Photo Contest Reminder

Hola! Just a quick reminder that we have a doll photo contest going on....

Our London 2012 Olympics Britishy Photo Contest

;-)

Entries are due on August 12th

Learn more:

http://thedollwardrobe.blogspot.com/2012/07/london-2012-photo-contest-entries-due.html

There are several theme categories.

1) Sports

2) Hobbies

3) Britishy

4) The Olympics

Your photo can fit one or more of these categories.

If you sent in a photo already or plan on sending one in, we'll be notifying you that 

we got your entries around August 10th.

800th Post! Designer's Wardrobe: 8 Hidden Treasures

Hola! So this is our 800th post. It feels like a momentous occasion. 

We thought about taking a pic of all of our AGs for this post, and also about posting our top 5 fav handmade outfits in our collection. And we thought about doing something silly, but then our printer broke and we couldn't do that (but maybe we'll do it laters). Anyways, we tossed ideas around in our heads for awhile, but couldn't quite pick one.

This summer we don't have a lot of free time, so we need a new feature that is fun but easy to create. So we invented "Designer's Wardrobe: 8 Hidden Treasures." And we will reveal this new feature here, in our 800th post!

The idea is that we post 8 items that have been created by designers on Etsy, and sometimes other websites. These items might be OOAK, and we emphasize that most have been sold already. That is why they are "hidden" -- get it?

So the game is this: 

We post the 8 items and you guys get to guess who made them -- 

you guess the designer/shop/brand name. 


Test your knowledge of AG designers!!!
Comment below with your guesses.

If you own the object, feel free to tell us who you bought it from. 

That's not exactly cheating, haha. 

If you made the object -- don't tell the readers! 

That's kind of cheating, haha. 

If you made the object and you don't want it displayed in the 8 Hidden Treasures Game, just comment and tell us to remove your pic and we will do so.

Here we go!

8 Items

Guess away friends!!!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

After a week or so of guessing we'll post the answers, and the next 8 Hidden Treasures.

Thank you for visiting us today!

Feeling Great Outfit Review

Hola! Today we have Annalise modeling the new MyAG Feeling Great outfit.

The outfit includes the tank top, yoga/sweat pants, sneakers, and headband.

Annalise's necklace is from Liberty Jane.

Overall, the outfit has a nice color scheme. Not exactly completely girlie, minus the pink elastic headband, but not really tomboyish either.

While many people might not like the "logo written down the side of the pants" thing, we actually like it. Again, we are always hoping that AG looks to trendy brands for inspiration, and most of them use this technique for their yoga/sweat pants.

Of course, AG uses the position that was trendy five years ago -- while today Hollister is placing their logo slightly off-center on the left thigh.

In addition, Hollister uses an embroidered seagull and applique lettering, not iron-on details.

The sneakers are very realistic. While some of the other sneakers that AG makes look like Vans, these resemble New Balances. The laces don't tie, they are elastics that just stretch when you put the shoes on. Also, the sole of the shoe is just like a real shoe sole. They are pretty neat.

Sneaker add-on pics!

Thanks for visiting us today!!!

Stay tuned for more posts soon!

McKenna's Team Gear Review

Hola! Today Angelina is modeling McKenna's Team Gear set, new from AG.

The set includes the purple jacket, "gold" medal on a tri-color strap, braided bracelet, and 

ballet slippers.

The jacket exterior is a shiny wind-breaker material and is lined with a lighter purple knit fabric.

The sleeves are a darker purple than the center bodice of the jacket.

The detailing is grey.

The back of the jacket is embroidered with McKenna's name in block lettering.

We like this idea.

Of course it means everyone else who wears it is borrowing it from McKenna, but oh well.

Sports team gear is usually personalized.

The front of the jacket is embellished with the "Shooting Star Gymnastics" logo.

Despite the U.S.A. red, white, and blue strap - 

the medal is not an Olympics or National competition medal.

The front of the medal simply says "Gymnastics" and the back says American Girl.

Here you also get a closer shot of the neon braided bracelet.

And here are the purple ballet slippers.

They aren't meant to be real ballet shoes. Instead they are the all-fabric slip-ons you wear before and after your gymnastics performances. 

You don't want to scuff and scratch the mats and equipment with real shoes.

Overall, it is a cute set. Not really worth the high price.

But again, if you collect for McKenna, or have a gymnastics-loving doll, 

then possibly worth the cost.

For more info, see our McKenna Performance Set review here:

http://thedollwardrobe.blogspot.com/2012/07/mckennas-performance-set-review.html

Thanks for visiting us today!!!

Fall Flowers Dress and Fashion Boots Review

Hola! Sorry for the lack of AG clothing posts -- got derailed by other assignments.

Today we have Angelina modeling the new Bitty Twin Fall Flowers dress and the new MyAG Fashion Boots. Her belt is from Liberty Jane, and her sunglasses are MyAG.

The dress is A-line and flares out a bit too much -- making it look baby-ish (which it's technically supposed to look baby-ish, haha) -- so we added the belt to pull the waistline in and give it a more sophisticated look. So if you buy the dress thinking it will look exactly like this on your 18" doll -- make sure you add in a belt.

We love the red corduroy of the dress, the structure of the neckline and sleeves, the contrast stitching, and we can live with the floral embroidery appliques. We wish AG would create 18" shirts and dresses with that much attention to detailed, fashionable necklines and sleeves.

