My One Year Blogoversary!!! (And a Giveaway, Too!) :)

Today is officially one year since I typed up my first post on "Never Grow Up".  Now, here I am, 183 posts later, at 90 followers and over 36,000 page views!  I didn't quite get to my goal of 100 followers by today, but I'll take 90 with a thankful heart. :)

I can't thank all of you enough for making my blogging experience so wonderful.  You've showered me with kind, thoughtful comments, read my ramblings over and over again, and given me a fun little escape from the pressures of everyday life as a stay-at-home mom.  I love my children so much, but it's nice to have a way to connect to people without leaving home...since getting away without kids can be pretty tricky. ;)

Anyway, I know I say the same things over and over again, but I just wanted to let you all know how very much I appreciate you.  That being said, I wanted to show you that appreciation in a more tangible way.  I'm going to be doing a giveaway to celebrate! :)

The prizes are:

A beautiful Thomas Kinkade Cinderella postcard, the perfect size for a doll poster!

A cute Princess Jasmine child's bracelet from the Disney Store that works perfectly as a doll necklace (as modeled by Rachel).

A hand-drawn, doll-sized pencil sketch of Belle, signed by Emma and myself (Emma wanted to help me this time). ;)

A somewhat doll-sized notepad, featuring Rapunzel on the front cover.

Do you sense a theme here? ;)  I figured going with doll and Disney would be appropriate. :D  

The winner will receive all 4 items.  If you're interested in entering for the drawing, simply leave a comment with your name (it can be your username if you'd rather not give your real name) and email address.  I'll be turning comment moderation on just as soon as I finish this post, so all of your information will remain private. 

UPDATE:  I forgot to mention:  If you are under 13, please make sure it's okay with your parents to enter the drawing.  I'll have to get your home address to send the prizes to you, so I need to know that your parents are okay with that!! :)

You will have until Monday, August 1st to comment.  On Tuesday, August 2nd, I'll do the drawing and announce the winner.  The winner will have 3 days to respond.  If I haven't heard from them by Friday, August 5th, a new winner will be chosen.

Here's a shot of everything together (sorry, Emma is not part of the giveaway!!). ;)  Can't wait to see who wins! :D

I have a big post that should be published soon (just have to add the finishing touches) and more posts planned for this week, so keep checking back!

P.S.  I had waayyy too much fun trying to figure out my new header.  I had another one that I really liked, but I thought the one I chose gave a more complete picture of what my blog is about.  I liked my other header so well, though, that I thought I'd share it with you here. :)  I wish I could do it even larger, but the next size up really interferes with the pics on my sidebar. :(  Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Almost Time for a New Header!! :D

Hey everyone!  I just had to do a quick post because I've been playing around on Picnik.com, trying to figure out a really special header to celebrate on Monday. :)  It's been really fun experimenting with different things. 

Anyway, I wanted to put my current header in a post for posterity's sake, so it gave me an excuse to talk about it. ;)  Talk to you all again soon! :D

 

EBay Seller Wulang55 Party Dress Review

Hi everyone!  I'm back again. :)  We had a wonderful week of Vacation Bible School.  There were about 200 kids that attended over the course of the week, so we had a great turnout.  The Gospel was clearly shared.  I'm not aware if any children were saved during the week, but the seeds were planted, so we're praying that the things they learned will impact their lives. 

I had a great time working with some of the college-aged men and women that helped me up front with the music.  They were such a blessing and encouragement to me.  It's so exciting to see the Lord using the young people of our church to glorify Himself! :)

While I loved doing VBS, it's great to get back to blogging, too! :)  I've missed sharing with all of you over the past week.  And of course, Monday is my 1 year Blogoversary!! :D  I can't believe it!  

I got my last eBay purchase at the end of last week, so I thought I'd review my newest doll goody. :)  This dress was purchased from eBay seller wulang55.  You can follow the link to visit her eBay store.  

I've been wanting to try something from this seller for a really long time.  Her items have been in my watch list, but I just never got around to purchasing anything until now.  I'm so glad that I finally gave her a try! 

Wulang55 has a variety of fun doll items to offer, including dresses and other outfits, doll umbrellas, and shoes.  Her prices are very reasonable, and she just recently started doing free shipping to the US! :)  Not only that, but her shipping is very quick.  She is located in Hong Kong, but my dress got to me (in California) in less than a week!  She has great communication and friendly customer service.

The item I ordered was the party dress in blue.  It was $10.99 Buy it Now with free shipping. 

The bodice is blue satin, and the skirt is satin with a gauzy blue overlay sprinkled with silver dots.  The waistband has a blue satin ribbon and two little silver butterflies on it.  I think it's absolutely adorable on Tess.

The dress has Velcro closure in the back.  Although it is fairly easy to get on the doll, I would recommend this for an older girl (closer to 7 or 8).  The sewing is beautifully done, but satin and the netting are naturally fragile materials that might snag or fray with younger hands.  Wulang55 has plenty of dresses in nice cottony materials to choose from for younger girls. 

Here are some close-ups:

The dress came with a cute pearl necklace and bracelet set.  I really loved the bracelet.  The necklace could have used a few more beads, because at certain times when it's draped over the bodice of the dress, there is a big gap between the pearls.  Everything else was spectacular, though! :)

I love the silver dots on the skirt.  That extra touch of sparkle makes it really beautiful.

Tess's shoes did not come with the dress.  I got them at Michael's in their Springfield dolls section.  I believe they were around $4.99 or so.  And while I'm on the subject, Tess's hair clippies also didn't come with the outfit.  I found those at Walmart in the children's section. 

Here are some more pictures of Tess, just because she looks so pretty! ;)

I would highly recommend this seller.  Her prices are great, her shipping is quick and FREE, and her work is beautiful.  The beaded necklace, while a little disappointing, was not enough to affect my good opinion of my purchase, especially considering the great price I paid.  It still looks nice, too, as you can see from the pictures.  I willl definitely buy from her again.  Thanks, wulang55! :D 

Be sure to check out her eBay store for yourself and see all of her fun items. :)

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

The Votes are In!! (and info about a Zulily Special)

Thank you to everyone who voted on #55's name this past week. :)  The votes are in, and a name has been chosen.  The winning name is....

HAYDEN BROOKE HATHAWAY!!!! :)

Both names were definitely the most popular by far.  Here is the final tally:

First Names:

Hayden-  9 votes

Holly-  4 votes

Hannah-  3 votes

Hazel-  2 votes

Middle Names:

Brooke-  16 votes

Edith-  1 vote

So, now that her name has been chosen, I can get on with continuing to develop her personality.  There will be more posts regarding her eventual arrival on Tess and Maggie's Blog soon. :)

I also wanted to mention that Zulily.com has a special sale starting today on Sweet Heart Rose Dollie and Me dresses.  I won't be getting any this time around, but I thought I'd share the news just in case any of you are interested.  These are dresses for girls that come with doll dresses to match.  The most expensive sets are $17.99 plus shipping and the least expensive sets are $13.99 plus shipping.  Their regular prices range from $36.00 to $48.00.  I have not purchased these particular dresses, but they look like they might be associated with the Dollie and Me line at Kmart, which I have purchased in the past with pleasing results. :)  Here are a few examples of what's available on the site:

Princess Dress-Up Set and Matching Doll Outfit

White June Bride Dress-Up Set and Matching Doll Outfit

Sunflower Dress-Up Set and Matching Doll Outfit

Don't they look adorable?  There are more on the site.  I've included a link above.  I just thought I'd mention these in case anyone wanted to try them out. :)  The sale lasts until Saturday, July 16th.

Hope everyone has a great day! :)

EBay Goodies Part 1 :)

The first of my EBay Bucks purchases came yesterday, and I am completely in love!!  I have a new seller to add to my eBay favorite sellers list. :)  Her eBay username is tbiever1, and her eBay store is called Dori's Doll Boutique.  The great thing about this seller, besides her excellent track record and her quick shipping, is her combined shipping offer.  Shipping to the US is $1.99 no matter how many items you buy!  I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for good shipping deals on eBay.  So many times, I've turned something down because the shipping charge killed the good price.

So, without further ado, here are the items I purchased. :)

Don't they look adorable? :)

Piper is wearing a combination of items.  Her white t-shirt was what I got from Dori's Doll Boutique.  Her knit skirt and headband were made by eBay seller mzmelody808.  You can find my review of her outfits by following the link HERE. 

I was very impressed with the nice quality and even stitching on this shirt.  I'm not a seamstress, but I can tell when something is shoddily thrown together.  This shirt is not. :) 

 It closes in the back with 3 snaps.  Snaps make me nervous because I tend to go too fast and pull them apart incorrectly.  These shirts are worth it, though. :)  

I'm so happy to finally have a white t-shirt!  I think every girl needs one in their wardrobe...they're so versatile!  This one cost $3.99 plus shipping, and tbeiver1 still has lots of them in her eBay store, along with other fun colors. :) 

(Side note:  if anyone is curious, Piper's shoes are from a Madame Alexander Friends Boutique clothing set.)

And now, for my absolute favorites.  Drum roll, please!! :)

I put this outfit on Charlie and fell in love instantly!  Of course, she insisted on wearing her cowgirl boots and Buzz Lightyear necklace. ;)  She's like that. 

Isn't she a cutie pie?

Check out the detail on these amazing shorts!!  The pocket is an actual pocket.

They have snap closure and even have a zipper that really works, just like real denim shorts!

Back view.  These shorts fit Charlie perfectly, but they might be a little too snug for one of the Pre-Mattel dolls with their thicker hind ends. ;)

Charlie's shirt also has snap closure, like Piper's.  I love how cute and summery she looks. :)

The shorts were $6.99 plus shipping, and the shirt was $3.99.  So, for everything, including Piper's shirt, it only cost me $16.96!  And I liked everything so much, that (after making a sale locally), I went back and purchased another pair of shorts and another tank top. :)  Don't worry, though.  I haven't forgotten my earlier post.  It's my last splurge for a while (aside from my other eBay dress purchased with EBay Bucks that's still en route). :)   

Here's a closer look at everything: 

(Another side note:  Charlie's boots came from The Crazy Doll Ladies store, in case your doll needs a pair of her own.  ;)  I browsed the store and it looks like they may not have any in stock at the moment, but I know I've seen similar ones on eBay, too.)

My two cuties.  I'm so glad to have a few summer clothes for my dolls now!  Be sure to follow the link and check out Dori's Doll Boutique for lots more adorable stuff! :)

  

Last Day to Vote on #55's Name! :)

Hey everyone!  I've officially decided that YOU get to be the ones to name My AG #55. :)  Just a reminder, it may be a long time before she joins my doll family, depending on the success of my evil scheme of getting AG gift cards for my birthday and Christmas. ;)  Because I want to start working more on her personality and name, I'd like to have the name decided soon. 

So, if anyone hasn't voted yet on a name for #55, please submit your votes by Midnight tomorrow, PST.  On Wednesday, I'll announce my doll's official name. 

At this time, the votes are as follows:

First Name:

Hayden-  4 votes

Holly-   3 votes 

Hannah-  2 votes

Hazel-   2 votes

Middle Name:

Brooke- 10 votes
Edith-  1 vote

And just for reference (no votes required) ;)
Last Name:
Hathaway

So, what name do you think suits #55?  Your vote could be the vote that changes her name forever! ;)