Last Day to Enter Photo Contest and Emily's Tap Outfit

Yep, we know it's already late on the East Coast but we wanted to say that today is the due date for our Time Warp History Photo Contest. We'll still take your entries -- so feel free to send them today or tomorrow to nora.demington@gmail.com. We are being flexible since we were so late reminding you about it today, haha.

Linky to learn about contest: http://thedollwardrobe.blogspot.com/2011/09/time-warp-photo-contest-ag-gift-card.html

If you have any questions about it -- let us know!

Also today we wanted to continue our attempt at a "Historical Thematic Week" by sharing pics of Emily's Tap Outfit. We think this is retired, not sure. But it isn't coming up on the AG website for us. We bought this outfit because we thought the hat was cute and Molly had her tap outfit already so we figured Emily should as well. Haha.

The one-piece dress itself is rather simple for a tap outfit: sleeveless with red velvet on top and a white silky material on the skirt portion with silver sequins. We tried to get the wrinkles out of the skirt, but it just wasn't happening for us. I think we were actually ironing more wrinkles into it. :-/

The cape really makes the outfit pop, but who dances tap with a cape on? I know it's in the book illustrations and the movie -- lots of girls with capes on. But it still seems weird for easy arm movements and all, is that just us? Is it normal to dance tap with a cape?

The hat is super-cute but you have to angle it just right or it doesn't look very good. The shoes are really nice and even have the metal parts on the soles for tapping. The outfit also came with the socks.

Overall, it is a nice set but the coloring is a little off for a doll like Emily. We would have put a white and red outfit on a doll with darker hair and eyes if we were AG and given Emily something with blues in it. Just our opinion though. So if you'd like to see this outfit on another doll let us know.

Also for today we wanted to give you some 1940s info from AG's "Welcome to Molly's World - 1944" -- a book that is no longer published (we are pretty sure) but you can still find it online. We have several of the books from this series and they are awesome. Here is the cover shot so you know what to look for if you are interested in it.

This book has all sorts of photos, illustrations and information in it. One of the things it discusses is "Morale Boosters" in the U.S. during World War II. "Hurray for the U.S.A.: Small towns like Molly's put on variety shows to support the war effort. They might benefit a veteran's hospital or raise money for the Red Cross." Next to this blurb is an illustration of Molly, Emily, and other girls from their town tapdancing to support the war effort in this type of variety show, which is a prominent plot in "Changes for Molly" and the AG Molly movie.

Also in the Morale Boosters section it talks about the USO shows, canteens across America for servicemen, dances, the Red Cross, movies, newsreels, and more.

The section on the Red Cross is particularly interesting. Here is the introduction: "Wherever the soldiers went, American Red Cross workers soon followed. They worked 14 hour days, setting up 'welcome centers' where soldiers at the front lines could take a break from the war. Workers cooked food, organized events, and were always ready to listen. Margaret Cotter volunteered to be a Red Cross worker when she was just a few years older than Molly's sister Jill. Her first assignment was halfway around the world - in northern Africa! Margaret traveled to Africa with 60 other Red Cross girls. The trip took 50 days."

Can you imagine it taking 50 days to get somewhere! 

That's like almost two months!

And then you have to work your butt off while you are there. 

Man, that's dedication. Haha.

In our upcoming 1940s wardrobe posts 

we'll give you more tidbits of info from this book so stay tuned! :-)