Questions Answered! From the American Girl Facebook page

I don't go on Facebook regularly. With one exception... the AG facebook page. It keeps pulling me in as I sift through the posts complaining about made in china dolls or lack of diversity;to the cute posts about girls who enjoy AG, and the like. However, it is terrible when I see a question so common that someone doesn't get an answer to. So today, we'll be answering some of the top questions from AG's comments on their Facebook page.

1. What brush do use on Molly?- Lara Alicia Kropf
Brushes are pretty much universal and can be used on almost any doll...
Straight hair- Brush
Wavy hair(Saige,Lea,Samantha,Molly,etc.)- Combination of brush and finger curling.
Extremely Curly hair- hair pick/finger curling

2. Dear American girl doll how do you order a american girl cancer doll and can you plz tell me all the eyes colors and skins colors and how much plz and thank you!!!!!!!!!!- From Shannon Horn

Dolls Without hair are avalible only through calling American Girl. (Why they don't sell them like the other dolls, I don't know. And you would be correct in saying that's not fair) They cost $115, just like all the other dolls (again... Why?) and come with a few (notice I said a few) eye/skin tone combinations. It is also possible to send your doll with hair to the doll hospital in trade for a doll without hair.

3. Are some of the threads from the wig cap supposed to show and are there supposed to be very short tufts of hair near the wig cap like when you put her hair in pigtails?- From Christopher Elyse Riner

YES! Absolutely, those short hairs cover the scalp when the hair is parted (pigtails,2 braids,etc) to make sure the scalp doesn't show. They ARE NOT a defect and are SUPPOSED to be there! (sorry for all the caps, I just have to stress how important it is that people understand this)

Those are some of the most recent questions I saw, and I hope this helps you!

Can You Bring a Fake American Girl Doll to the American Girl Doll Store?

***UPDATE*** 

As of October 6th 2020 American Girl has now clarified on their website that all salon services are available only for authentic 18" American girl dolls. While this affects those services this does not affect one's ability to bring a doll of a brand other than American Girl onto the store premises, that is still permissible. 

On March 16th,2007 a blogpost surfaced on the internet that caused one of the the worst American Girl Scandals in history. The post, titled "Fake,out" was written by the mother of a girl named Etta. In a form of satire, Etta's mom tells he story of their trip to the American Girl Place and how one of the stylists was completely disrespectful to Etta's off-brand doll, refusing to restyle the doll's hair. Now of course that was completely disrespectful of the employee, and I hope that person was terminated, but the article sparked the big question. CAN you bring a "fake" American Girl Doll to the store?
As a DISCLAIMER, I use quotations around the word fake because they are technically off-brand dolls. Many American Girl collectors also have some "fake" dolls, and they are well represented in the collecting community.

If you mean bring an 18" doll that is not produced by Mattel into the store premises, absolutely! There's no problem with carrying your OG,Journey Girl or My life doll into the store to look around. Of course what people forget is that STORES VARY. One store may have a terrible employee while another may have great employees.  The problem arises when talking about the SERVICES offered at the store.

Services currently (2016) offered at the American Girl Store
1.Truly me Design Studio (LA,NY and Chicago stores only.)
2. Ear piercing
3. Haristyling/other packages at the salon.
4. social aspect

Let's look at these one by one

Truly Me Design Studio
New for 2016, this activity allows girls to "design" their own clothes or doll carriers from a selection of pre-disposed pieces and patterns. This can be used by anyone and the materials printed will be sized for 18" American Girl Dolls. If your doll is not American Girl brand there might be some complications in if the clothing for dolls will fit, but the they shouldn't be so much that the clothes won't fit at all.

Ear piercing
American Girl specifically states on their website "For 18" dolls only" however, off-brand dolls are not allowed to have their ears pierced... I think. If this were true (which it most likely is) I would have to guess it is because of the machines used to pierce doll ears. Target had an ear piercing event in 2015 though, so it's becoming more of a regular thing, and there are some DIY methods available through YouTube.

Hairstyling/other packages
Honestly, this varies by store. No specific rule outlaws off-brand dolls. And yet, as we see here, some people have very different ideas about how to handle this. All dolls should be welcome into the American Girl store, and every doll should be able to have it's hair styled, American Girl or not. Unfortunately though there are cases like Etta's which result from terrible customer service. If you experience a problem having a non-AG doll's hair styled at the American Girl Place, I suggest you complain to the official American Girl Facebook page or send an e-mail, there may be some compensation for you. I don't however think that all employees will react as horribly as the one it Etta's story.

