I Heart American Girl

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T21:27:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! It's Kaylen here and I just want to wish you a very happy Valentine's Day! Today, I got lots of fun cards and my sisters and I even did a mini-gift exchange! I received the Rebecca mystery- a Bundle of Trouble. It's really good!

Have a happy V-day!

~Kaylen (and Gabby!)

Take the Stage ~ Episode 3: Auditions

2012-02-12T13:12:00.000-06:00

Hey girlies! I finally edited my third episode of Take the Stage. It's longer than the others because of, um, so interesting new characters.... Enjoy!

What do you think? Also, I'm kind of brain dead for ideas for episode 4. Do you have any ideas- I'd love to hear them!
~Gabby

Move Quote Quiz Winners!

2012-02-11T21:09:00.000-06:00

Hey! Without further ado, let's get started!

In 3rd place, we have CLAIRE! (from Claire's Curiosity)

With 20 points, Claire is our 3rd Place winner! Enjoy your blog award!

In 2nd Place, we have SPICEMUFFIN!

With 25 points, Spicemuffin is our 2nd Place winner! Enjoy your blog award!

In 1st Place, we have KIT SNICKET!

With 26 points, Kit Snicket is our 1st Place winner! Enjoy your blog award!

For all who participated, here's a special blog award for you! :-)

Now, here are the answers and characters to each of the quotes!

Quote #1

from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

RON: HARRY'S got a sort of wonky cross and that’s trials and suffering and… uh… that there could be the sun and that’s happiness. So, um, you’re gonna suffer… but you’re going to be… happy about it.

Guessed by:

Crazy Doll Lady, Katelyn, Sammie, Spicemuffin, Kit Snicket, and Claire.

Quote #2

from National Treasure

BEN: I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence.

Guessed by:

Crazy Doll Lady, Claire, Anne, Katelyn, Spicemuffin, Kit Snicket, and Claire.

Quote #3

from Finding Nemo

SQUIRT: WHOA! That was so cool! Hey dad, did you see that, did you see that, did you see that? Did you see what I did?!
CRUSH: You so totally rocked, Character 1! So my give some fin (slap), noggin (clunck).
SQUIRT and CRUSH: Duuuuude…..
Guessed by:
Crazy Doll Lady, Lexie, Claire, Anne, Fiona, Katelyn, Spicemuffin, Kit Snicket, Quinlyn, and Claire.
Quote #4
from Letters to Juliet
CLAIRE: Dear friends, fifty years ago I went to Juliet’s house in Verona. I wrote her a letter and I asked her a question. And two months ago, I received a reply.
Guessed by:
Lexie, Anne, Katelyn, Kit Snicket, Katrina, and Claire.

Quote #5
from Tangled
FLYNN/EUGENE: This is bad, this very, very bad, really bad! They just can’t get my nose right!
Guessed by:
Lexie, Claire, Anne, Fiona, Katelyn, Spicemuffin, Kit Snicket, Quinlyn, and Claire
Quote #6
from Night at the Museum: Battle of Smithsonian
BRANDON: I will literally rent a camper and we will drive across America with my flashlight on your chest.

Guessed by:
Katelyn, Spicemuffin, and Kit Snicket
Quote #7
from National Treasure
POWELL: This is a waste of time! How could a ship land out here?
RILEY: Well, I’m no expert, but it could be that the hydrothermic properties of this region produce hurricane force ice storms that cause the ocean to freeze and then melt and then refreeze resulting in a semi-solid migrating land mass that would land a ship right around here.
Guessed by:
Crazy Doll Lady, Katelyn, Spicemuffin, Kit Snicket, and Claire
Quote #8
from Felicity: An American Girl Adventure

FELICITY: There are so many things you mustn’t do. You mustn’t walk to quickly, you mustn’t talk too loudly, you mustn’t be impatient… you’re so lucky to be a boy! You can do what ever you like!

BEN: I can’t do whatever I want, I’m an apprentice- I have no freedom!

Guessed by:
Claire, Anne, Katelyn, Sammie, Spicemuffin, Kit Snicket, Quinlyn, and Claire
Quote #9
from Up

CARL: Hey, let’s play a game. It’s called “see who can be quiet the longest.”

RUSSELL: Cool! My mom loves that game!
Guessed by:
Claire, Anne, Fiona, Katelyn, Spicemuffin, and Kit Snicket

Quote #10:
from Clue: The Movie (appropriate for 13+)
COP: You all seem to be very anxious about something.
WADSWORTH: It’s the chandelier. It fell down, almost killed us.

Guessed by:
Spicemuffin (Way to go! I didn't think anyone would know this one!)

Quote #11
from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
RON: HERMIONE, you are honestly the most wonderful person I have ever met. If I’m ever rude to you…
HERMIONE: I’ll know you’ve gone back to normal.
Guessed by:
Kit Snicket (many people, however, won points off of this quote because they knew the characters, but not the movie)

Quote #12
from National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
RILEY: We have thirty seconds to disable the alarm.
BEN: Go.
(they disable it)
BEN: You did that in twenty-five seconds.
RILEY: That’s why I tell people to get a dog.

Guessed by:
Kit Snicket and Claire

Quote #13
from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (appropriate for 13+)
WATSON: How did you know I would find you?
HOLMES: You didn’t find me, you collapsed a building on me.
Guessed by:
No one

Quote #14
from Nancy Drew
NANCY: (serious) Excuse me, I have to defuse this bomb!
INGA: (thinks she’s kidding) Oh, totally. Love is a battlefield!
Guessed by:
Kit Snicket, Anne, and Claire

I hope you all had fun!
~Gabby
(Oh, and before anyone corrects me, there 2 Claires who entered)
:-)

Favorite Handmade Items!

2012-02-07T20:15:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! I love going onto to handmade sellers' websites and looking at all of the creative, fun clothing, accessories, and jewelry that will compliment any style- whether you're a doll or a 13-year-old girl. So, here are some of my favorite handmade items!

You all know my obsession with The Hunger Games trilogy, right? With the premiere of the first movie less than 50 days away, I have to have a Hunger Games shirt! This LOVE tee is right up my alley- and while I may not purchase it, my mom and I may try to re-create it.

I absolutely love my school desk, and the seller now is selling more! These are amazing doll desks and are a perfect fit for any 18" doll. A bonus? You can buy two of these handmade desks for less than the price of the American Girl desk.

For some odd, unexplainable reason, I really love baseball tees (although I have never owned one myself. But, Liberty Jane is now selling miniature, logo, baseball tees for dolls! If your doll is a fan of baseball (or just loves Liberty Jane) this tee is for you! (They also have the pattern available if you'd rather make your own.)

I love Harry Potter and this Patronus necklace is way to awesome for words! I love the stag and sweet little words bubble necklace.

So, what are some of you favorite handmade items? Have you purchased any that you really love? Tell me in the comments section!

~Gabby

ps. also, the Movie Quote Quiz answers and blog awards will be up later this week!

Movie Quote Quiz!

2012-01-31T20:55:00.003-06:00

Hey girls! I recently saw this quiz on Claire's blog and I HAD to put it on here! Here's how it works: Simply choose which movie you think the quote is from and if you can, guess the characters who said it! Then, I will give one point to each correct answer and one bonus point to each correct character guess. Comment with your guesses! I won't publish your comment, but I will comment with your score. Enjoy! (Hint: some quotes may be from the same movie or movie series!)

Quote #1
Character 1: Character 2’s got a sort of wonky cross andthat’s trials and suffering and… uh… that there could be the sun and that’shappiness. So, um, you’re gonna suffer… but you’re going to be… happy about it.

Quote #2

Character 1: I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence.

Quote #3

Character 1: WHOA! That was so cool! Hey dad, did you see that, did you see that, did you see that? Did you see what I did?!
Character 2: You so totally rocked, Character 1! So my give some fin (slap), noggin (clunck).
Character 1 and 2: Duuuuude…..

Quote #4

Character 1: Dear friends, fifty years ago I went to Juliet’shouse in Verona. I wrote her a letter and I asked her a question. And twomonths ago, I received a reply.

Quote #5
Character 1: This is bad, this very, very bad, really bad! They just can’t get my nose right!

Quote #6
Character 1: I will literally rent a camper and we willdrive across America with my flashlight on your chest.

Quote #7:
Character 1: This is a waste of time! How could a ship landout here?
Character 2: Well, I’m no expert, but it could be that thehydrothermic properties of this region produce hurricane force ice storms thatcause the ocean to freeze and then melt and then refreeze resulting in asemi-solid migrating land mass that would land a ship right around here.

Quote #8:

Character 1: There are so many things you mustn’t do. You mustn’t walk to quickly, you mustn’t talk too loudly, you mustn’t be impatient… you’re so lucky to be a boy! You can do what ever you like!

Character 2: I can’t do whatever I want, I’m an apprentice- I have no freedom!

Quote #9:

Character 1: Hey, let’s play a game. It’s called “see whocan be quiet the longest.”

Character 2: Cool! My mom loves that game!

Quote #10:

Character 1: You all seem to be very anxious about something.
Character 2: It’s the chandelier. It fell down, almost killed us.

Quote #11:
Character 1: Character 2, you are honestly the mostwonderful person I have ever met. If I’m ever rude to you…
Character 2: I’ll know you’ve gone back to normal.

Quote #12:

Character 1: We have thirty seconds to disable the alarm.
Character 2: Go.
(they disable it)
Character 2: You did that in twenty-five seconds.
Character 1: That’s why I tell people to get a dog.

Quote #13:
Character 1: How did you know I would find you?
Character 2: You didn’t find me, you collapsed a building onme.

Quote #14
Character 1: (serious) Excuse me, I have to defuse thisbomb!
Character 2: (thinks she’s kidding) Oh, totally. Love is a battlefield!

Have fun!

~Gabby

Official: New AG Historical Character! (I Think I Have the Name and Time Period!))

2012-01-29T09:53:00.002-06:00

Hello girls! I was on the web today when I looked and Doll Diaries and found that Kathleen Ernst (author of many AG mysteries like A Runaway Friend) was credited with writing 6 American Girl books that are going to be released this year.

So, I looked at American Girl's trademark site and found there were 3 names copyrighted anywhere from 2009-10 that would make the most sense for a Historical Character name.

Saba Caroline Isabel

Now, I looked on Baby Name Wizard- a very cool website where you can track a name's popularity- which works really well if you want to try and find the time period. First, I looked up Caroline.

As you can see, Caroline has been very popular- especially in the late 1800s. However, Caroline is a classic name that has been around forever- it's lowest rank was only #295- so it's hard to judge which time period just this one name.

