Monday, February 29, 2016

2SistersSew Crafty Jewelry Review & Giveaway

Happy Leap Year Day! On this special date, we're excited to present some of the new jewelry designs by Ann and Lynn of 2SistersSewCrafty on Etsy, perfect for this year's Girl of the Year Lea Clark! They have generously sent us several pieces to review and give away to 2 lucky readers , as well as set up a coupon code for L&L readers for the 2SistersSewCrafty Etsy shop

The review is first, with the giveaway & coupon code details at the end of the post. 

~Review of Jewelry~
Let's start off with this stunning necklace and gold earrings. 

Both pieces go perfectly in style and theme with Lea's collection, and look fantastic with her meet dress. 

Similar to Lea's compass necklace, the length of this blue, teardrop beaded necklace can also be adjusted, depending on the outfit and personal style of the doll. 

Here is the necklace worn at the shorter length for comparison. 

Here is the necklace laid out flat so you can see the details.

The clasp can be hooked onto any part of the chain to adjust the length of the necklace, and I love the additional detail of the matching green bead at the end of the chain. That way, even from the back, the necklace still has a subtle pop of color. If you see a necklace in 2SistersSewCrafty's shop which you would like to have to have an adjustable clasp, don't hesitate to contact them. Ann and Lynn are very open to working with their customers on creating the perfect piece for each one.

These teardrop beads are glass and not the lightweight plastic material that AG provides with their outfits. The necklace has a solid feel and hangs well with minor adjusting needed thanks to this.

Here is a side by side comparison of the necklace with Lea's compass necklace by AG for size reference. Both are at the shorter length.

Here are both necklaces at the longer length. 

The gold turtle earrings match the turtle charm on Lea's ribbon bracelet from her accessories set. 2SistersSewCrafty actually offers these in both colors, gold and silver. I personally prefer the gold turtle charms because they look better with Lea's clothes and style, but the silver are an excellent match for the bracelet. 

Here is what the silver turtle earrings look like, worn together with the bracelet from Lea's meet accessories. 

This closeup shows just how similar in size the earrings are to the charm on her meet bracelet. To be honest, I prefer the charms used by 2SistersSewCrafty because they are much more detailed and well made.

The AG charm is flat and plain on the back, while the earrings are still detailed on the back as well, showing the underside of the turtles. 

They come in two colors, both available in their Etsy shop.

Now let's look at this second ensemble which includes a macrame beaded bracelet, and colorful, chain link earrings.

The colors of the bracelet really go well with the colors of Lea's purple Beach Dress. You can see how well the thread and beads used in the bracelet line up with the symbol on her dress.

The macrame bracelet is hand woven with strong, thick thread so that it is accurate in scale on the AG doll's arm without danger of snapping or falling apart. 

The bracelet is adjustable in size so it can be worn with a variety of dolls, just not AG dolls. This is the bracelet at it's largest size, which lets it easily slip over the fingers of an AG doll. 

Then all you do is pull the two ends to tighten the bracelet so it won't fall off!

Here is the beaded macrame bracelet next to Lea's ribbon bracelet from her meet accessories for scale comparison. I feel the macrame style of the bracelet is very fitting with Lea's theme and collection. If you love the look, but not the colors, send 2SistersSewCrafty a message and they can create one for you in the colors you would like. 

The colorful chain link earrings also seem to be a perfect fit for Lea's Beach outfit. The colors and design match up beautifully with her dress. 

Although it may appear to be a simple pair of earrings, each of the links has to be cut and attached together, not an easy task when working on such a small scale.

Altogether, they really dress up an outfit which I originally was not a big fan of, and give it a more fun, stylish look. 

Here are two more earring designs by 2SistersSewCrafty. All their earrings can be worn with AG studs, and the studs can be swapped out and mix and matched for a variety of different looks.

Here is the close up of the gold leaf earrings. Both sides are veined and detailed.

These skeleton earrings are decorated with a drop of color by the orange bead. Both of these sets can be worn with a variety of outfits to accent and compliment the doll's style.

Here are the 3 earrings by 2SistersSewCrafty next to the pink/orange beaded earring included in AG's earring set for Lea. You can see that scale wise, the earrings by 2SistersSewCrafty is a perfect match for AG dolls, and the quality of the materials they use are always top notch, with real metal and glass in many cases, compared to the plastic beading on AG's dangle.


~Coupon Code for 2SistersSewCrafty~
2SistersSewCrafty has kindly set up a coupon code for Lissie & Lilly readers to use in their Etsy shop for a discount on already very great prices.  

