Showing posts with label girly-girl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label girly-girl. Show all posts
Ten Ways American Girl promotes inclusiveness and celebrates diversity
How to encourage girls to pursue STEM careers
.jpg "DiscoverE girls in STEM")
This is a sponsored post
I grew up thinking I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. After all, my dad was a doctor, and I was a good student like he was, so of course I wanted to follow in his footsteps! I was in my senior year of high school before I realized I actually didn't want to be a doctor. In my junior and senior year of high school, I realized the subject I loved the most was math. I loved how all those quadratic equations and trigonometric expressions lined up so neatly, and I was good at getting them to line up! I decided to pursue an Industrial Engineering degree, and before my first year was over, I knew I had made the right decision. Engineering engaged and challenged me, and I loved knowing that I could be helping make the world a better place by solving problems and applying the equations and principles I was learning.
Throughout my decision making process and throughout my college years, my gender was never a factor. Maybe it's because I went to an all-girls' high school. Maybe it's because I was a good student. Maybe it's because the females in my family have always been somewhat dominant. Maybe it's because the Philippines is a matriarchal society. Maybe it's all of those reasons. Whatever the reason, it never occurred to me that I couldn't be an engineer, or that I wouldn't do as well as the guys. The females at the college of engineering were definitely in the minority, but we were always the best students. So when I came to the US, the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers was not so surprising -- but the attitude towards girls pursuing STEM careers was.
Afternoon sips and snacks at the American Girl Bistro SF
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!
American Girl San Francisco: Opening Weekend recap
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.
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.
It's in the Blood
Earlier this week two of my mother's sisters stopped by for a short visit. They had arrived in the US after spending several days in Vancouver with a cousin, and spent the night at our place before heading down to Santa Cruz to visit another relative. The first place they wanted to visit? Costco.
My aunts are veteran shoppers. These ladies will literally shop from the time stores open till the time they close. I've accompanied them on numerous shopping sprees, from the time I was a teenager, around the malls of Manila, to weeklong junkets in Hong Kong, to day trip to the outlet malls in Gilroy and New Jersey. They do have enough money to fund their buying sprees, but they're also bargain hunters who think that the only thing better than the perfect pair of shoes is the perfect pair of shoes at 50% off. And for my aunts, they enjoy the looking as much as the buying-- so shopping with them is always a fun bonding experience.
Much to their sorrow, we weren't able to stay at Costco too long (only 45 minutes, a blink of an eye!) before we had to fetch The Pea from school. But after we got home, we decided to set out again and look for some things that another aunt from the Philippines had asked them to buy. 3Po and Jammy stayed home with my dad, who's also visiting, but The Pea decided to go with us.
We left home at about 4:30PM. I called Alfie at the office to ask him what he wanted us to bring home for dinner. He scoffed and said he would take the boys out somewhere because there was no way we were getting home before 8. We said we just had to buy a few things, of course we'd be back. Of course, he was right. We shopped till 8:30PM, and would have stayed longer (we only covered half the mall) had The Pea's bedtime not been at 8PM. Nothing out of the ordinary there, just another day's shopping for my aunts.
The surprise of the night was The Pea. She's never really liked shopping before. Usually, after 30 minutes or so at Target she's ready to hit the snack stand and go home, but that night her dormant shopping genes came out in full force. She discovered Marshalls and the joys of bargain hunting and window shopping. She tagged along and searched for presents for her best friends; even though she didn't buy anything, she loved looking at all the beautiful things on display and imagining how great it would be to buy them for her friends. Then one of my aunts gave her $20 and she had a grand old time trying out clothes and buying her perfect outfit. I had a coupon for 40% off our whole purchase, which made it even better. She kept saying, "Wow, I never knew shopping could be so much fun!".
Now she wants to wake up at 3AM tomorrow and join my sisters and me for a Black Friday shopping trip. What monster have we created?
