Ten Ways American Girl promotes inclusiveness and celebrates diversity

One of my clients is a nonprofit organization for the type 1 diabetes community, so when word got out late last year that American Girl was going to start selling a diabetes care kit for American Girl dolls, you can bet I took notice. I already love American Girl dolls, and the fact that they are helping kids with diabetes create an American Girl doll experience that is uniquely tailored to them makes me love them even more.

Holiday Store Exclusives at American Girl

For almost a decade, our holidays have been inexorably tied with American Girl.  The Pea got her first American Girl doll as a Christmas present, and every year since then I haven't been able to resist buying her something from American Girl. This year I'm finally forced to admit that at age 14, she has outgrown American Girl dolls -- well, playing with them, at least! You can be an American Girl doll collector and lover all your life, and I think that's the way it's going to be for The Pea and for me.

Holiday Greetings from American Girl's Samantha

My annual American Girl holiday card is late -- but better late than never! This year's card features the newest member of our AG family, the adorable Samantha, who made a much-welcome comeback to the historical doll line in 2014. Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!!

Check out my American Girl holiday card for 2013
Check out my American Girl holiday card for 2012

Something new and something blue at the American Girl Store

It has been a while since I've dropped by the American Girl Store at the Stanford Shopping Center, and since the holidays are coming up, I thought I'd pay them a visit so I can get a good look at their current offerings and see which items are going to make it into my American Girl Holiday Gift Guide.  As usual, I'd love to get pretty much everything, but there were quite a few new items that caught my eye (note, the full holiday collection is not yet in stores, so I'm going to hold back on my AG gift guide for a couple of weeks!).  Here are my favorite new items at the American Girl Store so far:

How to make a Chinese Dragon Mask for your American Girl Doll

This year, 3Po decided he wants to be a Chinese Dragon for Halloween.  I put my creative hat on and helped him search for tutorials for make-your-own Chinese Dragon costumes. I found a great YouTube tutorial for a parade dragon and came up with a pattern based on their dragon head. I decided to make a small-scale prototype to see whether it would be feasible for us to make it without all the industrial equipment on the video.  By this time, I had spent so much time on the project, I decided to turn the prototype into an American Girl doll craft!  After all, dolls need Halloween costumes too, right?

How to weave an American Girl Doll Rug

Thanks to fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, most kids know that cotton is spun into thread, and thread is woven into cloth, but most kids these days have never seen a spindle or a loom in action, let alone know how to spin or weave. Most of the looms available in craft stores are the rainbow kind, but if you want to give your child a basic idea of how to weave thread into cloth, all you need is some yarn and a paper plate.

We first tried paper plate weaving at St. Fagan's National History Museum in Wales, and I couldn't believe how it kept all 3 of my kids occupied -- they were 11 and 8 at the time, and they hadn't done yarn crafts for years!  They wanted to stay in the crafts center and continue weaving, allowing Alfie and me the opportunity to enjoy a romantic walk around St. Fagan's Castle (hey, when you have 3 kids, you take romance whenever you can find it!).  The resulting circle is perfect as an American Girl doll rug!

1. Draw 8 lines through the center of a paper plate, dividing it into 16 equal wedges. Cut about 1" off the edge of the plate.
2. Wind yarn through the slits formed by the cuts you made, forming spokes of yarn...
3. ...coming across the back of the paper plate.
4. Starting at the center, weave yarn in and out of the yarn spokes.
5. Once your rug is the desired size, slip off the loops of yarn, cut and tie.
6. Flatten your doll rug. Iron and starch if necessary.

Head over to my latest post on Bedtime Math for more detailed, step-by-step instructions (with photos at each step).  It's a lot of fun, and it will keep kids of any age busy for hours......

Afternoon sips and snacks at the American Girl Bistro SF

Now that the American Girl Store in San Francisco has been open for two months, most of the crowds have abated.  The novelty of a new store, the holiday shopping rush, and the 2014 Girl of the Year introductions have come and gone, and it's actually possible to stroll around the store without having to face long lines and hordes of people... with one exception.  The American Girl Bistro continues to be fully booked, at least on the weekends!  The Bistro was fully booked each day in December (yes, I checked!), and you still need to book 3-4 weeks in advance if you want to make a weekend reservation.

Fortunately, once I realized the bistro was open for reservations (this was in late October of 2013), I began planning our first visit to the American Girl Bistro in the new store.  Opening weekend was fully booked, but I was able to get a reservation for 4 on a weekday afternoon in December.  Unfortunately, they only take reservations for up to 4 people (it's a small place), so the only people who went on our first visit were The Pea, her grandmother (who was visiting from the UK) and I -- oh, and two of The Pea's American Girls, Mia and Caroline.  It turned out to be the perfect place for a girls' afternoon out, and we had a grand time!

An American Girl Christmas Greeting

It has become something of a tradition for me to post an American Girl holiday photo on Christmas Day.  If you're not into AG dolls, it might seem like a weird tradition, but as you know, I'm all about the non-traditional traditions.  This year, I enjoyed creating the photo so much that I ended up with two versions.  Feel free to send either of these cards to the American Girl doll lover in your life!

Merry Christmas to one and all, including (and especially) all you American Girls!

How to decorate an American Girl Holiday room

You know you're an American Girl fan when your family Christmas tree isn't up yet, it's mid-December, and yet you still prefer to spend hours decorating your American Girl Christmas tree!  And you know you're a Superfan when you do it all without the help of your daughter.  Guess which kind I am....

The good thing is, I can always justify the effort I spend by saying that an American Girl holiday scene is actually a great way to decorate a corner shelf, side table or end table.  Hey, people like to set up entire holiday villages, why not a room?  Here's how I put together this year's American Girl holiday scene:

American Girl San Francisco: Opening Weekend recap

It was a big weekend for American Girl!  Their 16th store, American Girl San Francisco, held their Grand Opening Ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday, with a ribbon cutting, free gifts, crafts, entertainment, and fun perks throughout the mall.  The Pea and I were at the Stanford Shopping Center all weekend to join in the celebrations, and we had a great time!  Here's a recap of events:

An American Girl Christmas Greeting

Merry Christmas to one and all, including (and especially) all you American Girls!

An American Girl Hannukah Greeting

Happy Hannukah from all our American Girls to all of yours!

How to make a Doll's Halloween Treat Bag from Duct Tape

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on how to make a Halloween treat bag from duct tape.  It was so easy and so much fun that I decided to make a matching bag for The Pea's American Girl dolls.  This miniature version looks just like its full-sized counterpart, and it's even easier to make.  Here's how:

How to make a Halloween candy corn tutu for your American Girl doll

Last weekend we attended the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, and we spent a pleasant day gawking at the beautifully carved pumpkins, collecting free samples of granola bars and bread,  pigging out on pumpkin ice cream, and wandering through the arts and crafts booths.  One of the booths happened to sells little girls' tutus of all kinds.  I miss The Pea being young enough to wear a tutu!

The tutus on display were adorable -- and when I looked closely, I realized how easy they were to make.  Since I can't make one for The Pea anymore, I decided to make one for her American Girl doll.  Yes, I'm destined to become the crazy old lady who plays with dolls.  If you're like me, keep reading to find out how to make the tutu....

American Girl Place, LA (2nd time around)

Two weeks ago The Pea and I visited the American Girl Place at the Grove Shopping Center in LA.  It was my second time to visit the store (my first visit was 2 years ago), and although the main purpose of our visit was to have lunch at the Cafe, we made sure we had some extra time to walk around the store and soak in all the American Girl magic.

Lunch at the American Girl Cafe

Some women celebrate turning forty by taking a trip with the girlfriends -- to Mexico, Vegas, Atlantic City, somewhere they can run wild.  Some go to a a spa for some pampering.  Some throw a party.  As for me, I celebrated at the American Girl Cafe! 

Happy Holidays from The Pea's American Girls!

Merry Christmas from Natalia (The Pea's Just Like Me Doll)! She's wearing her new holiday outfit (courtesy of Santa) and toasting the season with a cute handpainted glass ornament from Lolita Designs.


Merry Christmas from the newest addition to The Pea's American Girl doll family, Marie-Grace! She's wearing the American Girl holiday outfit.

American Girl Cafe, New York

It's kind of sad that my first time at an American Girl Cafe had to happen without The Pea, but when you're invited by American Girl (as a thank-you for participating in their recent Shine On Now campaign), you don't say no. A week ago today I was invited to brunch at the American Girl Cafe in New York with four other bloggers and representatives from American Girl. The American Girl Place in New York was just a five minute walk from the Hilton NY, where I was staying for the BlogHer conference, so I arrived early enough to walk through the store.

The store displays and layout were completely different from what they were on my last visit to American Girl Place NY. This time around, the main focus was their latest version of the Just Like Me doll -- My American Girl, and her online counterpart on American Girl's new online world, Innerstar University.

As usual, I took lots of photos so The Pea could see what everything looks like (I'm just glad she's already been to the AG Place in Chicago, so she doesn't think Mama is having all the fun. Even though Mama is having all the fun.).

All my previous photos of the American Girl Cafe have been ones that I managed to take from the entrance, but this time, armed with a reservation, I was actually able to walk in and snap to my heart's content.

The place settings are adorable, matching the pink-black-white decor perfectly (no doubt some of the parents already knew that, since their little girls were dressed to perfection in black and white outfits that would look great in their photos). The napkin ring is actually a girl's ponytail holder, which we were allowed to take home as a souvenir (so at least The Pea got something to remember my visit).

The cute black-and-white dotted box contained little conversation cards that girls could use to keep themselves entertained until the food arrived. I don't know whether we were allowed to take those home or not; if I had been there with The Pea, I confess I might have been tempted to try, but I was too shy to do so in front of all the other bloggers. It might have not looked too good if one of American Girl's Shine On Now parent partners were thrown out of the American Girl Cafe for petty theft!

These tiny cinnamon roll appetizers were delicious! Not that we needed appetizers given the huge meal that was to follow, but hey, for $20 per person I'm glad the cafe pulled out all the stops.

For brunch, cafe patrons can choose from a number of selections. I warned the other bloggers that I was kind of weird about obsessively photo-documenting everything at the American Girl Place; being bloggers themselves, they completely understood, and allowed me to photograph their orders, thereby saving me the embarrassment of having to approach strangers at other tables and asking them if I could take photos of their food.

This is the Breakfast Quesadilla. This was one of two vegetarian selections, but I opted for the Veggie Quiche, which came with fruit.

Here's the Eggs Benedict, which came with fruit and hash brown potatoes.

The French Toast sticks looked and smelled amazing. They were ginormous slabs of toast, served with two fat sausages and a generous helping of fruit. When these arrived, I kind of regretted not ordering them myself.

That is, until my vegetarian quiche arrived. The quiche tasted heavenly, with just the right amount of cheese and cream in the filling, surrounded by a flaky, buttery crust. All portions were huge (I was only able to finish half of the quiche) and I cannot imagine any little girl being able to tackle it all. I wonder if they offer doggie --or dollie -- bags?

If you ever get a chance to eat at an American Girl Cafe, don't forget to leave room for dessert! The chocolate mousse in its little flowerpot, with plastic daisy decor and accompanying butterfly sugar cookie, is almost too pretty to eat -- but it's so cute, you just have to.

The best thing about the brunch was the company -- not just the human company, but the inanimate diners! Little girls brought their own American Girl dolls, but if you don't have one the Cafe has a huge selection that diners can borrow while they're there. I asked Rebecca if she would like to be my brunch date, and she smilingly agreed (I think). Rebecca got to sit in a little pink booster seat that attached to the table top. She even had her own little ceramic plate and mug! The Cafe stopped short of actually serving AG-sized food, but Rebecca assured me she didn't mind, because she was on a diet.

I had a great time at the American Girl Cafe, and I can understand why parents are willing to splurge on a meal there. The only thing missing from the whole experience was The Pea! Next time, Pea, next time.....


For more photos of the American Girl Cafe at the American Girl Place in NYC, check out my Flickr photoset.

American Girl Place, LA

When my sister and I went to LA for the American Idol finals at the end of May, we had a free day to see the sights and hang out. I told my sister there were only two things I was really interested in hitting given the limited time we had: Grauman's Chinese Theater and American Girl Place. Not exactly the stuff that fills up travelogues, but I've already been to the AG Places in Chicago and New York, so I figured I'd round it out and get an American Girl Place hat trick (if you don't know what that means, brush up on it because you might be hearing that phrase a lot during the upcoming World Cup 2010).


I think the American Girl Place in LA might be my favorite of the Big Three. The inside of the store is similar to the other two, but the store is located in The Grove, an outdoor shopping center that screams of chic, relaxed SoCal lifestyle. Walking around is an absolute pleasure, and when you see the familiar red awning, you know you've arrived at little girl heaven.


The front facade is not all that different from the other two stores I've been to.


But the outdoor veranda is what makes this place unique. The American Girl cafe is on the second floor, and looks out onto The Grove. It all looks so luxurious and special, I can only imagine what it must be like sitting down to lunch or tea or dinner up on that balcony.





