While in Chicago, I discovered there was an American Girl store. I discovered this because the closer I got to it, the more American Girl red bags I saw. Then, we (my friend Deidre and I) knew we were close because we started seeing the dolls. So, we went in. I knew something about the American Girl dolls. Good message for young girls, historical, cute clothes, very Junior League. It was packed!! Apparently, people come from all over with their daughters so they can experience the American Girl culture. WOW!Deidre and I spent about 20 minutes browsing around. Noted they are saying "Farewell" to Samantha, looked at some t-shirts for my girls and stumbled upon a "How to Style your Dolls Hair" DVD. I was going to buy the DVD, brush, comb and styling rods for my friends daughters because they were completely into American Girl. We walk up to check out, wait 5 mins and I say "I'm done." I'm not "in love" enough with my stuff to wait in line.
The next day, we tell our other friend, Michelle, she needs to go to American Girl because of the books they have about...well, girl stuff. Her daughter is a little older and is heavily into the mess of being a preteen girl. So, we trek it over. We look at the books and decide we could spend thousands of dollars. They go to look for the bathrooms and I consider buying the hair stuff again. My cell rings and Deidre says, "You gotta come upstairs..You haven't seen nothin' yet!" I wasn't even aware there was an upstairs. As I'm coming off the escalator..my conversion begins. This was where the matching doll and girl outfits were. Deidre says, "Oh, you need to come over here." I turn the corner and there is a doll village. A doll salon, a store where you can create t-shirts for your doll, a shop where you can get your doll's ears pierced, a doll hospital, a "sweet" shoppe in case your doll needs a treat...I'm a picture taking fool at this point. Then way in the back, we land into the American Girl Cafe. And I am a complete convert. I don't know if it was all the pink or just seeing all the little girls dressed up with their Mom's and Grandma's having tea...but I just lost it. "Why didn't they have stuff like this when I was little?!", I wail.
When we go back downstairs, I swear everything seemed brighter. I start picturing which doll I'll by for Hays and Madden. I start to study each doll trying to place my daughters' personality with a corresponding doll. I settle on Ruthie for Hays and Kit for Madden. I decide to get home and talk it over with Tom. I stand in line forever waiting to buy my doll hair products. While Michelle is buying books, I knock some girl out of the way so I can have my picture taken in front of the American Girl Star.
When I get home, I chase the girls around for days with the American Girl catalog. "Don't you think Ruthie is pretty Hays?" and "See, you and Ruthie have the same color hair." Nothing. I am so disappointed. I guess I will just have to take them to Chicago, Los Angeles or New York so they can go to an American Girl flagship store and become converts, too!
1 comment:
I went in the American Girls store in Manhattan recently, and I have to tell you, secret confession, I felt like I was 8 years old again (I had Samantha and Kirsten at one point and was also saddened to see Sam is on her way out). The only thing was the something about the twin babies--I forget what they call them--kind of freaked me out. But all the other stuff is top notch.
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