Wednesday, November 05, 2008

We Have Been To The Mountain...

And it's in the form of a 20,000 square foot mecca to girlhood known as:

*Oooohhh Aaaahhhh*

It was Emma's 8th birthday, and she was forced by her mother nice enough to invite EvaJun to the party...


Emma, Eilidh and Eva... giddy with head exploding-historical-figure-just-like-me-bitty-twin-dolly goodness.

And so we loaded up Jenn's SUV and headed north to L.A.. complete with borrowed American Girl, Mia, from one of Tori's girls... Eva's plan was to suss out the inventory and pick out the Doll of Her Dreams for her upcoming birthday (12/3).

See that bobble in my girl's hair? It was $12 stinking dollars and it ended up in the man-made lake... at least we have this photo to remember it by...

Quite rightly, we lunched first, at The American Girl Cafe, on tiny fruit kabobs and surprisingly delicious chicken sandwiches... The girls enjoyed asking us questions from the "Conversation Starter" box... Favorite Book?, Movie?, Dream Job?...

That's a $100 baby you're holding Eva... tread lightly.

Then it was time to shop... Kit and her tree house, Molly and her glasses, and my personal favorite Josefina (she has the prettiest clothes). There was much studying of Ivy's Chinese New Year dress, Kaya's horse and Addy's clothes. And what felt like an eternity later, Eva decided on a Bitty Baby... 5 is shaping up to be quite a party.

Can I get a mani/pedi?

The dollies were lucky enough to get their hair done... for a mere $15. Does $15 for a dolly hairdo strike you as obscene? And what do you think a Dolly Hairdresser earns?

this would be the move that spelled the end of the $12 hair bobble...

Mia suffered from Joe the Plumber's Crack... (and after I told Tori to make sure she had on knickers!)

And thus ends a magical day of girlie delights... to be repeated in early December.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

We don't have an American Girl store in these parts, but my niece has told me tales of their magic!

Anonymous said...

We went to the store in Chicago two years ago and were in there for FIVE HOURS! I am telling you, they need to have a fully-loaded bar for parents and emergency liquor stations on every floor.

Kristin said...

Jen - I actually mentioned to one of the Oh-So-Helpful staff members that the place needed some benches for the weary to lay their heads!

rubyiscoming said...

What a great day! Maybe I can take my Ruby to the store in Chicago soon :)

Kayce said...

I just love the butt shot! I've got friends that plan vacations around AG stores, but then they've got 3 girls under 10.

Pollyanna said...

Okay, I am so glad right now that I don't have girls! And I love the plumber's butt crack shot...that is too funny. I am super confused about the dolly hair do's though...shouldn't they have done that AFTER they went swimming WTF? :)

Lisa and Tate said...

I visited the Mecca last week in NYC!!! Loved it even if I am a grown up (in age that is)... I have gotten Bitty Baby asian and starter kit for ME, hummmm.. I mean Tate. Also Bitty Baby has 9 outfits now!!!

Shelley said...

OMG - I thought things like this only happened in Chicago. Frightening. I can see Char now.

I guess I better brace myself for December. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, I wish they had one of those stores when I was little.

dgm said...

This place is mecca to the girls!

When I took my daughter a few years ago, I was dizzied by all things pink and girly until I discovered I could order a glass of wine with lunch.

I remember being horrified that the salon charged $20 for french braids. On a doll! I told my daughter I'd do her doll's hair for $18 (plus tip). Sadly, no deal.

mimi's mommy said...

How cute are those girls? I love that dolly bum. Emily's doll is in a rocking chair in our room. Em tells her to "stay dere and re-axe for nes time". I wonder what will actually happen "nes time".

furiousBall said...

man... i don't want to go there... but i'm going to have to, my little girl is about as girly as richard simmons when he finds an extra granola bar

Helen Wright said...

ooohhh... I would love that!

Why is it that there are so many great stores/places for young girls?!? There's never anything for boys!!

Kristin said...

Oh Helen - Boys get all the model train stores and the like... they get dinosaurs at the museums and monster track rallies... they get to be messy and noisy and *SOB* now I want my boys to be little again...

Amy Y said...

They look like they had so much fun!

Jill said...

Going to the AG store in Chicago always makes me extra thankful that I have boys... lol. But it is mesmerizing, isn't it?

Joe said...

How cute!

I never expect to see the inside of an American Girl store, but it looks like a terrific day for the girls.

Issa said...

Oh you went to the Grove didn't you? I am so missing that crazy place. Except that store. We have somehow managed to avoid it, but I doubt we will be able to for much longer. They study the catalog often.

Tori said...

K
Thanks for the linkage...
Surprising we both picked the (Joe the) Plumber's butt crack shot!
Great minds think alike!!!
xxxx

carrie said...

Oh, how fun!!!!!

Katie has had her Bitty Baby since she was 2, and she loves that thing so much it hurts.

Plus it really makes gift buying easy - just get something for the Bitty Baby and nothing else because that is all you will be able to afford! :) (not really, but yes - in a way it does simplify things)

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

We never made it to the AG store and at 14 on Tuesday I think Social Butterfly is over it. But back in the day it would have been nirvana.

Ann said...

I have been to the Mountain in 3 different states. Thankfully I think we've finally outgrown it.