tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19664853017129672022024-03-05T23:47:44.568-08:00Dolly Wolly DoodleDollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-31818516567052475192017-05-11T16:41:00.002-07:002017-05-11T16:41:54.814-07:00Introducing......Amelia Imogen Caitlin Pond!<br />
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Neither <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/03/introducing.html">Mei</a> or <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/04/introducing.html">Hannelore</a> have their full bios up yet, and the plan after getting Hannelore and Ivy unexpectedly (I haven't told you about that yet, have I?) was that there would be no more doll purchases until Nanea is released in August...but when a #61 popped up on the local BST sight for a steal I couldn't pass her up. #61 has always been by Amelia Pond, a character whose story is going to be very much inspired by Doctor Who and set in that universe, though <i>my </i>Amelia's story is going to be somewhat different than the cannon Amy Pond.</div>
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So, here is Amelia's short bio, though a longer one will follow as soon as I get both Mei and Hannelore's longer bios up. </div>
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Age: 7</div>
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Birthday: April, 3, 2010</div>
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Family: Amelia lost both of her parents tragically, though she is unable to remember exactly how and is unwilling to ask for details yet. She currently lives with her guardian, a man who often goes by the name of John Smith when they are traveling, though he is better known by another name all over this world and others.</div>
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Location: Anywhere and everywhere she wants to go. There is rarely a place, or a time, that her guardian will refuse to take her, though she does feel that he tends to "mother" her a bit. There are times that he has to go away and do something "dangerous" where he will leave her with different friends for awhile. Amelia was born in Inverness, Scotland. </div>
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Pets: A wonderful and loyal pup named Rory who never leaves her side.</div>
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Favorite Book: <i><u>Pandora's Box</u></i></div>
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Favorite Artist: Vincent van Gogh</div>
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Favorite Color: Blue.</div>
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Hogwarts House: No one really knows until 11, do they? Besides, she has other things to think about for now.</div>
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Random Fact: Amelia enjoys drawing comic books. Many of these tell of her various adventures with her guardian and the friends they meet along the way. She has shelves and shelves full of these in her room.</div>
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I'm very excited to add Amelia to the family and write about her adventures. No more dolls until Nanea now though! I'm serious!</div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-4736840184503761572017-04-22T19:53:00.001-07:002017-04-22T19:53:15.364-07:00Which Historical Pet?<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have a soft spot in my heart for the historical pets. I have ever since I was a little girl, and one of my "rules" in collecting is that all my girls will (<i>eventually</i>) have their pets. This rule is holding true with my moddies as I branch off this from my historicals this year too. I just like adorable plush animals. </div>
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This week's poll asks you which historical pet is your favorite, and there are many to choose from. Vote for your favorite on the poll on the right side of the blog, and I'll announce the fan favorite after it closes.</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-1182632160519463312017-04-22T11:53:00.000-07:002017-04-22T11:53:10.706-07:00Nanea's Book Covers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nanea's book covers have released, and this leak has really given my excitement a huge boost. I still wish I could get my hands on one before her release, but now I have some absolutely amazing outfits to look forward to. (As long as American Girl releases them. Looking at you, AG.)</div>
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That hula outfit is breathtaking, and she might have one of my favorite AG swimsuits ever. I'm even loving the color of books. Four months seems long time to wait to get my hands on the Nanea and her stories, but I'm looking forward to it! (And 4 months worth of leaks.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES8BV1iVsg8fh5YPz_nNELNszmxBXgxjS1lx-LKdloWgpivxmYHAw8SmqKdbBE5Sq6qvZkTRWf6wJMn6mow7zpb7BJKqWXrW8RnxgTq8stBhhahQxmbyJntkiTQ_IuYLIio9mBP5v3ig/s1600/021517-nanea_newamericangirl_1ebbb39c92dc01416dfbaf8561a42f4e.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES8BV1iVsg8fh5YPz_nNELNszmxBXgxjS1lx-LKdloWgpivxmYHAw8SmqKdbBE5Sq6qvZkTRWf6wJMn6mow7zpb7BJKqWXrW8RnxgTq8stBhhahQxmbyJntkiTQ_IuYLIio9mBP5v3ig/s640/021517-nanea_newamericangirl_1ebbb39c92dc01416dfbaf8561a42f4e.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-76689856921538436552017-04-22T09:57:00.000-07:002017-04-22T09:57:07.217-07:00Poll Results: Who Wore It Better, Kit's Play Dress?<div style="text-align: justify;">
After posting the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/whoworeitbetteramericangirl/">#whoworeitbetteramericangirl</a> contest on my Instagram I decided to share the images <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-theory-of-kits-play-dress-aka-who.html">here</a> on the blog too. It seemed like as good a reason as any to do another poll. </div>
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No surprise, as in the Instagram contest, Melody came out on top with 75% of the votes! That girl can rock anything. Addy, Gabby, Kaya, Kit, Mei, and even our Bitty Twin also received votes, but the beautiful Dee Dee reigns supreme! </div>
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Now that I have the Cat's Meow outfit from Our Generation I think I'll be doing another Who Wore It Better contest soon. Until then, keep your eyes open for another poll that I'll post in the next day or two. </div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-28779838746689885782017-04-15T22:28:00.000-07:002017-05-11T14:59:15.414-07:00Introducing......Hannelore Guliana Mairi Lennox!<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/03/introducing.html">Like I did with Mei</a>, I am going to post a short bio now and then post a longer one when I have all of the details figured out. (I still haven't posted Mei's long bio yet either. I'm getting there!)</span><br />
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Age: 11</div>
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Birthday: May, 28, 2005</div>
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Family: Daddy, Mama, and Bonnie (6 year old sister). Her Mama's parents both passed away before she was born, and her Daddy's parents live back East. (They immigrated from Scotland before having children, over 30 years ago.)<br />
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Location: The Lennox family just recently moved to Colorado. They have also lived in Ohio, Florida, and Idaho due to Hannelore's father being in the military.<br />
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Pets: A <i>huge</i> himilayan cat and 2 rabbits.</div>
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Favorite Books: <i><u>The Secret Garden</u> </i>and <u style="font-style: italic;">Little Women</u>.</div>
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Favorite Colors: Pink, grey, and yellow.<br />
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Favorite American Girl(s): Marisol, who her mother bought for her the year she was born, and Kit, who is from Ohio where Hannelore was born.<br />
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Hogwarts House: Gryffindor.</div>
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Random Fact: When she was little, Hannelore was convinced that her mother, whose name is Mary, was <i>the</i> Mary Lennox from <i><u>The Secret Garden</u></i>. This was supported by the fact that both of her maternal grandparents passed away before she was born and her mother had no brothers or sisters. <br />
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Hannelore used to be a used Julie that I landed in a lot off a local BST site. Julie hadn't been on my wish list, as my plan had always been to get Ivy for my 70's doll (more on that front in a later post), but this one fell in my lap. Her hair was like straw, and she has a scrape on her nose, but it gave me a chance to try my first hot water dunk. It turned out really well, and I am enjoying this character that she is developing into as Hannelore. (She was almost a Malcolm...Long story. More on that later too.)<br />
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I have more to post about her, but her detailed bio won't go up until I've posted Mei's. The two of them know one another though, as Hannelore's family moved in next to Mei's grandparents. The girls met the first day of Spring Break and quickly sparked up a friendship. Their story is going to be fun.<br />
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-22888664373090027202017-04-13T11:16:00.000-07:002017-04-13T11:16:01.454-07:00Nanea's Books<div style="text-align: justify;">
It looks like there is finally some information out there about Nanea's books, though I can't say that I'm thrilled. </div>
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Amazon has posted the titles, pre-order information, and synopsis of all three of Nanea's books, but those of us hoping for an early release of the first novel like we got with Melody are going to be disappointed. Unless the dates change for some reason, it looks like we'll have to wait to read Nanea's story, as the release date for all three books isn't until August 24th. I <i>really </i>enjoyed having Melody's first book early last year, because I felt like it gave my family a chance to really know her character <i>before</i> going to her release, which made it even more exciting to be picking up our doll, but it doesn't look like we'll have that chance with Nanea. </div>
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Still, it's pretty exciting to have some more information about the new BeForever character!</div>
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<b><i><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683370228/ref=sr_1_133?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492032159&sr=1-133&keywords=american%20girl&tag=viglink20340-20">Growing Up With Aloha: A Nanea Classic Volume 1</a></u></i></b></div>
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From Amazon: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nine-year-old Nanea may be the youngest in her family, but she still wants to "dip her paddle in" and be useful. She knows she's grown-up enough to help in her grandparents' market. But before she can prove that she's ready for more responsibility, the unthinkable happens: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the naval base where her father works, and America is at war! With friends and family missing, and rumors of more attacks to come, Nanea worries―will life ever be the same again?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683370236/ref=sr_1_132?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492032150&sr=1-132&keywords=american%20girl&tag=viglink20340-20">Hula for the Homefront: A Nanea Classic Volume 2</a></u></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From Amazon: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nanea had hoped that going back to school would make life seem normal again. But everything has changed since the war, including Miss Smith's wonderful classroom. Nanea's dear friend Donna is gone, and now there's a new girl who seems to be getting all of Miss Smith's attention. There are also worries at home as Nanea's big brother talks about joining the Army. Nanea can't bear the thought of him leaving. In the swirl of changes, Nanea turns to hula. Dancing always makes her feel better. Then, Nanea gets a big idea―could hula help lift the spirits of the soldiers, too?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683370244/ref=sr_1_131?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492032150&sr=1-131&keywords=american%20girl&tag=viglink20340-20">Prints in the Sand: My Journey With Nanea</a></u></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From Amazon: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The puka shells jingle in my hand. I don't want to lose them, so I slide the necklace over my head. But as I pull my hair out from under the string of shells, the ground drops from beneath my feet. I feel the whoosh of an ocean breeze, and then a pink mist covers my eyes . . . What if you suddenly found yourself in Nanea's hometown of Honolulu during World War Two? Together, you and Nanea could send secret messages for the war effort or work in a Victory Garden. You could learn how to hula dance or help a lost dog. As you read, you decide what happens by choosing your own path through this multiple-ending story.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who is getting excited for Nanea? August seems like forever away, however, we have Z's release right around the corner! I'm looking forward to her too. </span></span></div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-42277798302418982462017-04-05T22:27:00.002-07:002017-04-05T22:27:40.527-07:00Poll Results: Choose Your Character<div style="text-align: justify;">
