*Is suprised*

Yeah, as you can see, I'm a bit surprised, haha! I didn't know everyone loved Erin so much! :O I made the small mention of her on this blog and made a short video for youtube, and I've gotten quite a few comments from people saying that Erin was their favorite doll of mine, etc. I don't know why I find that so surprising. I guess it's because I hardly ever posted about her on this blog, and she hasn't really been photographed that much.
I've also been asked 'why':
My cousin wanted an AG doll, simple as that. After I received some AG things for Christmas, she expressed an interest. So, after contemplating, I decided to give her Erin. My cousin said she was just going to 'borrow' Erin, but I'd feel kind of horrible taking her back. Only if she doesn't take care of Erin or doesn't play with her much will I get her back. Or, unless she decides she doesn't want her anymore and gives her back herself.

Sorry if that was a bit confusing :P I'm not sure how genuinely interested my cousin was, or if this was just a fad/phase kind of thing. Only time will tell.
But I'm glad that Erin was well loved by my internet buddies :P She would have liked to know that she was popular! LOL :P
-Brooke

Winter Wonderland

Yay, it's the weekend! :) Here in MI we got a nice weekend surprise; five inches of snow! It came over Thursday night/Friday/and it is still snowing today. Everything looks so pretty, all the trees are covered in ice and snow. Finally winter has came! I was beginning to get worried that we would never have a substantial amount of "the white stuff".
Personally, I love snow! I'm glad that a thick, white blanket has fallen over Mondale (my boarding school). This morning I got bundled up in my new sweater and went outside. Erin came along as well. Her and I have been getting to be good friends.


Anyways, we went out into the woods to play in the snow! We had a lot of fun, and Brooke snapped some pictures.



I hope my readers are having a wonderful weekend!
-Avery

Winter Photo Shoot

Today I took Erin, Nellie, Nicki, Avery, Mia, and Ruthie outside in the snow to take some photos! :) They're all dressed for winter! Last night we received a dusting of snow, just in time for the holidays.
Check out the video with all the photos here.
Here's a preview shot:











Happy Holidays, everyone!
-Brooke

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree!

*picture heavy post!*
Today we set up our doll sized holiday tree! :) It was so much fun. We put on the lights, garland, green and gold bulbs, and other ornaments as well. We couldn't find a star for the topper, so we just used a red bow instead. We also placed a few presents underneath. I think it turned out very nice. We're really in the holiday spirit now!

Brooke has also been working on a project the week or so- a fire place! She just finished it today, and it's perfect for the holidays. It isn't the greatest, but it looks good in the room. It makes everything look so warm and cozy, just like winter! It really finishes the scene, if you know what I mean. Plus, it was really simple to make (if anyone wants to know how to make their own, comment and I'll tell you! It is insanely simple and can be a one day project! All you need is cardboard or wood and some paint!) Us dolls scavenged around the house to find some things to put on the mantle. We came up with two candles, a mirror, a snow globe, and a clock. There's also a nativity scene at the base of the fire place. I told Brooke we need to find a menorah, so we'll have to get that soon. If you don't know, I'm 1/2 Jewish, so I celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah (which starts December 11th)

After everything was done, Erin, Chrissa, Sonali, and Mia put on their holiday dresses and posed for some photos! Don't they look pretty?
Well, without further ado, here is our finished holiday set up!


And here are their Holiday 2009 portraits:
We hope you enjoy!

~Avery~

Craziness at school...

Sorry for not updating much lately! :( I've just been sooooooo busy! At school everyone is excited for the holiday ball. I think I'm going to go. Ivy and Nellie are going, I know that, and I think Erin is too. Anyways, I've had loads of homework, including 2 huge essays. I hate essays. I have one for History and English. The good news is tomorrow we have a 1/2 day of school! But I don't think I'm going to be on the computer much over the weekend.

