First of all, thank you so much for talking and commenting to each other on this post. A big thank you to Charlotte for asking the question about when you found my blog…I really enjoyed reading your answers and thank you SO much for all your kind remarks!
I remember one of the questions asked yesterday..what kind of brush or comb is best for doll wigs? Some of you already mentioned it…I too, use one of those metal brushes made especially for doll wigs. They are the only thing to use for dolls hair in my opinion.
Deb and my mom and I are having fun…just like I knew we would…we went to a sweet tea room in Ozark Missouri and had the best lunch…then we walked around in all the antique booths in the building. We also discovered a new shop next door that had the absolute prettiest clothing for women, but we especially enjoyed the children’s things. They were adorable and just what I’d have in a shop if I owned one…Deb bought the sweetest dress for her grand daughter and momma and I bought a fun little shirt for her. I could have found 20 things to buy in there and Deb said she knows where she is going to buy her Christmas for her grand babies.
We hit some other stores and then came home and made spaghetti squash spaghetti! Then we went out to a frozen custard place and had a wonderful hot fudge sundae…you sèe when you eat spaghetti squash for dinner it cancels out all the calories in your frozen custard!! *wink* *wink*
Thanks again everyone…here’s today’s post…
Did you think of something you’d like to ask in the comments below? I hope so, because I’m visiting my sister and I need someone to start the chatter for today… What will it be…something about dolls, fabrics, your favorite recipe, a compliment for someone? Whatever you like…today is your day to ask… and we’ll see what kind of response you get.
Thanks everyone… I’ll be home soon…
Blessings, Jeanne
It’s sounds like you are having a great time Jeanne, and I’m envying you the lunch and antique shopping, not to mention the frozen custard. I just defrosted the freezer — that happens a lot because I need a new refrigerator and stove — you aren’t the only one who has needed some kitchen renovation — and I could go buy some good ice cream. That would be a lovely reward.
One of my seven nephews will be by later to explain the world situation and how it affects stocks — finance is his field and he loves to talk about it the way other people talk about movies or books. It’s his birthday, and I’ve heard about a new restaurant — we could go there if it sounds good to him.
I just bought one of those wire brushes, but it hasn’t yet arrived. It will be fun to try after 22 years of using a plastic pick comb. I’ve seen someone use one of the wire brushes at the AG Place in Denver. I think much depends on the user. Watching that person use the wire brush made me think the doll’s next step was going to have to be a new wig.
I’ve been looking at AGPT for a couple of years now and noticed that many people have a strong preference for one AG mold or another. I remember when I first saw the Josefina mold, I didn’t like it, but it might be my current favorite. I thought I’d ask about favorite molds for AGs and LDs — or any other favorite doll type — HearttoHeart, AGFAT — whatever you are enjoying most.
I have lots of favorites, Marilyn! They kind of cycle thru, but even after a new one comes into my life, I still love the others! American Girls, of course, and the old Magic Attic dolls (I have Rose) and the first My Twinn dolls are my “big” dolls. I have a couple of Lee Midleton babies I love, and some of Julie Good-Kruger’s (I like the 16″ ones best). Of the smaller dolls, Little Darlings and Leeanns are in the forefront now, but I’ve also got quite a few 8″ Madame Alexanders. Oh, and Robert Tonner’s Betsy McCalls, one particular 14″ one is my favorite, but I have another, and two of his 8″ ones, also!
What is everyone doing to get their dolls ready for school? I have been deciding who will wear what, if they all have their school bags and backpacks, plus lunchboxes. Then too, there has to be food in them, along with paper and pencils!
I decided to have them have a big end of the summer slumber party, so could at least Use and see the summer pj’s I have for them. They will be enjoying pizza, playing games, and listening to the latest hits on Molly’s record player,while talking and giggling! Then it’s back to school! I would love to hear what you all are doing!
School doesn’t start here until after Labor Day (I think), so I have a Little time yet! I do like the idea of an end-of-summer slumber party, too, though!! Hmmm…will have to think about that. I do need to make pjs/nighties for some of my Little Darlings yet.