It occurred to me that I never posted the poll results for our <i>last </i>poll which asked you to choose your character from the new releases coming out this year. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wh7_Pt4VHs35M_1PSOHli3GkbFILN4dYb72Hyq1GAS1MyMBRfF86O_dMws8hyphenhyphen6Sg4TBXD5zK0nbM3p_xNa_k-aTZzcaEPKOTV1urQ32pbe22-5GyKCpqGyVz1iQNA7jZjlfLhuARNjk/s1600/IMG_6042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wh7_Pt4VHs35M_1PSOHli3GkbFILN4dYb72Hyq1GAS1MyMBRfF86O_dMws8hyphenhyphen6Sg4TBXD5zK0nbM3p_xNa_k-aTZzcaEPKOTV1urQ32pbe22-5GyKCpqGyVz1iQNA7jZjlfLhuARNjk/s640/IMG_6042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Logan and Tenney had absolutely <i>no </i>votes, which didn't really surprise me, but I <i>was</i> shocked to see that Z Yang also had no votes. I am personally looking forward to learning more about her and her character. </div>
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Felicity came in third with 7% of the votes going to her.</div>
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Gabriela got 22% of the votes. Not too shabby, Miss. Gabby. (She most certainly had my vote!)</div>
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71% of the vote went to this year's BeForever character Nanea Mitchell. This time last year we didn't yet have Melody's release date, but we had her first book. This time around we have Nanea's release date but absolutely <i>no </i>clue when we can expect to read her story. I am not the most patient person in the world, and I'm chomping at the bit to learn some more about this 1940s girl!</div>
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Less than a month until Z Yang's release! Who else will be going to a release event?</div>
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~Mrs. D </div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-56111280239914101362017-03-24T16:59:00.000-07:002017-04-03T17:32:52.659-07:00Emory & Norman<div style="text-align: justify;">
History tells us that when American Girl trademarks a first and last name together we can <i>usually </i>expect to see a character with that name sometime in the future. Well, ladies and gentleman, it looks like we can expect someone named Emory Van Zant at some point in the American Girl lineup. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03CPEaxHqdMZUQ6NsK3WiitxNZ58u8NactZrKk_qD0rpYu3bGJxg1gJ51pCGkP8_KkF3f-z_9YJiw_IENul30uG7OJWIVdTwHkRW9ba1-oeVyXlJfgfELr4UdUBban3e2lYcNn8LHie8/s1600/emoryvanzant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03CPEaxHqdMZUQ6NsK3WiitxNZ58u8NactZrKk_qD0rpYu3bGJxg1gJ51pCGkP8_KkF3f-z_9YJiw_IENul30uG7OJWIVdTwHkRW9ba1-oeVyXlJfgfELr4UdUBban3e2lYcNn8LHie8/s640/emoryvanzant.png" width="358" /></a></div>
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Now the big question is <i>who </i>will Emory be? Traditionally, Emory is a <i>masculine </i>name that hit it's peak of popularity in the early 1900s. Could this mean that American Girl is preparing it's first historical <i>boy </i>doll? Anything is possible, though I'm not sure that it would be a very wise move on their part. Of course, recent trends certainly support the argument that previously masculine names can enjoy amazing popularity when used for little girls too. After completely falling off the charts in the 1970s, Emory started to resurface in the top 1,000 names in America in 2012 making it on <i>both</i> the boy's and girl's list. Since then it has steadily climbed both lists, though it is enjoying more popularity as a girl's name these days. It seems more likely to me, though I could be very wrong, that Emory will be a new Contemporary Character debuting at some point in the next year to 18 months. </div>
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Van Zant looks to be of Dutch, Belgian, and/or German decent depending on which website I punched it into and the spelling variations I found, and there were several. Van Zandt, Vanzant, Vanderzanden...And as much as I love researching names, I didn't find a lot on this one with <i>this </i>particular spelling. I will certainly look into it when I have more time. Regardless, it is exciting to see that there will be another character in the works, though my bank account is hoping that she or he isn't one that has to come home with us. </div>
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Another slightly less mysterious trademark is for a little critter known as Norman the Gopher.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PVD4YxiFxi4G1G_K_-N9hfBdRBH-hFfb49JoTg8JIEI_UdFEIorPVt_9_yFFdaW4WSi0Zaps_9CkMsDsm_fsmrSNnolhJPEzAoNbVqIS3q1tvj_QPCGfEWu7J6eOmc7SWL_pkH6OwWk/s1600/norman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PVD4YxiFxi4G1G_K_-N9hfBdRBH-hFfb49JoTg8JIEI_UdFEIorPVt_9_yFFdaW4WSi0Zaps_9CkMsDsm_fsmrSNnolhJPEzAoNbVqIS3q1tvj_QPCGfEWu7J6eOmc7SWL_pkH6OwWk/s640/norman.png" width="358" /></a></div>
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I think it's pretty obvious that Norman will in some way be a part of the Wellie Wisher line, though I could be wrong. It has happened before. Either way, I could see AG coming out with a pretty cute little gopher plush, and I hope it isn't too expensive to warrant coming home with us. I am a sucker for plush animals!</div>
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So, what do you think? Who are you hoping that Emory Van Zant will be? Do you think Norman will be a friend for our little Wellie Wishers. Let me know.</div>
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~Mrs. D </div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-77819585120958181532017-03-21T08:42:00.000-07:002017-04-03T20:44:57.978-07:00The Theory of Kit's Play Dress aka Who Wore It Better?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of all of the new spring releases I think one of my favorites is Kit's Play Dress! I spent quite a bit of time staring longingly at it when we went in during Tenney's release though I left the store that day without it. Over the next week or so I kept seeing pictures on Instagram of people who had bought the dress and were showing it off on, not only Kit, but Melody, Gabby, moddies...and I started to notice a trend. There wasn't a single doll I'd seen that couldn't pull it off. Based off of this fact, and the fact that my poor Kit has a severe shortage of clothes of her own, I went back to pick up the dress the same night I bought Melody's mystery book and <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/03/hes-keeper.html">found my dream Maryellen</a>. </div>
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I feel only slightly guilty admitting that the first doll I put it on was Melody. (Kit was in another room and couldn't see the disloyalty.) I wasn't disappointed. DeeDee <i>rocked</i> that dress! (DeeDee was also severely underrepresented in the clothes department in our home, so I think that Kit probably wouldn't have minded sharing.) DeeDee rocked the dress to the point that, even if I didn't have Kit, I would have needed that dress, and I am <i>notorious</i> for not being able to buy the dress for characters I don't have yet. (To the point where I have missed out on some awesome deals simply because I didn't yet have the doll who would one day wear it.) </div>
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Did my theory hold up though? Just because Melody absolutely slayed Kit's Play Dress didn't mean that all of our other girls would too. The world needed to know if this was a dress you could buy for <i>any </i>of your, and there was only one way to find out if my theory held water.<br />
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So I gathered up all of <i>my </i>dolls to try on the new doll goodies. Then I gathered up the Little Dahl's dolls. I even grabbed a fixer upper Nicki that I found on Craigslist for $15 last year and had stashed away in my closet to do <i>something </i>with someday. (I still haven't decided what.) My conclusion. This dress makes dolls look <i style="font-weight: bold;">good</i>. <br />
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I, of course, photographed my evidence. I was getting ready to post the photos, both on here and on Instagram, when I realized that I could turn this into a sort of game. (Inspired, just a little, by March Madness, though without the basketballs, beer, and sweaty men.) So, I have spent the last several days posting "Who Wore It Better" images on Instagram. I've left each up for about a day before tallying up the votes, declaring a winner for that round, and then posting the next image. While I think all of our girls look absolutely amazing in the dress it has also been fun posting and seeing what others think. <br />
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Here's how the pairings and voting went down. Do you agree? Check out the new poll and let me know who you think wore it better!<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaoD4jpYyEzmskK8PV8liB6f3zT6rL_puPPXs1-ABkmOT2GpS4fM9UMTuvPcMb9489ho1VYUHH1Z7susFQQKjm3Fe6lTJNxM4mNyUo2Xf_bPiH-623Wy_gr8rLMEQjI-BHjoi1rX3ks4/s640/3Felicity.jpg" width="456" /><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIeYdjXVy4SI8w7q4YMPv9O4uLnXu7G2iEtMdyFGDDRN6r87en2mcP3ZeUbIbXcn8P5b6fK4OMvLqgbNSWO2LUAwD6Lk0ZoQblu69UEt1pu5jqzTKJtQr89HxJK2ZNO80s2kKNedmh0o/s640/4Addy.jpg" width="456" /></div>
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Felicity and Addy went neck and neck first, with Addy winning Round One of Who Wore It Better?<br />
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Rebecca vs. Gabriela was next, with Gabriela taking the second round easily.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu8xzst8WNIH5kjmeBu8eN8KkGQpWBbniG6k3qkKYCC4Gt57ijXjDy2MXgpwk_J-tQh3ucIO8BOHdonMlA0eUh2Qgj0ctCwwlsqWsPIAegFRJoc9agOtkyu8IA3ixWc4KV8iQTegvcm4/s1600/1Melody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu8xzst8WNIH5kjmeBu8eN8KkGQpWBbniG6k3qkKYCC4Gt57ijXjDy2MXgpwk_J-tQh3ucIO8BOHdonMlA0eUh2Qgj0ctCwwlsqWsPIAegFRJoc9agOtkyu8IA3ixWc4KV8iQTegvcm4/s640/1Melody.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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In Round Three, Molly vs. Melody, poor Molly didn't have a chance. Melody walked away with a solid 100% of the vote!<br />
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Kaya took Round Four from Fixer-Upper-Nicki.<br />
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Kit beat Miss. Mei in Round Five.<br />
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And Round Six ended in my oldest's #23 loosing out to my youngest's The Doll Formerly Known As Isabelle (we call her Elle, and she actually has a pretty neat story.)<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIeYdjXVy4SI8w7q4YMPv9O4uLnXu7G2iEtMdyFGDDRN6r87en2mcP3ZeUbIbXcn8P5b6fK4OMvLqgbNSWO2LUAwD6Lk0ZoQblu69UEt1pu5jqzTKJtQr89HxJK2ZNO80s2kKNedmh0o/s400/4Addy.jpg" width="285" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D4IiHVMO4vPW3NzaqhX37Y6P8Dkvv-h8tihm5c81dWW2v1naA7ldL4-mfb7O-4t8rjwYcOaWIJLPVVkvG9OrRfnaQLHEU0NP-P9x1em_l4bMHNSnb82BpmAHDBYcV7jO5ClsEf5jYcs/s400/12Kaya.jpg" width="285" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdqT3Tr6-M421w1PeFZQRNOpkZfDLSJ5l6z5buXOQujYHQh0pNXjNOU6pcrQ6f5Ftma-dncwOq549XlrfbXczmxEX0j4hHA9WgoiFmiciS9NSHPBrcYabIeQkx_ZTWbzKnPX2MEbfHyc/s400/6Gabby.jpg" width="285" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHWpr3dkmUhzEajEOYuLX1Ce8bgqWpfWB0RIjfWz74uQYCQOoJtb0VQHmPbGVV5iNQL3rFLb5eB2ML1xweSgeT0z5N_BB_4hvp6jhpdYS7b2C_sy18JRus4QjZbG0VMP2728cmP7eKcE/s400/10Kit.jpg" width="285" /></div>
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In the semi-finals Kaya, Gabriela, and Melody came out on top leaving the three of them competing for the title of Who Wore It Best. (Though I still maintain that <i>everyone </i>wears it <i>beautifully</i>.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu8xzst8WNIH5kjmeBu8eN8KkGQpWBbniG6k3qkKYCC4Gt57ijXjDy2MXgpwk_J-tQh3ucIO8BOHdonMlA0eUh2Qgj0ctCwwlsqWsPIAegFRJoc9agOtkyu8IA3ixWc4KV8iQTegvcm4/s1600/1Melody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu8xzst8WNIH5kjmeBu8eN8KkGQpWBbniG6k3qkKYCC4Gt57ijXjDy2MXgpwk_J-tQh3ucIO8BOHdonMlA0eUh2Qgj0ctCwwlsqWsPIAegFRJoc9agOtkyu8IA3ixWc4KV8iQTegvcm4/s640/1Melody.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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Miss. Melody came out on top with over half the final votes, and I had so much fun that I plan on doing another Who Wore It Better on my Instagram at some point. (Because, why not, really?) </div>
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Still not convinced that anyone can rock this dress? Even the Babies took their turn. (And looked amazing too.) </div>
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What outfit should I use for the next Who Wore It Better?</div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-80252659346090330632017-03-12T18:24:00.004-07:002017-03-12T18:24:47.060-07:00He's A Keeper!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't often use this blog as an opportunity to brag on my husband, though he gives me ample reason to, but since this is both husband <i>and </i>doll related I feel that it's appropriate.</div>
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A couple of weeks back I was having a heck of a day with my anxiety. It was through the roof, for no reason that I could figure out then or now, to the point where I was in tears. Mr. D was trying his best, but I was just a wreck that day. God love him, he drove me up to the American Girl doors and dropped me off, taking the children with him on some kind of Daddy Adventure, so that I could have some time to decompress in peace. (Some days this approach wouldn't work at all, as crowds can send me right into a full blown panic attack, but it was late enough in the evening that I was practically alone in the store.)</div>
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Anxiety makes exactly zero sense. If you've never experienced it, know that it is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. There are days that I legitimately can't leave my house, and there are days, like this one, where I really just need 15 minutes to myself doing something that I enjoy, something I can loose myself in, to help calm me enough to breath again. I have struggled with this as long as I can remember, and I am woefully clueless how to manage it most of the time, but my husband has been my partner in this journey for over 15 years. He has perfected being the rock I need in my worst moments. If you don't know this monster that is anxiety, you won't understand what an amazing thing it is that he can read a situation and know what might help even before I recognize that I'm in a downward spiral, nor can I articulate with simple words what it means to me that I have a partner in this who doesn't balk at an unseen illness. Make no mistake, the roll of a caretaker and support person is not an easy one, and I have an amazing one. Dropping me in front of that store seems like such a small thing, but it was about him reading me in that moment, and I love him so much for that. </div>
