a blog by a doll

summertime is story time.

2011-06-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

At least to Sunny. She only leaves the story she's writing to eat, drink, and occasionally take pictures of us dolls outside. The rest of the time she's cooped up in her room, writing away. I wonder what her story is about... She won't let any of us look at it, let alone read a page or two. I wonder if I could write a story if I wanted to. I'm reading the Hunger Games series right now (I just finished the second book, Catching Fire), and it seems like figuring out a plot as complex and intertwined as the one in those books would be quite difficult. But, then again, my blog has kind of been a story.

Speaking of stories, I have one to tell you! But don't worry, it's 100% true.

Yesterday I went to the boardwalk to watch the sunset, get an icecream cone from my favorite icecream parlor, and walk on the beach. Ruthie and Addy decided to tag along with me, which I wasn't exactly happy about, but they turned out to be not nearly as annoying as I'd thought they'd be. After we bought our icecream cones (I got Rocky Road, Addy got mint chocolate chip, and Ruthie got plain vanilla), we climbed the stairs that led from the boardwalk down the rocks to the shore. I took off my sandals and let my feet slide into the sugar-white sand. The smell of the salt water immediately greeted my nose as we waited for the sun to sink low in the sky. The sunset was so picturesque. It was one of those sunsets that seemed to dye the sky not just orange, but pink with streaks of lavender and rose. Addy was too busy poking a fiddler crab hole with a piece of driftwood to notice, but me and Ruthie couldn't peel our eyes from the horizon. I could tell Ruthie was thinking that this sunset was something straight out of a fairy-tale.

She had a sad look on her face as we walked through the wet sand, the waves tickling our feet. "What's wrong, Ruthie?" I asked. It was true that Ruthie and I weren't the best of friends. But, still, she was one of Sunny's dolls, and that was a sisterly bond in itself. And sisters look out for one another.

Ruthie pretended to straighten out her sundress, but I knew she was just trying to avoid my question. I decided not to bother her any more and just enjoy this perfect summertime moment.

Then she spoke up.

"I miss... I miss Aaron."

"Aaron?" I asked. "I don't know any dolls named Aaron around here."

Ruthie shook her head. "That's the thing... he lives on Long Island, where Addy and I used to live. He was my friend... maybe more than a friend, and I haven't seen him since I left. Even when I left, we weren't on speaking terms so he barely said good-bye to me. This sunset... it reminds me of him. We used to watch sunsets back in New York every night during the summer, always telling each other how every summer we'd watch them together. This is the first summer where I haven't watched the sunset with him... He and Addy and I were the Three Musketeers, but him and I had always had something...special."

I was quiet. To me, it sounded like Ruthie was in love- something I have yet to experience. From the books and movies, love seems like it's glorious, but at times also very sad. I wished I could understand how Ruthie was feeling, but I couldn't. All I knew was that Ruthie needed to straighten things out with this Aaron person. "Ruthie, you need to talk to him," I said.

Ruthie's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. "No! No! No! He hates me. If I tried calling him, he'd probably hang up on me! Or worse, not even pick up! No. I can't. It would be a disaster. Wouldn't it, Addy?" She turned around to look at her friend, but there was no Addy. I spun around, too, and saw her at least twenty yards ahead of us, grasping what looked like a bottle in her hands.

"Hey, guys!" shouted Addy. "Look what I found!"

Ruthie and I exchanged a curious glance and raced towards her.

"I found this bobbing in the water," she said, holding the bottle towards us. There was a yellowed paper in the bottle, slightly damp from the water that had managed to find its way inside.

"We... we... we found a message in a bottle," I said, gulping.

We haven't read the message yet. We showed the bottle to Sunny, who said we should read the message now before the water that got to it fades away the writing. I talked it over with Ruthie and Addy, and they think we should wait to read it a little longer. The suspense is killing me.

As for Ruthie's problem... I don't know what to do. Ruthie and I have never really been the best of friends, but after hearing about Aaron, I have a new respect for her. I may have no experience in the love department, and I'm not sure if I know anyone who does, but, still, I feel it's my responsibility to help her out. I have no clue how, but hopefully I'll think of something. It's time for Cali Cupid to work her magic. :)

~Cali

a blog by a doll.

2011-06-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, there. It's me, Cali. It's been so long since I've last written in this lovely blog, and boy, does it feel good to be back! I miss writing, posting photos, and just feeling involved. This blog has meant so much to me these past two years, and I hope I can continue with it.

As you probably already noticed, this blog is no longer called "Crazy for Cali". I decided to change the name because I have changed and this blog is going to change with me. I hope you enjoy my new-and-improved blog and the new-and-improved me. I haven't changed drastically, but I'm definitely not the same Cali that wrote in this blog five months ago. Not only do I miss writing in here, I also miss reading all of your blogs! I guess I have a whole lot of reading to catch up on this summer, but I am eagerly up for it.

Thanks for reading, and please check back soon for more updates and posts. I hope everyone's having a splendid summer filled with fun, sun, and adventure! I think I'm going to convince Sunny to help me make some lemonade now. What's summertime without a icy glass of pink lemonade and the newest American Girl catalogue?

~Cali

Ruthie's Blog ~ Diary of a Would-Be Princess

2010-12-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Yup, we made another blog. And (hopefully) it's going to be updated just as often as Crazy for Cali is. :)

Ruthie is really excited about the new blog, and she's actually a pretty okay writer. I really only have one problem with this newbie- she's OBSESSED with princesses. I guess it's not exactly a bad thing, but it can get a little over the top.

Please check out Diary of a Would-Be Princess by clicking here or looking over at our sidebar. I know she'd love it if you commented or followed. It would mean the world to her, and I know Ruthie will fail to disappoint. Thank you so much! (Btw- this is TOTALLY not Ruthie, hacking into Cali's account...)

Happy holidays!

Princess Ruthie- I mean Cali***

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-26T10:45:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, one and all! I hope all of you had a WONDERFULLY WONDERFUL holiday and got lots of amazing presents. You deserve it!!! :D

I'm writing this with two new friends peering over my shoulder: this new girl Addy Walker and her friend, Ruthie Smithens, who're both from New York. Apparently they know Jane distantly and wanted to attend school here at FMSG. It worked out quite well because Sunny wanted both Ruthie and Addy so it was a win-win for everyone.

Anywayyyyyyyys, all these new dolls and new clothes are keeping me in that holiday spirit, even though Christmas is over. Sunny's mom got us dolls an outift from Sitara's etsy shop, and everyone here is dancing around in the beautiful teal tank top and the olive green skirt. It's SO gorgeous. Unfortunately, Ruthie has already claimed it as her own couture and she just got here. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going to like this girl or if she's just going to be a pain in the neck like Nellie. I'm just SO glad Nellie's not Sunny's doll but her sister's. Because if she was Sunny's, I think I might D.I.E...

So the outfit is pure AWESOME. Sunny's going to post some pictures of Ruthie in the outfit soon, maybe on Monday or Tuesday. She's thinking about giving Ruthie her very own blog to ramble on but I'm not very keen on that. We tried that once with the couture blog but no one followed, and we only posted on it once a month or so. That blog was somewhat of a failure so trying another blog might turn out just the same. However, it would be nice having someone here who could share my love of writing...

I'm having mixed feelings about this Ruthie girl. I wonder if her friend Addy is similar...

Well, enough of my ranting! Hope everyone has a great holiday and enjoys the winter break. :)

Cali***

Not-so-good CAGD Pics

2010-12-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

Don't know what to get the special American Girl doll in your life? Well, fret no longer! Crazy for Cali is preparing a two-part holiday special featuring gifts that cost little to nothing to make or purchase for your AG doll this season.

COMING SOON

Until then, it's about time I show some pictures of our custom Rapunzel doll. Since she's not yet fully customized, Sunny photoshopped her eyes green on Picnik. The freckles and straightened hair are real however.The photos below aren't the greatest since it's been veryyyyyy rainy and cold here in Florida, and I haven't had the courage to risk getting my doll wet outside. So Sunny grabbed the camera and shot the photos in her bedroom, which unfortunately has not-so-good lighting. When the skies clear up, we'll definitely have some better photos to show you all.

Hope you enjoy them nonetheless!

This enchanteddesigner dress is a beautiful two-piece set that looks wonderfully realistic! It's exactly like the dress Rapunzel wears throughout Tangled.

Cali***

-Check our Flickr for Walt Disney World pictures! We'll be posting more soon.-

Disney World Bound!

2010-12-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

(picture courtesy of Google Images)

Hey, everyone, it's Cali! If you're reading this, Sunny, her family, and our new custom Rapunzel doll will be on their way to Walt Disney World! She's bringing her laptop since her room has Wifi so a post with WDW photos and photos of Rapunzel will be posted later this evening. Also check our Flickr because lots of photos will be uploaded there, as well. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Cali***

December and Rapunzel CAGD Updates

2010-12-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Well, everyone, it's officially...

DECEMBER!

Actually it has been for almost a week and I haven't even posted yet! Tsk tsk, Cali. Anyways, things have been getting busier and busier as we, meaning pretty much everybody at FMSG, have been preparing for or enjoying the holidays whether it be Christmas (like I am) or Hanukkah (like Rebecca). I hope all of you are enjoying the festivities and if not, then enjoying the wintry weather!

Also, many of you saw that we've been working on a custom doll, Rapunzel, from Tangled and we're getting a lot accomplished! So far our Elizabeth doll has been given an array of light freckles and her hair has been straightened and then put in braids to give it a silky slight curl. We also purchased her signature pink/purple dress from enchanteddesigner, an etsy shop you need to check out! Right now I believe there's one Rapunzel dress left and an assortment of other stunning princess, fairytale, and character outfits at an affordable price and exquisite quality.

The dress looks identical to that of the dress Rapunzel wears in the movie. Pictures of this stunning outfit will be available soon, I promise! Our main and currently only problem is that our Elizabeth (soon to be Rapunzel) has blue eyes... not green... and Rapunzel's green eyes are a kind of important aspect of her look. However the whole eye-swapping thing gives me the shivers. We don't know if we should go through with an eye-swap or just leave our Rapunzel unique with blue eyes. Please let us know how you feel about this! We'd love the feedback because the problem has been eating at us for a while. Thank you(:

So Rapunzel will be done quite soon and when she is pictures will be mandatory! We're going to Disney on Saturday and Rapunzel will be accompanying us quite hopefully to at least Downtown Disney or to one of the parks. We'll try our very best to post some pictures and to have a post while we're there because Sunny will be bringing her laptop. It's going to be very fun! I sure hope I'm allowed to come along...

