New Items for Claudie

 Claudie's new stuff is the cutest.

She recently had a release with four new items: a polka dot middy dress, a winter coat, Christmas accessories, and a suitcase.

I bought all four new items, and I love all of them.

It's hard to choose a favorite, but I really love the Christmas accessories. It comes with a stuffed Velveteen Rabbit, a mini Velveteen Rabbit book, a Christmas tin, Christmas cookies, and a postcard to her grandmother.

Everything in the set is adorable. The cookies are some of the most realistic doll food that AG has done in a while. Well, the Pizza Hut Pan Pizza is also amazingly realistic and a must-have.

The pamphlet that came with her Christmas stuff was a mini story about her Christmas. That is not in her books. Her books take place 100% over the summer. They should put it in the catalog or something. It's adorable and will totally entice people to buy these items.

My biggest peeve was that the beret didn't fit well on her head and had to balance on top.

I really like her polka dot middy dress. The fabric feels nice. The boots are a nice quality. Her hat is adorable and sets well on her head, although the curls make it harder to put on her sometimes.

The coat is just beautiful and well made. The coat is even lined! It closes with Velcro in the front. I don't mind this. Sometimes when it is snowing and I want to take the dolls for a quick picture, it's a really a pain to manipulate the buttons and belt on Kit's coat.

The beret with the coat does not fit well on her head. I had to balance it on top of her head.

I also liked Claudie's suitcase and its contents. The suitcase is heavy and should stand up to a lot of playing. The mirror inside it has a loop on the handle so that Claudie can hold it easily! I love that.

I also love the historical accuracy of Claudie having Madame CJ Walker hair products.

All of these items are a flash back to the Pleasant Company. They are so well made and detailed.

I hope that everyone buys these so that we see more items like this from AG in the future!

Wilhelmina

 Sometimes it's fun to play with a doll that is not your own... especially when you don't have time for your own dolls. 

This Pleasant Company American Girl of Today #14 is not mine, but I got to take her around and take some lovely pictures outside. Her name is Wilhelmina.

I have a serious soft spot for the older Pleasant Company dolls, since they are contemporary with my childhood.

I had fun taking pictures of Wilhelmina. I hope you enjoyed seeing them!

Hairstyle for Addy

 My friend found a second hand Pleasant Company Addy this year, and then a few months later, I found one too! 

We are joking that our dolls are twins and we need to have a get-together with the dolls.

Anyway, I thought that the way she did her Addy's hair is SO CUTE, and she kindly took a special set of pictures just for me to share on the blog.

She pointed out that it's very close to Kirsten's hair, but I don't care. I love it!

I'm also VERY partial to Addy's Beforever hair style. Addy just has great hair to play with!

Dolls and Zit Cream

 This is a picture from May that I never posted to the blog.

I was doing zit cream treatment for the secondhand dolls.

I covered any stains on the vinyl with zit cream and then Saran Wrap. The zit cream was over-the-counter 10% benzyl peroxide.

I covered their bodies with grocery bags if they weren't being treated, in case of birds or something.

Then I put the dolls out on the porch to soak in the sun.

I think I treated a total of seven dolls. I did GOTY Nicki, Josefina II, Isabelle, Mia, Angelica (JLY 26), Sophie (JLY 32) and Rachel (JLY 12.) 

It took several days of treatments. Each doll got 3-7 days. I replaced the zit cream if it totally dried up. Usually each application of zit cream lasted two days before drying up.

Some of the dolls have lost all of their stains. Some still need a bit more treatment. But it really works and they really look better!

I didn't take before and after pictures. It was overwhelming enough putting the dolls out each day, taking them in at night and checking progress.

I don't know what to do about Mia, who has pink staining around her eyebrows. Zit treatment on her would fade the eyebrows as well at the stain. I just treated her legs.

