Happy Birthday

Dear girl just received this as a birthday gift. Have to say it is too cute. This Madame Alexander collectible comes with her own miniature, fully articulated, dressed doll in a miniature box, held by a doll sized shopping bag - it's all in the details!

Birthday Celebration, 8" Wendy Collectible by Madame Alexander

Get it from marshmallowdream.com

A Nutcracker performance is the cultural equivalent of the requisite holiday fruitcake. It's festive but tired. Not so when it comes to the Bluegrass Youth Ballet's recent production of The Nutcracker in One Act. This taste of Nutcracker is just enough. Director Adahli Aranda Corn keeps it fresh, short, and always sweet. This condensed version was the perfect way for a 4 year old and 9 year old to enjoy the classic holiday ballet.

My 4 year old daughter (a budding ballerina herself) was especially delighted and refrained from squirming until the final bow. Keeping her entertained for any length of time is something even Disney and Pixar have failed to do. So we'll keep up the ballet lessons! If you know a young ballerina, send her a little encouragement from marshmallowdream.com. My sweet girl is decked out with a Ballerina Slipper Backpack and Dancing Hippo Duffle .

My Girls

This bunch of wild eyed beauties and many fond memories are what remains of my childhood Christmases. This is my collection of Madame Alexander dolls (technically some are my sister's). They are definitely not "mint in the box". They have all their shoes - but not their socks. One eye might be a little cloudy and hair a bit sticky and/or matted, but I have them to display with my own daughter's dolls from that famous dollmaker. Isn't that why we save anything - so one day our kids might have it?

Santa brought the Barbie Camper and Barbie Dreamhouse that met a bitter end at an annual yard sale. The Giant stuffed Snoopy succumbed to mold and mildew; Easy Bake and Light Bright probably went straight to the trash after the pieces were lost. And the child size yellow Beetle pedal car just disappeared. My parents swear they were not involved. These were the toys we thought we couldn't live without - and Santa obliged. The dolls came on Christmas Day.

My well traveled grandmother was the giver of these dolls every Christmas. She was the one who let us sip ginger ale from champagne glasses on New Year's Eve and where we watched Lawrence Welk on Saturday night when our parents were out. She had an affinity for Waterford Crystal, vintage teacups and anything from Ireland. She was a master seamstress and made additional clothes for our dolls, as well as bedding and quilts, doll size and human size.

We got baby dolls, then storybook dolls, then Suzy, Pinkie and Alice. She did not care what was on our list to Santa, she did not ask what we wanted. She simply presented us with one of those blue boxes for several years.

Every kid should be so lucky that there is one person in their life who doesn't care what they want, and offers treasures they never thought to ask for.

Madame Alexander is still around, making beautifully detailed dolls for all ages. Visit marshmallowdream.com to see our collection of Huggums, Wendy and Fancy Nancy dolls from Madame Alexander.

Michelle Coles

marshmallowdream.com