Happy Halloween or as my friend Sheila would say Happy Dolloween!

Since Halloween is tomorrow, I thought I would share with you a good AG friend named Alisha's Halloween doll set-up. Alisha always dresses her dolls for the various seasons and holidays and Halloween is definitely no exception there. She has an awesome doll room to begin with that has built-in shelving so she definitely takes advantage of a super nice set-up area.

Here are three of her dolls, all ready for Halloween. Alisha particularly likes the older, Pre-Mattel outfits and has Raine (left) dressed as the Wood Fairy. Her doll, Avery, in the middle is wearing the Sock Hopper (I know there is another name for it but I can't remember that now, sorry Alisha!) and Zaide on the right is wearing the newer Friendly Witch outfit. Yes, Alisha does collect newer outfits along with the Pre-Mattel outfit, she just prefers PM items. But anything that is cute or well-made usually finds its way to her impressive collection.

See the fireplace in back? Alisha found that at Toys 'R Us and it's really very reasonable. It gives just the right touch to her comfortable living room that her girls have gathered in. She has leaves and pumpkins scattered around for just the right festive touch, along with pumpkin lights strung up along her window in the back. No peeking, I'm going to save that picture for last because the effect is really cool. In this picture you can also see the Fall Treats set on the table that came with the fireplace.



 Here is her doll, Zaide, looking so fun and cute in the Friendly Witch outfit. I love this angle that Alisha used to take this picture. Zaide is holding a really yummy-looking caramel apple.

Here's the full shot of her Halloween display. Somehow, Kailey can't be seen but she's directly behind Zaide wearing the Hippie Outfit. In the back by the right window is Quinn wearing the older Mermaid costume, Marisol is the Spider Witch, Emery is the Medieval Princess and up front, the PM Kitty Cat outfit is being modeled by Chrissa. That outfit is one of my favorites of the older costumes but they are all exceptional, especially the fact that they came with such nice accessories. The girls are getting ready to enjoy some pizza that you can see on their white table. Ok, get ready, here's the picture with the lights dimmed and pumpkin lights turned on.

Isn't that a cool and spooky effect? I love how the fireplace lights up too. If her Halloween scene looks this good with the fireplace, just thing how awesome her Christmas set-up will look! I will see if she'll let me blog about it once she gets it finished.

I didn't really get a chance to talk to Alisha before writing this but I've known her long to enough to be able to tell you that she always gets a good early start on her resets for each season or holiday. For one thing, she likes to be able to enjoy the set-up for a nice long time, plus it also takes quite awhile to get all her dolls changed and their previous outfits and accessories all put away nicely organized. If you saw the whole room, you would know right away that she is a very organized person because everything is always very nice and just-so in her doll room (and the rest of her home as well.)

Huge thanks going out to Alisha for sending me the photos to share with everyone today. Everyone out there have a safe and happy Halloween! If you have trick or treat tomorrow night, be safe!

Christmas is coming (yes the goose is getting fat too but I'm not out to sing you that song haha) so if you need some clothes for your American Girl doll, be sure to stop by my site, Kitt's Kloset 18 Inch Doll Clothes soon! Whether you are looking for nice handmade doll clothes or are in a hurry and need some quality manufactured 18 inch doll clothes, I think I can help you out! Till next time!

Sneak Preview of My Newest Pajamas for Bitty Twins

It all started when I got an order from a really cool new customer a couple of weeks ago. I made her a set of flannel pajamas for American Girl dolls out of some ballet shoe print flannel I have. (She is mailing me some popcorn fabric for the other one because she loves picking out fabric but doesn't have a lot of time for sewing.) Before I forget, here's a picture of my doll, Becky, modeling the ballet shoe print PJs which are $15, slippers for sale separately for $5. This will be the new picture displayed for the flannel pajamas page:

So....in thinking about switching out the picture (yes I tend to put things off) I remembered I had some Bitty Twin flannel pajamas I had made for a craft show I was in last November. See, there is method to my madness. I figure if I make it public that I have this product, then that will make for some good accountability in getting these PJs their own web pages made. And what better way to sneak preview it than with my own blog readers, right? If you keep reading, you will be glad you did, hehe.

Here is my Bitty Twin girl, Jill, modeling a Christmas bear print, $15. Slippers available separately for $5:



Never to be outdone by his sisters, my Bitty Twin boy, Mikey, wanted to model these reindeer print flannel PJs for you, $15 for the PJs and his teddy bear slippers are available separately for $5:

Here's why you wanted to keep reading. To celebrate adding these new products to the site, I am going to give away two sets of slippers, one for your Bitty Twin boy and one for your girl. All you need to do is order either a boy set of PJs and a girl set of PJs, or both. Then in the shopping cart, write me a little message that you saw this in my October 16, 2011 blog post. The first person to order Bitty Twin PJs and leave that message will get the slippers. You don't have to order both sets of PJs. But whichever Bitty PJs you order, you will receive the slippers for free.

This offer expires October 23, 2011. That's where my accountability comes in. I have to get these items made as products so you CAN order them online. I feel like online orders are the only fair way to do this so whoever's order comes in numbered first, that will be the slipper winner(s). It could be one or two people depending on if the person orders one or both PJs.

So please give me at least 24 hours to get these PJs made as products for Kitt's Kloset Doll Clothes.The cool thing is that since I made a number of these PJs last year, I do still actually have them on hand. Most of my items are made after being ordered since I have no room to store very many items. This along with the old "anything I have made up never sells, but what I don't have, does sell" idea that has come true so many times with my handmade Barbie clothes site, Barbee & Friends.

If this little giveaway helps me become more productive, you may be seeing more in the future! Stay tuned for my comment that the product pages are live on the site. Until next time, have fun playing dolls!

Karen's Doll Chrissa Models the Chicago Tee I Sent Her

I was very relieved this week to hear that Karen Owen had received her Chicago t-shirt that I sent her in our shirt swap. I guess because the one she sent me (see my last week's blog below) got to me so quickly, I became a little worried when it was well over a week and her shirt had not arrived yet to her in Canada. But it got there and she was very sweet to take this picture of her Chrissa modeling it for my blog readers:

Chrissa, you look very cute! As you probably know, Karen Owens has Karen Mom of Three's Craft Blog. Karen has very graciously offered to let me interview her for a future blog post. Wow that's like asking me what I want from Santa, you know how you have all these ideas but when someone actually asks for those ideas for gifting purposes, you tend to forget them all?

So....if you readers have anything you would like me to ask Karen, how about making a comment below for me? The comments won't show up right away because I have it set to moderate. I want to keep all my doll fans safe from non-doll-related posts. Karen recently interviewed another doll acquaintance so I thought the interview idea was a good one to look into.

Another one of my favorite doll sites to follow is Doll Diaries. Actually I get the updates by being an email subscriber but it's also fun to visit their website. Charlene recently announced that this year's Halloween Parade is taking place, in fact it should be into Week 2. Everyone is invited to submit their dolls' pictures in costume. I have two dolls dressed and ready for Halloween so now all I need to do is remember to take their picture and submit it! If you view their pictures later this season and see Ginny Weasley and Abby from NCIS, that will most likely be my Emily and Margaret in their costumes!

What are your dolls dressing up for this Halloween? Do you like them to be funny, scary (just a little anyway) beautiful, cute or a little combination of all those?

Don't forget, my site, Kitt's Kloset Doll Clothes now has a toll free number for leaving me a message. You can read all about Kitt's toll free number from the link in this sentence. Now when you call you will at least know you have the right place! I share the service with my other site, Barbee & Friends Doll Clothes  so it would be good if you mentioned Kitt's in your message.

My college-senior daughter is home on fall break for a few days so I am planning to enjoy the rest of this weekend and Monday with her. The weather is beautiful and warm here in central Ohio so I'm planning to go outside and enjoy a walk today. Take care and see you next time!

Seattle T-Shirt Arrived!

Hi there! Last time I was telling you guys that I was doing an AGP t-shirt swap with Karen Owen of Karen Mom of Three blog fame. I was out of town last week so I was unable to devote time to a new post but this week I made sure I got a picture of my doll Britt wearing the Seattle t-shirt:

It was fun doing this swap with Karen, thanks Karen! A very good doll friend of mine, Alisha, had sent me one of the DC store t-shirts from when she was there this summer. So I got a Chicago t-shirt for her dolls and sent it to her. Here is my doll Sheila modeling the DC shirt from Alisha:



If you live where it is starting to get colder, you can definitely tell that fall is here. I am a summer person but my dolls like all the seasons. Of course as soon as it gets chilly outside, I am anxious to pull out the warmer outfits because it literally makes me feel cold to see dolls with bare legs or bare arms in this weather. My AG girls love fuzzy slippers, socks, PJs, robes and flannel nightgowns as well as sweaters, long sleeve tees, jackets and everyone's favorite, jeans!

This kind of weather also makes me feel like sewing with flannel. I have tons and tons of flannel fabric in my fabric storage so there are lots of possibilities for PJ pants and shirts (using a design from the flannel as an applique on the shirt) or just flannel PJs for your American Girl doll like these from my Kitt's Kloset Doll Clothes site:

An awesome new customer just ordered these PJs in the choice of ballet shoe print. She turned out to be a fellow AG doll collector so we really had a good time chatting about our dolls. As it turns out, she also likes fabric and buys for her dolls regularly. So instead of one of my choices for the second pair of PJs, she is sending me a fun popcorn print to make them for her. With her permission, I might post the finished picture in a future blog.

Just another idea--I not only can use fabric from my stash but I could also use your fabric, either what you have bought or maybe actually using a favorite pair of your child's outgrown PJs. I made a pair of PJs for a friend's granddaughter's doll from the little girl's PJs that she had outgrown. It was a fun green satin print with frogs on it. I will look for those pictures and share them in a future blog.

Until next time (hoping a week from now unless real life attacks!) stay warm and keep your dollies warm too!



I'm Doing an American Girl T-Shirt Swap with Karen Owen

Hello again! I can't believe the week has flown by so fast since I made my last post. Just as I was wondering what I could write about this week, it came to me that as a result of reading a fellow doll crafter/enthusiast's blog post, I was doing a shirt swap with her. So I hoped that it might interest my readers.

You most likely know Karen Owen as "Karen mom of three's blog"--here's the link to the blog post she made telling how she is having fun collecting the t-shirts from the different American Girl Places and Boutique & Bistros. When I first read this I'm sure it may have first been in Doll Diaries because I knew when I read it that we were planning a trip to the Chicago doll store (which you can read about in my last week's post) and that I thought this would be something fun to do. After all, I am not sure I'll ever get out to the Seattle store which is the one nearest Karen who lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Anyway, I contacted Karen soon after reading her post and told her I would be in Chicago and I would like to do a shirt swap with her. When I was there, I picked up an extra shirt for her. We are in regular contact via Facebook so yesterday she told me she had mailed mine. Her shirt will go out Monday since I ahem, forgot to take it with me to town this morning. Then, in a couple of weeks (less if the mail is quicker) she will add a new Chicago shirt to her collection and I will be adding the Seattle one that her husband was sweet enough to pick up for her while he was visiting Seattle for a Mariners' game. I will, of course, post a picture of one of my dolls wearing the new Seattle shirt. I bet Karen may do the same with her new Chicago shirt!

So far, I have the Chicago, New York, Los Angeles (it came on a doll I bought from eBay) and Atlanta. My Atlanta was one of the first they came out with. It's lavender as you can see here (I borrowed this pic from eBay as I was not able to find mine quickly). Here's even a link to the lady's listing, the least I can do since I'm borrowing her picture: Atlanta American Girl Tee

I'm not sure if the Atlanta store shirt is still lavender since all the shirts in Karen's blog picture are red. I went to the Atlanta store the first year that it opened and I know the other stores change their designs regularly.

Which AGPlace have you been to and what is your favorite thing to do there? It seems like more and more of the smaller stores are springing up. Do you think that's a good thing or not so good? You can leave comments here if you like. I moderate all comments so please be patient if yours doesn't show up right away, it could be that I'm not online or just away from the computer all together.

With fall weather setting in, you will want to be sure your doll is cozy and warm for those winter nights ahead so I'll leave you with a link for American Girl size sleepwear from my site. Have a great weekend! If you live where it's getting chilly, keep those dollies warm!  

Kitt's Kloset Finally Has Its Own Blog!

Hello to anyone who stumbles onto my blog or subscribes to it or just surfs in. I have had my handmade American Girl clothes website now for almost 7 years and I thought it was time to step up the web presence and social media for it so now I have finally started Kitt's its own blog.

I bet a lot of you out there have been to an American Girl store, whether it's an actual American Girl Place or one of the new Boutique and Bistros. As an adult collector, it was always my dream to visit one of these stores. This dream was made possible back in 2008 when my daughter was attending the University of Connecticut and we made a couple of little side visits to New York City. The first time I walked into the store, I was like a kid in a candy shop! I had heard about and seen lots of pictures from doll collecting friends, but it is just something that you have to experience at least once.

One of my favorite things about going to an AGP is the Personal Shopping service they have. My personal shopper in New York is Robyn and my PS in Chicago is Ingrid. Did you know that this service is totally free? If it's your first visit to the store, it might be a good idea to schedule an appointment with the PS you have chosen. I basically heard about these two ladies from some doll friends. When you arrive at the store, you can meet your PS and she will show you the personal shopping area. I don't know if New York has rearranged its area but we recently visited the Chicago AGP and they have cubbies or bookshelves where you can place your loot while you shop! Once that bag gets too heavy to lug around, you just take it to the PS area, put your name on it and go shop some more.

My recent trip to AGP Chicago was to meet up with a friend whom I had met up with there 2 years ago. My daughter has been so gracious as to always choose a college that just happens to be close to an AGP! ;) All kidding aside, she currently attends Purdue University which is just 2 hours away from Chicago. So of course we have made 2 trips there now. Maybe just one more before she graduates in May.....

The special part of this store trip was getting to eat lunch there. It was the first time my friend and I ever ate at the store. My friend and I didn't think we would get reservations as late as we came up with the idea to eat there but it all worked out. The cafe is amazing, the food is really good and the waiters and waitresses are all awesome. Even if you're not a little girl, you will feel like they treat you like a princess when you are there. Yes, I won't lie, the meal does cost but it's the same price for kids or adults and there is a nice choice. Standard items are the first course of mini sweet rolls, one for each diner, second course is some veggies and cheese-stuffed pretzel bread. Then your entree is whatever you choose--soda is extra so I went with iced tea. Dessert is chocolate mousse in a cute flower pot cup, a petit-four cake and a flower shaped Kanani cookie. All very delicious!

Being a big fan of American Girl dolls, of course I had to choose a special doll as a souvenir from this trip. One tip, if you're from out of state and you buy in Chicago or any of the stores, it may be more cost-effective to have your order mailed to your home, which is what I did. We were there on Saturday of Labor Day weekend so my package mailed on Tuesday and arrived here on Thursday. I still haven't gone through everything, I guess I want to savor it!

Since the new historicals, Marie-Grace and Cecile are out now, there was a ballroom dancing demonstration/lesson which was interesting to watch. Later that afternoon, a sign said there would be crafts and then that evening was a fancy dinner to officially kick off the new dolls' arrival. We stayed till maybe 3:00 or so.

A lot of people would like to see American Girl stores in every state but I have to disagree with that. For one thing, it would add sales tax to the online orders but even more importantly, I think it would take away from the special feeling of going somewhere that isn't right in your own backyard. It's sort of an adventure and I would love to see it stay that way.

Well if you lasted through this whole blog, thank you! Now here are some pictures for you from the store and also one of my new doll, #57 who was just released. I named her Britt because she looks like a brown-eyed Kit!

If you have a doll-related blog and want to link up with me, just let me know! Until next time! Have fun with your dolls, no matter what age you are!

Cecile and Marie-Grace

Kit & Ruthie

First course

Second course

American Girl Mini Picnic Lunch

Dessert!

Kailey, my new #57 Britt and Amanda #12