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Anyways, coming back to the AG store, I wandered around for awhile looking at the new spring releases, enjoying the almost silence of a nearly empty store, daydreaming about story lines for a couple of moddies that I'd like to make one day, making mental shopping lists for the Little Dahl's birthdays and Christmas...It was extremely relaxing. Mr. D and I had already discussed the fact that I wanted Kit's new play dress, so I picked out a perfect one, and I decided to pick up Melody's new mystery book while I was at it. (I'll be reviewing it soon.) </div>
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I was on my way to the cash registers, had almost made it out, when I saw her! The sweetest, most adorable mini Maryellen that you have ever seen! She spoke to me, and there was no way that I was leaving that store without her. I've wanted Maryellen for awhile now, as she reminds me of my most beloved grandmother in so many ways, but I don't have her yet. She's certainly on the list, but Mini Ellie is almost as good. Besides, did I mention how adorable she was? </div>
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On the way out to meet my family, feeling much better than I did on my way in, I decided to have some fun with Mr. D. Careful not to let him see my bag, I went right up to him and said:</div>
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"Don't be mad! I saw the most adorable Maryellen inside. Her face was so sweet, and I just had to have her!" That man, that wonderful man, didn't even blink. He just smiled back at me and said:</div>
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"I'm glad! I can't wait to see her." Not the funny reaction I was expecting, but I think he just might be a keeper. (He's also been hinting that I will be getting a "full grown" Maryellen at some point so should really pick out some of her outfits while they are BOGO 50% off, but I have such a hard time shopping for girls I don't have yet. It makes much more sense to me to get Melody's things since I have her. Decisions, decisions.)</div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-56904496572094064832017-03-05T18:13:00.000-08:002017-03-05T18:13:26.563-08:00Poll Results: Who Would You Choose? and New Poll: Choose Your Character<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my most recent poll I asked <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/02/poll-results-new-poll.html">Who Would You Choose?</a> and gave the option of three different dolls. One was the highly anticipated Nanea Mitchell, set to release in August, and the other three were Truly Me dolls that I'd like to get my hands on at some point. </div>
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Nanea was the overwhelming winner with 54% of the votes saying that you would wait to get her above the other dolls. </div>
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Truly Me #58 and #53 were tied with 18% of the vote each.</div>
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10% of the vote went to Truly Me #64. </div>
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After much consideration, and a <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-risk-of-shopping-while-drinking.html">surprise eBay purchase</a> of my first moddie and Jess mold anyways, I will be waiting for Nanea's release to make another major doll purchase. (Barring any <i>amazing </i>deals, of course.) </div>
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Now it's time for our next poll! Inspired by the release of <i>six</i> named characters being released by American Girl in 2017, my next poll is this: Choose Your Character.</div>
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<img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NjhfpP8eMmW8ONcP09Tp7TrFotp8oaW6z1ypblRWSH0eWETjqh9HbMreFeRyfbPBHPVLVInpFD-EGKQznYbL3I9MQqlvNzs_c7AFoRZ_-6s0M4LSg1qGnabVPdytki78yrbcsbGg_qU/s640/IMG_6042.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Who can you not live without in 2017? Who has come home with you already? Who is coming home? I understand that many people have purchased multiple dolls this year, but if you could only have <i>one</i>, which one would it be? If you'd choose another character tell me who it is and why! </div>
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You have 10 days to vote, so give all the love to your favorite! </div>
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~Mrs. D </div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-42832340772685300352017-03-04T14:45:00.000-08:002017-04-15T22:24:13.422-07:00Introducing...<div style="text-align: justify;">
...Hazel Mei Nari Rhee, a name that represents her Korean and Chinese heritage <i>and </i>her Mama's love of trees and the outdoors, though her family usually calls her Mei or Mei-Mei.</div>
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I'm going to do a short bio for now, but am working on writing out a more detailed one that I'll post soon. I'm also working on finding the poor girl a wardrobe of her own, since she's reduced to borrowing clothes for now. At least she has her own glasses. </div>
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Age: 9</div>
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Birthday: December, 7, 2007</div>
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Family: Mama, Mommy, Bo (2 year old brother), Mommy's parents, & her Mama's parents all live within just a couple of blocks from one another.<br />
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Location: Colorado.<br />
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Pets: 2 English Bulldogs.</div>
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Nationality: 1/2 Korean, 1/4 Chinese, 1/4 Caucasian</div>
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Favorite Animal: Panda. Mama and Nainai (grandmother on her Mama's side) adopted/sponsored a baby panda in her name after the huge earthquake that destroyed its home at the Wolong Panda Center in China in May of 2008. Mei has a stuffed panda representing her "brother" and hopes to one day travel to China to actually meet him. Her second favorite animal is the otter.</div>
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Favorite Book: <i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</i>, though <i>Order of the Phoenix</i> is a very close second. </div>
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Favorite Colors: Orange and purple, followed closely by blue. </div>
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Favorite American Girl: Her Bitty Baby, Eleanor-Ri (named after her only aunt who she adores) has slept with her since she got her on her 1st birthday, but her favorite historical character is Melody, who was her first 18 inch doll that she got at her release last August. </div>
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Hogwarts House: Obviously she won't know for sure until she's 11, but she feels strongly that she'll be a Hufflepuff. She relates a lot with famous Puff, Newt Scamander, and his desire to save and preserve at risk creatures. </div>
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Random Fact: She recently cut her hair, because she thought it would make her look more "grown-up". She's not sure she likes it, but everyone else tells her how cute it is. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDY-7_6j5jeY9JIjqrqcY6dU3HWByN33Lt_sTpXVfGzZph4eJSb89XtZAnt3wwl8wcejm_WWr1LAPLibj_XBRe9GYBVLWcsfXK8OKJscQ-Ba9MFvqQvWNDuOBaxofbekEqrQpxzVvcLH4/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDY-7_6j5jeY9JIjqrqcY6dU3HWByN33Lt_sTpXVfGzZph4eJSb89XtZAnt3wwl8wcejm_WWr1LAPLibj_XBRe9GYBVLWcsfXK8OKJscQ-Ba9MFvqQvWNDuOBaxofbekEqrQpxzVvcLH4/s640/4.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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I'll add more as I figure it out, and I'll be sure to post a detailed bio ASAP.</div>
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~Mrs. D </div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-81967638259182515052017-03-03T23:38:00.002-08:002017-03-03T23:48:25.953-08:00Women In American History<div style="text-align: justify;">
During the month of February AGIGer, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/onemoredoll/">OneMoreDoll</a>, hosted an amazing giveaway! The prize? A DoC of your choice. The contest? To feature amazing women in American History through doll photography. What a neat challenge, right? You could enter as many times as you wanted too as long as each entry depicted another historical woman. Pffffft! Count me in!</div>
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There were hundreds of entries, and I would not have wanted to be on the panel of judges narrowing them down to a top ten, much less the person picking the winner out of those 10! Reading through the entries was so much fun, and also extremely educational. You can still see them by looking up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/onemoredollgiveaway2/">#onemoredollgiveaway2</a> on Instagram. I recommend it if you have some time! </div>
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In the end, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abbydollss/">abbydollss</a> won with her photograph honoring Depression era photographer Dorothea Lang , and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theluxdoll/">theluxdoll</a> came in second with her depiction of Katherine Johnson and won a $50 gift card to American Girl. I had so much fun participating in the contest and decided I wanted to share my photographs here on the blog too. There are a ton of contests on Instagram, but I haven't seen one yet that competes with this one. Thank you again to OneMoreDoll for hosting with a theme that gave me, and obviously others, so much creative inspiration! (I'm just going to copy what I posted on Instagram under each picture. I hope you enjoy!)</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYVXw_gnpfyO_uqXJtnNWhFgAQJe82wtj2cmLl_RYWM-ErFeU3ahzXil6l45SGym7eLts1jHAORBT9oqAqhiWle9UjMRq9dS6DjxMcJSJ51duP3hEfPHgVgiRzxW9nInBLEyrD74xi5s/s640/Raven+Wilkinson.jpg" width="457" /></div>
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<h1 style="border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Raven Wilkinson broke the color barrier in 1955 as the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company. Wilkinson is mentor to modern day dancer, Misty Copeland, and the reason that little girls like Gabriela can dream of dancing with professional dance companies one day too.</span></h1>
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<img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4OY2CB_qZkpP0GwxASqY-YWP2ggiRQxYdOPcEcNE4gy4UFJyQU3Clf9zxHja3MM5jyLVXGtDL3hs6EgWDLrDt3u7beurdVys17i5GBVs1edMQNQYGOl33EoGna_qCQSd4WOnSjP6elA/s640/Ilhan+Omar.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Ilhan Omar is notable in history for being the first Somali-American legislator in the United States. Born in Somalia in 1982, Ilhan's family fled the country's civil war in 1991, spending 4 years in a refugee camp in Kenya. In 1995 her family emigrated to the United States where Ilhan discovered her love of politics and democracy. In November 2016 she became not only the first Somali-American, but the first female Muslim to be elected to public office, and she is currently serving on the Minnesota House of Representatives. </span></h1>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreSqpG6yb6hZo0MtXR12aqf28PWFHkBNUa-oQSI8UFaX5g4ZuX2EmovCBKrFi54qNV2HKZbUBQkubX8sQEh5_KfqPV9n4l_oOgfHh77H_0obbjPokxOU1RITS9R0URho3QIsAr0yfqB4/s640/Agent+355.jpg" width="456" /></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Another entry for <a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/onemoredoll/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@onemoredoll</a>'s contest is Agent 355. Agent 355 was the code name for one of our country's first spies, a female member of the Culper Ring during America's Revolutionary War. To this day her real identity is unknown, though there are several theories among historians. It is believed that she lived in New York City and that she had the advantage of connection, either through elevated social status or as a slave/maid, to important members of the British military. She is believed by many to be the agent who revealed the traitor, Benedict Arnold, to General Washington. Her information was a critical part of helping to win the war and create our nation. </span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pCAunbu3Jh74sUtz09kVS4W6MDuVQBy7fa1EZHohR5WH6g8OzB3wWoHmDO4TQ6SAjO_m_Z8sW93VXX0XQWJBsGHh7R5__4SFCehBGU5c5vRjzbmRHIN5RGKms-RhWfKVh7S9HvNXChE/s1600/IMG_1665.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pCAunbu3Jh74sUtz09kVS4W6MDuVQBy7fa1EZHohR5WH6g8OzB3wWoHmDO4TQ6SAjO_m_Z8sW93VXX0XQWJBsGHh7R5__4SFCehBGU5c5vRjzbmRHIN5RGKms-RhWfKVh7S9HvNXChE/s640/IMG_1665.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Mildred Jeter Loving and her husband Richard successfully defeated Virginia's ban on interracial marriage in 1967 in a Supreme Court ruling that ended up having nationwide implications. Mildred was jailed in her home state of Virginia, while pregnant, simply for marrying the man she loved. The couple was then banned from the state, their family, their friends, and their home until they decided to fight back through the United States Supreme Court. As a result of their case, not only were Virginia's laws overturned, but laws against interracial marriage were deemed unconstitutional anywhere in the US. </span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAnt31whVillYu65ohvN0RPnCfTAIJmFqYLYvqgAdIWV4W9cbj_05e-mIAGHSgCfMlY7n2qkGoYggN2tCEto5E6D63TL26YIPx10OKA7AvzCYV-MZtpn5DASRdGAOUBSSAp_ozTtW-cs/s1600/Sally+Ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAnt31whVillYu65ohvN0RPnCfTAIJmFqYLYvqgAdIWV4W9cbj_05e-mIAGHSgCfMlY7n2qkGoYggN2tCEto5E6D63TL26YIPx10OKA7AvzCYV-MZtpn5DASRdGAOUBSSAp_ozTtW-cs/s640/Sally+Ride.