So, I looked up Isabel. There are so similarities in both of the names. They both were in the top 300 in the late 1800s and were mildly popular in the 50s. However, I can't fully guess the time period unless I look up the last name- Saba. But I couldn't anything. :-(

Saba is a very unpopular name and is also unisex- so it's really hard to track it's popularity.

As for the time period, what could that be? While Caroline and Isabel have been popular in all of the decades, the both experienced rises of popularity in the late 1800s and drop offs in the 50s (although still remained in the top 300). My first guess would be a late 1800s doll, but when a reporter went inside AG headquarters in Middleton, WI, he noticed plenty of 1950s gear.

It makes sense, both names were popular in the fifties, a reporter saw fifties gear, and Molly will most likely be retired this year.

But what do you think?

~Gabby

WINNERS- Design the GOTY Contest 2013!

2012-01-27T16:56:00.000-06:00

Edit: Blog awards have been edited and fixed! :-)

Hello! Now it's time for the winners! Please be respectful to all of the winners and don't post any nasty comments- it was so hard to choose!

Honorable Mentions:
Best Edited- Caelen
Sweetest Story- Phoebe
Best Soccer Player- Gracie
Cutest Cheerleader- Emma W.
Best Friend- Bri
Sweetest Ballerina- Danielle
Most Inspiring- Rose
Most Determined- Nina
Most Musical- Alyssa
Best Helper- Georgia
Best Basketball Player- Geridil
Sweetest Skier- Samantha

First place is Priya with Meera. I loved her inspiring and unique story! Great job!

Here's your blog award:

Our first grand prize winner is Emma with Georgiana! I loved her creative story and the fact that she comes with a best friend! Contact me to claim your prize of the Minneapolis AG Place T-Shirt!

Our second grand prize winner is Katelyn with Jade! I loved her determination and funky sense of style! Contact me to claim your prize of the Snowmen Crafts!

Here are your blog awards:

Congrats to everyone who entered! You all did amazing! :-)

~Gabby

Doll School Quizzes! (UPDATED!!!)

2012-01-22T21:19:00.001-06:00

EDIT: I recently looked at my Europe Geography test and realized there was a mistake with the Teacher's Key. Sweden IS NOT part of the Baltic Republic. Therefore, the answer to questions number 4 on the the Europe Geography test is FALSE. Thank you! (I will try to get this fixed as soon as possible!)
EDITED AGAIN: Mission complete! The test is edited so it shows the correct answer. :-)

Hey girls! One of my favorite things about the Doll School kit is the fact that it comes with little quizzes that are already filled in- and can be easily passed out and "graded." However, the kit only comes with math and spelling quizzes. What about geography? Having recently participated in the National Geographic Geography Bee at my school (I came in 3rd!), I became very interested in geography. So, I thought, why not create free, printable geography quizzes for dolls?

These quizzes are easy to use. For those of you who don't own the Doll School kit, here's how they work: you give each "student" a test. The test is already filled in, so you can be the teacher! Next, you grade them using the Teacher's Guide or Teacher's Key.

To print out my two doll quizzes, simply click the image, save it to your computer, and print!

United States Geography

European Geography

Do you like these quizzes? If so, I can always make more (however it takes about a half an hour to make one full sheet of quizzes). Please, place your quiz requests in the comment section below as well as feedback!

Thanks!

~Gabby

CONTEST CLOSED!

2012-01-21T18:44:00.001-06:00

Hi! I just wanted to ket you all know that my Design the GOTY 2013 contest is now closed. Winners will be announced sometime next week.

Thanks,
Gabby

Week #3: Kaya {AGBC}

2012-01-19T19:08:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! We only have one week left for Kaya, and instead of doing trivia this week, I'm going to focus on a fun Kaya online game that you can play- and learn more about Kaya's world. But before, this week we are reading Kaya Shows the Way and Changes for Kaya.

Book Questions
Which is your favorite picture/illustration in the two Kaya books we'll be reading?
Do you like the Looking Back section in each book?

Online Game

Have you ever played Kaya's Catch of the Day? If you haven't (and even if you have!) you should play it right now! It's a really fun-and challenging!- game that teaches you about Kaya's natural world. So, my challenge for you is to play this game, then comment with your high score and your answers to the book questions.

Enjoy and have fun!
~Gabby

Take the Stage ~ Episode 2: Pals and Posters! (350 Posts!)

2012-01-15T18:09:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! To celebrate 350 posts, I am giving you the second episode of my Take the Stage series!

Enjoy! You can view Episode 1 here. What do you think?
~Gabby

ps. Also, I have a contest and the next week of AGBC is posted! Check 'em out!

Week #2: Kaya {AGBC}

2012-01-12T07:20:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! Have you finished reading the first two Kaya books yet? It's okay if you haven't but, if you have, be sure to start reading Kaya's Hero and Kaya and the Lone Dog. Once you've finished reading, come back and answer these questions!

Trivia Questions:
What does Swan Circling leave to Kaya? (Hint: there are two answers!)
Who does the Lone Dog save from a bear?

Book Question:
Out of these two books, which is your favorite and why?

Enjoy and be sure to look for updates!
~Gabby

New American Girl Books- Not Sold Yet! (CONTEST 6 POSTS BELOW!)

2012-01-08T18:08:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! I was on Amazon.com today when I spotted an American Girl book that caught my eye- because it wasn't on the American Girl site yet! I then raced to the AG Bookseller site and was sweetly surprised to find a whole slew of new titles waiting to be released! Here are some of my favorites:

A kit filled with accessories from all over the world? Their new Doll Travel book comes with a doll-sized duffel bag, a mini National Geographic map of Paris, and tons of stickers and accessories to create spots from cruises to theme parks! By Trula Magruder, available in March.

Making math fun? Perfect for a girl struggling in school! While Math + Fashion = Fun may be geared towards girls younger than me, I really think a lot of people will like it-my sister included-and I can't wait to see what kind of fashion-themed math puzzles AG comes up with! It's also part of a brand new InnerstarU series to help girls in school. By Aubre Andrus, available in June.

A new Vaudeville-themed AG mystery? Yes, please! In A Rebecca Mystery: The Crystal Ball, Rebecca finds a chilling note attached to one of Mr. Rossi's carrier pigeons and believes him and herself could be in danger. But only a trip to a fortune teller could solve the case! By Jacqueline Dembar Greene, available in March.

An InnerstarU book about a girl who makes videos? In Behind the Scene, readers can imagine themselves a girl who loves making videos and has created her best one for InnerstarU's video contest, but when she realizes something in her video might offend her friend, she second-guesses herself in entering. By Erin Falligant, available in March.

A self-esteem how-to book? Interesting, but I think this is very needed! A Smart Girl's Guide to Liking Herself—Even on the Bad Days includes tips on how to keep your self-esteem up and learning to be your best in any situation. I especially like the cover art- sometimes you need an umbrella on rainy days! By Laurie Zellinger, available in March.

I really am excited for all of the new titles- especially Doll Travel and the new InnerstarU series with helpful puzzles for school. Yay! You can see all of the new books here. What are some of your favorites?

~Gabby

New Series! (CONTEST 5 POSTS BELOW!)

2012-01-07T18:08:00.002-06:00

Hey girls! Please watch the video- the pilot of a possible new series- and tell me what you think.

Here's the description:
Set in an all-girls boarding school in the mountains in Colorado, Aspenwood Prep only accepts the finest. But when the school is short on funding, the principal Ms. Hopkins, enlists the help of the student council, consisting of chemistry geek Natalie Wright and her arch-enemy Lana Madison.

Please tell me what you think!
~Gabby

Happy Birthday!

2012-01-06T17:12:00.002-06:00

Hey girls! I just wanted to write this post before we eat at Maggiano's (it's for my sister's birthday- yum). I want to say:

Happy Birthday to Kayla!

(my sister!)

and

Happy Birthday to Katrina!

(a reader!)

I hope both of you girls have a super special day!
~Gabby

Week #1: Kaya {AGBC}

2012-01-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! Are you ready to start the AGBC? Well, I am and we are starting January with one of my favorite American Girl characters- Kaya.
Here are some fun facts about Kaya:

Kaya's books' titles are the first to differ from the traditional format, for ex. Kaya's Hero and Kaya Shows the Way.
While Kaya's tribe is known as the Nez Perce, though the Nez Perce people refer to themselves as the Nimiipu.
Kaya has one sister, Speaking Rain, who is blind, and twin brothers.

So for this week, we will be reading Meet Kaya: An American Girl and Kaya's Escape: A Survival Story. Come back regularly for updates on my sidebar- I will be posting where I am in the books and what I like so far! Then once you've finished the two books, come back and answer these questions. I look forward to seeing your answers and replying to any of your questions. Remember, this is a book club so questions are encouraged- ask anybody about the books in the comments section!

Here are my questions for you:

Trivia Questions:

Kaya is given the nickname Magpie for competing in what event?

Kaya and Speaking Rain are kidnapped by which Native American tribe?

Book Questions:

What is your favorite part about of both of the books?

What do you think of Kaya's character so far? Do you think she's brave and daring, or just a fool?

I look forward to reading your comments and replying to them as well!

~Gabby

ps. Every Thursday is an AGBC Day!

My Opinions on New American Girl Products!

2012-01-04T20:15:00.001-06:00

Hi! I was originally planning to post this post later, but I have a week of brand new posts coming up, so I decided why not now? Enjoy and feel free to post your own opinions in the comments sections!

McKenna- $105

Personally, I love McKenna! I really think she's like a real girl of the year- she doesn't get the best grades in school, she has little-white-lies, and she works hard to pursue her dreams. I really think she's one of the most realistic GOTYs. I also love her starter collection- it comes with so many pieces that really complete her world. I also really like her outfits, especially her meet outfit- it looks so cute. I've also heard a lot of complaints about McKenna's looks. She does look a lot like Chrissa, and I think she would've been cuter if she had hazel of green eyes, but nonetheless, I really think she's cute!

McKenna's Accessories- $26

$26 for a bunch of paper junk? I'm sorry, but it's a doll sized back with a bunch of paper products and a plastic water bottle. I can make half of this stuff and purchase the rest for probably less than $2.

McKenna's Loft Bed Set- $225

I heard many people rave about this bed, and I think it's cool, but not one of my favorite sets. I really like the idea of a loft bed- it's something no other doll has ever had. I personally don't like the color, I think it pops in your face waaaay to much, but I do like that it comes with mini books- not an electronic in sight, but three little books!

McKenna's Rain Gear- $34

Excuse me? $34 for this? Doll rain boots and a doll umbrella? I mean $34? THIRTY-FOUR DOLLARS? EEEEEP- it's so expensive! I'm am SO not buying this. Again, THIRTY-FOUR DOLLARS?

