Review of: Hearts 4 Hearts Girl Shola!

This Christmas, I get many, many, wonderful, amazing gifts. Amongst those gifts, I got 2 Hearts 4 Hearts girls; Shola and Nahji. I will post a review of Shola right now, and will post a review of Nahji later (she is currently in major "surgery" having her nose ring glued back on XD).
Shola is from Kabul, Afghanistan. She has a sort of tragic but happy background story. Her parents and brothers died, so she was left alone with her sister, however, the girls find a circus school, and join. In the end, they end up leading a fun, happier life, spreading happiness to other children like herself.
The book is pretty short, it is about 4 pages - it is more like a little excerpt or sample. It is good though, and in those four pages, you end up learning a lot about her.

This is the best far away, full body picture that I could really get of her like that. I still don't know what to call her cultural headscarf (I don't know the proper term for it or anything), so in this review, I will just call it a cultural headscarf.

Here is a picture of her beautiful, kind, face. I fell in love with it when I opened her up - she has a face with so much character and personality. Also, I can see it in her face, she is a very kind person.

Here is another picture of her! She is SO beautiful. Her skin is on the medium side, it isn't dark, but it isn't pale or anything either - it is sort of like an in between, tan color, it is beautiful and so suiting. 

Her shoes are rubber or soft plastic or something (with all these different materials, I can't tell them apart honestly XD). They are detailed, and look more like slippers. They are very easy to slip on and off, and are a beautiful color.

On her arm, she has three rubber or soft plastic bracelets. I took the pink one off, and it seemed to stretch it out more or something, so I just left the rest of them on. I don't know if I recommend taking them off, they stretch out easily. They are brightly colored though, and are a fun addition.

This is a picture in attempt to show you the detail in her eyes. The picture doesn't do the eyes justice, they just have so much detail, they are so kind looking.

Her cultural headscarf is able to Velcro on the back. The scarf is made of some type of light fabric, and is a cute bright pink. The Velcro does fit better together, I kind of spread it apart to exaggerate the Velcro for the picture (I wasn't sure if it would show up or not).

She also has cute gold ball earrings. They don't come out like AG earrings I believe - they can come out a tad bit, but I don't think they come out completely.

Not only does the cultural headscarf Velcro, there is also an elastic band underneath her chin to keep it in place. It isn't noticeable at all, I didn't even know it was there until I started exploring the doll's features more.

For the most part, her dress is a white polka dot against navy blue pattern. It is cute, and as you may notice in this picture, the polka dots aren't completely rounded - it is an uneven polka dot pattern.

However, at that top of the dress, framed in a cute little floral decoration pattern, is another fabric print with little flower drawings, it kind of reminds me of a skirt I used to have a long time ago.

This picture isn't that great, but her hair is amazingly long. She can easily sit on it - but it isn't annoyingly long, it is just the right length for some pretty cool long hair styles!

Here is my attempt to get another pic - this one didn't turn out as great either.

In the back, she has this part of her hair that is tied back, I figured that is goes around to the front strands of hair. I don't recommend taking the tie out, because I don't know if it'd be easy to get back.

Here is Shola with her cultural headscarf off, she is beautiful with and without it. Isn't she adorable?

Here she is sitting down, relaxing. Her head is different than an AG head, her head can move up and down and from side to side, rather than just up and down. That is another cool feature.

Another picture! H4H Girls are about 3 inches or 4 inches smaller than an AG doll - I am thinking that Shola could be an exchange student who is just a little bit shorter. I am thinking of making my other H4H doll a pen-pal of one of my AG dolls - I'll have to think about who.  

This is a side profile of her with a ponytail - her hair is easy to comb and SO fun to style. She came with a small plastic comb that had a ponytail holder wrapped around it - that is such a smart idea! However, the ponytail holder was too small for Shola's thick, layered, long hair, so I just used some of my AG doll ponytail holders.

 

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Shola, and I am saving up for my next H4H girl - I think I either want Mosi, Consuelo, Lauryce, or Dell. Do you have any H4H girls on your wishlist?