Cali***

Custom Doll Teasers!

2010-11-28T14:18:00.001-08:00

A new custom doll? Perhaps... ;)

Gorgeous emerald-green eyes. Blonde hair. Hmmm...

Could FMSG be getting it's very own Disney royalty???

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet to add to the mysteriousness and surprise of the whole thing. Comment below on your custom doll thoughts and opinions, as well as about any custom dolls you have had or have. Once our custom is finished (which will hopefully be soon) a photoshoot/video/post will be vitally necessary. :)

*None of the pictures included in this post are mine, all are property of Disney Animation Studios*

Cali***

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you for inviting us,

To your Thanksgiving dinner,

A day spent in your company,

Is invariably a winner.

Thank you for the time you spent,

Preparing all the food;

For making us feel welcome,

You have our gratitude!

-By Joanna Fuchs-

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

Hope everyone has an amazing (and delicious) Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey, enjoy the company of family and friends, and be thankful. :)

Cali***

A new holiday look!

2010-11-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Since the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's are fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to spruce Crazy for Cali up for the holidays! The new bokeh-type background is from Blogger and the Christmas tree countdown widget is from Spring Widgets. The new header was edited courtesy of Picnik.

Also, Sunny got around to doing one (ok, I know it doesn't sound like that much but it took her twelve tries of the same shot to get the perfect photo) of our holiday portraits! It was Chloe's and she was modeling one of my favourite Christmas dresses, the Fancy Flower Outfit minus the faux-fur shrug. The grey and silver colors in the dress suited Chloe well and almost gave her cocoa-eyes a silvery-tint. The portrait is also featured on our Flickr (see sidebar) and is in a special Holiday set. The rest of the portraits when we get around to them will also be in the set.

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving! I hope to post about my Thanksgiving either tomorrow or by the weekend. Happy holidays!

Cali***

Samantha's Winter Stroll

2010-11-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Jane's cousin Samantha Parkington (she's also a student here at FMSG) is just loving the wintry weather here in Florida. Sam was born and raised in New York where the temps can reach below zero during the holiday season so the chilly weather was very familiar to her. She just loved modeling her new evergreen winter coat and elegant velvet hat as she strolled through the FMSG campus. Luckily, Sunny had her camera handy and was able to take some beautiful photos of Sam in her winter wear.

Sam looks just lovely in green. It really brings out her brown eyes and hair!

It was a cloudy day today but the colors of the late fall greenery and the damp soil below made great contrast for photography.

All of these photos were edited using Picnik's Orton-ish effect and the text effect. Since the weather was overcast, the lighting wasn't phenomenal so editing helped a lot- especially to bring out the rich colors.

I can't wait for the holidays to arrive! What do you guys plan on doing over the Thanksgiving and winter breaks? Any family traditions you love? What's your favorite thing about the holiday season? Let me know in a comment- I'd love to hear what the holidays mean to you!

Cali***

We need a little Christmas now

2010-11-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone, and happy holidays! Today's the first day of Thanksgiving break for us dolls here at FMSG. This not only means a whopping 9 days off of school and the start of the Christmas season but also more time for posts!

Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately but, with the arrival of break, I'm hoping I'll be able to post more often. Maybe even everyday!

Anyways, since it's Thanksgiving break Sunny's been preparing us dolls in our holiday finery for our Christmas portraits in front of the Christmas tree. My dress is brand new and it's just dazzling. I can't wait to model it in my portrait! Once we get every doll's portrait taken, we'll post them here and also in a special holiday album on our Flickr. If you want to know what we've been up to in the past weeks check our Flickr. We update that often, even when we don't have time to post here on Crazy For Cali.

Check back here for more posts soon! :)

Cali***

When life flies bye...

2010-11-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the last time I posted was 2 weeks ago! I'm so sorry. Homework, tests, the usual- just tends to get in the way nowadays. Don't worry- although, I'm not posting as much as I did over the summer, I'm still thinking of you, my followers, commenters, and readers, who make this blog possible! Thank you guys SO much and I'll try my hardest to keep the updating up to a maximum in the next few weeks. After all, Thanksgiving and fall break is only one school week away and then I'll have lots of time to post!

So, what has been going on to Cali Hazelwood in the past week or two? Not much- other than hitting my 12th birthday! It was a small gathering with only my closest friends (Jane, Shannon, Piper, Chloe, and Lanie) but it was really nice. We all went to a fancy bistro up the street and then got icecream sundaes at Karlssons' Kandy Shoppe afterwards. I opened my presents there and got a pair of light blue doll-sized Uggs and a Breyer to add to my ever-growing collection. It was a fun time and a great way to celebrate my 12th birthday and a year and a half on Crazy for Cali! :D

Well, enough about me! What have you been doing in the last few weeks of fall? Leave your answer in a comment below ~ I'd love to hear what's going on with you guys too!

Cali***

Halloween Weekend

2010-10-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Cali is excited. Cali is very very excited. Cali likes to talk in third person :) Well, aside from being weird, I am extra wired because Halloween is only a day away! Everyone has been getting prepared for this holiday by decorating, making spooktacular recipes, and (of course) eating candy.

Today I'd like to share with you some photos of a handmade doll dress bought at a local doll boutique in our area. The dress screams 'fall' and the warm browns and oranges go great with Mia's red hair and hazel eyes. The woman who sold us the outfit said the dress was called "Thanksgiving Dinner" but I think it works well for any time during autumn. What do you think?

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Stay tuned for a Halloween post tomorrow :) BOO!

Cali***

Halloween Costumes, Part 2

2010-10-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome, witches and wizards, to the second edition of our two-part Halloween Costume Special. Today we'll be talking about two other costumes that are definitely some of our favorites- our Fairy and Trick-or-Treater costumes.

The Fairy costume is your typical fluttery skirt, white leotard, whimsical fairy wings, and ballet flats. This lovely ensemble was a steal from Michael's for only around 7$. Granted the outfit isn't as great of quality as AG-brand costumes, it does work nicely for Halloween and is pretty well-made for the price. Last year this was my costume but this Halloween, Jane will be using it. I have my own special costume planned! ;)

The other costume we will be showcasing is merely a set we received as a gift from one of Sunny's people friends. The shirt (which we believe is the purple tee from the Doll Tees craft kit) is given a very spooktacular look with an iron-on ghost and bats. The coordinating trick-or-treat bag is decorated with CREEPY ghost eyes and bats. This outfit is not as much as a costume as the Fancy Riding Outfit, Minnie Mouse dress, or the Fairy costume so we added a black mask for an extra scary effect.

So those are our current costumes here at FMSG! Nothing much but they aren't too hopeless. As for my amazing costume, that will be revealed on Halloween for a EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA special post. Until then- some Halloween trivia!

~Orange and black are the official Halloween colors because orange is associated with fall harvest and black is associated with death and mourning.

~Black cats were thought to be the aids and familiars of witches or magical beings.

~Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday, after Christmas.

~Some say that if you see a spider on Halloween, it is the soul of someone dear looking over you.

~Pumpkins also come in colors such as green, white, and BLUE!

Have a great weekend!

Cali***

Halloween Costumes, Part 1

2010-10-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! Time for part 1 of our 2 part Halloween Costume special. Today we'll be discussing two of my favorite doll Halloween ensembles, our Minnie Mouse costume and our AG-brand Fancy Riding Outfit. These outfits are modeled by my friends Madi and Gwendolyn.

As you can see, these costumes are very similar to costumes we see for girls. Although they differ slightly, the same basic idea is obvious in both.

This costume greatly resembles AG's newest horseback riding outfit, the Fancy Riding Outfit. This outfit consists of a dark blue show blazer, white breeches, black show boots, and a velvet helmet. Not only does this cute ensemble work well for Halloween, it also is a great addition to any horse-loving doll's wardrobe.

This costume, one of the many Minnie Mouse costumes available for young girls, is an almost exact magnification of the Disney Girls Minnie Mouse outfit, which can be purchased exclusively at any Disney Resort & Theme Park. The classic red polka-dot dress and the eyelet slip are important elements in all Minnie Mouse costumes. Both things can be found in both the girl sized version and that for the doll.

Stay tuned for more Halloween Costume posts, coming to a Dashboard near you!

Cali***

Literary Travels- Melody Valerie Couture Fall 2010

2010-10-17T12:38:00.001-07:00

Literary Travels, one of Melody Valerie Couture's beautiful new dresses, has arrived! It's absolutely stunning and made of the most beautiful fabric. The way the dress fits, the way it complements Shannon's rosy complexion, and its all around beauty is just amazing. We couldn't be more happier with our purchase!

The only thing I was actually upset about was that Shannon was going to model it instead of me! It's alright, though, I'll get my hands on it soon enough... ;)

Have any of you purchased MVC dresses? If so, drop me a comment- I'd love to hear about them !

Cali***

It's beginning to look a lot like autumn...

2010-10-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

... everywhere you go...

It's true, though. The cool weather (well, for Florida) is just amazing- I'm finally able to wear my favorite sweater and new jeggings to school without sweating like a pig the entire day. And the spooky decorations that litter the front yards of the people in our neighborhood are a scary reminder of Halloween, which is only a mere three weeks away! That reminds me- I still don't have a costume picked out. Any ideas???

Anyways, as you probably already know the Melody Valerie Couture Fall 2010 line came out on September 11th. Due to my month-long absence I was unaware of the arrival of this line and just recently looked on the site, amazed by the beautiful dresses (based on a "Voyages" theme). All of the dresses are stunning and the warm, autumn-y golds, reds, navy blues, purples, and browns in the fabrics are perfect for the upcoming season. I decided to check to see if any of the dresses were still for sale on MVC's Etsy site and was happy (and surprised!) to see that the Literary Travels Dress still remained! I told Sunny about this and she was like, "No way!" and she ordered one of the two last dresses.

I was curious what lucky doll was going to receive the dress and Sunny informed me that it would be for all of us to share. I just hope I'm the first who gets to model it... we'll see ;)

Picture credit goes to Melody Valerie Couture

So that's all that's been going on around here. Hope everybody had a great weekend!

Cali***

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2010-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does everything have that crisp, fall-like feeling all of a sudden? Even here inhot, sunny Florida the weather's been reaching a low 65 degrees in the morning and staying at a temperate 75 degrees during the day. I knew fall was coming but the arrival of cool weather makes it official. We've said goodbye to summer and we're saying hello to fall!

