An Unexpected Doll has Sailed into my Collection

It is no surprise that having a diverse group of doll friends inspires, excites and drives my collecting.  I have several classic molds and a few blond blue eyed beauties so I wasn't looking for another.  While Caroline, pronounced with a long i, was never on my radar, her heavy duty collection of clothing and accessories were fair game. I purchased her Parlor with the intention of using it for a holiday display and her Travel Basket because of it's superior quality and.........Because I rarely pass on food items.  Caroline's hat and coat had awesome reviews so I purchased it to supplement my measly dollie winter wardrobe options. 

How then did Caroline happen to dock here??  Well, with archival rearing it's ugly blade I started looking at Caroline's items and wondering what she was like. I started to realize that I didn't have any dolls with extremely long curly hair and her eyes in my mind were changing from ordinary blue to a very unique seafoam mint green unlike any doll I currently owned.  Did I go out and buy Caroline right then? Of course....... NOT!! I'm an experienced collector who can't be swayed by a beautiful face, beautiful eyes or even the prospect of a luscious wig.

I did the next best thing I went to the library and borrowed Caroline's books. Big Mistake!! Yes, I'm channeling Julia Roberts right now in the movie "Pretty Woman." Anyway, I slowed my reading pace by asking dd10 to take a Dork Diary break to read each book first so that we could discuss the book before proceeding to the next. After each book I would show her a Caroline accessory she didn't know I had purchased. Dd8 was miffed but she only wants to read R. L. Stine at this point in her life of literacy. After we finished reading the set dd8 gained full access to Caroline's accessories as well!! Reading Caroline's books was the deciding factor in my decision to add her to the collection. The books were awesome, but I'll spare you my review. THE BOOKS ARE A MUST READ!!

Warning: Do not read a doll's books if you're on the fence about whether or not to buy. If you're lucky..... you'll get an awesome story and the urge to spend $$$ and some change.

Caroline is such a beautiful doll. I actually purchased a second doll who is named Caroline Coral. I do hope everyone who intends to purchase her before Archival gets a chance to do so. She is an unexpected beacon in my collection.

Caroline asleep is my favorite photo from our photo shoot. Her luscious curly hair is absolutely amazing.

Are you planning to add Caroline to your collection?  Does one of your kids have her on a wishlist? You will not regret bringing her home. She's a doll!!

My Life Desk and Acessories (Review)

My Life As, simply known as My Life is a doll brand sold at Walmart. I purchased this set mostly for the lamp and desk accessories.  The desk and chair is also a nice addition to our collection, but it hasn't been necessary. I thought you guys would like to take a look at this cute set available for $28.

Unboxing is interesting not so much as Our Generation, but it's a challenge when thinking of how easy it is to unpack American Girl items.












First up is the Rolling desk chair, it appears to be extra fluffy, plush and soft. The fabric..... is super soft and fluffy, however it covers a very hard plastic chair and is not at all plush.  I'll have to be gentle with the chair because it does shed a little.

 

 

Here you can see the faux wheels. I have NO clue why I expected real rolling wheels but I did. I know crazy right?

 

 



Here's the cute area rug. It's very soft, furry and fits perfectly under the desk chair.

This is a view of the desk cabinets. The cubed shaped doors close tightly. You can hear them click shut!






  While unpacking this portion of the set I was nervous about possibly losing the purple diamond backing. To my surprise the exact backing is included behind the accessory display. Though, if you're crafty you could cut squares and rectangles to fill the backs of the cubbies and cabinets. 

 

 

 

 

The cardboard pieces

Magazine, Stickers, Journal

 

 

Inside look at the Magazine and Journal

 

 

 

 

More cardboard pieces

U.S. map, Calendar, Photo Strip, Birthday card, and Sleepover invite

 

 

 

 If you have an aversion to Cardboard accessories....You might want pass on this set.

The backs of map, calendar, birthday card, invite and photo strip.

 

 

 

 

I love this Laptop!! It's silver and has a cute home screen. We have quite a few doll friends and this is only our third computer. So, the girls are excited to have another computer to share.

 

 

 

 

 

This Sweet Tart of a lamp is also included.  Press the white button and the light remains on for about 15 seconds. It's super frilly.... but I love this lamp. I like the different textures as well. It  has a smooth base and a crinoline shade with a fluffy cotton material on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 Take a look into the desk drawers. They are larger and deeper than I expected.

 

 

 

 

 

Lydia and Ivy were the first to try out the new furniture. I like the scale of the desk and chair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Storage for paper and tiny accessories is important. Ivy and Lydia packed the Lamp and cardboard pieces into the desk drawers with space to spare.

 

 

 

The rug also fits easily into the upper cabinet as shown by Lydia!!

 

 

 

 

I'm very happy with this set. It is a heap of plastic and cardboard, but for the price it's a fun and functional piece of furniture.  The desk, lamp and rug are perfect for most kids, but I wish the chair was a color other than white and bred to not shed!  The cardboard items may not last long with some kids, but they could easily be laminated with peel-n-stick laminating sheets.  My daughters will enjoy playing with this set, because I won't need to hover.  It's part of our collection.... but not heirloom?

 

 

 

 

 

"Hey does anyone wanna push me in the cool new rolling desk chair??!!"

 

Lydia and Ivy reply while struggling to put the new desk away.

 

"It has FAUX Wheels Mae Francis....Could you please bring the chair?"