My AG dolls have plenty of school accessories–Molly has her school bag and lunch box, and I think I have similar things for the more modern dolls, also. Will have to do something for the smaller dolls, though–they have plenty of clothes, but not the accessories yet!
Thanks for the ideas, Linda!
Oh gee, Marilyn and I must have been writing at the same time! I guess I like the classic mold of AG dolls, since they look like what a pretty doll would look like, at least I my opinion! However, I have all the molds except for Addy and Marie Grace. They all are cute, but I love the classic mold the best.
So happy that you and Deb are having so much fun together.. and with your mom as well?
I have a yarn question.. specifically how does everyone store their skeins? I have a cardboard box full, several big shopping bags full snd im tripping over them.. they are stacked underneath my sewing machine. Space is at such a premium in my small sewing room , but I knit so much I can’t really purge much…thanks in advance for your responses:)
Plastic bins. I don’t want moths or mice getting in with the yarn. My storage is on the garage.
I use mostly plastic bins, too, and sort by type or weight. I don’t have NEARLY the stash of yarn as I do of fabric (and I’m sure my husband is grateful for that! LOL).
Here is my question. Where do your dollies live? A glass case? Shelves? Original boxes? My girls want to know because they are getting tired of their current residence. A sort of pile up waiting their turn at fame in a new photo. And how do you organize props, shoes, and their clothing?
School started here officially yesterday. So, I’m late as usual in even trying to get something together for my dollies. I would love to see Linda’s grouping and the big slumber party too.
As to doll molds, I’m not very good at identifying the different American Girls. I can pick out Kaya because of her closed smile, but the others not so much. I would love someone to list the molds and which are in which category. The Little Darlings are much easier for me. I have them in all molds except the latest. My Meadow kids are very easy to identify as they all have a completely different look.
Hoping Jeanne is taking some photos to show later. I would love to see some of the things for sale in that neat clothing store and the Ozarks in general. Drive safe heading home Jeanne.
Had I known you were as close as Ozark, I could have invited you for lunch at my home in Kimberling City, MO and shown you my work spaces. I have a great friend Carol who you would have liked also. Let me know when you’re coming back?
Wow, Kimberling City! We go to Branson all the time, and have been to Kimberling City too! Nice to hear familiar names, Nina!
HI Nina,
Thank you for the invite to your house…we’ve been going to the Spring Creek Tea Room for quite a few years now and it’s become one of our little rituals. Maybe some day we can connect!
Blessings, Jeanne
I don’t know about the molds – which ones are which dolls – but I like Elizabeth and Marie Grace.
Joy, I like your question as I have wondered about that also. Try as I might I have a dusty house and have wondered how people display their dolls. Thanks everyone for the help with my question yesterday.
Sounds like you are have much deserved fun Jeanne safe travels
Wow…lots of questions! At least I am at by big old desktop where I can actually type…instead of that tiny frustrating phone screen keyboard 🙂
I am going to show my ignorance here and say I didn’t know there were so many different AG face molds. I do have a Josephina that some Momie did a blunt short haircut. She is my model if I make AG clothes for my 2 youngest Granddaughters who are quickly losing interest in Dolls 🙁 As Joy said it would be great to see all the different faces and the Little Darlings are easy to tell apart…but there are only 3 I think.
I’m no help to the talented knitter Shara…majorly yarn challenged.
Joy asked about where I store my dolls…my really favorite ones are on a dresser and desk in the upstairs guest room. The Helen Kish 4 seasons…various Antique and a set of 11 inch compo baby Dionnes and a really good Jumeau Reproduction in a wonderful French style pink/lace dress ( I’ll never have a real one but I love this one )
A set of shelves downstairs has my Madame Alexander HP dolls in long formals and my last doll a Effanbee Honey as a bride. That’s all I’m admitting to…:)
Linda asked about the school outfits…that will need to be next week…I barely got them in Summer outfits LOL
Marilyn asked what is my Favorite…they are like your kids…how could you have a favorite…but I am crazy about the Dionnes and the Little Darlings.
