Sales and News (Disney Store, American Girl, Tuesday Morning, and More)

Hey guys! I thought I'd post this morning before my full, crazy day. We have a potluck at the church and a special Memorial Day service tonight. Then the girls and I will most likely be spending the night at Mimi's with Mimi and my mom. That way, Mimi can watch the girls while Mom and I shop the 50% off sale at Goodwill tomorrow.

I just wanted to share a few sales and things I've noticed around town that might interest you. First off, at my local Target, the live action Disney Cinderella dolls by Mattel are on clearance for $27.90 instead of $39.99. I've decided to hold out and see if they'll go down any lower. I might miss them since there are only about five of them left, but that's okay. I don't really need a Mattel Cinderella (but it would be fun to have one). ;) They don't appear to be on clearance in any other stores.

Interestingly enough, the dolls are not on clearance on Target's website, so I don't know if they'll be on sale in all Target stores.

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In other news, Tuesday Morning has had some fun things in stock lately. The Madame Alexander Favorite Friends dolls, which share my Maggie doll's face mold, have been showing up for around $30 there. If you like this face mold, this is an excellent price. Usually they're priced at around $60 or $70, which in my opinion is too high considering the less-than-stellar quality of their hair. Here are a few shots I got of the dolls currently in my Tuesday Morning:

This one is labeled "Favorite Friends Doll Factory". 

She has a face just like Maggie's. I love her adorable jacket. :)

This doll is not actually labeled as a "Favorite Friends", but she should be comparable to the other doll. She's got quite the outfit. Lots of mix and match possibilities there. :) 

I tried to get a picture of her face without catching the reflection on her clear plastic, but it was pretty much impossible.

Another look at her outfit. 

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For those of you who are fans of the original releases of the Ever After High doll line, Tuesday Morning and Ross are really good places to shop right now. You can find the initial dolls, the "Getting Fairest" line, and sometimes even "Thronecoming" or "Legacy Day" dolls for around $12.99-$14.99. These are a great price, and now that the dolls are being re-released with fewer accessories and lower quality outfits, this is the time to snag these original ones. 

Some of the dolls currently on my Tuesday Morning shelf. 

Some of you may not be aware that the Ever After High dolls now have new packaging and simplified outfits and accessories. For example, I found a Dexter Charming a few weeks ago at Walmart in the new package. Here he is:

Now compare him to my original release of Dexter (which I still haven't managed to review yet):

See the differences?

Aside from the smaller box, this Dexter has no scarf and a jacket with less detail that looks rather cheap. He has no backpack either. 

A closer look at his outfit:

And what happened to his hair?

Granted, this "munchkin style" on the first doll was a bit over the top, but the completely flat style of the newer release doesn't exactly work either.

I've seen similar cutbacks on other new releases. The dolls are missing their rings and their purses. Many of the dolls that had fuller, curly hair now have flat, simplified styles. It's very disappointing to see Mattel take this shortcut route. :( 

On the same day I found Dexter, I was thrilled to finally see a Lizzie Hearts in person, even in the newer packaging:

Then I noticed something "interesting". Check out her hands, especially the one in the background: 

Did you notice? They gave her two right hands! I've seen this at least one other time on a different EAH doll in someone's YouTube review. I thought I should point this out so you can check hands when you buy a new doll. Make sure she has a right AND a left!

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The big news in the American Girl world is that Caroline is retiring, a new 1950s BeForever doll named Maryellen Larkin will be released later this year, and the "My AG" line has now been renamed "Truly Me". Also, three new Truly Me dolls have been released, along with some new clothing and accessories.

I think Maryellen is going to be adorable with her green eyes and strawberry blonde/light red hair. Some of the outfits on the covers of the books look adorable. I'm sure she'll have some really fun accessories, too.

You can get a small preview of what she's going to look like from these photos of the mini doll and books:

Mini Doll

Book Set

Like many others out there, I'm sad to see Caroline go so quickly. I hope to get her Spencer and Hat set before she's completely gone, but we'll see what happens.

