Tess's Tidbits: Time to Say Goodbye

I hardly know how to begin. You've all been waiting for an official last post for so long, you've probably given up on us. For that, I wish to apologize.

Maggie and I had all sorts of plans for our "grand finale", so to speak. We were going to gather everyone for a huge photo shoot, record final thoughts from all of our friends, and go out with an incredibly involved and amazing post. 

Unfortunately, making these plans a reality was much more involved than either of us realized. Getting everyone together at the same time (and getting everyone to cooperate) was a near impossibility. The days turned to weeks, which turned into months. And now, here we are, all the way into April, when originally we were going to finish our blog in August. :( 

Last week, Maggie and I talked things over and decided that perhaps we were a bit too ambitious. It seemed like our best option was to end this blog the way we started, with just the two of us. And really, that's perfectly fine with me. :) 

Before we get into the rest of the post, I thought it would be noteworthy to share some of our accomplishments through this amazing adventure we've shared together. Maggie has agreed to step in and take over this part.

Hey all! Maggie here. So, yeah, I think we've done a pretty awesome job overall these past years...aside from these awkward MIA months this year. But hey, nobody's perfect, right? ;)

So here are a few of our stats to celebrate. In the past four years (and a little more), we have:

-published 239 posts

-collected 118,162 pageviews

-gained 130 followers

-gathered 144 likes on our Facebook page 

-enjoyed readers from countries all over the world, such as the USA (of course), Russia, the UK, Canada, France, Ukraine, Germany, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Australia, the Philippines, China, New Zealand, and more! :)

-made some incredible online friends, especially fellow doll bloggers like us :)

I'm not really the sentimental type, as all of you probably know by now, but I just want to say that you guys have been awesome. It's been great to get to know all of you, and we'll miss you. We won't completely disappear, though. Mama plans to have us guest post every once in a while on her blog, so you won't get rid of us that easily. ;) Mama's blog is too nice, anyway. I think she needs a sarcastic guest ranter every once in a while, don't you? ;)

Okay, back to you, Tess.

Thank you, Maggie. :)

Last week, shortly after we made the decision to end with a simple, "just the two of us" post, Mama took us with her to Grandmama's house. The weather has been lovely and mild this past month, so everything was beautiful and green.

Of course, Mama had us pose for a photo shoot first thing. :}

I loved these pretty, purple hydrangeas. They reminded me of one of our earliest blog photo shoots.

Once we were free from photos, we spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful nature around us.

 Just look at the colors of that sky!

I love the way the sun peeked through the trees at this time of day. It gave everything a warm, glowing light.

Of course, spending time with Maggie doesn't usually lead to relaxation and reflection. She soon found a tree she wanted to climb. I was so worried she would fall!

After that, she wanted to explore the woodshed. I was a little concerned about that plan, too. It was so dark. And what if there were spiders? :(

Thankfully, Maggie didn't mind a calmer activity after that. It was so peaceful sitting by Grandpapa's pond.

The peace didn't last for long, however. There was another tree Maggie wanted to climb. This one didn't look quite as scary. Maggie convinced me to come up, too. I didn't climb as high as she did, though. Climbing trees in a dress is not all that easy. Plus, I'm not overly fond of heights, especially when I'm sitting on a narrow tree branch. :}

I have to admit, the view was quite lovely.

Maggie told me that the view was even better from her vantage point, but I decided I'd take her word for it. 

After our adventures in the tree, we took a long walk together. As we did, we talked about our blog and how much fun we'd had.

"Can you believe it's been over four years since we began?" I asked her.

Maggie shook her head. "It seems like yesterday."

"I know." I twisted a strand of hair in my hand. "In some ways, it's a relief to wrap things up. I've been feeling so guilty about being behind on posts. But part of me wonders what I'll do with myself when I don't have the blog anymore."

Maggie's face held an almost tender expression. "You'll have plenty to do. Spending time with your sisters and the rest of us, writing your stories, watching movies, watching Mama's girls grow up." She grinned. "Besides, with a friend like me, things should never be boring."

I laughed. "I suppose that's true." An unspoken fear I'd buried in my stuffing over and over again resurfaced, chasing my laughter away. "I guess sharing a blog together has helped me feel closer to you. I mean, I know I'm not into any of the action movies you and Rachel enjoy so much. Sometimes I feel like we don't have much in common."

"We've never really had the same interests, but our friendship is based on more than that. You know that, Tess."