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from American Girl Doll Story!!!
I am so sorry I haven't posted this holiday season, so much has been going on in the lives of the dolls and in my life too! I have been SOOO busy. However, after the holiday madness leading up to Christmas Day, I am ready to relax and wait for 2014 to roll right in - so this will give me a time to post a LOT more!
I will be posting a Christmas party for the dolls photo story that I did, I am very excited! But until then, I hold you over with some reviews and other things (I am hoping for the doll photo story to be finished tomorrow, but I can't promise anything).
Thank you for looking at the blog!

Quick Photoshoot with Payton!

Today, Payton wanted to do a quick photoshoot before heading off to the library, so I agreed! It is kind of short, but still very cute! :)

Payton posed for the camera; she was feeling extra fashionable in her big blue bow.

During this photo shoot we experimented with different camera angles! 

Payton's shoes against the light hardwood floor

(they are from the Pretty Spring Dress)

Beautiful! (Doesn't she look kind of like Samantha in this picture - maybe they could be twins?)

This is what she looks like from the top; Payton and I thought this was a pretty neat angle; it is kind of like the view a bird flying over you would get!

This is the long one; we wanted to fit some of her fashion selections into the picture as well! As you may be able to tell, she is wearing the Blue Plaid Jumper with the blue shirt, and Lanie's Nature Accessories white denim jacket. It is getting chillier here, so she wanted to stay warm on her walk to the library!

This is another interesting angle, it mainly focuses on her bow, which we really like! :)

 

I will probably have some more photoshoots coming up - I am trying to practice my photography; I am in a photography contest. Go here to sign up: www.americangirlcontest.blogspot.com

Payton sent in her headshots today! She is very excited! (and so am I)

A Note From Ellie and all the American Girl Dolls!

   We are so sorry that we haven't been posting a lot. It's not really that we're that busy, it's just that we have so many photo stories to plan out that we spend a lot of time planning them, and then, no posts go up for two weeks at a time (or more). We are really sorry about this, but of course, this blog means the world to us, so we aren't going to stop it! We are just going to try to be quicker at getting these photo stories done!
   Currently, for October, we have  a lot on our plate as far as this blog goes. Here is our schedule for the MAIN episodes, that doesn't mean there won't be spur of the moment little ones in between:

1. 1 Full Episode of Little House on the Prairie
2. One Full Episode of Annabelle
3. A Dolloween Party episode
4. a super interesting episode featuring Kirsten

It might not seem like a lot, but the Annabelle ones are my big main ones right now, since the series only had its debut, there haven't been any other episodes yet. Also, it takes me about a whole day to film a Little House Episode, and the Dollween Party setup contains lots of fall props.
But don't worry, we are going to keep this blog updated hopefully everyday once we get back into the "groove" of things. XD

Until our next post (1 day or less),
Ellie and the dolls

Trip to American Girl Place New York (last February)

I lost the memory stick (see previous post), but tonight, I was looking for it again and I actually found it! So now, I have pictures from my American Girl Place New York Trip from last February! I was unable to bring a doll (we had to pack lightly, and there wasn't room for my doll). But, I still got pictures! Of course now, I am going to post pics of my trip to AGP NYC and soon, I'll post pictures of my previous trip to AGP Washington D.C. (I went there this July, and I am going there again in a week!). Well, here are the pictures!

It was about to close when we went, but I was able to snap a few pictures. Here is one of a winter scene! I really liked how they had set it up, and I am pretty sure that the snowman in the background was wearing Julie's Scarf!

I thought this set up was really cool, especially how they had the scooter on display (at Washington D.C. store, I find that it is usually behind glass). This doll was kind of falling off it though!

The Saige stuff was really cool to look at, especially since she was so new (this was only in February).

I thought that this display was cute too, I loved it!

I love this picture, but the AGP NY is so amazing, that no picture could capture it.

 

 

 

Sorry I didn't take any pictures, I went about 30 minutes before closing time, but was able to get a special AGP Exclusive New York Shirt!

 

 

 

 

 

Found Memory Card, and A Trip!

So, I've been missing my original memory card to my camera for about 3 months now. Two trips were recorded on that memory card, so I was pretty excited to find it! The first trip was the Trip to AGP NY, but I'll post that one later, for now, I want to post the one that I took to FL and stopped by a place called Arcadia, FL. It is a small town, so a lot of people may not of heard it! We spent two days there, and I took my doll Jasmine with me (I couldn't take too much doll stuff either, so she is in one outfit for all the pictures!). Since the town is very historical, my doll and I both wore our 1800s clothes, and had a lot of fun. Here are pictures of my doll in some of the shops in the Historical District!

