My Baby's First Doll Baby

My third daughter turned two this month.  She is very interested in playing dollies and is ready to graduate from the average store-type dolly to something nicer.  She is not ready yet for the really nice dolls either, so I have been on a quest to find just the right baby for her.  Part of the reason I am looking is that she wants a baby with hair to brush.  I want to find her a doll with hair that won't get ratty and dry from my toddler's daily use and care.  The other reason is that I want her to have a baby of her own that she can hold while I am caring for her new sister that should be arriving next month.  Here is the solution that we found.  Meet Brianna, now called Baby Millie at our place.

The Melissa and Doug company carries this vanilla-scented, thumb-sucking beauty that is just right for our girl.  Her hair is rooted but full for styling and surprisingly soft.  She gets carried around by her pigtails daily and they have always brushed out nice and smooth for us so far.  It's not too long either.  Her face is of average cuteness but I must say she looks better with her thumb or pacifier in rather than out.  Her clothes are sturdy and wash clean for us.  Her body is soft and sleep-friendly.  If you are in the market for a new baby doll for your little girl who is not quite ready for her first real dolly, then consider Brianna by Melissa and Doug.  At just $15 on Amazon, she is a real bargain.  Here she is after a month at home with us.

Cuddled up with her Mama

Now go play with your dolls!
-Whimsy

Getting Fancy with Nancy

Ask almost any 5-7 year old girl what "bonjour" means and thanks to "Fancy Nancy" she'll be able to tell you.  Nancy is the loveable, round bellied doll that the younger set adores.  With her books and outlandish fashions how could any little girl resist her charm?  You can find Fancy Nancy and her wares adorning the toy aisles at your local T@rget.  Wait for her to go on sale or pick one up secondhand on eBay.  She will be a hit when you introduce her to her new dolly friends. 
For some reason, this doll manufacturer thought Nancy needed purple hair highlights.  My 6 year old thinks they are "yuck," but thankfully has not yet tried to cut them out!  Nancy's hair is of some concern for another reason too.  Her wig is curly.  As cute and lively as it makes for a children's storybook character, it is never as carefree in real life.  Curly doll wigs are difficult for young dolly lovers to care for as it is hard for them to resist brushing it.  Soon the pincurls and ringlets are all askew and frazzled.  If you decide to bring Nancy home to your little gal, consider yourself warned.  Take some time to visit my Dolly Hair page and pick up all the tools and tips you'll need to make life with a curly-haired doll a success.
Also note that Nancy's hair is rooted, not a wig and her body is all-vinyl.  Many girls prefer a soft-bodied doll for cuddling but Nancy is so loveable your dolly lover may not be able to resist offering her a squeeze anyway!  Her eyes are a vibrant green and are full of twinkle and charm.  At bedtime Nancy will need a sleep mask since she does not come with sleep eyes.  You will be able to trade clothes with some other 18" dolls just be careful as Nancy's hard plastic tummy is a bit round.  Shoe fit will be hit or miss as well.  All in all, the Fancy Nancy doll is a great find for the fanciful little girl in your life.  Now go play with your dolls!
-Whimsy 

