A Motorcycle Jacket for Alex!

We recently found this motorcycle jacket at our local Goodwill for $0.50. It was on a Build-A-Bear (along with matching pants that are just too short to use on Alex).

Our Goodwill, and most others that I've heard of, usually marks things up so much that I get frustrated just browsing the store. For instance, they have a Madame Alexander doll in the showcase right now for $30. You can get the same doll, unused in the original box, at Wal-Mart for $28. She has been in the showcase for at least a month, and I suspect she'll stay there until they figure out she's overpriced. Or until someone is duped into buying her, thinking that she's actually worth more than that.

I said all of that to say this: Someone in the pricing department didn't realize what they had here. I'm sure this set was expensive at Build-A-Bear, but I was thrilled to get it for $0.50.

We love the eagle on the back!

The sleeves are just a tad short, but we're not concerned with that. The rest of the details more than make up for it.

Cheaper Doll-Sized Water Bottles

I have been looking for realistic water bottles for the dolls for awhile now. The various water bottles are some of my daughter's favorite catalog items, but I think they're way overpriced. [Of course, take that with a grain of salt. I think almost everything in the catalog is overpriced.]

Not only that, but even playsets sold in Wal-Mart or Target only give you one at a time. It's hardly worth buying an entire set just for one water bottle.

So I was thrilled when a fellow doll mom clued me in to these water bottle keychains from Ebay:

Yes, this is really what they look like straight out of the bag. The keyrings aren't hard to get off. In fact, I thought I'd need pliers, but a few of them came off with just a gentle tug. I don't think they'd make very good keychains ...

Anyway, you can get a feel for the size by comparing it to a Wild Cherry Pepsi lip gloss that I picked up a few months ago at Five Below. It's doll-sized, too:

Here's a side shot of how they compare to the same lip gloss container:

If you want some, too, check out this Ebay "auction". You can get four of them for less than $7. I'll warn you, though, that they come from Thailand. I think mine came by slow boat. :) I'm sure it's not the seller's fault, though, because international shipping is known for such things. But I thought I'd mention it just in case you want yours by a deadline. Allow at least a month for them to arrive.

Recent Doll-Related Thrifty Finds

If you've been reading my blog for very long at all, you know that I love a good deal. You also know that I love thrift stores. In fact, it's what I would consider a family hobby. :) Let me share some of my recent doll-related finds with you.

This roomy pop-up doggy tent is in perfect condition for only $4. It doesn't smell like dog at all, and there was no dog hair on it or in it. It needed a good wipe-down (just to be safe), and then it was ready for play.

This tent is a good bit roomier than the doll versions I've seen sold in stores. You can see that it's the perfect height, too:

It's also much easier to set up. I haven't given this to the kids yet. I'm thinking about doing up a doll camping set for our vacation. I just need to make the sleeping bags.

See the doll? (Please excuse the fact that she's just in her underclothes.) She was another find for just $0.97. We didn't really need another doll, but I wanted the partial riding clothes that she was wearing:

Alex is already enjoying the clothes, and the doll is going to a friend's daughter after I make her some new clothes.

I got this apple garland for $2. There are tons of mini apples on it in two sizes.

The smaller ones (and the most plentiful in the garland) are a perfect fit for the dolls. We'll have plenty of regular apples for the doll kitchen and horse stable, and I'm thinking about candy apples, caramel apples, and possibly putting some aside for a future fruit stand playset (homemade, of course).

This doll dresser was originally a jewelry holder, but I'll be giving this to Alex on my son's birthday. (Paige got one on my daughter's birthday, which I'll share about here soon.) This was in great shape and very boyish-looking, which is pretty hard to come by in jewelry organizers. :) It was also a great price at $3.

Last, but not least, is this mini ironing board for $2.99. I'm pretty sure it's for ironing sleeves and such, but it's also the  perfect size to iron small details on doll dresses. I was very pleased to find it!

Have you found any great deals at thrift stores lately?

DIY Mix and Match Doll Wardrobe

Outfit #1: black circle skirt, printed black and white knit top from a basic t-shirt pattern

In case you haven't looked at 18" doll catalogs for awhile, mix and match outfit sets are all the rage. I have never professed to be a fashionista, and I'll be the first to tell you that I personally wouldn't put together some of the combinations that they use ... even if they say they match. :) Oh well, to each his/her own, right?

Outfit #2: Add black "leather" boots and exchange the black circle skirt for a skirt made from the same print as the top

But have you ever stopped to consider how easy it would be to create a mix and match set of your own? I honestly made this entire set this past summer before we ever got the doll back-to-school catalogs with mix and match outfits in them. I had no idea "mix and match" was coming back into vogue.

Outfit #3: black sparkly shoes and a black ruffled skirt with the same printed shirt

 I hope this helps to inspire you to see what you can come up with!

Outfit #4: Add a sparkly white knit sweater for a different, even dressier look!

Now consider how many outfits I just got out of that one printed shirt. Consider for a moment how many outfits I can get by combining these pieces with the plain, basic black and white shirts (and skirts) that Paige already has. Talk about versatility!

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Black "Leather" Boots for Paige

I've been quiet (i.e. silent) on here the last few weeks, but life has been very busy. I thought I'd share one of my favorite handmade American Girl doll accessories with you today - these black boots!

I made them from leather-looking vinyl that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. All you need is 1/8 yard, and you can get a few pair from that length. The foot part is just a little bit tricky, but it's really worth it when you have such fantastic boots when you're all done.

I used Diane Morello's awesome step-by-step instructions (and free patterns) to make these.

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