Friday, July 19, 2019

Learn About Baking and Business With Grace Thomas

 "Grace Stirs Up Success" movie

       Grace Thomas is the thirteenth Girl Of The Year, released in 2015. An avid baker from the fictional town of Bentwick, Massachusetts, her story centers around her dreams of being an aspiring entrepreneur, with her trip to Paris as a key plot point. Grace made her debut on Good Morning America on January 1, 2015.
       The Grace doll has light skin with freckles across the bridge of her nose, light blue eyes, and medium brown hair with side bangs. She comes with a white print T-shirt with "Paris, Je T'aime" written in cursive script, a pink skirt with a black bow, and dark gray boots with bows. Her face mold is the Josefina mold. Some of her unique features are highlights, side bangs and permanent lip gloss. Tying in with the Grace doll is a television film based on her stories entitled Grace Stirs Up Success, starring Olivia Rodrigo as the title character, and the mobile app Grace's Sweet Shop for iOS and Android.
The City of Paris:
It's Good for Business!
Kids Can Cook:
American Girl Books About Grace Thomas:
  • Grace
  • Grace Stirs It Up
  • Grace Makes It Great
  • Grace and Sylvie: A Recipe for Family
Fan Video/Crafts for American Girl Doll Grace Thomas:
Advancing The Read: 
  • Clean Romance for Teens by Sandra Byrd - all about love and cake: Let Them Eat Cake, Bon Appetit, Piece de Resistance
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DIY American Girl Doll Potting Bench

Above is my finished version of an American Girl doll potting bench.

       We're setting up a play garden area on our back patio this summer, that is, as soon as the rain stops pouring and the sunshine shows it's face!

Left, craft supplies, Center, wooden drying rack, 
Right I'm testing to see if the rack will fit inside the lid of my shoebox.

The potting bench is glued
 together but not yet painted.

        A doll sized, faux wooden work bench for the little girl who loves to play at gardening, can be any size. However, I will include the exact measurements of the one pictured with this post for those of you who would like to build it with similar proportions.

Supply List:
  • decorative paper with rustic wooden motif
  • cardboard + a shoe box
  • masking tape
  • hot glue and hot glue gun
  • large wooden craft sticks (tongue depressors)
  • white school glue 
  • Mod Podge
  • slatted wooden tray insert (optional)
  • small plastic hooks
  • Sculpey or oven bake clay
  • plastic molds of garden tools, doll size
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. I believe that I used the lid of a shoebox to make the upper counter of this potting bench, but I may have cut it down a bit. It measures 16" x 6 1/2". Turning the lid of a cardboard shoebox over makes for an easier method, however I wanted to include the wooden drying rack on the table top, so I fit the cardboard counter for this.
  2. Cut the bottom cardboard piece the same length and width. The center shelf measures 13 1/2" x 5". The backsplash wall at the top measures 16" x 6". All three shelves and back splash were cut from of heavy cardboard.
  3. I covered the cardboard pieces with decorative paper having a rustic wooden motif using Mod Podge.
  4. Then I cut large wooden craft sticks to make the legs. I cut 12 of these to 9" in length.
  5. Next, tape the legs into triangular shapes, using three tongue depressors for each leg. 
  6. Then hot glue the legs in place supporting the top, resting on the bottom cardboard sheet. 
  7. Carefully hot glued the inner shelf in place.
  8. The backsplash was glued in place last along with two additional supports cut from tongue depressors. 
  9. After the assembly of the potting bench, you may wish to paint the wooden parts of the potting bench in a similar fashion.  
  10. Use acrylic paints that will dry fast in the sunshine, otherwise your structure could warp a bit.
  11. Add a few hooks for garden tools onto the backsplash.
  12. I also found a plastic mold for garden tools at my local hobby shop. From this mold I sculpted a pair of grass sheers, a hand shovel and a hand rake to paint and hang from those hooks.
  13. I purchased a small wooden bird house, crate, and wheelbarrow from a resale shop down the street. 
  14. The lowest shelf is perfect for our dolls to store their garden boots too! 
  15. Now our American Girl dolls can garden whenever they please on our back patio this summer!
Learn How to Make Potted Plants:
Here you can see the triangular legs for our bench made from wooden tongue depressors.