Fall is probably my favorite season. For one, the weather is amazing. Also, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and my 12th birthday are all in fall. And, of course, the arrival of fall means we're that much closer to the holiday season!

Anyways, enough of my rambling, time for the good stuff- Dolloween! As you can see I posted a video I created on JibJab (kind of like Monster Mash last year ;)) to the sidebar on the right. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look- it's pretty hilarious! Also, if you have a YouTube account please, please, please check out my newest video. I would love it if you could enter. Remember, the costumes don't have to be elaborate or expensive. For instance, in the newest AG Magazine (*for humans*) they have the directions for creating a quick, simple bat costume for your doll under the Doll Fun section. That would be an awesome entry!

Thanks for reading and happy fall.

Cali***

I. Am. Still. Alive...Kind of.

2010-10-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Arggghhhh! Sorry everyone, you probably have been thinking that I left the planet and gone to Mars where there's no internet and no time at all to post. Well, you'd be sort of right. Middle school is like Mars- maybe even worse- and there isn't any time to post. I feel ashamed. Feel free to give me a tsk, tsk because I deserve it. So much.

Well, let me just say that I will be doing much better with updating this blog after my short (ok, looooong) hiatus of boringness. Trust me on this. We have three (yes, three! (:) new videos on our YouTube channel and are preparing for our big first-ever Dolloween 2010 celebration, which will be on YouTube and on this blog now and again. Part of the Dolloween festivities include a costume contest where you can post pictures of yourself- if you're a doll- in your favorite costume(s). The winner will be announced on Halloween and will receive some very fabulous prizes. For more information on Dolloween 2010 check out our YouTube channel or click here.

So, as I said, I am surprisingly not dead. Hope you all forgive me and have an amazing weekend!

Cali***

Long Time, No Post

2010-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yuccccckkkk, I am sooooo ashamed of myself for not posting in over a week! A WHOLE WEEK! Yikes, this is really embarrassing, everyone.

Anyways, the reason I haven't been posting mainly is Sunny's fault (tsk, tsk). Lately she's been hanging out with her friends, having sleepovers, and doing end-of-summer stuff. She apologizes.

So, like I said, I've been raising money for horseback-riding lessons at the barn where my friend Gwen and this girl Rebecca I know ride. I've been doing lots of side jobs such as dog-walking, babysitting, and my most recent job of cleaning out my aunt's attic, which I must say, was a lot of fun.

While I was going through drawers and drawers of family mementos, old photographs, musty clothing, and assorted odds-and-ends that had found their way into Aunt Trish's attic, I was surprised to find a bunch of old hats. I asked my Aunt Trish and she said her grandma used to collect them and that they're from the late 1800's to the early 1950's. I decided to try some of them on.

There were a TON of hats. My favorites were these. They looked so elegant and graceful. I decided to try the floral pink one first. Aunt Trish said that it dated back to the 1880's. As I wore the gorgeous rose hat, I imagined my self as a southern belle growing up on a plantation. I loved the pinks, yellows, and pale greens in the hat.

The next hat I tried on was a burgundy hat with a long trail of crimson, gold, and silver ribbons. It looked like a hat someone might wear in the early 1900's. Maybe a sophisticated debutante? Or a New York socialite? As I tried on the hat, I tried to imagine when and where my great grandma wore each hat she had in her collection.

The last hat I decided to try on was the most modern of the hats in her collection. I decided that it looked a bit like a hat from the 1950's. It reminded me like a hat worn by an ace reporter or crime scene detective. And (of course) I Picniked it with my signature font. :o)

I had such a great time helping my aunt clean out her messy attic. Besides making $20 towards my riding fund, I also enjoyed trying on the different hats and playing pretend. Sorry again about the lack of posts this month. I'll try my best to post more often!

Cali***

Meet Judy

2010-08-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Sunny's grandma's birthday and we gave her an extra-special gift- an American Girl doll that looked like she did when she was a girl! Sunny's grandma loved it, as well as the "Meet" book that came with it. Mini-Judy, as she's named her, is a customized Molly doll. We took her braids out so her hair was curly like Grandma's was and put her in an outfit that looked similar to something from the late 1930's, early 1940's.

Mini-Judy looked just like Sunny's grandma did in old pictures. It was crazy!

Yay for weird Picniking, lol! Sorry about my total lack of posts. I've still been doing a lot of side-jobs to earn money for horseback riding so I'll totally post pictures of me working on that soon. Happy August, everyone!

Cali***

One Year

2010-07-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

On July 21st 2010, this blog was officially declared one year old! It feels like I've only been writing in it for a couple days, though. Thanks so much to all of my followers, readers, and commenters. If it wasn't for you, this blog probably wouldn't even be here today!

I loved all of your suggestions for our "One Year Celebration" but I eventually decided on taking one photo from each month since this blog began and saying a little something about each of them. Please enjoy this journey through one amazing year!

July 2009: As well as this being the first month of "Crazy for Cali", Noelle and I try out for Coach Potter's soccer team and (to our surprise) make it! I remember being more than thrilled about this. Plus, being able to post your excitement on a blog was also very fun.

August 2009: Enjoying the view at Sunny's grandparents' house is always a lot of fun! After the busy first week of school, I was more than happy to kick back and relax at the lake and enjoy some much-needed quiet time.

September 2009: During this exciting month comes Sunny's birthday! She got to go to Disney World (she brought me along, of course) and while there, gets Rebecca Rubin!

October 2009: Gwen Thompson joins the FMSG family just in time for Halloween, as does a new family dog- Gus, Sunny's French bulldog.

November 2009: My first birthday with Sunny arrives on November 9th. Besides having a fantastic birthday party with all of my closest friends, I was able to get a Breyer Stablemate for my collection, as well!

December 2009: Merry Christmas! My twin sister, Elizabeth, comes to stay for a few weeks. We had such a great time celebrating the holidays together and doing fun activities such as decorating the house with Christmas lights, raising money for gifts, and being sisters. What's a better present than building a relationship with a long lost relative?

January 2010: Sunny creates her very own YouTube account! This also meant that we were very busy with our movie-making skills during this month. This particular photo was from the first music video we ever made, "Love Story".

February 2010: Valentine's Day creeps upon us, as does FMSG's special Sweetheart Social. Great food, great friends, and lots of candy makes this February 14th extra-amazing.

March 2010: Sunny and Marigold take Felicity and I to the American Girl Boutique & Bistro in Atlanta, where they get two awesome new dollies, Lanie and Chloe. Together we all had an awesome trip!

April 2010: Spring is in the air! Gwen, as well as many of us other students, love hanging out outdoors and enjoying the fresh, springtime breeze. With this new season comes anticipation for summer!

May 2010: Shannon starts her first modeling job in the AGMA! She's a great model and friend and I am so proud of her for even making the first cut.

June 2010: School's out and summer's in! All of us here at FMSG are more than pleased to be able to relax for a couple months. After all, a month or two without homework isn't that terrible, right?

July 2010: One year can go by so quickly that you might not even know it hit you! That's how it was for us here at "Crazy for Cali". Before we knew it, that important day was creeping up on us and we were more than excited. Again, thank you all for reading, commenting, and following this blog. I hope these pictures and captions gave you a better insight on a year in the life of a doll and all of the amazing things that can happen in just a matter of 365 days.

Cali***

A Special Day

2010-07-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is a very special day for me and Sunny- our first ever blogoversary! The same day as tomorrow last year was the day we started this blog. We had no clue it was going to have 54 followers or even get comments! A special thanks goes out to Maggie who helped a lot with Crazy for Cali. I don't know if she still reads it, but if she does then thank you x 10! :D

Since tomorrow is going to be a big day, I was thinking we could do a little celebration! Unfortunately, I don't know what. Something special and out of the ordinary... any ideas? Please post your thoughts on the "celebration". It can be along the lines of a photo-story, a video, or even just a photoshoot of some sort. Thanks, everyone!

*A note from Sunny*

My camera broke yesterday (it had some stupid defect that cost as much as a new camera to get fixed). We returned it for a Nikon Coolpix L110 and we're really happy with it's results. It's 12.1 megapixels and has 15x optical zoom! I'll probably be posting some pictures taken with it on Flickr later today. :)

Cali***

Dog-walking for $$$

2010-07-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

After playing with all those Breyer horses, a brilliant idea entered my mind-- horseback riding lessons! I asked Sunny if I could take them at the stable where Rebecca and Gwen go and she said only if I could raise enough money on my own.

My first money making job was to walk Chloe's Westie pup, Coconut. Coconut's a sweet little dog so I had no problem with this occupation at all.

For our walk, Coconut and I decided to explore the gardens. The warm summery breezes felt so relaxing and refreshing as we walked. A few clouds loomed overhead but, other than that, the sky was pure blue.

I love Coconut's pink flower collar, don't you?

The walk was so quiet and peaceful. All we could hear was the soft hum of leaves rustling from the wind and the buzz of dragonflies' wings beating together.

Dog-walking is too fun to be considered a "job". I should start doing this more often!

Near the end of our walk, Coconut found the prettiest violet flowers. They'd be perfect in Shannon's next AGMA assignment since this week's theme is purple!

Dog-walking was a blast! I made $5 from this job and I would've done it for free. Maybe Chloe will let me walk Coconut more often. :)

Cali***

Fun with Breyer Horses

2010-07-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

In past posts I think I've mentioned that I have a big collection of Breyer model horses and equines. And, guess what??? Today Sunny surprised me with a new horse, a bay Arabian that I named Slick. He's soooooo pretty!

I brought him (and the rest of my Breyers) outside and played with them. I pretended that together they were a wild band of horses on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, like Misty and the Phantom. Since Slick is the newest of my horses, I declared him the alpha male and ruler of the group. Playing with my model horses is so much fun!

Aren't they pretty? I wish I had my own horse like Gwen. She has an Appaloosa mare named Jasmine, who boards at a nearby barn and equestrian school. Sometimes I go and visit Jasmine with Gwen and Rebecca. Rebecca takes lessons at the barn but she doesn't own her own horse yet.

This is a close-up of some of my older Breyers. Sheer Gold is the palomino on the left, Winter is the white mare in the middle, and Bluegrass is the paint on the right. What're your favorite types of horses?

I hope you liked checking out my Breyer horse collection! See you soon. :)

Cali***

Summer is...imagination!