Just felt the need to update :)
~Avery~

Happy Birthday! :)

We're celebrating quite a few birthdays this weekend! Friday was Rose's birthday! Happy Birthday, my blogger friend! =D So, we're celebrating that birthday from afar. But today (Saturday November 7th) is also Erin's birthday! Happy Birthday, Erin! And how many times can I say 'birthday' in a few sentences? Haha :P

Anyways, since Erin has kind of been our Gwen stand in, she had a party with Sonali and Chrissa. (PS- A couple people have asked, and yes, Brooke did get Chrissa in late September but did not post about it, for various, complex reasons I'm not going to get in to.) They had a lot fun at their party, I wish I could have came.



She received a new pair of fancy shoes, a stuffed animal, a camera, and a soccer ball (not pictured!) for her birthday! Plus, they had a yummy heart-shaped cake with strawberries. (Thanks HelloMiss)


Happy Birthday, Erin and Rose! From your friend,
~Avery~

P.S. I changed the template back to my old one, I like this better :)

Freckles!

Brooke added freckles to Erin (JLY 12)! She didn't want Erin to look so much like Gwen. She looks so adorable! Brooke used 2 shades of colored pencils to freckle her. Seeing how great Erin looks, I really want freckles now! But I'm not allowed :( Anyways Erin looks really cute. I'll add a picture of her tomorrow. Today there isn't very good lighting because of the cloudy, rainy weather.
UPDATE:
Here's a few pictures! Sorry they're not the best, and you can't see the freckles too well.
Sorry for not posting much, I've been busy.

-Avery

Attention for Erin

*post by Brooke*

Here are some photos of Erin Yeager. She is a JLY #12. I got her off of eBay, in an auction with a bunch of clothes. I haven't quite"connected" or "bonded" with her. I think it's because the main reason I wanted the lot was because of all the retired clothes, and it was a good price. More of an impulse buy.
Erin's very athletic, but that's basically all I know about her. She plays about every sport under the sun, soccer, volleyball, baseball, etc. Her quirky trait is that she always wears her hair up in a high pony tail, I don't know why, she's just stubborn and doesn't like her hair down.
She wasn't the least bit girly when I first got her, but lately she's been revealing a more feminine side, and saying that she really likes animals (hence Coconut is in the pictures)

For this photo shoot, she wanted to have a "skater" look. She's wearing an American Girl Place Chicago T-Shirt, the blue camo Bermuda shorts from the Skate Boarding outfit (the skate board is from this outfit too), and Nicki's sandals from her Tie Top and Shorts outfit. Can't forget about Coconut either!
Well, I'm still getting to know Erin. If we can't bond, I might end up selling her. But I was thinking last night about if I really wanted to get rid of my dolls, or if I felt I had to get rid of them, for complicated personal reasons I'm not going to share.

Just a note: posts might be sparse this coming week. I may have a few scheduled posts, but just expect a short hiatus Monday through next Monday.
-Brooke

Being a favorite doll...

Because of my blog, Brooke is almost forced to take lots of pictures of me, develop my personality, etc. I'm the one that Brooke does things with. Where as other dolls hardly get any attention! Jasmine, our #26, isn't "played" with too much, and neither is Ruthie, Julie, Marisol, or Erin (#12). I feel guilty when I'm out every day getting my clothes changed and picture taken, when they've been sitting in the same spot for months. I'm worried that Brooke might start selling some of us. I doubt she'd sell me, but she's been talking about getting rid of some of my friends.
But at the same time, she was watching the QVC show today and said she wanted Gwen, Chrissa, Molly, #23, #27, and #28!!! Uhhhh....

On another note, I have to go back to school tomorrow. I'm having trouble adjusting to my new routine/schedule. Plus, I've been putting off my homework til the last second, so I better go do that now...

~Avery~

Melody Valerie Dresses

Brooke here:
Guess what arrived today? The dainty dots dress and precious party dress from Melody Valerie! It was a pleasant surprise because I wasn't expecting them to come until maybe Monday or Tuesday. It was a very fast ship! The dresses came in very large, fancy boxes with sprigs of lavender and a hand written note, it was very professional and impressive. I am so excited, the dresses are absolutely beautiful! I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. They're not just pretty, they're excellent quality as well. Avery quickly claimed the asymmetrical pink dress for herself and Erin, who has been quite neglected these days, is the main owner of the stunning yellow dress.
I can't get over how gorgeous these dresses look! I prefer them to most of the dresses American Girl makes, that's how great they are! The pictures I've taken don't do them any justice.