Sports Top & Brief Set- $10

I know I've said this before, but it's a sports bra. And it's weird. Just plain wrong too.

Sporty Wristlet for Dolls- $8

Eight dollars for this? I can make that- for half the price.

I hope you enjoyed by rants and feel free to post your own opinions too!

~Gabby

ps. AGBC starts tomorrow!

The American Girl Book Club

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hi girls! I debated holding off announcing the book club because of the over-whelming response I got with my contest, but I promised you a program and I'm keep my promises! :-)

Anyways, let me tell you about my new program: The American Girl Book Club.

This is the internet's first and only online book club surrounding the American Girl Historical Character series! What's great about this is that there are no starting dates or times: Simply join in and participate the weeks you want! Read on for more information!

How does this book club work?

It works like this: Every month, I introduce a new Historical character that we will be focusing on. For the first three weeks in each month, we will read the character's six-book series and on the last week, I will have a featured game about that character, make a recipe that that character might've made, or even host a giveaway!

Will there be discussions?

Yes, however not directly. On the weeks when I introduce new books, there will also be a trivia question that you can only answer once you have read the story. In the comments sections, readers will be able to answer the question, but also ask each other questions as well- and I of course will be joining in!

What if I don't own the books we are focusing on?

You can check out from the library. But don't worry if you can't get them in time, all of my AGBC posts will be kept in a special page (not yet up) so you can access them if needed.

Does it cost anything and am I required to make an online account?

Nope. This is all featured on my blog- and all for free!

I hope you participate! Oh, and remember, you're never to old to read American Girl books, this isn't just for 8 year olds, but for the child in all of us. :-)

~Gabby

CONTEST- Girl of the Year 2013! (UPDATED!!!)

2012-01-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

Hiya! Yes, I'm bring back my hit contest from last year! Where you- yes, you- can design your dream Girl of the Year! Here are rules:

Only one entry person.
I'm no longer accepting entries by e-mail.
Entries must be received by Friday, January 20, 2012
Also, every entrant must have access to an e-mail and parents' permission. Because, if you win, I will need to contact you so you can claim your prize (some prizes may have to be shipped).

Now, here's how to enter!

Create the Girl of the Year 2013! Use photo editing programs such as Picnik, Photoshop, OR you can use the My American Girl doll creator here. Try to make her look different from any of the previous GOTYs. Save the picture to your computer.
Next, upload your picture to photo-hosting website such as Flickr, Picasa, OR upload it to Blogger.
Then, create a story for your doll with her name, state, intrests etc. Try to make it unique and again, different from any of the other GOTYs. You must post your story to go along with your photo. Also, your story should be a paragraph.
Finally, post a comment with the link to the post or picture.

Now, for the prizes! This year, I'm doing things a little different. Instead of doing a first, a second, and a third place, there will be two grand-prize winners and a one first place winner! Read about the prize below....

The first grand-prize winner will win an exclusive Minneapolis American Girl store tee! Plus, a blog header and/or icon!

The second grand-prize winner will win an exclusive craft- from the American Girl store! This is fun craft that I made at the American Girl store (on the left) and the extras (on the right)- you win three! Plus, a blog header and/or icon, and a blog award!

The first place winner will win a blog header and/or icon, and a blog award!

Every entrant will also receive an honorable mention!

Please enter- I look forward to seeing and reading all of your fun entries! You can also see the contest winners here last year for inspiration.

Good luck to all!

~Gabby

ps. Also, I will randomly select which winners get what prize, using random.com and flipping a coin. However, if both winners would rather have the other prize, they are welcome to switch- but both winners must get confirmation from me.

McKenna's Here (and Other New Stuff)!

2012-01-01T07:04:00.000-06:00

Hey! Let's get right to it (I'll post my opinions later this week)!

Girl of the Year- McKenna

McKenna Doll and Book- $105

McKenna's Accessories- $26

McKenna's Pajamas- $24

McKenna's Loft Bed- $225

McKenna's Cast and Crutches- $30

McKenna's Fancy Outfit- $28

McKenna's School Outfit- $28

McKenna's Beam and Bar- $80

McKenna's Dog- $24

McKenna's Rain Gear- $34

McKenna's Gymnastics Wardrobe- $34

McKenna's Starter Collection- with an exclusive warm-up outfit- $185

My American Girl

Ruffled Hoodie- $30

Pretty Party Outfit- $28

Sporty Sunglasses- $8

Party Purse- $8

Sporty Wristlet- $8

Flower Purse- $8

Blue Tank and Brief Set- $12

Dot Cami and Brief Set- $12

Sports Top and Brief Set- $10 (EXCUSE ME? AG, you made a Sports Bra?!?!?!?)

Well, that's all thats new for the American Girl dolls! I hoped you enjoyed this post and I dare say I am the first to post all of these new things.... Hmmm....

Anywho, check back tomorrow for a contest, then check back the next day for a new year-long program, then check back later this week for my opinions on all this new stuff!

Happy New Year,

Gabby

My 2011- A Year in Review, My New Year's Resolutions, and Upcoming Features on this Blog

2011-12-31T15:42:00.000-06:00

Hi. Wow, that has to be the longest blog post title in the history of the world! Anywhosems, let's get started...

My 2011- A Year in Review

In January, Kanani gave a huge aloha to go along with her tropical themed attire and long wavy hair.

Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow on Groundhog Day in February.

In March, Jennifer Lawrence was cast as the heroine for The Hunger Games movie!

The prettiest wedding that I'd ever seen, the Royal Wedding of William and Catherine, captivated the world in April!

In May, we learned that American Girl was going to release, not one, but two Historical Dolls!

Pottermore, J.K. Rowling's new online reading experience, was announced in June.

In July, the most famous boy wizard's journey ended... on the silver screen.

The Hunger Games teaser trailer premiered at the MTV VMA's in August.

In September, we celebrated those gone, but not forgotten.

The 7th Billion baby was born in October.

In November, there was Muppet domination!

I celebrated my 13th birthday with a Hope Diamond Mystery party in December.

My New Year's Resolution

My goal this year is: get organized. To do this, I'm making giant monthly calendars to go on my desk- but I made it fun. I put my style icons, inspirational quotes, and goals of the month too. This afternoon, I cleaned out my desk, dresser, and binder- I am actually looking forward to being organized!

Upcoming Things on I Heart American Girl

I have a whole slew of brand new things coming up this year. While I am not going to give a lot a way, here's a sneak peek.

A brand new program- with weekly posts- designed for AG fans of all ages- starting Jan. 3!
A contest (with great prizes)- starting Jan. 2!
Plenty of giveaways- I already have one planned.

Can't wait to see you all in the New Year! What are your resolutions? What's in your A Year in Review?

~Gabby

American Girl Minneapolis- December 22, 2011!

2011-12-30T17:04:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! The title says it all! Enjoy! (Also, you can click any photo and it will enlarge!)

This was one of the first pictures I took of an oh-so-cute dining display.

The bistro sign! Many signs around the store had holiday decorations on them.

These are the dolls that you can eat with if you forgot yours or if you don't own one.

This is a table with a preview of the special events going on throughout the bistro! You can see the birthday items, a talk time book, and the Holiday Memories craft.

This is an glamorous light fixture in the bistro.

They had a special menu especially for people who participated in Holiday Memories!

These are the parts of the craft.

The signature pink lemonade- it was amazing!

For my appetizer, I got ciabatta bread with cheesy fondue. It was delicious!

Kirsten got a little tea cup and saucer!

Some of my relatives' food....

My meal! It was penne pasta with brocolli, chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes!

Such a cute display!

Besides having a bistro table to tell about meal events in the bistro, there was also displays one the main level!

This is a cute display with MAGs and the baking set and furniture.

Rebecca's main display!

The focused a lot on Cecile and Marie-Grace! The had a huge main display as well as many Cecile and Marie-Grace dolls and outfits throughout the store. Here's one of them!

Cecile's side....

Cecile's bedroom collection! Just so you know, the bed is made of wood, not plastic like it looks on the website, but wood, people, wood.

Cecile and Marie-Grace's main display!

Here's Molly and Emily's main display! Their such cute best friends.

Kit and her washing set!

One of Kaya's displays- so detailed and intricate.

The Doll Hair Salon style sign! Like the bistro sign, it was festively decorated!

Such a cute bedroom set!

This was the only purchase-with-purchase set the had- and I didn't get it!

This is one of the unique hair styles you can get done at the Doll Hair Salon!

The Silver Heels! I personally don't like them, but sister bought them and seems to enjoy them immensely!

I LOVE this display! Two girls helping each other ice skating- perfect for Minnesota!

How cute- I love American Girl school displays and this was no exception!

I got Kirsten's hair done in her original loop braids.

They turned out so nicely!

She looks beautiful!

This is Kaya's main display.

Kit in her reporter dress- I really like how AG added this not-so-glamorous coat to make it historically correct!

Here's Rebecca in her cute costume!

A big store shot....

This is what you see when you first walk in on the main entrance on the main level. On the TV screen, you can watch AG movies and answer trivia and quiz questions.

Another store shot, you can see Kit's main display, part of Cecile's bedroom set, and the Special Edition mini doll display!

This is a unique shelving unit that's right across from the escalator. Normally, the GOTY items would be here, but because every Kanani item is sold out (minus one), the now house some Historical dolls and Holiday items.

This is another picture of the shelving unit above. This was taken from the escalator.

A cute MAG doll with a sleeping bag!

The MAG section on the second level.

This is one of the small MAG sections on the second level.

After we left, my mom took a photo of my sister and me in front of the AG Place. I've already posted about what I got, but can you guess what Kayla got? :-)

I hoped you enjoy the photos. They're also posted on my Flickr (see sidebar for link).

~Gabby

McKenna News!

2011-12-29T07:30:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! So we've seen photos, learned about the actors, and have heard plenty of news about her new books- but there it still plenty more news (and clarifications) to be told!

First off, there is a rumor going around that McKenna is Chrissa's older sister. This is NOT true. As, it can't be possible because a) Chrissa never had an older sister and b) if McKenna was older, how could she be in 4th grade in 2012 when Chrissa was in 4th grade in 2009?
Second, she will even have a vault! I found this video online and it was very helpful in learning more about McKenna and some special events that will be taking place on Jan. 1 and 2 in American Girl stores.
Third, her movie will NOT be a theatrical release. According to many sources, McKenna's movie will be released on DVD sometime in Spring or Summer.
Fourth, she's identical to Chrissa- just with a wig change. I really wish they would've given her brown eyes- we haven't had a brown-eyed doll since 2006. Here's a photo for comparison (from left to right: Marie-Grace, MAG #39, McKenna, and Chrissa):

I hope this cleared up any confusion and I hope you are anticipating the release of McKenna as much as I am!

