Mini Makings Monday – Books Part Two

Welcome! And if you are new here: https://minnieme18.wordpress.com/?p=5350 should take you to the first part of this tutorial.

Where we left off, you have designed your covers and printed them out on regular copy paper but at “best quality’.

Next we are going to use a glue stick and glue the covers to a sheet of card stock. I find it easier to cut the four covers apart and glue them on the card stock individually. Could you print directly onto the card stock? Probably. But I find when you fold it, it cracks the image. I like the thickness that my version makes, but if you want to do it differently go ahead.

The next step is to “laminate” the book covers with a sheet of Duck brand clear contact paper. Do this slowly and carefully as it easily bubbles which then turns into weird creases when you run it through the laminator. I like to make sure the contact paper is on good by scraping (for lack of a better word) with a Cricut scrapper. I have also used a debit card or gift card or something else rigid but smooth before I had the Cricut scrapper.

Sorry for the glare but it’s next to impossible to get a picture without the glare once it’s laminated. The next step is to cut out the covers.

Then I like to run them through my laminator. As is. I do not put them in a laminating pouch or anything.

When I first started making my books, I didn’t do this step and I found that eventually the spines bubbled and the laminating sheets separated from the spine image. I also found that when making books that have mostly black or dark covers, it is best to run them through the laminator and then let them sit that way for a couple of weeks before finishing just to avoid the bubbling.

Example of what happens when you don’t run the covers through the laminator.

The next step is to form creases. These distinguish the back cover from the spine and then the spine from the front cover making it look like a book sans pages. I use a quilt ruler and an embossing tool that I found at the Dollar Tree years ago to make these creases. This ensures that when I actually fold them over, that I have straight lines.

The crease needs to be two inches from either short end. You’ll notice in the picture above that the edge of my ruler isn’t lined up with the edge of the cover even though it is a two inch wide ruler. This is because the embossing tool makes the crease approximately 1/16″ away from the ruler and we want that crease in a very specific place for realism.

Now that the book covers are finished, it is time to give them pages. Don’t worry that they have strange curves, it will flatten out over time. Now the way that I add pages is controversial, some people will love it and some people will hate it. But I use actual books. Books I read and didn’t like. Books given to me that I have no interest in reading. Books bought for a quarter at a yard sale. It doesn’t matter where you get them from. But I start by ripping the front and back cover off and then seeing how thick of a chunk I will need to fill my book.

I then use an exacto knife and cut that chunk away from the rest of the pages.

The next step is to figure out where to cut your book chunk to become pages for the mini book. If you just measure and cut at 2 inches, the pages will stick out past the cover. So I place my cover around the book chunk, mark with my exacto knife and then cut the pages on the marked line.

Just like before, I place my cover around the book chunk, mark with my exacto knife and then cut the pages on the marked line to figure out where to cut for the bottom of the book.

I repeat this until I have pages for all four of my books (or however many I happen to be working on) and I can typically get two books out of each chunk the way I showed you or I can use padding compound on the book chunk edges before ever cutting it and I can then get four mini books out of each chunk.

Next I will take tacky glue and spread it on the spine of my book pages

I then place the pages inside of the cover as snuggly as I can get it, then I put jumbo popsicle sticks that I have cut down on either side of the book and secure with two binder clips until they are fully dry.

Repeat for all four books.

Once dry you have four new books to add to your dollhouse.

Having them on a shelf full of books helps to straighten out the covers or sometimes I will just use a removable clear tape to tape them together (as if they were a boxed set) and that will also work to straighten out the covers. Now to finally read this series so I can add it to my dollhouse bookshelf!

Mini Makings Monday – Books Part One

Lately I have been working on my dollhouse with a clearer idea of how I want it to look when I am done. I have several big projects in the works, so be on the lookout for those posts. But the details are often what pull a room together and make it more realistic. So on Mondays, I hope to post about whatever mini items I have been working on lately.

Going forward, I am designing my dollhouse to look as if my bestie and I share a house, and the two dolls that represent us live there. My Kanani Akina is renamed Libby and represents my bestie, and my Lea Clark is renamed Aria and represents me. Libby and Aria are avid readers so their house needs to have many, many mini books.

