Tess's Tidbits: We're Back! (and a new Belle's Bulletins Post)

Wow, it has been such a crazy couple of weeks.  It always takes Mama a while to get back into the groove once school starts, and it normally takes a while for us to figure out the best time to do our posts between comings and goings. :) 

Those of you who follow Mama's blog know that Maggie got to do Mama's 200th post for her...although she failed to inform me beforehand that she never asked Mama's permission!  I'm so embarrassed that I encouraged her!  If I would have known that Mama was out of the loop, I never would have dreamed of being involved!

Anyway, what's done is done, and Mama wasn't too upset about it, so that was a relief.  If you didn't get a chance to read Maggie's post, you can see it HERE.  By the way, it was not my idea to include so many links to our blog in the post!  It felt like shameless product placement to me.  :{  I hope everyone will still like us!

I don't have much more to share with you at this point.  I know Emma is working on a post about the recent visit she and her sisters took to Ruthie's house.  Oh, and Belle wanted me to let you know that she just added a new post to her Belle's Bulletins 2  page! :)

Just one more thing.  Have all of our giveaway winners received their prizes?  We want to make sure everyone got them.  We've already heard from Caelen, so we know she's still waiting on hers.  Is there anyone else who didn't get their prize yet?  We want to make sure they all get there!  Just leave me a comment if you had any problems. 

Have a great week everyone! :)

Tess's Tidbits: Hi! :)

Hi everyone!  I just thought I'd say a quick hello.  This is my first chance getting on the computer since our last post.  Things have been so hectic around here with school starting!  Mama's been running around like a chicken with her head cut off, and staying up way too late trying to get everything ready for the following day.

I wanted to let you know that you most likely won't hear from us again until next week or so.  Between school starting again, an upcoming Yard Sale that Mama is putting on at our house, and trouble with the house's wiring, it's been nonstop activity from one day to the next.  This makes it really difficult for us to get to the computer undetected.  Once things slow down a bit, we should be able to post more.   I just didn't want any of you worrying! :) 

We have a lot of fun posts in the works, so check back in the next couple of weeks.  We'll be back on soon. :)

Until next time, then. ;)

Maggie's Memos: Blogoversary Giveaway #7 Results

Yesterday was our very last Blogoversary Giveaway, and we had a unique situation.  We only had one entry!!  See, Tess?  I told you the silly Belle and Rapunzel poster was a bad idea!  The good news is, we're going to make our one entrant very happy.  ALEXIS, you're the winner of our Belle and Rapunzel mini doll poster! :)

Congratulations on being our very last Blogoversary winner!  Please get back to us within 24 hours with your mailing address so that we can get your prize off to you in the mail.

Wow, it's been quite a week!  Tess and I would like to thank all of you for joining in the fun.  Look, I know I'm not always the best at expressing gratitude, but I am thankful for all of you who have followed our blog, read our posts, and left great comments.  You've made this a great experience for Tess and me and all of our friends.  We can't wait to see where the next year takes us in our blogging adventures! :)

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Maggie and Tess

Tess's Tidbits: Blogoversary Giveaway #7!

Well, we had something kind of interesting happen this time around.  We only had 3 entries for yesterday's giveaway.  And it just so happened that we had 2 extra mini posters.  So, Maggie and I decided to make ALL THREE OF YOU winners! :D  Our winners are.................................

                                          CAELEN, ALISON, AND ANNE!!!

Congratulations!  As always, please contact us within 24 hours to claim your prize, or another winner will be chosen.  I'm not exactly sure who, since all of you were chosen.  Just please contact us so we can get your prizes to you. ;)  (And to those of you who are wondering, we realize that Anne already won a prize, but since there wasn't much interest in this particular giveaway, we made an exception.) :)

Okay, here it is:  our very last Blogoversary Giveaway!  It's been a great week, hasn't it? :)  Our final prize is a wallet-sized, fashion doll poster in muted sepia tones.  This poster depicts Belle and her best friend Rapunzel, and has "Belle's Bulletins" printed across the bottom.  As always, it has been printed on Costco's lustre finish photo paper.