Here is a beautiful picture of Jasmine next to some pretty flowers that lined the walkway!

 

 

Another picture of Jasmine with the flowers, only with different lighting.

In a cool store, they had a place to sit and play checkers! The checkerboard was so authentic and placed on top of a barrel! Jasmine wanted to play a game of checkers, but we didn't have time to.

Then, we went into another store, with some really authentic looking school desks, and books! They are all the way from 1920 or something (I forget the exact era). It was a little bit big for Jasmine though....

Here, she is trying to read the text in a small book of spelling words...whoa, that print sure is tiny!

 

Then, in the next store, she found something that was more her size. She found her own table and chairs. They are really cool, don't you think?

A few stores, later, we came across a more modern store, where they had some pretty cool, neat, inventions and different products. They had a lot of handmade stuff too! Jasmine loved this handmade pinecone cat, so she used some of her money and brought it home to Ivy.

She also saw some cute Tape dispensers. She thought the frog one was especially creative, and bought a frog one for Lanie and a rooster one for Kanani.

After all that shopping, she sat to rest on a wonderful red, wooden, chair. It was quite comfortable. There was also a nice breeze.

 

 

Well, that's all the pictures from that trip......gosh, it is hard to believe it was all the way back in February/March, and I am just now finding the memory stick!

Awesome Giveaway on Doll Diaries!

So, if you haven't heard already, there is a huge Back to School Giveaway on Doll Diaries! It is a great deal! You get the three mix and match outfits, the accents that come with them, and the school backpack! Now how cool is that? 4 things in one giveaway? Amazing!

Don't miss out on this positively awesome giveaway! Go to www.dolldiaries.com to find out more and enter!

Fall Fashions for Dolls!

 So, I've been thinking of some awesome doll fashions for dolls as the weather gets a bit chillier. My dolls wanted to keep wearing their summer stuff, but since it is getting a bit chillier out, I told them it was time to bring the fall clothing out. However, later on, my doll's and I came up with ideas on how you can make fall clothes for your dolls while still using summer/spring time clothes! Here are a few of our ideas.

First, we have this outfit. it is very comfortable for your dolls, and very cute as well. Let's take a closer look....

First, we have the shoes and pants. The shoes can be anything your doll likes to wear. This is one of Payton's favorite pairs of shoes.

Then, all you need are leggings, or pants, either one will work - as long as they will keep your doll warm as the days get chillier.

 

 

Then, for the top, it can be any shirt they wanted to wear in the summertime, or maybe an old summer dress that isn't too long and can be worn over pants. Next, add a little souvenir/jewelry from a trip that your doll may have gone on. Kanani went back to visit Hawaii, and she brought Payton back this necklace, so it is kind of like a little part of the outfit that describes your doll's summer vacation trip!

Next, you can do another really cute style. This is one of Payton's dresses that she wore a TON over the summer (like, if she wasn't wearing her swimsuit, she was most likely wearing this red dress). But, this time, to make it acceptable for fall weather (and for school, as many schools don't allow dresses with no sleeves), she added a blue shirt (though you can add any color) and wore her same leggings and shoes. She looks pretty good in this picture. :)

Today was my doll's first day of school - here is a cute picture of Jasmine and Payton walking to lunch together. Pretty cute!

Cute headshots of the girls! Amazing!!

 

Well, that's it for now...What do you think of the styles?

 

 

 

 

 

Episode #1 of Annabelle!

It was an early morning in the Windsor Palace, and Princess Annabelle was sleeping peacefully behind her canopy curtains.

Servant Molly reached out to the blue curtains. She carefully pulled them back.

Annabelle was sleeping - with her bow still in her hair! Servant Molly looked at Annabelle and wasted no time in getting her up. Molly had been a bit slow lately, and she didn't want to waste anytime that day. She'd heard terrible stories about servants who went to the dungeon and never came back.

"Good morning Nurse Mary!" Annabelle sighed as she sat up and looked towards Servant Molly.

"Why, you aren't Nurse Mary! You are the servant that works for my parents guests? What are you doing here?" Annabelle looked surprised to see Servant Molly there - usually, her nurse came and got her up.

