The Best Blogger Award

Aww, my dear friend Reese over at Reese's Pieces of Life just nominated me for The Best Blogger Award.

As I told her, I am (deservedly) humbled and grateful. 

For the first part of the award, I shall answer these five questions:

1. What is your favorite post that you've ever created? So many to choose from (729!), but I think my all-time favorite is Bring Out Yer Dead.
2. What is your favorite photostory that you have ever taken part in? Hmm, again so many choices but I think it was my series of adventures with Sam, Ruth, Josefina Ester at the St. Louis World Fair. Or (finally!) meeting Super Inky! It showed me how much I like to share my adventures with other dolls.
3. Why do you blog? I guess it's in my blood stuffing. Momma's family has been writers, printers, and journalists since at least 1883.
4. How many followers do you have? Not enough (of course) but I know of 57, and counting....
5. Do you like being nominated for awards? Who doesn't?!

I now get to nominate five other blogs which haven't been nominated yet - darn it! So I, Steampunk Addie, hereby nominate:

1. Just for Fun: Momma's friend Jenn can crochet anything and have fun doing it.
2. Pippaloo: I hope she hasn't been nominated yet because Teresa provides the tastiest doll food, ever! 
3. Angry Words from Angry Jess: Who doesn't like a doll with an attitude?
4. Doll Diaries: The latest scoop on anything doll related, and Char likes me.
5. Dolls Behaving Badly: Charlie's dolls aren't as badly behaved as she thinks, but there's always room for improvement. 

I shall now ceremoniously add My latest Major Award to my cyber awards shelf.

 

The wildest, wickedest night spot

Raven with some cigar store statues. Photo by Super Inky.

My buddy Inky was back in Arizona for a recent visit but we weren't able to get together ... again.

As Inky would say, "Argh!"

While she was here she and my other friend Raven visited Clementine's old home: Tombstone, Ariz.

Without us.

Clementine and I both had a good laugh when Inky wrote:

Here's Raven with some cigar store statues. We definitely learned that Tombstone, in its heyday, was not a good place for kids. It was full of saloons, cowboys, and dancing ladies. There were even gunfights. Yikes! 

Gee, you think? 

Tombstone was founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. Its population grew from 100 to around 14,000 in less than seven years. In 1881, it became the county seat of the new Cochise County.

Far distant from any other metropolitan city, by mid-1881 Tombstone boasted a bowling alley, four churches, an ice house, a school, two banks, three newspapers, and an ice cream parlor, as well as 110 saloons, 14 gambling halls, and numerous dance halls and brothels. All of these were situated among and on top of a large number of dirty, hardscrabble mines.

The gentlemen and ladies of Tombstone attended operas presented by visiting acting troupes at the Schieffelin Hall opera house, while the miners and cowboys saw shows at the Bird Cage Theatre, "the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast" according to The New York Times in 1882.

Clementine certainly had her hands full keeping peace in the streets of Tombstone.

Ever hear of the Gunfight at O.K. Corral? That's how we met.

To the rexcue!

Payne Street Doll Boutique

I am so excited I hardly know what to do with myself.

My buddy Inky discovered an amazing doll shop in Casa Grande while she was visiting Arizona.

The Payne Street Doll Boutique began building handcrafted doll furniture in December 2009, when American Girl sold out of Camp Bunks. At that time, they only sold single-sized bunk beds, but a year later they offered a full line of doll furniture. They continue adding new pieces to their product listing, including their new Animal Lovers line!

Momma has been involved with Cornish Rex rescue for more than 20 years, and even wrote a book about her beloved breed.

And now I can help!

Some of the products that will be featured include a Pet Hospital & Boarding Set, pet carrier, dog house, cat tree, pet bunk house, pet-sized bunk beds, and horse stable and barn.

Their pet hutch has six cubbies with latched doors. The hutch is approximately 27 inches long by 18¼ inches tall by 9½ inches deep. Built of painted pine, hutch can be finished in any color combination of your choice.