Oh dear…went on too long!
There are so many things upon which to comment today.
First, wow, Jeanne you went to a tearoom! Taking afternoon tea is my favorite thing to do.
Second, I didn’t know about wire brushes. Someone told me that a soft baby’s brush was the best thing to use. I have to admit that I don’t comb my dolls’ wigs (I know – shocking) I just kind of brush the hair down with my fingers.
Third, I would love to hear about where folks display their dolls. I have mine in a china closet with my pottery collection. I am looking for a curio cabinet so they can have a place of their own.
Fourth, I only have one AG doll. It’s the little Addy. The like the dolls and stories of the girls when they were part of Pleasant Company. I haven’t really spent any time looking at the dolls or books in recent years. I am happy to report that AG opened an outlet about 30 minutes from where I live. I haven’t been there yet (they literally opened last weekend and one had to have a ticket for entrance) but folks from my local doll club went. The report is that the store is still stocking items so it looks kind of sparse now but the prices are great.
I think I responded to all the questions. Wishing you all dolly fun!
Jeanne, I’m so glad you are having a good time with your mom and sister. It sounds like a lot of fun.
As for the questions, I like the Josefina mold the best, but I also think the Addy mold is lovely for an African American doll. I store my AG dolls on an open shelf in one of the bedrooms. I need to get another shelf for some of the other dolls, such as Little Darlings and my Gene Marshall and Tonner dolls, but I would have to do some rearranging of furniture first. I have my baby dolls in a baby crib in the same room, so there’s not much extra floor space in there.
Late to comment and have to catch up on all the questions. So to start at the top.
A tearoom for lunch sounds wonderful, Jeanne. We used to have a tearoom here in town, but the owner has since closed it.
Marilyn, I like three molds for different reasons. The classic obviously came first and was the only until Addy debuted in 1993. three of my dolls, PC Samantha, PC Felicity and Caroline are classic and also have the decal eyes which I adore. I also have Marie-Grace and although her mold took a bit of getting used to at first, she is a favorite now. Then I have Nellie with 33’s wig. Nellie is my favorite Josefina mold.
Linda, as far as getting ready for school, nothing yet. With many other responsibilities, I haven’t had much time for doll play. 🙁 I would love to redress my dolls and set up a scene, it’s just finding the time. I’ve had everything in storage this whole year.
Shara, I have my crochet thread, yarn and other craft materials in an old wooden dresser in the basement. You can put little bridal netting (tulle) bags filled with lavender or southernwood to repel moths and also place cedar balls inside.
Joy, my dolls live in my bedroom. Felicity and Samantha share space on my chest of drawers, Marie-Grace and Caroline (my Civil War girls) are on top of my antique barrister bookcase, and my customized Nellie moves around depending on which era I have her in currently. Sometimes she’s with Samantha, sometimes Civil War. When she’s pioneer or 1930’s she stands on my dressing table.
As to how I store my items, I have three rolling under the bed boxes. One is Felicity’s Colonial), one is Samantha’s and the few Nellie collection items (Victorian/Edwardian), and the third is split in half with Kirsten’s and Addy’s on the one side and the few Kit items on the other other. Each box is set up left to right with the clothing of the particular doll/era stacked and wrapped in acid free tissue paper, then come the hats/bonnets and shoes and socks/stockings/tights and then each accessory set either in it’s original box or wrapped in tissue. I ‘m far from a completist ( my largest amount of items belong to either Felicity or Samantha) and I know what socks/shoes came with each dress. For some of the accessory sets I deliberately sometimes have only a piece or two from a set while others are complete. I’ve seen the items since my daughter received thing in the very early 1990’s so I even know what would go with a certain set if they get mixed up. I don’t collect furniture. i only have Samantha’s PC desk and a homemade table, both which can stay out
As to your question of the face molds Joy, Leigh and Kathie, it’s easier to post a couple of links. I do know the molds well for the historical girls. Elizabeth is the Josefina mold and Marie-Grace is unique in mold and eye color.