 

"Yes, Yes I must have missed that...be right there"

 

Clearly, I still have issues with the wheels:)

 

 



Happy Birthday Set

Summer activities are quickly wrapping up here in our part of the country and being replaced by school hoopla and extra-curricular activities.  Camille, Ivy, Mae Francis and Lydia decided to squeeze another party into the last few hot and humid Summer afternoons. Girly gabbing, hotdogs and cake, who could ask for anything more?

This American Girl Happy Birthday set was a Birthday gift from my sweet sister. It was on my wish list and on sale for $25. Woohoo!!! It all looks so delicious and comes with everything you see here.

Camille is wearing one of the two party hats that are also included in the set. On the pink hat Camille is holding, you can see the slits that are used to fasten the hat in back of the head. 

Lydia and Mae Frances were next to join the party.  Mae Francis insisted on Lydia taking the other party hat, because she didn't want to fuzz her curls.

 Ivy has arrived and Now we have a PARTY!! The gab fest is on as Ivy explains her beret battle. I watched her in agony trying to arrange it on her head in a stylish manner but with bangs and a short hair cut.....insanity.  Of course, Ivy refused to give up, she really wanted to wear her hat to what might be the last party of the summer!!

Camille talked about how much fun she's been having posing for a Photo Contest while Ivy, Mae Francis and Lydia went on and on about how excited they were about working on a Mix and Match Wardrobe Challenge.

 The girls were talking up an appetite and sharing two slices of cake just wouldn't do.  Hotdogs with mustard is everyone's favorite. It'll fill their tummies and taste real yummy!!

Saving cake for later the dollies descend on the mustard dogs. 

 

I love photographing hands, especially little ones!!

  

Let them share cake!! 

How about a few after lunch pics?

WANTED

For Being So Cute!!

Make way for Ivy!! It seems she has gone and lost her beret....On purpose.... I'm sure!

....And one final pic of the girls before they head off to join Saige and Kanani to help prepare for the

D.O.C. G.O.T.Y. Rally

How are you guys spending your last days of summer?  

Playing by the Dock of the Pond

Hello friends!! It's been a very busy Spring with Graduations, Parties and Family Reunions.  My doll friends were so excited to get back out and enjoy Spring/Summer weather. This particular day it was 102 degrees, way too hot for me.  I'm talking hot, humid, back sweating, Virginia walk out your door and can't breath gross hotness.  But, I really wanted to play with my daughters and have fun with dollies so we all braved the flames!!

Emily, Camille and Lydia(#50) were the only girls dressed for Summer weather so they were the "lucky" girls of the day. Saige and Mae Francis would have surely passed up a humid VA play day, but Kit, Ivy and Josephina would have enjoyed a nice hot day in the sun. Maybe next time, with plenty of hot summer days ahead and the hope of finding new Our Generaton accessories, every doll friend will have a time to shine this summer.

Here the girls are hanging out deciding what to do on this extraordinary day. How about a friendly game of Hide-and-go-seek?

 Camille volunteers to be "It." One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.....

Emily thinks Camille will never find her behind this big tree. Camille counts in the background giving both girls a fair chance to hide. Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen fifteen... Ready or not here she comes.

Lydia hides behind a huge, rusty barrel hoping not to be found first!! 

Emily is found very quickly she underestimated Camille's seeking abilities.

It's all in good fun and both girls giddy, head off to find Lydia.

Of course, after hearing Emily being caught Lydia was too excited to stay hidden. She peeked from behind the barrel and skipped down to join her friends.

Hanging out by the pond proved to be more relaxing on such a sweltering day.

Thank you so much for reading more of our adventures. This was

 by far the most dangerous photo story we've ever done. Why???  Well...... because I was terrified  that a doll friend would take a dive into the water.  I've seen some wonderful photo stories of dolls at the beach, near pools and waterfalls, so I wanted to give it a try. With the help of my daughters we were able to make a safe environment and none of the dolls decided to take a swim!!

Here are a few bonus photos:

Camille testing our limits and relaxing while the other girls take their close ups.

 What adventures are you and your doll friends planning for the summer?  We would love to hear about your summer fun.

The Easter Garden Party

Yesterday was a beautiful day to mingle with friends and spread some Easter cheer. It was also a glorious day, because Camille made her very first appearance since going off to have some "work" done at Jodybo's.

 

As you can see all of the girls were eagerly awaiting her arrival. I figured she should make a delicate but grand entrance to the party. 

 

 

 

 Here she is greeted by Lydia(#50) as Ivy, Cecile and my daughters Josefina wait for their turns to hear all about her adventure and transformation.

 

 

 

 

 Cecile just could not wait any longer.....So she raced over to Camille to tell her how beautiful she looked with new eyes and freckles.

 

 

Camille was thankful and relieved that her friends loved her new look.

 

 

 

 

 

 It is truly amazing to have a doll come back after customization. Camille is our first and hopefully not the last.  Kit, my Addy, in her Cape Island dress and my daughters Addy bid adieu to Camille as she makes her way to greet other friends.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cecile and Kit take a moment to catch up and reflect on their favorite Easter Activities. Sunrise Service is on the bottom of the list as 6:30am services are much too early for little dolls.

 

 

 

 

Emily and Ivy are excited to see Camille. Ivy is in awe of her gorgeous freckles.

 

 

  

 

 

...And more chatty girls. Emily, Lydia and Ivy are hoping for an Easter Egg Hunt....Maybe!!

 

Thank you all for reading about our awesome Easter Garden Party. We are excited to have Camille home and I hope to share the story of her customization soon.

 

What are your dolls doing to celebrate Easter and/or Spring??