The potting bench pictured both with and without the wooden drying rack. I purchased this for two dollars at resale.
The front and backside of our glued, faux wooden planting bench.
Plastic mold for sculpting garden tools.
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Learning About Dance and Performance With Marisol Luna

 Review of Marisol by Social Studies Dolls

       Marisol Luna is a nine year old girl who aspires to be a dancer. She moves from Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood to a suburb that does not have a dance studio where she can practice her favorite ballet folklórico dances. Introduced on January 1, 2005, Marisol had an extensive collection of dance outfits and accessories. Marisol has medium skin, brown eyes, and medium brown hair. Her face mold is the Josefina Montoya mold. Marisol is the first Latina (Mexican) American Girl of the year made by American Girl.
Artifacts: Crafts, Printables Etc.. For Marisol:
Online Research Into Themes Found In American Girl Marisol Luna's Book
The City of Chicago and Their Latino Community:
 Latino Girls Have Wonderful Dreams and Goals:
 Dance Studios and Classes for Kids/Adults:
 Watch Children Perform Ballet folklorico, Jazz, Tap etc...
  1. Mexican Revolution Dance by Children
  2. Jazz Dance Kids
  3. Child Ballerinas in Costume
  4. Baile Regional "El gusto"
  5. Adorable sisters dance at home
  6. kids Hula to "I'm Your Hula Baby"
  7. Tap Dance to "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"
  • "The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayer" by Sonia Sotomayer - for ages 10 and up
  • "Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings" by Margarita Engle - 13 and up
Advanced Reading: Fiction about Latina girls and women
  • "Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble" by Anna Meriano - 8-12
  • "My Name Is Maria Isabel" by Alma Flor Ada - 7-10 years
  • "Stef Soto, Taco Queen" by Jennifer Torres - 8-11
  • "Becoming Naomi Leon" by Pam Munoz Rayan - 9-13
  • "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Bhar - 10-13
  • "The House On Mango Street" by Sandra Cisnerors - 14 and up
  • "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika Sanchez - 14 and up
  • "Under the Mesquite" by Guadalupe Garcia McCall - 12 and up
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Learn About Ice Skating With Mia St. Clair

Mia book by Lawrence Yep.
       Mia was previewed on the November 21, 2007 episode of Oprah. The doll was subsequently released on January 1, 2008 with an extensive collection and two books: Mia and Bravo Mia, both written by Laurence Yep. Mia's stories chronicle her passion for competitive figure skating, which is at odds with her hockey-playing family. 
       Mia is featured in a computer game (Mia Goes For Great!). In her books, Mia is a part of a poor family who works hard to ensure that all of their children can pursue hockey or figure skating at the local ice rink. Mia, while much better at hockey, chooses figure skating instead so she does not live in the shadow of her brothers.
       The Mia doll has light skin, hazel eyes and light red hair. She comes in a light grey skirt, a magenta long sleeved sweater with a snowflake printed on the right side, and blue high-top sneakers. 
Artifacts for Mia St. Clair Doll:
Online Research for Themes Found in Mia St. Clair Books:
Professional Skaters On Ice:
Figure Skating Fashion:
Hockey vs Figure Skating:
Everyday Life On The Ice:
Doll Crafts for Mia:
American Girl Mia St. Clair Books:
  • Mia
  • Bravo, Mia
Fan Videos for American Girl Doll, Mia St. Clair:
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Thursday, July 18, 2019

Explore Our Environment With Lanie Holland

Books about Lanie Holland, an American Girl.
        Lanie was released in January 2010 along with her collection. Lanie Holland is a ten-year-old girl living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, depicted as having an affinity for science and biology and considers herself a scientist.
       The Lanie doll has light skin, hazel eyes, and curly blonde hair with side bangs. She comes in a blue and green striped polo dress.
Artifacts for Nature Themes Found in Lanie Holland's Books: How To Keep a Science Journal:
 Science Web Sites Included in Lanie's Books:
Gardening With Children:
American Girl Books About Lanie Holland:
  • Lanie
  • Lanie's Real Adventures
American Girl Doll, Lanie Holland's Fan Videos:
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Learn About Film and Photography With Z Yang

Video by Sydney Rose Paulson About Z Yang doll.

       Suzanne "Z" Yang is an aspiring film maker and photographer, specializing in stop-motion pictures. Z is the first Korean American character made by American Girl.
       Z is a Korean-American character doll from Seattle Washington released in 2017.
Artifacts for Z Yang Character Doll from Our Collections:
Themes Found in Z's books and movie:
Fun Locations For Photoshoots in Seattle Washington: 
More Stop Motion Doll Photography/Vlogs:
History and Methods of Stop Motion Film:
S.T.E.M. Camp: Stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
American Girl Z Yang books:
  • The Real Z
  • Z On Location
American Girl Doll Fan Video About Z Yang:
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How I Restored An "Our Generation Gourmet Kitchen Set"

The before and after photos of my "Our Generation Gourmet Kitchen." I papered the back
 splash, painted the burners, painted the lighter pink trim and shelving white, replaced the clock,
 covered the old hinges, added a view behind the window panes (free alternative here) and then
 papered hot pink shelves.
 
