Why I LOVE American Girl Dolls

First of all, a disclaimer: I'm an adult (age 36) collector of American Girl Dolls. My collection includes Girl of the Year dolls (with a serious desire for the 2015 and 2016 Dolls of the Year, Grace Thomas and Lea Clark, respectively), Historical Characters, and Just Like You dolls.

I recently acquired a Historical Addy, who had some seriously bad hair. One quick rewigging later, with the Monique Cotton wig, and she's adorable enough that my Mom, also a collector, had to buy one and do the same thing. Yay, I'm a trend setter. Ha ha. See-- Pics of new AG doll (My Instagram) for pics.

I like American Girl, and have since I was a child, because of the world of play they open up. Their characters, even the historical ones, are "era flexible"-- does your Samantha want to be a 1970's boho chick like Julie? Does your Kaya want to be a WW2 Patriot like Molly, perhaps morphed into a Navajo code talker? SHE CAN BE.

Do you want to take a doll that needs a little bit of work, say, she has a slightly funky hairdo, and customize her into anything you want? YOU CAN.

But above all, what I love about American Girl is that it allows GIRLS TO BE GIRLS. The dolls aren't heavily made up. If they have ANY makeup, like the previously mentioned Grace doll, it's very minimal. That doll's lips are slightly "pink", as if she's wearing a little bit of lip gloss. This is in contrast to many other dolls marketed towards girls, such as the Bratz dolls, and even the fellow-Mattel brand Barbies. I'm definitely in favor of a less "mature" look to dolls-- it allows girls to remain girls longer, without feeling "pressured" to wear makeup, or look older than their age.

In addition, American Girl and Mattel, in recognizing that boys often want to play with their sisters, and that girls would like a boy doll to play with, recently introduced the Logan Everett doll. This doll is the first "boy doll" in the line, at least officially. While there's been some controversy within the fandom about this doll using the Kaya face mold, somehow implying that this doll is more "masculine" than the others, and potentially "cultural appropriation", I don't find this to be the case at all. I applaud the company for recognizing the desires of its consumers and introducing products based on feedback of their consumers as well.

This last one is likely why this year's Girl of the Year, Gabriela McBride, is a "girl of color"-- something the fandom had requested for some time. Likewise, she also has a slight differing ability-- she stutters at times. Reportedly, next year's Girl of the Year will be Latina, named Luciana Vega, and be interested in space/STEM activities.

In short, the world of American Girl is endless. It allows girls to explore their world, learn about their world, and realize that girls can do everything boys can.

Shoes Make the Doll...

They say "shoes make the outfit" and I totally agree. From Etsy shops to commercially available shoes like these Grey Sneakers to Pixie Faire patterns for "Jane's" shoes which look like the popular Bob's and Tom's, there's a lot of really cute shoes out there.

From Etsy, one of my favorites is Doll Shoe Lane. Their adorable Watermelon Felt Shoes would be the perfect fit to a summery outfit, like this Watermelon Skirt or Watermelon Sleeveless Dress, both from Metta's Creations. Another cute outfit that would be "made" by the watermelon felt shoes is this Watermelon Halter Romper.

As previously mentioned, I like the "Jane's" style shoes. I regularly wear my TOMS and BOBS shoes, and of course, like to occasionally match my doll. The Jane's shoes are very versatile, and can be fancy, like these Pearly Janes, which would be cute matched with this Philippines Dress.

The commercially available shoes from American Girl-- American Girl Doll Accessories & Shoes-- are all perfect for the outfits that they sell. While they can be a bit pricey, they're perfectly sized for AG and SOME other 18" dolls, and will fit perfectly and look totes adorable. 

When good clothes happen to cute dolls...

I meant to post this post MUCH SOONER than literally two years after the last one... because I try not to dwell on negativity too much. But life happens: a move TO Austin, TX, a move BACK to Southern California, the loss of a job and potentially getting my dream job at American Girl Place in Los Angeles, and everything else.