Save 20% off any $15 order using: LNLSPECIAL
(Good on all purchases from 2SistersSewCrafty totaling $15 or more through March 31st, 2016.)

Make sure you visit their Etsy shop and take a look at all of the beautiful accessories these sisters have created, ranging from necklaces, to bracelets, to earrings, to hair accessories, in a multitude of colors and styles. If you need something specific, don't hesitate to contact them. Both Ann and Lynn work very hard to create the perfect custom piece to fit what their customer is looking for.


~Giveaway for 2 Jewelry Sets~
Now that we have thoroughly tempted you with the beautiful accessories by 2SistersSewCrafty and have your dolls drooling for style, you can enter for your chance to win some of these beautiful pieces for your own fashion forward dolls! There 2 sets being given away:

The first set comes with the beaded macrame bracelet, colorful chain link earrings, and beaded leaf earrings. 

The second set come with the gold leaf earrings, and the silver turtle earrings.

Each person can only win one of the sets, so if there is a particular set you would like to be entered for, please put that in your comment. If not, you will be entered into the drawning for both. It is free to enter, no purchase necessary, and open to anyone (including those outside the USA) over the age of 13. If you are under 13, please ask your parent or guardian to enter for you. 


The giveaway will run from Feb. 29 - Mar. 11 (midnight Central USA time).

To enter:
Visit 2SistersSewCrafty's Etsy Store by clicking here. Comment below with your favorite item in the shop. (theme, design, style, time period, etc.)

For bonus entries:
Favorite 2SistersSewCrafty's Etsy store. (include username in comment for verification)
"Like" Lissie & Lilly on Facebook (click here to go to the page) (include username in comment for verification)
Follow/Google+ this blog. (If you are already a follower/google+, just comment with your account. ^_^)
Share about this giveaway on social media (Facebook, Your Blog, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest, other forums, etc.) - Be sure to include the link(s) to your post(s) in your comment so we can verify where you shared. 
*max 7 additional entries*

The winners will be announced in 2 weeks on Friday, March 11th on this post, so check back then! ^_^

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Stock Photos for Melody Doll & Floral Peplum Dress

Thank you to one of our readers (Anonymous) who shared in the comments section this morning about the stock photos for the newest 1960s Beforever character, Melody's doll and her Floral Peplum dress which can be found on the Huffington Post website along with a great article with more details about the character and her story.

Huffington Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meet-american-girls-new-historic-doll-from-the-civil-rights-era_us_56cb5d19e4b0ec6725e35e7f

Stock Photos:

It seems like the Floral Peplum dress will come with the dress (1 piece), gloves, shoes, and hair ribbon.

I am so glad to see AG promoting Melody and building up the hype and anticipation for her! The timing is great since it coincides with black history month. Also, I personally really prefer for AG to be the one revealing the "leaks" so this new system of having them give occasional sneak peeks makes me glad. ^_^

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All 1960s BeForever Melody Ellison Leaks/Info/Photos:
Link to Photos of 1960s Beforever Melody Doll in Various Hairstyles:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/07/photos-of-melody-with-various.html

Link to Comparison Photos of Melody, Addy, & Cecile Dolls:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/07/comparison-photos-of-melody-addy-cecile.html

Link to 1960s Beforever Melody Doll Review with Photos:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/1960s-beforever-melody-ellison-doll.html

Link to Photos Possible Red Polka Dot Birthday Dress for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/photos-of-potential-red-dress-for-truly.html

        ->Link to Detail Photos of Red Polka Dot Dress Modeled on Sonali Doll:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/photos-of-red-dress-for-beforever.html

Link to Photos of Potential Gold Bow Dress for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/leaked-gold-dress-for-beforever-melody.html

Link to Photos of Potential Gold Coat, Hat, & Gloves Set for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/leaked-photos-of-coat-for-beforever.html

        ->Link to Collector Detail Photos of Potential Gold Coat for 1960s Beforever Melody:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/golden-coat.html

Link to Photos of Blue Pajama Top for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/03/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melodys_28.html

        ->Link to Photos of Complete Blue Starry Pajamas Outfit for 1960s Beforever Melody:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/leaked-photos-of-beforever-melodys-full.html

Link to Photos of Rainbow Play Outfit for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/03/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melodys.html

Link to Stock Photos for Doll & Floral Peplum Dress for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/02/stock-photos-for-melody-doll-floral.html