As far as the Truly Me line, I'm actually a bit relieved that the name has changed again. It's super hard to search for "My American Girl" on any sort of secondary market, because it brings up everything with American Girl in the title. Also, "American Girl Truly Me doll" sounds a lot better than "American Girl My American Girl doll". ;) 

Here are the three new Truly Me dolls: 

Truly Me #62

(Picture found HERE)

Truly Me #62 has the Sonali mold, dark hair, medium skin, and beautiful amber eyes. I'm not in the market for any more AG dolls (I've run out of space!), but if I were, she is the one that would come home with me. She is my very favorite of the three new releases. :)

Truly Me #63

(Picture found HERE)

Truly Me #63 has the Classic mold, blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes.

Truly Me #64

(Picture found HERE)

Truly Me #64 has the Jess mold with the special Ivy eyes (which had more detail around them), dark hair, light skin, and brown eyes.

This is #54, who is not a new doll, but her eyes now feature the extra lines of the Ivy mold, just like #64.

(Picture found HERE)

There is currently a Truly Me sweepstakes going on with weekly prizes. For details about this and other AG news, you can check out their Facebook page HERE. 

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Finally, just for today, there are some great sales going on at Disneystore.com on dolls, toys, and more. I'm sure they'll have a new promotion tomorrow for Memorial Day, but I thought I'd mention this to you guys in case there's anything there you're interested in. You can see all of the sale items HERE. 

P.S. Am I the only one who holds my breath and scrolls through the whole sale when I see the Fairy Godmother and Lady Tremaine dolls on sale? I'm really hoping one of these times that the Prince and Cinderella set will go on sale, too. ;) I'm not thrilled with their serious faces, but I love their clothing. I just don't want to pay the full $70 for them. ;) 

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I think that's all for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with your families. In the middle of the festivities, swimming, barbecues and sales, please stop to remember the fallen warriors who bravely fought for our country. That's what this holiday is truly about. Which sounds rather hypocritical after I've just spent an entire post talking about sales and toys. :{ I do feel, however, that it's important to stop and be thankful for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be free. May we never forget.

Update to the Facebook Lottie Doll Contest

For those of you who already entered the ginormous Lottie giveaway on Facebook (I posted about it yesterday), you need to go check the Lottie page again and make sure you are still listed as liking and sharing the contest entry photo.  The photo was repinned to the top of the Lottie page and somehow lost the first set of likes and shares.  If you're not listed among the likes and shares anymore, simply like and share again so you don't miss out on the contest (remember, it's for a complete set of Lottie dolls and accessories, sponsored by the makers of Lottie...and separate from my individual Lottie giveaway I'm doing here on the blog). :)

I'm off to work on a classroom bulletin board and attend a teacher's meeting!  Things will probably be a little bit quiet around here (and on Jane Austen and Unicorns and Belle's Bulletins) until after this coming Tuesday...there's just so much I have to prepare for the first day of Art Class, not to mention getting the girls ready for their first week of school! :}

Update on the Consuelo Giveaway

Hey everyone.  I added an update to the original Conseulo Giveaway post, but I thought I'd add this new post to give everyone a fair chance.

One of my followers mentioned that she put something about the giveaway on Pinterest, and was wondering if that would count towards an entry.  I haven't delved in to the worlds of Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter, so I don't always think about them. ;)  I just wanted to let everyone know that if you post something about the giveaway on any social media like the ones I mentioned (or others), just comment about it on the original post or this post, and I'll give you one extra entry for each site you post on. :)  Why not make things a little bit crazier? ;)

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment or email. :)

Thank You for 100,000 Page Views (And More!)

We did it!  Thanks to all of you, I have officially reached over 100,000 page views!!  Thank you so much, everyone. :)

I have a couple of fun surprises planned for you, but I'm still working on a few last-minute details.  Keep your eyes peeled for a post later today! :)

Wow!