This is going to be an ever-evolving post, with info changing from time to time.

When it comes to doll clothes, there are Etsy stores I really like for their choice of clothing styles, their separates, accessories, and other things. In no particular order, here are some of my absolute Etsy faves.

First up is definitely Naya's Designs. This shop has featured some outfits that would look truly awesome on Saige, with the cascading sweater, and the Nautical Romper here would be perfect on Maryellen, or my very own JLY #21 (or JLY #37). The Blue Floral Denim Shorts Set is also really cute, and the included shoes would look good with a host of outfits I already have. The Embellished Satin Dress Shoes would look good with most dressy outfits, and are, in my opinion, cuter than the styles AG has.

My second "featured shop" is Adollable By Rita. I love this shop for the numerous categories, including Imagination Station, which has a cook costume, a cowgirl one, a nurse costume... and then the Special Occasion section, which has some really cute Frozen-inspired dresses. One of my favorite outfits is the VERY REASONABLY priced Turquoise Tie Dye Top and Turquoise Lace Capri Pants -- only $12, and it would look great on my JLY #37 (which is a VERY similar doll to the one it's featured on in the shop). Another favorite is the Aztec Inspired Top and White Pants -- also $12. In other words, two outfits for the price of LESS THAN ONE would be at AG or a lot of other Etsy shops, And they're all well-made, not cheaply done, and are easy for girls to take on and off of their doll (unlike some designs, which are complex and difficult to put on a doll!).  The prices in this shop will enable me to buy more items, which is important when I'm expanding my dolls' wardrobe :) I recently messaged the owner on Etsy, and she's very definitely personable! I also like that she's coming out with a line of boy doll clothing-- which means I have one more reason to get the Logan doll or create my own boy doll. She also consciously picks fabrics that have patterns which WORK with a doll. In my last blog post, that was one criticism of some doll clothes artisans. They would pick a fabric that just didn't work on an 18" doll.

I also like shops that CONSCIOUSLY choose to upcycle human clothing into doll clothes. Not only does this keep clothing items out of the landfill, it gives new life to otherwise unusable clothing. So when I found The Dolly Dama, I was ecstatic. Their Raspberry Shadows Sweater Outfit features a few upcycled sweaters, and is a cute ensemble that has pieces which could create several other outfits. The Modern Day Gatsby outfit is sparkly, satin, and just enough glitzy to class up my dolls' wardrobe.

I have to admit, I DO find some of the clothing that our new FLOTUS wears to be truly beautiful. Which means I'm VERY tempted by the offerings of America's Kids USA, which features not only a suit inspired by Melania Trump's Inauguration Suit, but one inspired by Rosa Parks and the important bus boycott which sparked the civil rights movement. That dress is here-- Rosa Parks Bus Boycott Dress -- and would be AMAZING on the AG Melody doll.

I love diversity in my dolls, which means my JLY #1 and JLY #26 NEED to get this cute Black Dolls Matter t-shirt from the Black Dolls Matter shop. And yes... black dolls matter more now than they did when I was a lily white girl longing for an African American doll while I was growing up in the 1980's. Today's girls, both black and white, need to have dolls of color, and while I applaud AG for FINALLY having a black GOTY (Girl of the Year) in Gabriela, and also having the Historical Doll, Melody, who's growing up in the civil rights era, it almost seems like "too little." I plan to order Black Dolls Matters for not only my two black dolls, but for my white dolls as well. Because BLACK DOLLS MATTER... and so do black lives.

I also like ethnic clothing for my doll collection, and have come up with a very crude hijab and abaya set for my crew. Which means a dress like this Philippines Dress from Rolling Rock Dolls is truly awesome. This shop owner also has Egyptian Queen and Spanish Latina Princess dresses which are extremely reasonably priced for the quality, and are vibrant, exciting colors.

