WELCOME 2016 AND THE AMERICAN GIRL OF THE YEAR, LEA CLARK!

I went downtown to the Vancouver location of American girl today to see the reveal of the new Girl of the Year, Lea Clark! It was a lot of fun seeing Lea and all her new things! She is a beautiful girl, with lots of long curly hair in a dark blonde or light brownish color with sun kissed highlights. She has hazel eyes and the Josefina mold. All in all she is a very pretty doll! What was disappointing was that they were NOT giving out any promos like the US stores....sigh....at the price point we pay in Canada, one would think a promo would be a given! I took lots of photos and there were a lot of people buying her when I was there! American Girl is supporting wildlife and $1.00 of each of Lea's pets sold up to $100,000.00 will be donated to the World Wildlife fund as well as a sizable donation of $50,000.00 that American Girl is donating to the fund in addition to the money collected from the sale of the stuffed toys. Lea's story consists of a trip to the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil where she practices her photographer skills! Her wardrobe to date is very tropical like.

 The Rainforest House, cute as can be with sting of shells, and a flocked parrot that is adorable, price point in Canada is $510.00 Canadian....gasp!

 This is my favorite outfit in her collection, it is a romper style but they care calling it Rainforest dreams PJ's and priced at $32.00 Canadian

              Here is Lea in her meet dress which is actually adorable and very pretty in person!

   Like Grace last year, Lea also has a special set of earrings if you choose to have her ears pierced.

                            Lea's accessories which include the cute camera are priced at $42.00 C.

 This tie dyed beach dress is only available as a bundle in the US. In Canada it comes as a separate outfit as I don't believe we have the bundle option. The outfit retails at $38.00 C.

                           The three toed sloth is just so cute in person! He retails at $29.00 Canadian

                                                     The sea turtle is $27.00 Canadian

                                               The Margay cat retails at $29.00 Canadian

   Lea's hike outfit and accessories, $46.00 for the outfit and $38.00 for the accessories Canadian

                                          Lea, the doll and book retails at $164.00 Canadian

                                              Her accessories retail at $42.00 Canadian

                                 Lea's mix and match swimwear and Kayak, The kayak is $112.00 C.

     This is Lea's fruit stand and it is adorable....even if the fruit is "clumped". It retails at $199.00 C.

                                              This is Lea's Bahia outfit, it retails at $38.00 C.

 Another view of the beach dress that is available as an outfit here in Canada with adorable sunglasses and flip flops and retails at $38.00 Canadian

 Isn't she cute? The lighting in the store is not great, the outfit she is wearing is more green in person.

 The back of Lea's hair. You can kind of see how it is sun kissed. A very pretty color. Lea's vinyl is a medium color giving her a suntanned look.

This is another shot of the Rainforest house....you can see the parrot and the sloth is hanging onto the side. It is quite large and I was too short to get a full picture of it as there were a lot of people there. No, the doll did not come home with me....I received Maryellen a week ago for Christmas so Lea will have to wait until I save up....a lot! She is very pretty, though, and I saw a lot of them sold while I was there!

On an interesting note...Grace items are still being sold in the store...evidently they were told to move them out of the Girl of the Year area but that they could continue to sell to avoid sending them back! I was told this was the first time they have been advised to continue reselling a retired girl of the years things. Currently what is left is selling at approximately 20% off and they have more things in the back they will bring out if you ask....I saw a lady ask and they went to get what she was asking for!

 I somehow forgot to take pictures but they also have available the new Valentines dress, I think but am not positive that it was $38.00 C. It is very cute and they also have the new Valentine's t-shirt which comes in an envelope and I believe was $16.00 and is a really pretty pink color!

Hawaiian Luau Bleuette Style

The planets aligned and got me motivated to join a challenge on one of my Bleuette groups. Friday is the first anniversary of my Mom passing and I am feeling nostalgic as she so loved Hawaii. Many years ago a lady on the Bleuette Sewing Club named Judy F. kindly mailed me the makings for Hawaiian hula wear for my Bleuettes but alas life got in the way and the envelope got tucked away until yesterday when I decided to find it and the instructions and make my little Bleuettes their hula outfits in my Mom's memory.

My Mom never really had a doll of her very own growing up. She and her sister shared a porcelain doll for a brief time but her little sister dropped it and then it was gone sadly. Mom grew up during the depression and being one of 7 kids, there wasn't much and most of their play was outdoors making forts and building things and picking flowers and making garlands for their hair. They really didn't own toys she told me. I think perhaps that is why when I  came along she loved to buy me dolls. She enjoyed my doll hobby pretty much to the end. I would take dolls and hand made doll clothes to show her at the care facility now and then as she still enjoyed seeing them.

And now, without further adieu, here are my Bleuettes Madeline and Bella having a luau and hopefully my Mom is smiling down and watching them.....first up is Bella doing the hula with the palm my Mom bought me for Mothers Day many, many years ago in the background. It was a tiny little frond in a gallon pot when it first came here....look at it now towering over the second floor deck!

COCA COLA SHARE!

We went out earlier and ran into the Coke share truck where you can have cans of coke printed with your name on it! This is such a fun thing, especially for those with unusual names that you might never find on a coke can!

The Coke share truck set up, you type your name onto a computer screen and your can dispenses below, just like using a vending machine!

Happy Diamond Birthday Disneyland!

Disneylands 60th birthday was July 17, 2015! I sure wish I had been there but it wasn't possible this year. I did follow the celebration on various websites and some very cool old photos were published! As they are in the public domain, I think it is OK to repost them! First is the 60th Birthday logo

                                                            Walt and his little Grandson.