I'm overwhelmed, everyone!  120 followers and over 99,000 page views?  I honestly never thought I'd come this far.  Thank you for making this possible! :)

I just wanted to let you know that I have something special planned for when I hit 100,000 page views, so keep them coming! :)

I also wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about some of my promised posts, such as Bollywood Reviews #2, a post about being a stay-at-home-mom for Claire, and a post about your future mate for Alisa.  They're in the works!!  These ones take a little more effort than my regular review posts.  I've been struggling with my Bollywood Reviews post because we no longer have Netflix, which is where I watch most of my Bollywood movies.  As a result, this post will probably not be as detailed as the last one.  And sorry if I've already mentioned this in a previous post.  I have a bad habit of being unintentionally repetitive! :}

I have some great ideas for other upcoming posts too, and I'm also going to be involved in a couple of doll photo contests...man, I'd better get my rear in gear!!  ;)

Anyway, thanks again for all of your lovely comments, emails, and page views.  I really appreciate all of you. :)

More Posts Coming Soon! :)

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your families and friends. :)

Just thought I'd check in and let you know that I'll be doing some review posts in the coming weeks.  I'll be sharing some of the things I got for Christmas (and some of the things still coming).  Just to whet your appetite a bit, ;) among those things will be Nahji's "Tea Party Dance Celebration Play Set", a BFC Ink Pen Pals Britt doll (yay!!  she's on her way!), a Hearts 4 Hearts Consuelo doll (my oldest daughter's present) and more!! :)

I had hoped to get at least one post done by now, but yesterday my middle daughter caught a bad flu bug, so I've been busy taking care of her.  I'm praying it doesn't spread through the ranks right before school starts again! :{

I'll be in touch soon! :)

Free Shipping on Toys at DisneyStore.com Today Only!

Hey everyone!  Just a quick post to let you know that (as the title says) there's free shipping on all toys at the Disneystore.com website.  It's today only, so if you want to take advantage of this great deal, head over there soon!  There's a page devoted just to the toys that are currently on sale as well, which you can find HERE.

All of their classic princess and prince dolls (except for Eugene and Rapunzel) are on sale for $10 each, and the singing princess dolls are on sale for $20 (singing Tiana is on sale for $15!).  Also, the Disney Animator Collection princess dolls are on sale for $20.  There are some other sales on toys as well. :)

I also thought I should mention, for those of you who aren't aware of it, that americangirl.com is having a "Daily Deals" special.  Each day, they have new items on really good sales.  I feel sheepish that I didn't post this yesterday, when all of the remaining holiday minis were on sale for $14 each.  Sorry if any of you missed it (I was trying very hard to avoid temptation, myself). :(  There are more sales every day, though, and they didn't sell out of any of the holiday minis yesterday (mini holiday Cecile was already sold out before the sale, which is probably good, because I totally would have bought her!!), so they may put them on sale again.  So check back on americangirl.com each day for new deals!  I've included a direct link to their Daily Deals page HERE.

Also, I just wanted to let you know that I will be posting rather frequently in the next week.  I discovered a bunch of draft posts from October that I'd never published, so I've scheduled them to post throughout this week. :D

Have a great day!

Quick Giveaway Update

Hi everyone...just a quick post.  I stayed home from church this morning because I did something to my clavicle this week and my whole collar bone and shoulder area on one side is really sore.  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I still haven't heard from the winner of the Disney Store Rapunzel doll.  If I don't get a response by tomorrow, I'll do a new drawing for Rapunzel on Tuesday.  I will put all of the names of those who entered Giveaway #3 back in my pot and choose a different name.  For my other two winners, the charm keeper necklace and code and the Belle doll are all packaged up and ready to go!  I'll be shipping them out tomorrow.  Sorry it took so long...this week ended up not going quite the way I planned it! :} 

And Suzy, if you read this post, please please respond via email with your shipping address!  I'd hate for you to miss out on your prize! :( 

Talk to you guys again soon. 

Updated "My Dolls" Page

For those of you who have been waiting so patiently, I finally got around to updating the "My Dolls" page at the top of my blog.  Hayden's personality profile is finally there!  Sorry it took so long.  I kept forgetting about it, or I'd remember it at a time when I couldn't get to the computer. 

I didn't have a chance to take an updated personality profile picture of Hayden, so I just used one of my favorites from the pics I've already taken.  I may go in and update it later.

Here's a direct link to the page for those of you who like things to be quick and easy: MY DOLLS. ;) 

Talk to you again soon!  I'm off to clean my house (oh, joy!).

