Can't Christmas Come Tonight?

Can't Christmas Come Tonight?, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

I found Rosy Bumps'n'Bruises while out Christmas shopping with my husband on Friday. We usually go to the same Target that is near our church, but we decided to go to the one a bit further away, and there were only 2 "large" Lalaloopsys. Rosy was one of them, and I had to have her. I've been looking for her for awhile. She was made from a nurses uniform. My Mom was a nurse. Sometimes I'm too fast and get clumsy, and I bruise easily, so having my own "nurse" might be a good idea! I love her hair style - I think she is going to be one of my favorite Lala's! Of course, I do love all of my Lala's...
So Rosy is eager for Christmas to come, and while she is waiting, she's all snuggley in some nice, warm pj's! Now, where are those cookies and milk?

Samantha's Make Over

Samantha has been sporting the same face up since she came here, back in May 2007.  Lately she's been wearing a reddish wig, that matches that face up extremely well, but she just hasn't been herself.

She felt like trying on one of her earliest wigs, but when she did, an eyelash came off, and it messed up her face up around her eyes.  It was time for a little bit of a makeover!  While we were at it, she tried on some different eyes that we had around from other dolls - she's had the same green ones since she arrived.  She picked brown glass eyes!

So, she tried on a few wigs.  Here's the wig she remembered.  We actually trimmed it a little so that she wouldn't sit on it!

Then she thought, new eyes, maybe it is time for new hair?!  So, she borrowed Leah's wig, right off of her head!  Poor Leah, she really likes this wig a lot, but since Samantha has been so down lately, she figured she'd be willing to do anything to cheer up her friend.  After all, it would give her a chance to try something different, too.

She's going to keep this one for a bit, and try to decide if she wants to keep this look or go back to being a blond.  What do you think?  Blond or brunette?

Marie-Grace

Marie-Grace up close, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

I had been thinking that Marie Grace was a strong candidate for coming to our house in 2012, competing with Rebecca and the 2012 Girl of the Year. We really don't have a lot of room for more 18" dolls here, but I can't help myself! Anyway, my plans were accelerated when American Girl had a 25% off sale for a week on everything in the Marie Grace/Cecile collection. I love the new mold and think she is one gorgeous girl. When I bought Josefina from the AGDC store, I thought this line was too frilly/fancy, but away from the store-overload, I think she is perfect. She is from the same era as Elsie Dinsmore, a series that I've really enjoyed reading. Since she is a girl from the pre-Civil War South, she reminds me of both my husband (a North Carolina boy) and my Dad (a Civil War buff)...
My father left this world for his Heavenly home last month after fighting renal cancer, brain cancer and radiation necrosis of the brain. I will miss him greatly, but he was a man of great faith, so I know some day, I will see him again, when I am called home to be with our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Meet Gwynith Linette

This is Gwynith Linette, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

This is my first MyAG doll. There are historic and Girl of the Year dolls living here, but no MyAG. I am looking forward to getting to know her, since doesn't have stories already written about her like all of the others. Her name means "Blessed Grace" - something very fitting for this season of my life.

Little Suzannah and Emmaline

Suzannah and Emmaline, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Suzannah has been here since December 6, 2010. While she was happy to see her 17" twin sisters arrive here, she missed the other little orphan sisters. A lot. So, when she heard that little Emmaline would be coming to live here soon, she waited. She tried to be patient, but when Emmaline finally arrived, Suzannah was the first to greet her. Don't they look happy to be together again? They are looking forward to when Meg can come. Maybe they can bake some Thanksgiving pies together!

Meet Josefina!

Josefina Up Close, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Shame on me for not posting this photo on my blog sooner! My daughter didn't have school on 9/29, so I took a day off from work, and my husband, daughter and I drove to the American Girl store that opened in Tyson's Corner last summer. The store was a lot larger than the store I had visited in Atlanta. There were several dolls that I've been debating over, and Josefina was a the top of my list in August, when I orderd some of her outfits and accessories, but I put off getting her until I could pick her out in person. The newest historicals were a big temtation for me, as well as the gorgeous Rebecca and the temptation to get my first MyAG doll was there as well. There was something about the down to earth, simple yet beautiful Josefina and her world, that I knew she was the one to come home with me. I love her stories a great deal and somehow think that she was meant to be with me right now.

Felicity's Pinner Apron

Happy to Finally have the apron!, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

This apron was a long time in the making! I finished the embroidery during a very long wait in August, and didn't finish the apron until September. I found my tiniest silk pins today, so Felicity is ready to show off her new apron. She is wondering if I will get around to making a matching mob cap before it is time to put on her winter cllothes!

And this is Dory

Hello!, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Formerly known as Dell, but who wants to share a name with a computer? If you want a computer name, Toshiba is prettier, don't you think? Unless you are really thin, then maybe Compaq?!!!
Dory arrived on August 15th. She looks so cute out of the box. She is from Kentucky. Her father used to be a coal miner, just like my wonderful husband's grandfather was! She loves music - and there are quite a few musicians and music lovers in my family! I love her blue green eyes and brown hair - they remind me of my most favorite person in the world (my darling husband). Dory is cute and perky and I think we are going to be great friends.

Meet Lila

Lilian ful length, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Lila was formerly known as Lilian by the Hearts for Hearts company. She joined our household a little over a week ago. This is here "meet outfit." She has a proportionally large head compared to her body, but I like that - after all, some of my favorite characters have large heads: Charlie Brown and the Peanuts, Ziggy, the kids in Joan Walsh Anglund art work, the Lati Yellow BJD kids, and Lalaloopsys! I think Lila probably is closer to "normal" than any of those. But she isn't as extreme as Blythe. I am trying my best resist her!

I wonder if these will attract any butterflies?

I wonder if these will attract any butterflies?, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Did you know that the Black Eyed Susan is Maryland's State flower? Well, ours are blooming now, and Lanie is really excited about it. The Preakness Race often uses Black Eyed Susans as decorations at the track, but since the race is earlier than their normal bloom time, they actually paint other daisy varieties (imposters). At least, that is the way they used to do it years ago when I saw a news story about it!

Julie in patriotic play clothes

Julie in patriotic play clothes, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Poor Julie! She was all set to go with us to the Outer Banks, but we discovered that we were "traveling heavy" so I had to cut back on the size of our group. She is okay, now, and is glad that she got to be the first to wear one of our newer MyAG outfits!

LaLaLoopsy Sunny Side Up

LaLaLoopsy Sunny Side Up, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

I go from one extreme to another these days! Here is what her creator says about her:

Sunny Side Up™ was made from a farmer's shirt and overalls. She loves waking up at dawn, caring for animals, and eating HUGE breakfasts! She has a pet chick.
Sewn on Date: October 12th (Old Farmers Day)

I brought her home from Target last Thursday night (May 26th). My husband and I like to pick up Starbucks there before going to Bible Study and if we are early enough, we'll walk through the store before picking up the coffee or frappes to take to class. When we get to the toy section, he goes to the video games and movies, and I go through the doll isles. I've been looking at the "Bitty Buttons" and "Lalaloopsy" dolls for a long time, and while I thought they were cute, they just weren't "me." I'd bought some minis for my dolls to play with and likes them a lot, but none of the "big dolls" were that exciting - until Thursday night when I first saw Sunny! She just grabbed me. I couldn't leave the store without her (I tried).

Maybe it is because I'm an early riser, too, or maybe it's because I can take her with me when I go to the beach with no worries. I don't know, but I feel a new obsession coming on!

Innocent Gabrielle

Innocent Gabrielle, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

This is Gabrielle. She is my newest Bleuette. She arrived here on May 9th, 2011. She was made by Madelyn Baughman and is a Unis France 301 repro. She is very sweet and has been prompting me to go through my collection of bleuette patterns and do some more dolly sewing.

Nicole Patrice's Easter Dress

Nicole Patrice has been asking for a new dress for a while.  While I was off for a few days around Easter, I found a pattern in my collection that I'd saved since April 2004.  It is called Bleuette's Easter Dress.  Linda Deiner published the pattern in a magazine, basing it on a dress in the Gautier-Languereau 1930 catalog.  She had done embroidery on the stripes, but I decided against that.  I also didn't do the coordinating hat.  So, now Nicole has an Easter dress, although Easter Day is over, we will continue to celebrate the Resurrection.

Happy Mother's Day!

