Tuesday, February 25, 2014

{ Valentine's Party ~ 2014 }

Hiya! Lanie here. I cannot believe it's been over a week since we had our Valentine's Day party!  We had such a blast! I so totally loved doing all the decorating.....it seemed to take FOREVER to get all the decorations out and up, but it was SO worth it!!


Look at these super cool garlands that Hope made! We hung them up just before the party started and it was a complete surprise to all of us!  Hope told us that she sewed them all by herself on her sewing machine and that Cindy was a big help holding them cause they got reeeeeally long! They just look SOOO cute hanging up, don't they?  They really made it extra festive!


And look at this super, super cute felt heart centerpiece!  Hope hand made this too!  The little hearts are puffy and Hope says the edges are done in a "blanket stitch".  Hope is super talented isn't she?


In preparation for the party; Cindy, Christina, and I went out to our local grocery store a few days before Valentine's Day and got little boxes of chocolates for everyone. I picked out a soccer ball chocolate box for Trey- when I saw it I knew it was perfect for him! Cindy picked pink rose chocolate boxes for the girls, and Christina made the flower decorations to stick on the candy boxes when we got home.  She used some really pretty Valentine's ribbon and silk flowers she bought at Michael's. Aren't they cute?? I'm not sure where that big chocolate Hershey's Kiss came from or who it's for but I sure wish is was mine!!

 

I even decorated the top of our fridge so that our noisy but awfully pretty parrot could enjoy the party too.  I had to make sure that he couldn't get to the stuff though cause he has a way of shredding everything that comes in contact with his beak!

 

After decorating, I helped with getting the foods prepared and set out. Yum!  I love cookies!  Cindy made us put out the "healthy" foods and says we have to eat some of the veggies before having sweets.  At least I like carrots & cheese cubes.  But celery?  Nope.  Not so much.....I do not like the stringy part at all.  Now, I will confess, I don't mind those pig-in-blankets one bit!  Those are one of my favorite party foods!!  I like them dipped in honey mustard....yummilicious!


Christina put all our handmade valentines into a big basket to pass out.  McKenna was so excited to find out which one was hers, that she immediately offered to help with the task! I cannot wait to see our special little felt Valentine envelopes; Hope has been working on these for months in and around school, homework and youth group.  She made them very similar to the puffy hearts centerpiece; with hand-embroidery and special applique's and buttons - one for each of us!  Golly, I have to admit that I wished I had offered to help cause I really wanted to see mine too!


Christina set the basket of our special Valentine's under the table and told Coconut to guard them with her life!  Coconut happily agreed and stayed right next to the basket, guarding it as if it was full of bones!


Just as I was getting my first cookie, Harper arrived!  She kept apologizing for not dressing up for the party but I assured her that it was fine!  The most important part was that she made it.....and that there was still food left for her! 


After about 4 cookies, I heard Christina call to get everyone's attention so she could start passing out the valentines. Needless to say, she gave McKenna hers first - since she was just DYING to see it - AND she was standing right there next to Christina! 


"Next is Harper's!!" Christina called out.  Harper nearly knocked me over to get next in line behind McKenna, but you can bet that I was right behind her!! 


"Patience, Lanie-bug." Christina smiled, as she handed me my Valentine. Ooh! Oh my golly! It's mine! I cant wait to open it and see who its from!! Maybe I have a secret admirer!!


I couldn't bring myself to open it right away.  I just wanted to sit and admire just how adorable these are! All the work and love that went into each stitch.....what a true gift these were.  Okay, so that moment passed in like, two seconds and I had to open it!   I pulled out my card and it had pretty glitter dots and a heart made of the same glitter.  Inside it read;  

"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue ~ You're Such A Good Friend and I Miss You!"  
Love, Isabelle XOXO

Awwww, that was sooooo sweet!  My Valentine was from Isabelle!  For a few seconds, it like totally made me sad cause it reminded me of how much I really do miss her ~ even though I have had such fun with my special Izzy doll that she sent. 