Off to Ladies' Retreat! :)

Hi everyone!  Just a quick post.  Tomorrow morning I'll be heading out of town for my church's Ladies Retreat.  I'll be back Saturday afternoon.  I wanted to be sure to let you know because I won't have Internet access where I'm going, so I won't be able to publish or respond to comments until I get back. :) 

I'm taking Tess with me, so she'll be able to share her adventures on her blog when we get back, too.  And for those of you who also follow Tess and Maggie's blog, I'm sorry, but we just couldn't quite get everything together for their special 105th post before this weekend.  Be on the lookout for post 105 (plus a new Belle's Bulletins post) sometime early next week. :D

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  For those readers who are my sisters in Christ, I would appreciate your prayers.  I'll be giving the devotional on Friday morning and sharing special music Thursday night.  I may also be needed to help lead the singing.  It will be a busy weekend, but a fun one, too. :) 

Talk to all of you again soon!

P.S.  I checked my shipping info online, and it looks like Hayden should get here sometime around the 24th!!! :D

Update on Comments

Hi everyone!  I just wanted to do a quick post to let you know about some changes to my blog comments.  I had a reader interested in leaving comments who was unable to comment because of the format I had chosen.  As a result, I decided to change my comments to allow anyone to comment.  Because of this decision, though, I've decided to put comment moderation on for a while.  Since anyone who passes by can comment now, I want to make sure I can moderate the types of comments that come in, just in case.  If there are no problems with inappropriate comments, then after a while I'll take comment moderation off again.

I just wanted to let all of you know so you wouldn't worry if your comment didn't come up right away. :)  Have a great week!

Good grief, I think that's the most times I've ever used the words "comment" or "comments" in a post. :}

100 Followers :D and Some Updates

Wow, everyone...I'm speechless!  Well, almost.  I don't think I've EVER been at a loss for words in my entire life! ;)  100 Followers!!!  I can't believe it!  My ultimate goal was to reach 100 followers on this blog, and thanks to all of you, I've achieved that goal.  Thank you so much for reading, following, and commenting on my blog.  You have truly made this a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful to all of you! :)

I almost feel like I need to figure out another goal now.  Maybe another 100? :D  Who knows?  Regardless, I am so thankful.  I've had so much fun already, and I am really excited to see where this blog ends up.

So, while I'm here, I might as well give you a few updates. :)  As I mentioned earlier, I listed some of my Barbies on eBay.  Quite a few, to be completely accurate.  It was kind of tough to let them go, but I knew it was time to let them move on.  It was silly to have them stashed away in a box somewhere when our house has a shortage on storage space.  Especially since we're not doing as much with Barbies with my daughters.  Now, they are hopefully in places where they can be enjoyed as they should be. 

Well, the Lord blessed my decision, and between the Barbies, a yard sale, and my Breyer horse collection on Craigslist that FINALLY sold, I made about $230!!!  It was actually closer to $300 before deducting eBay and Paypal fees (I'd forgotten how much that adds up!).  I can't tell you how excited I am.  Thank you, by the way, to any of you who happened to bid. :) 

The really exciting result from my business venture is that it's pretty likely that My AG #55 (aka Hayden Brooke Hathaway) should be a part of my dolly family by sometime next month...I think. :}  I've decided I'm going to set aside $50 towards her from my earnings.  My birthday is coming up at the end of this month, so I'm hoping for some AG gift cards or birthday money that can go towards my purchase. :D  I also want to wait until October just in case another free shipping code comes up, like last year (every little bit helps!).

The rest of the proceeds went towards clothing, shoes for my hubby, and credit card payments...and just a couple of things to review for the blog. :)  One kind of funny/sad thing is that shortly after my sales, we had to replace the back tires on our car.  It cost about $300!  I was pretty disappointed at first, thinking that my money should just go towards that.  My hubby was really sweet, though, and told me to keep the $50 set aside and to get my clothing (I really desperately needed a few new things for church...I've been rotating between the same 3 outfits for a while now!).  I'm still going to get his shoes, too.  We had some money set aside in savings that is going to pay for the tires. 