In real life my bestie and I are also avid readers, so I thought it would be fun to only put books in the dollhouse that I have actually read. Sort of like my own mini ‘shelf trophies’.

There are definitely many ways to make mini books but I am going to show you the way I have come up and love. Fair warning: all my mini books are paperbacks, even if the image I am using is from hard covers.

The first step is to gather your supplies. You will need: copy paper, cardstock, printer, color ink, laminator, scissors, glue stick, an exacto knife, tacky glue, a ruler or straight edge, a craft mat or cutting mat, an embossing tool and adhesive laminate.

The second step is to source your images. There are several ways to do this. I have taken photos of a book front cover, back cover and spine and then cropped and pieced them together. I have also found where other people have made mini books and shared the images online. I also happen to be a librarian, so when we get new books in, but before we add all the stickers and barcodes, I will scan the dust jacket on the copier and then email the images to myself. My favorite way (which doesn’t usually work out, but don’t worry, I’ll show an alternative way in another post) is the way I’m going to show in this post.

Open up a new google doc. Go to page setup and change the orientation to ‘landscape’ and change all of the margins to 0.25.

Then open another tab and go to Amazon, and search for a book. For the purpose of this demonstration I will do the Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman, and I am starting with the boxed set. Scroll to the last picture that shows all of the spines.

To capture an image:

On a mac: shift & command & 4

On windows: windows & shift & s

On a phone: screenshot & crop

Capture images for the first four titles: Unwind, Unwholly, Unsouled, and Undivided. There are very faint lines defining the spines so just be careful. Why just the first four? Because only four mini books fit on a single google doc the way I designed them.

Next we are going to look for the single book Unwind on Amazon and capture the image of the front cover and the back cover.

Repeat for the other three books. Unfortunately the other three books do not have their back covers in the listing and because I am making these books for my own personal use, I am going to reuse the Unwind back cover for all four books. Obviously I would prefer to have the actual cover for each book but sometimes you improvise.

Open up the google doc and click on ‘Insert’ then click on ‘Image’ and then ‘Upload from Computer’. I am going to start with the cover to Undivided. Click on the image and resize. I resize my cover to be 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I had to turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make that work. I also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’.

I then move my image to the bottom right corner of my paper.

Next I will insert the spine for Undivided. I resize it to 0.3 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the spine down next to my front cover. Most of my books are 0.3 inches wide. I really only change it up when books in a series are obviously different sizes such as in the Harry Potter series.

Next I will insert the back cover for Undivided. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the back cover down next to my spine.

Next I will insert the back cover for Unsouled. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the back cover down to the bottom left corner.

Next I will insert the spine for Unsouled. I resize it to 0.3 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the spine down next to the back cover.

Next I will insert the front cover for Unsouled. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the front cover down next to my spine.

Next I will insert the front cover for Unwholly. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the front cover to the far right side of my paper.

Next I will insert the spine for Unwholly. I resize it to 0.3 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the spine over beside the front cover.

Next I will insert the back cover for Unwholly. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the back cover over next to my spine.

Next I will insert the front cover for Unwind. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move it just a little bit until it lines up above the Unsouled cover.

Next I will insert the spine for Unwind. I resize it to 0.3 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then move the spine next to the front cover.

Next I will insert the front cover for Unwind. I resize it to 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall. I will turn off ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ to make it work. I will also change my text wrapping to ‘In Front Of Text’ and then it is exactly where it needs to be.

Print at “Best Quality” and then tune in next week to see how I finish the mini books in Part Two!

My Early Birthday Haul

So technically my birthday is January 6, but my husband started spoiling me a bit earlier.  Today I took a trip to the Chicago American Girl Place and these are the items I picked up:

I thought it over and this set was just too cute to pass up. I still only really wanted the accessories but I figured trying to get those from eBay would end up costing me just as much if not more than just buying the set now.

I will probably be selling the pieces in the picture above along with the stickers. I am still trying to decide about the cart. I don’t really want the cart itself, but I really like the tray. But who would want the cart without the tray. Oh well it is something for me to think on.

---

 

The story line really drew me to these but I also enjoy the American Girl books so I picked them up to read.

---

 

I love this Downtown Skirt! I see so much potential in mixing and matching this skirt with not only items from this line but others and items I have made. Oh! Wouldn’t it be cute with a white denim jacket?

---

 

This adorable Adventure Campfire Set was on sale (probably making room for the new Camp AG Campfire) so I chose to pick it up. The toasted marshmallows are so cute and the chair is extremely heavy and is made of real metal.

---

 

American Girl pajamas are so cute so when I saw these were on sale I just had to get a set! I also picked up the adult version because they were on sale as well.

---

I definitely wanted to get Logan’s Performance outfit before it was unavailable. The fact that it was on sale was an extra bonus!

---

 

The Everyday Accessories had been on my wish list for a while now so I picked them up as well. I have two boys (with plans to get the newish four boys) and very few outfits and accessories for them.

---

 

This book and the activities inside was too cute to pass up. I think the 1940’s is my favorite! They have welding masks and torches!

 

I will introduce my final birthday gift tomorrow. Its is huge! So check back in and find out what it is!

-erin

 

 

 

 

American Girl New Release Wish List

Blaire’s Family Farm Restaurant

Blaire loves testing recipes in her mom’s restaurant kitchen and blogging about their cooking adventures on the farm’s website. They use fresh ingredients that they grow on their family farm!

Includes lots of food for playtime: A wooden open-air restaurant and kitchen with a service window so waiters can bring dishes out to guests, A reversible floor with faux grass for dining on one side, and a dance floor on the other, A farmhouse sink cabinet for washing dishes, A double-oven stove with a storage cabinet for cooking up delicious dishes, A farmhouse-style table and two green benches for dining, Pale-blue flour canister and sugar canister, Pretend iron sauce pan and copper stock pot, A mixing spoon for stirring, Freshly made cornbread and a baking pan that fit inside the oven, Salt and pepper shakers, A pretend chef’s knife for chopping ingredients, A bottle of olive oil for drizzling, Garnish stickers for the plates, A wedge of parmesan cheese and a cheese grater, Six eggs in a carton, A vase with a bouquet Blaire picked from her garden, Four placemats, menus, metal forks and knives; a dinner plate set; four drink glasses; and four dessert plates, Two reversible posters for decorating the kitchen, Two pretend string lights that hang from the pergola, A three-tiered service cart with a removable serving tray for bringing food from the kitchen, A stacked caprese salad, Fresh-baked bruschetta, Fettucine noodles and a salmon fillet, A gourmet baked pumpkin with a fried egg inside, A bowl of chocolate ice cream, and A slice of lemon cake. That is a lot of accessories and it shows in the price tag. It comes in at a whopping $300!

It is adorable! As delicious as sweets and desserts are, I am glad this set has other actual food items as well. I love the copper accessories, the double oven and that farmhouse sink! I love it! I don’t really have a need for the actual restaurant/pergola or the floor piece though so I am not sure if I will actually get it or not. Trying to get all those accessories on eBay will add up though so I will have to give it some more thought.

 

Blaire’s Party Decor

Blaire wants to make sure Cat’s farm wedding decor looks just as beautiful as the bride. Includes: An arbor that stands at the entrance of her family’s apple orchard, which Blaire decorates with a set of hanging fans and sheer lilac curtains, A fancy three-tiered cake with floral icing, three cake toppers, and two cake pieces that can be served to guests, A copper-colored cake plate, 2 matching metal forks, and a metal cake server, Two dessert plates with “Love” graphics, A tall white table with a lilac-colored drape and copper bow, A freshly picked bouquet with a ribbon wrap that Blaire holds as a junior bridesmaid, and A heart-shaped wish notepad with tear off pages to write the bride and groom special notes and a wish vase to hold flowers or notes. This set sells for $85.

I love the copper accessories and that wedding cake is too cute! As cute as it is, this is another set I am not sure if I will get as well. Space at my house is at a premium so I will have to think long and hard about it.