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Today I am featuring Sally Ride, America's first female astronaut, for <a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/onemoredoll/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@onemoredoll</a>'s Women From American History Contest! Sally was the first American women in space (the third woman in space over all) in 1983. Since Sally "shattered the atmospheric glass ceiling" more than 40 little girls have lived their dream of going up into space with NASA. Ride was also the youngest astronaut to travel to space, having gone up at only 32. She co-wrote 7 children's books encouraging a love for space, and dedicated her life to space and physics. Though she kept her personal life extremely private, Sally was also the first known LGBT astronaut. </span></h1>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkMaVpji7FN9sylw5QaQeNUNM1RFH-xfVEBW08ChLUBeV-QWa_8d2LGCJTXnoS9GAgns8KP0S6qaGKYG1wbBGq3w3N5oKLaAjrFgWOi8OU10NQsMQ5beXZT6GyGrD7Hy7kLK46a83Uv0/s640/Lousia+May+Alcott1.jpg" width="456" /></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist who revolutionized literature with her classic, Little Women. She was one of the first authors for the young adult genre in the States. She was also an abolitionist and a feminist before, during, and after the Civil War period of our country. She served as a nurse for a brief period during the Civil War, becoming deathly ill with typhoid fever in the process, which forced her to stop early. Her experiences led her to write Hospital Sketches, which brought about her first critical recognition for her writing. Her best knows work, Little Women, was considered one of "the very best of books to reach the hearts of the young of any age from six to sixty." and still enjoys incredible popularity today. Alcott was part of a group of female authors during the "Gilded Age" who addressed women's issues and brought them to the forefront of society. (Little Women also happens to be one of my personal favorites.)</span></h1>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkiahSRVtdnqtkGEPpNLbgFe6eLzElv_rtw0R4eHP3l4H285u0sA0vjcl8VxEWCGJ4T5SYUFZDkJ6Y44JrWTvYUX3eyaO3nJ0ZpHivTndXrTwHUzFskiZQNcCyz1EVYGFrqSEM1YP7_A/s640/Nina+Simone.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Nina Simone, 6th child of a North Carolina Preacher, aspired to be a concert pianist. She began playing the piano at 3, and at 12 had her concert debut, During this performance her parents were made to move to the back of the hall to accommodate white concert goers. Young Nina refused to play until her parents were moved back to the front, an incident that she credited with her later Civil Rights activism. She enrolled, and was accepted, in the famed Juilliard School of Music, but was denied a scholarship at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, a denial that Nina believed was because of the color of her skin. She openly addressed the racial inequalities of America in her music, though she would later talk about how her activism hurt her career. All together she recorded over 40 albums in her lifetime, and was a much needed voice for Civil Rights in both the music industry and beyond.</span></h1>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8tLC3qOmZw8OfqY9i4WMytMaqkavIjsx1cn1fi8z7rzHRBRnoIqjv-2VtunKzYnSs6GeEyeIac_5G5L9WC-530dNP5sYWhKp0tojoxUPKEoJUzqc58QEZH41K-C0fPRGAw0DQZBJeyM/s640/Mary+Dee1.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;" width="456" /></h1>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Gabby heard about <a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/onemoredoll/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@onemoredoll</a>'s Women of American History Contest and wanted to submit a poem she'd been working on about Mary Dee Dudley, the first female African American disk jockey in the United States!<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></h1>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">The Incomparable Mary Dee. </span></h1>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Changing the world of radio forever. </span></h1>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">She took the mic in 1948 and shattered glass ceilings. </span></h1>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">The ceilings telling her that she couldn't, that she wouldn't, because of the color of her skin, the womb that lived within, that she couldn't be Mary Dee. </span></h1>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Radio celebrity. </span></h1>
<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">But she did.<br />In August she began "Movin' Around", Changing the sound through WHOD. </span></h1>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">In a time when others wanted her to sit down and just be, to stop talking about what they didn't want to see, she ran "Studio Dee", the incomparable Mary Dee, first female African American disk jockey.</span></h1>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMYF3T7-d0VeYk73hNmbfTS8d9G4Y0YmZ9B1nsPqa4WGDj-Txn_xa5xc1ZsYtamGU6RUSPDqj9-XzwY_xy76VPqNekQOL4IrlY9Z7sqpVu42C69fHMjynTyvwupIaI8MzwMhsRv6rHTo/s640/JK+Rowling.jpg" width="456" /></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">Okay, so I know that the rules State a woman in American history, but I think it could be argued that this woman has revolutionized children's literature worldwide, including the tremendous effect she's had in the US. That's right boys and girls, wizards and muggles, I'm speaking of none other than J.K. Rowling! JK Rowling is not only one of the most successful authors of all time (her last 4 Harry Potter books were the fastest selling books in history), but is an incredible champion for several international charities. She's given millions of dollars over the course of her career, and has written several books that were 100% for different charities, including those that she has founded herself benefiting children and social causes. "I think you have a moral responsibility, when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently.” </span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TCdGr-ako7-1YaKAgwC1H-1Tnr8epvguMdpveUgJy9FMbBSzy08G1WV3pQa1BkXOqHaKfiTUHUozWdxFj5gY1-00gZ8ZSwh1GwullH2fSTF6idcZKYl_wJ2FTb9lwZ4vwE63VdIF_OU/s1600/Edmonia+Lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TCdGr-ako7-1YaKAgwC1H-1Tnr8epvguMdpveUgJy9FMbBSzy08G1WV3pQa1BkXOqHaKfiTUHUozWdxFj5gY1-00gZ8ZSwh1GwullH2fSTF6idcZKYl_wJ2FTb9lwZ4vwE63VdIF_OU/s640/Edmonia+Lewis.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">My second to last submission for <a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/onemoredoll/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@onemoredoll</a>'s contest is Edmonia Lewis, the first woman of African-American and Native American heritage to achieve international recognition as a sculptor. Many of her themes revolved around the black and indigenous peoples of the Americas. One of her best known works, The Death of Cleopatra, was featured at the very first World's Fair in the US in Philadelphia in 1876.</span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgnMUOebd-dLMbSZKWtsbDzwA45Jrfppi_FPhkbGTLwIiamG-CUAfyvsdW0Xw2YGw5VkQrpBVRGfjiWH26hYhQ49JupL89nNbmR4T9Z1sj1gweFtHNKlj3trXhv7zcZxdfC8hpE2Hnl4/s1600/Ruby+Bridges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgnMUOebd-dLMbSZKWtsbDzwA45Jrfppi_FPhkbGTLwIiamG-CUAfyvsdW0Xw2YGw5VkQrpBVRGfjiWH26hYhQ49JupL89nNbmR4T9Z1sj1gweFtHNKlj3trXhv7zcZxdfC8hpE2Hnl4/s640/Ruby+Bridges.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">My final entry for <a class="notranslate" href="https://www.instagram.com/onemoredoll/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@onemoredoll</a>'s giveaway is the amazing Ruby Bridges! At only 6 years old Ruby became the first child to desegregate an all white school in Louisiana. Every day, escorted by US Marshalls for her safety, Ruby walked through a wall of white hate while people held up signs, shouted horrible things, and threw objects. When she finally arrived at school she spent several months being taught alone, by one of the only teachers who would teach her, because so many parents had pulled their children out in protest. Despite the hatred that was, literally, thrown at her one of the marshals who escorted her later spoke of how tiny Ruby never cried, or even made a whimper. "We were all very proud of her." Young Ruby even daily prayed for those who hated her and what she represented so vehemently. </span></h1>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-55232378122273111922017-03-02T15:22:00.001-08:002017-03-02T15:22:46.474-08:00The Risk of Shopping While Drinking<div style="text-align: justify;">
On Sunday, while watching the Oscars and sipping on a margarita, I casually placed a bid for a doll with a Jess mold and a hair cut that was ending soon thinking that she would end up going for well over what I was willing to pay. Imagine my surprise when she didn't and I found myself the owner of my first ever Jess mold and only modern doll of my own besides Gabriela. (My children have a couple of modern dolls, but Gabriela was my first. I tend to gravitate towards historicals.)</div>
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Now Gabriela comes with her own story, just like my historicals, and I love her story, but suddenly I had the opportunity to create a story all on my own for a doll, and looking at the two blurry eBay pictures I had of her were enough to create a spark about who she would be. The spark quickly turned into a flame, the flame a fire, and by last night I could confidently list off her parents, grandparents, great granparents and their countries of origin. (I don't do things half way!)</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhb1EEV6umlNI4B8LA8wv8IORSUNwMBMsiphRYrTqhsDy9p1SFgqWpMwwcBEps57I7GoAMH03qhw4JPiapd1mmknPsAKZf63soWicTU1bLRYmx1lINKs3fWtgwzG4TwLZgYzEvqVN7Ts/s400/s-l1600+%25281%2529.jpg" width="298" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5xlnriWlitCs_Ic6NgoWEgx255dIQYyzPe8ym502FLNIDAfhN2PAnenpUCXIgAvNcU-Naq4y1MGwWexLiJQTk5OwGOQH5CHHdfqmJPJyGN1NhFlotmHJ_6HvasDsTERXQNzKMwZYoN8/s400/s-l1600.jpg" width="298" /></div>
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I was expecting her to take a few days, but we did stop by the AG store yesterday to pick out some glasses, because I knew she would need them to read all of her favorite books. Mr. D helped me by seeking out all of the glasses and a Jess mold in the store so we could try them on and pick the ones that fit best. I thought I had another couple of days to find her first outfit, but a battered box arrived today, and she's here!</div>
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She was tossed in with no padding and is a little loose, but it looks like my Jess mold is actually a Jess doll, though that will not be her name. Her hair cut is only a tad crooked, but it looks cute on her, and I will even it up until I decide what to do with her. I'd probably keep it actually, except that it looks like there was some damage done, possibly with heat, towards the front. If I can't easily fix it I will have to get her a new wig at some point, but that is in the future. For right now she's changed into some loaned clothes until she gets an outfit of her own, her hair is brushed, and she was very happy to find her glasses here already. She has a hard time seeing without them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIt27gWJgADlrfCKZpgpZrKfOecd77faHfiwAIrY2w_ycHgOEhUpogCLkzQY7WpvUWPPy2tmZnksVXUBTKaolOcAGQcw0XZExcj_8kilsz7dKdJ5CCfRWRyh-gdEMMR0NH2LizwmiiWg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIt27gWJgADlrfCKZpgpZrKfOecd77faHfiwAIrY2w_ycHgOEhUpogCLkzQY7WpvUWPPy2tmZnksVXUBTKaolOcAGQcw0XZExcj_8kilsz7dKdJ5CCfRWRyh-gdEMMR0NH2LizwmiiWg/s640/1.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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Of course, now I get to experience photographing her with a lense glare, which isn't something I have to deal with for any of the other girls. She's worth it though. I am quite smitten, and she's getting to know Gabby.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoVagqbo4KGGSX23OpZsNlZTJrcbAJ4HbfdIzliSj85hlzRZzC2PY43xJK0LB-tl6v6cVi-_isU0krWh8qcLFU_sey7sq3mhtu1bSMoRqHK1Yv3OvxJnRCD9g-p5prFJEPSz60M1n33U/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoVagqbo4KGGSX23OpZsNlZTJrcbAJ4HbfdIzliSj85hlzRZzC2PY43xJK0LB-tl6v6cVi-_isU0krWh8qcLFU_sey7sq3mhtu1bSMoRqHK1Yv3OvxJnRCD9g-p5prFJEPSz60M1n33U/s640/2.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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We had Tenney's shirt tucked away from the release, and I actually think it looks cute on her, but I would love it it I could figure out a way to remove Tenney's name without damaging the shirt. Any ideas are welcome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RKp4nmjtwG0pDKI-S1hAxW84KRtMd8iWTFmC4YPq97v9SiEbCp_c8QAzJUz13ujvF4ZYCUbiO1aQmHEr9ReDTChaUw4RH-ETfrkr9_Tex-4wmFglY_A2G4cJBJnudztod6ANrCnSxik/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RKp4nmjtwG0pDKI-S1hAxW84KRtMd8iWTFmC4YPq97v9SiEbCp_c8QAzJUz13ujvF4ZYCUbiO1aQmHEr9ReDTChaUw4RH-ETfrkr9_Tex-4wmFglY_A2G4cJBJnudztod6ANrCnSxik/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I will do a full introduction when I have fleshed out and finalized her bio, but I wanted to share her right away! I'm actually really excited. I always thought I'd be the strictly historical collector, but I am very much enjoying this idea of creating my own modern girl! </div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-44170619080725800552017-02-26T09:33:00.000-08:002017-03-04T10:39:40.873-08:00All The New News: A Little Late Part Two<div style="text-align: justify;">
I promise that the title isn't just <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/02/all-new-newsa-little-late.html">leading you on this time</a>! I'm going to get the rest of American Girl's exciting Valentine's Day news into this post, but I suggest you make yourself comfortable, because this might be a long one. </div>