Things are still tight financially, but the Lord is providing for us.  Hubby has been working A LOT.  In fact, two weeks ago, he had almost 80 hours in one week between the two jobs.  I hate to see him working that much, and wish we could change things, but we're kind of stuck for a while until we can get some things paid off.  Now is not a great time to be looking for new work, anyway.  I'm hoping I can start doing some short story or article writing for pay to help out a bit, but we'll see how that goes!  Anyway, it's been good for me to have to say no to some activities and items and to try to think carefully about budgeting.  I've still got a long ways to go, but I'm learning! :)

And by the way, please don't think of us as completely destitute in a run-down shack somewhere.  We're not.  We have a roof over our heads, lots of family in the area that are very encouraging, food to eat, a wonderful church family, and plenty of clothing and items to fill our house.  We're not as well off as many, but we're definitely in a better situation than many others in our country, too.  The Lord is good!

Let's see, another thing I wanted to update you on was my whole weight issue.  I haven't said much because there hasn't really been much to report.  In the past couple of weeks, though, I've tried something new that seems to be working for me.  It's a combination of nutritional vitamins and switching to a low glycemic diet.  So far, it's been successful.  My carb cravings have been reduced, I'm eating more healthy foods than I have in a long time, and I've lost 10 pounds. :)  I'm not foolish enough to think I'll never have temptations or problems again, but I'm just trying to take one day at a time and make wise decisions day by day.  I would love to lose another 10 if I can, but I also don't want my focus to always be a number on a scale.  I just want to be healthy and feel good. :)

In other doll news, I wanted to give you plenty of warning that Piper will be moving to my aunt's house.  I still really love her, but I just haven't bonded with her as much as I'd hoped to.  I have so much invested in My AG #55's character and personality, and as a result I don't have as much invested in Piper.  The cool thing is that she'll still make occasional appearances, as my aunt lives in the same town I do.  Also, my aunt is getting into dolls as well and doesn't have an actual AG doll yet, so she's really excited to give Piper a new home.  Plus, they both like musicals, Bollywood and Shahid Kapoor, so it's a good match. ;) 

I've got some other posts in the works, including my second Bollywood review post (I promise I haven't forgotten!), and some photo shoots. :)  I'm having a rough time adjusting to the school schedule this year, so bear with me as I try to organize and prioritize my time. :)

Thanks again, everyone!  I am so excited to finally reach 100!!!  I hope to provide you with many more exciting posts and reviews in the years to come. :D

To close, I'll leave you with a sneak preview of one of the photos from my shoot. :)

Lovely Emma

Talk to you again soon! :D

 

A Quick Hello! :)

Hi guys!  Just checking in to let you know how things are going.  We had a great first day at VBS today.  Everything went really smoothly and the kids had a great time.  One day down, four more to go! :)  I would appreciate your prayers as I continue through the week.

It's just one more week until my 1 Year Blogoversary.  Yay! :)  I have some fun stuff planned, so be sure to check back.  I also have some other fun posts that I'm planning...once I get through this crazy week. :)

Hope you're all doing well.  I'll talk to you all again soon! :D

Milestones

I just took a look at my first post and realized how far things have come since then.  July 25th will mark the 1 year "Blogoversary" of Never Grow Up.  This post is my 176th blog post.  I am currently at 86 followers and over 33,000 page views.  If someone would have told me a year ago what to expect from this little project I'd started, I would never have believed them.  And I have all of you, my wonderful readers, to thank for all of this! 

I started blogging at a time when I was feeling lonely and disconnected.  My two closest childhood friends had recently moved away, and it was in the middle of the typical long, crazy summer hours my husband works at Coca Cola.  I was home all day, by myself, with the three girls.  I was going completely stir crazy!!! 

My blogging has given me a creative outlet.  It's been a way to share the things I love with others.  I've made new friends with similar interests that I might never have met otherwise.  I've even discovered new interests, like photography. 