~Gabby

The Giant "What I Got for Christmas/Birthday/and from the AGP" Post!

2011-12-28T16:39:00.000-06:00

Hiya! First off, I just want to say I'm extremely blessed to have received all of these American Girl items at various locations and times. Please enjoy!

Kanani's Beach Outfit (for Christmas) and Go Girl Sunglasses (for my birthday). Both of these are soooo cute! I mean who doesn't love giant white sunglasses with a funky print swimsuit?

Felicity's Treasure Tote (from Santa)! This is perfect for dolls and a cute activity pack for girls as well!

Special Edition mini Kirsten (I bought at the AGP) and Special Edition mini Julie (from Santa)! Both are sooooo cute and are currently on sale!

The I Love Sports earrings! This set is perfect for any sporty doll- or any girl who loves sports!

An AG Exclusive Red Bubble Jacket (for my birthday), AG Exclusive Sweater Accessories (from Santa), and the Garden Boots (for my birthday). All of these are so adorable and make the perfect outfit.

Also, at the Doll Hair Salon, I got Kirsten's braided in her original loop braids- sooooo cute!

The Frosty Party Outfit (from Santa). Although I've already posted about it, I have to put it on her for the sake of this list. :-)

Felicity: An American Girl Adventure- Deluxe Edition (I bought my own at the AGP)! I love the Felicity movie and I love that I have my own copy!

Tiny Tees and Accessories- an activity and boutique kit from Costco from my aunt (for my birthday)!

It comes with three decorate-able tees, a dress, capris, and glitter, ribbons, and an inspiration book.

Finally, the Coconut Pajamas (I bought at the AGP) and a cute Coconut fuzzy sticker from my aunt!

What did you get for Christmas?

~Gabby

McKenna Brooks!

2011-12-26T08:34:00.000-06:00

Hola! So, with the press packs now being released to day, I can now update you with plenty of information! First and foremost, I did not receive a press pack, and I'm giving links to those that did and posting pictures.

Okay, first, looky here! A McKenna picture with her book.

Meet McKenna Brooks everybody!

This is a closeup on her face. Now, a reader pointed out that she will be the first doll with heart-shaped face mold, but I'd like to nicely say that Marie-Grace was the first doll with a heart-shaped face mold and McKenna, does in fact have a Josefina mold. You can see Marie-Grace below.

Next up, we have her collection!

Here you can see one part of her set is a bar. How are you going to use this with your doll, I have no idea. But nonetheless, they look like real bars! Also, I assume the bag she's holding is part of her accessories.

This is a a very detailed loft bed set! The colors are bit too bright for my taste, I mean, lavender, lime green, dark purple, and hot pink accents? But it's cute, and she's a reader! Yay! Not a laptop or phone in sight, but instead books! :-)

Finally, here's McKenna in her leotard! It looks to be high quality, and something girls would definitely wear, but when I used to take tumbling, the gymnasts would always wear a pair of shorts with their leotard. Personally, I would prefer it that way (it would add to the outfit).

Also, the Wall Street Journal reports that the McKenna movie will be premiere in July and you can buy her for $105- they've raised the prince again!

In my opinion this is what I give McKenna:

Doll Looks: 4/5

Uniqueness: 2/5

Storyline: 3/5

Collection: 4/5

What would you give McKenna and do you think you'll buy her?

~Gabby

(all photos and most information from here)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:23:00.004-06:00

Hiya!

I hope everyone has a merry and blessed Christmas day!

Merry Christmas!

Have a Happy Christmas!

~Gabby

(i don't own the photo, but ain't it super cute?)

Back from the American Girl Store!

2011-12-22T17:35:00.002-06:00

Hello all! I just got back from the American Girl store and had a FANTASTIC time! I used all of Minneapolis' experiences and was sure to go to the Doll Hair Salon too. I will post about what I got and photos of my trip later because I'm using my cousins' computer and I don't know how to upload photos! I just wanted to give you a quick update and give a sneak peak of some of the stuff I got. Can you guess?

If you have trouble, look under the American Girl bookstore, accessories, and outfit sections- not necessarily in that order!

~Gabby
ps. comment moderation is back on!

McKenna Brooks!

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is a planned post. Photo was found on Doll Diaries.

Hola! If you are reading this it means I'm on an airplane, eating lunch at a restaurant, hanging out with Quinn, or riding the car. Anywho, guess what I found on Doll Diarieshttp://dolldiaries.com/picture-of-the-american-girl-of-the-year-2012-doll-mckenna-brooks/, a photo of McKenna Brooks!

As we now know, McKenna is a gymnast! She also has caramel hair, blue eyes, light skin, and the Josefina Mold. While her meet outfit and gymnastics set are cute, I don't think I will be ordering the doll or purchasing anything shown the photo. I mean, where can I store a doll-sized bar set?

What do you think?

~Gabby

Bye for Now!

2011-12-20T19:11:00.000-06:00

Hola! Unfortunately, I will be traveling all day tomorrow and will not be able to get to a computer so I won't be able to post. I'm actually going to get to see Quinn! I will hopefully take some photos, but time is limited as we are setting off Thursday morning for the American Girl Place and Mall of America! YIPPEE KY YAY! I will take dozens of photos and videos as I'm bringing not one, but two cameras to capture the moments! I will really try to take good photos of the American Girl Place this time and make an ultimate planner/experience guide for the AGP Minneapolis.

Also, although I'm not Jewish, I'd like to say HAPPY HANUKKAH to all of my Jewish followers. While I don't celebrate this holiday, I know several Jewish families and I wish them some peace hope this Hanukkah.

Au revoir,
Gabby

ps. Comment moderation will be turned off until I can get access to a computer. However, I do receive e-mail updates about every comment, so I should not see and mean of disrespectful comments. Thanks and enjoy the holidays!

American Girl vs. Madame Alexander

2011-12-19T11:02:00.000-06:00

Hiya! A lot of people ask about American Girl vs. Madame Alexander, so I decided to make a post about it!

American Girl Felicity on the left, Madame Alexander "18 Play Doll on the right.

Their both good quality, but different, in plenty of ways. First off, Madame Alexander dolls are cheaper, about $50 cheaper, although my doll at Costco was listed at $30. While American Girl dolls are $100 and are only sold at American Girl stores or on the website or by phone.

Next, they have different hair types. AG dolls have very silky hair that don't feel like plastic, while MA dolls have very plastic-y type hair that has an almost waxy feel to it.

Both types of dolls have different bodies. AG dolls have full cloth body and vinyl arms, legs, and heads. MA dolls have thinner vinyl arms, legs, and heads that are easy to 'squish.' Also, their chest is vinyl but the rest of the torso is cloth.

Their heads are very different too. While AG dolls heads are attached to the neck, they are stiff and the heads have a more circular shape, MA dolls have a more heart shaped face and the head is NOT attached to their neck, so they head moves all around when your their hair.

So, which is better? Both are great for different reasons. MA dolls are perfect for a 'first time' doll because they are cheaper and it's hard to do their hair while AG dolls are better for display because of their high cost and soft, easy to style hair.

~Gabby

New Look (and Christmas Photoshoot)!

2011-12-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

Hey! Do you all like my new Holiday look? I hope you like it as much as I do! Below are some of my special Holiday headshots (with an antique touch)!

Enjoy! :-)

~Gabby

What I Got From Good 'Ole St. Nick and My Birthday!

2011-12-17T19:11:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! I haven't had a chance to take photos of my gifts, but I will make a list and take some photos from online.

From Santa (only the American Girl items):

For those of you who guessed, it was the Frosty Party Outfit!

The I Love Sports Earrings!

Julie Collectible Mini Doll!

All of these items are adorable. Go here and read my review under IheartAG98.

For My Birthday! (which was on Thursday!)

Instant Immersion: Italian! I started today and have already learned a lot!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2!

The Hunger Games trilogy box set! I can't wait to start reading my own copies!

Lists: A Year of Stuff About Me! It's a cute book and I'm trying to make it last a year!

Everyday Accessories!

All these items are great and I really appreciate all of my fun gifts! So, did you guess correctly?

~Gabby

Happy St.Lucia Day!

2011-12-13T16:29:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Lucia Day! For those of you who don't know who St. Lucia is, she's the patron saint of blind and her name means lux- the latin word of light. Also, Swedes celebrate her holiday by having the oldest girl serve rolls and coffee while wearing a white robe, red sash, and a wreath adorned with candles. This is to give hope to all Swedes to live through the cold, dark winter by celebrating light. I hope you learned something new!

~Gabby

Rants, Raves, and the Woes of Midterms (My American Girl Place Guide is Done!)

2011-12-12T18:27:00.001-06:00

Hiya! First off, please excuse my sporadic posting schedule- I have posted about this before, but I just want to get the message across, because I'm not sure when my next post will be. I've been studying for mid-terms and have already done two tests today- Math and TN History. Both very boring and probably will not help me in later life- I can't say that I will miss them. Tomorrow, I have my science exam... :-(. And I present my Literature midterm project, then two more tests on Wednesday and I'M HOME FREE!!! What's great about this is that my birthday is on Thursday (yay) and this way I'll be able to celebrate without having to study about Andrew Jackson or how to do cross products or mitosis. :-)

On a completely unrelated note, I adopted a sea turtle last night! I adopted it through the World Wildlife Fund- a truly great organization who devotes themselves to protecting animals worldwide. Check it out!

On another unrelated, but equally awesome note, my American Girl Place trip is in 9 days- whoop-dee-do! :-)

And on more thing, good ole' Santa has already visited my house (because of the fact that we will be up North for the holidays, Santa understands shipping and baggage costs so he has give most of our gifts to us already) and I received 3 fun AG things. But instead of telling, I will have you guess! Below are three pictures, guess which item I received by looking closely at the hint.

Item #1:

Item #2:

Item #3:

Happy Guessing!

~Gabby

ps. update- my AGP Guide is done!

What I Think McKenna Will Look Like!

2011-12-04T10:39:00.001-06:00

Hola! While I'm busy planning my American Girl trip and organizing and writing my AGP guide, I am dreaming about what McKenna (GOTY 2012) might look like. No, I'm not planning on get her, but I do like to pretend what she may look like. I photoshopped an MAG and this is what I got:

What do you think? I think she'll be pretty!

~Gabby

Cyber Monday at American Girl! (UP TO 50% OFF!)

2011-11-28T06:38:00.001-06:00

Hey! Quick, tell your moms that there is are 11 pages of deals! Most will be sold out by this afternoon!

You can get the Julie Collectable Mini Doll for only half off!