Sadly, they are no longer running any American Girl productions. The theater was closed, and who knows when it will open again. It would have been fun to take The Pea to one of their shows (hmmm, maybe I ought to focus on taking The Pea to the actual store first).


I quickly stuck my head into the cafe and snapped a photo. I love the black, white and pink decor! Note the French doors that open up onto that lovely veranda.


I don't remember seeing a Girl of The Year display in Chicago or New York. I really enjoyed seeing all the dolls for each year lined up, from 2003 (Lindsey) to 2009 (Chrissa). I wonder how much those dolls are worth now.


One corner had a Lainie poster with a small flowerbed in front of it so little girls -- and, in my case, big girls -- could stand and pose with 2010's Girl of the Year.


Even my sister got into the cute AG Place LA souvenirs (not that she needs much excuse to shop -- I think it's in our blood). She got some caps for her girls and I got a floppy sunhat for The Pea -- they only cost $15, which is quite reasonable for any kind of hat, let alone a hat from American Girl -- and now our girls have a nice souvenir of when their moms went crazy at American Girl Place in LA.


Now I have to figure out an excuse to visit Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, and Minneapolis. And start a petition to get an American Girl store out here in San Francisco (Hello, American Girl! Why are you not in the Bay Area yet? Do you know how many dot-com millionaires there are in Silicon Valley just dying to spend their money on their darling daughters??). Hopefully I'll get to cross some of those off my list before The Pea outgrows American Girl. Oh, well, there's always the grandkids.


For more photos of the American Girl Place in LA, check out my American Girl photoset on Flickr.


Wordless Wednesday: Click herefor more Wordless Wednesday entries. Feel free to leave the link to your WW post below, I promise I'll drop by!

An Afternoon of Fashion and Fun

If I had my way, I'd stay in my pajamas all day -- and if I had any pajamas without snowflakes or Strawberry Shortcake or paisely swirls or stripes on them, I probably actually would. But last Saturday I was invited to Aspiring Couture's Winter on the Runway event and I realized that printed stretch cotton probably wasn't going to cut it. So I took my time, dressed up and got ready for an afternoon of fun and fashion.

Aspiring Couture is an online boutique featuring creations by various independent artists, and last weekend's show featured the best of winter fashion by Wise & Prosper, Mahtab Azimi, Selah D'Or, Jesica Milton, Liise Wyatt, Karly Orr, Sofie Olgaard, Gypsies & Lords, and Zoe Hong. I got to hang out in the press area and play the part of the paparrazzi, clicking along with all the professionals. I thank my lucky stars that I decided to make an effort with my appearance, because apparently even the photographers have a sense of style:



I've never been to a fashion show before (I don't think American Girl fashion shows count), and now I can see why people like going. It's a visual treat to be able to sit back and look at such beautiful things being paraded in front of you. Kind of like visiting a museum, but instead of walking around and admiring things, the artwork obligingly walks by you. What I really liked about the fashion show was that the clothes featured were clearly designer quality -- but they were also fashions that normal, stylish people can actually wear. Here are several that really stood out for me:



This dress would be the hit of any holiday party. Especially when there's dancing and shimmying involved! If you still don't know what the word "Bongga" means, I suggest you look at this dress. Now that's Bongga.



I thought this dress was so romantic and fresh, and I could immediately see The Pea wearing it to a holiday party ten years from now. I just hope her dad doesn't decide to follow her around with a floor-length cape and shotgun to scare off all her boyfriends.



At times, the star of the outfit was not the dress; my eyes were instantly drawn to these femme fatale booties by Eidia Lush.



Okay, maybe I wouldn't wear all their designs. You'd have to be super skinny and live in New York to pull this one off.



This is one design I love, but unfortunately it doesn't love me. Again, only for all the skinny ladies, All the Skinny Ladies.... (*sings to the tune of Beyonce's Single Ladies*)


The fashions on the runway (and on the blog) were simple yet stylish, elegant yet fashionable. Most surprisingly (and refreshingly), they're also reasonable. Most of the fashions I saw on the Aspiring Couture blog are priced between $100 and $300, which is pretty much department store prices! Even the most "inexpensive" dresses, the $95 Monroe and $90 Meibury by Mahtab Azimi, are the ultimate in designer chic.

I have to commend Allison O'Grady, founder of Aspiring Couture, for putting together such an enjoyable holiday event-- and for finding such a great group of designers. Thanks, Allison, for supporting these up-and-coming artists!


Disclaimer: I was not compensated to post about this event. I did receive a press pass and a sliver of luscious red velvet cake.