It sounds so silly now, but after a senior trip to Washington, D.C., one of my friends made joking comments about how I cut the tops off of all of the buildings in the photos I took.  I was really embarrassed by this.  In her defense, she was completely correct.  I was a horrible photographer.  And you know, I let that one silly comment scare me away from cameras for the longest time.  But then I started watching Youtube channels like stephenswodadancer's and starlightharp's (this one, sadly, is no longer on Youtube.  I miss you, Sitara!!), and I started seeing gorgeous doll photos like those taken by AGSisters.  I was hooked.  I wanted to try to capture the same beautiful photos on my own.  It has been such a joy to discover that I not only enjoy photography, but I'm not half bad at it! :) 

I may have droned on about this stuff in earlier posts, so I apologize if that's the case.  I don't have as much time as I'd like to read through my old posts and make sure I'm not repeating myself! :{  Thanks for being patient with me. :)

Anyway, I'd love to do something special for my Blogoversary.  I'm not sure what I'll do yet.  If I do a giveaway, it will have to be a pretty small one.  I'll keep brainstorming and let you guys know what I come up with.  The next two weeks will pretty much be committed to Vacation Bible School, and then I'll be a little bit more free. :)  I know, I know, I keep saying that over and over again, too.  It's been a pretty long day, so my brain power is not exactly where it should be tonight. ;)

I think it would be so nifty to reach my 100 followers goal by July 25th.  I mean, how cool would that be, to get to 100 followers in a year?  I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.  Even if I don't reach 100 by then, I have so much to be thankful for.

So thanks again, everyone!  Keep reading, and keep those comments coming.  They really make my day! :D  I can't wait to see what the next year of blogging has in store.

Summer Updates

Hey guys!   Just thought I'd put in a quick post to say "hi" and make you aware of a few things.

First, I finally got my new header done (yay!!).  I had a lot of fun playing around with the scrapbook collages on picnik.com.  I'd only done regular collages before, so it was nifty trying something different. :)

Also, I've really enjoyed having music on my blog, but I may be removing my Mixpod.com playlists, just to let you know.  I'm not completely satisfied with them.  Because the tracks are from Youtube videos, they tend to get disabled quite frequently (I'm sure some of you have noticed this).  It's frustrating when half of my songs don't work.  Also, it's next to impossible to edit my Mixpod.com playlist.  If I want to get rid of the tracks that aren't working anymore, I'll have to start all over again and make a new playlist.  And honestly, I'm just a little concerned about the legality of everything.  I mean, some of my tracks are from videos that people have compiled using songs that don't belong to them, so how does that work exactly?  I just want to be above board (and I'd also rather not get in trouble or fined!). :}  I'm still deciding what I'm going to do...I just wanted to let everyone know what I was contemplating.

In other news, this summer has turned in to an absolutely CRAZY one!!  I know it's only mid-June, but I don't see an end to the current activity level until at least August! (And by then, it'll be time to get ready for "Back to School" with my oldest two girls.)  I'm heading up the music for our church's Vacation Bible School program again this year, which is a great ministry, but requires a lot of time, effort, and organization.  I'm also helping with the Wednesday night children's program that replaces AWANA during the summer.  Aside from that, I'm taking care of the kiddos while my hubby works 10-15 hour days.

These next couple of weeks will be crazy too, because my husband's sister and brother-in-law are visiting from South Dakota.  It's great to get a chance to catch up with them...it's been about a year since we last saw them. :)

All that to say, I don't know how often I'll be posting in the next couple of months.  I've got so many other things I've committed to.  The blog won't be neglected, but just don't expect 3 big posts per week or anything. :)

I think that's about it for now.  Hubby has the flu, so I need to go take care of him.  I'll talk to you guys again soon. :)    

Updates (Comment Problems, Weight Loss Progress, and My Vacation)

Hey guys, just wanted to share a few quick updates before I leave tomorrow.

First, I wanted to apologize to those of you who have blogs that I normally comment on.  I'm having a problem commenting on Blogger.  You may have noticed that I changed the format on my comments...I did it because it had gotten to the point where Blogger wouldn't even let me comment on my own blog.  I looked it up on the Blogger help page, and it sounds like a lot of users are having this problem.  As near as I can figure, any blogs that have their comments "embedded below post" (the third option on the "Settings" page, under "comments") are blogs that I can no longer comment on.  Whenever I try to comment on these blogs, I select "Google account" as my user profile, and then it takes me to the sign in page.  I sign in, but when Blogger takes me back to preview my comment, it's signed "Anonymous" instead of beastsbelle.  Then, when I click "post comment", Blogger takes me back to the sign in page.  It continues this cycle indefinitely.