You can purchase the Snowflake Pajamas for only $12!

You also buy the Everyday Play Earrings for just $3!

Now this is just a sampling of amazing deals. Go check out the rest HERE.

~Gabby

I Need YOUR Help!

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hiya!
I'm starting a brand new page to help families, moms, and girls plan the perfect American Girl Place experience through reviews, tips, and tricks from people just like them! However, I need your help! Please read the questions below. If you can answer any of them (ex. 'The food was great and excellent service!' or 'The Doll Salon hair stylist rushed- not worth the $20.') please comment below with your first name and state/country!

Have you eaten at an American Girl Bistro or Cafe? What did you order? Was it good? How was the service?
Have you ever made a Creativi-Tee? Was it worth the $10?
Have you ever used a personal shopper? Was he/she great? Was it worth the time or was it better to pick out your own items?
Have you ever gone to the Doll Hair Salon and had your doll's hair styled/ears' pierced? Was the style worth the price? Was the staff friendly?
Have you ever gone to the Photo Studio? Was it worth it? Was it fun?
Have you ever used the concierge service? Was the staff helpful there?
How was your overall experience? Did you go at a busy time of year? Was the staff friendly and helpful?

I'm sorry if this seems like a lot, but reviews are greatly needed- especially for AG locations that I've never been too! Even if you only know the answer to one question, it's still greatly appreciated. If you can, please give a small review (even if it's negative!), this will help many parents and girls plan the perfect AGP experience!

Thank you and look forward to reading the answers to your questions!

~Gabby

Old of New: (That's Not ______!) This or That?

2011-11-26T10:39:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! Have you ever noticed how a My American Girl looks a lot like a retired Historical Character of Girl of the Year? This is a special edition of Old or New: This or That!

Kirsten or MAG #51?

Although both of these dolls are very cute, I have choose Kirsten! Not just because I have her or because I like her story, I choose Kirsten because of her gorgeous wavy hair.

Samantha or MAG #16?

Hmmm.... I have to go with the MAG, although I like both, I really like the MAG's deep brown eyes, while Samantha has a lighter color.

Mia or MAG #37?

Oooo.... I love both! Although, I'm going to have to go with the MAG, because I love her unique, short hair and her beautiful green eyes.

Sonali or MAG #47?

Both are gorgeous! I really can't decide! Well, I guess I have too.... Again, I choose the MAG because of her dark brown hair. I think it suits her face mold and eye color very nicely.

What do you think? I would love to know!

~Gabby

ps. You can check these other Old or New: This or That's- accessories, outfits, and furniture.

You Ask, I Answer!

2011-11-25T10:41:00.001-06:00

Hey! You all asked questions on this post, and now, I answer! Your questions are bold, and my answers are not.

How do you get your dolls' eyes to close while they are upright?
I double-loop a small piece of tape and place it directly under the doll's eyes. Then I pull down the eyelid and gently press it against the tape.
How do you do so well at stopmotions?
Practice! Watching other stopmotions also helps me realize what others are looking for.
How many dolls do you have?
Four. You can view them here.
Are you planning on getting another American Girl doll anytime soon? If so, which one?
Probably not. It may come some in the future, but right now, I'm not asking for any dolls. I don't even want Cecile anymore!
If you were to buy anything from American Girl, what would it be? {Even the retired/archived items!}

Ooooo..... Definitely a lot of Kirsten's collection, maybe some Felicity items, Jess, Jess items and maybe some Mia or Lanie items.

What is your favorite doll? (I am trying to choose what one to get, so please reply soon!!)

Well, out of all of my dolls, Kirsten. Even though I love my other dolls, Kirsten will always be special because she was my first. As for dolls available now... I really like Kaya (but only if you are expierenced in caring for dolls's hair and can handle very long hair), Kit, MAG #40, MAG #52, and MAG #37.

On what website did you print of the mask template?

Click here and play the 'Pretty Party' game. When you solve/finish it, you can get a mask template!

If I wash my Julie doll's hair will it make where the braid use to be (when I took it out it was wavy) go away?Because I want to wash her hair but I don't want that part to go away!

Hmmm.... Because American Girl doll hair is made with a special plastic that style the hair to be a certain way (ever notice how curly doll hair remains curly even after you wash it?), I would say that the hair will still be wavy.

Could you tell me your favorite singers and or songs?

ADELE! Absolutely and honestly Adele- she is amazing live and has totally awesome albums! I love her songs!

What sports do you play?

I do cheerleading and volleyball.

If you could have one special talent that you'll be really good at what would it be?

Hmmm..... I guess being a very good singer! I'm an okay one, but I want to be able to sing with confidence.

Why do you almost never reply to comments?

This is a commom misconception. I DO reply to comments, but only on new posts (usually the 2 newest). This is because I've found that more people are going to reply back to me on newer posts than an older one (people rarely return to old posts). However, if you have any questions, I will be able to reply to you more if you e-mail me.

This year it's the Summer Olympics! What are your favorite sports to watch? (Winter and Summer)

I love gymnastics, diving, ice-skating, and really, whatever's on (as long as it's not boxing)!

I'm trying to start a blog but can't seem to figure out how to do it. Can you give me a step by step? It said I have to be 13?

Sure!

1. Go to Blogger.com and click 'Get Started'!

2. Create a Google Account. (If you are under 13, have your parents help).

3. Once you've done that, click the orange arrow and name your blog and URL.

4. After that, click the orange arrow and choose a template and start designing your blog (if you need help on that, I'll post about it soon)

5. Click 'Finish/I'm Done' and you're done!

I hope you girls enjoyed asking questions and I look forward to hearing your feedback1

~Gabby

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:23:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! To celebrate Turkey Day, I just want to give thanks to my family, my friends, my country, and my freedom, but most importantly you.

I am so blessed and so thankful to have amazing followers and readers who have loyally supported and read my blog. Whether you just started reading my blog yesterday or have been with I Heart American Girl since the beginning, thank you!

To celebrate, Kayla's dolls and my doll's all celebrated with a delicious feast!

In order from up to down, the dolls have a meal, Coconut and Licorice celebrate friendship, the mini dolls eat together, and a sampling of the food served. Then finally, a photo that I just took fifteen minutes ago, but yet I love, Felicity and Kirsten together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Gabby

An Interview with a Blogger: Liz! (I JUST REACHED 100,000 PAGE VIEWS!!!!)

2011-11-23T09:32:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! Do you remember last October when I posted interviews with other bloggers like me? Well, I am bringing this back! (You can view past interviews on the bottom part of my sidebar.) To start I'm interviewing Liz from American Girl Fan.

1. What got you started in blogging? When I was younger there weren't many websites about American Girl dolls, so I decided to make my own when I was 14, with my dad's help. :)

2. How many dolls do you have and what are their names? I have 7 American Girl dolls: Molly, Elizabeth, Kit, Mia, Abbey (JLY), Addy, and Felicity.

3. When and how did you get your first doll? I got my first doll Molly in 2003, when I was 9 years old from my Grandma for Christmas.

4. Who is your favorite doll right now? That changes everyday!! Right now my favorite is probably Kit or Addy. :)

5. If you went to the American Girl Place right now, what would you buy? I would definitely buy Cecile, her Parlor Outfit, Crinoline & Chemise, Kanani's Beach Outfit, and some AG Place exclusives!

6. Do you like making videos, taking pictures, or writing posts the most? (that rhymed) Taking pictures!! It's so much fun to see my doll ideas come to life through pictures.

7. What are some of your favorite things (besides American Girl)? I love to write, take pictures (especially of nature), make cards, read, watch movies, anything vintage, bargain hunting (I LOVE a good deal!!), and taking trips with my family. :)

Thank you Liz!

~Gabby

ps. are you a blogger who would like to be interviewed? Email me or comment on this post!

American Girl Denver Trip Video!

2011-11-20T16:03:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! I'm sorry for not posting lately, but I made a video compiling a lot of fun pictures from our AG store trip last summer. I hope you like it!

~Gabby

Ask Me Anything! (and some questions for you too!)

2011-11-11T16:41:00.001-06:00

Hey girlies! Do you remember last January when I answered some of your questions? Well, I'm doing this again! Please leave a comment on this post asking me any question (as long as it's reasonable and not personal). This is a great way to get to know me better and I can answer your questions!

Now, for the questions for you!
So, as you know, for my AG trip next month, we are eating in the bistro! But, I was curious about their food. If you've ever eaten at an AG Place, please answer these questions!
1. What did you order? Did you like it?
2. Does a meal come with dessert?
3. Is the pink lemonade really that good?

Ask away!
~Gabby

American Girl and Duggar Family News!

2011-11-08T18:25:00.000-06:00

Hey girls!
So I don't know if you know, but it looks like the GOTY will be a gymnast! Check out the AG Place news and events for January!

In each event, there are gymnastic words such as 'stretch', 'flips', and 'cartwheels'. Also, gymnast Cathy Rigby was onset of a new rumored movie.

Also, I assume the GOTY will have light skin, blue eyes, and any color of hair! Because Jane Pettyjohn is in a new AG movie and we assume it's the GOTY 2012 movie!

This is Jade Pettyjohn! On her IMDb page, it says 'Untitled American Girl Project', so she must be the young star. Also, you may wonder why I said 'any color of hair'. Mainly because blonde hair is easy to dye and AG has dyed young actresses before (they dyed Shailene Woodley's hair). You can vote for what you think the GOTY will look like! (Last time I did this poll the results were: red hair, light skin, and brown eyes!)

As for Duggar news, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar of TLC's 19 Kids & Counting, are expecting their 20th child! I don't know about you but I love their show and their sweet family! I am very happy for them! Do you watch 19 Kids & Counting?

Happy Tuesday!

~Gabby

Harry Potter Tag!

2011-11-05T19:10:00.001-05:00

Howdy! Yippee-yi-yay! I get to do a Harry Potter tag!

(from Kit Snicket)

1. Who is your favorite character? Hermione Granger and Sirius Black. Hermione is soooo much like me and I love Sirius.

2. Which is your favorite book? Prisoner of Azkaban! I love it- it really helps Harry (and the reader) learn more about his past.

3. Which is your favorite movie? Deathly Hallows pt. 2 followed by the Order of the Phoenix.

4. What is one of your favorite quotes? "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love." -Albus Dumbledore

5. What is your favorite place? Hogwarts.

6. Which is your favorite Hogwarts House? Ravenclaw!

7. Which house would you belong in (not just which house do you like)? Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff

8. What position do you want to play in Quidditch? Chaser, although I wouldn't mind being a seeker.

9. Who is your favorite professor? Hmmm..... Trelawney- she's so funny!

10. What is your favorite class? Arithmancy or Charms! I've done Arithmancy before and it's a lot of fun!

I tag Claire, Kendell, and Nutti Netti.