Right about then, Hope arrived and we all cheered when she walked into the kitchen!  "We love your special garlands!" everybody shouted. 


Since McKenna helped with the Valentines, I wanted to be the helper for handing out the boxes of chocolates.  I grabbed Hope's and handed it to her and told her that I admired her terribly.  "You are so talented, Hope. I wish I could be more like you!" I exclaimed.  "Oh Lanie, you are still young and learning but you already have a wonderful talent - you make us all smile each and every day and not everybody can do that!"  Hope replied.


"Thank you Hope.  I hope you'll always know that I love you like a sister!"  ♥  Then we hugged and posed for this photo. 


Just then, we heard a semi-familiar voice......"Hellooooo!  Hellooooo!  Is anybody home???"  I turned to Hope and asked her who that could be?  It sounded familiar but I couldn't quite figure it out.  Hope agreed, "Maybe it's Cindy's bff, Lily?"


Then we heard the voice again and this time, I was pretty sure I knew who it was!!!!!  We turned towards the direction that the voice was coming from to see if we could figure it out.....the voice was getting louder and louder......closer and closer!  By this time, everybody at the party had stopped talking because they were curious too.  We were all looking towards the door......


OH. GOOD. GOLLY.  I could NOT believe my eyes!!!!  It was Isabelle!  My little heart felt like it would just burst out of my chest and fly away!  I squealed with glee SO loudly that I startled poor Hope so badly, I think she might have peed her pants!


Can you believe it?!?!?  Isabelle was right there in front of us!  We all cheered cause we were all so happy to see her.....and then we all rushed towards her like a flash HUG!


This was the best Valentine's Day party we have ever, ever, ever had!!!!  Good golly, I am still walking on sunshine and it's been ten days. ☺

64 comments:

  1. What a wonderful party! I especially love the garlands and the special envelopes. The food looks delicious and everyone looked so festive- even Harper! Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos.

    Your friend,
    Inky

    P.S. Next year don't forget to invite me! heehee! Just kidding!

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    1. Hi Inky!! Thank you so much for your sweet words!! Your photos are amazing too. The girls and I are big fans! :) Yes, it was loads of fun and the food was amazing. We were all so full afterwards I could barely stand up, thanks to too many cookies and pig-in-a-blankets!
      ~Lanie ✿

      P.S. Consider yourself invited! ;)

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  2. That was such an AMAZING post!! The set up looks so nice and you all did a great job! I am SO happy that Isabelle is back!
    Is she going to be staying with you now?
    ~Jaclynn~

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    1. Hiya, Jaclynn! Thank you so much! And oh my golly, I know right?! Yes she is going to stay! We are super exited!! ~Lanie

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  3. This is the cutest AG party ever! Love the decor!

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    1. Thank you so much Meghan!!! Hope did a great job, didn't she?? :) ~Lanie

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  4. That is so cute! Gives me some ideas on how to decorate for Felicity's birthday!! :) I really liked this post!!!

    -Tg

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    1. Hi Tg! Thank you so much! Since it's a birthday party, you could take a look at this post for ideas-

      http://dollydormdiaries.blogspot.com/2013/12/goty-2014-isabelles-visit-part-1.html

      You could do streamers by cutting down normal sized streamers into smaller ones, or blow up water balloons for balloons our size! ~Lanie ✿

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    2. Thanks so much Lanie! ;)
      I never thought about using water balloons for doll sized balloons! Thanks!! :)

      -Tg

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    3. No problem!! I'm always happy to help!! :D
      ~Lanie ✿

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  5. so, is isabelle staying for keeps, or was it just a visit?
    ~Carina~

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    1. Hi Carina, Yes! Isabelle is here for good this time! YAY! ~Lanie ✿

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  6. sorry, i just saw the post above! But, did you just get her, or have u had her for awhile, and saved her for this post? ~carina~

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    1. Hi! Yes, our Izzy has just arrived and is here to stay this time.....we are all SUPER DUPER excited to finally have her here! ~Lanie ✿

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  7. That is fantastic! LOL, you and I have the same taste for veggies :) Gald that Izzy's back, you two seemed to really miss each other <3
    -Sallie-Mae

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    1. Hi Sallie-Mae!! I know right, who wouldn't like carrots?? ;) Yes, we are all SUPER exited that she is back for good!! I had really missed her! ~Lanie ✿

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  8. Amazing story!! :) :) I absolutely love your photos!! :)

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    1. Thank you so SO much! It means so much to all of us girls! :D
      ~Lanie ✿

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  9. What an amazing Valentines Day party and SURPRISE! Glad to see Isabelle has returned for good. Can't wait to see more of her. (^_^)

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    1. I know right?! We are all so happy to have her stay at the dorm for good!! We hope to have a lot of adventures together and make tons of fun memories in the near future!! :D ~Lanie ✿

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  10. This is probably the cutest Valentines Day American Girl photo story I've ever seen! I'm so happy that Lanie was finally reunited with Isabelle. I can't wait to see the adventures they will have!

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    1. Golly, thank you SO much! I can't believe she's finally here to stay! Adventures sound super fun, and we'll be sure to share!
      ~Lanie ✿

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  11. Awwwwww!!!! That's so sweet!!! I love all the decorations!! And I'm glad that Isabelle is finally home for good!!

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    1. Hiya Abigail! Me too! I swear I almost fainted when I saw her walk around the corner!!
      ~Lanie

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  12. Yay isabelle is back. i got her opening day and you have your dolls in such cute outfits and with awesome hairstyles I'm goung to do on my dolls. So thanks. And i love all of your posts. there so well thought out i love the way izzy came back
    summer

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    1. Hi Summer!! Thank you so, so, SO much for all of your sweet words! We are happy that we have inspired you!! And YAY! Us girls are too!! It was a complete shock to all of us that she showed up and we couldn't be happier! :)
      ~Lanie ✿

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  13. Love the story, I'm glad Isabelle is back !!!!!! Would you be so kind and tell me where you had gotten Daisy the beagle from? She is soooooo adorable!!!! Thanks .

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    1. Hi Sue! Cindy adopted Daisy from the Pawparrazi Company a few years ago. :)
      ~Lanie ✿

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  14. Wow!!!! Does Isabelle get to stay this time??!!! I hope so because I know that Lanie really missed her a lot. That's so great that she got to come back even if it does end up being only for a very long visit.

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    1. Hi Echo! YES! Izzy is now a permanent resident of the Dolly Dorm! Isn't that exciting? We cannot wait to have her be a part of our lives....super excited about that! ~Lanie ✿

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  15. Amazing photo story! I'm sure everyone in the dorm is really excited to have Isabelle back for good! She looks beautiful!
    So cool that you have Pippaloo's food set too. Everything looks so great! The decorations are incredible...

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    1. Hey there! Yes, we are so excited to have Isabelle back with us.....you have no idea! Thanks for your sweet comments....yes, we have been a fan of Pippaloo for many years and have a lot of her yummy foods to mix with our own hand made foods. Yep, we all pretty much love food!! Yummy! ~Lanie ✿

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  16. It is so great that Izzy has come back for keeps now! I have the skirt that Lanie was wearing but I have almost no shirts that match with it.(it's so frustrating!) I really want Isabelle for my sister, but my guardian wants Jess more.(For some reason. I have no idea why though)
    ~Abbi

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    1. Hiya Abbi! Maybe you could save up some money for Isabelle's coral sweater, it looks really cute with that skirt! What do you think?
      ~Lanie ✿

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    2. Thanks for the idea Lanie! Me and my sisters were already planning to get Isabelle's coral sweater so that works out! We all love your blog and are inspired by it! One of my sisters, Caroline (not the historical), is wondering if Christina is a MAG #39, which would explain why they looks so much alike. Thanks for your time!
      ~Abbi ��

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    3. Hi Abbi! YES, Christina is #39. After Cindy, Christina has been here the longest. They are sisters and love going to the beach together. That's all I hear them talk about some days....in fact, they are already planning their Easter Break trip to the beach! ~Lanie ✿

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  17. Yay, Izzys back! We just welcomed Isabelle to our family, it must be lots of fun to have her back. Your party looked really fun!

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    1. I know right! Hip-hip, hooray!! :D We are all so exited to have her back for good! Oh, neat! What is your favorite part about her? All of us girls here LOVE Isabelle's hair! It's so long and silky... and really fun to style!
      ~Lanie ✿

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  18. the party looked so much fun! I'm glad to hear izzy is back, is she there to stay in the dorm or is she just visiting?
    -Ellie

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    1. Hi, Ellie!! Yes, Izzy is staying for good!! We are all so exited! ~Lanie ✿

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    2. im so glad to hear that! I hope you girls have fun together!
      -Ellie

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    3. Thank you! We cannot wait to share more of our adventures with everybody! ~Cindy ♥

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  19. Why did you dye your hair, Izzy?

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    1. Hi there, Cindy here! Izzy has not dyed her hair....maybe it's just the lighting causing it to look that way? ~Cindy ♥

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    2. Thank you. . . So sorry for the confusion

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  20. Izzy~did you bring any of your things with you? I was so happy when you came out, you are my favorite of all

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    1. Hi! She only brought some of her clothes her! :) ~Cindy ♥

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    2. Aww that stinks. . . i really liked her dance barre and her studio
      Lillian

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    3. Hi Lillian, Izzy couldn't bring those big items to the dorm because we don't have any extra space for a studio for her. She says she is totally cool with that cause she is just happy to be back! She gets enough practice at her barre when she goes to dance class. :) ~Cindy ♥

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  21. I have that same peanuts book! So cool

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  22. ok so I know that this is a really dumb question, but what is your real first name like outside of the doll world?~Tess<3

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    1. Hi Tess, Since our blog is about our dolls, we'd prefer to use their names. But it wasn't a dumb question at all! Take care! ~Cindy ♥

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  23. I love your blog (especially the ones with Izzy in them)! P.S. in my dollhouse my Izzy just broke her wrist practicing her ariel for dance! wish her good luck!~Tess<3

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    1. Oh nooooo Tess! Please tell Izzy to be careful and that we are sending BIG wishes for a speedy recovery! ~Cindy and all the D3 Girls ♥

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    2. thank you, I will!~Tess<3

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  24. YAY you got Izzy back! We got an Izzy doll too and we are so happy to meet her, especially me, she seems such a nice girl. I love her so much, she is honestly a great GOTY! I don't mean to sound wickedly mean or anything but are you going to put the rest of the girls up on the 'the girls' section. I only asked because I have dying to show my besties your amazing website!!!!
    Thank you for the whole blog, you guys (even trey) are an inspiration to us all. Even my older brother, Adam.
    Dakota Y xxx

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    1. Hi Dakota! Thank you all so much...we are so happy that we are your inspiration!! We agree, she is an amazing GOTY! And yes, we are planning to get the other Meet the Girls Pages up. We were planning to take them outside, but there has been constant snow here! We were definitely not dreaming of a white St. Patrick's Day! Hopefully when it gets nicer outside we will take the photos! :) ~Cindy ♥
      ~Cindy ♥

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  25. When did you get Trey? Where?

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    1. We adopted Trey around August/September last year! For more info on Trey, visit the Meet The Guys page! :) ~Cindy ♥

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  26. Where did you get the starbucks drinks and the blue long dress from? Yay Izzys back! I am getting my first American girl this year! Xx Angie missangelblog.wordpress.com

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    1. Hi Angelina, The blue dress is AG from 2006 and is called the "Ballet Recital Outfit". The "HeartBucks" drinks came from shop on Etsy. ~Cindy ♥

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  27. Aww...so glad Izzy came back! Hooray!
    ~Nicole @ ouragdollhouse.blogspot.com

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