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I meant to sit down and write these Valentine's night, however I ended up getting sick. As a result, all of this "new" news is now almost two weeks old, and you are probably aware of most of it. On the off chance that you aren't though, I still wanted to take the time to share it here. (Don't forget to check out my first <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/02/all-new-newsa-little-late.html">"new" news post</a> from yesterday, because it covers all things Nanea Mitchell, and I can already tell that she's going to be awesome!) </div>
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American Girl has a very busy year ahead as they <a href="https://www.facebook.com/americangirl/videos/vb.175829615793540/1333715726671584/?type=2&theater">revealed on February 14th</a> with the announcement that there will be <i>six </i>named characters releasing this year! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHmUiv7JozguvVYAyvbPhHFMUAOLLS_F5UZkc0zs21iT6CgBAS7S_ngERTDXVz08yAqc3NVF6kK4ft1bp8CPMesB1Dqop9gfnOgfge_zPoW8hyphenhyphen0zXZ1eaQ6molazORQvGaeuTyZOT3ns/s1600/021517-ag_more_characters_to_love-hr_61f51f9bb3b54e21b83b2f81d36ae7a0.nbcnews-fp-1200-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHmUiv7JozguvVYAyvbPhHFMUAOLLS_F5UZkc0zs21iT6CgBAS7S_ngERTDXVz08yAqc3NVF6kK4ft1bp8CPMesB1Dqop9gfnOgfge_zPoW8hyphenhyphen0zXZ1eaQ6molazORQvGaeuTyZOT3ns/s640/021517-ag_more_characters_to_love-hr_61f51f9bb3b54e21b83b2f81d36ae7a0.nbcnews-fp-1200-800.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
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Some, like Gabriela, Tenney, and Logan we already knew about, but AG decided to throw Z, Nanea, and a new face mold in there for good measure just to keep us on our toes. (And I am sure they were hoping the V-Day announcement would throw just a little attention off the Pantygate 2017 scandal. Ha!) </div>
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<b>We have to start with Gabby</b> (who I have yet to decide if she prefers to spell it G-a-b-b-y or G-a-b-b-i, but I fell like she hasn't really decided yet either), because, despite what American Girl and much of the fandom seems to believe, she is <i>the </i>Girl of The Year, and should be celebrated and honored as such! </div>
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While the fact that AG <i>finally </i>decided to release a Doll of Color as the GOTY is amazing and cause for celebration, it's no secret that she was not their main focus of 2017. They released this amazing doll, with a better story than the GOTY line has seen in several years, and seemingly gave her collection no more thought than what they could piece together from other GOTY leftovers. Still, the fact that AG was focused on other things in <i>no way</i> takes away from the awesomeness that is Gabriela McBride, and the announcements on V-Day included some new goodies for Gabriela too!</div>
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It looks like our favorite girl will be getting a new chair, ottoman, and a brightly colored loft bed for Maya to curl up on while Gabriela writes her poetry. That's also a new dress she's sporting in this screenshot from AG's live video, and you can see her second book which is scheduled to release on April 25th. There is no date yet for her loft bed and other accessories, though it is safe to say that they will be coming to the Dahl House whenever they are released.</div>
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The synopsis for Gabriela's third book is also available on Amazon now, and it looks like we can expect for it to hit the shelves sometime late September. </div>
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While my children have a few modern dolls, Gabriela is <i>my </i>first non historical, and I am absolutely smitten with her! I'd heard rumors that she'd be getting a "big" piece, but it was nice to finally get to see it even if we're not sure when it will be released. Since Gabbi is going to be available past 2017 I wouldn't put it past AG to release her loft bed later in the year to hopefully hype up holiday sales. You never can tell with AG though, and it could very likely be included in their summer release. </div>
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<b>We've known about Tenney Grant</b>, American Girl's first Contemporary Character, for awhile now, but she's officially arrived to very mixed reviews.</div>
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It's very hard for me to look at her and see anything other than an American Girl version of young Taylor Swift, and while I have no real issue with Taylor Swift, I am pretty bitter about the fact that Tenney (and Logan) were obviously American Girl's real focus in 2017. In fact, many believe that she was planned to be the original GOTY, and AG threw Gabriela together last minute in response to the overwhelming demand for an African-American GOTY. (A theory supported by the size and quantity of her collection and the fact that she is even sharing Gabriela's "exclusive" earrings.)</div>
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Tenney is slightly older than other characters released by American Girl, and attempt to keep the AG audience interested in dolls and their stories a little bit longer perhaps, and has dreams of making it big in country music. I have no issue admitting that some of her collection is cute, but all of our love is going to Gabriela this year (vote with your dollars), so Tenney's cuter clothing pieces will have to wait. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I do really like her hat, (In fact, this entire outfit is my favorite of hers by far!) and can just imagine how well Gabby would rock that particular piece, but it will have to wait for a bit considering AG seems to think it's worth $18, and I disagree.</span></div>
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In addition to being "older", Tenney's hands are also made from a new mold in order to make it easier for her to hold her pick, guitar, and banjo. </div>
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While Tenney's most expensive accessory is her double sided stage & dressing room, it could be argued that her <i>biggest</i> accessory is American Girl's second Contemporary Character, and first boy doll, Logan. </div>
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<b>Logan Everett, drummer, accessory, and a complete shame. </b>I have already gone on record as having no issue with American Girl deciding to release a boy doll. There is clearly a market for it, and American Girl is a business above all else. It makes sense that they would see the market out there for custom boys and decide to jump on it themselves. </div>
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When the rumors for Logan started leaking there were mothers on the Internet absolutely "horrified" that American Girl would ever think of releasing a boy in their ranks, though the speed at which Logan went on back order suggests that at least some of those women were completely full of it when they declared that they would "never <i>ever</i> give them one more cent of my hard earned money if they do this!" Now, don't get me wrong, these women are very separate from those with well articulated and thought out concerns about what including a boy means for this brand that has always been about empowering girls. I understand <i>their </i>issues with the thought of a boy American Girl even though I don't <i>personally</i> have an issue with AG choosing to release a boy doll. The "devastated" women I am complaining about are the ones who questioned the moral decision to add a boy because it might a) Encourage boys to play with <i>dolls</i>, and we can't have that now or b) Might cause little girls to think they should have a boyfriend and lead to "unsavory behavior in the eyes of Jesus". (And, yes, I read comments about both of those concerns, including the parts in quotes.) </div>
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As the auntie to three little girls who have lost a brother I know that they love both their dolls and the chance to give their dolls and toys a brother figure while they play. Their mothers do not have the funds for OOAK customized boy dolls, and Auntie hasn't done <strike>much</strike> any customizing yet, so the thought of a boy AG doll was welcomed by our family. </div>
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Then they released his pictures. Welcome turned to anger, and Auntie has been watching a lot more YouTube about customization while shopping Craigslist and eBay for inexpensive TLC dolls. </div>
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When Kaya was created as American Girl's first Native American doll there was an entire research group put together so as to create the most authentic, historically accurate doll that they could for the Nimi'ipuu tribe...Including creating her very own, closed mouthed face mold, because showing teeth was a sign of aggression for Kaya's people. It is a beautiful face mold, and Kaya is a beautiful girl. The fact that her face mold was specifically made for a Native American girl of color makes it an even more disgusting move on AG's part that the first time they use it again is for a white boy with absolutely no Native American background. (Though I am sure he claims some kind of Cherokee ancestry. It seems the kind of thing Logan would do.) </div>
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For a company that is <i>clearly </i>trying to combat the racist image they have earned over the years this could not have been a worse move on their part. It dishonors everything Kaya is, as the only American Girl representing Native culture, with all of the research and care that was taken with her and her collection, to take her face and slap it so casually on a basic white boy who is nothing more than an accessory to Tenney. Native women are <i>not</i> masculine, AG, and Kaya's face should never have been used for Logan. Not ever. It's a disgrace that even my 7 year old was able to comprehend, so I can't imagine that it escaped the multitude of adults that this decision had to go through before it was made...Which leads me to believe that you simply don't care.</div>
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Logan's popularity can't be denied, but <i>we</i> won't be getting him. My girls will just have to get their own special boy dolls at some point in the future. </div>
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Oh, and as the wife and mother of a drummer, <i>this </i>is not a drum set in any stretch of the imagination. If you're going to release a drum set you should maybe do a little research as to what they consist of before you slap a price tag on this incomplete piece of plastic. Just saying.</div>
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And now onto happier things...</div>
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AG has made it clear that the BeForever line is open to pulling girls out of the archives before, and they are doing it again with this <b>BeRelease of the beautiful Felicity Merriman! </b>As a long time Felicity groupie I was thrilled when rumors of Felicity's return started leaking. I'm most likely not in the market for a new doll, though my oldest is campaigning hard for a BeFelicity, but the thought of being able to add to my Felicity's collection is appealing. Unfortunately, for now at least, her collection is pretty light.</div>
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That's all, folks. I am hoping that they will release more later on, and also that she will become available in more than just the three flagship stores at a later date. (Perhaps after Samantha's rumored retirement happens.) If you already have a Felicity but want this third version of her meet dress it <i>is </i>available to purchase on its own. While I really like the embroidery detail I am just not drawn to this dress for my Felicity. She might eventually get it, but it will be much further down the road. The books are headed our way though, as part of an important 8th birthday we have coming up next month, so I'll be sure to read and review. </div>
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<b>Which brings us to Z Yang of the Z Crew!</b> Before AG's V-Day live video I'd only heard of the Z Crew through AG's trademarks and a few people who'd mentioned the name Z on the boards. I don't create stop motion animation, though it is huge in many of the American Girl circles online. Once again, AG proved that they are watching their community and latching onto what is popular, because they made their own character, a girl named Suzie "Z" Yang, who does her very own stop motion videos online. Z started out as a character on <a href="http://play.americangirl.com/play/zcrew/">AG's online play site</a>, but on Valentine's Day they revealed that you are now going to have the chance to get their very own Z Yang to take home with you complete with her own books!</div>
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Like I said, I had really no idea about her before Valentine's Day, but you have to admit that she's pretty cute. I certainly like her better than Tenney, and I love that there seems to be more diversity in the first two months of 2017 than there has been in the last 20+ <i>years</i> from American Girl. I don't know if they are listening because they care or because their profit margin is down and they'll try anything at this point, but it's a step in the right direction either way. </div>
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Z is rumored to be releasing on April 27th. I'm not sure if she'll be coming home with us at some point, though I am positive that it won't be this year, (Because, <i>Nanea! </i>Have you heard about Nanea?!) but we'll still head over to her release to see what she's about. (And if any of her collection needs to come home for Gabriela to use.) She also has an Amazon original movie releasing this summer that we're all pretty excited to see. </div>