The dainty dots dress is made out of a light weight cotton fabric. It is a lovely butter yellow color with small, white polka dots. The finishing touch is the signature Melody Valerie bow. The ruffles and gathered sleeves are perfect. All the little details come together to make a gorgeous ensemble, and they compliment each other so nicely! This dress is the essence of spring. My favorite part is the pale yellow of the fabric, it looks so nice with Erin's blond hair and chocolate brown eyes.


The precious party dress in candy pink is just as beautiful and high quality! The bright pink fabric and all the ruffles are so fun! This dress has a lot of personality, so it's perfect for Avery. The sash really makes the dress! The cream ribbon has pink stitching all down the sides to tie in the main color. The dress also has the signature bow on the side, which is the perfect touch. The gown has snaps on the shoulders so your doll can just step into it. I love that there is no Velcro on either of these dresses. It gives the feeling of a "real" haute couture dress.


Thank you so much to Melinda, Melody, and all the girls at Melody Valerie Couture! Your work is amazing! My dolls and I LOVE our new dresses, words can't describe how happy we are with them! :)


-Brooke
~Avery~
and
*Erin

Soccer and Piano

I've been getting bored this summer, so, along with newly found interest in piano, I've also joined the Mondale summer soccer team. I recognized Erin Yeager at once. She is one of the newer dolls here, and she's very sporty. I was surprised how good I actually was at soccer! I'm not very athletic, but I really enjoyed soccer, and I'm really not half bad! Our Mondale team is called the Stars. We were conditioning today, and we had to of ran about 5 miles. It was torture, but at least I had someone to talk to. Today we also had a scrimmage, where you do a "fake" game against your own team, and I actually scored 2 goals! The coach put me with Erin as a forward. I'm a left forward, since I'm left handed (I don't think I've ever shared that here...) and I kick well with my left foot. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun.

Well, I've also been keeping up with my piano lessons. The teacher said that I did fine with A Whole New World, so now I'm moving onto Viva La Vida by Coldplay. (links to a piano cover of the song) I'm glad that the songs I'm learning are interesting, and not just scales and classical pieces. This song is a bit harder for me, just because of the very bold left hand. I'll keep working on it, and see if Brooke can make a video.

~Avery~

Sierra and Erin are here, graduation, and ADD

Sierra Nicholas (JLY #11) and Erin Yeager (JLY #12) have been here a while, but this is the first time I've posted about them! :) I don't know how I can even begin to describe them!
Sierra(far left) is really the nicest person you will ever meet! She cares so much about other people. She's a great listener too. She volunteers a lot, and she loves animals. She has a caring expression. Sierra travels a lot, and has been in a lot of different countries like Brazil, Kenya, England, and China. The other day she showed me some of the things that she has from those countries, it was very neat! She said that she'd like to visit France one day.

Erin (far right) is very sporty! She plays soccer, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, volleyball, hockey, she's in track, plus she's a swimmer, a dancer, and a gymnast. And guess what? She fences, just like me! What's even crazier is that she is amazing at every single sport she plays! She just moved here, and she's already the best on almost all the teams she's on. She is so busy, with all the practices, meets, and games. Erin has the blondest hair I've every seen, it's so pretty! She always ties it up in a high, messy ponytail.

I'll tell you more about them later. The truth is, I'm still getting to know them!

Graduation is tomorrow (Monday). Everyone has to get all dressed up and go to a ceremony and the teachers give out trophies and certificates. I hope I get something! I'm not quite sure what I'm going to wear... maybe the Midnight Holly Dress, or something like that.

ADD is at a standstill. :( We'll still be doing the movie, but I'm not sure how soon we'll be able to get going on it. Brooke has been very busy. Her camera has been acting funny, and won't zoom in at all. It won't focus unless the light is perfect, and the flash washes everything out. Stop motions are a lot of work! We're trying, be patient!

Talk to you later,

~Avery~