What do you think? Do you agree with my answers?
~Gabby

(ps. look at my sidebar. Join Watch Your Words and see if you can go to the AGP Minneapolis!)

AG Birthday/Christmas Wishlist!

2011-11-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

Howdy!

Today is a very important day, because it's the day I post my wishlist! This is always a very big event in the AG blogging community and I do believe that I'm the first one to post my wishlist (correct me if I'm wrong)! This is really important because besides letting my family know what I want, it also lets me know what I want in case I forget (which, in some cases, has happened, but normally if I forget, I realize I don't want it). So, let me stop ranting and get on with it!

Clothing

Frosty Party Outfit for Doll + Charm $36

Adorable! I also just need one more holiday outfit so each of my dolls would have one!

Coconut Pajamas for Dolls + Charm $24

Sooooo cute! (This is a 'might get' thing!) I always miss out on AG's pajamas because I can make something similar, but I don't think I could even come close to PJ's like this! Also, who doesn't love Coconut?

Julie's Calico Dress $28

I love Julie's collection! I used to not like this outfit, but now I think it would be great for any time of the year. Also, how cute are those boots?

Kanani's Beach Outfit $24

To keep up with my tradition of purchasing one item from every GOTYs collection (I've been doing this since 2008), I've decided to get this! I love the color and the reviews are great. :-)

Books and Movies

Lists: A Year of Stuff About Me $10.95

I love to make lists. They're amazing things and I've great reviews on this product! It will also be great to look back on my lists years into the future.

The Quiz Book 3 $7.95

This is one of those 'might get' things. I have own the Quiz Book 1 & 2 and it would be great to own them all!

Felicity: An American Girl Adventure $14.95

The Felicity Movie is by far my favorite and I can't wait to purchase the DVD!

Furniture and Accessories

Kanani's Lounge Chair $58

Despite the price, I love this little chair! The print is gorgeous and it would make a great teacher's chair for a reading circle in my school area.

I Love Sports Earrings for Dolls $9

These earrings are so cute and would look great with plenty of outfits!

Gift Help

So a while back, I told you about my struggle to find the perfect gift for my cousin. Well I've talked to her, and she'd really like PJs- any PJs for her doll! What AG pajamas have you bought? Do you like them? I'm not asking which pajamas you think I should get, but what AG pajamas you think are the best- quality and play value wise.

So, what's on your wishlist? Can you give me gift help?

~Gabby

Want to Meet Me at the American Girl Place?

2011-11-03T17:58:00.001-05:00

Hey girls!

I am going to the American Girl Place Minneapolis and I want to invite you all! Watch this video for more information:

This would be SO AMAZING to meet all of my AWESOME followers, readers, and commenters! Will you be there? If so, please comment or e-mail so I know who to be on the look out for. :-)

American Girl Place Minneapolis
Mall of America, American Girl, 5160 Center Court, Bloomington, MN 55425
December 22, 2011
1:45/2:00-3:00/3:15 p.m.

Hope to see you there!
~Gabby
(I will be posting on what I think I will get soon!)

Watch Your Words

2011-10-29T16:16:00.000-05:00

Hey girls!
I've noticed a lot of nasty comments appearing in the AG Community- anywhere from YouTube to Blogger to WordPress and this needs stop- now. Many people have left from bullying and we can't let that happen! We've all been brought together from our love of dolls and we shouldn't let some mean comments spoil the fun, but unfortunately, it has, and here's where Watch Your Words comes in. My campaign to stop mean comments and haters all throughout the AG Community. Please watch this video:

See what I mean? If you want to pledge, all you have to do is follow these simple, instructions:
1. Read the pledge below.
2. Click comments.
3. Enter your first name only and (if you have one) your YouTube account name. This optional, but feel free to put your age or state/country as well.

Watch Your Words Pledge:
I pledge to only write nice and respectful comments and to make nice and respectful videos. I pledge be aware of everyone's feelings. I pledge to stand up to haters. And I pledge to respect everyone's opinions- even if they are different from my own.

Enjoy, and remember, just because you see someone online doesn't mean they don't have feelings. We all do and we need to respect those.
So I'm proud to be the first to pledge and I hope there are many more pledges to come!

~Gabby

Doll Mask... For Girls?

2011-10-17T20:03:00.002-05:00

Hey girls! If you subscribe to American Girl magazines or have read the newest issue, then you know about their awesome section- Doll Fun! Sure the name isn't original, but it's a great feature where they show fun crafts and activities for your doll. Anyways, in the newest issue, the showed Cecile and Marie-Grace in their meet outfits with homemade ball accessories! Featured by a mask craft, they told me how I could print a doll mask template out online to decorate! So I tried it and the results were a bit unexpected...

I printed it out and did exactly what it told me to- and it turned out it didn't fit my doll- it fit me! Yes, I know I look a little weird, but hey, it's a masquerade mask. It's gotta look weird!

So have you tried this craft? Did you get this same result as me?
~Gabby

Vote for Me?

2011-10-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

Hey girls! I love taking photos- and contests- and dolls- and history! So The Doll Wardrobe's History Doll Photo Contest seemed the perfect fit! I entered my photo of Kaya participating in 'school' and I was wondering if you would please vote for me. If you want to, please send an email to nora.demington@gmail.com with 'I vote for Photo Number 10'. This is greatly appreciated, as if I win, I will win a $20 American Girl giftcard which I will use to purchase a prize for an upcoming contest- at the AG Place!

Also, I will post more details about my upcoming AG Place visit- where, when, and how you can meet me (and I can meet you)!
~Gabby

Odd Posting Schedule... and New AG Site!

2011-10-10T20:40:00.001-05:00

Hey girls! I will be discussing two things in this post so feel free to read only the parts you really want too!

Posting...
I don't know if you've noticed but my posting schedule has been kind of weird lately. I will post about 4 posts in a week and then return two weeks later. I'm sorry about the weird, short spurts of posts. I'm still adjusting to my school schedule and I participating in a cheerleading competition so we are working extra hard to pull things off. Please don't think I'm leaving or my blog is boring if I haven't posted for a week. I'm just trying to find good times to update my blog!

Re-Designed AG Site
If you've been on the American Girl website lately, you will have noticed that they've a cute Christmas theme! I really like it- as last year's was quite awful (Dear American Girl... and a pink and green color scheme) while this year's is Happy Dollidays! LOVE IT! Besides new giftcards, they are also selling new Innerstar U book boxsets for $35. Also, they're top-rated items section has been given a new name- Joy to the Girl. So cute!

So, what do you think of the new American Girl Holiday theme? Do you like it better than last year's?

~Gabby

Gift Advice?

2011-10-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hey girls! A lot of you have asked me for advice on what doll to get, which hairstyle is the best, and if an outfit is worth the price. Well, now I have question for you!

For Christmas, my cousins and I are doing a gift exchange and I'm giving a gift to my five-year-old cousin, Hallie. She really wants something from American Girl and loves her Julie doll. For Christmas she wants an outfit for Julie, but what to get? Here's 4 outfits my sister and I've picked out that we'd like your opinion on. Feel free to vote on my poll or comment on this post!

1. Julie's Birthday Dress

2. Julie's Pajamas

3. My American Girl Flower Garden Dress

4. My American Girl Petal Pink Outfit

So, what do you think Hallie would like? If you have a sibling around that age range, please ask them what they would choose- it would really be appreciated!

~Gabby

2 Years!

2011-10-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hiya! It's been two years since I started this blog. It's been amazing and I've gotten so many sweet comments and advice from some other great bloggers. I really want to thank everyone who has commented and following my blog. It's been so much fun!

309 posts.
152 followers.

And 90, 522 page views since I started!

This is an AMAZING adventure of my life and I can't wait to continue it for another year. And maybe another. :-)

Also, I really want to 'give back' to you all, you know the ones reading this post. So I am working on going to the AG Place this Christmas and hopefully advertising my trip so you all can meet me (and I can meet you!). There are no plans set in stone yet, but I just wanted ya'll to know what was in the works.

Thanks for 2 TOTALLY AWESOME (name that YouTube video!) years!
~Gabby

New American Girl Store!

2011-10-05T12:36:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know (thanks to Doll Diaries) that St. Louis is going to get an American Girl store! Above is a map that I made that showcases all of the current AG stores (in red dots), all of the planned stores (in green dots), and in purple dots are where I think there should be an AG Place! The dotes may not be exact, but I worked really hard on it so I hope you like it. (Feel free to post it on your blog with your opinions of the AG Places, although please give me credit!) Do you agree with my purple dots? Where would you put an AG Place?

~Gabby

(I am temporally taking comment moderation of as I'm going camping for fall break, however the comment rules still apply. Happy Fall and God Bless!)

New Fall Look!

2011-09-25T19:44:00.002-05:00

Hey girls! I just wanted to talk a little bit about my brand new look! My new look is focusing on fall, school, and functionality on my blog.

Fall
Enjoy my new background! I love the colors. I know it's taken me a while to post my new look, but I was waiting for the new background- and it came my way!
School
My header is focused specifically on school! If you looked closely, each of my American Girl dolls is participating in what they might call school. Kirsten is reciting a poem, something common in her day because not every school had enough books for each student, so they would memorize their lessons. Kaya is examining a leaf and learning about plants and the natural world, something many Native American children would learn in 'school'. Felicity is pouring tea at her gentlewomen lessons! Many of you know that wealthy families like Felicity's would often pay tutors to teach their girls properness- good manners, embroidery, and tea and music lessons.
Functionality
If you've noticed, my pages have been moved to my sidebar. This will allow me to add pages without having two page bars. Also, I have updated my poll- please vote!

I hope you enjoy my new look!
~Gabby

Oh. My. Gooseness.

2011-09-24T19:49:00.001-05:00

Hola!

150 followers? Queso dip tonight? AND my Pottermore e-mail?
Oh. My. Gooseness!

Now before you correct me, on occasion I do sometimes say "Oh my gooseness!" You know, just for fun. :-)

Anyways, this post will mainly be about Pottermore, so brace yourself Harry Potter fans! (I'll go through each main component in Pottermore in depth.)

Spolier alert!
Main Site/Main Components
Pottermore is a great site! I can tell J.K. Rowling worked really hard on it making it special! The website is really simple: each book chapter is transformed online in a digital version of the chapter. Throughout each online chapter, there are plenty facts- it's almost like an online encyclopedia! There are three types of 'facts':

They have 'From the Story' component where each character, object, animal or spell is described like it was in the book.

They also have 'J.K. Rowling's Thoughts' describes how she got many ideas for characters or object names or some of her first draft secrets.