2010-07-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! This morning Sunny and I decided to work on our entry for Rose's summer photo contest. We took a lot of pictures...

...but we eventually decided on this one!

To me, summer is pure imagination- a time when you can be whatever and do whatever! Whether it's fooling around with friends or acting like you're a fairy in your own front yard (like me!), you can experience the joys and wonder of pretending. There's no other season where you can just joke around and be carefree. That's why it's so important that we enjoy summer and let our imaginations run wild!

I hope you liked our entry, Rose! Happy summer! :)

Cali***

The "surprise" is...

2010-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

... a scrapbook!

All of your guesses were awesome but, the "surprise" is a scrapbook! Sunny and her mom worked really hard on it. It took a long time and a lot of work but the end result was worth it.

This is the cover of the scrapbook. I love the sparkly flowers.

This is the opening page. (Sunny blurred her full name out under "by")

My page! I picked out all the stickers and everything! :)

The rest of the scrapbook can be viewed by clicking here. I hope you like it!

Hope everyone's having a good summer and had an awesome 4th of July.

Cali***

Guess what?

2010-07-01T05:54:00.001-07:00

Sunny and I have been hard at work this summer making something very special. We're almost done with it so we'll probably be posting pictures by the end of this week. Here are some clues to what it is:

- It's AG-related

- It was made by Sunny and me but parts of it were bought

- It's not doll furniture

Feel free to post your guesses in comments! I'll be posting soon. :)

Cali***

Poetry

2010-06-27T16:43:00.001-07:00

C is for caring to people and animals alike.

A is for always trying to do her best no matter what the circumstances.

L is for lucky to have such good friends who like her for who she is.

L is for letting her true personality shine through.

I is for intelligent when it comes to people and school.

S is for successful in all of her adventures.

T is for truthful to one and all.

A is for an American Girl.

That was just a short poem I wrote using my name. I thought it would be fun to make! :D Hope everyone is having a great summer.

Cali***

Sunny at the Barn

2010-06-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting too frequently even though I said I would. Unfortunately, even though school is out we've still been busy doing various things like Sunny spending the night at friends' house, then at her grandparents', and then Chloe's exciting trip to Homosassa Springs (pictures soon!). But, I have found time to POST!!!!

Anyways, like I said, Sunny spent the night at her friends' Haley and Annie's house. As usual, they went to the barn where Haley and Annie both ride. Sunny had super duper fun and took TONS of photos. Here are just a few:

H and A's horsey!

Her nose. :)

The much-loved "barn kitty" who Sunny said calls these stables home chills in a plastic chair.

Sunny on H and A's horse. She wanted me to write that she looks terrible and is sorry but that's sort of what you wear when you are at the barn, lol. xD

Sorry that this post is slightly on the short and off-topic side but I promise to post pictures from Homosassa later this week. Bye!

Cali***

The New Girl

2010-06-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, weird as it is there's a new girl here on FMSG campus. She looks quite like my long distance sister, Mia, but she says she's different. Her name is Mia, too, and she's quite the character, if I do say so myself. She walked into the cafeteria and sat down right next to me, introducing herself this afternoon at lunch. "Hi, I'm Mia," she said, smiling.

"Uh, hi, the name's Cali," I replied as I reached for my sub sandwich and started chewing.

"I just moved here from Colorado. I'm starting 7th grade next year here," Mia told me, grinning.

Then she started telling me about her pet yorkshire terrier, Sugar, and her stuffed walrus, Miko. She seems really nice and an awesome person to talk to. She's very peppy though, which can sort of be annoying sometimes.

Anyways, I can't believe another doll has moved here! I think Sunny's at her limit, lol. Mia says that her previous "person" was Sunny's BFF and she no longer wanted her. Then Mia told me that her "person" asked Sunny if she would like her. Sunny agreed since a Mia doll was what she wanted for her birthday in September. And that was that. Today Mia came for good!

I guess having a new girl here at Frosted Meadows isn't that bad. Maybe it could lead to some new adventures, hmmm?

Cali***

My New Bedroom

2010-06-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

With summer comes new couture! The Etsy shop dollcloset has been on our list of pretty doll clothing shops for a while and *finally* Sunny has got around to purchasing us a dress (which is very summery) and a shirt/shorts combo outfit from there. We ordered the items on Monday so they should be here fairly soon. Once they are, check Chiffon & Lace for reviews of the ensembles!

Now for the much anticipated photos of my non-messy room! You should've seen if before Mission Impossible. It was like a tornado swept through it, no joke. Now it looks completely better and way cleaner.

Sorry for the bad quality! Sunny had to use her phone for the pictures since her camera needs new batteries and she doesn't have any at the moment.

Awesome night stand- only 7$ !

And my dresser, of course! Love the Ariel statue, right?

So that's my room! I am so happy I could clean it out and redecorate it. Hope everyone has a great Sunday. :)

Cali***

School's Out!

2010-06-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody! Guess what..........

Yesterday was the last day of school!!!!!!!!!

It was a great day filled with the joy and innocence of nothingness. All we did was talk to each other, play board games, watch movies, and sign yearbooks. It couldn't have been a more perfect day.

As for today, my first day of summer vacation, it was a total mess. Sunny's mom is a first grade teacher and she's moving classrooms so we had to help her pack up all of her books, papers, etc. It was a lot of work but we did it!

Tomorrow is going to be more fun, though. Sunny says she's going to organize the doll stuff and redecorate my hideously boring bedroom. Then I want to hit the beach for some tanning! My vinyl limbs seem to get paler by the months, lol.

Oh, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry for not being very consistent with the updating. School has been busy and now that it's over I'll have plenty of time for posts.

Also, summer travel plans aren't definite at the moment. I may be going to the Florida Keys sometime in July but we don't have a hotel yet so the vacation isn't set in stone. I'll let you know the dates I won't be on my this blog, our YouTube, Flickr, and our Picasa albums soon! Thanks everyone and happy summer. :D

Cali***

FMSG Yearbook 2010

2010-06-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

Every year Frosted Meadows' yearbook committee goes all out and makes us these wonderful keepsake yearbooks. Most of the teachers let us use the last few days to sign our yearbooks. Here are some of the pages in our 6th Grade Yearbook. I already have quite a few signatures:

Cover

Page 1

Do you see me?

Page 2

Those were only a few of the pages of our yearbooks but I thought they were awesome. I still have to get some signatures from Noelle and Julie but I'm pretty happy with it. Have a great summer everyone!

Cali***

Longing For Summer

2010-05-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Guess what? Only 8 more days of school left! I am so excited. After that, I'll be able to update more often, take more photos, and make more videos--pretty much do more of everything. I honestly am jumping out of my seat right now with anticipation. Also, come to think of it, I started this blog over the summer last year (July, I think...). I can't believe it's almost been a year already! Go summer! :)

Cali***

Walt Disney World Photos: From Piper

2010-05-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Piper! I think I've only posted on Cali's blog once before this so I'm still getting into the swing of the things. :)

As most of you know, I went on a very fun but very HOT (it was nearly 90 degrees the entire trip) visit to Walt Disney World. I had a great time and I wanted to share some photos I took there. Hope you like them!

Me in a butterfly garden at EPCOT

Chilling at the hotel with my new book, Kingdom Keepers, which is about four kids who have to save the Walt Disney World Parks.

On Saturday, I couldn't go with Sunny and her family to Magic Kingdom so I stayed at the hotel and checked out the view from the window.

A photo Sunny took of a water flower in front of our hotel, Coronado Springs.

So that was my trip! I had a fantastic time and I hope to be able to come again sometime! :)

~Piper~

Be back online May 23rd!

2010-05-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

Not my picture! I found it on Google Images. BTW, Aurora is my favorite princess. I don't remember if I mentioned that in my last post.

Piper and Sunny will be going to Walt Disney World tomorrow/Saturday for a mini-vacation. This means that I won't be able to be online. =( But, she'll be back on Sunday during the afternoon or early evening so if I can I'll update then and post some of the pictures they took there. Last time Sunny went Disney (she took me and was given Rebecca there as a gift) she didn't bring any of us to the parks so therefore she didn't take any pictures. This time will *hopefully* be different. Sunny is planning on bringing Piper to at least EPCOT tomorrow night, if not on Saturday.

Also, Rose awarded me the Beautiful Blogger award. Thank you SO much, Rose! :)

Now I have to tell you 7 interesting things about myself.

1) I am left-handed.

2) I sleep walk... A LOT.

3) I love going to the beach but hate swimming in the ocean. (I'm deathly afraid of sharks)

4) I hate math but wish I could be good at it.

5) I used to have braces when I was 9.

6) I sometimes pretend I am a famous author and am signing autographs for my adoring fans.

7) My favorite color in the entire universe is turquoise!

I tag...

... anybody who wants to be! All of you are beautiful bloggers.

Cali***

Once upon a dream...

2010-05-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Princesses and fantasy have been on my mind so much lately! I can't help but want to sing my favorite Disney princess song "Once Upon a Dream" as I waltz around the house. This is for two reasons:

1) Shannon Rose found out her next topic for AGMA and it's princesses! She has so much work to do for this challenge, but she's up for it. Sunny has been primping that girl all weekend, getting her prepared and ready for the photos. Lucky!

And 2) We're going to Disney World on Friday and Saturday. I know you're probably thinking that my family goes to Disney A LOT, but we have yearlong passes and we only live about 2 and a half hours away. Unfortunately, "we" does not include me this time. :( Since I've already been to Disney, Sunny wanted to bring someone else. That someone is Piper! Piper is super excited about going and "meeting all the princesses", especially Snow White, her favorite.

So although none of the princess-related going-ons truly involve me, I'm having so much fun! I was actually having SO much fun that I made a collage on Picnik (without using Picnik Premium...) with the princesses. All the cartoon photos are not mine, so all credit goes to the owners. The doll photos, however, are mine! Hope you like it:

Cali***

New Background!

2010-05-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Random photo by Sunny

As many of you know I've had that blue/grey background for a long time (since Christmas) so I finally decided to change it up a bit. The old background was getting so boring...

I had a Chinese-looking background at first but not many people liked it according to a poll so I changed it to this pink and green one that I found on the Cutest Blog on the Block website (it's called "Melancholy" if you're wondering). Please vote on the poll with your opinions! I can always change it if you don't like it that much. :)

Cali***

P.S.: Sorry for such a short post! I hope to be able to post on Saturday or Sunday this weekend.