Restoring The Food and Accessories That Once Came With The Kitchen

Above are the vintage doll foods from Japan that I purchase from a local
estate sale. I paid fifty cents for two small, unopened bags. Each piece
measures approximately 3/4" across. Top Left fruit are: watermelon, pear,
pineapple, lemon, bananas, grapes, two apples, pomegranate and orange.
Top, Right breads are: two toasted cheese, three plain glazed donuts and
and one larger bagel. Bottom Left meats are: two hamburgers, hot dog,
two pork chops, Cornish hen, lobster and two fried eggs that are sunny-
side-up. Bottom Right vegetables are: two small iceberg lettuce heads,
two carrots, one tomato, one yellow onion, head of cauliflower, celery
stalks, one red beet, a cucumber, one green pepper and one lonely potato.
All of the play foods are made of paper mache and hand-painted. I don't
know a date but the packaging looked very old. One of the hamburgers
is marked Japan.  This tiny collection adequately replaces similar food 
 items that once came with the collection belonging to the Our Genera-
tion Gourmet Kitchen. In fact, I'd say it greatly improves it altogether.
       This doll kitchen set came with a large collection of food items. However, I was only able to purchase the single, larger unit from resale for $4.99.  So over a period of several weeks, I managed to collect & craft most of the following items to replace what once accompanied it. Below I've listed the original contents of the sets normally sold at Target, and now also at Amazon, so that visitors may also be encouraged to undertake a similar challenge.
       The bad news is, as you may also have noted, I did not obtain the original refrigerator with the used kitchen! The good news is that I will be making a DIY for a doll refrigerator in the near future and link it up to this post when it has been completed.
       I've included lists of those items accompanying three popular doll kitchen sets so that you can decide which of the three you might prefer to purchase in the future or, you could go the least expensive route like myself, and hunt one of these down at resale or on ebay. Printing the lists out and working off of these makes crafting or purchasing similar items easier. 
  • To see a review of the original Our Generation Kitchen set by IconaDollies. My set is the version with a hot pink kitchen counter. This review is of a red kitchen set with the same design features.
Above are custom grocery items made from my vintage label printables.
Shown here are: a sack of flour, country ham, Five Roses Cake Flour,
two bags of dried peas and two frozen packages of Ozark Strawberries.
The Original Food Items: Note - I have seen alternative, updated food sets for My Generation Kitchen set that come with egg trays + removable brown eggs, plastic milk cartons, butter with a transparent container and removable lid, a raspberry fruit basket, an additional skillet with a clear plastic lid, realistic salt and pepper shakers, a clear plastic cookie jar with a removable lid, a clear bottle of olive oil with a silver spout, peanut butter jar and Nutella jar etc... So depending upon when and where you purchased this set will determine what is included in your version of this play kitchen.
  1. colorful marshmallow flavored cereal box (empty)
  2. fruity crunch flavored cereal box (empty)
  3. a paper container for pretend orange juice (empty)
  4. hot chocolate mix, including 2 sachets inside
  5. a paper container for pretend milk (empty of course)
  6. 100 percent hamburger patties, freezer box (empty)
  7. rainbow pops made with 100 percent fruit juice (empty)
  8. a Sunday ice cream kit (empty)
  9. an egg container for 12 extra large eggs (empty) - farm fresh eggs here!
  10. a small empty bag for All Purpose Flour
  11. two 3 dimensional chocolate chip muffins
  12. two 3 dimensional cup cakes (red and blue icing) - see how we mad blue and red cupcakes with rosettes
  13. three chocolate chip cookies
  14. one small plastic can of tuna fish
  15. one small plastic can of peaches - fresh peaches here, not canned
  16. two small plastic sandwiches sliced in cross length shapes
  17. three plastic eggs stuck together
  18. a soft red plastic tomato - learn to sculpt tomatoes using oven-bake clay
  19. a soft orange plastic orange
  20. a soft, red plastic pepper - peppers and tomatoes sculpted using oven-bake clay
  21. a wedge of Swiss cheese 
  22. a cardboard box of butter - handmade dairy items for play
The vintage labels for doll canned foods above include: yams, asparagus, pineapple, pickles, spinach, tuna
baking powder, pumpkin, and pet foods for both a dog and a cat. The copyrights for my versions of these
labels are free for people to print out and craft with but not sell. Link back to the originals if you wish but
don't republish or redistribute them from alternative other websites please.
Kitchen Dishes, Tools, Accessories & Decorative Items:
  1. a blue, transparent, plastic serving pitcher
  2. a pink plastic drying rack + the draining tray that accompanies such kitchen equipment
  3. a plastic cookie sheet
  4. a plastic muffin baking tin
  5. two blue plastic glasses that match the serving pitcher
  6. three plastic shakers with red, white and blue caps for spices
  7. a set of red plastic measuring spoons
  8. a plastic spatula with a blue handle and grey tip - doll kitchen utensils crafts
  9. a plastic spoon with a grey handle and blue tip
  10. a remote, plastic, red phone and charging unit (phone can be removed)
  11. a red, plastic hand mixer (grey beaters that are permanently attached)
  12. a plastic, soft soap dispenser (red lid, white container)
  13. white and red, plastic spray bottle for pretend cleaning fluid
  14. a grey frying pan with a red plastic handle - how to make doll sized pots, pans and skillets here
  15. two blue polka-dot plates made from plastic (polka-dots are white)
  16. a plastic, blue polka-dot mixing bowl (goes with plates)
  17. a white sponge for cleaning counter tops
  18. a transparent measuring cup
  19. two small decorative plants with attached plastic pots
  20. Three plastic, white canisters for: flour, sugar, and coffee beans (Traditional canister sets usually include four pieces, the fourth being used for tea) - spool craft canister set
  21. two red plastic soup bowls
  22. two tall, white plastic chocolate mugs (not coffee mugs, the shapes are traditional to hot chocolate sets crafted a couple of centuries ago) - how to craft hot cocoa
  23. one grey, plastic loaf pan - Our version of this craft here.
  24. a pale pink sink strainer ( These are made to fit over the top of a sink so that veggies and fruit may be washed thoroughly; directly under the faucet.)
These tiny granola cereal boxes are made from advertising on
the side panel of an actual cereal box. They are just the right
size for a Barbie doll. See how to make the same for 18" dolls.
*Note, the colors of items may vary according to the color combinations of your kitchen set.
*Second, many of items in all sets are doubled up to increase the count of how many accessories and pieces of food come in each play kitchen set. 
* I don't mention the kitchen hardware on the lists.

