has more of a naturally refined look compared to the rest of my dolls, but then again, she's the most "ladylike" doll in my house. :)
Samantha poses for the camera. I think she looks best in natural sunlight. Note her soft and pretty facial coloring. Samantha's face paint is more subtle than the Mattel AG's, but brighter than Mary's.
Time for a hair comparison! Samantha is on the left, while Mary is on the right. Samantha has darker brown hair, and it seems to be thicker and a little more coarse than Mary's. Mary's hair is fine and soft, and it's almost a dark caramel brown in color.
And here's an eye comparison! (Yes, I think looking at seemingly disembodied doll eyes is creepy too, but this is all in the name of dolly science. :) )
Mary's eye is on the left, while Samantha's eye is on the right.
Mary's eye is lighter brown, but there is more variation of dark and light colors in her eye. It seems speckled, in a way. Samantha's eye does have color variations as well, but overall, it is a darker brown (like chocolate). Note how Mary's eyelashes (left) are more upturned than Samantha's (left). Samantha's eyelashes are fairly straight.
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So that's the end of my comparison. If you have any questions or comments, let me know. Thank you for looking! :)
(By the way, Mary just got back from a much-needed hospital and spa visit with Dr. Robin. Now Mary is feeling and looking more wonderful than ever, which is important for a 20-something year old doll. :) Thank you, Dr. Robin!!!)
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*AGPLA New Product Launch - February 2007*
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(public)(02.13.07)
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Okay...here are the pictures from today's AGPLA new product launch. Sorry, some the pictures are going to be out of order, but I won't mess with them because I know all of you have been waiting for so long!
Here is my newest girl, Addy! Winnie, my personal shopper, helped me pick her out. What was funny was that I didn't even have to ask her to find me a doll that was stamped "Pleasant Company"--she started hunting for PC dolls herself without even asking me! I think she is so used to adult doll collectors now that her PS instincts are really sharp! Addy is very lovely, though, and she is now just getting acquainted with my girls. In addition, I need to give a big thank you to Dollsforadoll, who kindly sent me the Molly code coupon so I could use it at AGP!
I think this is the Fun in the Sun Short Set for both the Bitty Twin boy and girl, $24--or is this the Jumper set? (Sorry, I'm not a BT collector, so sometimes I get confused with their items!) I think the girl looks cute, though.
Tropical Waves Beach Set, $24. I love the baby water wings.
Fun in the Sun Jumper Set, $24.
Here are the boy and girl BT's together in their new outfits!
Here is a side view of the Flower Garden Dress, $26. It is a pretty and feminine outfit, but the colors don't really stand out to me, though. But hey--I'm grateful it's not all in pink; the tan color helps to add some variety. Also, I do like the corsage--it is a very sweet touch.
Here are the girl-sized version of the new JLY pajamas. (None of the JLY's were wearing these jammies, only their robes, so that's why I had to snap pics of the girls' clothes.) Frankly, I don't like these jammies...I think they are too skimpy and revealing for 10 year old girls, IMO. :(
Here is the full-frontal view of the Flower Garden Dress. (Sorry about the pics being out of order!)
Satin Floral Set, $26. This is the robe that covers the dolls in their tank top and short shorts jammies. I guess I will have to take a pass on these PJ's; they are not my style.
Coconut and Friend Carrier, $19. I am not sure if I would carry real-life pets in bags, but I do have to say the new Coconut bag is pretty cute.
Sand and Surf Set, $28. This looks like a great set for surfer girls!
Island Vacation Outfit, $26. Somehow, I see Jess in this outfit!
Another shot of the Coconut and Friend Carrier.
Island Scooter Set, $65. This looks like Jess' old scooter to me, but in a different color. I think it looks nice.
These are various items from the Island Luau Outfit, $26 (and one pic has Sand and Surf set accessories). The pineapple ukulele made me smile.
Bennett's Pup Tent, $20. Soooooo cute! It actually made me want Bennett! (Oh, the AG Force is strong here...)
Camp Gowanagin Tent, $72. I REALLY love this piece! The quality seems really nice and I can see a great deal of play value in this. Plus, the tent comes with stairs that have buttons, and the buttons will play music and camp sounds. If I had the space and extra money, I would get this! (However, I haven't played with the tent at all, so please take my opinions with a grain of salt. ;) )
Emily's Two-Piece Swimsuit, $24. I think this is a bit too revealing for shy Emily. I'm not a big fan of two-piece swimsuits, but I think I can see Molly in this outfit instead of Emily.
This is a closeup of Molly's Sleeping Bag, $20. It is very plain and simple, but it serves its purpose. I just wish AG had included a little pillow for the sleeping bag, since it's no fun to sleep with your head on the hard ground.