 

Camp American Girl Hangout

Going to summer camp is a great way try new things and gain confidence. American Girl dolls can have fun—and make new friends—at this camp cabin! It has four curtains that hang from the bright blue roof and can be tied back or closed, bright berry railings, and stairs that lead up to a space that fits two 18″ dolls. Plus, it comes with plenty of activities to keep campers happy: Two bright-blue cushions and two ombre camp pillows perfect for relaxing (or for sleeping under the stars!), A sparkly teal knit blanket for staying cozy, A camp notebook filled with idea-starters for activities and a notebook with pencil for journaling, A schedule to hang up so campers know what’s coming for the day, Repositionable stickers with decorations for the wall and “tape” for hanging a double-sided poster and three fun photos, A mini abridged version of the book Friends: Making Them & Keeping Them, A pretend reversible chalkboard sign for writing friendly notes, Two game cards with bingo on one side and a word search on the other, A set of 28 dominoes to play with, A crate to use as a game table or for storage, Make-believe Jiffy Pop® popcorn to share with friends, Two speckled camp cups for sipping, A pair of binoculars to spot birds or other wildlife, A lantern that really lights up for nighttime games, A camp flag to fly from the roof, and A pink-and-white jump rope that dolls can really hold. This set retails for $185.

The fun and bright color scheme as well as the camp theme definitely appeals to me. However, I can make the pillows and purple cushions. I also already own AG size dominoes, binoculars, camp cups, jiffy pop, and jump rope. I can also easily make the hangout (if I had the room, which I don’t) as well as the crate, posters, schedule and any of the other paper goods. So as cute as it is I will probably just try to get the lantern, the mini book and a green sparkly blanket or two from eBay.

 

Camp American Girl Campfire Set

When the sun sets at summer camp, American Girl dolls can relax with this set: A pretend fire pit that lights up and plays crackling campfire sounds and three camp songs. Use the cord to attach your own device to play your own music!, A bench that seats two dolls by the fire pit, Two roasting sticks the dolls can hold over the “fire” to cook hot dogs, Two hot dogs on buns to serve on two speckled camp plates, A pink tie-dye-print blanket to keep warm on chilly nights, A yellow flying disc with a camp graphic for dolls to toss, An acoustic guitar with a striped guitar strap so dolls can “play” songs, Removable stickers for decorating the guitar, and A mini music booklet filled with music and song lyrics for a campfire sing-along! This sells for $75.

I love that log bench, however, I do wish they hadn’t put the logo on it. I have a My Life As camp fire, an Our Generation camp fire and an American Girl camp fire so I don’t really need another one. But this one is so cute! I can see it set up in a patio or back yard scene as well as a camping scene. I can always use more hotdogs on a stick and hotdogs on a bun though. Most likely I will buy this at some point. Probably when it goes on sale or with some American Girl Rewards.

 

Camp American Girl Essentials

American Girl dolls will be happy campers with this set! A tie-dyed camp tee with a knot at the front, Two adjustable friendship bracelets in rainbow colors, A handy compass for staying on the right path, A pretend flashlight that dolls can really hold, Three camp-themed postcards that fit inside a frame and a pretend pencil to write home, A frame that she can decorate with reusable camp stickers, and A fun scavenger hunt with a map of the camp on one side and list of things to do on the other. This set sells for $25. While this set is cute I really only want the tee shirt and the pretend pencil so maybe I will pick this up for cheap at a future Benefit Sale. Otherwise I will probably pass on it.

 

Simply Spring Outfit

It’s time to celebrate spring! American Girl dolls will look fresh as a daisy in this outfit, featuring: A dress with a floral print and a bright blue ribbon at the waist, A barrette with three sparkly rhinestones for her hair, A pretty beaded bracelet for a pop of color, and Platform sandals with crisscross straps. This set retails for $28.

I love this set! I struggle with buying it because I could make a similar dress but I am a sucker for tiny shoes and hair accessories.

 

S’more Fun Pajamas

We want s’more sleepovers! American Girl dolls are sure to have sweet-treat dreams after their nighttime campfire in these pajamas, featuring: A tunic-length pajama top with a s’mores graphic that has glow-in-the-dark marshmallows!, Legging-style pajama pants with an all over campfire s’mores print, Faux-suede moccasin slippers to keep her toes toasty. This set retails for $24.

While this set has a bit of a My Life As feel I think it is so stinking cute! I just love s’mores so I can’t wait to add this to my doll wardrobe!

