Cloudy days

I have been able to capture very few pictures between the raindrops lately.

You're a few that came out.

Kate and Anna enjoying the shelter of the tree.

"It sure is wet!"

Eliza grabbing some rare rays of sun.

Eliza hoping for more sunshine and less rain.

Photo Story Kate's Puppy Gets Stuck!

It was such a beautiful spring day Kate couldn't help it, she ran as fast as she could!

Maybe they're wrong, she thought. Maybe I'm not really legally blind. 

It felt so good to move unencumbered.

She skidded to a stop as she almost slammed into a pole... Or was that a tree? 

I really should have brought my cane...

"Oh Spark! Thank goodness!!!"! Kate's mom was training Spark to be a Guide Dog.

"How did you find me?"

"Hey Kate, you ok?" Aske eliza

"Yeah I'm fine," Kate said.  "Thanks to Spark."

"Can I play with her?" Asked Eliza.

"Yeah, sure. Buut i don't have a toy for her. I sorta didn't know she followed me here."

Eliza giggled "I have a stick."

"Man she has a lot of energy!" Gasped Eliza. "Let's rest a minute."

Kate sat up and looked around. "Uh oh! Where'd she go?!" 

"Who?"

"Spark!"

"Oh know! There she is!!" Eliza gulped.

"Come on girl! Come on Sparkley!" Kate begged.

"Oh thank goodness!!."

"Thanks Eliza!"

"Hey no problem! Uh Kate where's her harness?"

"She followed me here. And i left my cane at home. I just wanted to be Kate, not the blind kid."

"Hey your my friend regardless! If you need your cane, you should use it."

"Thanks Eliza. I just hate having to use a cane. I mean i can see. Yes Spark I'll open the door."

"Kate, you'll use it when you're ready. And i'll still hang out with you just as much!"

"I really hate being different." Kate said as she cuddled her puppy. "You'll be able to help me one day, won't you Spark?"

Group Shots

I brought out all the girls for some photos this morning!

Molly, Kate, Felicity, Meg, Eliza, Josie, & Anna.

Molly loves her new green t-shirt.

Felicity loves the wrap style top and Meg is so excited to show off her overalls.

Kate was a little chilly. So she opted for chords while Eliza wanted to feel the sun on her toes!

Josie loves the details on her Peter Pan collared shirt and Anna... Well she wanted to wear her new purple dress! 

These two sure look great together!

Disney Princesses

So Eliza wanted to show off her Queen Elsa dress. 

Doesn't it just make her eyes pop!?

Felicity had to get in on the Frozen fun.

She wouldn't let me put her hair up in braids like Anna's. 😞

Since she has the name of the princess, Kate had to get in on the princess action.

Princesses three, we shall be.

Blonde Beauties, Compared

One of the first American girl doll related questions people always ask doll bloggers is "Don't all American girl dolls look the same?" Every blogger has heard this at some point. Every blog has also addressed this at some point, usually with a big long discussion about face molds.

My husband asked me a very similar question. "don't you have a doll with that hair I color combination already?" My answer was to point out to him very evident differences between the two "identical"  dolls in my collection.

Eliza and Meg

So, first the similarities. Both dolls have blond hair and blue eyes. Both dolls are 18 inches tall have soft bodies and vinyl limbs. If you want to be really technical, both are Beforever/historical dolls.

Here is where the similarities end.

Meg's hair is not only a lot shorter than Eliza's, it's also a tad lighter. Just as with real girls, blonde is not blonde is not blonde. There are subtle variations between the two blonde bombshell's.

Looking at the girls in profile, you can see two very distinct differences. Eliza came with her ears pierced. Also Meg has what is known as the "classic" face mold while Eliza has the "Josefina" face mold. 

Eliza's chin and nose are definitely pointier when viewed from the side. Meg has fuller cheeks and a rounder face shape.

The face shape is evident when you see them side-by-side from the front is well.

From the front, it is also very evident that Meg has freckles and Eliza does not.

While both dolls have "blue" eyes they are a different blue. Meg's are much darker blue than Eliza's. So much so that it's hard to capture the real blue of Meg's eyes with my camera! 

There's one final difference between these two and that is their eyebrows. Meg's are feathered while Eliza's are straight.

Here at VoaD, we consider Eliza to be Meg's older sister. They are just similar enough to look like siblings, and different enough to appreciate as a collector.

What do you think? Do you have any sibling dolls in your collection?

Eliza and Lissi in a hurry

Eliza and Lissi are late! They were invited to afternoon tea. 

As usual, Felicity got distracted by a herd of wild horses.

Phew! They made it with seconds to spare!! 

How different these two friends are! 

Meet Eliza

Eliza-Beth Cole is a thoughtful girl who can also be a bit of a prankster. She feels it's important to always put your best foot forward as you never know who is looking. But behind closed doors, she's not afraid to show her silly side.

She has beautiful pin curls that sometimes let loose and go a little wild.

Her original hairstyle is so pretty and unique. It fits her personality well.

Eliza is such a lovely lady. Pointy chin, slightly pouty mouth and all. 

Elizabeth is home!

After more than a month of waiting, Eliza is home! And the best part is that her wig issue was considered a defect by American girl. They replaced her head for free. 😄

She came in a doll hospital box.

Containing the doll hospital logo.

The pattern on the hospital down is adorable! 

She even got socks with little hearts.

A hospital ID bracelet...

Certificate of good health:

And a get well card.

Welcome home Eliza-Beth! You have been missed.