Another shot of the Camp Gowanagin Tent.
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*Mini Kaya*
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(public)(02.13.07)
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Okay, I haven't updated my AG album in a while. :( I know I'm at least one album behind, sorry!
Anyway, though, I had to post a pic of my lovely Mini Kaya. I just got her a few months ago, since she came with the Kaya book set at Costco. She is very pretty and a fun member of my AG family!
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*Las Vegas, Nevada and Kit*
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(public)(08.27.06)
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These are pictures from my recent vacation to Las Vegas, Nevada. I had a very nice time! I know Vegas can be considered a somewhat cheesy place by some people, but my longtime boyfriend proposed to me on this trip and it was quite romantic and emotional. :) Also, I let Kit tag along on the trip (she supposedly has great blackjack skills).
I didn't get to take that many pictures overall because I was so busy most of the time, and this album won't have a storyline. However, thanks for looking!! :) :)
This is Kit packing her "suitcase" for Las Vegas. It's really supposed to be a small human-sized lunchbox, but it looked so cute that I just had to get it for her. She is excited because this is her first real trip.
Here's a frontal shot of Kit with her "suitcase."
"This is so neat!" says Kit. "I love the baseball guy on the front!"
And here we go with my pictures from Las Vegas!
This is a shot of the Eiffel Tower replica in front of the Paris Las Vegas hotel on the Strip. I believe it is half-scale in size to the real Eiffel Tower in France.
(I found that it was easier to take outdoor photos at night, since the daytime temperatures in Las Vegas soared to over 100F! Staying outside too long in the heat was exhausting, so I spent much of the daytime hours indoors.)
I saw Cirque du Soleil's "Mystere" show at the Treasure Island hotel. (This is not my own photo, but one I found off the Internet.) It was pretty fun to watch, and the circus performers are very talented. There was also a clown and an adult baby who provided comic relief, and they were very funny.
On our first night walking around the Strip, my fiance proposed to me in front of the Bellagio fountains. It is a very pretty area with its huge eight-acre lake and graceful yet powerful water jets. Photos and videos never really do this place justice--the Bellagio water shows are a lot more spectacular in person.
Here is the site from the people who helped develop the fountains: http://www.wetdesign.com/client/bellagio/ If you have the QuickTime player on your computer, they also have two video links--one is of the fountains "dancing" to "Singin' in the Rain," and the other is "Rondine al nido." (Do turn on your volume.)
Here is a shot of one part of the busy Strip. From left to right: the MGM, New York-New York, and the Monte Carlo (the white rightmost building).
While I wasn't looking, Kit spied some slot machines and ran up to them.
"OOOOH!" she yelled. "I wanna try out the slot machine! I bet I can win a million dollars!"
But I had to whisk her away because the Vegas casinos never allow anyone under 21 to gamble. Sorry, Kit, the million dollars will have to wait until you're older! :P :)
Kit and I found this to be funny. New York-New York, the hotel I stayed at, has "Guys" and "Dolls" signs over their men's and women's restrooms at the casino. But seeing that "Dolls" sign made me imagine it was a restroom just for dollies. ;)
Here is another shot of the inside of New York-New York. The developers tried to make it look like a mini New York City.
This is my last picture of Las Vegas right before I left for home. Here we can see a half-scale replica of the original Statue of Liberty. You can also see the red hotel rollercoaster winding behind the statue.
I didn't get a chance to get a good photo of hotel itself, but some parts of its buildings are modeled after New York City skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. They also have a smaller-scale Brooklyn Bridge, LOL.
I didn't win any money in Vegas, but I left with a new fiance and many happy and fun memories. :) (Even though she was disappointed that she didn't win her million dollars, Kit admitted that she is happy to have a loving dollie daddy-to-be. Hehe.)
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*AG Curio Cabinet and Locker finds at Ross*
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(public)(08.07.06)
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Here are two of my AG furniture finds from Ross Dress For Less. :) Sorry if some of the pictures are a little dark.
My first find at Ross was a little yellow/white cabinet with a faux antique finish. My lovely model Kit is helping me present it (and she's also there to give you an idea of the item's size). I think it looks good as a low curio cabinet for AG's. I also saw that it was available in a blue faux antique finish. This cost $11.99 (without tax).
Here is a view of the shelves within. They are big enough to hold Kit's waffle iron and Kit's waffle plate. However, the waffle iron must be turned at a particular angle to fit, and the plate must be carefully propped up to fit as well. Otherwise, they look great. The doors are held shut by a magnet at the bottom, and they also have an open criss-cross design. I suspect that Kit's cans of food (from her hobo accessories) would look good in here.