Here is a listing also of all kitchen items normally included with the Journey Girl Gourmet Kitchen set originally sold by Toys-R-Us. You can view the exact toy kitchen sets here by Just Craft It.

The Original Food Items:
  1. white, plastic milk carton - Doll dairy container crafts pictured here.
  2. one paper juice carton
  3. one box of butter (empty)
  4. three, orange plastic carrots stuck together
  5. three, yellow plastic bananas stuck together
  6. one plastic orange
  7. one red condiment bottle of ketchup
  8. one yellow condiment bottle of mustard 
  9. two plastic pieces of toast
  10. one green plastic head of lettuce - How to make Bibb lettuce for your dolls
  11. one red plastic tomato
  12. one brown, plastic chocolate cake sliced into four pieces - pretty pom-pom chocolate cake craft
  13. four chocolate cup cakes
  14. four sugar cookies iced with pink plastic - Our sugar cookie star versions with jelly filled, heart shaped centers...
  15. one large uncut sandwich
  16. one cardboard cereal box (empty)
  17. one box of processed macaroni and cheese (empty) - how to make pasta boxes for doll pantry...
  18. one plastic green celery or broccoli? - doll size celery handmade
  19. one box of Neapolitan ice cream for the freezer (empty)
  20. two boxes of frozen veggies (empty)
Our set of very realistic looking desert erasers are now
kept in the doll's kitchen. These include: ice cream cones,
ice cream pops, ice cream sandwiches and dishes of
ice cream.
Kitchen Dishes, Tools, Accessories & Decorative Items:
  1. a free standing, green colored mixer with matching beaters
  2. a grey, plastic mixing bowl
  3. one white plastic mixing bowl
  4. a set of pale green measuring spoons
  5. a green, plastic toaster - two versions of cardboard toaster crafts here
  6. a grey, plastic drying rack
  7. a grey, plastic ice cube tray (comes with 6 pieces of removable, heart shaped, plastic ice)
  8. a grey, plastic pot with a detachable lid
  9. two, green canisters with attached lids
  10. a pale pink, plastic cake stand
  11. two transparent containers with grey lids
  12. a grey cookie sheet
  13. two, red, heart shaped serving bowls
  14. a pale pink strainer
  15. two see-through plastic cups
  16. one lemon scented, liquid dish soap bottle
  17. a set of little salt and pepper shakers - button-top salt and pepper shakers here
  18. one plastic spatula
  19. one cookbook (doesn't have actual pages)
  20. two pale pink plates
  21. two pale pink coffee cups - Our paper tube coffee mug craft here.
  22. two see-through glasses
  23. one pink oven mitt
  24. one pink hot pad - braid vintage fruity potholders for dolls
  25. two sets of grey, plastic silverware including:one knife, one fork and one spoon - See how you can make silverware for dolls from cardboard here.
  26. a transparent measuring cup with a spout
  27. a pink hand mixer with attached grey, plastic beaters
  28. a green container for mixing spoons and spatula
  29. a plastic shaped bread box with a bread shaped lid
  30. a grey plastic cutting board
Our dolls now have a selection of sushi erasers to eat.
Last, but certainly not least, is a listing of all the supplies sold along with a Gourmet American Girl Doll kitchen set: Review by American Girl Spirit

The Original Food Items:
  1. one box of baking oats (empty)
  2. one box of apple cinnamon stars cereal (empty) - How to make cereal boxes for your dolls here.
  3. one box of pet food (empty) - Can labels for doll pet food here.
  4. one box of brown sugar (empty)
  5. one tiny box of baking soda (empty)
  6. four plastic chocolate chip cookies
  7. four plastic dark brown chocolate brownies - make rich chocolate brownies in a casserole here
  8. half a loaf of bread
  9. three slices of cut bread to insert into the toaster
  10. one green basket of strawberries (removable)
  11. one green basket of blue berries (removable) - Baskets of fruits with free pattern too!
  12. two canisters: one for flour and the other for sugar (clear plastic, contain glitter, color labels, non-removable lids)
  13. white plastic milk jug - Milk containers both glass and paper here...
  14. clear plastic olive oil bottle
  15. white plastic egg carton with eggs
  16. plastic butter on a blue butter dish (comes with a clear plastic lid) - See our dairy for dolls to learn how to make butter sticks.
  17. rolled out sugar cookie dough
  18. pet food and water (removable) - Dog water and food bowl craft here.
A collection of food shaped erasers are just the right size
 for our 18inch dolls. pizza slices, burger, hot dogs,
 fries and sandwiches all look delicious!
Kitchen Dishes, Tools, Accessories & Decorative Items:
  1. one grey square brownie tray - Our replacement versions here.
  2. one grey bread pan
  3. a green toaster that pops your doll's toast up and lowers it down with a built in spring - our craft version of toasters here
  4. one grey plastic skillet with a pink handle
  5. one grey plastic pasta pot with blue handles
  6. two dark pink soup/cereal bowls - green cereal bowls for doll yogurt and fruit in the morning
  7. two white plastic plates with colorful designs
  8. two metal spoons
  9. two metal forks
  10. a salt shaker made of clear plastic and grains of salt
  11. a pepper shaker that looks like metal - button top salt and pepper shaker craft
  12. one plastic whisk (metal looking handle, rusty orange whisk)
  13. one plastic mixing spoon (rusty orange)
  14. one plastic rubber spatula (pink and grey)
  15. multi-colored measuring spoons
  16. grey plastic measuring cups
  17. one butter knife with metal looking blade and green handle
  18. a blue plastic recipe box
  19. a plastic pen for writing with
  20. note cards made of paper for recipe box
  21. eight spice jars with a sheet of sticker labels - Our replacements for doll sized spices...
  22. 2 clear plastic glasses
  23. one plastic rolling pin - Make your own rolling pin and sugar cookie dough here.
  24. one yellow mixing bowl
  25. one grey cookie sheet - My versions of a cookie sheet craft here.
  26. a polka-dot pink hot pad
  27. a polka-dot pink apron - Directions for sewing a simple doll apron here.
  28. a peach mixer that spins two alternative attachments: a whisk and a bread dough kneader
  29. a large mixing bowl with measurement markings on the side (clear plastic + handle)
  30. pink square trash can
See More Toy Kitchen Reviews for 18" Dolls:
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Monday, July 15, 2019

Learn to Become a Poet and a Dancer With Gabriela McBride

"Gabriela Speaks Out" cover.
       Gabriela McBride is the fifteenth Girl of the Year, released in 2017. She made her debut on Good Morning America, Gabriela is an aspiring poet from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to express her feelings to help her overcome stuttering. Gabriela loves to dance at the community center after school. She is the first African American Girl of the Year.
 Themes to Research Online from Gabriela McBride's Book:
Overcoming Speech Impediments:
 Young Poets:
 Community Dance Programs and Private Dance Training for Kids:
 American Girl, Gabriela McBride's Books:
  • 'Gabriela' by Teresa E. Harris
  • 'Gabriela Speaks Out' by Teresa E. Harris
  • 'Gabriela: Time for Change' by Varian Johnson
American Girl Doll, Gabriela McBride's Fan Videos:
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