Friday, November 6, 2009

A Day with the Girls

In case you missed it, someone special just celebrated a birthday. And, boy girl, did we ever celebrate it! Gracie is the most girlish of my girls and has been asking for years when she can get an American Girl doll. The answer has always been, "When you are in first grade, because that's when Anna got her doll." So the day after her birthday the girls and I took a 24 hour trip to Chicago to visit American Girl Place. Now, before you start making assumptions... no, we are not rich snobs who jaunt off for a day of shopping on the Magnificent Mile. Just ask the lady who checked our coats at the store -- we're not in the same league as the typical customer of that area. (Even I didn't realize how worn and dirty the girls' coats had become until I handed them over!) And rich snobs wouldn't use their frequent flier miles to get to Chicago -- they'd fly their own private jets, or at least go first class. You see, this trip was really just an excuse to get out of planning a birthday party! I figured the hotel cost would equal the amount we would have spent on a party. I forgot about cab fare though -- ouch! We had a wonderful time, and if you ever have a chance to visit any of the American Girl stores, I encourage you to do so.

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The Chicago store has moved to a new building since we last lived in the Chicago area, and the changes are wonderful. The main floor that carries all the historical dolls and accessories can certainly qualify as a homeschool field trip. My favorite was the display of the 1944 kitchen.

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Even though Gracie loves the American Girl historical fiction series, she picked out a doll from the Just Like You series instead. And, yes, it looks just like Grace, complete with freckles.

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Okay, I try to keep this blog clean, but I had to include a couple of pictures of the bathroom! Need some decorating ideas for a girly bathroom? I love the pink frames around the mirrors. The most clever idea though was putting doll holders in the stalls. Makes sense, right? We've never had to take a doll to the doll hospital, but from the looks of the place I think the AG people should be in Washington helping us solve our health care problems. We did make a stop at the hair salon for Anna's doll to get some TLC, and the hair dresser was kind enough to put a bow in Grace's new doll's hair for free.

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Like a good blog buddy, I try to take pictures that I think will interest my readers, and these goodies had Ruthanne written all over them.

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We finished off our trip with a late lunch at the American Girl Cafe. With only three other families in the huge dining room (all celebrating birthdays), our service was impeccable. In fact, it was that way the whole day -- everyone just doted on Grace, and she just loved it. I think this is a birthday she will always remember. I know I will.

9 comments:

  1. How fun! My daughter is only 2 but I am really hoping she will be interested in the American Doll series when she gets a little older. If she does develop an interest I would love to take her up to Chicago someday.

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  2. WOW! That place looks AMAZING!!! I hope that someday my dd (6.5) will be able to take care of a doll like that (not her tendancy so we're holding off a while longer) cuz she likes the books too.
    Very nice photos!!

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  3. That had to be the greatest birthday ever!

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  4. Oh, how sweet!! Next time you go, give us a call! We'd be happy to join you! :)

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  5. Oh my! What a memorable birthday. Grace and her doll are so adorable. We love freckles around here!

    So, did you eat some of that goodness? They look scrumptious!

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  6. What a wonderful birthday. My daughter would love to go see the store. We had one open in Atlanta recently I think but it is not as big as this one. What a fun day.
    Blessings
    Diane

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  7. Kellie,
    What a great idea! I guess it is because of the history themed dolls, but American Girl is one "marketing brand" I don't mind my girls loving! They study the catalog thoroughly and recently made a Christmas list from it. Most of the products are just too pricey for us, but they treasure their Josefina and Molly dolls. Hopefully some day we can get to Chicago to experience the flagship store!

    Happy Birthday to your precious red head! (As an aside, in each of our deliveries, I've half-expected the "She/he has red hair!" announcement, but it hasn't happened. It did happen, however, to my mother when I was born and I guess that is how it goes. Often red hair is a complete surprise!)

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  8. Wow what a memorable day for Gracie! You are an awesome mom, Kellie!!!

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