This is a shot of the low drawer on the cabinet. It's holding the electrical cord to Kit's waffle iron, her baseball, and her waffles. (Who really keeps waffles in a drawer? I don't know. LOL.)
This is a photo of Kit standing with the cabinet with its doors wide open.
Once again, my model Kit is helping me. This time she is presenting a light green locker that is made of wood. It is pretty large in terms of AG size, but I think it's perfect for storing a doll's school accessories, sports items, and toys. I love the idea of doll-sized lockers, except all of the ones at Ross had some modern decoration on them. (As you can see, my locker has a surf motif that makes no sense for Kit and Molly--LOL.) This locker is also available in lavender, pink, and yellow with various decorations. The price is $12.99 (excluding sales tax). Wonderful school item for AGT dolls, in my opinion.
One thing that did bother me about the locker are the tiny hairline cracks in the paint where the wood pieces are joined. This is a shot of the backside of the locker, but the paint cracks are hard to see here. Overall, I think the locker is good quality--I like that it's made of wood (and not metal) because it won't get dents, and it's extremely sturdy and sort of heavy.
Here's an inside shot of the locker and its deep and spacious shelves. It is holding an individual Molly Short Story book on the top shelf and Kit's baseball cap and glove on the bottom. In case you're wondering, the outer knob has numbers on it and it really does spin, but there is no real combination or lock for this. The door is held shut by a little latch that you can turn with the knob.
And here's Kit with the locker while its doors are open. You can see the surf motif better here, but I'm wondering how I should cover it up (so it'll make more sense for Kit and Molly's time). This is a great back-to-school item for your dolls! :)
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*Molly Beats the Heat*
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(public)(07.28.06)
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One day, as Mommy was walking around the house, she found me lying on the bed like this!
"Molly!" Mom exclaimed, sounding worried. "Are you all right?"
I rolled over and sat up straight. "I'm okay, Mom," I said, even though I felt a little dazed. "I just can't stand the how hot it is." It really was true, because the weather people on the news said we're having a heat wave!
"Oh, Molly," said Mom, "I'm sorry. I don't like the weather either. Is there anything you want to do so you can feel better?"
"Yes!" I cried, hopping out of bed.
I yanked off my undershirt and shouted, "I want to run around the house in my underwear! WHEE!"
Too bad for me, Mommy chased me down the hallway to catch me. Then she had to drag me back to the bedroom by my ankles. "NOOOO, Mom!" I cried as I tried to escape.
"Oh Molly," sighed Mom. "Sometimes I wonder if you're my inner child run amok!"
Then she put me in a green feedsack dress. "You be careful with that outfit," Mom reminded me. "That one belongs to your sister Kit."
After she finished, I plopped down by her dresser to pout. I still felt that running around in my underwear would have been more fun than wearing a dress.
Moments later, Cousin Stitch showed up beside me. "Hello, pretty Molly," he said. "Why do you look so sad today?"
"Because I'm hot and I can't do anything about it," I replied sulkily.
Stitch thought for a moment, and then he said, "Wait! Stitch knows what to do!" He told me that he had some things we could do so I could finally forget about the heat!
First, Stitch dragged out the fan and turned it on full-blast. I liked standing in front of it because it felt so cool. Ahhh...
Then Stitch took me out to the living room and made me an ice-cold root beer float. (We had to use cookies & cream ice cream this time around since we ran out of vanilla.) He even let me drink out of his special Disneyland mug!
"Wow, Stitch!" I exclaimed. "You have your face on a mug!"
"Yes, that is true," he said.
"You're so lucky," I sighed. "How did you ever get your face on a mug?"
Stitch magically pulled out two of his DVD's. "That is because Stitch is a movie star!" he answered.
"Wow!" I said. "I can't believe my cousin is a movie star! Are you very famous?"
"Maybe a little bit," he replied.
"Gee, I wish I could be in a movie too," I said dreamily.
"You will be," said Stitch. "Don't worry!" [*wink wink* to Molly fans!]
Next up, we grabbed some scissors and paper to make paper snowflakes. The scissors were bigger than my head (yikes), so Mom had to supervise. Even though cutting the snowflakes made us sweaty, I think it was worth it. Look at all the beautiful snowflakes we made!
"We never got snow in Hawaii because it was so warm there," Stitch explained, "so this is a good way to pretend." He also chose to wear one of his snowflakes on top of his head.
After we made our paper snowflakes, Mommy took us to the bedroom for storytime. She cuddled me and Stitch in her arms and read us a wonderful story!