Standing Up

2010-05-08T08:31:00.001-07:00

I am SO pooped.

Last night was FMSG's famous Spring Fling and I had a blast... for the most part...

So this is basically how the night went:

Jane, Noelle, and Piper and I walked in, dressed in our special spring outfits. We danced for a couple hours, drank punch, talked, and danced some more. Then Nellie came.

Nellie (of course!) was wearing this super fancy dress and shoes. She looked like a million bucks and a quarter.

"Hey, Cali," she spat as she passed me on the dance floor.

"Oh, hi, Nellie," I said back, politely, letting her by.

"Wow... your hair looks like a truck ran over it," snarled Nellie as she ran her perfectly-manicured fingers through her styled hair. "No wonder you don't have a date."

By now I was totally fed up with her. So what if I didn't have a date with me? I didn't even see Nellie with a date, either. That girl had bothered me since the day we met back in August and I'd always been too timid to speak up and tell her to stop getting on my nerves. Well, not today, I was thinking.

"Nellie Christelle O'Malley, I am SICK and TIRED of the way you talk to me so please BUG OFF!"I shouted, clenching my fists to keep my anger from coming out like an erupting volcano. Jane wandered over, grasping a paper cup filled with punch and ushered me away.

"You stood up to her!" Jane cheered when we were back by the snack table. "I am so proud of you."

"I'm proud, too. Nellie has been rude long enough and I think it's about time someone put her in her place," I admitted.

Jane nodded and we walked back out on to the dance floor and had a great (no, terrific!) rest of the night.

What I still can't believe is that I, Cali Hazelwood, stood up to Nellie, the queen of mean. I just hope me telling her what's up will stop the bullying for once and for all. A doll can dream, can't she?

Cali***

Earth Day Photo Contest Results

2010-05-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone, it's me, Cali!

I just wanted to thank everyone who entered my first annual Earth Day Photo Contest. All of the entries were amazing and I wish I could've given everyone 1st Place. It took Sunny, Marigold, and I a LONG time to decide on the winner. :)

3rd Place: Rebecca from *Roses are Read*!

We loved how she incorporated homemade clothing into her photo (we thought that was very green). The colors were very pretty and it really looked like an earthy picture. Great job, Rebecca!

(You can paste the following "ribbon" on to your blog, *Roses are Read*)

2nd Place: Kiki from Kiki's Korner With Mia & Eva!

This picture was very captivating. The photography was excellent and the approach was unique. Kiki looked so cute in her blue raincoat.

(You can paste the following "ribbon" on to your blog, Kiki)

1st Place: Karma, Lili, and Denali from Creating Karma!

The flowers and spring-y dresses in these photos were to die for. All of you girls looked so pretty! Congrats. :)

(You can paste the following "ribbon" on to your blog, Karma)

And now for the Honorable Mentions!!!

Best Action Shot: Samantha from Jess's Adventure Blog

This was a very cute photo, Samantha. We thought it was most definitely the best action photo of the bunch.

Best Springtime Photo: Sophie from The Bolton Girls' Travel Blog

The cherry blossoms in this photo were spectacular! Sophie looked like she was having a great time playing in that tree.

Best Portrait: Georgia from Georgia's Life

The colors in this photo were beautiful. It was a very pretty portrait, Miss Georgia! :)

Best Background: Kolby from Sisters in Heart

We loved the background in this photo! I liked how Kolby was standing in the middle and her friends were behind her, off in the distance. Very clever!

(All Honorable Mention winners can paste the following "ribbon" on to their blogs!)

Thanks again to everybody who entered. Your photos were great and I had a really fun time looking at them. Great job!

Cali***

P.S: The Spring Fling is only 5 days away, I can't wait!!!

Smelly Nellie

2010-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am completely and utterly BORED.

Nothing (and I mean nothing) has been going on here. Other than Shannon getting primped and polished for her first round of AGMA, Sunny has barely had time to do anything with us dolls. I guess that's what happens when your Algebra teacher assigns you a ton of math every night and you have softball practice every night, but, oh well.

I do have news, though. Barely, but I do.

Nellie is back.

For a month or so she's been pretty okay. Not exactly friendly, but not mean either. UNTIL... today. I was just walking down the halls of FMSG when she rammed into me like a bull.

"Excuse you!" she yelped, her books scattering on the linoleum.

"Uh, sorry, Nellie," I said as I bent over to help her retrieve her fallen folders.

"Whatever. JSYK, you need glasses! I almost died." I could hear the mockery and sarcasm back in her voice.

"You didn't 'almost die'. You were the one who rammed into me, you know."

"Get out of my way, Hazelwood. You're on my list."

Well then, I was thinking. Nellie the Notorious was back and she was meaner than ever. Just great.

*Sighs*

I don't know what to do about her! Sometimes she seems so cool and calm and other times it's like a fire is raging inside of her. I guess I was pretty dumb for thinking she might actually stop her ways for once, right? Gosh, I hope I don't see her at the dance on Friday...

Cali***

Weekend!

2010-04-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone, it's me, Cali! So much has been going on here (Sunny's softball tournament + homework galore = busy!) so I'm very glad I've found the time to update! Anyways, I just wanted to say congrats to

Shannon and the other dolls that got into AGMA (including Serenity from Ruthie's View and Kristy from Elizabeth's Adventures) and that everyone's auditions were great. Shannon can't wait for the first assignment. :)

Also, like I said before, Sunny had a tournament this weekend for softball. She plays second base and outfield. Her team won first place!!!!!!!

As for me: same old, same old. The only thing that I'm actually looking forward to right now is the Spring Fling, which is this coming Friday. No one has asked me to go with them yet so for now I'm just going with a bunch of friends. It's going to be a ton of fun! Everyone has to get all dressed up in dresses and suits, drink punch, and chat. This is probably the biggest school festival FMSG ever has!

And, before I forget, the Earth Day Contest has been held over to April 29th. Please enter!

So that's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Cali***

Earth Day Photo Contest

2010-04-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, this coming Thursday is Earth Day! And, in honor of our mother Earth, I have decided to make Crazy for Cali's first ever photo contest. Basically, there will be 5 awards: 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and 1 - 2 honorable mentions, depending on how many people enter. Even though there are going to be awards for those categories, all who enters will get recognized!

The rules for the photo contest are as follows:

1) The photo must be of your doll with nature. This includes photos taken around trees, flowers, the beach, and other things in nature.

2) Feature the picture on a blog post and then comment here with a link to it.

3) Use little to no editing on your photo. Text is fine but don't change the photo completely.

4) All entries must be in by Sunday the 25th at 11:59 p.m.

5) Have fun!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I hope many of you are able to enter. Happy Earth Day!

Cali***

Liberty Jane Lavender Mint Tank

2010-04-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting like I said I would yesterday. Sunny had to go to the mall to get a dress for her cousin's wedding so I decided I would wait 'til today. :)

Like I said a week ago, Sunny was going to try her hand at sewing. Unfortunately, her sewing machine (which is slightly old...) was broken so she had to sew the tank top by hand. Since this is basically her first time sewing I think I should cut her some slack but, I still have to say it's pretty pitiful.

She started out her shirt with a nice lavender fabric that she bought at Joanne's last summer for a project. I think this color looks really nice on Madi.

The pattern calls for more of a ribbed material but this worked out just fine.

After Sunny sewed the shirt, she added mint green ribbon to the shoulder parts of it. I really like the purple and green paired; I think it's a very pretty combination!

Since we had left over ribbon, we decided to tie the mint ribbon in Madi's hair for the photoshoot. All in all, Sunny is very proud of her shirt. You have to start somewhere, right? :)

Cali***

My Life in Six Words

2010-04-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Rose from *Roses are Read*...

A kindred spirit holding new perspectives.

Just me and no one else.

Follower of dreams, leader of life.

Outgoing with a taste of eccentric.

Alone at the desk, a writer.

Those are a few of some of the six-word memoirs I came up with in honor of Rose from Roses are Read.

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately! Life can get the best of you sometimes. I'm hoping for a nice long post tomorrow (it's the weekend... finally!), featuring the failure of a Liberty Jane tank top I made and more. :) Bye for now!

Cali***

Couture Updates

2010-04-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that this blog has 40 followers! Thanks so much to everyone who is following and/or reading this blog. It means a lot. :) :) :)

Also, I am really sorry I haven't been that consistent with updating. This week has been so busy for me! Soccer practice Monday, guitar lessons Tuesday, soccer game on Wednesday, massive homework Thursday, and last night I had to go to a Spring Fling festival at our nearby church. But, (finally!), I have found the time to post!

On Monday, right before I was headed to soccer practice, Sunny noticed a white box on her doorstep. I went with her to investigate and discovered it was our... Melody Valerie Couture Sweet Darling Dress!!! It's so pretty and is made of absolutely stunning plaid fabric, and it came in only 2 days! Thanks so much, Melody Valerie Couture, we are very happy with this dress! Sunny decided it would be great for Gwen, but first she made Lanie model it for Chiffon & Lace. Once Lanie's done uploading those pictures and posts them on her blog, the dress will be going to Gwen! Lucky girl.

Here's a spoiler photo of the dress. Check Chiffon & Lace for an upcoming post featuring all the photos of it soon:

Last on my mini "list" of couture updates is... inspiration. Libby and Nicki, Brooke and Avery, and Starr and Rose have inspired Sunny to do something almost impossible for her to do. Sew. She is the worst sewer in the history of seamstresses, I am not even exaggerating. A few hours ago she downloaded a free Liberty Jane pattern book (ribbed tank top) and is going to pull out her old sewing machine. If the tank comes out anything remarkably close to Brooke's t-shirts or Starr's dress, she is going to be amazed! If it looks somewhat like a tank then she'll allow me to post a picture of it, but if it just looks like a total mess she'll probably be too embarrassed...

Cali***

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hiyah, everyone! Today is...

Easter!

I want to wish all of you (even if you don't celebrate Easter) a fantastic day filled with lots of candy, lol.

Well, like every other year, we had our annual AG Easter Egg Hunt. Unfortunately, since both our front and back yards are smothered in pollen Sunny insisted that we have the hunt inside. I was a bit upset at first, but, once I saw all the candy and eggs hidden in our house, I wasn't in the least bit sad. I mean, candy's candy no matter where you find it!

So, a lot of the dolls came to participate including Noelle, Jane, Rebecca, Gwen, Chloe, Lanie, and others. We were all really excited to find the eggs!