So, until Blogger figures out this problem or until other bloggers decide to change their format, I'm stuck only commenting on blogs that have their comments open in a new window or a new page.  I just wanted to say something, because there are certain blogs I've been dying to comment on, such as Elegance of Fashion, I Heart American Girl, The Green Girls, Dolls and Nachos, and many others I can't think of right now.  I hope you all manage to read this post and know that I still love and follow your blogs, I just can't comment. :(

Okay, I need to keep you guys posted on my weight loss progress, too.  (Just trying to keep myself accountable here.) ;)  The bottom line is I've lost a total of 7 lbs so far.  I actually was down to 7 lbs 3 or so weeks ago, but then I had that lovely week of the month that all women love, and gained 4 lbs back.  I'm hoping most of that was due to water retention and not too many snacks. :)  I was back down to 5 lbs total lost the following week.  Then last week, everything was messed up.  I didn't get a chance to weigh in and I got my wisdom teeth out, so I really wasn't sure what to expect when I weighed in yesterday.  I was so excited when I found that I was back down to 7 lbs lost! :)  Now I've just got to get through vacationing without blowing everything.  I'm sure all you gals can relate. ;)

I've decided that I will bring Pita home when I hit the 10 lb mark.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was debating between 10 and 20 lbs.  Before, I was feeling quite optimistic and was leaning towards waiting until 20.  Now, I'm trying to be a bit more realistic.  I'd like to have Pita home before winter. ;)  So, just 3 more lbs and Pita will join my other girlies.  I have a really fun updated doll comparison post planned when she does get here.  :)

Also, Tess wanted me to inform you that there are two new  posts on their blog.  One written by Maggie (click  HERE to read it) and a new post on "Belle's Bulletins" page (click HERE and remember to scroll all the way down to read the latest).  Hope you guys get a chance to check them out. :)

And finally, just a reminder that I will be leaving for vacation tomorrow.  I've decided I only want to take one doll with me, and I've decided that Maggie is the lucky one.  I really wanted to take Piper too, but the thought of taking pics of two dolls was a little more overwhelming (especially since all 3 of my daughters are bringing their dolls and want me to take pics of them, too!).  I want to take a few pics for the blogs, but I don't want to be so involved in photography that I miss out on having fun with my family. :)

A Few More Updates

Hey guys!  Just a quick post.  I know I promised a post about a great bunch of AG Craigslist goodies.  That post is on its way.  I haven't posted yet because I want to make sure the seller and I are on the same page as far as how I post things.  As soon as I get everything figured out, I'll get the post up.  Hopefully, I'll be able to publish it sometime this week.

Also, Emma did a short introductory post about her new sister Piper HERE on "Jane Austen and Unicorns" (Tess and Maggie's blog).  She wanted me to mention that so you could all go check it out. ;)  And for those of you who are getting concerned, don't worry.  Tess and Maggie will be contributing to their blog again soon.  A lot of the recent posts have been more appropriate for Emma to do since they relate to things happening in her family. :)

I guess that's about it, aside from thanking everyone who has been so kind to comment and follow.  I'm up to 68 followers now, which means only 32 more followers before I reach my goal of 100! :D  Thanks to all of you who make my blogging experience so fun and rewarding. :)

Until next time! :)

Updates, Goodies, Etc.

Hi everyone!  Wow, what a week it's been.  Just wanted to share some goodies and give you a few updates. 

So, first off, we didn't end up having a birthday party yesterday.  As of Thursday night, my youngest daughter still wasn't sleeping through the night.  Friday morning, I felt nauseated unless I was laying down, due to lack of sleep.  My lunch Friday was a slice of cheese and half of a Sprite.  :}  I had been trying so hard to make the party work, but I knew on Friday that there was no way I would feel well enough to pull it off. 

It ended up being a really good decision.  Friday afternoon, my mom came down with the same virus I'd had last week.  Since she always makes the birthday cake with my aunt and is a huge help to me on party days, it would have been disastrous to do a party without her. 

My hubby took time off of work on Friday and let me pretty much sleep the whole day.  I'm finally feeling like myself again after 2 1/2 days of taking it easy.  And I know for a fact that I would have overdone and relapsed if I had tried to throw a party. 