Meet Our Life of Faith Doll Elsie

As a young girl I would say that I played with dolls a lot.  As a Mama, I am hoping the same time will be spent by my little girls enjoying their playtime with their beloved dolls as well.  When my eldest daughter was still too young for her first real doll, I couldn't help myself when I saw this beauty.  I met Elsie Dinsmore while combing the aisles of a favorite Christian bookstore.  There she stood quietly in her box waiting to go home with some girl and help her find her way through the struggles of life.  Elsie came home with me and stayed in her box until my daughters 6th birthday.  She was allowed out, but only to be displayed.  Finally after much cajoling I gave in to allowing her to be handled and carried about the house.  Today her lovely curls are a bit displaced but mostly intact as is the rest of her outfit.  Elsie sits on her couch in all her loveliness awaiting her bedtime prayers each night.
My now 10 year old daughter would say that she is still the prettiest doll she has ever seen.  These dolls are no longer in production but can be obtained via eBay and collector sell-offs.  Some of the harder to find dolls from the Life of Faith collection sell in excess of $325 in New In Box condition.  Their clothing detail is exquisite and historically accurate for the period they are set in.  Their skin is a lovely tone and has been given life-like detail by blushing on the tops of the hands and knees.  Elsie's curls make her hair a no-no for play and styling.  I would have to say she is best left in her original clothing and hairstyle in order to preserve her beauty.  She is all-vinyl therefore not too cuddly for sleeping and hugging.  Perhaps this is the reason that this gorgeous doll line is no longer in production.
We benefited greatly from Elsie's book series as a read aloud.  It was captivating and historically rich.  She is now reading through it on her own as well.  We are even in the process of collecting the entire series from the original author just to enjoy the beautiful vocabulary.  Through their website your daughter may enjoy, as mine does, an interesting forum for growth and encouragement as a young lady of faith.  I am not certain how long they will keep this resource available so go visit while you still can!
-Whimsy

Our Twinn Family is Growing

While I have yet to stumble across a fabulous My Twinn or American Girl Doll for $5 at a thrift store, I have had almost as much good fortune on Craigslist.  It seems many girls don't "get into" My Twinn like they do AG and often want to help their Twinns find new homes before the dolls are hardly in played with condition at all.  Such was the case for us when we found our newest dolly, another Kate.  She came to us blonde but we have since made her a brunette.  Her body was perfect but her former dolly Mama had not been taught how to care for dolly hair properly.  It was really too broken and dry to be salvaged for styling.  Megan Joy (as she is now known) has caused me to wonder what I can do to spread the word about this wonderful doll.  I would love to see the better-made My Twinn doll more in vogue and in more little girls hearts and homes.
There are many fine handmade fashions that can be purchased for American Girl and other similarly-sized dolls on the market today.  That is no longer the case for My Twinn clothing.  You are currently obligated to pay the higher prices for clothes from the doll manufacturer, buy outdated handmade styles online, or make your own.  The fact is, many little girls love to dress their dolls in clothing that is more like what they wear.  Due to popularity among doll collectors, most My Twinns are seen dressed in toddler clothing or other less trendy styles.  I have been inspired to begin a crusade to help My Twinn owners and lovers everywhere to be able to find high-quality handmade fashions for their Twinn dolls that are more in keeping with dress styles of today in order to encourage the popularity, ownership and play of these great dolls!  If you are an excellent source for this, please send me your link and I will put your store in our Doll Mall.  Until then, enjoy your play!
-Whimsy

Another Twinn

Since I have two girls that play with dolls so far, I felt that we needed another Twinn to keep the first one company.  So, back to eBay I go while the My Twinn company is again involved in some turnover.  Once the dust settles I'll feel comfortable buying directly from them.  The girls and I began our search through the pages of My Twinn listings, finally our eyes fell on this beautiful gal and the "oohs and aahs" began.  We waited patiently two more days for her listing to end and made her our own.  When this pretty girl arrived we were thrilled with her looks, but oh did she smell!  The girls and I do not care for cigarette odors and her wig was the main culprit.  What to do, re-wig or Downy Dunk?  Since her adorable blonde bob was the main reason we fell in love with this girl, we decided to dunk her.  Guess what?  It worked.  Just remember, since her style is short we had to try our best to keep the wig cap itself dry so that the adhesive would not be compromised.  I was especially concerned about this since she is a Denver-era My Twinn. 
Her facemold is known as kissy "Kate" because of the sweet pout her lips seem to have.  My little girl decided she looked more like a Mary Grace to her so that is what she is known as here.  A few carefully placed squirts of Fabreeze took care of any body odors she may have had.  Poor girl.  I think she spent a week at our doll salon getting made over before she was ready to play.  The girls were about to burst!  We are quite pleased with our newest dolly addition and can't wait to dress her up and show her off to all of you.  Now off to find some My Twinn sewing patterns!
-Whimsy