"Oh, Nurse Mary was sick, I came instead of her," Servant Molly choked out, she was a bit intimidated by the Princess herself!

"Oh, okay," Annabelle got up and went to walk around the room to stretch her legs.

Servant Molly began to make the bed. She tried to do it nicely, but she was so worried about how she had been falling behind lately, that she could hardly think straight. 

Aftering making the bed, Servant Molly closed the curtains to it, and went to help Princess Annabelle get dressed for the day. 

"Here are your clothes for the day!" Servant Molly told the Princess cheerfully. 

"Thank You very much, Miss Molly," Annabelle replied, starting to get dressed. Meanwhile, Molly beamed. No one ever called her "Miss", she was always called Servant, Servant Molly, or girl.

As Annabelle got dressed, she thought of what she would do that day. She decided that she should probably pay a visit to the new servant house that had recently been built, she happened to know that dear old Ms. Buckle was living there with some of the orphaned servants.

Next, she put on her beautiful golden shoes. They were spun out of real golden silk, and they were brand new for the Christmas Party that was coming up. That was Annabelle's favorite time in the palace.

Servant Molly hurriedly adjusted Princess Annabelle's bows on the front of her dress. Servant Molly almost fainted touching them - they were real gold and the gems on the bows were real. Servant Molly had never owned or touched something so elegant.

Afterwards, Annabelle went to her etiquette classes with Ms. Masters. 

Ms. Masters was teaching Annabelle important things for the Christmas Party. She was learning how to eat the snacks from the snacks tables properly, she was learning to address the other royalty that was going to attend, and she was learning much more. 

Annabelle watched as Ms. Masters demonstrated things and carried on, and Annabelle tried to act interested, but she wasn't. Instead, she was thinking of what she would do with the servant children this afternoon! 

After lessons, Annabelle went back to her room, to find Servant Molly tidying it up a bit.

"Oh, Molly, you're freezing!" Annabelle exclaimed worriedly looking at Molly.

"I-i-i-I'm fine," Molly shivered.

"Go back to the servant cabins, NOW! Please!" Annabelle cried, pushing Servant Molly out of the room so that she had no choice but to go back to the cabins.

Then, Annabelle made sure that no servants were watching, and that no important people were passing down the hall, and Annabelle went to get dressed into her servant outfit. She didn't want anybody to see her preparing to sneak out and be with the servants!

Annabelle got dressed and pushed her clothes underneath her bed. No servants ever went underneath her bed - that way, no one would know she wasn't wearing her proper clothing.

Annabelle got dressed in her servant clothes, and pulled her mob cap down over her eyes. But then, she decided that she liked her pink one better - her purple one might give her away.

Annabelle finally reached the new servants cabin. It was dark, gloomy, and small. All it could fit was a few corn husk mattresses, and one small chair. They didn't have any windows, so they had to keep the door open, which was bringing in tons of bugs. 

Ms. Buckle sat on the small wooden chair in the little corner of the one room cabin. She was just sitting there.

"Ms. Buckle?"

"Yes dear Annabelle," Ms. Buckle answered calmly. Ms. Buckle was a very well respected servant, and she had been Annabelle's nurse for her earlier years. But then, she was moved to seamstress. She also happened to care for the orphaned children who's parents had either died, been sold away, or were serving time in the dungeons. 

"I, um, thought I'd stop by to see the new cabin," Annabelle whispered. She knew it wasn't much of a cabin.

"Haha, well, I guess you could call it that!" Ms. Buckle laughed a bit. 

"But, what's wrong with Servant Molly?" Annabelle questioned, looking worriedly at Ms. Buckle.

"She just has the chills, I told her to lie down. Servant Martha is doing her extra work. I fear that Molly may have a long road ahead of her if she can't complete all her work," Ms. Buckle's eyebrows showed a worried frown.

"I have just the thing to make her better faster - I'll be right back!" Annabelle shouted, running off before anyone could say another word.

Meanwhile, Molly lay down on the corn husk bed with the chills. The servants weren't allowed to have daytime fires - so there was no way to get warm. 

A little bit later, Annabelle rushed back with a quilt in her hand. She had duplicates of one, and she figured that the servants could use her extra one. 