 

Blaire Book

Chef. Decorator. Chicken wrangler. Blaire does it all at her family’s restaurant, inn, and farm. In this first book in her series, her recent food sensitivity has made her time in the kitchen—and time with friends—a little tough. But now she has the perfect distraction: a wedding to plan! With her BFF by her side, and a million creative ideas saved on her tablet, Blaire is sure she can make the farm’s first wedding an epic celebration. But between dress disasters, texting mix-ups, and more than one incident with a mischievous goat, Blaire soon learns that wedding planning is a tricky business…and that balancing friendships is even trickier. Can Blaire find a way to make things right, or will this wedding, and her friendship, turn into epic fails? 179 pages. Paperback. Author: Jennifer Castle. This book retails for $7.99.

 

Blaire Cooks Up A Plan Book

In the second book in her series: A goat that does tricks. A lamb in pajamas. A celebrity designer who offers Blaire the decorating opportunity of a lifetime. Things are never boring in Blaire’s world. School gets interesting, too. Blaire’s determined to find a BIG idea for the Community Service Challenge. Her project becomes personal when she befriends a young girl at the local food pantry. With a love of cooking and a farm full of fresh ingredients, Blaire soon has a plan for making a difference. But it’s going to take help from her whole class—including a mysterious new kid—to keep Blaire’s creativity from becoming a catastrophe. 192 pages. Paperback. Author: Jennifer Castle. Paperback. Author: Jennifer Castle. This book retails for $7.99.

 

Doll Farm And Feast Activity Book

Does your girl have a favorite food? Hamburgers? Cake? Broccoli? Where does she get her food? From a supermarket? A restaurant? A farmers’ market? In this book, girls will craft their way through the food cycle and see how food grown on a farm can be made into a colorful feast for family and friends. She can make a chicken coop, build a tractor, or create a farmers’ market stand where dolls can sell their very own fruits, vegetables, and breads. The kit contains 50 crafts and includes punch-outs to design beautiful plates and platters to serve crafted feasts. Happy farming! 32 pages. Kit. Author: Emily Osborn. This activity kit retails for $14.99.

 

Doll Outdoors Activity Kit

What’s her favorite thing to do outdoors? Climb trees? Have a cookout with friends? Hike up a mountain? Camp in the woods? There are so many ways for girls to explore nature and have a lot of fun with their dolls. Girls will learn how to make a hot-air balloon, a stand-up paddle board, and camping equipment so dolls can explore nature. Discover all the wonders of going outside! 32 pages. Kit. Author: Emily Osborn.This activity kit retails for $14.99.

 

Of course there were other items in the new release but these are the items that caught my eye and have made it onto my wish list for one reason or another. What items made it on your wish list?

 

-erin

Happy New Year!

So first of all let me apologize for a boring post with no pictures. Things just did not work out for me to work on anything ahead of time to be ready for today and New Years Day is the day that my husband’s family celebrates Christmas so I am not able to really prepare anything today.

With that being said I am back!

I took a long and definitely unwanted hiatus last year. I am sure you can tell by the fact that my last post was January 2018. A lot happened. So much. I can remember as I was growing up I would think “I can’t wait until I’m (insert any age here) things will be so much better because (insert insane reason here)”. Basically I wished my life away thinking it would get easier as I got older. Let me tell you it is not! Adulting is hard!

I have tons of great things planned for this blog, Instagram, YouTube and my etsy shop this year. I have made a schedule that will allow me to work on it a little bit everyday as long as adulting doesn’t get in the way too much.

American Girl New Release Wish List

So on January 1st American Girl had a release with a ton of new and adorable items. I am going to spend this post letting you all know what is on my wish list. Are you ready? This is a long and picture heavy list!

Among all of the new items released American Girl released 4 brand new BOY dolls! I know they are getting mixed reviews but I am over the moon with this new development. I love the new face molds. I love the diversity. I will definitely be adding all four of them to my American Girl family. Silas and Levi have been feeling left out for months!

Truly Me 74 – Although I have seen a few photos where his eyebrows look crazy weird, all of the other ones make him look adorable. Benjamin is the perfect name for him.

Truly Me 75 – Brown hair and brown eyes have always been one of my favorite looks so he is adorable. I’m thinking he will be my Gabriel; Gabe for short. It fits.

Truly Me 76 – I’ve seen some pictures where that wave in the front of his hair looks very strange but more often than not it looks adorable. I’ve also been reassured that running your fingers through his hair a few times helps soften the look and make it more natural. He looks like a Reuben to me and since I have a Bible name theme going with the boy’s names, it works.