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All in all, regardless of my feelings about certain characters being released this year, It was still a <i>huge</i> news day for American Girl! I look forward to seeing what else that have in store for these characters and their collections this year. Now all that is left is for you to choose you character. Who is coming home with you in 2017? Who can you live without?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAZvpGy_Ku1qCYUdWOsdttK5_nfdv3QSVQGSQfk0NGQbyhMgeZ2TM2dxpaaRRuivIf0EzfLFSTyM1OQu2Lb9Raobs-0SqeDvsojToqHZ6mEdncn4yGZt5dTT7RpBGKm_F982nrk8vkXs/s1600/6a00e54efed408883401bb09791140970d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAZvpGy_Ku1qCYUdWOsdttK5_nfdv3QSVQGSQfk0NGQbyhMgeZ2TM2dxpaaRRuivIf0EzfLFSTyM1OQu2Lb9Raobs-0SqeDvsojToqHZ6mEdncn4yGZt5dTT7RpBGKm_F982nrk8vkXs/s640/6a00e54efed408883401bb09791140970d.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I must have Z's (I am assuming) camera! It must be mine! It's too cute not to be!</span></div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-61163564378855399402017-02-25T11:53:00.004-08:002017-03-03T21:45:42.327-08:00All The New News...A Little Late<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you follow American Girl at all, and I am assuming that is why you are here, then you have probably heard all the new news that was released on Valentine's Day! It was a huge day for AG, releasing some information that people were already well aware of (Tenney and Logan), and some that surprised most...Including an <i>all new face mold</i>!!!</div>
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The title of this post is actually slightly misleading, as I'm not going to include <i>all </i>of the new information in this blog. I will write a second blog to include everything I miss in this one, but this post is going to be full enough as it is as I share with you the news, and my excitement about, American Girl's newest historical doll in their BeForever line: <i style="font-weight: bold;">Nanea Mitchell</i>! (I swear, Tenney, Logan, Z, Felicity, panties, collections, I'll cover them all in my next post. Cross my heart.) </div>
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Just in case you somehow haven't seen Nanea, brace yourself! Here she comes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoYEF6SMizYnV90qWCT_sragvN42ufvduZLiF-zPEjzbFB2MDz4Oq2w9aa7sX0fODcVUOlGJ95SYUFxMRkLknpuU4ngsIOlLhLEZaYuTH1lvcMVGOGo2Bf-kKReK54asoiQmgIK2-YC0/s1600/021517-nanea_newamericangirl_1ebbb39c92dc01416dfbaf8561a42f4e.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoYEF6SMizYnV90qWCT_sragvN42ufvduZLiF-zPEjzbFB2MDz4Oq2w9aa7sX0fODcVUOlGJ95SYUFxMRkLknpuU4ngsIOlLhLEZaYuTH1lvcMVGOGo2Bf-kKReK54asoiQmgIK2-YC0/s640/021517-nanea_newamericangirl_1ebbb39c92dc01416dfbaf8561a42f4e.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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Why, yes. That <i style="font-weight: bold;">is</i> a new face mold! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Which is exactly how I woke my poor husband up the morning of February 14th. poor guy must really love me to put up with that.) After that initial, extremely enthusiastic, reaction my first thought was that her face mold, a beautiful <i style="font-weight: bold;">new</i> face mold, made her look younger than the other girls to me for some reason. This is not a negative, but she just looks so stunningly different than any of the other girls, and her face just looks so sweet and innocent to me!</div>
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I was also a bit thrown by her eyes. I don't mind hazel eyes. Several of my favorite people have hazel eyes. Why in the world does every second doll released have to have hazel eyes though? I think Nanea would look amazing with deep brown eyes! In the days since her reveal they have started to grow on me, but I am still considering braving my first eye swap when I get her, just because I think she'd look so damn cute with brown eyes! (But eye swaps scare me a bit, so who knows?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobt2QRBOrFAKYteePxMdpxolYDIcCYDDhL5_cUgml_jvM8WaSqYTP-UVJXVAJzvgOJgTuQq3YQ1CpWQdTJ-adgzOymgUBmybDDPqhwz3vJrYNS_4xP-XvQZcnSwrHEDCeUzTHK6vlbS4/s1600/brown+eyed+girl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobt2QRBOrFAKYteePxMdpxolYDIcCYDDhL5_cUgml_jvM8WaSqYTP-UVJXVAJzvgOJgTuQq3YQ1CpWQdTJ-adgzOymgUBmybDDPqhwz3vJrYNS_4xP-XvQZcnSwrHEDCeUzTHK6vlbS4/s400/brown+eyed+girl.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2016/08/nanea-mitchell.html">last August when I first wrote about Nanea Mitchell</a> being trademarked by American Girl, and at the time all we really knew was that Nanea is a Hawaiian name. Sure enough, Nanea, who is going to be this years historical/BeForever release, hails to us from Hawaii...1941 Hawaii.</div>
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I fully admit that this news disappointed me a little at first. One of the things that I've loved about American Girl since I was a child is the history and how it is covered. The 1900s have an extremely generous representation already, and imagining a girl from Hawaii I wasn't hoping for yet <i>another </i>girl from the 1900s, much less a time period already covered by another doll. However, after the initial disappointment, I started <i>really </i>thinking about some of the amazing, and difficult, topics that could be covered by a little girl in Hawaii at the time of Pearl Harbor and our country's entering into World War II. </div>
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It was addressed briefly in Molly's stories how very out of touch much of American was during the War. (When Emily Bennett came to live her family from war torn England and didn't find blackouts as fun as Molly and her brothers did.) Yes, there were hardships, rationing, fear of losing a loved one, but for the most part Americans were safe here on the home front. Blackouts were considered a fun game by many children Molly's age, children who had never actually had to live through the horrors of listening to bombs being dropped onto their cities and homes, children who might never see an actual soldier outside a movie reel or their own family member returning home to them. This would not be the world that Nanea knew growing up in Hawaii. </div>
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Everyone knows that Hawaii was attacked on December, 7, 1941, and from that moment on Hawaii was changed. After the attack by Japan, Japanese-Americans were viewed with everything from suspicion to outright hostility. There were internment camps set up on the mainland where thousands of innocent Japanese-Americans were imprisoned, but due to both the size of Hawaii's Japanese population (around 40% of the population was Japanese-American at the time), and the fact that the economy would have completely collapsed without them, internment camps on the islands were impossible. Instead, all of Hawaii was put under strict martial law within hours of the Pearl Harbor attack. For <i>years</i> the residents of Hawaii lived under the rule of America's military and were forced to see a much more up close and personal reality of war than those living in the rest of the country. (Hawaii was not a state at the time.) </div>
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Nanea will be a chance for the spotlight to be put on a very different, and very difficult, time period than what Molly was experiencing in 1944, and my biggest concern now is that you will get parents who, like they did with Melody, declare that their precious little ones simply aren't old enough to read or learn about such unpleasantness. *stepping on my soapbox for a moment* We are doomed to repeat history if we insist upon acting like it didn't happen, ladies and gentlemen. Look around you. The evidence is very much there. Your children are not to young to learn about the very real history of our country when there are children who were actually forced to live it and come out the other side. Give them more credit than that, and step outside of <i>your</i> comfort zone, because it really isn't your children who can't handle these topics. *stepping down now* </div>
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But, seriously, isn't she pretty?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17fzH3okE-UQhfoMXiB_NiYdKc0f84KyLJ97ebqjcnaTNQ9nQCRiTnkjP4MA5BMhyiqWpd4BDT7tnBx6p6VKipB4Shae5SQnpniDVzLKbbEZyjTFAnMuCOBm0SOToPQ2u-MKyBKMAtEA/s1600/nanea-mitchell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17fzH3okE-UQhfoMXiB_NiYdKc0f84KyLJ97ebqjcnaTNQ9nQCRiTnkjP4MA5BMhyiqWpd4BDT7tnBx6p6VKipB4Shae5SQnpniDVzLKbbEZyjTFAnMuCOBm0SOToPQ2u-MKyBKMAtEA/s640/nanea-mitchell.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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American Girl revealed Nanea in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/americangirl/videos/vb.175829615793540/1333715726671584/?type=2&theater">live video on their Facebook</a>, and we also were able to get a sneak peek of her book and what might be some of her accessories. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcXX0FbJ2p-plRj3RCVd9fcJFERGG5Gx8Eycwd9LsFmpV0JTpwOzuHFEC5doYkdorW7fmoK3e9z4fYPeZ9AoTcFUaR0LlWT5yojZIST2c5MVvYJmnsBUUOgVrjLu6PNZ1hO2JT6JQoWs/s1600/Gr4qLiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcXX0FbJ2p-plRj3RCVd9fcJFERGG5Gx8Eycwd9LsFmpV0JTpwOzuHFEC5doYkdorW7fmoK3e9z4fYPeZ9AoTcFUaR0LlWT5yojZIST2c5MVvYJmnsBUUOgVrjLu6PNZ1hO2JT6JQoWs/s640/Gr4qLiz.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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By this time last year they had already released Melody's first book, but there is no date that I have heard yet for Nanea's first book release. I can not begin to tell you how frustrating this is to me, but I am trying to be patient and hopeful that it will be <i>soon</i>. As of now, her release date is rumored to be August 24th, which would go along with AGs theme of August BeForever released that last couple of years. At least I know where I'll be on August 24th this year. </div>
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And just because I really can't get enough...</div>
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<strike>I'll get to those other dolls next time.</strike> (The other's have now been <a href="https://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2017/02/all-new-news-little-late-part-two.html">covered in their own post</a>.) Just look at Nanea though! </div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-41771638879541600802017-02-25T11:41:00.001-08:002017-03-05T17:57:01.667-08:00Poll Results & New Poll<div style="text-align: justify;">
I need to get better at keeping up on the blog, including my polls. The goal is to have a new poll every two weeks for now, bumping it to every week soon. </div>
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Our last poll question was:</div>
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<b><u>What Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2017?</u></b></div>
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The overwhelming favorite was Gabriela McBride with 71% of the votes going to our fabulous Girl of the Year! Tenney Grant and "The fact that it's not 2016 anymore" tied in second place with 14% of the votes each. The possibility of another boy doll got absolutely <i>no</i> votes, though rumor has it that Logan is selling well now that he's here. </div>
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Our new poll question, and one that I think I might find myself revisiting often (though with different options) is:</div>
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<b><u>Who Would You Choose? </u></b></div>
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In the Who Would You Choose segment of our blog I will be posting 4 or 5 different dolls and asking you, if you could only have one, who would you choose? Fun, right? I admit that, this time around, the question is personal to me, since I am trying to consider which doll I might like next. Though Mr. D is <i>amazingly </i>supportive of my <strike>habit</strike> hobby, I have no wish to abuse his generosity by bringing home every doll known to man at once. I'm trying to be frugal and choose only one. </div>
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Right now I'm torn between 3 Truly Me dolls (64, 58, or 54) and the gorgeous Nanea who will be released sometime in August. Choosing Nanea I would clearly have to wait for awhile. 64 or 54 already have a story line that I am fleshing out in my mind (and on The Sims 4 where I sometimes like to play characters from my books or stories), but I've loved 58 for years. I also am interested in getting a TM doll without perma panties, though I can do a body swap if I'm too bothered. If I get one of the TMs I might very will skip Nanea for awhile, which would make me sad, I think. </div>
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So, given all of that information, or just using your personal preference, what would you do? Submit your vote on the poll on the top right hand side of the blog, and I will update with my choice in a week or two. </div>
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Have an idea for a good poll question? Leave it in the comments!</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-13327078247104477192017-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:002017-02-08T17:38:06.567-08:00Luciana Vega<div style="text-align: justify;">
Have we talked about this? I am probably behind the times, as usual, but many of the most reliable American Girl leaks come from American Girl themselves...or at least from their <a href="https://www.trademarkia.com/company-american-girl-llc-64466-page-1-2">trademarks</a>. They have been known, of course, to trademark names that don't get used, however <i>usually </i>if there is a first and last name listed we can assume that we will see that character from AG at some point in the future. </div>
