Showing posts with label Samantha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samantha. Show all posts

Monday, October 12

Sentimental journey

Momma has been mourning the death of her one and only aunt.

Aunt Barbara was a childhood doll collector who shared her love with dolls with Momma. She gave Momma one of Momma's most prized dolls, Belinda, and they spent many delightful hours talking about dolls.

Momma and Aunt Barbara loved to peruse the early Pleasant Company catalogues featuring the original trio, Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly.

Aunt Barbara (who was born in 1928) particularly liked Molly. (Heck, she even looked like Molly - down to the braids and glasses!) Each item in Molly's collection could trigger a flood of memories and hours of conversation.

So which American Girl doll was Momma's first?

My Big Sister got Kirsten and Addy for Christmas 2006. It was the first time Momma had actually seen and held an American Girl doll, and she fell in love.

Momma quickly found some online groups dedicated to Pleasant Company/American Girl dolls where several people mentioned finding used dolls at Goodwill. Skeptical, Momma stopped by after work and found a beautiful Pleasant Company Molly for only $9.95! (Her one and only time, I might add.)

Goodwill Molly has become a mini Aunt Barbara over the past eight years. She has her drop-leaf kitchen table like we have, Kit's roll-top desk and typewriter, and other goodies that remind her of Aunt Barbara and other family stories.

RIP, Aunt Barbara. We shall meet again in the giant dollhouse in the sky.


Thursday, October 30

Isn't that just like Tib?

Tib is tiny and dainty. Tib is the wealthiest of the three. Big, blue eyes and short, fluffy blond curls, but no freckles. Her mother makes all her clothes and they are the most elaborate. Tib is based upon their friend Midge.

Tib's a blue-eyed Pleasant Company doll (probably brunette from the traces left on her head) Momma got her wearing Tacy's wig. She has nice brown lashes which she wanted with Tib's pale blonde curls. Tib wears Sam's Spring Party Dress in the illustration by Lois Lenski in Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown.

Monday, October 27

Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Momma has been Frightfully Busy lately and I have been Terribly Ignored, so Momma told me to publish some back stories.

Here are my dear friends Betsy-Tacy, and Tib - dolls Momma created, based upon the wonderful books by Maud Hart Lovelace.
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Momma used this illustration from Betsy-Tacy Go Downtown as a basis for the three girls: Betsy got Samantha's Middy Dress with Tam, Tacy got Samantha's Play Dress, and Tib got Sam's Spring Party Dress. All three got Samantha's Lacy Whites, as well as Addy's black Meet stockings, and either Addy's or Kirsten's black lace-up boots.

Oh, and you'll love this. The real-life girls that inspired Betsy, Tacy and Tib went to Pleasant Grove School!




Tuesday, August 26

Times change. Girls are forever.

BeForever, the new American Girl line, launches on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, and I'm still not sure what to make of it.

Our new BeForever books feature our beloved historical characters in a new format designed to appeal to girls who like high adventure and contemporary fiction. We also have fun new puzzle and craft books, plus Bitty Baby activity books for little girls!

It appears the original six books for each character are now condensed into two:

Finding Freedom: An Addy Classic Volume 1 
by Connie Porter

Addy Walker’s family is planning a dangerous escape from slavery during the summer of 1864. But before they can leave, the most terrible thing Addy can imagine happens--her Poppa and her brother, Sam, are sold! Addy and her Momma decide they must head out on their own. Although the road to freedom is difficult, Addy’s new life brings new friends, school, and even the opportunity to help others. But when will her family be reunited? 

A Heart Full of Hope: An Addy Classic Volume 2

by Connie Porter
Having Poppa home fills Addy’s heart with happiness, and moving to a boarding house brings a new special friend--one who encourages Addy to always stay hopeful for the future. Then Addy enjoys the victory of having her idea chosen for a fair fundraiser, where a friendship is born, and the answer to a riddle brings a wonderful surprise. But will the rest of Addy’s family be reunited before the New Year?

And finally, each set has a third volume inviting the reader to time travel?
A New Beginning: My Journey with Addy
by Denise Lewis Patrick

What would it be like for a girl to suddenly find herself in Addy Walker’s world in the middle of the Civil War? How would she feel facing new freedoms and unexpected limits? In this book, readers can join Addy on adventures to outrun a slave catcher, raise money for soldiers, and search for Addy’s family. Their journey back in time can take whatever twists and turns they choose, as they select from a variety of exciting options in this multiple-ending story.

I have not seen any of the new Addy items other than the book covers and a gray market photo of the new Addy in her new blue Meet dress. However, my Dear Friend Samantha Parkington is shedding her Archived Status, and it appears she has a nifty new Ice Cream Parlor.

I can only hope my doppelgänger fares as well.


http://steampunkaddie.blogspot.com/2011/08/bring-out-yer-dead.html

Monday, March 3

No guts, no gory

When my Big Sister and her Cousins started collecting American Girl dolls years ago, Momma knew she had to become a dolly doctor or go bankrupt.

Poor Samantha and Josefina arrived for surgery last week, but Momma had la grippe and then what sounded suspiciously like a consumptive cough.

Today was the day. Momma examined the patients while I tried to calm their nerves.


Poor Josefina was in pretty good shape - except her left arm had fallen off! Samantha had a bad case of Floppy Legs, and her arms weren't much better.

One hour, some elastic, some brass ferrules and washers, and one bottle cap (artificial shoulder replacement) later, both Josefina and Samantha are ready to go back to their new homes.

Does your doll need surgery, too? Let Me know at steampunkaddie (at) gmail dot com and I'll tell Momma.

Wednesday, February 5

Make is sew

Mini Me Dolly Divas
As hinted at the other day, here's a sneak peek of my newest outfit being created for me by Mini Me Dolly Divas - as modeled by My Dear Friend, Samantha.

Momma had a vision while looking at Dacia's items, and Dacia agreed to the Special Order.

Special order I am working on for Steampunk Addie. Samantha gets to model it since she is pre-Mattel also. This is going to be a steampunk, Star Trek outfit... doesn't look like it yet I know but it will. I am very excited about this one.
Ok, this so stinking cute it's crazy! Oh, Samantha doesn't want to give this one up....

If Samantha thinks she's going to keep this, she's got another think coming.
 


The dress is a modified version of the Thimbles and Acorn's 1870s Bustle Dress pattern.

The t-shirt and the hat are modified Liberty Jane patterns. You can find LJC patterns at http://www.pixiefaire.com.


Monday, October 15

Happy birthday, Nellie ~ Oct. 15, 1895

Happy birthday, Nellie!

In Nellie's Promise, Nellie mentions that she spent her 8th birthday working in a factory, and did not have a celebration that year.

I bet Samantha changed that!

Tuesday, July 31

Bluestocking? No. Blackstocking? Yes!

Inquiring minds have been asking about the status of my library in the sky.

So far I have mini copies of:

  • Meet Kaya
  • Meet Felicity
  • Felicity's Surprise
  • Very Funny, Elizabeth
  • Meet Caroline
  • Meet Josefina
  • Josefina's Surprise
  • Meet Kirsten
  • Kirsten's Surprise
  • Meet Marie-Grace
  • Meet Cécile
  • Meet Addy
  • Addy's Surprise
  • Meet Samantha
  • Samantha's Surprise
  • Nellie's Promise
  • Meet Rebecca
  • Meet Kit
  • Really Truly Ruthie
  • Meet Molly
  • Molly's Surprise
  • Brave Emily
  • Meet Julie

I also have nice little copies of:
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas
  • A Christmas Carol
  • Horton Hears a Who
  • It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  • Mother Goose in Hieroglyphics
  • The Night Before Christmas
  • Olivia Saves the Circus
  • Peter Parley’s Book of Fables
  • The Quest of the Missing Map
  • Robin Hood
  • The Tales of Peter Rabbit
  • The Wizard of Oz
  • Woodworth's Cabinet Library

Please let me know if you have any mini suggestions - or donations!


Saturday, May 26

Happy birthday, Samantha ~ May 26, 1895

Happy birthday, Samantha!

Samantha's birthday party is nearly ruined when Eddie Ryland plays a mean trick. Then Agnes and Agatha, Cornelia's 10-year-old twin sisters, save the day with an invitation to visit New York City. Samantha loves the twins' carefree attitude and can't wait to go--especially since the trip will include a stop at a fancy ice cream parlor. But when the girls carelessly break some rules, they suddenly find themselves racing dangerously through the big city--and the path they take leads to surprising discoveries.


Thursday, April 5

Oops! I did it again

I discovered this morning that I forgot my friend Rebecca Rubin's birthday yesterday.

Oops.

It's a good thing I can time travel. She'll never know I forgot it!


!יום הולדת שמח

Rebecca's family would likely celebrate her birthday with a mixture of Russian, Jewish and American traditions.

In Russia, birthday parties would be celebrated on or after one's birthday, not before. And never give someone birthday wishes before their birthday!

If you're Russian, you may receive a birthday pie with a birthday greeting cut into the crust instead of a cake!

Jewish boys become bar mitzvah on their 13th birthday. Jewish girls become bat mitzvah on their 12th birthday (or sometimes on their 13th birthday in Reform and Conservative Judaism). This marks the transition where they become obligated in commandments of which they were previously exempted and are counted as part of the community.

And finally, a listing of all my friends' birthdays (including mine!) so I don't forget again!
  • Kaya ~ Summer, 1755
  • Felicity ~ April 21, 1765
  • Elizabeth ~ November 5, 1765
  • Josefina ~ March 19, 1815
  • Marie Grace ~ March 3, 1843
  • Cécile ~ May 28, 1843
  • Kirsten ~ June 8, 1845
  • Addie ~ April 9, 1855
  • Addy ~ April 9, 1855
  • Samantha ~ May 26, 1895
  • Nellie ~ October 15, 1895
  • Rebecca ~ April 4, 1905
  • Kit ~ May 19, 1923
  • Ruthie ~ August 22, 1923
  • Molly ~ April 22, 1934
  • Emily ~ September 29, 1933
  • Julie ~ May 1, 1966
  • Ivy ~ February 28, 1966

Friday, February 24

Steampunk Addie goes Downton

Hmm, I haven't watched Downton Abbey yet, but I'm starting to think I should after reading this hilarious article, Downton Abbey: Why It's Like American Girl Dolls For Grown-Ups, at the Huffington Post.

Downton Abbey is set in the fictional Yorkshire country house of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. Season one spans the two years before World War I, beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic.

The second season covers the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011 Christmas Special December covers the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early 1920.

The hilarious Huffington Post article compares the three Crawley sisters to three American Girls:

Mary Crawley = Samantha Parkington

Sybil Crawley = Felicity Merriman

Edith Crawley = Molly McIntire

So, Downton Abbey paper dolls or trading cards anyone? Although that nightgown sounds promising....

Saturday, December 24

The Nutcracker? Sweet!

I have to laugh whenever I hear my friend Samantha Parkington talk about The Nutcracker since she was only 9 in 1904 and it premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia on Friday, Dec. 18, 1892.

I know she's rich but old enough and rich enough to go to Russia? Sheesh.


For Christmas, Samantha longed for the beautiful doll she saw in the window of Schofield’s Toy Store. It’s made of porcelain with movable arms and legs. Her hair is tied back in a big pink bow that matches her ruffly party dress. In her arms she carries a tiny wooden nutcracker—the perfect Christmas doll.

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.)

The original production was not a success.

So when did The Nutcracker make it to the U.S.?

A short version of the ballet, performed by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, was staged in New York City in 1940 by Alexandra Fedorova.

The ballet's first complete United States performance was on Dec. 24, 1944, by the San Francisco Ballet. The New York City Ballet gave its first annual performance of George Balanchine's staging of The Nutcracker in 1954. Beginning in the 1960s, the tradition of performing the complete ballet at Christmas eventually spread to the rest of the United States.

Wait a minute! Do you think Samantha's the same Samantha I met in St. Louis? Maybe she became a time traveler, too!


Tuesday, August 30

We're fairly stuffed

Sam, Josefina Ester, Ruth and I check out my favorite exhibition.

Sam, Ruth, Josefina Ester, and I are having a grand time at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair! 

Samantha and Ruth are both from New York. Sam is curious about everything and Uncle Gard is accompanying the girls along with a maid as a chaperone. Ruth is a Society girl who wants to be where all the fashionable people are. New York City is great but St. Louis is where it's at right now.


(Samantha wanted to know if I arrived in one of those newfangled airships that are on display. Of course! Now, if I can just figure out how to get her on board the Enterprise....)

Josefina Ester is a first generation American who lives in St. Louis so she can show us where everything is! Her parents immigrated to St. Louis from Palermo, Sicily. She is named after her grandfather (Joseph) and her grandmother (Ester). Her father is a shoemaker and has his own shop in St. Louis. Her mother stays at home. Josefina Ester is an only child.

Her family and some other Sicilian immigrants are part of the Italian Pavillion at the Fair. She is very interested in many of the science exhibits.

Waffle ice cream cones
We've been busy taking in the sights ... and eating lots of yummy goodies!

Thankfully for us, doll food is calorie free!

As I mentioned yesterday, a number of foods claimed to have been invented at the Fair including the waffle-style ice cream cone, the hamburger, hot dog, and peanut butter. (It is more likely, however, that these food items were first introduced to mass audiences and popularized by the fair.) 

Cheeseburger with french fries
If you (or your doll) are now drooling over these luscious foods, drool no more! I can't recommend Pippaloo's doll food enough. She's the artiste who sculpted these luscious creations.

Don't they look good enough to eat?

Pippaloo creates realistic polymer clay food for your American Girl or other 18-inch doll. All items in her shop are ready to ship. She strives to make unique and high quality products that will delight dolls and their owners alike.

Hot dog with mustard
According to Pippaloo, "My polymer clay obsession started out quite innocently when my two young girls asked me to make some cookies for our American Girl dolls. Dismayed by the lack of realism and incorrect scale of so many of the foods that AG makes, I soon found myself on a mission. That was about four years ago. As you can no doubt imagine, we now have some very well fed dolls."

Are your dolls craving something specific? She is always happy to do custom orders. Custom orders can take from one to three weeks to complete, depending on the request.

Peanut butter and jelly
Food items are crafted from polymer clay and are in perfect 1:3 scale for American Girl dolls.

Because of the realistic nature and scale of the food, these items are not intended for children under the age of 6. Her food is not for human consumption - it is only tasty to dolls!

All items are crafted by Pippaloo in her smoke-free home studio.


Since all her clay food is handmade, no two will be exactly alike - but each piece you receive will look as realistic and scrumptious as the ones pictured. 

Now, what should I try next....

On the Net: http://www.etsy.com/shop/pippaloo

The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
Daily Calendar

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 1904
  • Improved Order of Heptasophs
  • Olympic Marathon Race, temperature over 90 degrees. Fred Lorz crosses finish line, but had ridden a car for 11 miles. Thomas Hicks won the race, but required assistance after taking strychnine and raw eggs.


    Monday, August 8

    Bring out yer dead

    First Samantha, then Kirsten, followed by Felicity. Who is next? No one knows but some are fearful with the introduction of a Yellow Fever epidemic in 1853 New Orleans....

    The Dead Collector: Bring out yer dead. 

    (American Girl® puts a body on the cart.)

    AG: Here's one. 

    The Dead Collector: That'll be a half-dime.

    Addy Walker: I'm not dead.

    The Dead Collector: What? 

    AG: Nothing. There's your half-dime

    Addy®: I'm not dead. 

    The Dead Collector: 'Ere, she says she's not dead. 

    AG: Yes she is. 

    Addy®: I'm not. 

    The Dead Collector: She isn't. 

    AG: Well, she will be soon, she's very ill. 

    Addy®: I'm getting better. 

    AG: No you're not, you'll be stone dead in a moment. 

    The Dead Collector: Well, I can't take her like that. It's against regulations. 

    Addy®: I don't want to go on the cart.

    AG: Oh, don't be such a baby. 

    The Dead Collector: I can't take her.

    Addy®: I feel fine.

    AG: Oh, do me a favor.

    The Dead Collector: I can't.

    AG: Well, can you hang around for a couple of months? She won't be long.

    The Dead Collector: I promised I'd be at the McIntire's®.

    AG: Well, when's your next round?

    The Dead Collector: Next year.

    Addy®: I think I'll go for a walk.  

    AG: You're not fooling anyone, you know. Isn't there anything you could do?

    Addy®: I feel happy. I feel happy.
    (The Dead Collector looks around furtively, then archives Addy® with a whack of his club.)

    AG: Ah, thank you very much.

    The Dead Collector: Not at all. See you next year.

    AG: Right. 

    With major apologies to American Girl, Addy, and 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail.