Here are some more pictures of my daughter's new mini Saige, showing everything that came in the set. It includes the mini doll and both of Saige's books, in full
size paper back version. I was a little disappointed that there was not a mini book, but I think I would rather have the second large book.

On a recent trip to Sam's Club, I found a hidden treasure tucked away under a table in the book section: a single Saige Mini Doll set with both books. I showed my daughter, and she decided to buy it with some money she had saved. my husband was a bit annoyed, as she already has big Saige, and he said I really just want the mini for myself. What?! Me? Living vicariously through my daughter and her dolls? Never

One of my favorite doll blogs, Living a Doll's Life, recently featured 18 inch boy doll options, so I wanted to share my custom boy doll Emmett. My son is 6 years old, the middle child and only boy, sandwiched between two sisters who are both avid doll lovers. He started asking about a boy doll last year, but I just couldn't find the right doll for him. He wanted the 18 inch size, one that looked about his age, not a baby. I thought about AG Bitty Twins, but those have more of a toddler look and are still quite expensive. I didn't really like the other options I saw, so I went on a mission to create the perfect boy doll for him. It was easy to find the base body doll, an old Kingstate Friendship Kids doll whose wig was in terrible shape. I finally found the perfect wig for him on a thrift-store doll I got for $4!

The original doll came in a pretty gender-neutral outfit, so I just had to swap out the floral t-shirt for a plain white one. He is a bit smaller than American Girl and Our Generation dolls, with a slightly smaller head and feet. His clothes can fit other 18 inch dolls, but his shoes are a little snug. He fits well in most typical 18 inch clothes, and I especially like the Springfield Collection from Joann. He has a soft body that extends to his upper arms and legs, so he can't stand on his own and doesn't look good in super short sleeves (especially since his arms are prone to come off, so they are wrapped at the top in medical tape. My son chose the name Emmett after the hero of the Lego Movie. Emmett likes all the same things as my boy: cars, ninjas, sports, Legos, and dogs. My son says he would give him 4 out of 5 stars. Not bad for under $20, huh?

Living in Utah, I have always enjoyed celebrating Pioneer Day. This year, the dolls are celebrating too. 

My granny was an avid collector of porcelain dolls of all sizes before she passed away. My mother's sister recently sent my mom a box of some of the dolls, so she took some pictures for me. I hope to see the dolls in person and take more pictures soon. I remember admiring them from behind glass when I went to visit my grandmother.

My aunt was a smoker, so many of these dolls have a bad cigarette odor in their hair and clothes. If anyone has any good ideas for removing the smell, we would sure appreciate it.

At my local Tuesday Morning store, I was able to find these cute Paw-Parazzi mini clothing sets for under $3. They are made to fit the mini pets, which are also available at Tuesday Morning. Each set comes with an outfit, a hat, a mini purse or bag, and a larger bag to fit everything in. The Mini bag is perfect for the AG minis, and the big bag works great for 18 inch dolls. I purchased the beach set and the ballet set, and this review is for the beach set. 

The items all fit really well for the six inch mini dolls. There is a little blue towel with the set, but it's a little small for a beach towel. I love the matching stripes on the hat and swimsuit. The only problem with the swimming suit is that there is a little hole in the back for the pet's tail to fit through. It is not very noticeable, but you can easily stitch it closed to make your girls feel more comfortable. I also really love the clear beach bag, thought the dark blue doesn't seem to match too well. Everything but the hat fits inside it well. I thought the straw hat went really great with this 60's style dress I made for mini Ivy. Overall, this is a really cute and fun set for an awesome price. I was really happy to find these sets because it's tough to find cute clothes for the minis. Paw-parazzi clothing and pets can be found at some discount stores or online. Check them out!

Who better to model my fabulous fifties fashions than the newest member of my doll family, Ellie by Heidi Ott? I think Ellie looks great in this look. I am excited for American Girl's new historical character from this era. I really hope AG takes the chance to explore the racial tension at that time as our country entered the civil rights movement. There are so many great themes to explore (and awesome outfits).

The poodle pattern for the skirt comes from this tutorial from Obseussed. I used Ailene's Fabric Fusion glue pen to adhere the poodle and ribbon leash, but it didn't work too great. In the future I think I would use hot glue for the leash, or maybe just draw it on with fabric paint or glitter glue.It is really hard to get that tiny ribbon to stay put. For more fifties fun, make sure to check out this week's camp theme at Doll Diaries.

I spend a lot of time arranging dolls and meticulously setting them up for photos, so it's fun when I see these perfect photo moments my kids create with no real effort at all. These are all my preschooler's baby dolls napping together on the big cozy chair.
The white doll is from Goldberger, and the one on the other end is a 1977 Horsman drink and wet doll I had as a child. We joke that it is a drink and barf doll because the water tends to come back out the mouth instead of the hole at the other end.

The mini dolls wanted to get in on the fun of fifties week at Camp Doll Diaries, so Caroline and Ivy posed in front of this nifty soda shop background. I just found a picture of a fifties party backdrop online and printed it out the correct size for the minis. Someone get those ladies a chocolate malted!