I felt embarrassed. "I know. I just hope we can find things to do together once our blog is done."

"Of course we will! Look how much fun we had today." She gave me a mischievous grin. "And I'm still determined to get you to watch 'The Avengers'. I keep telling you, Thor is basically Mr. Darcy with awesome fighting skills and better hair. Not that he's anything to Iron Man." 

"Only if you agree to watch a Jane Austen movie with me. Maybe they'll grow on you." I was surprised at my courage.

Maggie made a face. "We'll see. It's not like we have to watch movies together. I've got Rachel and you've got Emma for that." She threw an arm across my shoulders as we kept walking. "Don't worry, Tess. Rachel is fun and all, and she's a great friend. But you and I go way back. No one can ever replace you. Who else puts up with mean old me like you do?"

I gave her half a smile, trying to decide if this conversation was reassuring or not. 

"Besides," Maggie continued, growing serious, "you know me better than anyone, and you still like me anyway. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

I swallowed. It almost looked like she might tear up.

But then my unsentimental, matter-of-fact, say-it-like-it-is friend cleared her throat, blinked a few times and shot a grin my way. "You ready to explore more of the yard?"

"Sure." I smiled back. Maggie would never gush about our friendship, but I knew she'd always be there for me. And being around her made me feel brave. Maybe someday some of her boldness would rub off on me. Maybe. But she loved me in spite of my timidity, and that meant a lot. Maggie was and always would be my very best friend. 

                                                        *******************

And now, dearest readers, it's time to leave you with one final goodbye and our endless gratitude.  Even though you won't hear from us here on this blog anymore, as Maggie mentioned, we'll appear occasionally on Mama's blog. We'll be thinking of you often, even as we close the chapter on this adventure. Thank you for sharing this journey with us. :)

Tess's Tidbits: Birthday Trip Photos

Hello again, dear readers.  What a pleasant surprise to be able to address you once again in a special post. :)  

As you have probably guessed by now (or already knew from reading Mama's blog), I was the one chosen to accompany Mama and her family on the birthday trip for her daughters.  I was so excited to be chosen!  Mama and I haven't taken a trip together in a while. 

When I first got into Grandmama's van, Lanie, who lives with Grandmama, was there waiting for me.  Lanie and I haven't really had a chance to get to know each other yet, but we connected right away.  (Any doll who wears a fancy dress for a trip out of town is someone I want to get to know!)  I couldn't wait to spend the rest of the weekend getting to know her.

Oh, and you might have noticed my adorable Addy doll.  Some of you may recall Alice's post about her trip to the American Girl Place with Mama several months back.  At the very end of the post, she shared that she had an idea about the Addy doll she ordered.  Well, that idea was to give the doll to me!!  I was completely shocked!  Alice said that she wasn't really into dolls, and she knew how much I really wanted to go with Mama on that trip, so she decided that I should have Addy.  Addy and I have been inseparable since. :)  I will never forget Alice's generosity.  I tried to thank her, but she brushed it off, saying it made her happy to see me so happy.  Isn't she a wonderful friend? :)

One of our first stops was a dinner stop for Mama and the other humans.  I'd never been to In-n-Out before, but I must say it was absolutely delicious!  Especially the fries. ;)

As if that wasn't enough, we had Krispy Kreme donuts for dessert! 

It was so interesting to see how the donuts were made.  Even more fun was the fact that all of these ones were heart-shaped for Valentine's Day. ;)

Here are the donuts we ordered.  Mama chose a plain maple donut and shared it with me.  Her daughters chose heart shaped donuts and a "kiss" donut (there were "o" donuts that were "hugs" as well).

After stopping at the Toys R Us near the restaurants, we stayed overnight at Mama's aunt and uncle's house.  Mama, the girls and I got to sleep in her aunt and uncle's trailer.  It was a bit crowded and a little cold, but we made some fun memories. 

The next morning, we went to breakfast with Mama's aunt and uncle and then drove the rest of the way to our destination: the Westfield Galleria Mall in Roseville!

Mama didn't take many pictures of me at this stop because she was focused more on her girls and Mimi, who wasn't feeling well, poor thing.  But we had a really fun time.  There are more mall pictures to come, though, so don't worry. :)

After the mall, Grandmama checked us into our hotel.  The trees were full of blossoms out front, and the sky was a perfect blue.  Such a lovely day!

