Just Like Me 59

I get to play with a Just Like me 59 for a couple of days! She is a cutie! She is not staying with me permanently.

Anne's Adventure

Anne went along with me to MCM, although she stayed in the car during the sale.

She got to see some of Madison. She thinks it is a pretty city, and she is right. She is, however, lucky that she doesn't have to do the driving.

Here she is in front of the capitol building.

Pattern Review: Simplicity Pattern 8314

This dress is made from Simplicity pattern 8314, designed by Keepers Dolly Duds.

Create Your Own American Girl

It's no longer just a rumor- American Girl is creating a line of customizable dolls!

It's been a complaint from fans for a long time, that most people seem to think that American Girl allows you to design your own dolls.

This has not been true- until now!

We don't know for sure when the line will be released. There are lots of rumors that it is being delayed due to website issues.

But it really is happening!

There is a page for the dolls on the official American Girl website now.

There is even a video, with somewhat badly designed mock ups of the possible dolls!

It is time to get excited!

Lissie and Lily has an amazing break down of the available options for the custom dolls!

I do not have a doll design in mind, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing the dolls that others create.

It is very exciting that you can now get a medium skinned Jess mold! There are so many pretty Kanani customs out there.

The price seems fair to me, too.

I am definitely excited for the release of this line!

MCM Meet Up!

After I left MCM, I met up with two more doll friends from the Internet. After meeting Neth for the first time, that makes three of my Internet friends that I got to see!

I met up with two members of American Girl Collectors, Elewys and Marycontraria.

We had a good time talking.

Well, I did get lost on foot at one point, but they came and rescued me! Yay for friends with a better sense of direction than me!

If it hadn't been for cell phones, they might have never seen me again. Yay for modern technology!

Here is Anne hanging out with Marycontraria's dolls.

Frances is the Kaya doll, Nora is the cute custom doll with short brown hair, and the Camille doll is Nora's younger sister.

They look like they are having as much fun as I did!

More MCM comments

I found out today that the MCM benefit sale had arranged for alternate parking elsewhere in the business park where the warehouse is. Shoppers were expected to park there and take the shuttle to the warehouse.

I would have LOVED to do this, but alas, they did not share that information in a way that actually reached me.

The information was in an e-mail sent out the day before the sale, and I read it the day after the sale.

I did not see any signs informing people of this parking opportunity.

Boo.

The items that I bought were:

JLY 62

Lea's Celebration Dress

mini Special Edition Kaya

Melody's Peplum Dress

Melody's Bedtime Accessories

Samantha's Lemonade Pitcher

I will be writing more detailed posts on all of these items.

I read that at some point, they started selling Melody's Bedtime Accessories without the radio.

I opened mine up, and it does have the radio! Yay!


I have also been told that the Costco food court was really crowded later on in the day, so I was lucky that I was the only one ordering food when I was there.

That Costco is apparently really popular and needs more parking, though.

Overall, I think I was really lucky to have the experience that I did at MCM.

I am crossing my fingers that my luck holds next year!

MCM Sale 2017

Today, as you may be aware, was the Madison Children's Museum Benefit sale! And that means dolls!

I was very lucky to get to go.

Surprise!

I am going to MCM this weekend, so the last thing I need to do is buy a new doll online.

Reader, that is exactly what I did.

Georgie of Northbound Dolls posted this American Girl doll #15 that had been mislabeled as Josefina on etsy.

She looks like she is in really gorgeous condition.

I originally considered getting #15 as Anne instead of #6, back when American Girls of Today had just been released. I have retained a soft spot for her.

And this doll was under a hundred dollars, and comes with Josefina's loom! Squee!

My collection is growing more than I ever planned, but how could I say no to her?

I can't wait for her to get here!

Felicity's Wardrobe: Felicity's Summer Outfit

Well, it's summer, and sure enough Felicity has changed into her summer dress. She says it is quite warm enough in this dress without wearing winter clothes, thank you very much.

Getting Ready for MCM

MCM is in two weeks. If this is your first time, I am sure, you are wondering what to expect.
These tips are based on my experience last year.

1. Money. Obviously you need money to pay for your new dolls and/or doll accessories! The MCM benefit sale accepts a variety of payments, but make sure you have at least some cash. You may need to pay for parking, and if you want to buy anything from the vendors outside, they may accept cash only.

2. Practice parallel parking. I jest, a little, but it is really hard to find parking. There was a small field/ side yard that was set aside for official free parking last year, and it did not have anywhere near enough park spaces. I was lucky and found a parallel parking place for free, but you may need to give in and pay for a parking spot, which is around $5.

3. Punctuality. I recommend coming early, as you may likely need time to search for a parking space. That being said, last time I had to wait after my official entrance time for my group to be let in.

4. Wardrobe. Wear comfortable shoes, that you can stand and walk in.

5. Bags and water. The volunteers sell both huge bags which hold lots of dolls, and bottles of water. However, if you bring your own, you have more money for dolls!

6. Weather. Check the weather forecast. Be prepared with sunscreen or umbrellas, or both. You will probably be exposed to the elements to some degree while waiting to get in. A hat might be a good idea as well.

7. Planning. If you want to be totally spontaneous in your purchases, that's up to you, but I recommend at least looking at what is available and the prices ahead of time. If I hadn't checked the list, I would not have known they were selling the Santa dress, as it took me three time to find where it was being sold. Be aware of how many of each item you are allowed to buy, or else you will waste volunteers' times and face disappointment.

8. Noise. If you are noise sensitive, bring ear plugs. It's really loud.

9. Books. Bring something to do when you are stuck in line. Preferably small and lightweight, because carrying lots of doll boxes is onerous. When I was in line waiting to be let in last year, my cell phone did not get any reception, so that is something to keep in mind. I did get reception again once I was in the warehouse. I read a book while waiting in line, an Agatha Christie to be specific. It was one more thing to carry, but it was worth it to me. I put it at the bottom of my giant bag once I was out of the line.


10. Food. This one is just me being a practical Girl Scout, but I brought a packed lunch in a cooler, which I kept in the car and ate really fast once I was done shopping. The speed was due to all the people circling around in cars, looking for a parking place. I felt guilty about taking one once I was done shopping.

You can read about the experience I had at MCM last year here, and Nethilia's here.

AG Trading Cards: Meet Felicity

On the front of this trading card, Felicity glares at Jiggy Nye as she clings to Penny's back.

The back of the card says:

Jiggy Nye was furious when he saw Felicity riding Penny.

Later, Father said to Felicity, "It is never wrong to try to earn something you love. Indeed, 'tis only wrong not to try. You hoped for something and you put ____ behind your hopes."

What words complete his sentence?

1. good money

2. dreams and schemes

3. hard work

Answer: 3

More swimsuit pictures!

These are just some fun pictures of the dolls in pairings of two or more in the swimsuits that I sewed.