And finally 'New from J.K. Rowling'. This is were the author regularly posts new info and secrets on her books.

Besides the wand and sorting quiz, it's really just facts.

Player Interaction

Friends! It's nice that you can have friends, but you can't message them in any way- you can only send gifts or duel them. It's fun, but I'd like to 'get to know' my Pottermore friends better.

However, you can comment on any post or your common room's message board. Again, you can't talk with players, but I suppose it's possible to 'talk' with other players on the comment boards.

Wand Quiz

Wandlore is really cool! It's fascinating to learn about the different types of woods and cores used by Ollivander. The wand quiz is really simple. You answer the 7 same questions that everyone else does, so it's really easy (but rather pointless) to cheat. I knew before I started that I wanted a vine wand (Hermione has a vine wand!) with a phoenix feather or unicorn hair core and about a foot long. Luckily, I was gifted with the exact wand I had wanted- vine with unicorn hair, ten and 3/4 inches, hard. I am so pleased- Hermione Granger's wand is vine and also ten and 3/4 inches! Just remember, the wand chooses the wizard!

Sorting Hat

This quiz is very hard to cheat, but, if you answer honestly- it's won't be hard at all! I was lucky enough to be sorted into...

RAVENCLAW!!!!!

Yay! I am so excited- I wanted to be a Ravenclaw- and whop-dee-doo now I am!

I'll answer any questions on Pottermore- feel free to leave some in the comment section!

~Gabby

PS my user name in RiverQuill47. Friend me!

A Trip to the Library...

2011-09-22T18:46:00.002-05:00

Hey girls! Today, I went to the library- something I do almost every week! Anyways, a lot of the time I end up checking out the children's section and checking out American Girl books! I actually ended up re-reading the Historical Characters series again and again because they are so good- and they are really great historical fiction. So far, I've read the Kaya, Felicity, Kirsten, Rebecca, Kit, Molly, and Julie series- I'm looking forward to reading more of them too. Besides being awesome books, I also needed something to tide me over until I can get Catching Fire. (As I am re-reading the Hunger Games trilogy and unfortunately do not own my own copies. )-: )

Today, I checked out...

Secrets at Camp Nokomis, Meet Mia, The Curse of Ravenscourt, The Silver Guitar, Changes for Kirsten (I still haven't read this one yet)

But the real surprise was when they had Dolphin Tale posters and bookmarks! It may not seem like much, but Harry Connick Jr. is the father of Kate Connick, the young singer feature in the new issue of American Girl magazine and the singer of "A Lot Like Me"- the song American Girl is using to benefit the new Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. But, this movie also features Cozi Zuehlsdorff!

If you remember, she was featured in American Girl Magazine's July/August 2011 issue! She also mentioned Dolphin Tale in her interview. This is also great timing as Dolphin Tale premieres in theaters. I hope I get to see it soon!

~Gabby

American Girl Event at Michael's!

2011-09-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

Hey! I was looking at some other blogs and realized that there was an event at Michael's for American Girl fans!

This is Next Saturday, September 24th. I hope I get to go!
~Gabby

Old or New: (yet another) This or That?

2011-09-13T19:05:00.001-05:00

Hey ya'll! In these kinds of posts, I will post pictures of a new and updated AG item and then the older version. This time, I'm doing accessories! (You can view outfits and furniture here)!

Above is the 2008 Beach Chair and Bag and below is the Chair and Bocce Set. This or that? Personally, I like the Beach Chair and Bag- it's so cute and I love the beach items, as mush as I love the Bocce set, I don't know how well you could use the balls for anything else.

To the left is the 2007 Sleeping Bag Set and to the right is the new Cozy Sleepover Bag for Dolls. This or That? Definitely the Cozy Sleepover Bag for Dolls- I love the color combo- it's so cute!

Above is the 2007 Sleepover Food and Fun and below is the Sleepover Accessories. This or That? I love them both, but I think I will have to go with the Sleepover Accessories- I love Apples to Apples and it does include more items then the previous set.

Above is the 2007 Sweet Treats Accessories and below is the Baking Accessories. This or That? I'm not a big fan of them both, but I think'll have to go with the Baking Accessories, the Sweet Treats Accessories look like a Valentine's Day thing.

So, This or That?

~Gabby

9/11

2011-09-11T08:09:00.001-05:00

(please only read this if you fully understand the attacks on 9/11 or are 12+)

Life isn't fair.

This is something I learned and I realize that we can never change this fact. Not everything is going to go your way and we have to accept that.

But no one can accept 9/11. Especially me. It haunts me, like a nightmare, I wish I could tell myself that it never happened, but it did and I will spend the rest of my life trying to understand and appreciate the 9/11 attacks.

I don't personally know anyone who died that day. Some people say that 'somebody knew somebody' but not me, at least I think so. However, I feel like I know that people in the photographs, the people who died that day, or people who were heroes who made it out alive along with many more people they saved.

I am holding back tears as I am writing this, because to an average joe like me, it's upsetting. It's terrible to know that innocent people died, and worse, that foreigners would do this just to say, "You aren't as strong as you think you are." It's terrible and even more terrible that children died that day- those who were the planes going to visit grandma or go on a vacation. Those innocent lives changed, and they couldn't defend themselves, they couldn't call anyone or do anything, they just snuggled up next to their parents.

So God Bless, I hope all of the innocent are rejoicing and having a great time in heaven. I hope that they are in no more pain.

Before I finish this post, I want to talk about the failed attempt to crash into the Capitol. This was one of the bravest moments in American history, and I want to say thank you to the men who took on the foreigners and instead tried to land the plane in a Pennsylvania airfield. Still everyone's lives were lost, I just want to say thank to those men. And thank you to others who risked their lives to save others.

Thank you and God Bless,
Gabby

300th Post- 30 Questions Tag!

2011-09-08T19:19:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll to celebrate 300 posts on my blog, here's a 30 question tag- that I created- 15 questions are about AG, the other half is totally random! Enjoy!

1. What American Girl do you look most like? (please post photos to compare!)

Here's MAG 53.

And here's me! We aren't perfect twins (I mean me and doll, not me and the duck!), but we have the same hair and sometimes my eyes appear to be brown, even though they are green.

2. What InnerstarU avatar do you think you look most like?

This is actually my avatar on InnerstarU- she's MAG 21.

3. How many American Girl Places have you been to?

Well, I've been to the Minneapolis Place 4 times and the Denver Place 1 time.

4. Who is your favorite doll that you own?

I think Kirsten. I hate picking favorites, but Kirsten is my first doll and her books are great! She'll always be special. :-)

5. What AG doll outfit would you like to wear?

Well, I have to say, I would love to wear this outfit!

It's so cute- although I'd like to wear it- minus the InnerstarU logo.

6. What AG Accessory do you wish you had for yourself that was real?

Coconut. 'Nuff said.

7. What AG furniture piece do wish you had for yourself that was real?

Gorgeous! I love the look of this- it's awesome! :-)

8. (only answer this question if you are familiar with the Hogwarts houses!) Which doll (GOTY, HC,) do you think belong in each Hogwarts house (name at least one doll for each house)?

Gryffindor: I think Felicity for this one!

Hufflepuff: Kirsten. Hands down- she's very hardworking and brave.

Ravenclaw: Kit- she's very intelligent and uses that alot.

Slytherin: Well, I don't know, but I guess Sonali. She wasn't all that nice to Chrissa, and did try to talk her out of friendship with Tara.

9. What's your favorite AG online game?

Well, none of the games are working for me right now (thanks, AG!), so I'll have to wait, but I honestly am not sure- I like all of the games.

10. If InnerstarU was a real place, would you want to go there are participate in the activities and 'go to school' there?

Yes, but may not for my whole life or something. I think it would be fun for a semester, though!

11. What doll do you want next?

Cecile. She's so pretty and I'm excited to read her books!

12. If you could be any AG doll, who would you want to be?

Jess. She has such a cool story and I would love to go on all the adventures she has in Belize!

13. When do you make your first AG Christmas Wishlist?

Normally right after the Fall and Winter collections are released, then I start making my Wishlist!

14. What's if your favorite line of dolls (HC, MAG, GOTY, Bitty Baby/Bitty Twin)?

Historicals. I absolutely love them! <3

15. Why do you like American Girl?

I love AG because it has very high quality items and they focus on bringing out the best in girls- I really love that- and they put so much detail and love into their Historical Characters- that's my favorite part of American Girl.

16. What's book (series)?

Ahh... Look at the above picture- how perfect these books look- well compared to mine anyways, I'll show you a picture some other time.

17. What's your favorite jam/jelly? Please post a picture!

Crofter's Organic Strawberry Jelly. It's sooooo good!

18. If you could live in any other time period but your own, what would choose?

Well, I think I'd want to be a Greek princess in Athens or a pioneer on the prairie or an actress in the 1920s... :-)

19. Do you drink coffee?

Not all the time. Mainly on trips I may have a McDonald's Caramel Mocha, but nothing regular. Although my uncle says that we 'Scandahoovians' (Scandinavians) need/should/want to drink coffee regularly. Oh well...

20. What's your favorite TV show?

Well, right now it's Monk, but Castle (shown above) premiere's it's new season in two weeks! Also, I like Design Star and Good Luck Charlie.

21. Do you think you're funny?

Yes, I can crack myself up anytime I want, but I don't think everyone thinks I'm funny... :-P

22. What are your family members doing right now?

Well, my dad is going to look at tools, my mom is making cookies, and my brother and my sister are doing who knows what!

23. Have ever watched a show made in a year before 2000?

Yes! I've watched The Brady Bunch, Charlie's Angels, The Cosby Show....

24. What did you have for lunch today?

Well, I had a cheese sandwich on goldfish bread and carrots, grapes, craisons, and yogurt.

25. What's your favorite snack?

Goldfish- they smile back at you!

26. Who's your favorite actress?

Emma Watson! She rocks my wacky socks off!

27. Who's your style icon (c'mon- you must have one!)?

Kate Middleton- she wears the cutest coast and dresses!

28. What's your favorite brand of popcorn?

Well actually, my family makes our own popcorn, so we only buy popcorn seeds, but I guess I like Orville Redenbacher.

29. What's your favorite blogging platform (Webs, Wet Paint etc.)?

Blogger!

30. Why do you like being a blogger?

I like the ability to rant and rave with people who might actually listen, or in this case read and to share my interests with the world!

Enjoy!

~Gabby

Doll Diaries Spotlight Site!

2011-09-04T10:19:00.001-05:00

Hey! Yay! I am so excited- this week Char featured me as a Doll Diaries Spotlight Site! Whoop-de-doo! what a great way to celebrate my 299th posts! (my 300th will be my next post!)