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful.  Mama and the girls made a few more stops, and poor Mimi got a ride back home (we missed her very much!).  I stayed in the hotel with Lanie to share some uninterrupted visiting and get some rest.  Later, Mama, Grandmama, and the girls came back and relaxed with us, watching a channel on the hotel TV that had all sorts of shows about cooking.

The next morning, we took it easy and had a leisurely breakfast and a swim in the hotel pool before heading out for another day of shopping.  Well, Lanie and I didn't swim.  It's rather difficult to dry out without smelling mildewy when you're a cloth-bodied doll, after all.  Our first stop of the day was this large Toys R Us store.  I've never seen so many toys in one place!

We headed back to the mall for lunch and ate in the pretty food court.

Then we visited Build-A-Bear Workshop...

...the Sanrio Store (Hailey's favorite!)...

...and the Disney Store for a second time.

I've never been inside a Disney Store before.  I must say it was quite impressive.

The girls, and Mama too, loved seeing all of the Frozen merchandise.

There was a nice section for the new Cinderella movie, too.  Mama's told me all about it, and I'm very much hoping to see it when it is released. :) 

The floor included this fun sparkly pathway.  I can see why this place is such a favorite with Mama and her girls. :) 

After a full day of shopping, we had a delicious dinner at Red Robin.

Just look at this beautiful sunset we got to see on our way back to the hotel!

Since it was our last night that night, Lanie and I stayed up a little later than usual.  Grandmama and Mama let us sleep in this little open closet, which made the perfect little room for us and gave us a bit of privacy.  We spent the first part of the night talking.

After a while, we raided the snacks Grandmama had brought for us and played "Apples to Apples".  We discovered fairly quickly that the game works much better with more than two players. ;)

Grandmama shared some of this delicious "Zebra Popcorn" with us that she'd bought from Popcornopolis in the mall.  It was one of the most incredible things I've ever tasted! 

After a while we were too tired to keep our eyes open.  We snuggled under our covers and fell asleep.

Oh, Mama mentioned that some of you might be curious about our bedding.  Grandmama found Lanie's Frozen blanket and pillow at Build-a-Bear.  My "Beauty and the Beast" sleeping bag is on loan from Emma.  It was one Mama found for her on eBay.  

The next morning, we got up bright and early.  

Lanie and I took the opportunity to enjoy the pretty view from our window. 

Monday was to be our pack up and head home day, so that's just what we did.  We managed to find another Toys R Us on the way home, though. :)  

You can't see it very well in this picture, but there were so many beautiful blossoms on all of the trees.  I just adore the springtime and all of the beautiful flowers and blossoms we get to enjoy! :)

That's all of the pictures I have to share with you.  Things were rather hectic when we got back home, so Mama didn't take her usual picture of me arriving back home to greet everyone.

I didn't end up getting any souvenirs on this trip, but that's just fine.  I have so many things already, and it was pleasure enough just to get to go. :)  It's also nice to be back home and see everyone.  Things have been rather quiet since I got back.  Mama has been busy taking care of the girls, who all promptly caught colds a day or so after we returned.  Poor Mama.  The coughing all night long is really getting to her.  I hope she sleeps better tonight!

Thank you for sharing my trip with me!  I hope you enjoyed seeing my pictures and hearing about what I did. :)

Until next time,

Tess

Tess's Tidbits: Happy New Year's Eve!

I can hardly believe that this is the very last night before 2015!!  Where has all the time gone?  I hope that all of you, our wonderful readers, have an incredible new year. :)

Maggie and I are working hard on a post about our Christmas adventures.  We had a splendid time with Mama and her family.  Mama even surprised us with a few unexpected family reunions of our own. :)  We hope to have that post up for you sometime tomorrow.

After our Christmas post, we'll have one final farewell post, and then we'll officially wrap up Jane Austen and Unicorns.  I have rather mixed feelings about it, to be honest.  It's always hard to turn the page on a chapter of one's life.  That being said, I'm looking forward to the freedom of blogging occasionally on Mama's blog instead of being in charge of one of my own. :}

Well, I really should get back to helping Maggie out.  Goodbye for now, dearest readers...we'll be back soon with our Christmas adventures. :)

Tess

P.S. Here's a picture to tide you over until we get the post finished:

Tess's Tidbits: Special Deliveries

Hello and Merry Christmas, dearest readers!  Once again, my blogging has gotten away from me.  I'd hoped to present this post to you last week, but today I'm just finally finding the time to share it with you.