Here, one last time, are the rules:

1. If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you. We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3. You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4. The winner will be selected through a random drawing. We'll write all of the names down and put them in a hat (or something). :)

5. The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's post. We will also contact the winner via email. Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner. We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway. We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)

Hurry up and enter, everyone!  This is your last chance to win! :)



Maggie's Memos: Blogoversary Giveaway #6

Okay, out of 5 entries, the winner of the Ben and Belle poster is.................................................

                                                              CHLOE!!!!! :)

As we've said in every post before, you have 24 hours to get back to us or we'll have to choose another winner.  I don't know why you'd want to claim this particular prize, but since you entered for it, I guess you want it.  You know, it's a little scary how many Belle's Bulletins fans there are out there!

Now, for today's giveaway, we have a poster of Belle being a total ditz and trying to figure out which guy she should end up with (like we even care!).  For those of you who are interested in this kind of mush, this is the prize for you.  It's another wallet-sized, fashion doll poster on Costco's lustre photo paper. 



I don't see why we have to print the same dopey rules every day, but Tess insists we need to be consistent.  So, for the millionth time, here are our rules:

1. If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you. We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3. You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4. The winner will be selected through a random drawing. We'll write all of the names down and put them in a bowl.

5. The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's giveaway post. We will also contact the winner via email. Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner. We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway. We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)


All righty, everyone!  Just one more giveaway left after today! :)


Tess's Tidbits: Blogversary Giveaway #5

Well, we've chosen the happiest Robby fan. :)  There were 5 people that entered yesterday's giveaway.  The winner is..............................................

                                                           BREANNA!! :)

Congratulations!  Remember, Breanna has 24 hours to claim her prize and get us her mailing address or a new winner will have to be chosen.

By the way, you've all been great at getting back to us right away, so thanks!  That makes our job a lot easier! :)

Now, today's giveaway is for all of you Ben fans out there.  Today's winner will receive a wallet-sized fashion doll poster of Ben and Belle together.  It has their names printed on the photo (it is not autographed).  Just like all of the other posters, it is printed on Costco's lustre finish paper.

And once again, just as a reminder, here are our rules:

1. If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you. We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3. You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4. The winner will be selected through a random drawing. We'll write all of the names down and put them in a hat (or bowl).

5. The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's giveaway post. We will also contact the winner via email. Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner. We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway. We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)

And, as always, if you want to refer back to our original giveaway post, you can click HERE. :)

I can't wait to see who our next winner is! :D



Maggie's Memos: Blogoversary Giveaway #4!

We have a winner for the poster of Charlie! :)  Out of  5 entrants, one was chosen.  The lucky winner is...............................................                                                                                                                

                                                         ANNE!!!! :)
Anne has 24 hours to respond and get us her mailing address.  If we don't hear from her by then, we'll have to choose a different winner.  So, Anne, get back to us soon!! :)

Today's giveaway features the first of the Belle's Bulletins posters.  Seriously, why are you guys even interested in entering for this?  Have you read her pages?  Ick!!  Sappy, sappy, sappy. 

All right, I'd better just can it and get on with the giveaway, or I'll never hear the end of it from Tess. :}  Today's winner will receive a Belle's Bulletins fashion doll-sized poster featuring Belle and Robby.  So all of you who are rooting for Robby will want to enter today.  Seriously, does anyone really care who Belle ends up with?

Just a reminder, this is a smaller poster (with fashion dolls in mind), but as Tess mentioned earlier, it works as a framed photo for us 18 inchers, too.  This is a WALLET-SIZED Costco photo with a lustre finish.  It is not autographed, but has Robby and Belle's names printed on the picture itself.