Truly Me 78 – Isn’t he so cute?! He looks just like this boy I went to school with who was always super nice to me so that is why he will be named Solomon.

Everyday Accessories – I think American Girl did a great job on this set. I like that one of the phone inserts look like a Minecraft screen which is extremely popular with my boys.

Luciana’s Accessories – I really only want this set for two items. First off the watch looks similar to an Apple Watch. Second: ASTRONAUT ICE CREAM!!!

Luciana’s Mars Habitat – Although this is amazing, it wasn’t originally on my wish list due to the massive size and price. Then I watched my husband and three boys play with it FOREVER in the store! They all think it needs added to my collection as well, so maybe it will be!

Luciana’s Maker Station – Recently my youngest son was going through my husband’s old things and found an Armatron and fell in love with it. So when we saw that this set included an “Armatron” I knew I had to have it.

Luciana’s Telescope Projector Set – First off I love the color palette for this set and both prints on the blanket! They are adorable! The clear glitter phone case and white phone would add a bit of variety to my collection as well. Plus the glittery case is totally what I would use on my own phone!

Tenney’s Microphone Set – I’m going to need about a dozen of these for a project I have coming up. They are adorable and very realistic. I don’t really need that many trophies or tambourines but I’ll figure out something to do with them.

Tenney’s Rosy Sunglasses for Dolls – ADORABLE! Enough said!

Tenney’s Sparkly Sneakers – These look like something I would wear so I will definitely be adding them to my collection.

American Girl Snack Stand – I could live on Mexican food and the detailing on these accessories are exquisite. Not only will I be adding this to my collection but I will most likely be getting extras of the accessories once they are available on eBay as well.

Chameleon Terrarium Set – As someone who is allergic to all the typical pets, I can’t tell you how much I love this chameleon!

Gold Glitter Boots – ADORABLE! The style of the boots as well as the glitter was well thought out. I wish I had a pair in my size!

Cool Treats High Tops – These are such a fun print! I definitely want these! I think they’d be adorable in a scene or stop motion with the Our Generation ice cream truck!

Crisscross Sandals – You can never have too many sandals! These are super cute with the knot feature and ankle strap.

Blue Fish Tote – SO FUN!

Knit Rhinestone Beanie – The shiny knit was popular when I was in high school and that is what this hat makes me think of! I love it!

Shark Baseball Cap – It’s a trucker cap! The colors and the print are adorable! It will look great on the boys (or a tomboy)!

Chambray Cadet Cap – This is adorable! I have this style hat in a couple different fabrics and I also love chambray fabric and polka dots so this hat is super cute.

Dark-Blue Glasses – Perfect for any boy or girl in my collection!

Luciana’s Flight Suit  – While I don’t see myself using it very often, this outfit is too adorable to pass up!

Luciana’s Stellar Outfit – While the whole outfit is cute, the whole reason I want this outfit are those adorable galaxy shoes!

Star Spangled Fan Gear – I am always drawn to red, white and blue and American Girl did a great job with this outfit! I like that it is relatively unisex so any boy or girl from my collection could wear it.

Sun & Fun Outfit – This shirt looks so much like a bowling shirt for something an older man would wear but I still love it and definitely want to add it to my collection.

Dino-mite Outfit – My nine year old wants this outfit for his Silas doll and because I love the shoes I added it to my wish list.

Explore The Outdoors Outfit – I LOVE this hiking outfit! The color combination is kind of strange together but I love it for the pieces. That empire waist tank top is so cute and I love the hiking sandals (which yes that is a real thing!).

Seashell Lace Tank – This will be so cute for layering.

Sea Breeze Top – This will be so cute for layering as well and due to the shimmery lines in it, I think it will be easy to dress up as well.

Doll Fashion Studio – I can’t wait to get this one!

Doll Pets – I love these activity books. They have so many ideas and instructions for projects as well as some extra goodies.

Well that is my wish list from the new releases! What is on your wish list?

-erin

My Mini Haul From American Girl Place Chicago

Yesterday I posted about my trip to American Girl Place Chicago for Luciana Vega’s debut. Well I didn’t pick up everything I wanted but I did pick up a few things.