"Here, it's a quilt, it should keep her warm," Annabelle whispered breathlessly. 

"How very kind of you dear Annabelle," Ms. Buckle offered a weak smile. Ms. Buckle had been giving her food to the children servants, and hadn't had much to eat in a while.

Soon, Molly was underneath the warm quilt, and was much warmer - though she still had the chills.

"Is that the King I see exiting the palace?" Ms. Buckle asked, motioning for Annabelle to check to see if it really was.

"It is! It looks like he is headed straight for this cabin! I'm going to go hide behind it!" Annabelle cried, running towards the back of the cabin.

The King was soon there, and ready to do something.

"Servant Girl sleeping, huh? I'll teach you a lesson for that!" The King shouted running towards the peacefully sleeping Molly. Ms. Buckle watched in horror, unable to speak.

He yanked the blanket it off her and threw it behind him, it happened to land on Ms. Buckle's head.

Ms. Buckle tossed it off her onto the floor, and stood up, holding onto the chair the whole time, she didn't want to fall, she was getting weaker every day.

The King yanked Molly up by the shoulder of her dress, causing her eyes to flutter open, and in horror she realized she was truly in the King's hands.

"You decided to come sleep when you had a job to do, huh girl? Well, as long as I'm your master, you follow my rules, and I've told you many times not to sleep when there was work to be done!" The King     roared. "For that, you will have to go in the dungeon. I can tell you one thing Girl, you're not going to come back to this little cabin the same - in fact, you may not come back to this little cabin again! Maybe I'll trade you off - let someone else deal with your slacking ways!" The King roared some more, before dragging Molly by the shoulder with him, back into the palace. 

Ms. Buckle watched, a tear slid down her cheek and then she sank down onto Molly's corn husk bed and took a nap.

Annabelle didn't even bother saying good bye to the now sleeping Ms. Buckle, instead, she ran up to her room, she had a plan.

Annabelle packed a small bucket of things for Molly to do while in the dungeon. Annabelle also decided to give her a warm shawl.

Annabelle grabbed the basket and went off to the dungeon. She knew she could sneak in, the dungeon keeper Abigal would let her just take a walk through the dungeon.

It turned out, Annabelle was right, and soon, she was at Molly's dungeon cell.

She looked at Molly through the bars. "Molly, it's me, Annabelle!"

Molly was sitting alone in a corner. "Come in, Miss Princess Annabelle, the key is hanging right there" Molly stared down at the ground, which was made out of metal bars.

Annabelle let herself in and sat down on the cold ground, next to Molly. "I brought you some of these Molly," Annabelle smiled, handing her the blue bucket. 

"Thank You," Molly whispered, taking the bucket carefully, and taking out the contents.

"You brought me my Journal, a pencil, my glasses, and some food! Thank You Miss Princess Annabelle."

"Of course, now I am going to go back and think of a way to get you out of here! I promise I'll have you out of here by the end of tonight!" Annabelle suddenly jumped up and got excited.

"But first, take this shawl!" Annabelle handed it over to Molly.

"Annabelle, don't get yourself in trouble over me. Honestly, this isn't much worse than the servants cabins, the only difference is that there isn't anyone to talk to - otherwise, I may as well be here, besides, it will get me out of work, and well, well, I guess, I do......wish I was out of here," Molly whispered, as a tear began to roll down her cheek.

"Well then, we'll get you out of here!" Annabelle exclaimed. "It won't take much - believe me, I plan a lot of things out - and most of it works," Annabelle said, and it was kind of true, but really, Annabelle just wanted to reassure Molly.

Annabelle got back to her room and changed into her proper clothes. She had a plan, and it included talking to Ms. Masters the etiquette teacher, so she had better be proper! Besides, it wasn't safe to be sneaking around the palace in servants' clothes, when really you are the Princess!

Ms. Masters was arranging the desk to be just perfect, and she was also moving it, because the next lesson would include ten of Annabelle's cousins, and herself, besides, it would be about dancing, and desks couldn't be in the way!

Ms. Masters heard someone in the doorway and she quickly looked up from what she was doing.

"Ms. Masters! Ms. Masters! The dungeon guard Abigail wants to see you!" Annabelle cried breathlessly, she hated to lie, but she had to - for Molly's sake. It's not lying, - it's just pretending, and besides, it's for a good cause anyway, Annabelle thought to herself. Even though it still felt like lying, no matter how much she convinced herself it was "pretending."