The boots are very nicely made, and have a trendy, equestrian look to them. They are lined with white fabric on the inside, but still have black stitching- so I would be careful not to leave them on a doll too long or the thread dye may transfer to the vinyl.

You have to be mindful of dark, black, and red threads, vinyls, and fabrics as they can transfer their dyes and stain your dolls. Not that these boots do that -- they might not-- but still something to keep in mind.

The set also comes with a pink knit beret and tan vinyl boots. The hat fits the 18" girls but Angelina told us it didn't go with her outfit (why would you put a pink hat with a red dress?). The boots do not fit the 18" girls.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you for visiting us today!!!

Things to Keep in Mind/Rules for Photo Contest

In our zeal to publish about our London 2012 Photo Contest, we didn't add the
"Things to Keep in Mind" section.

Here ya go!

Hopefully these points help y'alls.

Things to Keep in Mind:

The picture can be any size, but 400 pixels wide or wider is recommended or else your pic will be very small on the blog and difficult to see. Every pic we personally post here is 500 pixels wide, so that is what you should be aiming for as well.


Using Photoshop and other photo editing programs is fine.




You can include more than one doll in your photos. Your dolls do not have to be AG dolls.


No human faces in the photos please -- remember: privacy is important! Hands are okay -- but no actually identifiable people.




We will be posting the photos here at The Doll Wardrobe - so make sure your photo is something that you don't mind if the whole world sees it. (Again, this is why you and/or your family shouldn't be in the photo.)


Our email address is nora.demington@gmail.com. You will be using this to send in photos.




The Doll Wardrobe does not share or sell your email to anyone. Only Penny sees your emails. 


Readers will be asked to vote for their favorite photos. They can vote for more than one photo. Everyone will have a week to vote, from the point when we post the photos. You can vote for yourself.



At the end of the contest we will email the winner for her/his shipping address -- to send them the gift card. (This is why it is important you have a parent/guardian's permission to enter if you are under 18).

Any questions? You probably have some -- so feel free to ask! :-D

And remember, if you want to participate in this contest, 

the photo is due Sunday, August 12th!

Please email your photos to nora.demington@gmail.com.

The best way to send them is as an attachment.

It gives us a better quality pic to post on zee blog.

Good luck everyone!

London 2012 Photo Contest! Entries Due August 12th

Maple here, get ready for some crass humor.

And a new photo contest.

In less than or about 15 days, the 2012 Summer Olympics will kick off in London, England - the third time the city has hosted this event. Greedy buggers. The Games close on August 12th, 2012.

The Games have a new logo:

Which can come in a variety of colors:

Which seems to say 2012, but mostly just looks like a hot mess to us. 

Who designed that thing?

Someone trying to be too trendy and hip, that's who...

And if you stare at it long enough, you start to see something else.

But I won't say what that something else is.

I'll leave it to your imagination.

The Games have two new mascots, one for the regular Olympics and one for the Paralympics.

Wenlock and Mandeville:

You can see they have been tattooed with the 2012 logo.

They even have their own website and their own movies:

https://mascot-games.london2012.com/watch/default.aspx

All in a bid to appeal to the world's youths and say:
"Get out there and play sports! Stop being lazy. Stop eating chips, and playing video games!
Go kick a ball around! Train six hours a day doing gymnastics! Run marathons until you pass out!"

Okay, maybe they don't use those exact words....

As cute as they are..... (we think?) We definitely see shades of the "Despicable Me" drones in them -- as well as the (designer-explained) British molten steel drop motif, the "London Eye," and a hint of ticked off alien from Men in Black. I mean they do have one big eye.... which is actually supposed to be a camera.....have you noticed that it records "everything"???? Creepy.

Also, Mandeville kinda looks like he wet himself.

Though he is holding up a giant #2..... so maybe it wasn't #1.

Just saying.....
British food can be hard on the digestive system....

Also, if you stare at the mascots long enough you start to see something else as well...
Again, I'll leave that to your imagination.

(Cough. Cough.)

To honor the event, the athletes, and the city we are holding a photo contest 

here at The Doll Wardrobe.

All entries will be due on or before August 12th.

One "gold medalist" winner will receive the coveted prize: 

A $20 AG gift card. 

There will be two honorable mentions for the contest,

the silver and bronze medal winners.

Each person is allowed to submit one photo to the contest.

You do not have to be 18 years or older to participate in this contest, but if you are younger than 18 make sure you get your parent or guardian's permission to enter.

What is the contest theme?

Your photo's theme should fall into at least one of the following categories:

1) Sports

2) Hobbies

3) Britishy

4) The Olympics

So these are pretty broad categories, designed to include as many people's 

creative thoughts as possible. 

You can have your dolls playing sports together, doing crafts, reenacting a scene from Dr. Who, or even teaching us about the history of the Olympics, as examples. Or you could have your doll pose as an Olympic athlete who is knitting inside a London taxi while Wills and Kate watch through the window! Or ten thousand other ideas! Be creative! Think outside the box!

If you have any questions about the contest, 

feel free to ask them in the comments section below.

If you aren't sure your photo idea fits the themes, feel free to ask us!

The "gold medalist" winner will be determined through 

a combination of voting and judging.

A week of reader voting will take place after the photos are posted on the blog (after August 12th's due date). The photos in the top 50% will be examined by our judge (Penny) and the medalists will be chosen from that group.

Remember all entries should be submitted on or before August 12th, 2012.

Please send your picture with a description to nora.demington@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting us today!