Jodi's new hair do

Jodi has never really been very happy with her hair.  She's had hair that looked good, but was too small; hair that was too heavy; hair with too many curls...it has been very hard to find something she liked.
Right before Easter, she was changing into a more summery dress, and decided to go through the bag of wigs. She found a new wig that fits nicely and is different from everyone else who lives here.  Neither of us know just when this wig arrived, what wig it is, or why it was here.  We don't care, if Jodi likes it, that is all that counts.  It could probably be restyled a bit, but that will have to wait.

We were tagged!

Hello!  We were tagged by Kiki at Kiki's Corner to write 7 things about one of us, and tag 7 people.  Kiki wrote about their person, who they call Tia, so we've decided to write about our person, too!
1.  Jen loves dolls and has all kinds of dolls, from simple Mattel playdolls, to a Souldoll, to an antique doll that belonged to a cousin of her grandfather.
2.  Jen has spent her entire life in the same county in Maryland, except for the 4 years she was in college.
3.  Jen loves animals and has had parakeets, parrotlets, cockatiels, a nanday conure, hamsters, gerbils, a rabbit, cats and dogs as pets.  Her family now has 2 cats (a torti and a calico), and 2 dogs (a schipperke and a mutt that is part beagle or foxhound).  Both dogs are about 8 years old and are beginning to have back problems!
4.  Before Jen rediscovered playing with dolls, she was an avid quilter.  She still makes quilts, but not so many.  We'd rather she sew for us!
5. Jen is lucky to not look her age.  When she was in college and dating her husband, who is only 7 months older than her, little old ladies called him a cradle robber!  Now most people are surprised when she says she has a son that's in college.
6.  Jen's not athletic at all - she took art classes and piano lessons as a kid.  Now she walks a mile or a little more every workday morning before getting ready.  She reads on her treadmill!
7.  Jen is looking forward to a vacation on the Outer Banks this summer.  Her parents invited her family and the families of both of her brothers to all go on a vacation together.  It is something they've never done before, and they thought it should happen before the oldest grandchildren start leaving home.  Each of the dolls here is trying to be well behaved and to convince her that they should go with her!

We tag:
1. Miss Gladys
2. Bama
3. Karen
4. Elisa
5. Sandra
6. Tracy
7. and anyone else who wants to play!

New GIrl: GBH Suzannah

Cheery Smile , originally uploaded by JLP2000.

This little orphan arrived at our house on the last day of February. She is wearing her school uniform, but is hoping for something pretty to wear for Spring. She came from Ginger Brook Hollow, and was happy to find that her 8" counterpart was already here!

Luke's new outfit

Luke's new outfit, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

I made a new outfit for Luke today. I found a cut off pants leg that I'd saved a long time ago when I turned my son's uniform pants into uniform shorts (he had worn holes in the knees and Spring was here). One leg had enough fabric to make a pair of pants for him. The shirt is made from an old polo shirt of my husband's that he didn't want anymore. We had a warm spell last week. On Friday it was in the low 70's, but today's high was only in the 40's and Monday night we may get some snow flurries. The daffodils are coming up, but Spring really isn't here yet.
Luke got a new toy from McDonalds. t is a Tonka truck for Florida swamp exploring - there's some alligators in the back. I don't think Luke is going to find any alligators in Maryland though.

Meet Luke

Meet Luke, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

Luke arrived today! He is the first boy doll to join the doll family. Something tells me that the girls are going to have a lot of fun with him!  You can see more photos of him in this set:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlp2000/sets/72157626000035430/

Another new dress for Suzannah

Another new dress for Suzannah, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

I finally finished this dress for Suzannah this weekend. It was cut out, with intentions of making it for a doll I no longer have, a long, long time ago. I love this style, but after making 3 using this pattern, I think I should modify it a bit, or just try something else for Suzannah!

A New Dress

Close Up of New Dress, originally uploaded by JLP2000.

I finally finished this green dress! My mother gave me the fabric when I admired the back of a quilted table runner she'd made. I thought it would be perfect for Felicity with her green eyes, but after modeling for photos, Felicity gave it to M. for her Elizabeth. Green is M's favorite color and all of Felicity's clothes are pink and blue. I bought eBayer AllTimeFashion's CD of American Girl patterns and this is the first dress I've made using them. I had to do some "unsewing" do to silly mistakes, but I think it turned out pretty good for a first run with a new pattern.
I also made Felicity a coral necklace since that is what she wears in the book and is the original necklace in her accessories collection.