Link to Photos of Doll & Collection for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/02/1960s-beforever-melody-doll-collection.html

Link to Journey Book Cover Illustration for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/01/journy-book-cover-for-1960s-beforever.html

Link to Book 2 Cover Illustration for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-2-cover-for-1960s-beforever-melody.html

Link to Potential Release/Debut Date for 1960s Beforever Melody Doll & Collection:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/12/1960s-beforever-melody-ellison-release.html

Link to Photos of Pet Dog for 1960s Beforever character Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/12/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melody.html

        ->Link to Collector Detail & Comparison Photos of Pet Dog for 1960s Beforever Melody:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/01/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melodys-dog.html

Link to Photos of potential store debut gift & name for 1960s BeForever girl modeled on dolls:

Link to 2nd potential leaked outfit, Floral Peplum Dress, for BeForever 2016:

       ->Link to Photos of 1960s BeForever Floral Bow Dress modeled on Truly Me #26 doll:

Link to 1st potential leaked outfit, Green Plaid Dress, for BeForever 2016: 

       ->Link to Photos of 1960s BeForever Green Houndstooth Dress modeled on Kanani doll:
           http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/11/photos-of-1960s-beforever-green.html

       ->Link to Photos of Melody's Green Meet Dress modeled on Truly Me #62 doll:
           http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/photos-of-truly-me-62-in-beforever.html

Link to information about the 2016 BeForever historical character's book 1

       ->Link to Cover Illustration & Back Cover Summary for 1960s BeForever Book 1:

       ->Link to Book 1 Chapter List, and Book 2 & Journey Book Titles & Summaries:

       ->Link to Specific Details about Melody, her family, and story from Book 1:

Monday, February 22, 2016

1960s Beforever Melody Doll & Collection Revealed!

This morning on CBS, American Girl finally revealed what we've all been dying to see, their newest Beforever character from the 1960s, Melody Ellison doll and her collection! I have included the link to the video below and I highly recommend watching it. It covers many serious problems in the AG doll demographics and even discusses the retirement of minority characters Cecile and Ivy. 

*A full list of links to all the leaks we've gotten for Melody is at the bottom of this post.*


Below are the screenshots I took from the video for those who are not able to load the video and for quick reference. I didn't crop the play bar out of the photos so people know what time in the video to go to if they need to rewatch these parts.



Quick Overview:
-Melody will have shoulder length, textured, flipped hair with bangs.
-She has the Sonali mold with dark vinyl coloring, and what looks to me like brown eyes
-Her meet outfit consists of a teal hairbow, white socks that come to her knees, and matching teal flat shoes with bows (?), (and I am assuming she will get time appropriate underwear). 
-Her meet accessories will consist of her beret (I'm not sure what the correct term for this style of hat is) hat, and a purse, both teal and matching the bows on her dress, and an Equal Rights pin. There may be other items.
-She has a recording studio
-She has a table & chairs set, and what looks like a bingo set! Food wise it seems like there is a set with hot dogs and drinks, and more. In addition, there seems to be a yellow keyboard & microphone set. 
-Her additional outfits include the floral peplum dress and the colorful rainbow play outfit. (Both have been leaked on eBay.)
-Her pajamas set are dark blue. (This was also leaked on eBay.) The bottoms are shorts.
-Her bed & bedding has an orange theme, and it seems like the mixed terrier Bojangles is definitely hers. Her bedtime accessories look like they include a neon green radio and book, and more.
-In the screenshots, you will see prototype versions of potential Melody "looks" as well as several concept boards showing her collection and potential items it in. 

Screenshots:
First we see some of the scenes and backdrops AG has created for Melody's catalog photoshoots. You can see her standing in front of the records store.

Door number #64. I wonder if that will be significant?


Here is the beautiful doll herself shown with her meet accessories! In the background you can see her table & chairs set and one side of her recording studio, along with just the end of her bed poking out.

Sonali mold, with brown eyes and dark vinyl.

Her hair is flipped and textured! This is both authentic and awesome for little fingers because it will be so much easier to manage and put into fun hairstyles. 

Here you can see the table & chairs set, with the Bingo game, hot dogs, and the yellow keyboard/microphone set.

I think those are bows on her shoes. I'm not good with fashion and mix and matching so I love it when AG does matchy-matchy. :D

Here is a better look at one side of her recording studio, along with her modeling the floral peplum dress! There are two sides to the recording studio, a "in the room singing" part, and a sound mixer/editing/tech room on the other side.