The first thing I purchased was an item I wanted since the first time I saw it. The Fancy Holiday Dress! I fell in love with the vibrant colors of the amazing jewel tones! It looks amazing all by itself but I can picture it layered over a pencil skirt or under a vest or jacket. I even think it would look pretty cute dressed down with a denim jacket and a pair of Converse style shoes. Anyway, I fell in love and knew I had to have it and I was lucky enough to grab the very last one off of the sale table on the 1st of January! Instead of the original price of $36 I was able to get it for $18!

The next item I picked up was the Mermaid Tee from the newest released mix-and-match  line that debuted on January 1st online (earlier in stores). I LOVE mermaids! Growing up my favorite movie was The Little Mermaid so when I saw this adorable tee shirt I knew it would very quickly be added to my collection! At $10, this was a steal!

The next item I picked up is one of the newer activity books called Doll Hangouts. It retails for $21.99 and is packed full of amazing ideas for hangouts and how to decorate them. I’ve already read through the book a couple of times and can’t wait to put some of those ideas into action!

The final item I picked up yesterday was brand new from Luciana Vega’s collection. I purchased the Luciana’s Visitor Center Accessories that retails for $20. I love the NASA tee and I love that these look like the typical souvenirs that most people would buy from a museum  (or in this case I think space camp. I’m not sure which because I haven’t read the books yet.) I don’t know what is cuter; the bookmark with the tassel or the Snapshots From Space or the brochure. This set is AMAZING!

There were so many amazing items in this newest release that it was hard to decide what to get! What was your favorite item from the release? Stick around because tomorrow you get to see my full wish list from this release! (And stick around for the reviews of these items coming up!)

-erin

American Girl: *Retired* Fresh and Fun Outfit

One of the outfits I found at the local thrift store was the Fresh and Fun Outfit. It released in 2011 and cost $28. I am not sure when it retired but I am so glad I was able to pick it up. I was able to get it for five dollars! What a deal!

The color is off but this first picture shows what is included in the set. A tee-shirt, a faux wrap skirt, arm warmers and shoes.

This is the skirt. It has three faux buttons down one side and three embroidered ‘patches’ on the other side. I think the skirt would look better with either one or the other (preferably the faux buttons) but they didn’t ask me. The skirt is still cute even if it is a bit busy in my opinion.

This picture shows the color of the shirt a little more accurately. I liked the fun contrast of the lime stitching on the fuchsia fabric. I felt that the shirt was unique without being weird.

The shoes are adorable. I have several pairs of gym shoes but none of them look like these. Score!

And then there are the arm warmers. I personally don’t get the arm warmer fad. I think they look strange. But they match the tee-shirt.

Below I have Zurie modelling the outfit. It is a good color for her!

Below I show the outfit without the arm warmers and I personally prefer this look.

I can’t get over how good Zurie looks in this color!

I think that the tee-shirt and shoes were well worth the $5 I spent on it. I am undecided about what I will do with the skirt but the arm warmers will definitely not be used by me!

-erin

American Girl: *Retired* Talent Show Set

I found this set at the thrift store near me not too long ago. It is the Talent Show Set from American Girl and retailed for $34. It was released in 2013 and retired in 2014. I love this set and actually remember seeing it but for some reason I never picked it up, so I am excited to finally add it to my collection. It was missing the headband and dog collar but those pieces were not important to me and it was only $10. There is a dress, shoes, ball, pedestal and hoop.

I love this dress! The vibrant shades of pink and purple and the white under layer make this dress adorable!

The shoes are pink ballet flats with white bows. The pink of the shoes match the pink of the dress perfectly!

Zurie looks adorable in this dress! The colors and the cut are perfect on her!

All she needs now is a puppy to balance on the pedestal or to jump through the hoop!

I love this set!

-erin

American Girl: *Retired* Garden Boots

Recently I was able to find several American girl sets at a thrift store near me. One of the sets I picked up were these boots for $2!

When I looked them up on American Girl Wiki I learned that they are called Garden Boots. They were released in 2011 and retired in 2014 and cost $16. (I got a $14 savings on a retired item! )

They look great on the girls too! The only thing I noticed, was that the right one was much more difficult to get on. But most of my shoes are like that. So the only thing I can figure is that the mold for the right leg and left legs are off just a tiny bit. No matter! I am still able to use them and they look great!

-erin