"On your mark... get set... GO!"

And we were off.

I found a ton of eggs. Sunny said the girl with the most eggs would win a special prize. If you didn't already know this, I am very competitive. Very, VERY competitive. Just say the word "prize" and I am a totally different person.

After a good hour of searching for and collecting eggs, Sunny called the game to a close. Everyone counted their eggs and... I had 24, beating Gwen by two!

The prize was a plush blue bunny. I couldn't have been more thrilled; after all blue is my favorite color, you know. But, since Gwen seemed really upset about losing, I asked her if she wanted to share it with me, which she happily agreed to.

So that was my Easter! I had a lot of fun doing the egg hunt. What are some holiday traditions in your family???

Once again, hope everyone has a super day and...

Also, here is a link to Chloe and Lanie's blog: http://www.chiffonlacedolls.blogspot.com. There is also a link for their blog on the side bar. (If you didn't know about their new blog, see earlier post) :) :) :)

Cali***

Melody Valerie Spring Line and Big News

2010-04-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

(photography by Marigold, editing by Sunny)

Yes, today is the day! The Melody Valerie Couture 2010 Spring Line came out and all of the dresses are utterly gorgeous. Sunny had $60 left over from her road trip so she decided to spend it on the Sweet Darling Dress (she fell in love with the pastel plaid). We cannot wait for the dress to arrive! I wonder who'll get it...

Remember how I said Chloe and Lanie wanted their own blog??? Well, Sunny has been considering the idea for awhile, thinking up the positives and negatives to having another doll with a blog. And, she decided that (if I was okay with it) Lanie and Chloe could have there own blog but, a. it won't be updated nearly as much as this one and b. it would be for basically only doll fashion.

Chloe, which you probably didn't know, LOVES clothing. She adores putting together outfits and modeling them. That's why she wanted a blog so much. To model and show her love of "doll couture". The new blog will be for modeling new outfits and clothing ONLY. As much as I hate the idea, I have to say that Chloe is being a good sport about it. As for Lanie being involved in the blog; well, Marigold, has been wanting to have one of her dolls be apart a blog for a while so I understand that.

The blog will debut tonight or tomorrow and I'll post with a link. Sunny promised me that the blog will only be updated every few weeks or longer so my blog will still be the main one. Do you think I'm being selfish about this?

Anyways, the blog is going to be called Chiffon & Lace: A Doll Fashion Blog By Chloe & Lanie. Chloe came up with the name because chiffon started with "C" like her name and lace started with "L" like Lanie.

So, as I said, the new blog will not be updated as much as mine (especially after it gets started) and it will most likely debut tonight or tomorrow.

Happy Spring, everyone, and happy almost-Easter! :)

Cali***

We're Back!

2010-03-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! It's me, Cali! This morning at 1 am (after a long time of driving) we arrived back safe and sound at our home in Florida. Sunny and I had a great time at the AG B&B and the Great Smoky Mountains. We took SO many photos that not even a quarter of them could fit in this post. Also, Sunny and Marigold both got new dolls at the AG B&B and guess what... they want their own blog! As if! I know for a fact that I am the ONLY doll to get a blog around here. Anyways, other than that, they seem pretty nice. Elana "Lanie" Drew Holland is GOTY 2010 so you probably know her (this is Marigold's doll) and Chloe Sage Hawthorne (Sunny's) is #25! Here are some pictures of them:

Sunny also got the following doll outfits:

1) Safari Sundress

2) Wilderness Outfit

3) AGP Exclusive: Vacation Outfit (Jane's)

Marigold got some doll clothes, too:

1) Sweet Melody Outfit

2) Outdoor Play Outfit

To see some more photos taken on our trip, click here. Not all of the photos are in the videos yet but the ones taken at the AG B&B and in Helen are. Hope you like them!

More posts introducing Chloe soon. Have a great Wednesday! :)

Cali***

Off To AG B&B

2010-03-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is a scheduled post due to the fact that Sunny's laptop's internet only works in her house. So, by the time you are reading this, I am off on our way to the Smokies and American Girl store. All of us are very excited about the trip and we can't wait to go to the AG store, especially! Sorry for such a short post, just wanted to keep everyone updated! :)

Have a great weekend!

Cali***

Packed and Ready!

2010-03-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

Yay!!!!

Tomorrow Sunny, Marigold, and their parents, and Felicity and I are on our way to the AG Boutique & Bistro Atlanta and the Smokey Mountains! Woo-hoo!

As you can see, I am very excited about the trip (I even get to miss a day of school!). Unfortunately, though, this means no posts (except for a scheduled post tomorrow) until Wednesday. :( But when we do get around to posting, you'll see a post with a TON of pictures and a link to a photo album or video of all of them.

Below is a quick snapshot of Felicity and I posing with our suitcases. We brought along a bunch of clothes and hair ties but we'll probably get one or two outfits at the AG B&B. Also, rumors have been going around FMSG that a new doll or two might be coming back to Florida with us...

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great weekend! See you in a few days! :)

Cali***

Forgiveness

2010-03-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, I've been reminding myself to tell you all how it went with Jane. Let's just say she wasn't very forgiving at first.

"I am so, so, SO sorry I bragged about going to the American Girl store," I said, truthfully after lunch the day after the argument.

"Yeah, right. I bet you loved shoving it into our faces that Sunny chose YOU!" Jane shot back, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I seriously didn't mean to. I was just answering your question!"

"Oh, whatever."

"I mean it, Jane. I'm sorry."

"How do I know? People say they're sorry all the time and half of the time they're lying!"

"I'll prove it. When I go to the AG Boutique & Bistro I'll pick you up something special, I promise."

"Really???"

"Of course! You're one of my best friends, Jane."

"You're my best friend, too, Cali. I guess I did overreact a bit."

And then we hugged and made up! I am SO glad Jane isn't mad at me anymore. Being angry with someone is no fun AT ALL.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Cali***

A (Late) St. Patty's Day Post

2010-03-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'm really sorry for not posting on St. Patrick's Day. I was totally planning on it but, unfortunately, life caught up with me. So, everyone, here is a special St. Patrick's Day photo taken of me in my green dress and with my St. Patty's Day Beanie Babies. Happy belated St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Cali***

Rose's Spring Photo Contest

2010-03-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

Time for our Rose's Photo Contest entry! Unfortunately, no pictures I had seemed to feel, well, spring-y. But to my pleasure I did find the perfect photo to represent Crazy for Cali in her contest.

To me (and all of my friends at Frosted Meadows) spring is enjoying the outdoors and all the fresh greenery with loved ones. :)

Thanks to Roses are Read for creating this contest. We had a lot of fun entering!

Cali***

P.S: A post about how it went with Jane should be up Friday or sooner. Thanks!

A Little Drama

2010-03-13T05:55:00.001-08:00

The title pretty much says it all.

Yesterday at lunch Jane, Noelle, and I were sitting with Gwen, Piper, and Shannon (who now are the best of friends) and were chatting with each other about Spring Break and report cards.

Jane- So, what's everyone doing for Spring Break?

Noelle- I'm going to sleep over with Madi on Friday to go see that new Alice in Wonderland movie.

Gwen- Omigosh, I really want to see that! I'll probably be seeing that over Spring Break, too.

Piper- Shannon and I are thinking about going camping. (Piper was smiling when she said this but Shannon didn't look very thrilled)

Jane- That sounds like fun. Cali and I have been camping before, right, Cali? ... Cali, we haven't heard what you're doing???

Well, you see, Sunny told me to not brag about going to the AG B&B Atlanta around the other dolls too much. That's why I was TRYING to not join in with the conversation but when Jane goes all "why aren't you talking?" it's hard not to boast a little bit.

Me- Um, I'm going to the American Girl Boutique & Bistro, remember? With Sunny and Mari.

Noelle- No way! You are so lucky, Cali.

Me- Uh, thanks?

Gwen- Be sure to take LOTS of pictures. We want to hear all about your trip when you get back.

Shannon- Definitely. I bet it's amazing!

Piper- Of course it is, Shannon.

Jane was the one who wasn't saying anything this time. I glanced over at her and noticed that she was just staring at her macaroni cheese and moving it around with a spork, angrily. No one else seemed to notice so I just let it go. Right now I am deeply regretting that decision.

I thought (like any other argument we'd gotten into) Jane would get over it and we'd hug and laugh about the situation. Well, I guess I thought wrong because for the ENTIRE rest of the day Jane avoided and ignored me as much as she could. She was acting like it was my fault I got chosen to go to the AG B&B.

I told Noelle about how Jane was acting and she said that the "little green monster" can get the best of people. I knew what that meant. Jane was jealous. She was mad because she couldn't go to the AG B&B with Sunny, Mari, Felicity, and I. Now I felt terrible. That was exactly what Sunny suspected would happen if I talked about going on the trip too much.

So now I am in this big heap of trouble with Jane. Noelle said that Jane was thinking about going back into her AG box and mailing herself all the way to one of the AG stores but I'm smart enough to know Jane would never do that. I guess I am going to have to let things work themselves out. Today is a new day and just maybe Jane will be over the whole American Girl Boutique & Bistro thing. I am crossing my fingers that she will be!

Cali***

Photos

2010-03-11T04:59:00.001-08:00

Sunny has been messing around with her new phone A LOT lately. I guess you could say that this is a good thing because she figured out how to upload the photos from her cell phone on to the computer. All of the photos were taken at the pond in our backyard or a nearby park. Here are a few of the best photos:

Both of these photos were photoshopped with Picnik. Which one do you like better???

We were thinking about submitting one of these to Rose's contest but we aren't sure yet. To see more photos of Felicity enjoying spring click this linky. :)

Cali***

Sunny's New Phone

2010-03-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Life has been boring here... for me, anyways. Today Sunny got a new cell phone (she used to have a Rumor) called the Palm Pre. It is AWESOME. I know that this has nothing to do with me or AG dolls but there's really nothing else for me to talk about other than school. Plus, her new phone is really cool and it takes really good photos! She wants to post a picture of me she got off her phone soon... if she can figure out how to do that...

So that's her new phone! I love the case. :)

On another note, I have been thinking quite a bit about what I should do for my picture for Rose's Spring Photo Contest. I'm not sure yet but I have a few ideas. Now I'm just waiting for the perfect spring afternoon!

Well, that's that for updates. Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

Cali***

March!

2010-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day of March!

March is an awesome month. Some exciting things coming up in March include:

AGMA Results

St. Patrick's Day

Spring Break

AG Boutique & Bistro

It also is quite close to spring! Although it's been rainy off-and-on here in Florida I can definitely tell spring is just waiting to arrive! :)

(Picture courtesy of Sunny's friend G.'s iTouch)

Cali***

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2010-02-27T08:35:00.001-08:00

It has been so rainy here. There's nothing like a dull, boring day to bring your spirits down. To top it off, I have an essay and two projects due on Monday. This is going to be one long weekend...

Well, I guess rain isn't always bad because today Sunny and I went outside to scout out the deepest puddles. I love jumping in puddles but Sunny says it's "hazardous to my cloth body". After a previous puddle incident with Victoria (long story) I think I'll take her word for it. But even though I wasn't allowed to jump in the puddles it was still fun exploring the front yard.

Everything seemed to shimmer with rain and the sky was an unusual color of gray. Unfortunately, the darkness didn't exactly make for good pictures. I did take a few, though, as you can see.

So that's pretty much all that's been going on here in Florida. I can't wait for springtime when the sun is always shining and every weekend I can hang out at the beach... this weather is just too depressing!

On a more positive note, only 28 more days until Georgia!!! I can't wait. AG B&B, here I come!

Cali***

Season Three of AGMA

2010-02-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe Season 3 of American Girl Modeling Academy (AGMA) has started already! I am so excited! Unfortunately, since I am already participating in All Doll Modeling Academy (ADMA) I wasn't able to enter but.... guess who did?

SHANNON ROSE SILVER!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Shannon! I hope you will go far in the competition. :)

Her entry is posted on our YouTube channel. The pictures took Sunny and Shannon a really long time to take and we only compiled the best of them. It's probably not the best audition ever but hopefully it's good enough to get Shannon to the next round.

Speaking of modeling, my next assignment for ADMA is due in two weeks! I cannot wait. I'll probably work on my audition over the weekend. The theme is "all about me" so I have to take pictures that reflect my personality, I guess. It sounds like a really fun topic!

Sorry for such a short post, everyone. I hope I can make a nice long post soon! :)

Cali***

Happy Weekend!

2010-02-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

I am so so SO happy that today is Saturday. I was so busy this week it wasn't even funny! I had soccer practice Wednesday night, guitar lessons on Thursday, and the Junior Olympics opening ceremonies were last night. I'm so sorry! :(

Well, finally I can say I was able to post! But today hasn't been rest and relaxation for Sunny and I... quite the opposite actually. I had a Junior Olympics meet-up for soccer this morning and Sunny was working on this Oklahoma! video that didn't turn out so well. When I got home she said she had watched a bunch of YouTube videos and found something that we might be able to work with: vdag's Ruthie in Dreamland. The video was absolutely amazing. Sunny thought it was so cool, she made her own version, except with Rebecca. Click here to see the video. I hope you like it, but remember: all storyline credit goes to vdag94, it was NOT our original idea!!!

Not much has been going on here in FMSG, though. I've been prepping for my trip to the AG B&B mostly. I already know what I'm going to wear!

Well, happy weekend, everyone. I got to go watch the Olympics now! :)

Cali***

The Surprise... Revealed

2010-02-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

By now I'm pretty sure all of you have a good idea of where I'm going....

American Girl Boutique and Bistro Atlanta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so, SO, SO, SO excited I am practically bouncing out of my seat right now. Basically on the Friday before Spring Break Sunny's getting picked up from school early and she and her family are going to drive all night long. Her dad says it takes around 13 hours to get from where we are to Atlanta so we are guessing we'll get at the AG B&B at 11 o'clock (because we're going to stay at a hotel for a few hours to get some rest). We're going to have lunch there and shop for a while. Then once we have taken lots of pictures and had our lunch we are going to hit the road yet again and stay at a cabin in Tennessee. It's going to be awesome!

Oh, yes, I nearly forgot! Also tagging along will be Madison, Marigold's doll. Madison and I always seem to go on trips together. :)

So that's the surprise! Only a month (more or less) to go and then Sunny, Marigold, Madison, and I are American Girl-bound!

Cali***

A Melody Valerie Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Valentine's Day, it's so much fun. Sunny went on a boat ride today for her friend's birthday and then chilled at the beach. Then she came home and we ate candy (conversation hearts are the best!) and found a box waiting for us... a white box! Melody Valerie! Sunny's mom, dad, and sister got her the Melody Valerie Couture Crimson Bouquet dress for Valentine's Day! It is so pretty. Sunny said it could be mine, which I was so happy for! Now I have my very own couture piece. Below are some photos of the dress and me:

As for the "surprise", I have decided to give you yet another clue. The surprise is a place. Okay, I think this pretty much gives it away, but, oh well. Tomorrow or Tuesday there will be an extra special post dedicated to the surprise! :)

Have a great Valentine's Day!

Cali***

Tagged by Sisters In Heart

2010-02-12T04:46:00.001-08:00

Rule #1: (paste this on blog) Check!

Rule #2: List 10 things that make you happy and try to do some today:

1) Post on my blog!

2) Read Percy Jackson & The Last Olympian.

3) Sing randomly!

4) Make my friends laugh.

5) Watch some YouTube videos.

6) Wear Valentine's Day-themed clothing to school today.

7) Remember my jacket.

8) Take some photos outside.

9) Have fun!

10) Dream about 'the surprise'...

Yes, there's a surprise and I'm not going to tell you what it is... yet. Here are some clues: it's not a doll (though it might result in one) and it isn't doll couture. Please feel free to guess what it might be in a comment! Let's just say Sunny and I are very, VERY, VERY excited about it.

Sorry for getting a bit off-topic. Anyways, I tag:

1) Avery

2) Piper

3) Lola

4) Dolls, Dolls, & More Dolls

*If you have already been tagged this does not mean you have to do this twice! :)

Happy tagging!

Cali***

SunnyshineAG Productions Presents...

2010-02-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

Love Story: An American Girl Music Video!

Over the weekend Sunny made 3 videos for YouTube, her favorites being the tour she made of her doll room and the music video she made with Julie and her sister's doll, Kit. It's basically the story of Love Story by Taylor Swift in pictures/stop motion. Click here to go to Sunny's channel and view these videos.

Anyways, in honor of the first video Sunny is really, really, really proud of, I have decided to interview the star of the MV, Miss Julie Albright.

Julie: Hi, Cali! It's an honor to be able to be interviewed for your blog.

Me: The honor is mine! It's so great to be able to talk to you about your first major acting role. How did you feel when you decided to take the role of Juliet in the music video?

Julie: Well, at first I was a little nervous but now that the video is on YouTube, I couldn't be more ecstatic!

Me: I bet you were also excited about the wardrobe. What brand was your fabulous dress that you're wearing in the video?

Julie: Melody Valerie Couture Statement in Taffeta! I was absolutely stunned that I would be wearing that dress! So pretty.

Me: Oh, yes, MVC has such pretty clothing. Anyways, what was your favorite scene you shot in the music video?

Julie: I liked all the scenes but my favorite was the scene where Romeo asks my character, Juliet to marry him.

Me: How was it working with your co-star, Kit?

Julie: Kit's awesome. We're both great friends in real life!

Me: That's good. Solid friendships are key to having a successful acting career, am I right?

Julie: I must say that I wouldn't have been able to perform to the best of my ability in this production without the support of my friends.

Me: I agree that friendship was a major part of producing this film! Thanks, Julie, it was great talking with you.

Julie: You too, Cali.

So that was my interview! I had a great time talking to Julie about her role in the music video. Now it's your turn to check out this production. Click the link given above or in the sidebar under "RELATED LINKS". Hope you like it!

Cali***

Spelling Bee Results!

2010-02-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

The FMSG First Annual Spelling Bee was last night and I WON!!!! Yay! I still can't believe it. Even though Jane got third place (which I thought was still awesome) , she was very happy that I beat Nellie. :)

Below are some pictures Sunny took at the Bee. Hope you like them!

My winning word was tsunami. Nellie looked like she was walking on lava rocks when I spelled it correct.

My prizes were a first-place ribbon and an AG sticker. I couldn't help but feel a smidge bit sorry for Nellie when she was eying my prizes, longingly at the awards ceremony. That was until she called me a "loser" and stormed off the stage,

dramatically. Then I went back to feeling victorious!

So that was the Spelling Bee! I'm so glad I took the time to study and practice for the Bee. My hard work really did pay off. :)

Anyways, I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. Only 8-days until Valentine's Day!

Cali***

Annabeth's Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt

2010-02-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

As you all probably know Elizabeth is now Annabeth, the heroine in the Percy Jackson series. To go with her new identity, Sunny made Annabeth her very own Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. She used a patch she bought at Borders and a plain white t-shirt bought from Michael's. It only cost Sunny about $5 total.

She also made Annabeth a camp necklace, which is mentioned in the books quite a few times. Each Camp Half-Blood camper is given a necklace, and each year at camp a new bead is also given. On Annabeth's necklace there are seven beads, representing the seven years she has spent at camp.

Below are some pictures of Annabeth in her shirt and necklace. Sunny also gave her a doll baseball cap from the AG Softball set to use as her "invisibility cap", but was unable to picture it. Thanks for the idea, Chrissa from Alex & Chrissa's Wonderful Blog!

By the way, the Spelling Bee is tomorrow! I've been studying like crazy. I hope all this hard work pays off and I beat Nellie. Bye!

Cali***

Betta Fish, Perms, & Modeling

2010-02-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

I know, I know; this post title is rather random, but, well, it fits this post perfectly! Besides even more prepping for the Spelling Bee, which is on Friday, we've been dealing with all three of the things in the title.

For one, Sunny bought a betta fish, which she named Zsa Zsa (after a famous actress) on Saturday and has been obsessing over her. Shannon seemed to be in love with the little fish, too. She kept trying to stick her hand in the tank to pet it.

Perms is another topic of interest this weekend, as well. Sunny decided to give Vicki a perm (okay, more like she just put her hair in curlers for a day) on Sunday and it turned out really pretty! Although Victoria isn't one to brag, she seemed to be holding herself back from showing off her beautiful, curly hair.

As for the last topic, modeling, I have joined DollModeling's (YouTube) modeling agency! Yay! If any of you want to join or are interested in joining click here. It would be awesome if some of you could join! Also, Sunny is thinking about entering another one of us in AGMA when the new season starts, not me though since I'm already in ADMA. Any suggestions on who she should enter???

Well, that's that. Hope everyone is having a good Monday (well, as good as a Monday can be) and a great week. More posts soon!

Cali***

The New & Improved Victoria

2010-01-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

Sunny just finished treating her first "doll hospital" patient, Victoria. Vicki is Sunny's oldest doll (she got Victoria when she was 7) and has been through some pretty rough situations, such as a hair cut, a make-over, and a trip in the pool, so, well, she naturally isn't in the best shape in the world. BUT, with the help of some of stephanswodadancer's videos and other helpful doll care YouTube clips, Sunny has transformed Victoria from a worn AG doll to looking nearly new! Sunny's mom wouldn't let her do a downy dunk on her but she did let Vicki get cleaned with a Magic Eraser and brushed her knotty hair out for Sunny. Anyways, please enjoy the photos of the new and improved Victoria!

Vicki Now

Vicki Then

Vicki's skin is much improved and her hair is much more manageable than before. Magic Eraser and a good brushing really does work!

BONUS COMPARISON PICTURES:

Notice that Victoria's skin is now the same color as Gwen's and Gwen was just bought back in October!

Hope you liked the photos! Sunny and Victoria were very happy with the results. :) Happy Friday!

Cali***

Prepping For The Spelling Bee

2010-01-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

I am so, so, SO happy right now. Jane and I both made it into the school Spelling Bee!!! Today we studied in Sunny's room for almost an hour on words we had trouble on. I still need to work on spelling "origami" and "deception". I keep spelling "origami" with a y at the end and "deception" with a s. Hopefully, I'll be able to remember them by the spelling bee, which is in early February, a few days before Valentine's Day. So, anyways, before I get even more off-topic: I was practicing with Jane when Nellie walked in, all cocky and smug. Apparently, the Frosted Meadows spelling bee is merging with the Madame Montez spelling bee and Nellie is participating...or so she says. I remember last year...ugh! Obviously, she beat me...and, well, won the school title. Jane and I were so mad because, like this year, we had studied for weeks and Nellie barely studied at all.

So, anyways, Nellie came in all braggy and boasty and started saying how this year was going to be just like the last. And then Jane and I said, "Whatever" and Nellie left with her nose stuck in the air. And that's why I have to beat her! I just have to. Even if Jane wins, I'll be happy.

I made a bunch of spelling flash cards that I'm going to practice with after this and then possibly read the dictionary (I know that sounds nerdy, but I really want to win!) before I go to bed tonight. But, before I finish this post, I just wanted to mention that Sunny has been working on fixing up Victoria, her oldest and first doll. Today she cleaned her skin with a Magic Eraser (something I highly recommend if your doll has dirty skin) and tomorrow- or maybe tonight- she's going to tackle her tangly brown hair. Okay, so be on the look out for a post of before and after pictures of Vicki soon! Happy Wednesday!

Cali***

Dreaming of Summer...

2010-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

Even here in sunny Florida, winter can get boring and depressing. I mean, school is back in session (ick!), the weather is warm but not warm enough for swimming or going to the beach, and there's no fun holidays to look forwards to, other than Valentine's Day which isn't until mid February. So, yeah, I'm pretty bored. Okay, really bored. Other than massive loads of algebra homework and an essay on the anatomy of the human brain, my school life has been pretty boring, as well. I can't wait for the Valentine's Day Ball and I can't wait for summer vacation even more. But, I can't speed up time. I guess I'll go finish up my essay. :(

To get you in the summer mood I included a picture of Julie by Sunny's sunflowers. Bye!

Cali***

P.S.: If you haven't checked out our YouTube channel yet, there's a link under our RELATED LINKS that will bring you to it. Right now we have 2 videos up. Okay, bye...for real this time!

Check Out Our YouTube Channel!

2010-01-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sunny made a YouTube channel!!! I am so excited!!! We only have one video up now, but hopefully we'll be able to make another and upload it this weekend. Sunny's username is SunnyshineAG and the link to the channel can be found on the sidebar under "RELATED LINKS" or by clicking here. Hope you enjoy our first video (it's not that good...) !!!

Cali***

Elizabeth Becomes Annabeth

2010-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

Remember how I mentioned both Sunny and myself are obsessed with the Percy Jackson novels? Well, apparently, so is Elizabeth Cole, which is odd because she seems like the old-fashioned type who'd be into reading Little Women or The Wind in the Willows. Anyways, you're probably wanting to know how I know Elizabeth is obsessed, so here:

She changed her name to... Annabeth Chase.

A lot of you are probably thinking "who the heck is that?" Well, I don't blame you. Annabeth Chase is the heroic, spunky girl character in the series. And the even odder part? Elizabeth looks just like how Annabeth is portrayed in the books. It's scary.

Sunny was a little hesitant about letting Elizabeth change her beautifully classical name, but she agreed to let Eliza- I mean Annabeth go through with it. If you ask me, I doubt Annabeth will keep her new name forever. She'll grow out of the whole Percy Jackson fad eventually.

So, along with her new name, Annabeth found herself some new duds: a modern day jacket, a t-shirt, some shorts, and tennis shoes. It was hard for her to go away from her usual pink dress and high-heels, but, despite my doubts, she did it. :-)

Also, Annabeth is a daughter of the god Athena in the Percy Jackson's so now "Annabeth" is acting like she has magical powers and is a demigod. And everyone's starting to wonder if maybe... oh, never mind, it's probably not true. How could Annabeth really be Annabeth?

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great week. The weekend will be here soon!

Cali***

Random Ramblings

2010-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

The title says it all. Today, Martin Luther King Day, Sunny came home from her mini-vacation, and spent the entire day doing homework, chores, and unpacking her suitcase. I begged for her to let me post while she did that stuff, but she still insists I'm "too young" to use her laptop on my own. Oh, well!

On another note, the Liberty Jane contest results were announced this weekend!!! Congrats to Sitara for winning 2nd place out of over 1000 entries, Starr for getting into the top 50 designs, and to anyone else who participated and won the Liberty Jane design contest. Great job!

I know this is a major topic change but I'm so happy about it, I feel like I must let it out! This week is a three day week at my school! As you all know, today most schools were closed for MLK Day, but on Friday there's a teacher planning day so all FMSG students have the entire day off! Noelle, Shannon, and I want to go to the beach for a mid-winter photo shoot, but Sunny isn't sure if she'll be able to take us. I hope so! The beach by Sunny's house is very pretty, especially in early morning and during sunset.

I know this post wasn't very long or very interesting, but that's all I need to say for now. Sunny might be working on her first doll project sometime soon so we'll definitely post about that! Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Cali***

Melody Valerie Couture- Statement in Taffeta

2010-01-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

Not much has been going on, other than loads of homework and tests for both Sunny and myself. Thankfully, the week is now over and the weekend has now started! 3 full days of rest and relaxation...

Not exactly. Sunny and her family are going on vacation this weekend and will be coming home on Monday. She might bring along one of her dolls, possibly me or Piper, but she's not sure at the moment.

Anyways, for Christmas most of you all know Sunny got the Melody Valerie Statement in Taffeta dress for Shannon Rose. It's such a pretty, high-quality piece of couture. I absolutely love the sapphire-colored taffeta. I highly recommend MVC designs! They are very beautiful and look great on all dolls. Thank you, Melody Valerie Couture!

Since we haven't posted too many pictures of this dress, Sunny and I agreed today would be the perfect day to showcase it. Enjoy the photos!

Cali***

Denim Mini-Skirt by Sunny

2010-01-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

Sunny tried her hand at doll-clothing making this weekend. She decided to start with something simple: a denim mini-skirt. She knew that her dad had some old jeans he didn't wear so she asked him if she could use them on her project. (By the way, this was made on Saturday, the day when it was super cold!!! It didn't snow so Sunny spent her day-off doing this!) He said okay, and Sunny went to her room to work. In an hour, after countless attempts at making the skirt turn out presentable, her first piece of homemade doll clothing was born! I have to admit that it isn't the best skirt in the entire world, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Below are some photos of Noelle modeling the skirt. She claimed the skirt the moment she set eyes on it. I was a little mad, but Sunny agreed to make me something... eventually. This week she's going to be super busy with tests. Ugh! Anyways, enough of my ramblings; enjoy the pictures!

Cali***

Brrrrr!

2010-01-09T07:17:00.001-08:00

Yes, I said it. Florida, land of the palm trees, is cold. REALLY cold. Like 30 degrees cold! Some of you who live way up north probably think that's warm, but to us Floridians that is unusually cold. Actually, reports of sleet and snow flurries have been sighted in the Tampa Bay area. SNOW!!!!! I have never seen snow in my entire life so I've been really excited this morning, waiting, hoping it might flurry, even for a moment. Unfortunately, it hasn't snowed yet...

Anyways, Sunny took me outside this morning to enjoy the cool (okay, freezing) weather. She took a few photos of me outside but these were her favorites. The third one was photo-shopped to look like it was snowing. Hopefully, it will snow later and Sunny'll be able to get some real photos of us in the snow. =) However, the second picture is of frozen dew on a pine tree in our backyard. It is probably going to melt as the day progresses, but I thought it was cool anyway. Okay, enjoy the pictures!

The frozen dew is hard to see, but if you look closely at the tips of the tree you can make it out.

Once I was done with my winter photo shoot, Sunny made me a cup of hot cocoa and a muffin. Yum!

Cali***

P.S.- Even Sunny's dogs were cold this morning. LOL!

New Year, New Obsession

2010-01-06T13:20:00.001-08:00

Last year my book obsession was the Harry Potter series and the Twilight saga. This year Sunny has gotten me on a Percy Jackson & the Olympians kick, and am I glad she did! They're probably one of the best series I have ever read... no joke! Right now I am just starting the second book, The Titan's Curse. Basically, the series is about a 6th-grade boy (Percy Jackson) who thought he was simply abnormal his entire life. He then goes to a school called Yancy Academy and has a very strange experience. From there, everything changes. Percy goes to a camp for kids that are "abnormal" just like him. But, really Percy Jackson isn't abnormal, he's a demigod (his father was a god and his mother was a mortal) and the camp he goes to is especially for demigods. When Sunny went to the movies this weekend, she saw a trailer for the movie-version of the first book, The Lightning Thief. I hope its as good as the book!!!

I didn't have much else to post about so I'm sorry if I bored you with my ramblings! More posts soon! :)

Cali***