My aunts are veteran shoppers. These ladies will literally shop from the time stores open till the time they close. I've accompanied them on numerous shopping sprees, from the time I was a teenager, around the malls of Manila, to weeklong junkets in Hong Kong, to day trip to the outlet malls in Gilroy and New Jersey. They do have enough money to fund their buying sprees, but they're also bargain hunters who think that the only thing better than the perfect pair of shoes is the perfect pair of shoes at 50% off. And for my aunts, they enjoy the looking as much as the buying-- so shopping with them is always a fun bonding experience.
Much to their sorrow, we weren't able to stay at Costco too long (only 45 minutes, a blink of an eye!) before we had to fetch The Pea from school. But after we got home, we decided to set out again and look for some things that another aunt from the Philippines had asked them to buy. 3Po and Jammy stayed home with my dad, who's also visiting, but The Pea decided to go with us.
We left home at about 4:30PM. I called Alfie at the office to ask him what he wanted us to bring home for dinner. He scoffed and said he would take the boys out somewhere because there was no way we were getting home before 8. We said we just had to buy a few things, of course we'd be back. Of course, he was right. We shopped till 8:30PM, and would have stayed longer (we only covered half the mall) had The Pea's bedtime not been at 8PM. Nothing out of the ordinary there, just another day's shopping for my aunts.
The surprise of the night was The Pea. She's never really liked shopping before. Usually, after 30 minutes or so at Target she's ready to hit the snack stand and go home, but that night her dormant shopping genes came out in full force. She discovered Marshalls and the joys of bargain hunting and window shopping. She tagged along and searched for presents for her best friends; even though she didn't buy anything, she loved looking at all the beautiful things on display and imagining how great it would be to buy them for her friends. Then one of my aunts gave her $20 and she had a grand old time trying out clothes and buying her perfect outfit. I had a coupon for 40% off our whole purchase, which made it even better. She kept saying, "Wow, I never knew shopping could be so much fun!".
Now she wants to wake up at 3AM tomorrow and join my sisters and me for a Black Friday shopping trip. What monster have we created?
Worshipping at the Temple of American Girl
I never did get a chance to blog about my visit to the American Girl Place in Chicago, but since I officially disapprove of these expensive dolls, I thought I'd better not rhapsodize about how cute everything was. Instead -- and since today is Wordless Wednesday anyway -- I'll let the pictures do the talking.
When I visited in July, the outside display and front of the store was devoted to the newest American Girl doll, Rebecca Rubin.
The first floor has the Girl of the Year, Historical Line of Dolls, Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins. The Historical section has life-sized displays of furniture and objects that might have been used by girls during the time period.
They have lots of beautiful displays, all designed to make little girls beg their parents to open their wallets.
The second floor has all the Just Like Me Dolls, along with all the American Girl of Today outfits and accessories, and all the Dress Like Your Doll merchandise. These Just Like Me dolls remind me of the Children of the Corn, all staring forward like that, although I'm sure the little girls squealing over the display won't think they look lifeless and soul-sucking whatsoever. The doll in the very center is one that The Pea got for her seventh birthday. That model has since been discontinued, so I'm glad she was able to choose the doll that looks the most like her while they were still making it.
The second floor also has the Doll Hair Salon and Tea Room. In most cases, I pay less for my own haircuts than you would to style your doll's hair over here.
Last, but not least, for the second floor is the Craft section, which has what I think is one of the best bargains in the whole American Girl Place. For $10 you can customize a shirt for your doll -- you pick the color and style of shirt, you pick a shirt design, and they will heat-transfer the design onto the shirt. They even packed it for me in a little doll-sized American Girl Place shopping bag, which The Pea loves since her dolls can do their own dolly shopping with the shopping bag.
I wish I could have taken The Pea and her brothers to see the store, but I had to be content with snapping all these photos, including one of me in the store so that I could show The Pea that I actually went there.
Yup, I'm not a fan of American Girl dolls. That's my line, and I'm sticking to it. Oh, who am I kidding, I hate the fact that they're little cash-suckers but if I ever won a million bucks I'd probably get The Pea the Kit doll, Kit's Treehouse and a horse to go with it.
Click here to see the entire photo set on Flickr.