The Corolle baby doll you can see on the right didn't have any stains. I am trying to get rid of a persistent smell of cheap perfume, and hoped that sun exposure would help her. She has been soaked in baking powder, run though the washing machine, washed with vinegar and soaked in the sun, and she still smells. Originally she smelled like cigarettes and cheap perfume. Now she only smells like perfume, so I guess that's progress.

Projects in Planning

 Here are some of the projects that I would like to sew if I ever have free time again:

I have an embroidered shirt from the thrift store that I want to sew into a doll dress with the Eden Ava Couture Hawaiian Sundress pattern

I have a large 18 month baby sleeper from the thrift store printed with rubber ducks that I either want to make into a Bitty Baby outfit or an AG T-shirt. Undecided.

I have fleece pajama pants from the thrift store with polar bears on them that I want to make into AG pajamas.

I want to make a Civil War era dress, in doll size, that copies one worn by my great-great-grandmother. I want to use the Pemberley Threads Meg dress.

I'm also in love with the Pemberley Threads Jane Eyre dress pattern.

I don't own it yet, but I am in love with the Thimbles and Acorns Greek Renaissance dress pattern.

I don't own it yet, but I am in love with the Dolls at Heart Vera's Dropped Waist Dress.

I have a thrift store dress that I want to use to make Kavi a salwar kameez using the Genniewren Meena Salwar Kameez pattern.

Doll Time

 I really want some doll time right now, but in summer I have a guest who stays for months at a time.

I have so many things that I want to do and sew and no time!

 Here is a beautiful photo of all of my historical dolls with their dolls that I took in May.

I have Kirsten and Sari, but I couldn't find Sari quickly, so I took the picture without her. 

One of the dolls that I want to spend time with right now, for no particular reason, is Steffi, my Jess mold CYO with blue eyes. 

I guess it's maybe partly because she was a MCM doll, and I am mourning the end of the MCM Benefit Sale.

Here's hoping for doll time soon!

MCM sale Report 2023

I didn't buy any dolls at MCM, but I had a great time, and I saw some online doll friends!

This MCM was very pain-free. It was indoors with AC. Groups were let in on time. There was not a silent auction.

The vendors were in the entry hall, which did not need a ticket to visit.

I think the most popular vendor item was some cute Claudie dresses- they sold out!

It felt like there were less people than usual. There weren't huge crowds and most of the parking lot was empty. Maybe this was because they spaced out the tickets, but I know that not all the tickets sold out.

They didn't have any of the dolls on my wish list when I went through at 9:45 am (which included 55, 84, 88 and 116) and I ended up not buying any dolls for me. I bought a Claudie and her PJs for a friend. Another friend wanted me to get her either 115 or 116, and neither was there at my ticket time.

I bought clothes and accessories for me- the Shi-Poo dog, Janie and Jack red shoes, Janie and Jack boy Christmas outfit, the Eid outfit, the Halloween witch outfit, Joss's cheerleading jacket and a ballet outfit.

They had a lot of Maritza, Makena, Corinne, Maryellen, and Claudie.

All the other named dolls were sold out by the time that I got  there.

 I had a very good time at MCM. I am grateful that I got to go.

I am also proud of the purchasing decisions that I made.

I had a great time meeting people, and I wish that I had gotten to meet more!

After I left, I went to the St. Vincent de Paul Dig and Save thrift store and bought a lot of clothes to make into doll clothes. A whole armful of clothes only cost me $5.21.

I left before the big doll collector get-together, but I got to spend time with my mom and her friend, and that was important to me too. I also got to spend some really nice time talking to the people that I did see, and I think I'd rather meet in small groups and have in-depth conversations anyway.

It was a great day.

I am grateful for all of the MCM sales that I got to attend, 2016-2023. I am sorry that this is the last one.

I would love to take a group picture of all of the dolls that I got at MCM from all of the different years sometime.

MCM Sale Report 2022

MCM Sale Report 2021

MCM Sale Report 2020

MCM Sale Report 2019

MCM Sale Report 2018

MCM Sale Report 2017

MCM Sale Report 2016