American Girl accessories to make

Candace Derickx, founder and editor-in-chief of the blog Life in Pleasantville, shares how an unexpected visit to American Girl Place in NYC turned into a wonderful way to make special memories with her daughters. Thank you to Candace and her family for allowing us to share the details of her visits to American Girl as edited from her original blog post.

In 2010 I visited New York City for the first time ever to attend a conference. I immediately fell in love with NYC and in an unexpected twist, was struck with guilt almost from the time I stepped off the plane. On the one hand, I was living footloose and fancy free with my girlfriends in the Big Apple, but on the other hand I was missing having this amazing experience with my family. It weighed on me heavily that I had not brought them with me.

I was guilt-ridden and like any guilt-ridden mama will tell you, you instantly look for a way to buy yourself out of it. It was then, when I was looking high and low for that one thing that would acquire me fast absolution, my eyes fell upon the .

Up until that point I had never heard of American Girl, but I could tell by the little girls flocking into the store that this might be my salvation. Aside from the fact that I immediately wished I were a little girl again, I knew as soon as I walked through those doors that my daughters would love American Girl. Sixty minutes and $300 later, I walked out the door with two historical dolls and a significantly lightened conscience. Yes ma’am, if these dolls were what was going to allow me to go trip the light fantastic with my girlfriends, then so be it.

No shocker here of course when I tell you that my girls immediately fell in love with their new dolls, Elizabeth and Felicity. And so it is, after one more guilt-inducing trip to Chicago, several birthdays and Christmases later, there are ten permanent American Girl residents in this Canadian home. TEN! That’s five dolls apiece if you’re counting, plus every accessory you would expect a doll of this stature to have including but not limited to: beds, clothing, pets, crutches, balance beams, ice skates, pom poms, and more hair accessories than Lady Gaga.

There is so much American Girl paraphernalia in my house that I dare say we could open a flagship store right in my living room. It’s enough to drive a mother mad I tell you. And yet, that couldn’t be further from the truth for me.

The reality is that despite stepping on a wig-wire brush occasionally, I’m actually quite tickled about it all. I truly believe that American Girl is what has helped keep my little girls on the little side as long as they have. It has been four years since I first introduced American Girl to my daughters and they are still completely in love.

My girls have doted and fawned over their dolls. They have lost hours in play alone or together. Let me tell you, when ten American Girls get together, it’s off the hook. Sadly though, this era is coming to an end soon.