Trying to find accurate colors and fabric prints. I know many people feel AG is no longer adhering to history, but I still feel AG is doing their best to research and stay historically accurate in their BeForever line. 

Several concept board diagrams of how Melody can be paired with her collection. You can see the inspiration for the floral peplum dress in the background. 

More inspiration for Melody's collection.


This was very exciting to see. These are prototype designs for the Melody doll and possible "looks" for her. I love the dress the doll on the left end is wearing.

Here is her bed time collection, complete with her dog Bojangles! It looks like the cover is reversible, and she will have a small, neon green radio, along with a book. (Anyone know what book it is?)

Here is the mixing/editing/tech side of the recording studio! This part has a lot of fun parts, which light up. The two wheels on the wall actually spin and I am hoping the knobs on the sound control panel can move. There is also a schedule and yellow phone on the wall.

One last look at lovely Melody!

I can't wait to "meet" you in person this summer Melody! ^_^

Screenshots from CBS Photo Gallery:
*A few people have contacted me letting me know they are unable to open the CBS photo gallery so I have take screenshots of the images and descriptions for ease of viewing. If you are able, please view the images on the CBS page here: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/a-new-american-girl-doll-debuts/















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All 1960s BeForever Melody Ellison Leaks/Info/Photos:
Link to Photos of 1960s Beforever Melody Doll in Various Hairstyles:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/07/photos-of-melody-with-various.html

Link to Comparison Photos of Melody, Addy, & Cecile Dolls:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/07/comparison-photos-of-melody-addy-cecile.html

Link to 1960s Beforever Melody Doll Review with Photos:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/1960s-beforever-melody-ellison-doll.html

Link to Photos Possible Red Polka Dot Birthday Dress for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/photos-of-potential-red-dress-for-truly.html

        ->Link to Detail Photos of Red Polka Dot Dress Modeled on Sonali Doll:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/photos-of-red-dress-for-beforever.html

Link to Photos of Potential Gold Bow Dress for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/leaked-gold-dress-for-beforever-melody.html

Link to Photos of Potential Gold Coat, Hat, & Gloves Set for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/leaked-photos-of-coat-for-beforever.html

        ->Link to Collector Detail Photos of Potential Gold Coat for 1960s Beforever Melody:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/05/golden-coat.html

Link to Photos of Blue Pajama Top for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/03/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melodys_28.html

        ->Link to Photos of Complete Blue Starry Pajamas Outfit for 1960s Beforever Melody:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/leaked-photos-of-beforever-melodys-full.html

Link to Photos of Rainbow Play Outfit for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/03/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melodys.html

Link to Stock Photos for Doll & Floral Peplum Dress for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/02/stock-photos-for-melody-doll-floral.html

Link to Photos of Doll & Collection for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/02/1960s-beforever-melody-doll-collection.html

Link to Journey Book Cover Illustration for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/01/journy-book-cover-for-1960s-beforever.html

Link to Book 2 Cover Illustration for 1960s Beforever Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-2-cover-for-1960s-beforever-melody.html

Link to Potential Release/Debut Date for 1960s Beforever Melody Doll & Collection:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/12/1960s-beforever-melody-ellison-release.html

Link to Photos of Pet Dog for 1960s Beforever character Melody Ellison:
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/12/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melody.html

        ->Link to Collector Detail & Comparison Photos of Pet Dog for 1960s Beforever Melody:
            http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/01/photos-of-1960s-beforever-melodys-dog.html

Link to Photos of potential store debut gift & name for 1960s BeForever girl modeled on dolls:

Link to 2nd potential leaked outfit, Floral Peplum Dress, for BeForever 2016:

       ->Link to Photos of 1960s BeForever Floral Bow Dress modeled on Truly Me #26 doll:

Link to 1st potential leaked outfit, Green Plaid Dress, for BeForever 2016: 

       ->Link to Photos of 1960s BeForever Green Houndstooth Dress modeled on Kanani doll:
           http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/11/photos-of-1960s-beforever-green.html

       ->Link to Photos of Melody's Green Meet Dress modeled on Truly Me #62 doll:
           http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2016/06/photos-of-truly-me-62-in-beforever.html

Link to information about the 2016 BeForever historical character's book 1

       ->Link to Cover Illustration & Back Cover Summary for 1960s BeForever Book 1:

       ->Link to Book 1 Chapter List, and Book 2 & Journey Book Titles & Summaries:

       ->Link to Specific Details about Melody, her family, and story from Book 1: