Frankendolly

I honestly don't know what to do. 

Should I laugh or cry?

Poor Momma sent her Lea into the American Girl Doll Hospital for total replacement. (Clementine and I were the only dolls to survive The Fire - all the others were either melted or unsalvageable.) 

Lea was the only doll Momma found that was recognizable. She decided to replace only Lea due to the happy memories of attending Lea's Jan. 1, 2016 release at the AG Scottsdale store with my Big Sister and I. 

So off Lea went last month after Momma got her Income Tax refund. 

Lea returned home today.

Snigger.

Someone at the Doll Hospital put Leah's lovely medium skin-toned head on a light skin-toned body. Poor Leah looks like she has a farmer's tan!

Momma called the Doll Hospital and Leah 1.3 is on her way.

I don't know who I feel sorrier for: Lea or Momma. 

Hubba boba!

One of the things I love about Winter is her generosity in sharing craft tutorials. Not only does she make the best dolly drinks I've found, but she shares how on her blog! 

http://fauxrealfood.com/2017/01/07/doll-drink-tutorial-american-girl-dolls/

Apparently her secret is two-step epoxy - not the acrylic water used by so many. 

We have some of Faux Real Foods milk, eggnog (complete with nutmug!), and boba tea and they are all beautiful, tasty ... and sturdy. 

Boba, or bubble tea, is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Most bubble tea recipes contain tea mixed with fruit, milk, tapioca balls, and/or fruit jelly.

Now, Momma and I both love tea, and Momma adores tapioca - but tapioca in tea?! No, thank you!

That said, Winter's boba tea is about the prettiest (and tastiest) we've ever seen. 

Don't forget, you can win a Faux Real Food meal - complete with eggnog! Read my post for more details: https://steampunkaddie.blogspot.com/2017/02/tell-me-story.html?m=1

Check out Winter's website at www.fauxrealfood.com. View tutorials, reviews, and sign up for the newsletter to receive special offers. Free shipping until March 15 with orders over $15. Use code FEBFREE17 at checkout.

Faux food, real quality

Momma and I love chatting online with Winter, owner of Faux Real Food. She's smart, funny, and compassionate - and LOVES custom requests.

Knowing this, we had to ask her some questions. 

Steampunk Addie: What is your favorite doll food to make? 

Faux Real Food: My favorite doll food to make is anything I haven't made before. I love my customers, they consistently request unique and fascinating menu items and accessories. I feel very fortunate to be able to do interesting work.

SA: What was your favorite (or most memorable) custom request?

FRF: My favorite custom request? This is a tough question, there are so many I've enjoyed. These leap immediately to mind; I had a great time making a complete menu for a Mexican food cart, very detailed and time consuming but so cool when finished. Corned beef and cabbage dinner was a terrific challenge, Caroline's fish and Lima bean dinners turned out very well. I did a series of giant cake cookies with different themes for each month, those made me hungry! There are so many others. 

My most memorable requests so far have been a squid shaped tumor in a tiny glass jar filled with moonshine, an everlasting gobstopper based on the early 1970s movie and an old-fashioned slop bucket. Some dolls have more interesting homes than I do! 

Ooh, Momma just told me she asked Winter to make my birthday cake! Whee! April 9th can't get here fast enough!!

Check out Winter's website at www.fauxrealfood.com. View tutorials, reviews, and sign up for the newsletter to receive special offers. Free shipping until March 15 with orders over $15. Use code FEBFREE17 at checkout.