When I visited in July, the outside display and front of the store was devoted to the newest American Girl doll, Rebecca Rubin.
The first floor has the Girl of the Year, Historical Line of Dolls, Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins. The Historical section has life-sized displays of furniture and objects that might have been used by girls during the time period.
They have lots of beautiful displays, all designed to make little girls beg their parents to open their wallets.
The second floor has all the Just Like Me Dolls, along with all the American Girl of Today outfits and accessories, and all the Dress Like Your Doll merchandise. These Just Like Me dolls remind me of the Children of the Corn, all staring forward like that, although I'm sure the little girls squealing over the display won't think they look lifeless and soul-sucking whatsoever. The doll in the very center is one that The Pea got for her seventh birthday. That model has since been discontinued, so I'm glad she was able to choose the doll that looks the most like her while they were still making it.
The second floor also has the Doll Hair Salon and Tea Room. In most cases, I pay less for my own haircuts than you would to style your doll's hair over here.
Last, but not least, for the second floor is the Craft section, which has what I think is one of the best bargains in the whole American Girl Place. For $10 you can customize a shirt for your doll -- you pick the color and style of shirt, you pick a shirt design, and they will heat-transfer the design onto the shirt. They even packed it for me in a little doll-sized American Girl Place shopping bag, which The Pea loves since her dolls can do their own dolly shopping with the shopping bag.
I wish I could have taken The Pea and her brothers to see the store, but I had to be content with snapping all these photos, including one of me in the store so that I could show The Pea that I actually went there.
Yup, I'm not a fan of American Girl dolls. That's my line, and I'm sticking to it. Oh, who am I kidding, I hate the fact that they're little cash-suckers but if I ever won a million bucks I'd probably get The Pea the Kit doll, Kit's Treehouse and a horse to go with it.
Click here to see the entire photo set on Flickr.
I'm a SlimPerfect BlogHer Model!
Gawwwwd.. That's just not right. We can't allow her to go prancing around on Thursday night with thaaat on display. They might close BlogHer down for inappropriate display or something. Poor girl. She'll be known as the One Who Shut Down BlogHer. *Shudder*... yah, we'd better give her the dress.
That's probably what Carole, Debba and Casey were thinking when they saw my video entry to the Little Black Dress BlogHer Model search. Or maybe it was the gazillion and one Tweets I pestered them with, begging them to choose me. Or maybe it was my solemn promise to ROCK THAT DRESS and be a totally badass bongga mutha while partying in it.
Whatever the case, they did choose me to be one of their 4 Slimperfect BlogHer models, and now I'm so excited I could burst. But of course I won't burst, because I'll be wearing the Slimperfect Little Black Dress, which is going to hold all of me in. I'm so honored to be in the company of some awesome women: Lisa, Krystle, Courtney, and Jerri-Ann, who's so beloved in the blogosphere that she won a category all her own, People's Choice. Seriously, these women are so inspiring with their weight loss efforts and achievements, they make me feel as small as the Peanut Butter Cookie Bombs I recently stuffed into my mouth. I look forward to meeting you all at BlogHer and partying in our Little Black Dresses!
That's probably what Carole, Debba and Casey were thinking when they saw my video entry to the Little Black Dress BlogHer Model search. Or maybe it was the gazillion and one Tweets I pestered them with, begging them to choose me. Or maybe it was my solemn promise to ROCK THAT DRESS and be a totally badass bongga mutha while partying in it.
Whatever the case, they did choose me to be one of their 4 Slimperfect BlogHer models, and now I'm so excited I could burst. But of course I won't burst, because I'll be wearing the Slimperfect Little Black Dress, which is going to hold all of me in. I'm so honored to be in the company of some awesome women: Lisa, Krystle, Courtney, and Jerri-Ann, who's so beloved in the blogosphere that she won a category all her own, People's Choice. Seriously, these women are so inspiring with their weight loss efforts and achievements, they make me feel as small as the Peanut Butter Cookie Bombs I recently stuffed into my mouth. I look forward to meeting you all at BlogHer and partying in our Little Black Dresses!
