Coupon Code & 1st Sponsor!!!

Hi everybody!
So, I've been looking for a blog sponsor lately, and I finally got my very first one!!!! My 1st sponsor is this awesome company called Trendy Dolls. You can visit their website here at: www.mytrendydoll.com! The website has plenty of awesome things for your dolls. They have cute clothes for any occasion! I am really happy that they decided to sponsor me, and I am really, really, excited. After a year and a half of running this blog (my blog anniversary was summer 2013), I finally got my very 1st sponsor. I am so happy.

My sponsor offered everyone who reads this a 10% discount code on any purchase! Pretty good deal, right? Also, on their website, it says that if you spend over $50, you get free shipping.
Here is the code for 10% off: AAGDS10
Enjoy! :) Let me know if you use the code - I'd love to hear what you got! :)

Best Friends Photo Shoot: Ivy & Payton

Payton and I were going through pictures to find pictures of her teeth without braces, and we found these cute pictures from earlier in August, and I thought I'd post them. I guess I'd not gotten around to doing it then.

Two Best Friends, lying in the grass...

Headshot of the girls!

Creative photo

 

Gymnastics!

Oh yes, and I didn't feel like making a separate post, so I just tacked these photos on the end of it. They are of wild hairdos that I gave Payton on that same day.

I called this one the ponybuns.(instead of two ponytails XD)

Then, look at her front high ponytail - pretty wild, right? XD

Ivy At the Gym

Ivy woke up super early this morning before school to go to the gym. She is currently practicing for her gymnastics demonstration. Ivy missed the last two demonstrations, so she wants to do her best for this one.

With her denim jean purse over her shoulder, carrying her water bottle, some school things (she was leaving for school right afterwards) and a good luck charm, Ivy walked into the gym. She had splashed her face with cold water to get herself wide awake.

Coach Miranda was waiting for her.

"Hello Ivy, your mother called me to tell me you wanted to come in early today - excellent choice. A lot of the competitors have been choosing to come in before or after normal gym hours. I'm always glad to assist them."

"Thank You for coming to help me today," Ivy thanked her. She couldn't imagine how hard it must've been for her coach to get up early - she had two children that had also had to come with her (the husband was on a business trip).

Ivy kicked off the beam, launching into her first few moves of her routine.

She flipped and did a cartwheel. For some reason though, she felt unsteady.

But she landed on her feet - it was a little shaky though. Her new leotard seemed to be slowing her down. It had a skirt and everything, so it was possible that that was right.

She did some more routine practices, and she began to feel more balanced with each step she took....sort of.  

But then she shook a little bit.

But then caught her balance.

Now it was time for the hard part - she had to lift off the ground with her feet. Ivy managed to do it, but barely.

She then launched off the beam and into her dismount position.

"Well done, Ivy," Coach Miranda said.

"Thank you."

"Something did look a bit unnatural about it - you looked like you didn't know what was coming next. We're going to have to help you build up some more confidence on that beam. You have it in you - you just need to be sure of what you're doing," Coach Miranda told her seriously. "You may not even want to compete in this demonstration, since it is within this week. Maybe you should wait until next month's demonstration."

"No, I'll practice extra. I'll come in every morning. I need to be in this demonstration," Ivy told her.

"Okay, but you need to look confident too, and there aren't many more mornings left honey," Coach Miranda told her gently. She didn't want Ivy to be unsure of herself and get hurt in front of the crowd of parents and families.

"Awesome!" Ivy spun around to see Payton cheering her on as she launched back into her routine.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Ivy was sort of embarrassed, and she wondered how long Payton had been standing there.

"You're doing really great!" Payton smiled.

"Thanks! Oh, and I like your braces!" Ivy told her. She hadn't seen them yet, even though Payton had gotten them just yesterday.

"Thank You!"

"Ivy, please get back into your routine," Coach Miranda ordered from the sidelines.

Ivy knew her friend was watching, so she spun, and flipped, and flew. She did her best to look confident and to not mess up.

Down she went close to the beam...

And quickly shot up again

It was time for her dismount, so Ivy prepared. She could feel Payton and Coach Miranda staring at her intensely.

Doll School!

So, a couple weeks ago I started this really cool doll school on a different blog and message board. I don't have too many students, and the school year should be starting up soon (possibly Friday of this week - I don't know yet). I still need students and teachers. We offer all grades, and all dolls can join, not just AG dolls. http://dollstudiesschool.blogspot.com/ There is the link to find out more about this school. Please email me with questions, applications, etc. at americangirldollstory@gmail.com

Payton Gets Braces!

Payton has been seeing the orthodontist for about two years now, and they finally thought that it was time to put the long awaited braces on her. So, today, this morning, she went off to the orthodontist with Jasmine (they were both allowed to take off school, their parents had to go to work (though Payton's mom took off).

Jasmine walked over to Payton's cabin (on the farm, their cabins are next to each other, so it wasn't a long walk) after breakfast to see if her mom & her were ready to go.

"Hi Jasmine," Payton smiled.

"Hi Payton, don't worry, today will be fine," Jasmine assured her. She could tell her friend was nervous.

"Thanks, I hope it'll be fine too. I'm so scared it's going to hurt," Payton replied. Payton was afraid of shots, needles, and anything else that looked like it would hurt.

Soon, they were in the car and already at the orthodontist's office.  

"Hello, please tell your name and age," the nurse said.

"I'm Payton and I'm 10," Payton told her, before Payton's mom stepped in to sign paperwork.

"Girls," Payton's mom said, "Please go sit down, I'll be over to sit with you as soon as I get this paperwork straightened out."

Jasmine and Payton went to sit down on a red bench. Payton immediately looked into the room, where she could clearly see one of the orthodontists (it was a practice with two doctors) putting braces on a boy that was a couple years older. She saw that the doctor was sticking some sharp looking thing in his mouth and telling him to bite down on it.

"Oh no!" Payton cried, resisting the urge to look away, she had to see what was going to happen to her.

"Relax, Payton, it'll hurt less if you just think about something else," Jasmine told her gently. "Don't get all worked up about it. It'll only take about half an hour and then you'll be fine. Besides, it'll probably only feel sore for today."

"I can't go in there!" Payton cried, nearly in tears.

"It'll be fine. I'll come with you and stand somewhere nearby. Your mom will be there too. Besides, the sooner you get it over with, the sooner you get that ice cream that your mom promised us!"

"I guess," Payton smiled, thinking of ice cream.

"Payton?" the Nurse called. "Right this way, please." The Nurse led her to a reclining dentist chair, where Payton was instructed to lie down. Jasmine was right - Payton's mom and Jasmine sat in two chairs nearby.

Payton laid back on the chair, trying to soak in the last moments of a free mouth. According to her mom's last meeting with the orthodontist, Payton would have her braces on for an estimated year to two years.

Soon enough, the orthodontist came over. His name was Dr. George.

"Hello, Payton," Dr. George greeted her, "I can see you aren't too excited for this putting on the braces appointment."

"You're right, I'm not," Payton mumbled.

"Well, it'll all be over soon enough. You'll only feel a tiny bit of pain, and it will be quick - if there is even any!" Dr. George was obviously trying to make her feel better, but Payton felt worse. The doctor hadn't even denied that there would be pain as he put the braces on.

"We can always numb your mouth a bit," Dr. George prepared a needle looking thing and shot it into her mouth.

"Ouch!" Payton cried.

"See how fast it was?" Dr. George smiled as if he was proud of himself.

"Yes...sort of," Payton felt the urge to cry. She didn't want braces and she didn't want to feel any pain.

Dr. George worked and worked, and told her to bite down a few times, and did some teeth stuff, and soon he was done. Thanks to the numbing, Payton had barely felt a thing, though it still had felt a bit weird, it wasn't nearly as bad as what Payton had imagined. Besides, her braces looked pretty cool anyway.

"Now that the braces are done, we must arrange that headgear that we got your face and mouth molds for," Dr. George went back into his office and came out with a small box. After opening it, Payton recognized it as the headgear that she had gotten molds for.

"Is that going to hurt?" Payton asked.

"Maybe a bit for the first few days, but nothing serious. It shouldn't even hurt as bad as a mild tooth ache," Dr. George assured her.

"Okay."

Dr.George arranged the headgear on her, and strapped it around her neck.

"Take it off only to eat, drink, or you can take it off for 10 minute increments if it feels really uncomfortable, but keep it on the next couple days to get it molded in and feeling comfortable - in other words, keep it in to get your mouth used to it."

"Okay," Payton replied.

"All done," Dr. George smiled. "The numbing should wear off in the next half hour, and you may experience some drowsiness and pain, but otherwise, you are good to go. Here is some wax if you need it. In the last appointment we discussed how to use it, remember?"

"Yes," Payton smiled now that it was over, "Thank you."

"Of course. Now come back and see us next week, we'll need a quick follow-up."

"Okay," Payton said, not particularly happy that she had to come back so soon. "Bye."

Payton walked out of the room and off to go get ice cream with her friend Jasmine and her mom.

(We will be checking up on her next week - until then, we'll be following Kirsten through the process of getting her tonsils removed - it seems like this year has brought lots of interesting events into the lives of the girls on AG Farms).

(Start expecting more photo stories and things from me - I am homeschooled and have had some good free time lately).

Payton & Shola Bake Cookies!

All the girls were so excited to get a kitchen for Christmas, that they have spent hours in it already. Shola & Payton are currently baking cookies as we speak. They wanted to bake for the AG doll farms Holiday Party. It is the tradition that everyone gets together after New Year's since a lot of people are traveling with their families, and all the madness of the holiday season is pretty much over. They have a holiday party rather than a Christmas party, that way they can celebrate ALL the holidays!
The party is going to be hosted in a few days, which is the soonest possible get together time that they could coordinate. Shola & Payton are extremely excited to try out their new recipes on everyone.

It looks like they finished the batter already - but gosh, I think they got more food on their faces then on their cookie sheet! I hope they aren't eating any of it - it's raw egg in there!!

Look at all the mess! Flour all over the face, clothing, and hands. Payton, weren't you told to wear an apron? (XD)

There the cookies are, being placed on the cookie sheet. The smells of cinnamon wafted through the kitchen.........

Felicity as Pippi Longstocking!

Today I dressed up Felicity as Pippi Longstocking (I've done it before, but I felt like doing it again - Felicity really does make a good Pippi Longstocking!)
I didn't take any pictures from today, so I decided to use a couple of the pictures I have from a couple months ago of her. I am thinking of making a video of them for my agtube channel, but I'll put the pictures on here too.
I'm kind of obsessed with Pippi, in case anyone was wondering. I love watching the videos (the ones starring Inger Nilsson and all of that - you know, the traditional actual Swedish ones). The books are great too.
For those of you who have never heard of Pippi Longstocking, well, she is a really daring, smart, funny, strong girl who lives alone with her monkey (I used Lanie's rabbit as the monkey XD), and her horse. She has a lot of interesting ways, and is a really good character. I love the books and the shows.

Here is Pippi and her "monkey."

Here is a full length one of her, her horse, and her monkey. Doesn't she really look like Pippi?

Pippi asleep (if you've ever read the books/seen the shows - you would know that she sleeps with her feet on the pillow! XD)

Pippi with her two friends Tommy & Annika. (I know, I know, Kit always gets stuck playing a boy in stories that need a boy because of her short hair)

Pippi hanging upside down.

Last shot of Pippi!

 

How to make your red haired doll into Pippi Longstocking: It is very easy to make your redhaired doll into Pippi Longstocking. All you have to do is do SUPER tight braids and position them. Then, pick out a colorful wild shirt, get a small apron/smock (I have one from a Pippi rag doll that I LOVE), then, for her pants, use bloomers that come on dolls like Kit & Molly). I got string to work as her little sock suspenders. Use two different colored socks, and roll them up or down at two different points. Put her in boots (I used some boots that came with Kirsten)

You now have a Pippi Longstocking doll!

Please Join!

I made a new Message Board and I would really appreciate it if you joined! I currently have 12 members, so there will be plenty of people to chat with!
Here is the link: http://agloversunite.boardhost.com/

Happy New Year! Isabelle is Here! (My opinions on her new stuff)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I just woke up (yes, I stayed up pretty late XD). How was your New Year's Eve? Did you stay up to watch Isabelle roll in? I did! But I was so tired that I waited until today to share my opinions on her stuff.

I like her - she's cute enough. I love her hair - I can see it going into many styles. I like her shirt as well, it really tells who she is, not many of the other GOTY meet outfits really do that without the accessories. I think her pants are cute too - and comfortable looking. Her shoes I think are a little bit over the top, but they are still cute. As for the hair piece, well, I don't like it. I've never been a fan of that kind of stuff.

Her accessories are cute - I like the jacket since her name is embroidered onto it, and it has that ballet logo on it. The purse is cute too. Her hair clip is beautiful. The Metro Pass & her identification tag is cute, it reminds me of McKenna's accessories. Actually, the whole doll's clothing collection reminds me of McKenna. Her hand gloves, are kind of like the hair clip to me; they are too trendy & stuff, I'm not a huge fan of them at all.

Her pajamas are alright. I think the pants are kind of strange - the way they have like a extra layer of fabric to make a sort of dress-like fashion. They are cute, but still sort of plain. The shirt is cute, and I can see it being used for casual clothing with a pair of shorts or something. The headband and slippers are cute too. I think I may purchase this outfit in the future.

I don't like this dress that much. I think that the short dress is sort of wild, it kind of looks like it has a robe style. The leggings aren't anything special, and the shoes aren't really either. The belt is cute, but it looks like it might be a pain to get around the dress. Overall, I don't think that this dress is worth $34! I was thinking $24 sounded like a regular price.

I actually really like this. The coloring is beautiful. I love how the leotard seperates from the tutu - it is adorable, and great for play. I love the shoes too, but they look like they may be hard to get on. The tiara is cute and the little bracelet is a nice feature. But at $38, I think that it is priced a little crazy. I mean, that is only $12 away from $50! I don't know if it is worth it. I probably would've made this outfit $34.

Her cat Tutu isn't anything super rare or special or whatever, but I have to say, she is ADORABLE and I am thinking of purchasing her in the future. I like how they made her $22, that is about the most reasonable price out of this whole collection.

This is what also reminded me of McKenna's gymnastics beam & bar. I really like this set (minus the dance case) and can see myself buying the Dance Bar Set. I think that the Dance Case is a waste of money - it is $44 for a bunch of hair accessories & stuff like that.

I absolutely LOVE this set. I really wish you could buy the sewing accessories separately - I think AG just wanted to tempt you to spend $275. I really do like this set though - but certainly not the price, considering that all I really want is the sewing part of it.

I think that this Mix & Match outfit is really cute. However, it is a $48 outfit. I don't like that! But I still think that I'd like it anyway.

I like this Mix & Match set as well. The top actually doesn't really look like the tops I've seen for ballet, but I have seen dancers wear them. The pants are cute too, and the whole set is only $20.

I LOVE this outfit, it looks so cute, and I love the legwarmers. I LOVE the tutu & leotard.

I like this outfit a little bit. Since they are mix & match, it has the same pants as some of the other outfits and stuff. But you can buy it without the pants or the leotard or the shoes.

I like this a little bit. It looks a little busy to me; I don't know if I like all the layers & stuff. But it is still okay.

That's all of Isabelle's stuff. I like a few of her things, but only about 1 or 2 outfits really popped for me. I think her set is exactly like McKenna's. It follows the same "rules" at some points. The Accessories are similar, then there is the pet, then the fancy party dress, then the pajamas, then the bed set (in Isabelle's case, it was the sewing stuff and wardrobe), the barre was like McKenna's bar & beam, and then there was all the performance wear, and lastly, a few casual outfits. The only thing that broke free from that pattern was the mix & match outfits.