Dorothy, a wire wig brush is best for the straight haired dolls. You want to mist the hair with water prior to brushing. For curly haired dolls (in my case Caroline, finger styling is best. Just patting the hair down as you do is fine. It’s just combs that damage the wigs.
http://nevergrowupdollguide.blogspot.com/2013/02/american-girl-doll-face-mold-
comparison.html
https://livingadollslife.blogspot.com/2015/01/american-girl-face-molds-by-category.html
and just in case someone wants to know about eye colors
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/p/ag-eye-colors.html
Oh dear, I know this is long, but you asked. LOL 🙂
Thank you for the links, Laura! I can see I have a lot to learn!
Hi Laura
Thanks for all the information and links re: AG doll molds. I had no idea Elizabeth was from the Josefina mold but I can see that now.
Jeanne, I hope you are having fun with your sister. I’m assuming your mom might be with you too. The tearoom sounds wonderful. I love tea sets and for many years, the girls in our family would have tea parties. Introducing family girls turning 16 into our group.
My husband made sure I had a doll room in the house we had built. It’s a rectangle room and one wall has two large closets. One closets has all my American Girl Dolls on shelves and below are a few horses with a carriage. The other closet has nothing but boxes of clothes arranged by the doll’s name. All AMG. I have many accessories.
In this room I have three book cases with various dolls (not all AMG dolls), keepsakes and books and accessories. I have a table from Ikea that is used for staging doll scenes and it T’s in a matching desk with a few drawers and the desk top allows me to work on the dolls, or change outfits. I also have a dresser with also holds various doll clothes. I love the room and really appreciate my husband’s efforts after all these years in seeing that I have a place for the dolls and miscellaneous items I’ve gathered. I got MaryEllen’s diner and hopefully can someday get that scene set up.
My rule now is that I can’t buy another doll unless I let go of one other doll I already have. Unfortunately, this year has been filled with many other events and pursuances that have not allowed me to spend any real time in the doll room. I’ll get back in there at some point.
In the meantime, I love seeing all the pictures of Jeanne’s dolls and some of the reader’s
doll scene pictures.
I think I like the classic American Girl doll face the best.
Paula, I would LOVE to see photos of your doll room. Maybe you can send some to Jeanne and she can post them at some point. Maybe she can make that a blog topic in the Fall: Doll Rooms.
If we need a question for today, I have a QUESTION for the blog family.
Did you have a doll who “got away?” For example: was there a doll you wanted as a child but never got? Was there a doll you had but lost? Was there a doll you were bidding on but didn’t get?
Here is my answer. I had a Ricky, Jr. doll. I know I am dating myself now (chuckle). He was created because Lucy on I Love Lucy was expecting. He had a rubber head and I think a rubber body. When I went off to college, he lived in the attic of our house. It was one of those storage only attics – no heating or cooling. Eventually he melted. I felt sad. My cousin in CA still has her Ricky, Jr.
Hi Dorothy
Sad news about your Ricky doll. While my Madam Alexander baby doll didn’t melt her vinyl arms and legs turned different colors in the attic – darn!
I wanted a Ginny doll so bad but I guess it wasn’t in the family budget so I got a knock off one year for Christmas. I did receive and still have a pink wood bed that has “Ginny” (factory) painted on it I don’t remember where it came from but it has a little plastic mattress with a fitted rose bud patterned sheet.
I would also like to see pics of Paula’s doll room.
HI Paula,
I too would LOVE to see your doll room… :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
Paula I would love to see your doll room as it sounds amazing.
Jeanne W….your trip sounds amazing and from what you’ve told us it sounds like you and your sister and mom are having a blast. So happy that you got to go see her in person.
The doll that got away was one my uncle bought for me when he was stationed in Germany. She was rather tall, maybe 24″, has the most gorgeous very pale yellow dress and hat, blonde hair and roller skates that were part of her feet. Sadly when the skates no longer worked my mother tossed her in the trash as she didn’t keep anything. Sixty years later I still wish I had her.