Dora, don't grow up!
By now, most parents know that Dora the Explorer is getting a makeover . I just got a sneak peek of Dora's new look from MomLogic. Apparently Dora is moving to a different jungle -- the urban jungle -- and attends middle school with some fancy new friends and fancy new outfits. Check out her transformation....
Yep, she definitely wouldn't be able to swing from vines in that outfit. And no way she's going to play with Boots the monkey now, he might splatter mud or bananas all over that pretty pink tunic.
So, what do you think about all the uproar? After all, Dora isn't the first character to undergo a makeover. Look at Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck: they look radically different now from when they were first created by Walt Disney in the 1950's. Even boys' cartoons like The Transformers have undergone, uh, transformations. But for some reason, marketers seem to think that girls need to grow up sooner and sooner. Check out these girls' cartoon characters:
What's up with that? Interesting how all these characters now have sultry, long hair, sexy clothes and a hint of lipstick. Oh, and it looks like they've lost all their baby fat, too.
Personally, I think tweenie Dora looks a lot better than preschool Dora -- I always thought Dora's head and hair looked weird -- but I'm not a 3-year old. Why not let little kids look like litte kids? Hey, not every character has to look like Barbie! I understand that they're trying to grow Dora along with their audience, but there will always be preschoolers to take the place of the ones who turn 5 and 6 and 7. Can you imagine the 7, 8 or 9-year olds abandoning High School Musical and Hannah Montana to go back to Dora, just because she has earrings and a hip outfit? Nuh-uh. Are they going to keep preschool Dora and tweenie Dora? Confuuusing!
From this.....
..... to this!
..... to this!
Yep, she definitely wouldn't be able to swing from vines in that outfit. And no way she's going to play with Boots the monkey now, he might splatter mud or bananas all over that pretty pink tunic.
So, what do you think about all the uproar? After all, Dora isn't the first character to undergo a makeover. Look at Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck: they look radically different now from when they were first created by Walt Disney in the 1950's. Even boys' cartoons like The Transformers have undergone, uh, transformations. But for some reason, marketers seem to think that girls need to grow up sooner and sooner. Check out these girls' cartoon characters:
Here's the 1980's cartoon icon, Strawberry Shortcake, looking all cute and vintage-y, just like I remember her from when I was growing up...
She was given a makeover several years ago to give her a more modern look, but she still looks like a spunky little girl.
And here's her latest look, circa 2008. Now she spends more time with her cellphone than her pet cat, Custard.
How about this one from the 70's.... Holly Hobbie? This must have come out in the Philippines at the height of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series, and I remember how everyone just had to have Holly Hobbie pencil cases and stationery!
Here's the Holly Hobbie of the 21st century... no longer a little prairie girl.
Last one...check out the new Care Bears!
She was given a makeover several years ago to give her a more modern look, but she still looks like a spunky little girl.
And here's her latest look, circa 2008. Now she spends more time with her cellphone than her pet cat, Custard.
How about this one from the 70's.... Holly Hobbie? This must have come out in the Philippines at the height of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series, and I remember how everyone just had to have Holly Hobbie pencil cases and stationery!
Here's the Holly Hobbie of the 21st century... no longer a little prairie girl.
Last one...check out the new Care Bears!
What's up with that? Interesting how all these characters now have sultry, long hair, sexy clothes and a hint of lipstick. Oh, and it looks like they've lost all their baby fat, too.
Personally, I think tweenie Dora looks a lot better than preschool Dora -- I always thought Dora's head and hair looked weird -- but I'm not a 3-year old. Why not let little kids look like litte kids? Hey, not every character has to look like Barbie! I understand that they're trying to grow Dora along with their audience, but there will always be preschoolers to take the place of the ones who turn 5 and 6 and 7. Can you imagine the 7, 8 or 9-year olds abandoning High School Musical and Hannah Montana to go back to Dora, just because she has earrings and a hip outfit? Nuh-uh. Are they going to keep preschool Dora and tweenie Dora? Confuuusing!
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