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Back in December of 2016 American Girl entered a trademark for the name Luciana Vega, which is pretty exciting, especially if you are of the mindset that AG is in desperate need of a more diverse pallet of dolls. </div>
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American girl has gone on record saying that they have no plans to end the Girl of the Year line, though we all know how much that means when you're talking about AG. (they were denying the retirement of the Bitty Twins as little as 3 days before they were pulled from the shelves) BUT if this is true it could mean that Luciana will be the GOTY for 2018. A part of me very much doubts this though, since it would mean two dolls of color (DOC) in a row for the GOTY line. Given AG's track record I would believe that only after seeing it...and possibly not even then. </div>
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Luciana could also very easily be the next character in their Contemporary line, a line of modern day dolls with stories that will kick off with the release of Tenney Grant in about 2 weeks. In that case I would expect to see her sometime in 2018. I doubt it would be earlier since there are expected to be at least five dolls already releasing in 2017.</div>
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That's right. Five. In addition to Gabriela (2017's GOTY) and Tenney AG is also releasing Logan Everett and the BeForever version of Felicity Merriman this year. The rumor mill also just went crazy with the report that a new BeForever character will be releasing sometime in August 2017. While it is <i>possible </i>that this BeForever character could wind up being Luciana herself, most believe that it will be the mysterious <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2016/08/nanea-mitchell.html">Nanea Mitchell</a>, who was trademarked back in July of 2016. With all of these releases, it seems unlikely that AG would throw yet another doll into the 2017 mix, though their business choices lately have been questionable at best, so who knows? Despite how I feel about AGs recent decisions, I still don't expect to see Luciana until sometime in 2018, be that in GOTY, Contemporary, or BeForever form.</div>
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I will, of course, update with any information I manage to dig up.</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-81669796134377883682017-02-08T17:00:00.000-08:002017-02-08T17:00:53.105-08:00Latest News & Rumors!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unless you have been living under a rock, and I'm going to assume that's not so, you know about Tenney and Logan. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theagboy/?hl=en">theagboy</a> on Instagram has some amazing photographs of them both. (I am waiting for permission to share them here, but you can see them on his page now.) Release date for both of them seems to be set for the 17th, (complete with Meet Tenney store events) and there are already several leaks from within the store of their pre set-ups going on in back rooms around the country.</div>
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If you are eager to learn more about Tenney's story her first two books and her journal are already available for purchase, and her third book is set to release at a later date. </div>
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Tenney and Logan will not be coming home with us, though I plan on taking at least one of the children with me to the store to see them in person and get some photographs for the blog, so keep your eyes open for that. </div>
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Despite the fact that AG is obviously trying to overshadow Gabriela, 2017's GOTY, with Tenney and Logan's release (and that it is absurdly apparent to anyone paying attention that Tenney was their original GOTY plan) AG has said that there will be a release with some of the larger pieces that you expect to see with a GOTY for Gabriela later in the year. Some of the items shared on AGs own Facebook page include a chair with ottoman and a loft bed. Considering we are going to get Gabriela's entire collection as a way to speak with our money, and because she is a truly gorgeous doll with a great story, I'm watching eagerly for images and pricing. I'll share here as soon as I see either.</div>
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In the mean time, I highly suggest her first book, and am counting down until the release of her 2nd book in April. (April 25th on Amazon, though it might be available sooner in stores like her 1st book was.)</div>
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Speaking of books, February 16th is the release date for the new Felicity BeForever books! Every rumor I've heard says that will also be the day of her BeForever doll's release, though American Girl has not advertised it on their site yet and there are no release events scheduled. </div>
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Rumor also has it that the Felicity doll will be available only at the flagship stores and online, though I am among many in hoping that these are just rumors. Perhaps she will start out there and then be released in more stores as the year progresses. We can all hope. </div>
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In addition to Tenney, Logan, and Felicity (as if that weren't enough), <a href="https://www.instagram.com/agupdatenews/?hl=en">agupdatenews</a> just shared a ton of new outfit leaks also set to release in February. (I am also waiting for permission to post these, but you can see them on her page in the mean time.) I am pretty sure that both our Kit and Rebecca will be getting a special treat here in the coming weeks.</div>
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Perhaps the most exciting news, for me anyways, is the rumor that there will be a new BeForever character released sometime in August 2017! I have no more information than that for now, but many are speculating that it might be the mysterious <a href="http://dollywollydoodle.blogspot.com/2016/08/nanea-mitchell.html">Nanea Mitchell</a> that was trademarked back in July, though another name, Luciana Vega, was also trademarked back in December. You can rest assured that I will post more just as soon as I know it. </div>
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That's all for now! Keep checking back for the latest news, and let me know if there is anything I missed!</div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-15298901152832703132017-02-01T14:52:00.000-08:002017-02-01T14:52:37.313-08:00The Year of Gabriela: February<div style="text-align: justify;">
There was so much hate. So much fear. So much anger. Gabriela didn't know what to do with it. She'd attended the local March For Women with a friend and her family. They were Muslim, and marching because they were worried what would happen to them now simply because of their religion. That wasn't right. No one should be scared because of their religion. Not in the United States of American. But they were, so Gabriela marched with them. </div>
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She saw some amazing things that day. People of all races, religions, and from every walk of life coming together to love and support one another...But she saw some ugly things too. She watched as a group of white women disrespected the prayer circle of a party of Native American women and mocked their songs. She watched a woman walk up to another woman with beautiful, long, dreadlocks and stroke her hair without even asking. She listened as a group of people marching nearby made comments about her friend's grandmother, joking about if she was hiding a bomb under her hijab. Confused and a little angry she spoke to her father about it when she got home that night. </div>
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"People, even will intentioned people, have a lot to learn. We have a long, long way to go. Intention means nothing, especially without action to back it up, but it's a start. If people keep on from here on out, it's a start." he had said. Gabriela was determined to keep on.</div>
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At school the opinion was split. Many kids supported the march. Some, like Gabriela, had gone with friends or family. There were others who said it was stupid though. Who said that women were already equal, and that they should be thankful for the opportunities they had in this country. </div>
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<i>It was about so much more than that though! </i>Gabby thought, but she couldn't make the words come. Her stutter got so much worse when she tried. </div>
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Finally, after almost 2 weeks, while cuddling in bed with Maya one afternoon, it came to her! The words came. Jumping up so fast that she startled her kitten, Gabriela curled up on her window seat with her notebook and let her feelings flow out through her pen. It wasn't perfect, and she still had more to say, but it was a start. Oh yes, it was a start. </div>
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We march.</div>
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For the right to love.</div>
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It shouldn't be confined to your definition.</div>
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You need to stop using The Word for your ammunition.</div>
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We march.</div>
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For the right to speak.</div>
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Every person has the basic right to just be heard.</div>
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Close your mouth and listen instead of getting in the final word. </div>
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We march.</div>
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For the right to live. </div>
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It shouldn't matter where you live or the color of your face.</div>
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We all have the right to life as members of the human race.</div>
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We march.</div>
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For the right to learn.</div>
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Money should not determine the right to an education.</div>
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An educated society will only benefit all people in every generation.</div>
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We march.</div>
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For the past.</div>
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The mistakes that are now ahead of us have already happened before.</div>
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They came for them, now they come again, and it's time to say "No more!" </div>
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We march.</div>
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For you, for me, for all faiths, genders, and society.</div>
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For good, for right, we're not scared to enter into this fight.</div>
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For the right to love, live, laugh, choose. We have so very much to loose.</div>
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So we march. </div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-32456926168281241072017-01-01T16:45:00.000-08:002017-01-01T16:56:55.451-08:00Introducing Gabriela McBride<div style="text-align: justify;">
The entire Dahly Crew went to American Girl today to see, and eventually decide to buy, (as if there was ever a question) Gabriela McBride. During the drive home, safely buckled in next to Melody, (who came along to celebrate both her and my birthday) she came up with her own way to say hello to everyone. I hope you enjoy.</div>
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A new place</div>
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A new home to call mine</div>
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Where they appreciate my rhythm</div>
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Where they respect my rhyme</div>
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A new home</div>
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Where they love me for me</div>
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From the color of my skin</div>
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To the rhythm of my feet</div>
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A new spot</div>
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With <i style="font-weight: bold;">my </i>story to tell</div>
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Where they know I'm not just Saige</div>
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Not "just another Isabelle"</div>
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A new girl</div>
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One that might not look like you</div>
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But our species is a rainbow</div>
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And I should be celebrated too</div>
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New hair, new hue, new face, new race</div>
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I think I'm going to like my new place</div>
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Okay, so real talk. Negatives first. Compared to past GOTYs her collection just seems tiny. We knew this already, but it was more apparent when we saw her trying to fill up the space that Lea was in. I know that the rumors say that more will be released for her later in the year, but her release made what little effort AG put into her more apparent. </div>