Here's the book! It brought back lots of happy memories of me and my family during Christmas 1944.
And then I got tired and wanted to take a nap. Stitch was so nice that he tucked me in with my special blanket.
"Thank you, Stitch," I said. "You helped me forget about the heat with all the neat things we did. You are truly a wonderful cousin."
Sweet dreams, everybody!
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*What do dolls (and men) do when they think you're not around?*
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(public)(07.05.06)
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This is the story of what happens when the special men in your life get a hold of your AG dolls when you're not looking!
Over the past weekend, my boyfriend was sweet enough to help me install shelves for my "doll house in a closet." This is how my dolls usually look on one of their new shelves. Kit, Mary, and Molly are just sitting pretty, and they can't help but look so innocent. However, while I was away being busy, my boyfriend decided to have a bit of fun with my dolls...
...and when I came back to the room, my boyfriend was gone, but he had left me with this! Dolls with playing cards and stacks of chips! LOL. And you can bet that I had to do a double-take. :O
Mind you, I don't condone dolly gambling, especially UNDERAGE dolly gambling, but the girls seemed to be having so much fun playing blackjack that I didn't want to stop them. Even Mary, who is normally so proper and ladylike, was having a grand time. And besides, I didn't want to interrupt such a strangely priceless scene.
"So, girls," I decided to ask, "what does the winner get in the end?"
Mary, Molly and Kit pointed me in the direction of this: WAFFLES! Mmmm... And really, who wouldn't want to win some delicious waffles?
That's when I heard a little giggle erupting from Kit. She tried to give us all her most angelic smile, but I heard her mutter this under her breath:
"Hehehe! SUCKERS!"
Honestly, people, you'd be surprised to know what your dollies REALLY think behind those cute smiles.
She kindly decided to show me her winning hand. 5 + 6 + Queen = 21.
Oooh...that's why she was so happy.
"HOORAY, everybody!" shouted Kit. "I got 21! I won! The waffles are mine!"
And so... Mary had to make Kit some steaming hot banana waffles...
"My, my," Mary said, "these smell delicious!"
I had no idea that dolls could even make waffles. I only know how to make toaster waffles, so even Mary has more cooking talent than me!
Here is Molly bringing Kit a glass of orange juice to go with her waffles.
"That's a mighty big glass for a doll," I said.
"I know," Molly replied. "But at least we have lots of orange juice in the fridge. I'm lucky I didn't have to squeeze all this juice by myself!"
And seeing how tiny Molly's hands are, she really does have a point.
And here's a final picture of Kit with her congratulatory meal and, um, all of her winning chips. Oh, boy...I wonder what will happen if this girl ever goes to Las Vegas someday!
In the meantime, I think I will have a very good "talking-to" with my boyfriend and what a bad influence he is...LOL. :)
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*The New Sister*
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(public)(06.21.06)
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One day, Mommy said to me, "Molly, there is going to be a big surprise in the house."
"Really?" I said. "Is Santa coming over for dinner?" I asked hopefully.
Mom chuckled. "No," she replied. "You're going to get a new sister!"
"Oh! A new sister to play with?" I cried. I jumped up and down and clapped my hands. "Yay! I'm so excited!"
I then ran over to the living room window to look outside.
"Molly," said Mom, "what on earth are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for my sister," I replied. "I want to see when the stork will come!"
Mom looked at me in surprise. "The stork?" She cried. "Sweetheart, storks don't bring dolls. They bring babies! Dolls almost always come in boxes from stores or warehouses."
I sat down. "Oh," I said, a little disappointed. I had always wanted to see the stork.
"Don't feel bad," said Mom, stroking my hair. "Doll stores are a good place. That's where I can buy special things for you." I was happy to hear that.
While Mom was away to bring my new sister home, I sat on the couch with Mary so we could eat some cookies.
"It's so hard to wait," I complained sadly, looking down at the cookie plate.
"It will be all right," Mary replied gently. "I'm sure the new girl will come soon."
I took a bite out of a cookie and asked, "Boy, Mary, what do you suppose she'll even look like?"
"I'm not quite sure," Mary said. "But I hear that she is from Cincinnati and that her name is Kit."
"Kit," I repeated. "Kit. That's a funny name. But I hope she'll have braids like me!"
After what seemed like forever, we finally heard Mom's keys rattling at the door. She stepped inside, and we could see that she was carrying a giant red bag! She put it down, and Mary and I rushed over to it to see what was inside.
Mom helped us by pulling the box out, since it was as large as either of us. I couldn't believe it was so big! She took off the top of the box so we could finally see Kit, and...
...out popped someone else in a purple sweater!