Other items carried by Payne Street Doll Boutique include:

• Double Bunk Doll Bed 
• Triple Bunk Doll Bed 
• Quad Bunk Doll Bed
• Trundle Doll Beds & Bunks
• Ready-to-Paint Doll Bunk Beds
• Newborn Photography Prop Beds
• Princess and the Pea Prop Beds
• Doll Tables & Kitchen Sets
• Doll Couch & Chairs
• Doll Wardrobe & Armoire
• Doll Vanity / Dressing Table
• Doll School Desks & Easel
• Doll Treehouse
• Outdoor Doll Furniture
• Doll Gymnastics Set
• Fashions by Aunt Judi

Geronimo!

While visiting with my dear friends Inky and Raven on Wednesday they mentioned that they hoped to go camping in the Chiricahua Mountains this weekend.

I decided to surprise them.

The Chiricahua Mountains are named after a group of Apache Native Americans who live in the Southwest United States. At one time they were living on 15 million acres of territory in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States, and in northern Mexico.

The most well-known warrior leader of the Chiricahua Apache, although he was not considered a chief, was Geronimo.

After an 1858 attack by a company of Mexican soldiers killed his mother, wife and three children, Geronimo joined revenge attacks on the Mexicans. During his career as a war chief, he was notorious for consistently urging raids upon Mexican Provinces and their towns, and later against American locations across Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas. He made a stronghold in the Chiricahua Mountains, part of which is now inside Chiricahua National Monument.

In 1886 Geronimo surrendered to U.S. authorities after a lengthy pursuit. As a prisoner of war in old age he became a celebrity and appeared in fairs but was never allowed to return to the land of his birth. He later regretted his surrender and claimed the conditions he made had been ignored. Geronimo died in 1909 from complications of pneumonia at Fort Sill, Okla.

Today, only two branches of the Chiricahua are federally recognized as independent units: the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, located near Apache, Okla.; and the Chiricahua tribe located on the Mescalero Apache reservation near Ruidoso, N.M.

The best laid schemes of dolls and women

Inky and Raven enjoy our desert landscaping.

What is the old saying about "the best laid schemes of mice and men go often awry"?

Well, they certainly went awry this week!

Momma and my friend Inky's mom had spent considerable time setting up a Wednesday play date for us at the Phoenix Zoo. They're visiting their friend Raven's mom in Tucson, but wanted to come north to meet Me!

So what does Momma do? Lands herself in the hospital instead.

Now would you rather have a play date at the zoo, or go to the hospital?

I voted for the zoo but Momma said her vote overruled mine - especially since she was driving.

Sadly we told Inky's mom about our change in plans, but she replied that she would still like to come see us! So Inky, Raven, and their moms arrived at the hospital just as Momma was discharged.

Being sporting women, they said they would follow us back to the house where we visited and posed for photos for a few happy hours. We even surprised each other when I gave Inky a pin with my likeness on it ... and she gave me one with her likeness!

It wasn't a trip to the zoo but it sure was fun!

I hope they come back soon, although they did invite us to visit them in New York City, too.

Academy Awards: Vote for Best Writing

Well, my dear friend Angry Jess announced the nominees this morning including yours truly. I have provided links for the other nominees. Good luck to everyone but most of all ... ME!

Academy Awards: Vote for Best Writing

Writing? Oh yes, do let's highlight this category. Writers never get enough recognition. That's because most people today watch "Reality TV" and labor under the delusion that actors are geniuses who make up their "dialogue" on the spot.

Yeah, let's rethink that. There actually ARE writers on Reality TV and while I regret that they've had to sink so low, hey, it's work. They have rent to pay and stuff to buy just like Tolstoy did.

The people who wrote the blogs below, they don't get paid for doing what they do. But you should still recognize their work and vote for your favorite, because writers make the world go round.

BEST WRITING

Best blog centered exclusively around American Girl dolls.

And the nominees are...

• The Adventures of Steampunk Addie by Rexphiles
• Bienvenue chez les ch'tis: Le blog de Sabine Bouchard by BeauCoeur
• Edie in the City by Captain Syd
• The Greens and the Roses by Blakeney Green
• Katia's Blog by Aaryana
• Life as Frankie Finds It by Operaghost
• The Miniature Historian by zeemeems
• Piper's World by LinneaAnne
• Super Inky! by Green Chile Supergirl

(Note that I have once again voluntarily eliminated myself from being nominated in this category so that others have a chance of winning).

That Jess. Always so modest.