And even now, I can't make this as detailed of a post as I would like.  Mama just informed us last week that we're ALL going with her to Mimi's for Christmas!!  I'm so excited I can hardly function!  We're all busy packing up our last-minute things so we can go with her.

I decided that I MUST try to get this post done now, however.  I know we'll have so many things to share with you after Christmas.  I don't want this post getting lost in the shuffle.

About a month ago, one of Mama's online friends, Karina, contacted Mama, saying that her doll Rylie was interested in doing a Christmas exchange.  We thought this would be a fabulous idea, so we agreed.  A week and a half ago, we got a special package in the mail.

Maggie and I decided to open the package itself...

...but when we saw all of the wonderful parcels inside, we decided we should get the others to help us open them. :)

There was an envelope addressed to us.

Inside was a beautiful handmade card...

...signed by Rylie.

She included a few pictures of herself...

...and a letter. :)

We gathered everyone in the living room beneath the tree and passed out packages.  I read Rylie's letter aloud, and then we began opening everything.

Alice started with a package marked "A first attempt"

Inside was this adorable denim and whale print backpack...

...full of goodies for us.  It looked like an amazing first attempt to me! :)

One of the items inside was a Lisa Frank notepad marked with Hayden's name.  Alice handed it over to her.

I thought it was very nice of Rylie to think of Hayden so specifically.  Obviously, she's read the blog thoroughly to know that Hayden loves Lisa Frank (among many other things). :)

The backpack also contained an envelope full of photos.

They were all of Rylie and her friend Kaya.  Aren't they lovely? :)

The last item was another envelope, this one unmarked.

Inside was a blank card that we'll be able to use for future correspondence. 

Charlie's package was wrapped in pretty colored tissue and read: "For days on the go".

Inside were two denim bags, one matching the whale print backpack, and the other in pretty owl print.

When Charlie saw the two little Frozen bags, she laughed and said, "Emma and Hayden, these look just perfect for you two!"

Emma's package said "Dress Up" on the outside.

When she opened it, she discovered a plentiful pile of clothing.  Skirts, shirts, a dress, and even an eternity scarf.

My littlest sister Ella's package read: "Add some SPARKLE to your holidays!"

Inside was a lovely handmade dress and headband.  Ella said they reminded her of something Cinderella might wear. :)

Hailey had a package that was actually labeled with her name on it! :)

Once again, Rylie had obviously paid attention on our blog.  It was full of fun Hello Kitty items!

Two notebooks, a journal, and a plush Hello Kitty.  Hailey was thrilled! :)

I had a package that said "Pen your thoughts...or doodle a drawing".  It sounded like an excellent package for me. :)

Inside were six handmade journals and one sketch pad.  Some of them had our names on them! 

Rylie's human friend Karina must be quite creative to make all of these things!

Maggie loved the blue tissue on this package.  

Inside were headbands and a decorated hairpin to match outfits and bags we'd already opened, as well as several new hair claws. 

Rachel had a package with her name on it just like Hailey had.

Inside were two Spider Man journals and a Spider Man mini poster.

As you can all imagine, Rachel was thrilled. ;)

Hayden and Coral opened a "Just Because" package together.

It had two My Little Pony Puzzle Erasers inside.  Hayden loves My Little Pony, so this was a perfect gift for her to open. :)

Jenna's package read "Room Decor".

Inside was this fun handmade Frozen pillow as well as a picture holder for the wall. :)

We all had a wonderful time opening the gifts together and showing one another what was inside each package.

After visiting and swapping back and forth, we finally decided who would use each gift.

Hayden and Emma claimed the Frozen items (the bags and the decorative pillow).

Hayden also kept the journal and notepad with her name on them and the Fluttershy Puzzle Eraser.  Emma kept the sketch pad, as she loves drawing the most out of all of us.  She also took the unlabeled journal with the elephant print all over it.  She said it reminded her of India and the Bollywood movies she loves so much. 

Maggie decided to model the new clothing we got from Karina and Rylie.  I was a bit surprised by this at first, but then I realized that it was most likely an excuse to escape the Dotted Swiss dress she despised so much.  I'm not sure why she hates it so...it's one of my very favorite dresses, and made by a beloved friend of Mama's.  

The above picture shows the shrug and denim skirt we got in the mail (the shirt and shoes were ours already).

We also got this beautiful, flowy yellow skirt.

Maggie decided she preferred the faded denim.