~Gabby

What I Got at the AG Place Denver!!! (UPDATE: It can be viewed now!)

2011-08-31T07:28:00.001-05:00

Update: I fixed the video- now you can view it!!!

Hey! And my stopmotion is finally up. Enjoy!

And yes, I know it's not perfect, but I worked really hard on it, so please only positive comments and helpful tips.
Thanks!
~Gabby

New American Girl Items! (Fall 2011)

2011-08-30T18:16:00.001-05:00

Hey girls! I hope you are excited as I am about the new American Girl items! Many are so cute- and they look very high quality. I will leave the negative comments for some other time, and instead will focus on my favorites- let's begin!

First, they updated the 'Fun for Girls' section- now they call it Play @ American Girl. Personally, I liked the old design better, because there was more of a 'home page', but it's cute nonetheless.

Also- they now have American Girl apps! There are three games- Marie-Grace and Cecile's Secret Wardrobe, Kanani's Shave Ice, and Cheer On! I will definitely try these out and post a review- how would you all like that?

First and foremost, they released the new Holiday sets! This top one is called Merry & Bright Outfit & Accessories for Dolls. It's cute- but not as cute as the red one last year.

Next, they have a much cuter one- Frosty Party Outfit for Dolls + Charm! This is adorable- it would look great on Kirsten or Kaya.

Now this is ADORABLE! I was curious about the materials on the bed, so I called American Girl. The lady said that it mostly made of wood (yay!), with a few parts made of plastic. I would absolutely love this bed- my mom could make some cute bedding for it like she made the bed for my other trundle.

This is a great sleepover set! I LOVE Apples to Apples and the popcorn and lemonade are so cute. The food also looks healthy- lemonade instead of soda and the popcorn doesn't look so buttered. ;-)

I. Love. This. It's so darn cute! It seems as if navy blue, light blue, maroon, and bright purple are AG's colors for school outfits- and the Cozy Sweater Outfit for Dolls + Charm looks great!

I also love this little set! don't net the skis- but the outfit itself is so cute!!! Yay!

Last but not least- Lists!!! I love lists and I think this would be a great book to chronicle 2012!!! If I don't get this for Christmas, I will be purchasing it!

So what do you like (and dislike) out of American Girl's new items?

~Gabby

I. Hate. Waiting.

2011-08-24T18:14:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I know the title says 'I hate waiting' and that's exactly what I'm doing to you all. I am working on my stopmotion for 'What I Got at the AG Place' and I plan to finish it today or tomorrow.

As for the 'I. Hate. Waiting.' part- I am waiting anxiously for my Owl to Pottermore. In case ya'll don't know what I'm talking about, I will explain.

Pottermore is an online reading experience surrounding the Harry Potter books. It's kind of like Webkinz or InnerstarU, but more of an adventure through the Harry Potter book series- exploring each chapter through tons of backstory, games, and quizzes! Anyways, from July 31 to August 6, Pottermore was an offering special early access activity. If you were able to solve the clue and and find the Magical Quill, you were eligible to get into the site before anyone else. I found the quill and I got confirmed to get on the site early- along with 99,999 people! However, I have to wait for an e-mail (or Owl) letting me into the site. I'm tired of waiting for my email!!!!!!

Has anyone else received early access to Pottermore? Have you all been able to get on yet?
~Gabby

New American Girl Birthday Sets!

2011-08-15T17:48:00.000-05:00

Hey! So have you always wanted to have a birthday party at the American Girl Store? Well, now you can have all the fun of American Girl at your own home! Places like Celebrate Express are now selling some awesome new party supplies!

Like this cupcake stand! It's made of durable, pretty cardboard so you can put it up as you need and it's simple to store.

They also have these really cute place cards that you can assemble and decorate yourself!

Also, they have really cute paper products- such as this cute cups!

So what do you think of their new party supplies?

~Gabby

Cecile and Marie-Grace!

2011-08-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

Hey! The new dolls are released!!!! Here's my review of their collection.

I was quite surprised that these girls were released today- we had no word about this, but it was a pleasant surprise! Personally, I honestly don't Marie-Grace. Let me tell you why...

Cecile. She's GORGEOUS, but she looks at like MAG 46, just with a different eye color. I also feel that she would look so much more like her illustrated self is she had Addy's face mold. However, I love the pretty blue satin on her dress. I also think that Cecile has a much cuter collection. Thoughts?

Marie-Grace. I don't liker her half as much as I like Cecile. Marie-Grace has her own face mold, something that I think cheapens the look of her. This mold looks to me like lower-quality Target or Walmart dolls. Her whole collection (in my opinion) is very ugly and doesn't have as many pieces as Cecile does. Thoughts?

Now, let me show some of my favorite pieces from each girl's collection.

I. Love. This. This is so cute! I think it would look great on Kirsten, although I am not excited on how it doesn't come with shoes.

This is also so adorable! This looks very high quality and I love the hot pink and the old fashioned slipper socks!

This is so cute! I love this printed fan and the bow on the hat. Thumbs up for this!

I love this! Even for the price of $150. The table is wooden, and the tablecloth comes off, so the table would have plenty of uses. The accessories are so detailed- I love this.

So, what are your favorite pieces and do you like Cecile and/or Marie-Grace?

~Gabby

A Little This and a Little That

2011-08-06T08:22:00.001-05:00

Hey Girls! Today, I want to talk to you all about some changes going on in my blog... As of tomorrow, I will be 'changing' blog. Not entirely, but just a little.

I have noticed that I've come to love blogs where the focus is mainly on... well... everything! And I am changing my blog to be like that- but just a little bit.

This blog's main focus, will, and always be American Girl. The majority of these posts will be about American Girl- news, photos, maybe a FanFic, giveaways, and contests. But, you may see some random posts about fashion, Harry Potter, songs, books, names, etc.

Now, I know what you're thinking 'but you have the Name Princess, that's your misc. blog!'. It's hard to keep up two blogs. You saw what happened to From a Doll's Perspective, and I don't want that. So, some of my misc. posts are coming to here! That way, you only have to follow one blog to get some fun, new posts!

Enjoy,
~Gabby

New GOTY American Girl Movie!

2011-08-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

Hey Girls! I am sorry for my hiatus, but we took a spur-of-the-moment vacation in which I didn't bring my dolls or have access to a camera (besides my iPod). Sorry! I will of course be working on my stopmotion in which I unveil my AG Place purchases.

Anyways, on Doll Diaries, I have learned that they will be a new AG movie!

In this Twitter Picture, Nia Vardalos poses with American Girl writer Mary Casanova (author of AG Books Meet Jess, Both Chrissa books, and Cecile: Gates of Gold) and Olympic Gymnast Cathy Rigby. So what is this new movie about? Look at this Official Press Release:

Yay! A gymnast doll! I have wanted a gymnast doll since I was 9, but now that I'm 12 and out of gymnastics, I am not as excited as I could have been.

Anywho, as for the name choice- Velma? Well, it reminds me a lot of Scooby-Doo, but AG has always chosen interesting names for their dolls (Chrissa, Ivy). Later, perhaps, I will look up the dolls' names and see if they really fit in their time period.

I can't wait for this new movie!

~Gabby

Shout-outs!

2011-07-28T17:54:00.000-05:00

He! I just wanted to take this time to make a quick post of shout-outs!

One: Quinn and I have started a magazine-Plain Fab-and our first issue is out. Be sure to check it out here!

Two: Claire (my awesome online friend) is trying to reach her goal of 40 followers before she has her one year blog-aversary. Please take the time to follow her at Claire's Curiosity! Thanks!

Third: I have posted 3 polls on my side bar asking reader's what they think the GOTY of 2012 will look like. Be sure to vote as I am will repost these polls towards Christmastime and it will be interesting to compare the answers.

Thanks and have a great day!
~Gabby

(oh, what I got from the AG Place will be up soon- I did it a little differently this time {but much cooler}, so it's taking longer than usual.) :-)

My Trip to the AG Place Denver!

2011-07-27T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Here are some photos from the trip!

This is a very small store, but it was so cute and a great afternoon activity!

When you first walk in the front doors, they have what they consider a 'book section' with selves of books and mini dolls, this is one of them.

The Kanani section was very small, but they had this very cute Shave Ice Stand display! Also, there's a sign in the corner of the display that says that you can only purchase 3 Kanani dolls... Hmm....

They kept the MAG dolls in cases like these!

AG set up some many cute displays! I especially like this one.

Here's another one- again, adorable!

The new dining set looks very cute in this display!

Here's a Kanani sign that I took a picture of with. I know I look weird, but I had I stood up, my head would have been touching the top of the stand.... :-(

Then, on the other side of the store, is where they have the Historical Character items- like this cute school locker set for Julie!

I love Molly! I hope she won't be archived soon...

This is a great little set for Kaya! I love it, but unfortunately, I have no room for a teepee.

I love the little Josefina loom set!

Now, for the Creativi-Tees. This is such a great idea! Each of the T-shirts is $10. I purchased one! Here's how it works. First pick a shirt and a transfer (above).

Then, the AG Stylist places your tee on an iron thing.

She puts the transfer on the tee.

Then, she 'irons' it on!

Afterword, she takes the plastic off of the iron on, and it's done!

:-)

Here's a photo of all 3 of us! From left to right, Kayla, Quinn, and me!

I will post what I purchased later!

~Gabby

Gone on Vacation....

2011-07-17T08:02:00.000-05:00

Hey girls! Tomorrow I will be leaving for vacation- and I will visit the AG Place! I may be able to post from my mom's laptop, but there may not be the usual amount of posts. I am taking Felicity and she will, well, I don't want to say much, but she will go to the doll hair salon! I will take tons of pictures and be sure to create a video and update my Flickr when I get back.

I hope you girls have a great week!
~Gabby :-)

ps. Also, I am lifting comment moderation for the time being, but please be nice and follow the comment rules. Thanks!

AG Place Anyone?

2011-07-15T23:03:00.000-05:00

Hey girls! I am still coming over shock about the amazing Harry Potter movie I saw yesterday (I will post about that later) but I got over it enough to write this AG Place post.

I am over excited to visit the one in Denver! I am not sure when yet, so that's why I am not inviting any of you to come and meet me, is because I'm not even sure when I'll get to go!
So, here are some questions that I have for you, I would love, love, love if you would reply to me!

Have you ever been to the American Girl Place Denver? Did you enjoy it? What was your favorite part?
Have you ever been to any American Girl Place? Did you like it? What was your favorite part?
What did you get at an American Girl Place? Do you have any 'What I Got at the AG Place' or 'AG Place Tour' videos? Please leave me a link if you do, I would love to see them!

~Gabby