And here we go again with the same, boring old rules:

1. If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you. We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3. You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4. The winner will be selected through a random drawing. We'll write all of the names down and put them in a hat (or bowl, or something along the same lines).

5. The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's giveaway post. We will also contact the winner via email. Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner. We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway. We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)

Have fun entering, everyone!  We'll talk to you all again tomorrow.



Tess's Tidbits: Blogoversary Giveaway #3! :)

Wow, thanks for all of the entries for yesterday's giveaway!  There were a total of 7 this time.  We have the results you're waiting for (once again, chosen in a random drawing).  The winner of the autographed doll poster of Emma and me is.......................

                                                        RACHEL NOEL!!! :)


Congratulations!  Now, remember, you have 24 hours to contact us with your mailing info, or we'll be forced to choose another winner. :(

Thanks for participating, everyone.  And if you haven't won yet, don't be discouraged.  You still have 5 more chances to win! :)

On to today's giveaway! :)  Today's winner will receive a doll-sized, autographed poster of Emma's little sister Charlie.  It is a 5x7, printed at Costco on their lustre-finish photo paper. 

Now, we know this is repetitive, but we like to repeat the rules each day, just to make it easier for everyone. :)  So, here they are:

1. If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you. We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3. You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4. The winner will be selected through a random drawing. We'll write all of the names down and put them in a hat (or bowl). ;)

5. The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's giveaway post. We will also contact the winner via email. Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner. We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway. We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)

As always, you can click HERE  to see our original post with all of the giveaway information for the week. :)

We can't wait to see who wins! :)

Maggie's Memos: Blogoversary Giveaway #2!

Okay, all of the entries for our first giveaway are in.  Thanks to all of you who entered. :)  We had a total of 5 entries.  They were all put in a bowl (it worked better than Papa's cowboy hat), and one winner was chosen.  The winner of our first giveaway is....................................

                                                               ELAINE!!!!!!! :)

Elaine will receive the doll-sized poster of Tess and me.  :D  Treat it with care:  it's autographed, and we might be famous someday. ;)  Elaine has 24 hours to contact us and get us her mailing address.  If we haven't heard from her by then, we'll choose another winner.

So now, on to giveaway #2!  Today's prize is the autographed doll-sized poster of Tess and Emma in their Jane Austen attire (why you'd want something like this for your wall is beyond me, but to each his...or her...own!).  This is a 5x7 doll poster printed at Costco on their lustre photo paper.

The rules are the same as before:

1. If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you. We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3. You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4. The winner will be selected through a random drawing. We'll write all of the names down and put them in a hat.

5. The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's giveaway post. We will also contact the winner via email. Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner. We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway. We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)

If you'd like more information on our giveaway week, click HERE to go to our original Blogoversary post.   Have fun entering, everyone! :)



Tess's Tidbits: Blogoversary Giveaway #1

Hi everyone!  Here's our post for our first Blogoversary Giveaway. :)  (If you'd like more info about this, click HERE to view our previous post!)   Today's prize is an autographed poster of Maggie and me. :)  It is a 5x7 and was printed at Costco on lustre finish photo paper. 

So, just a few reminders:

1.  If you are under 14, please get a parent's permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2.  To enter, please leave a comment on this post.  You'll need to leave us your name or username and an email address where we can reach you.  We've already turned on comment moderation, so only Maggie, Mama and I will see your information. :)

3.  You will have somewhere around 24 hours or so to comment.

4.  The winner will be selected through a random drawing.  We'll write all of the names down and put them in a hat.  

5.  The winner of today's giveaway will be announced on tomorrow's giveaway post.  We will also contact the winner via email.  Remember, if you win, please respond to us within 24 hours, or we'll have to choose another winner.  We know it's not a very long time to respond, but since we have so many giveaways going, we need to keep things moving. :)

6.  Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the giveaway.  We'd like to keep this as easy as possible! :)

I think that's about it!  Have fun and good luck (for lack of a better word). :} 

Breaking News with Maggie: Our 1 Year Blogoversary (and Giveaways!!!) :)

Editorial Note:  This post ended up being A LOT longer than we originally intended.  So, if you'd like to skip the interview and head straight to the giveaway, simply scroll down and look for the words "GIVEAWAY INFO" in red print.  Thanks.  Hope you enjoy the post! :)            Tess and Maggie 

Hello, and welcome to Breaking News with Maggie.  I'm Maggie Wilson. 

Today, I'm proud to announce the arrival of our ONE YEAR BLOGOVERSARY!!!  Whoo hoo!!!!   Sorry, I know that wasn't very professional of me, but I just had to let that out. ;)  It's been quite a year.  I think my colleague, Tess Prescott, would agree with me when I say that we never expected our blog to last this long.  As of the time of this post, we have 45 followers and over 7,000 page views.  This post will be our 82nd post! 

Tess Prescott is here with me today and has agreed to help me with this special edition of Breaking News with Maggie.  Please join me in welcoming her.  (This is your cue to applaud, by the way.) ;)

M:  Miss Prescott, thank you for joining me today.

T:  Um...you're welcome.  Are we really going to do this whole post this formally?

M:  Well, it is a Breaking News with Maggie post.

T:  Oh, boy.

M:  Now, Miss Prescott, could you tell me a little bit about how this blog got started?

T:  Maggie...

M:  Come on, work with me here!

T: (sighing)  Okay, whatever you say, Miss Wilson.    

M: (smiling)  That's more like it!

T:  Our blog began one year ago, on August 5th, 2010.  Mama had started blogging just a week or so before, and since you and I were both so interested in writing, we wanted to try blogging too.  Mama helped us get started, and things just grew from there. 

M:  Now, Miss Prescott, wasn't there a time where the blog almost didn't make it?

T:  Yes, a few months after we began, we only had two followers and very few page views.  We started wondering if it was worth all of the effort we were putting into it since no one seemed to care.  Then, a month or so before Christmas, things started picking up.  We gained more followers, started getting comments and page views, and seemed to finally have dolls and people interested in what we were doing.  Looking back now, I'm so glad we stuck with it.  We've met so many wonderful friends through our blogging. :)  I've really enjoyed the writing experience it's given me, too.

M:  And, of course, it's given me a great opportunity to brush up on my journalism skills.

T:  (hiding a smile)  Of course.

M:  So, are there any special plans for our Blogoversary celebration?

T:  Maggie, this is really awkward.  Can't you just talk to me like you normally do?  You already know what our plans are!!

M: (in a stage whisper)  Tess, come on!  We talked about this.  It will be much more interesting for our readers if we do this post in an interview format.  I don't want our readers getting bored, do you?

T:  No, of course not!  But I also don't want it to get too confusing for them.

M:  Tess, I'm wearing a dress!!!  You got to have your costume party...so now I get to have my interview.  That was the deal, remember?

T:  All right, I'm sorry.  I did say that, didn't I?  By the way, you look lovely.

M: (briskly) Yeah, whatever.  Just enjoy the pictures, because I'm not planning on letting it happen again anytime soon!  Now, if we could get back to the topic at hand...

T:  Yes, our special Blogoversary plans.  Well, as you mentioned already, we started our celebration with a big dressy party.  Everyone...even you, Miss Wilson, got dressed up in their finest to pose for special pictures to commemorate the day.  They turned out so wonderfully.  Weren't we going to share them with our readers?

M:  I'd rather not.  Can't we just tell our readers about how "nice" we all looked?

T:  Maggie, no one's going to be happy with us if we don't even use the pictures.  Remember how long it took Mama to pose all of us?

M:  Oh, all right.  Here are some of the photos from the activities.  Of course, you've already seen the first one at the top of the post.