It was all for the best.  My daughter got to open her present from us and pick out whatever dinner she wanted.  That was enough of a celebration for her for now.  The party is tentatively scheduled for next Saturday.  So, Lord willing, if we're all feeling well enough, we'll have our Toy Story party then.  :) 

Moving on, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I won one of the contests connected with the Literary Heroine Blog Party hosted by A Maiden's Musings.  Last week, my package with my fun literary buttons came in the mail.  Thanks so much, Kellie! :)

My other fun item to share with you is this beautiful Regency dress I purchased on eBay.  I know, I know, technically I didn't NEED another 18" doll Regency dress.  :)  But, I had sold a few things on AGPT, so I had some Paypal money to play around with.  It was one of those things where I saw it listed, put in a low maximum bid, and didn't look again.  I was sure it would go for a higher amount.  I ended up winning it for right around $12, though, including shipping!!  So here's Hailey, wearing my newest Regency doll dress, sold by marcotsgirls:

A fancy "do" :)

Beautiful Hailey! :)

I am so pleased with this dress!  I've noticed that a lot of the Regency dresses made for 18" dolls have very close-fitting skirts, which, in my opinion, make their heads look way too big for their bodies.  I think this type of Regency gown, with a fuller skirt, looks better on them.  [Note:  I'm feeling a slight sense of "Deja vu" here.  Sorry if I mentioned this point in my earlier post about Emma's Regency dress.  It's going to take me a while to get back into the swing of things. :}]  

The quality is excellent on this dress.  The material is sturdy and well-sewn.  The hems on the sleeves are very fitted, which concerned me when I first tried the dress on Hailey.  Marcotsgirls obviously did her research, though.  Just when I couldn't get the sleeves any higher on Hailey's arms, I realized that they were in just the right spot for the Velcro to close in the back.  The result is a nice, tight look around the hem of the sleeves.  The little details like ribbon trim add an extra beauty to the dress.  And for those of you wondering, yes, the pretty golden bead necklace was included. :)

I would highly recommend this eBay seller.  I don't believe she has anything listed at this time, but keep checking back.  She always has some great items to offer when she lists. 

Well, that's all for now.  Sometime this week I'll have a new post.  I have a package coming in the mail and it's...a NEW DOLL!! (Well, new to me, at least.)  This will be the last one for a long time, so this is a big deal. :)  Who do you think the newest member of our doll family will be? ;)

  

I'm Still Alive!! :}

Hi everyone!! Yes, I am still alive! :)  I was beginning to wonder after last week, though.  I'm feeling a lot better, but I'm still really wiped out.  Just the thought of sitting and typing a post or doing a photo story has been exhausting.  Of course, it doesn't help that my youngest daughter has a milder version of the same bug and hasn't been sleeping well for the past 4 nights.  My body just isn't getting enough down time to get better.

I just thought I'd give you a few quick updates.  You won't be hearing much more from me this week, because (aside from trying to recover) I've got to get ready for my youngest daughter's birthday party on this coming Saturday.  We'll still have it even if people are sick.  It just might be an extremely small party. :}  Thankfully, my daughter is turning 3, so as long as there are presents, cake, and a few extra people there, she'll be happy. :)

Besides all of the usual birthday prep, I've got to somehow resurrect my disaster area of a house.  You know how it is when mommy is sick.  My dear husband has worked on dishes, laundry, and some basic cleanup, but the girls are like little tornadoes.  Not only that, but hubby's had a horrible sinus infection, so there's only so much he can do between feeling miserable and trying to have enough energy for work.  As you can imagine, I've got my work cut out for me to have everything ready by Saturday.  I'm sure it will all come together, though.  I'll let you all know how it goes.

I also have a couple of fun posts planned.  First, as some of you know, I was one of the winners for the Literary Blog Party hosted by A Maiden's Musings, and my package arrived last week. :)  I'll be sure to share that with you.

I've also been dabbling in some doll hospital type stuff.  I actually removed my first set of AG eyes!  Stay tuned for that post.  A warning, though.  It won't be for the faint of heart. ;)

And finally, I'm expecting a very special package some time next week.  I can't wait to share it with all of you!!

So keep checking back, because I have lots of fun things planned!  Sorry for the boring post today, but it can't be helped.  It'll just have to see you through till more exciting times. :D