NO DOLL'S WARDROBE would be complete without shoes... which is why this next section is ALL ABOUT SHOES. I absolutely LOVE these Pink Glitter High Heel Shoes and White/Silver High Heel Glitter Shoes from Judy's Doll Boutique; they'd jazz up ANY of the outfits in my collection. This shop has a host of other shoes, from tennis shoes to boots, and all would be a great addition to any doll wardrobe. I also like these Aqua Lacey Jane Shoes from Just A Tad 4 Dolls. They'd be a fun addition to a spring time dress, or something summery, even a beach outfit. They have a bunch of different styles, all listed here in the Footwear section.

For now, that's it... enjoy my featured shops, and know this post will change in the coming days. Just wanted to finally post again.

When bad clothes happen to good dolls...

I try to avoid maligning other crafters, for there's beauty in all creations. Everything takes time to sew, knit, or crochet, and every effort should be celebrated.

And then there's the o_O creations people sell on Etsy. They're made using fabrics which don't suit a pattern well, they're made using a bad pattern, the color choice is all over the place... it's just wrong. Very, very wrong.

Here's what happens when bad clothes happen to good dolls... this is from Etsy and eBay.

The ruffle is just too much. And the print, well, too busy to be THAT widely used. On the top or on the bottom and it wouldn't be as bad.

Again, the ruffle ruins the outfit. Without the full bottom ruffle, and even leaving the top red one, and it'd be MUCH cuter, IMHO. 

Color choice on this one. The dress design doesn't do well with a "busy" print like this paisley. And the buttons would look better in ONE color.

I'm a Seahawks fan, being a native Northwesterner. But this print is just "too big" for the size of this dress and the doll. 

Too much going on here. Dress with the butterflies and flowers and neons, well, it just looks like fabric vomit. 

It looks like wallpaper. And the crafter, from eBay, wants $84.95 for it. Um, FAIL. If I was gonna spend $85 on a dress for a doll, it'd be something like the following dress...



NOT A FAIL... the colors, pattern, and trim all work with this dress. And it's $25 less than the previous one, which would be enough to buy an AG outfit from eBay, or something similar. 

Why I Love My Local Joann's

My local Joann's, in the OC hamlet of Buena Park, is one of the better ones out there, from selection of items, to, well, the sales associates and cashiers.

Case in point-- I went in last night to buy some Sands Alive sand-- $7.99 a bag (2 lbs), on sale (regular price $17.99). The cashier said, "Seriously, don't get it here", and proceeded to tell me that at the 99 Cent Only store, on Walker and Ball, the SAME PRODUCT, SAME SIZE and everything, was a mere $1.99. I was skeptical, after all, some products sold at that chain are... well... cheap. And not worth the money you pay for them.

But I was wrong. It's the same stuff, and at that low price, I've picked up six bags-- 12 lbs-- for LESS than the original price. It's easy to color, using Wilton Gel Icing Colors, and I have several pastel shades. I may end up adding glitter as well, even though I have a definite love/hate relationship with glitter.

Anywho, if you're in California, Arizona, Texas, or Nevada, go by the 99 Cent Only store, and pick up some of this interesting play medium (and not just for kids). I find when I have a migraine or cluster headache, it helps to palpitate something in my hands (or knit-- either works well).

While it feels like a bit of sandy cookie dough, it molds and holds up like play dough. This particular brand has little to no smell, and is one of those "clean" toys which leaves virtually no mess and is easy to clean up. It's also a more easy to color white/gray shade, so coloring it to whatever vibrant shade under the rainbow is easy (just wear gloves, unless you want Rainbow Brite hands!). 

Trouver l'inspiration dans la nature

The title of this post is simply, "Finding inspiration in nature."

One of my favorite places here in SoCal is, well, the beach. That goes for pretty much anywhere in the world I've ever been. I love the beach-- the feel of the air, the sounds of waves pounding the shore, of seagulls loudly calling, of feeling sand between my toes, of wading in the water... there isn't much about the beach I don't like.