M:  This is our whole gang together.  Since Piper's sister Ruthie was visiting, she got to be in the picture too.

M:  And here's the Jane Austen Fan Club!  Actually, Tess and Emma are the real fans.  I think they just put Hailey and Katie up to it.

T:  Maggie!  We didn't make them wear those outfits...they chose them!

M:  All right, calm down!  Sheesh...you make one little comment...

T:  Here's my sister Hailey and I.  Mama wanted to get some family portraits done since we were all so dressed up. :)

T:  And here we are with our cousin, Katie.

M:  Awww, look at us!  Look at that ridiculous hairstyle! 

T:  I thought you liked my hairstyle.

M:  I was talking about mine.  I wish I could have worn my hat.  I can't believe Mama talked me into wearing that itchy, poofy dress!

T:  Well, it looked nice.

M:  And here's the traitor who said it would actually be FUN to wear party dresses!  Rachel, I thought you were my friend!

T:  I hope she knows you're kidding.  She might read this, you know.

M: (sighing)  Rachel, just in case you're as sensitive as my other bestie, I'm just kidding.  You know, it really ruins the joke when you have to apologize for it.

T:  Here's Charlie and Emma.  Aren't they sweet?

T:  And here's Ruthie and Piper.  They've been like two peas in a pod ever since Ruthie came over.  By the way, doesn't Piper look great as a colonial girl?

M:  How come I didn't get to be a colonial girl?  That would have been way better than that dress I wore!

M:  Here are all of the cousins together.  They're a pretty photogenic bunch, if I do say so myself. 

T:  Hailey and Charlie wanted to get their picture taken together, too.  They haven't had a best friend picture in a while. :)

M:  Wait, who's this?

T:  What?  You don't even know who she is?  She's been here for a week and a half! 

M:  Um...

T:  So much for getting the scoop...Maybe if she'd come in an Iron Man mask, you would have noticed.

M:  Hey now...

T:  That's Elena, Mama's Karito Kids doll.  She's pretty quiet.  I've only talked to her a couple of times.  She seems nice, though.  Mama wanted her to join the photo shoot even though she hasn't been on our blog yet. 

M:  Hmmm, Elena.  I guess I should introduce myself. 

T:  That would probably be a good idea.

M:  Okay, moving right along!  Now, Miss Prescott, I understand there will be some giveaways for our Blogoversary celebration?

T:  Yes.  We're going to have one giveaway each day for one week! :)  Due to financial issues, we don't have really impressive giveaway gifts, but I think our readers will enjoy them just the same.

M:  Can you tell us a little more?

T:  Why don't we stop the interview format for this part?  I want to make sure everyone gets what we're doing.

M:  (sigh)  I suppose, if you insist.

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Okay, Tess here.  We have so appreciated all of our followers and readers.  Thank you for sticking with us this past year as we've embarked on this blogging adventure together. :) 

We wanted to show our thanks in a special way.  Just like I mentioned earlier, we will be doing one giveaway per day for one week! :)  Our prizes and schedule are as follows:

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5TH:

The winner of today's giveaway will receive an autographed poster of Maggie and me. :)  This poster is a 5x7, printed on Costco's lustre photo paper.  It's the perfect size for all of you 18 inchers out there.  It would make a great addition to your doll room, and show all of your friends that you're a fan! :)  Here are some pics (Mama was obliging enough to hold them up for us):

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6TH:

Today's winner will receive an autographed poster of Emma and me. :)  Like the first day's prize, this poster is a 5x7, printed on Costco lustre paper.  It's one of my favorite pics of the two of us! :)



SUNDAY, AUGUST 7TH:

The winner of today's giveaway will receive an autographed poster of Emma's little sister Charlie.  This is one of the extra photos that Mama took while working on The Doll Wardrobe's photo contest.  Mama really likes how it turned out.  We thought that all of you Charlie fans out there might appreciate it too. :)  Charlie's poster is also a 5x7, printed on Costco's lustre photo paper. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 8TH:

Now we get to the prizes that will excite all of our "Belle's Bulletins" fans. :)  We have 4 different Belle's Bulletin's posters we'll be giving away, one per day.  Today's giveaway is for all of you Robby fans.  It's a mini poster of Belle and Robby together.  It's not actually autographed, but has Robby and Belle's names printed on it.  This poster was also printed at Costco, but it is WALLET SIZED, not 5x7, just so you know.  We figured it would be a better poster size for any fashion dolls following Belle's pages.  But don't worry, if you're an 18" doll, you can still use the poster.  Wallet sized pics make great framed photos for us. :)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9TH:

Today's prize is for all of you Ben fans.  If you think Belle goes better with Ben, you can show it with this Ben and Belle poster.  This is the same size and quality as the Robby and Belle poster (Costco lustre in a wallet size).



 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10TH:

Now, for those of you who just can't decide which Prince should go with Belle, this is the poster for you.  This one simply says: "Belle's Bulletins" and has a picture of an indecisive Belle with both Robby and Ben behind her. :)  By the way, we're so sorry that Costco cut off one of Belle's hands.  The picture still looks okay...we're just frustrated because we didn't notice it would happen until it was too late! :( 

Once again, this is a wallet sized print on Costco lustre paper. :)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11TH:

Our final prize is for those of you who don't care a thing about the men in Belle's life and just like to hear about her friendship with Rapunzel. :)  This poster is the same size and quality as the other Belle's Bulletins poster.  Oh, and just so you know, this mini poster is printed in slightly muted, sepia tones.  

(We didn't take a picture of the writing on the bottom since it was so clear in this photo.)



 So, now that you've seen the prizes, here are our rules. 

1.  If you are under 14 years of age, please get your parents' permission before entering, as we will have to get your mailing address.

2.  Each day, we will have a small post announcing which poster is being given away that day.  To enter, leave a comment in the post with your name or username and email address.  You will have approximately 24 hours to comment before the next giveaway starts.  Comment moderation will be on, so your information will not be seen by anyone but Maggie, Mama, and myself. :)

3.  All winners will be decided through a random drawing (we'll put all the names in a hat and draw one).  The winner for each day will be announced at the beginning of the following day's post.  For example, Friday's winner will be announced on Saturday's post for the next giveaway. 

4.  Feel free to enter only on certain days or every day, if you like.  However, once you win a poster, please do not enter again so that as many people as possible get a chance to win.  We want a different winner for each day.  If your name is chosen on another day after you've already won, we will choose a different entrant's name. 

5.  We realize this could get really confusing.  Please be aware that we may have to change things as we go.  For instance, we may have to extend some of the giveaways for more than a day if we don't have enough people interested in that particular poster, and so on.  Also, feel free to ask us any questions you may have!

6.  When you win, we will notify you by email as well as announcing it on the blog.  Please respond to us by email as soon as possible.  If we haven't heard from you by 24 hours after we first contact you, we will have to choose another winner.  This is a scenario we REALLY want to avoid, since we'll then be holding giveaways at the same time...yeah.  It just would get really confusing.

So, are you thoroughly confused yet?  Don't worry!  We'll do a special post each day to remind you which poster is being given away on which day.  Thanks for a great year.  We can't wait to see what the next year holds! :D      

M:  Hey, wait a minute!  I didn't get to sign off!

T:  Oh, I'm sorry...I forgot.  Take it away, Maggie!

M:  You've been reading Breaking News with Maggie.  This is Maggie Wilson, saying "thank you" and signing off. :)

T:  Very nice, Mags.

M:  Thanks.  You weren't so bad yourself. ;)

Tess's Tidbits: A New Page from Belle and Blogoversary News!! :)

Hello again, everyone!  I just have a quick post today. 

First, I wanted to let our Belle's Bulletins readers know that Belle has a new post.  She actually started a second page since her first page was so long.  You can see her new post HERE.  And just to warn you, her post ends with a total cliffhanger!!  Belle promised me she'd write another post again soon, though.  I know it's been hard waiting 2 to 3 months between posts!  (Maggie, stop snickering!!)

The other thing we wanted to remind you of is our 1 Year Blogoversary.  It's tomorrow!!! :D  We have some fun things planned, including a small giveaway, so you won't want to miss it.  I managed to get Maggie to stop talking about the Avengers and Captain America long enough to discuss our blog plans, so we're all set.  (Now Maggie, please don't look at me like that.  You have been a bit...obsessed, you know.  I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me!  We'll talk later, okay?)

I think that's about all for now.  Have a wonderful day, and we'll talk to you all again tomorrow! :)

Tess's Tidbits: Piper's Surprise

Hello everyone!  I've missed blogging so much!  Sorry you haven't heard from me lately.  Frankly, everyone else has had so much going on that I didn't feel like I had anything important enough to write about.  That, and Maggie and Rachel have been on the computer a lot, researching as much as they can about the new "Captain America" movie.  It's kind of hard having Maggie hang out with Rachel so much, but at the same time, I'm relieved that I don't have to hear all about her superhero movies.  I'm just not into films where people are getting shot at or blown up every few minutes.  I'd much rather stick to my calm, beautiful Jane Austen movies. :)  And really, it's hard to be mad at someone like Rachel.  She's a very sweet doll, even if we don't have much in common.

Things have been pretty much the same for me.  I've been spending most of my time reading and writing stories or talking with my sister Hailey and my cousin Katie.  I got to participate in a few blog posts on Mama's blog, too.  It's the Hathaway girls who are going through all of the major changes right now.

Those of you who read Emma's last post will remember that Piper has been longing to see Ruthie and get to know her, now that she knows they are sisters.  Well, yesterday, I was with Emma, Piper, and Charlie, looking over our blog posts.  It was one of the rare occasions that Maggie and Rachel weren't using the computer! :}  We were discussing some of our plans for our 1 Year Blogoversary celebration (it's coming up this Friday!!). 

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the side door, which is right beside the computer.  We all looked at each other in puzzlement.  Mama was in the other room, talking to Grandmama and Mimi, who had just come by for a visit.  It seemed odd that Mama would have another visitor so soon.  Besides, the knocking was coming from down lower, like it was someone our size at the door.

"Should we answer it?" Emma wondered. 

"We could!" Charlie replied.

"But what if it's another human, one we don't know?" I worried.  "No one is supposed to know we're really alive!  Except Mama, of course."

"I don't think a human would be knocking that quietly, or that far down on the door," Charlie pointed out.  "I think we should answer it."

Piper looked troubled by this, but as she was the one closest to the door, she was the first to move toward it.

"I can't reach it from here," she said.

Charlie came up behind her and held onto her waist.  "Now try!"

Piper reached again, but it was no use.  She still couldn't reach.  It was then that Emma and I decided to move the computer chair over to the door as quietly as we could.  Thankfully, all of the adults had gone back to the playroom to see Mama's girls, so we weren't noticed.

Once we got the chair in the right spot, Emma and I climbed up and Piper and Charlie jumped down from the desk.  Piper still couldn't reach the door knob by standing on the chair, but Emma and Charlie obligingly let Piper stand on their shoulders.  I stood behind them, ready to catch Piper if she fell.

It was tough work...the door stubbornly refused to open on Piper's first few tries.  But finally, after a big yank, the door opened just a hair.  Then, of course, we all had to climb down and move the chair out of the way so that we could pull it open the rest of the way.

The door was a lot heavier than it looked, but we finally managed to pull it open.  What we saw surprised us more than anything.  There, standing in the doorway with a package of some sort tucked under her arm, was Ruthie!  We were all astonished to see her there.

Before we could ask her how she got here, we heard Mama and Grandmama coming back from the playroom.  We all froze in our places.

"What in the world?"  Mama gasped.  Under any other circumstances, she would have asked us what had happened.  But she wasn't sure if Grandmama's dolls had revealed themselves to Grandmama yet, so she acted like we were just lifeless dolls.

Grandmama, on the other hand, got right to the point.  "Ruthie, what on earth are you doing here, young lady?"

Ruthie looked a little embarrassed, but she held her head high.  "Well, you read me Emma's last blog post.  What else could I do?  I had to come see my sister!"

Mama looked over at Grandmama, startled.  "You...you know our dolls can talk?" 

Grandmama gave her an amused look.  "With the dolls I have in my house?  I can't get them to stop talking!"

"This is so exciting!" Mama said happily.  "I never knew you were in on the secret, too!  Does Mimi know?"

Grandmama nodded.  "Jo broke the news to her over a month ago."

"Wow!" Mama replied.  "And to think, all this time I've been keeping it a secret, just in case..."

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but could we please get back to why Ruthie is here in the first place?"  Charlie interjected, in a much more tactful manner than Maggie would have had if she had been here. ;)

Everyone turned back to Ruthie.  She somewhat timidly stepped through the door and walked right up to Piper.  Mama and Grandmama obligingly closed the door behind her and moved the computer chair back to its place.

 "Piper," Ruthie began, "ever since Grandmama read me Emma's post, I've been wanting to come see you, too.  I know you're still special to Emma and Charlie, but I just wanted you to know how excited I am to have a sister!  I can't wait to get to know you better."

Piper was very quiet, which we'd all come to expect from her, but I could tell that Ruthie's words had moved her deeply.  Without a word, she leaned forward and gave Ruthie a big hug!

Ruthie stepped back then, laughing and wiping her eyes.  "I brought you something," she told Piper happily.  "It's an outfit to match mine!  Grandmama bought it."

Piper took the package from her sister.  "Thank you," she said, her eyes shining. 

"You know what this means..." Mama began.

We all looked up at her. 

"Photo shoot!" she said excitedly.

We all attempted to look excited.  Mama and her photos...most of the time we were happy to oblige.  Sometimes the photo sessions got a bit long, though.  I noticed that Charlie looked suddenly weary.  Mama had been taking endless photos of her for the Doll Wardrobe's photo contest.  I think she would be thrilled to never have her picture taken again!

"Well, Ruthie, I wish you would have just asked me to come over," Grandmama said seriously.  "I would have said yes, you know.  But now that you're here, how would you like to stay for a couple of days?"

Ruthie grinned from ear to ear.  "I'd love it!" she said happily.  "Thanks so much!"

"You're welcome," she answered.

"Well, we'll leave all of you alone to get caught up," Mama said with a smile.  She and Grandmama headed back to the living room.

"I'm so glad you're here," Piper said shyly. 

"I'm glad, too!" Ruthie beamed.  "Do you want to try on your outfit?"

Piper nodded, and the two of them headed off down the hallway together, keeping an eye out for Mama's girls, of course.

I was so glad to see the two of them having such a good time.  I hope they have a wonderful visit! :) 

As promised, Mama wasted no time in taking some photos of Piper and Ruthie once Piper had changed into her matching outfit.  Here are some of Mama's favorites:

After a while, Mama had Emma and Charlie join their cousins for a few family photos. :)

By the way, did you notice that Charlie took out her braid?  Mama was very reluctant to let her take it out at first, because she didn't think she would be able to get it back in, and she was worried that Charlie would be disappointed once it was actually out.  Charlie was so glad Mama let her, though.  She's really happy with her hair now.  What do you think of her new style? :)

I'll be sure to let all of you know how the rest of Ruthie's visit goes! :)  And be sure to check back on Friday, August 5th, to help us celebrate our 1 Year Blogoversary! :D