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I hate the boxes. Truly hate them. We obviously buy to play as well as collect, but we keep our boxes for neat, organized storage, and that just isn't possible with the way these are set up. Not just for Gabriela either, but the clothing and accessories too. Not to mention that I hate the way the clothes are attached to the boxes, and I <i>hate </i>the extra waste that this packaging creates. As a family we really try to limit our waste, and there is an absurd amount with the items that we've bought. (We did not get her entire collection today. We'll be collecting it throughout the year, being super conscious about sales of course.) I try not to grumble about "the little things", but this new packaging is really, really a downgrade that I'm not happy with. </div>
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Notice that none of my negatives have addressed Gabriela? That's because I really don't have any. She's <i>gorgeous</i>! I love her. I love her meet outfit, I love her hair, I love her! I fully admit that her hair intimidates me a bit, because we don't have any super curly haired dolls. She is our first, but it came out of the box adorable, so I think I'll leave it down (at least for a day or two) and admire it. Her meet outfit, that I wasn't wild for at first, is actually really cute. We've found that it seems to take a <i>little </i>more effort to stand her up, and aren't sure if it's the shoes or maybe we got one with slightly wobbily limbs, but the clothes suit her. Her accessories are adorable, and I am hoping and preying that they release a girl (or adult) sized version of her little "boom box bag", because I will have it for my own if they do! </div>
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I am really excited for several of her other accessories too. Her tiny drumsticks and a drum pad are absolutely amazing, especially considering that my own little Dahl with speech issues is also my drummer. Her headphones, microphone, and barre are must haves for us, as is her little kitten, Maya. The fingernail polish is a really, really neat idea too, and I look forward to getting it for our Gabriela. I want her earrings, because I think they are really cute, but I am not 100% sold on getting her ears pierced, so we'll see how that goes. Overall, I love what they <i>do</i> have in her collection, though that makes the disappointment over what they <i>could</i> have done if they wanted to all the more pronounced. I can only hope that they will continue to work on her throughout the year, especially since she is set to be here past 2017. </div>
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Did you go to her release? Did you get her? What do you think? (Check out my Instagram @dollywollydoodleblog for some more pictures from the release.) </div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-52404337033549145022016-12-27T16:17:00.000-08:002016-12-27T16:17:27.440-08:00The Elephant In The Room<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's a shocker for you. I have no intention of raising my children to be "colorblind". I hate the term, and it isn't something we strive for in my home. For me, ignoring that people have different colored skin is as stupid as acting like we don't have different color hair or eyes or freckles...Why would we do that? It makes no sense, right? So why would I try to raise them to not see different skin colors? </div>
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Because it makes some white people feel better to say it? To say "I don't see color." Why? Why does it make people feel better? Could it be that, in not seeing color (which is a complete lie, by the way) we can also choose not to see the horrible inequalities that still happen in the world today because of it? If you "don't see color" you can not see the shocking statistics of police brutality against people of color? If you "don't see color" you can ignore the instances of racism that happen right in front of you? If you "don't see color" you can pretend that there isn't still a very real issue in this country? It is something that is truly still rooted in every aspect of day to day life, but people have spent so much time trying not to see it that many don't. But if we don't see it we can't fix it, and if we can't fix it nothing, I repeat <i>nothing</i> will change. </div>
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And I can't accept that for the world my children are growing up in.</div>
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When I told my children that I'd finally seen leaks of the new GOTY for 2017, the first thing my oldest asked was "Did they finally do an African American doll?" We were all so happy to see that <i>finally</i> American Girl was listening to the requests of its customer base. That finally little girls of color could have a doll released that represented them. (Given my middle child's speech and motor delay, we were also happy to see a doll with a disability represented too, but that's not what this post is about.) Then there started to be more and more leaks of her collection, and our excitement turned into confusion, disappointment, and anger. </div>
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Unless there are some <i>huge</i> secrets being kept by AG, which I have very little hope about at this point, it could not be more obvious that American Girl is setting Gabriela McBride up to fail as a GOTY and a DOC. Yes, they finally released a DOC for their GOTY, but they backed that by giving her the smallest collection of any girl in recent memory. There is no "big ticket item", and the clothing items that have leaked so far look pathetic and cheaply made. A mesh dance shirt, AG? That will survive tiny hands and frequent costume changes for about 3 minutes. An accessories chest that looks like it belongs to either Marisol or Isabelle leftovers found in some warehouse, and another fluffy cat...though I do like her kitten's name and the reason for choosing it that you find out when reading Gabriela's book. The rumors have long suggested that 2017 would be the last year for GOTY, but recent revelations certainly make it seem like AG plans to point the finger at Gabriela for the purpose of the line's demise...and as a probably excuse not to release another DOC for a good long while. </div>
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On the other hand we have Tenney Grant, the rumored first character in America Girl's new "contemporary" line of dolls, who already has a larger leaked collection than Gabriela despite having no set release date. Blond hair, light skin, freckles, country singer, and both excitement and anger surrounding the thought that she will be accompanied by American Girl's first named boy doll, Logan. If you look at the leaks for both dolls, it is clear who AG is backing, clear who they are putting more thought, time, and effort into, and clear that they have left Gabriela to blow in the wind. It makes me sad. And it makes me mad.</div>
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As for me and mine, we'll be getting Gabby's entire collection for the first time in the history of GOTY. Money talks, and I hope others will also send a nice, loud message to AG by supporting Gabriela and showing them that DOC <i>do </i>sell, and that we want girls of <i>all </i>colors to feel represented by this company that is supposed to be about <i>empowering </i>them instead of telling them that they aren't good enough. </div>
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This is still a very real issue in out country and our world. In 2016, almost 2017, the battle of racism and bigotry is still being fought everywhere. From our streets to our toy stores. So, no, I won't teach my children to be colorblind. I will teach them to celebrate and appreciate every hue humanity has to offer, and yes, to fight for the injustices that happen to people for no other reason than because of that color. It is our responsibility as human beings to do that, and I fully intend for us to do our part. </div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-31064219210809368172016-09-22T23:01:00.000-07:002016-09-22T23:01:11.185-07:00GOTY 2017 Rumors<div style="text-align: justify;">
There aren't many to go on so far, but the few rumors that I've managed to get my hands on aren't good. At least, not for anyone who was hoping for a Girl of the Year of color. Everything I have heard so far points to a light skinned doll with dark hair. </div>
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Really? Really, AG? Along with the rumors that the 2017 Girl of the Year will be the last GOTY, it now looks as though there will <i>never</i> be an African American GOTY. Talk about a huge slap in the face to the fandom. </div>
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Let's hope they are indeed just rumors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-syq5GB8DFV1JvVWESOW_WefX3UWFkh1bEbZEf0Wi8fjjwz4NY7qxuJY-iXWav5V8r9-IFhfjptl8aE554VbjJ5bh4pMO8qXtZNPDMau-xzzajY6ZIZT-sPzNwH8h4NgqJQ7Ids_Ymc/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-syq5GB8DFV1JvVWESOW_WefX3UWFkh1bEbZEf0Wi8fjjwz4NY7qxuJY-iXWav5V8r9-IFhfjptl8aE554VbjJ5bh4pMO8qXtZNPDMau-xzzajY6ZIZT-sPzNwH8h4NgqJQ7Ids_Ymc/s640/24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-68950274975317903292016-09-15T22:16:00.001-07:002016-09-15T22:18:05.231-07:00Dollstagramer Spotlight of the Week<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, I know, I've already done a Dollstagramer post this week, but I'm behind, so this is my playing catch up. Besides, you really should check these accounts out on Instagram. </div>
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If you are featured on this list, please feel free to post this image on your Instagram, blog, website, etc. You're fantastic! Brag about it!</div>
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<ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18.48px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/asylumdolls/" style="color: #c27ba0; text-decoration: none;">asylumdolls</a> has some beautiful girls in her collection, and her photography shows them off to their full advantage. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/pineyfleur/" style="color: #c27ba0; text-decoration: none;">pineyfleur</a> not only has some beautiful dolls and stunning photography, but her girls have a better wardrobe than I do. I'm not sure if I should be impressed or jealous. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mommynmeag/" style="color: #c27ba0; text-decoration: none;">mommynmeag</a> is a mother daughter team that not only rocks Instagram, but also has their own YouTube channel. Be sure to check them out on both. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sugar7483/" style="color: #45818e;">sugar7483</a> shares not only my love of dolls, but of Harry Potter, so how could I not feature her here? If American Girl dolls with tiny copies of <i>The Quibbler</i> are wrong I will never be right!</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/aghollyk/" style="color: #45818e;">aghollyk</a> is another adult collector with quite a following on AGIG. I was first brought to her page due to an absolutely breathtaking photograph of Saige, but I started following her when I realized that all of her photography is like that! I hope you'll enjoy her too. </li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "merriweather";"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Follow these AGIGers!</i> And keep your eyes open for more talent in my Dollstagramer Spotlight! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "merriweather";"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">Do you have a favorite AGIGer? Make sure to tell me about them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "merriweather";"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">~Mrs. D </span></span></div>
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DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1966485301712967202.post-87419392567595592972016-09-14T16:52:00.000-07:002016-09-14T16:52:11.802-07:00Dollstagramer Spotlight of the Week!I missed 2 weeks! I'm sorry! There are so many amazing Dollstagramers out there that I can't really afford to miss any weeks, or I'm going to be updating you until my youngest finished college. To make up for it I'm going to post <i>four</i> Dollstagramers in this post, and I will do my darndest not to miss any more weeks! I might even start doing two or three a week, because there are really <i>so many </i>amazing Dollstagramers out there.<br />
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If you are featured on this list, please feel free to post this image on your Instagram, blog, website, etc. You're fantastic! Brag about it!<br />
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/_dollgutsandgristle/" style="color: #c27ba0; text-decoration: none;">_dollgutsandgristle</a> is an adult collecter out of Colorado. She has 11 beautiful dolls that she spoils and photographs regularly. Her dolls have a wardrobe that my dolls are jealous of!</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/dolllovelovelove/" style="color: #45818e;">dolllovelovelove</a> is another adult collector with an absolutely beautiful collection of both dolls and photographs! With almost 2,500 posts on Instagram there is pleanty to look at. (And drool over!)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/itsadollaffair/" style="color: #c27ba0; text-decoration: none;">itsadollaffair</a> has some of the most beautiful customs I've ever seen. She doesn't limit herself to AGs either. I doubt that there is a doll that passes through her hands that she doesn't turn into an absolute piece of art! One day I hope I can get my hands on one. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/darlingdolliess/" style="color: #c27ba0; text-decoration: none;">darlingdolliess</a> has 14 dolls and a YouTube channel. Her girls, their outfits, and her photography are gorgeous. Definitely one to check out if you are an AGIGer. </li>
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Who else do I need to see? Who is your favorite AGIGer? Let me know so I can look them up!</div>
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~Mrs. D</div>
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<br />DollyWollyDoodlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03030526391538938770noreply@blogger.com1