"Hi, everybody!" he shouted happily.
Mary screamed with fear, but I calmed her down.
"Don't be scared," I said. "That's just Stitch! Mom says he is a distant cousin. Don't worry, he's actually really nice."
"Oh," said Mary shakily. "How do you do?" she asked.
"Hungry!" answered Stitch.
All of a sudden, we heard the red bag rustling, and it started to shake. Mary grabbed my arm.
As we stared, the bag then tipped over. "OOMPF!" we heard, and out crawled somebody else!
This time, both Mary and I ran away and screamed. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The mysterious person finally escaped from the bag, and Mary bravely went over to look more closely. "For Heaven's sakes!" she cried. "This must be our Kit!"
I crept closer and the girl opened her eyes. I could see that she had short blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and pale freckles dotted across her face. Even though she didn't have any braids, she was still very pretty.
"Hello!" Kit greeted us brightly. "Which one of you is Ruthie?"
Mary and I gave each other confused looks. "We're not Ruthie," I said. "We're Molly and Mary."
We helped Kit up and Stitch gave her back her things.
Kit grinned at us and said, "I'm so sorry if Stitch gave you an awful scare. He asked if he could surprise you guys, and I thought it would be okay. I didn't know Mary would be afraid."
Stitch nodded. "Stitch is sorry," he said.
"That's quite all right," said Mary graciously. "We are just so pleased to have you with us."
"Yeah," I agreed.
Then Kit looked over at me and said, "Molly, I love your long braids! I wish I could braid my hair too, except it's just too short. Your hair is so lovely!"
I smiled from ear to ear. I knew right then and there that I was going to like my new sister!
After we finished getting to know one another, we all climbed up into our nice big papasan chair for a family photo.
"Now we have three dollies in the house!" I sighed happily.
"No!" said Stitch, hopping up onto the chair. "You mean four dollies!"
"Four?" I asked. "Are you a dolly too?"
"Yes," said Stitch simply.
"Okay," I replied cheerfully. "Four dollies in the house!"
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*Introduction*
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(public)(05.31.06)
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This is my first album entry. I'm sorry I have so few pictures, but right now, all I have is my picture phone and a digital camera that I borrow (which explains the varying quality of the photos). Many of these are older pictures, but I tried to string them together to make some kind of (more or less) cohesive story.
- Kristie :)
Hi, everybody! My name is Molly McIntire. I live with my Mommy out in California, but my real hometown is Jefferson, Illinois. I sometimes hang out at Mommy's desk while she's working. She says I'm her study buddy. :)
(Oops, my slip is showing. Mom didn't catch that before she took my photo.)
This is me at the Grove, which is where American Girl Place Los Angeles is. We went here for the Memorial holiday weekend. I'm standing on the bridge by the fountain, which I think is so pretty. I love how the water sprays up! I wanted to get closer to the edge, but Mommy wouldn't let me go because she was afraid I'd fall in. She is so overprotective! Are all doll Mommies like this?
This is my Grandmary, Mary Irene Edwards, who says, "How do you do?" She came to live with us after living with a lady in New York. We call her my Grandmary because she's "vintage."
"What does 'vintage' mean?" I asked Mom.
"It means she's way older than you," she replied.
"Isn't Grandmary actually a character from the Samantha books?" I asked.
"Errrr...never mind," said Mom.
Mommy says that Mary is very much a lady. She likes elegant, fancy clothes, looks after herself, and always minds her manners. She has a nice and gentle personality, while Mom says I can be a little rambunctious. I don't know what "rambunctious" means (do you?), but I like the way it sounds!
Here I am, getting my hair washed for the first time ever! Mommy used baby shampoo to keep my hair nice and clean. She actually wanted to use wig shampoo, but I told her that I don't have a wig. I have no idea what she was talking about...
"Molly, sweetheart," Mom said, "all you dollies have wigs for hair!"
"That's not true!" I protested. "I had hair growing on my head the day I was born."
"Errrrrr...okay," said Mom, who just smiled.
I have the cutest foot in the world. Mom told me that there are thousands of other dollies with feet exactly like mine, but I still think mine are the best!
::Yawn:: I'm tired, and Mommy says it's time for bed. I love snuggling into my pajamas. The stripes remind me of Christmas candy canes...mmm...and presents! I love presents. Did I mention that Christmas is my favorite holiday? I wonder when Santa and his elves--
"Molly, for goodness' sakes!" Mom is calling. "I said it was time for bed, and here you are, talking about Christmas and Santa in the month of May? Now, scoot!"
Okay, now I really have to go. Thank you for looking at our album. Hope you enjoyed it!
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