4.Social Aspect
What's even worse than knowing the doll you have is "fake? Having everyone call it out. The sad part is, an off-brand doll is likely to be called "fake" by both little girls who don't know about other doll brands, or mean mothers who happen to support their daughter's costly obsession. If you would like to take your off-brand doll to the store, be prepared for this. Or if your daughter/son is taking their off-brand doll, PLEASE, tell them it's an off-brand doll, and tell them exactly what that means. We really shouldn't be calling them "fake", they're just a different brand, not counterfeit, and if your kid likes the off-brand doll, they should be able to bring it into the store. It's a toy, not something to make a big deal about.

Alternate Options for ear piercing
Not being able to get your doll's ears pierced may be sad, but there's a better way to go about it.
1. Our generation ear piercing
Our Generation recently held an ear-piercing event at most Target stores! They also began selling a doll that included pirced ears! (of course it was only a one-time event. And only for Our Generation dolls)
Read the full story at Living A Doll's Life
2. DIY ear piercing
Plenty of tutorials are on YouTube that allow you to do a DIY ear piercing at home. The best thing about this is, any doll can now wear HUMAN EARRINGS! However, this may void the warranty on some dolls, such as American Girl Dolls, which could lead to some policy issues, so be careful.

As a final note
The blogpost amassed a total of 1,040 comments, but has since fallen into the archives of AG's scandals. (well, maybe scandals is over exaggerating) I do recognize my bias as an owner of 20 American Girl Dolls myself. I hope this post has helped clear up all the answers to this very simple complicated question.

Making a felt dress and a lace "shirt vest"

I recently went to Hancocks, a fabric store which will soon be going out of business. Here's what I bought:
YouTube video

and here's what I've made.

"Lace Cardigan" 

This is the first time I have actually made something for myself, and I love it! I found a tutorial for this piece here:here

"Lace Cardigan" 2

I've made these things for dolls before. They're cute, but they always feel so disposable, like all you did was cut a piece of fabric... because that's literally all you do. Still, it looks great with thin tank tops among other items

Lace inset shorts

I've seen these in different variations all over YouTube and the internet. I did have one difficulty however, and the was that most people used lace trim instead of lace fabric, so I had to use the selvage as the hem. They turned out fine!

"Lace inset tank top"

After looking on the internet I saw all different types of lace inset tops. I decided this one was the best because I wanted to keep the sequins in the front and I didn't have a lot of room in the back. This turned out ok, I just wish the lace were straighter

Felt dress one on custom Haunt the Casbah Draculara.

Felt dress 2 on Dead Tired Abbey

These dresses are based on a tutorial from long,long ago by myfroggystuff but unlike the no-sew shirt vest, these don't feel disposable at all. My favorite dress of these two... I can't decide. I love them both.

Sorry she has no clothes on, i just don't have a good outfit for her yet.

To match my shirt vest, I made one for my dolls! I kind of guessed on this so that to me makes it feel extremely disposable. (plus I have like zero orange doll clothing) But for now I will keep it around and see what I can do with it.

Regretable American Girl purchases

We all purchase useless stuff in our lifetime. But when it's American Girl, I don't know whether to blame myself or their marketing. Either way, here are a few items that maybe I don't "regret" buying, but certainly aren't my favorite. I'm excluding items I bought on sale because I didn't spend as much money on those items, and that was most of my rationale for purchasing them.

Samantha's lacy parasol
Original price: $22
Why did I buy it?
This was a small AGP Kansas City purchase made in 2014. We were near the store and I hadn't had much time to save money, so I decided to make the most of it. I knew I needed this item for Marie Grace and Cecil's collection, and it looked cute enough. In reality, I don't use it. I guess it's nice as a photo prop but aside from that, it just sits on this desk watching the days pass by. Maybe if my dolls had stronger arms it would be used more often.

Feel Better Kit (that review is so old... *cringe*)
Original price: $30
Why did I buy it?
I bought this set early in my American Girl collecting journey. One of my dolls had been dropped, or at least I think, and I wanted her to have a broken leg, and apparently fake toilet-tissue casts just weren't enough for me. In reality, I haven't touched a piece of this set in at least a year. Maybe it will be useful in the future, but for now it remains stored away.

Molly's Play Scenes & Paper Dolls
Original price:$12
Why did I buy it?
I had wanted this book for months, it was the only Molly book available from American Girl I didn't have. One day, I finally ordered it. I actually don't use this a lot. I don't know if I just don't like it or if I don't have anywhere to take it. I guess I'm just so busy it often gets passed over. However,One day, this book will have a prime spot on a bookshelf, gleaming in the light.

Addy's Quilt
Original price: $20
Why did I buy it?
This was part of my first big AGP Kansas city purchases. I had $20 left and was looking for something that cost exactly that, and this quilt was it. I regretted it the moment I left the store, when I realized I could have bought Julie's roller skates instead. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful quilt, I just didn't really need it at that moment. I do, however, one day plan to purchase a pre-beforever Addy.

A few pieces of the set, I couldn't scrummage up the rest.

Healthy Smile Set
Original price: $14
Why did I buy it?
I had wanted this set for quite a while. I read the reviews that said the braces stickers were useless, but i decided to buy it anyway. In reality, I don't use this set. ever. I think this set is more of a play item rather than a collectible, and as I grow I guess my collection grows with me.

American Girl Place exclusive tote
Original price: $6-12
Why did i buy it?
I bought this at AGP Kansas City before AG marketed it specifically as a mini doll tote, because I thought I would use it quite a bit. I don't use it at all, and I should be selling it soon. I just don't need a lot of doll bags. Like the healthy smile set, I'm sure this would be better for girls who "play" more with their dolls than collect for them.

Do you have any purchases you made for a collection that you regret?

Doll Balloons Through the Ages

One of the most uncommon American girl accessories is the doll balloon. American girl has had several doll balloons, some expensive and others small parts of retired accessories. First of all, here's some of the balloons I know of:

-In Molly's first version of her birthday set, she had a yellow balloon with a red bow and white plastic handle

-Saige's hot air balloon was available in 2013 for $150

Here are my balloons:

-American Girl's party package from any major american girl includes a purple balloon with a white american girl logo

-The Friends Are Sweet Set, introduced in 2013, includes a plastic heart shaped balloon with XOXO printed across it and a white plastic handle.

What do you think about doll balloons? 

Cupid's Diary: My first fanfiction

In lou of an actual topic, I figured I would "publish" a file that has been sitting in my computer for a long time. This file is called "cupid's diary" and chronicles Cupid's life and opinions, from her move to ever after high to commentating on EAH drama, the wonderful world of C.A. Cupid comes alive in this publishing. So no matter how bad or good this may be, enjoy.

This is a fictional writing from my perspective, as if I was Cupid. It is purely fan fiction, but the facts are true. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Diary,                                May 30th 2013

I’m leaving monster high to go to a new school  called Ever After high. People are very mixed up in emotions about me being in this new line of dolls. I don’t see the big deal, I’m just a doll. I will be sad to leave monster high, but they can still see me at Ever After High, I’m still here. Besides, now my skin never fades black, and I don’t have rib cage wings, my hair is longer, my wings have feathers, and best of all, I can give my advice to more people and hopefully reach a broader audience. Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear diary,                             June  2nd,2013

Apparently, the link to my radio show is gone!!!!! They could at least left the link up!!!! I didn’t even get to say a big farewell to all of monster high. The whole thing about Ever After High is deciding if you are a royal or a rebel. According to the new EAH intro I am a rebel. So that means I don’t want to make love, right? It’s kind of confusing. I really just want to leave the toy industry for good. I hate letting people down. Thanks for Listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                            June 24th 2013

Cupid here, and I’m not loving this girl called Apple White who goes to Ever After high. She’s so full of herself! Her personality is like Cleo, except a bit less dramatic. Every time she talks to raven, she always mentions how she is such an important part of “ her story”. It’s not just Apple white’s story, It’s their story!!!!

Thanks for Listening,

C.A. Cupid,

Dear Diary,                           June  26th 2013

I think  That Mattel  made me be in Ever After High because they thought that I wasn’t really a monster. Maybe they also received some phone calls from different customers saying they didn’t understand how I was a monster. But I follow the motto right? Be yourself . Be unique.  Be a monster.  Well, I certainly was unique. I guess Greek gods aren’t really monsters huh? Gotta go.

Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear diary,                       June 28th 2013

Maybe this new school has some nice girls in it that don’t care if they are a royal or a rebel. This girl named Madeline Hatter seems like just the girl I’m looking for. She is very funny and I love her hair! I really hope EAH goes like this...

Raven queen does not pledge to her destiny and then the rebels go into the real world and follow their dreams. But that is probably a really long way away.

Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                       June   30th 2013

I’m starting to think  I may not be a rebel after all. Maybe they just put me there in the intro to squeeze me in. On the other hand, I’m not so sure I want to be a rebel. I still want to be the lovebird I have always been. People have also seen the new Ever After High dolls and they say they use the same body molds as MH dolls. I’m glad about that because then I won’t look too different.

Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,             July 3rd, 2013

The new ever after high dolls have just been released, and they actually look very human like. But I don’t really want to be an EAH student anymore, I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages here. I want to go back to MH so badly. I miss my old body, my old friends all of them. Even heath, who used to drive me crazy!!! I wonder what this doll of me will look like once it comes out. I just hope I am loved as much as I was at MH.    Thanks for Listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                         July 5th, 2013

The new EAH dolls look so pretty! But they only come with these bookmark thing -a -ma- jigs. Why? Why? Why? These are supposed to be fairy tales!!!!!!! not bookmark thingys. Even the scary tales look better than them in terms of stories and books. They also come with stands and a purse. Sadly, no pet. Even though they mention pets in the webisodes. I can’t wait to see what I look like, I hope I look okay.

Thanks for listening,

C.A.Cupid

Dear Diary,                         July 7th

I just saw on ever after high checklist that they will be coming out with the 4 dolls that we have right now (Raven,Maddie,Apple, and Briar)    and a 2pk including Hunter huntsman and Ashlyn Ella. Then they will have the legacy day dolls. It does not have any other doll lines listed on the checklist. So where am I ? and what other doll lines will they release?

I’m kind of confused right now.Why is the daughter of Cinderella’s name Ashlyn Ella?  where are these pets?

Thanks for listening, C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                       august 13th

Finally after a month they have me in a webisode! I’m actually pretty nice. I still don’t know if I’m a royal or a rebel. In the webisode I help “hopper” tell Briar he loves her without having him turn back into a frog. They also have me falling into Dexter charming’s arms at the end of the webisode. Dexter!?!?!?!? Dexter?! I thought from the first episode that raven liked Dexter. Or maybe they were really good friends and I jumped to conclusions.  I can’t wait to see my doll! Also, they actually mentioned monster high!

Thanks for listening, C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                                    September 9th 2013

They still haven’t come out with the hunter  huntsman and Ashlyn Ella 2 pack yet! They are so perfect for each other. I just saw the new legacy day dolls on Ever After High checklist and they look really good. But Briar looks a bit windswept and I think Apple’s crown is not Blingy enough.  Can you believe they released the legacy day dolls so soon? I still don’t see a upc code for the 2 pack, so that’s unfortunate. They still haven’t made me either. Am I even going to be a doll?

Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                         September 14th, 2013

Guess what? I now have a mirror blog on the Ever After High Website! I look stunning! I’ll start with my hair, I have my old twisted heart halo, But this time it has a arrow through it! How cute!!!! I still have long pink hair and bangs,same style as before. My eyes are bright blue with a pink eye shadow and instead of my lips being in the shape of a heart, they are normal lips with a pink heart made with lip gloss! I’ll go into the beautiful details of my wings and outfit next entry. Now, Maybe my doll will come out soon? Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                                September 21st,2013

well,exciting news! Today I was looking around on google and I finally found a picture of the new 2 pack! They are so perfect for each other. I also think  that hunter may have real hair and not a hair mold! So cool. I also love how Ashlyn Ella looks exactly like she does in the webisodes.

Especially her dress. I also think this means that I will be released soon. so I hope we also get a legacy day Maddie. Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                           October 15th 2013

The new 2pk. is out! Yes, Ashlyn and Hunter are so perfect for each other! I have seen a picture, and they are holding hands in the box! Also, hunter has real hair, which I am very fond of. Usually, with the Monster High guys, their hair is actually just plastic. But only because they are monsters, so the hair needs to look a bit freakish. Also, Ashlyn has the cutest dress ever! I also love how cute they look together. I’m sorry about all the love-birding this entry, but I’m really excited, this line could  just make the cut.

Love,

C.A. Cupid

Dear diary,                                 November 8th 2013

Anyways, the mirror blogs are being updated with new characters and posts. Also, Cerise and Blondie pictures are on the checklist!!! I can not wait, as they are super cool! There is also going to be a new line called getting fairest, which will be the pajama themed line. Although each doll will come with it’s own caddy!!! Okay, I just can not imagine economy line eah dolls. Also, There are already 2 play sets, but not yet released.

Thanks for listening,

C.A Cupid

Dear Diary,                                 December 9th 2013

Cerise and Blondie are at target!!!  I am in their wave to which is labeled wave 1.5. strange if you ask me. I have also realized that I may be on the fence. Meaning that i don’t think I’m a royal or a rebel. I love the new doll lines, as well as the 2 new play sets. This is going to be so nice. I just wonder where the other characters are. Daughter of Ariel, belle, Hansel and Gretel might be cute to.

Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                                 December 13th,2013

I am officially out in stores! I am a rebel, as I thought previously. The pictures of  Cedar wood and Dexter charming were released, and it’s official, I am in love with Dexter,I guess what Raven did was just out of friendliness.Anyways, I think Ever after high is off to a great start. we already have 11 characters in dolls, and more to come in 2014!

Thanks for listening,

C.A. Cupid

Dear Diary,                       December 23rd,2013

So, there’s this new line of Ever After High dolls called “Getting Fairest”, which are similar to Monster high “Dead tired” except this is them getting ready for the day, all 4 basics are in the line, Raven,Maddie,Apple,and Briar, they all look super cute! 2 play sets also came out, a “fainting couch” for Apple white and a vanity for Raven queen. I love it, I hope more play sets come out!

Thanks for listening,

C.A.Cupid

Dear Diary,                              January 4th,2014

Happy new year! 2013 was great, and 2014 will be even more awesome! New year,new you! So with the new year, tons of new stuff is coming out. Not just in the little MH/EAH circle, but in bigger brands such as American Girl. It’s a new start for everything. 2013 went by so fast! Sometimes, I think we get caught up in dolls,social media,life,and we forget what we are truly doing. For me, this happens when I get near dexter, he’s just so cute!!!

Thanks for listening,

C.A.Cupid

Dear Diary,                              January 15th, 2014

There’s more characters coming to ever after high! I’m so excited, I love meeting new people. There’s Lizzie hearts, daughter of the Queen of hearts & the people who I’m most excited about POPPY & HOLLY O’HAIR!!! Their twin daughters of Rapunzel which I think is so awesome! Only thing is that only Holly has the Rapunzel destiny so Poppy has to choose whether to be a royal or a rebel. Plus Throne coming & SDCC exclusive Cerise!

Love,

C.A.Cupid

Dear Diary,                             January 22nd, 2014

Finally, a second doll! They made me a Throne coming doll! I am so pumped, the dress is beyond beautiful. Plus, there’s other girls in the line too! I’m also excited because of the other new lines coming out. For 1 there’s hat tastic, a line that puts the spotlight on Madeline hatter! She needs more spotlight as she is so funny!!! There’s also an EAH SDCC exclusive doll. It’s Cerise wolf! Yes, so now Cerise has decided to become daughter of the big bad wolf instead of little red riding hood. So excited!

Love,

C.A.Cupid

Dear Diary,                               

I think this may be one of my last entries for a while. Modeling for a full time doll is harder than it seems. Plus, if I kept writing, this “Diary” would become a full length novel. I have very much enjoyed writing this diary, & if anything drastic happens I will record the changes, but for now I feel this is the end. I am very sorry, but it’s my personal decision.

Love,

C.A.Cupid

How exactly do I "bond" with a doll?

Allot of people sell one or all of their american girl dolls for one reason or another. But one of the less common reasons for selling the dolls is that "I just can't bond with them". I've experienced this feeling as well, especially with Emily,Marie-Grace even Kaya and Anna Clare. Here's how I overcame that feeling of "not bonding" with my dolls.

1. Remember the reason you wanted and bought the doll

It may seem simple, but sometimes you need to remember how you came to owning the doll in the first place. You can then remember the reason that doll may be special to you. For example, my third doll was Lindsey, and I asked for her as a birthday gift because she was GOTY the same year I was born. In addition to this, also remember how excited you felt when opening them. 

    2. Try a new style

Sometimes all you need to do is put some new clothing on a doll. You could have her wear an outfit from her collection that doesn't get worn often, or even put her in something completely wild and crazy. A new style isn't limited to clothing, you could also try out different hairstyles.

   3. Look at how that doll fits in your collection

Which doll is it that your're not bonding over. Is it your first doll you've had for years or your eighth doll you purchased last week? In doing this, try to find something for the doll that makes her strengthen the family. For example, if you have a YouTube channel, you could give this doll a staring roll in a series. Even if you don't have a YouTube channel, have this doll be the main character in any stories you may be playing.

I hope these tips helped you bond with your doll. If you're still not bonding, it's now your choice on whether or not to keep or sell a doll.

This is my new year's resolution...

Okay, let me start by saying it is my goal to use this blog to take the place of some videos, such as OOTD videos, or the long awaited Christmas haul. The reason being that making a YouTube video can take HOURS because I must convert my videos to make them 420p quality. So my new year's resolution is to have a video or blog post every week, maybe on Fridays, maybe on Sundays. For now, make sure to submit video ideas. Thank you all for taking the time to read this post!