"He wants to see me? Oh, well, thank you for telling me Annabelle, and remember, you mustn't run - especially not in this fine palace! But come along, how would you like to walk along with me?" Ms. Masters said, putting her things down and starting to walk. 

Ms. Masters and the dungeon guard Abigail began to talk. It turned out that Abigail really did have something to tell Ms. Masters, but Abigail promised herself never to lie again. She was really just saying that Abigail had something to tell Ms. Masters to distract Guard Abigail.

"Come on Molly! Come on! We've not a moment to lose!" Abigail whispered urgently through the metal bars of the cell.

"You really have come to get me! Thank You!" Molly looked pleasantly surprised.

"Of course I came back - I keep my promises!" Annabelle laughed, unlocking the cell with the key hanging outside the door.

Molly bent down to pick up her things, and together, the girls escaped with seconds to spare, as Ms. Masters was just finishing up her conversation.

Finally, they arrived back in Annabelle's room. 

"You've got me, You've got me! I'm free!" Molly chanted. 

"Shhh! Ms. Masters could walk by any moment now! Be quiet please, let me ring the bell down to the servants quarters where the servants are waiting to be called on! I'll have one of them get my father for us. I'll teach him a lesson!" Annabelle said, reaching out to ring the bell hanging above her bed.

Ms. Buckle happened to be the one on duty, and she came up right away!

"Why, by gosh, Molly? Why, I thought that you were - well, never mind what I thought, what matters is that you are safe!" Ms. Buckles cried, throwing her arms around Servant Molly.

The two of them hugged each other for a moment, and then it was back to business. 

"Annabelle, how did you ever manage?" Ms. Buckle exclaimed, hardly believing her eyes. 

"Oh, I have my ways I guess," Annabelle smiled shyly.

"You want me to go get The King?" Ms. Buckle asked softly. She knew that Annabelle wasn't looking forward to facing her father. She knew she had no business being down in the dungeons - much less helping someone escape from them!

"Yes Ms. Buckle," Annabelle whispered.

A short while later, the King came in.

"Servant Girl Molly? What are you doing here?" The King asked in a mean tone.

"I-i-i, um, well, uh, I was..." Annabelle whimpered, trying not to cry.

She closed her eyes, hoping for the best. She didn't want to be given away or thrown back in the dungeon, she just wanted her regular life back again.

Suddenly, Annabelle sprang up in front of Molly, causing Molly's eyes to fly open in surprise.

"I helped her escape from the dungeon, and she is here because it is the right thing to do - she's just a girl, only my age, you wouldn't throw me in a dungeon - would you????"

"Well Annabelle, that isn't the point. Besides, you have no business in this, that was wrong of you to do!!!!" The King shouted.

"Well I happen to think I do have business in this - especially when the reason she wasn't working is because she got the chills, because YOU don't supply the servants with blankets!" Annabelle shouted right back. She knew that Ms. Masters would've been horrified at the way she was talking, and to be honest, Annabelle was a little horrified herself, but she was just standing up for what she knew was right.

"I - I - I well, it never really occurred to me, though they can sew their own blankets!" The King stuttered at first, and Annabelle thought for sure she had stumped him - he didn't know what to say!

"Well, with all they work they do, they don't have time to sew blankets! Besides, they are human too!" Annabelle said a bit softer this time.

"Well I still expect the work to get done, but Servant, I'm letting you off this time!" The King said.

Then, he pointed at the door for Molly to go. It was over.

After Molly left, The King motioned for Annabelle to come to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and said, "Annabelle, I never meant for you to get caught up in all this - you're too young for such things. Please don't be mad because of this, I only do things that I think are right at the time. I love you Annabelle, but I must leave now," The King unwrapped his arms from her, and left the room.

Annabelle was left by herself to think. It was nearly past dinner time now, but she decided that she wasn't hungry. Instead, she just went to sit on her bed and think.

Eventually though, Princess Annabelle laid her head down, and fell asleep right away.

Servant Molly came in and closed the curtains, and that was all for that day. Little did Annabelle know that another adventure was coming her way soon! Stay tuned!!!