She then paired it with this fun knit hat from Debonair Designs and declared that this was going to be her Christmas attire for the year.  I don't think it was quite fancy enough for Mama, but she didn't argue.  I suppose she was thankful that at least Maggie was out of her khakis for the present. ;)

Maggie decided to keep the whale backpack and the journal with her name on it.  Although she's wearing the skirt, I'm fairly sure we'll all get to use it when we want to. 

Charlie decided to keep the whale bag, the matching headband, and the green journal with her name on it.  I find it incredible that Rylie and Karina even knew that green was her favorite color! 

Jenna, our resident fashionista, was of course the most interested in the clothing.  She decided to keep the dresses and the Rarity Puzzle Eraser.  She and Hayden are both big fans of My Little Pony. :)

Here she is in the pretty floral dress with its matching hair pin...

...and here she is in the "Cinderella dress", as Ella has taken to calling it.

The matching headband is very lovely as well. :)  

Of course, all of us will be able to use the dresses if the need arises, but Jenna will take care of them for us in the meantime. 

Hailey kept her Hello Kitty items, and Ella took the other bag and matching headband.  They both decided that the picture holder would look very nice in our room.  Oh, and Ella also claimed the yellow journal.

Here is a closer look at some of their goodies.

Ella's bag and headband

Hailey's newest Hello Kitty.

I took my lovely new journal and also kept hold of the pictures and the letter from Rylie.  

It was so special to get such a personal note from our new doll friend.  I'll have to find a nice place for the pictures! :)

Another look at my journal.

Alice instantly claimed the eternity scarf.  

She said it looked like something from Doctor Who. ;)

Here she is modeling it for the camera.

Rachel kept her special Spiderman journals and poster.

I'm sure she'll find plenty of uses for them. :)

Coral had a lot of fun playing with all of the claws Rylie and Karina sent.

Isn't her hair just amazing?

We had already wrapped our gifts for Rylie, but hadn't gotten them shipped off to her yet.  As you can imagine, receiving her package made us want to get ours off to her right away!  Maggie and I put everything in a box Mama provided, and Mama shipped it the very next day.

The following week, we got an email from Rylie with pictures and a thank you note:

Here she is opening our package.

Here's her first look at all of her goodies. 

Since she sent us pictures and a note, we wanted to do the same for her.

Each of us chose something to send to her.

Alice and Ella sent her this cute Eeyore mug.

Emma thought that Rylie might enjoy some Lalaloopsy Tinies.

Maggie decided that Rylie needed a Jack Sparrow action figure, so she chose one of her own to pass on. :)

Coral collects Lalaloopsies and decided that Rylie needed one of her own.  She asked Mama to please pick up a special one at the store for her.  It looks like Rylie likes it!

Hailey sent a little Hello Kitty container with erasers inside.

Hayden sent Rylie one of her Care Bears.

Mama, Jenna, and Charlie sent her one of our Christmas dresses (I believe it is Emily's Holiday dress from American Girl).  We thought the purple color would look nice on Rylie.

Here she is with all of her goodies.  We also sent her a mini composition book, an Avengers coloring book (that was from Rachel) and a pack of Shopkins (those were from me).

Rylie looks beautiful in her new dress:

Here are her Shopkins after she opened them! :)

We're so glad she enjoyed her mini Lalaloopsy...

...and her Lalaloopsy Tinies as well.

Here's the email Rylie sent us, which she gave us permission to use in the post:

"Hi, gals!!!

Wow! Thank you all so, so much for the lovely package!! It was so much fun to open; I was very excited! It's very special to have something from each of you!

 I am thrilled to have my very first Lalaloopsy!! Thank you, Coral!

I was shocked to open up the purple holiday dress!! It's so beautiful! Of course, I had to change into it right away. =) Thank you so, so much Jenna, Charlie, and beast'sbelle!

The super cute Eeyore mug will be great for hot chocolate on these chilly, dreary winter days!! Thank you, Alice and Ella!

Of course, I greatly appreciated all the other treasures, as well! Thank you all for your generosity! (Tess, Emma, Rachel, Maggie, Hailey, & Hayden!!)

This has been such fun! I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!!!

Love, 

Rylie"

We would like to take this moment to once again thank Rylie and her human Karina for all of the lovely gifts they sent.  It was so fun opening everything and wondering what each package would hold! :)

I would love to continue on, but I really must go and pack for Christmas.  Mama and the girls are just about ready to go.  I wouldn't want to hold them up!  

Goodbye for now, dear readers.  You will hear from us again soon!

Tess

Pictures of Rylie used with permission.