And of course, I tend to find inspiration in crafting, and in art, at the beach. I'm a very Irish Catholic sort, and find a lot of joy, and also, proof of God's existence, in nature. If you go back far enough I'm pretty sure me Mum's Mum's father's family probably worshipped nature gods and "the" Goddess.

Yesterday in a day trip down to Seal Beach, CA, I wondered in an AWESOME shop-- California Sea Shell Company-- on Main Street. I spent nearly all of my allotted parking time-- at least 45 minutes-- wondering around, picking out shells they had, and also finding inspiration in some of their already made products. One of the things I liked the most was a "jewelry dish" made out of a large oyster shell, and in looking through all of their many shells and other products, I decided I could make my own, have fun doing so, and for less than the one they had for sale. Yes, it's "copying" another artisan/crafter, but imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery. Many of the shells were on sale, so I was able to get all I need to make jewelry, the dish, and a few other "sea inspired" goods.

I'll post pics of my finished products when I'm done.

I also intend to make "California" ornaments, using two Ann Clark cookie cutters (shape of CA, a palm tree), and this clay recipe-- Homemade Sand Clay Recipe --  perhaps for gifts for NEXT Christmas, perhaps as something I could sell on Etsy for "shits and giggles" money...

Also yesterday... a trip into Encino into our (my husband and my own) attorney's office, and a swing by Mrs. Beasley's, and my sweet tooth is VERY HAPPY. Not to mention, I have a nice tin in which to gather sand in on my next swing through Seal Beach (or Huntington Beach, or Manhattan Beach, or Malibu or Dana Point... needless to say, there are LOTS of beaches around here).   

New Prototype Doll from Via-E

You may recall my previous post on Via-E's Alexis O'Shay doll. Sometime in 2015, the first "friend" doll, Tatiana Nayara Oliveiera, will be released. Hopefully I'll be working soon, and will be able to pre-order this doll. For a limited time, the Tatiana doll is $68, which is a VERY competitive price for a doll of this quality. Alexis (and her soon to be released Dollfriend Tatiana) is made of high quality vinyl, that doesn't "smell" like some dolls do. She can also get wet, go in a pool, take a bath or shower with her child companion... she can also move more realistically than an AG doll, due to her joints a lot like the MUCH MORE expensive Kids N Cats dolls.

I especially like everything I hear about the Via-E company. It's a family-owned business, and the creator of the Alexis doll, Ellen, is a very warm, very personable person from interactions I've had with her, both here on my blog and on the Via E Dollfriends Facebook page.

Her interactions in promoting the doll in local Los Angeles/Orange County/California toy stores are genuine. She doesn't downtalk a child's existing doll, but points out how they'd make a good companion or Dollfriend for their existing dolls. Nor does she talk down any other doll company, which is something I appreciate. I tend to not do business or like companies which engage in backbiting of others in the same industry. I try to shop local, and TECHNICALLY, I'm still a Californian. Via-E is headquartered just down a way from Azusa, in San Clemente, CA. I also prefer to support small businesses over national corporations whenever possible. Via-E is a small, independent doll company.

Anyways, if you like the Alexis doll, you should pre-order Tatiana. If you like to spread diversity in the toy box, Tatiana is an excellent way of doing this, as she represents an Indian/Black Brazilian girl. She should be released this year, but manufacturing issues beyond Via E's control MAY delay release of the doll. It was this way with Alexis, and sometimes dealing with overseas (China) toy makers can be tedious, due to language barriers, time zone barriers, and the like.

I know I'll continue to be part of the Via-E company as soon as I'm working and have the money to buy the Tatiana doll. I'm a 33 year old woman, time to stop relying on my Mom to buy me dolls, and buy them for myself if I want to do so! And I have... I've bought 3 AG dolls out of my spending money (two JLY dolls and the Saige GOTY doll). And some togs for Alexis, since American Girl brand clothing and others don't always fit the best, as the Alexis doll is slightly slimmer and taller than a standard AG doll.