Okay, so she's blonde and dressed in pink, while Samantha's first doll was dark-haired and dressed in blue, but Lydia sounds like as good a name as any. Treesa needed help rehoming her and remembered that I like porcelain dolls, so...well, here she is! She's very similar to both Walda and her cousin Amoreena. Her coloring is radically different from Amoreena's...
...but the aesthetic is the same, and if it's one thing I love, it's Walda dolls and cousins. Indeed, Lydia looks so much like Amoreena that I palpated her torso for a music box, but Lydia has none and that's fine. She has the same soft leather shoes that Amoreena has (I really like these).
My favorite thing about Lydia is her pearl necklace. It looks like somewhere along the way somebody gave her a necklace to wear, and I always love little personal touches like that.
The trip from Treesa's home to mine was a short one, but Lydia was still tuckered out. After arriving she settled in at my workstation and sought comfort from my dolly tumor, Rita Cheryl Lassiter.
Later, Rita Cheryl told Lydia what might be in store for her.
Don't worry, y'all. I'll keep Doremi corralled. So now my Walda family is up to three! I haven't introduced Lydia to Walda and Amoreena yet, but I have no doubt that they'll get along fine. Waldas are a fairly tight-knit bunch.
Thank you, Treesa, for sending Lydia to me! She will indeed have a good home here.
All of my love,
RagingMoon1987
Lydia: Sorry, stranger, but I'm about beat!
Rita Cheryl: Well, you'll have a good home with us.
Rita Cheryl: I'm tellin' ya, there's a lot of us. A lot of American Girls, a lot of Barbies, a lot of porcelain dolls, one REALLY BIG BOY...
Lydia (very sleepy): Mmm-hmm...any bullies?
Rita Cheryl: Uhhhh...just one that I can think of...
Thank you, Treesa, for sending Lydia to me! She will indeed have a good home here.
All of my love,
RagingMoon1987
Thank 'you' for taking Lydia in. I know she doesn't look much like the American Girl produced Lydia doll for Nellie. But I vaguely remember the book Lydia's hair looking blond to me in some of the original illustrations, before BeForever. The pink dress more closely resembles the one from American Girl Samantha's second doll, which she receives in the Christmas book.
ReplyDeleteI actually bought the pearl necklace on a Girl Scout trip to the Mary Merritt doll museum, which sadly no longer exists. The 'gift shop' was more of an antique toys and used toys shop, and the string of pearls and chain was in a basket of 25 cent items. I just bought it because I thought it was pretty, but it seemed to suit Lydia well enough at the time. I remember I tried to make her a ring once using a link from a chain, but that got lost long ago.
Signed, Treesa
Did American Girl ever say what that second doll's name was? I always thought it was a shame that she didn't get a name in the book.
DeleteSo you provided the necklace! I'll keep that in mind. You're right, it does suit Lydia. It gives her an extra little sparkle. She'll be well-loved, I assure you that!
From what I remember, and from what I've been able to Google, the second doll wasn't given a name by American Girl. But then, I haven't read all of the expanded media from the American Girl Samantha line. I'm not that knowledgeable about the book that came with the Nellie doll, or with all of the published short stories, or with the American Girl Mysteries books featuring Samantha. I do know that there are certain key facts from the series that only appear in one story. For example, Agnes and Agatha actually have a younger sister named Alice, but she only appears in the short story Samantha Saves the Wedding about Cornelia's wedding to Samantha's Uncle Gardner. So there could be an official name for Samantha's second doll mentioned in some canon source, and I just didn't find it.
DeleteSigned, Treesa
I've read the six core books, and I found it odd that Samantha wanted that doll so bad, but she only appears at Samantha's birthday party after that. And I'm only assuming because all of the guests brought their little dolls along. Oh well, we can always make up our own names!
DeleteSomething else to keep in mind is that I'm not sure at what age little girls in Samantha's time were 'encouraged' to grow up into young ladies and stop playing with dolls. Every time period and society had/has different rules about when children are officially considered adults and what being an adult means as far as responsibilities and expectations. I believe Samantha is nine years old at the start of the books and turns 10 in her birthday story. And from what I remember, she is excited to be having her first grown-up birthday party and is then surprised how boring it is sitting around trying to make lady-like conversation with her guests.
DeleteSigned, Treesa
Oh Lordy, I do remember that! I'm so glad we didn't have to grow up like that!
DeleteNow she's pretty RM and very nicely dressed. I also like porcelain dolls but I only have two. I must get round to photographing them and adding them to my list, somehow they always manage get overlooked...how naughty of me.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy your chatter about the books that relate to the dolls you own, but not having read them myself I get a little confused at times with all the names. (Maybe that's just my old age LOL!)
Big hugs,
X
You're never too old for the American Girl books. I know you're Australian, but the books can still be a learning tool. They're easy reads, running from four to six chapters, and they can deal with some heavy stuff. So they're worth a read even if you're an adult.
DeleteYes, definitely photograph your porcelain girls. I love seeing what my friends have got!
Samantha's doll in the pink dress is named Clara. Don't ask me why I know this, I don't even remember at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe first one that she gave to Nellie was Lydia but the other doll was Clara.
Clara would make sense, since she's a nutcracker doll!
DeleteYeah I remembered as soon as I posted that comment that Samantha's little Clara doll had a nutcracker in her hand!
DeleteIf you get the time, I'd love to see a photo of Lydia with Walda and Amoreena.
ReplyDeleteSigned, Treesa
I'm so sorry to hear that. And be careful, I know mold can be nasty stuff if you breathe it in.
DeleteSigned, Treesa
I'll be careful! Thankfully it's not that black crap that's super-dangerous, but mold is mold and I want rid of it.
Delete