Monday, March 8, 2010

Hello Dolly!

I've always liked dolls.

One of my favorites was a cowboy. I can just barely remember what he looked like but I do remember his clothes. My grandmother made him a pair of jeans, a shirt, a belt and some boots. I think she even made him a hat. Unfortunately his body was made of a rubbery material that was stuffed. Over the years his body disintegrated.

My older sister gave me a Barbie doll back in the day (about 1957 or '58) when Barbie's hair was styled in a "bubble cut." She was so pretty.

My grandmother gave me a large bride doll. She and her dress were lovely. Even after my younger sister colored her cheeks and the hem of her dress with lipstick, that doll was still beautiful to me.

When I was in grade school some of the filling stations in our area gave away or sold (not sure which) little collector dolls with each fill-up. The boxes the dolls came in were octagonal in shape and had a cellophane top so you could see the doll without having to take her out of the box. My younger sister and I had several of those.

Years later, the summer before the Cabbage Patch doll craze hit, Daughter asked for one for her birthday in August. We'd already bought her birthday gifts and told her she might get one for Christmas. That's a story for another day but she did finally get one - with several more to follow.

I have a few of the Cabbage Patch babies myself.

A couple of years or so ago while we were camped at Texas Motor Speedway during NASCAR race week I read an article that the Grand Opening of an American Girl doll store was that weekend in Dallas. After reading the newspaper story I knew the traffic would just be too crazy for me to even suggest going to the store (although I'm sure AD would have taken me if I'd really wanted to go.)

Last week while Son and I were in Texas we visited the store. It's a little girl's dream store. And this Oklahoma Granny liked it pretty well herself!


There's a special little girl in Son's life and she likes the AG Bitty Babies. So we checked out what was available. What cute clothes and oh, my! all the accessories they have to go with the babies.


One of my friends has granddaughters that have some of the AG dolls so I knew already knew a little about them. Each doll comes with a story book about them.

I seem drawn to Kit, the blond doll in this display. Maybe because Daughter is blond or maybe because the outfit she comes in is just so cute. It's the one just to the right of Kit dressed in overalls (a cute outfit that would be perfect for our life in the country.)



I just loved the red dress Kit had on in this display.



Then I saw these historical character dolls - Felicity and Elizabeth. Oh, my goodness gracious! Elizabeth, another blond, just caught my eye.



Her pink riding outfit was so pretty!

Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I would buy a doll if we went to the store. But I debated and debated over purchasing one. They are kind of pricey, at least for my pocketbook.

I called AD and asked him what he thought. He said if I wanted one, to go ahead and get it.

Still I had to think and think about it.

After I finally decided to make a purchase I had to make a choice - Kit or Elizabeth. Elizabeth or Kit. A couple of the sales girls talked to me about each one. I went back and forth to each display looking and comparing.

Decisions - decisions - decisions.

Kit was the first one I was drawn too. She rather reminds me of My Friend Mandy, a doll Daughter had when she was little.

On the other hand, Elizabeth with those sweet little curls hanging on each side of her face, was from the Revolutionary War period and I love history. Not to mention that cute pink riding outfit.

Finally the decision was made.









Elizabeth traveled back to Oklahoma with me. And she had her pink riding outfit with her too.

Maybe someday Elizabeth will have a friend named Kit come to live here too - along with those overalls.

15 comments:

  1. What a great choice there.

    Will she be called "Bitys" for short? She sorta looks like a Federal Girl from the South (I did note your choice due to the style above there) but with the brighter colors, that would be a southern ferderal girl indeed.

    with love and great choice,
    Olivia

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  2. Wow! Isn't it amazing how life-like the dolls look, and how beautiful their outfits are? I was not into dolls much, but these sure are pretty. And Elizabeth looks right at home in your house!

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  3. You and my MIL would get along great. She has a lot of dolls.

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  4. She is beautiful!!!! I just learned about these dolls last year. When I visited back home, my sister was telling me about them and how she buys them for her 2 granddaughters..Too pricey for this grandmas pocketbook but geez, arent they lovely?

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  5. I love dolls too, one year as a kid I actually got 2 at Christmas wow!!
    Your doll is a sweety !
    Diane

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  6. I love dolls too - anything from Barbie's to those stuffed one you mentioned. My mom would make me doll clothes for the baby dolls and Barbie's. What memories.......Your doll is beautiful. Maybe you could put Kit on your list for Christmas?

    Jerri

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  7. We purchased one for my daughter when she was little. I think they're great dolls!

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  8. She's pretty! She's got that certain flair that draws everyone including us non-dolly people! :D

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  9. Oh American Dolls! I love them. We went through the books and the favorite here was Samantha. I like the Elizabeth Doll, she is a treasure.
    You know she may get lonely and need Kit to keep her company. (wink)

    Deborah

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  10. You brought back lots of memories with this post. The best one: My grandmother made my dresses when I was little. She always made a matching dress for my Chatty Cathy. Then she made a doll quilt out of the same fabrics. My granddaughters have the doll quilt.

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  11. Oh, Oklahoma Granny, I really hate to tell you this because I feel guilty about my good fortune (not to mention the money I've spent!) but I have a dozen of those wonderful American Girl Dolls. I got them off of ebay years ago, so I didn't pay full price, but they sure weren't cheap. Oh, how I've loved them. I have them in a display case in my bedroom. My daughter was already in her twenties over a decade ago when she decided she wanted one of those dolls that looked like her. (And it's amazing how much that doll looks like her, with long brown hair and glasses!) We both enjoyed her doll so much that I then decided I needed one of the historical dolls, since I could use it as a prop in teaching social studies. My fourth graders loved her. Well, it grew from there, until it was all out of proportion. Now I sometimes wish I hadn't started collecting them, because a grown woman sure doesn't need them, and I could have used that money more wisely. But I do love those dolls!

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  12. Okie Book Woman, Oh, please post about your dolls sometime. I'd love to see them. Making history come to life with props makes learning so much more fun. I bought some patterns the other day and plan to make Elizabeth some more clothes. Everyone needs a hobby or two!

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  13. Are they not just the neatest dolls? Our girls loved them and still have them packed away for their girls one day.

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  14. There are a lot of us adult collectors of the American girl dolls.Elizabeth is the only one I bought new for myself.I bought the rest off e-bay.They were all gently loved except one that had really bad hair.I re wigged her.
    Joan Hind books are very good pattern books for 18 inch dolls.I borrowed them from our local library.I have yet to get to visit an AG store.
    Enjoy your girl.
    judy j
    http://hardincountykeepsakes.blogspot.com/
    http://community.webshots.com/user/nana5111

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