Sparkle Girlz Clothes

After reading about the new Sparkle Girlz fashions on several blogs, I went to Walmart in search of cute cheap clothing for my teen dolls.  Someone had already cleared out all of the single $1.97 fashions, but there were still some Fashion Boutique packs left.  I picked up 3 of them for $8.88 each, and the ones that I purchased are pictured below.

Several Sparkle Girlz dolls were on display, both full-sized and mini.  I was almost tempted to purchase a doll.  Almost.  The Sparkle Girlz even have a cute little inexpensive car now.  I did not get a photo of that, but I did take a quick photo of some of the dolls below.

When I got home, I opened one of the packs and tried the clothes on some of my dolls, and the dolls are modeling the clothing in the photo below.  The dolls are from left to right:  HSM Sharpay, Juku Couture Kana, Calista on Super Model Bel body, Hispanic everGirl, and Flavas Kiyoni Brown.  Most of the clothes are too big for Kana, but she fits the outfit below really well.  Sharpay, Kana, and Calista can all put the Sparkle Girlz shoes on, but Sharpay can not stand in them.  The shoes are really flimsy, though, so it would be easy to cut the heels to make the shoes fit Sharpay better.  These young ladies are ready to head back to school in style!

I also got a little something for Ken.  He will have to model his some other time.

Calista's Diary Entry - Summer Travels

Dear Diary,

My parents are really cheap.  Sometimes for our "vacations", we all travel with my dad on one of his business trips.  I remember a previous summer where we "vacationed" in Huntsville, AL.  There was not much to do.  My dad worked the whole time.  I went swimming, shopping, and hung out in the hotel room a lot.  There was a concert taking place on the grounds outside of our hotel one night, but my parents did not want to go out and they would not let me go alone.  Luckily, I could hear the music (it was really loud) and I could see the bands from my patio.

This year, my dad's company sent him to Denver, CO.  I was not thrilled at first, but my parents promised me that we would have a good time.  I got to thinking, I'm a little older now, so maybe I'll have more freedom and be able to do more things than in the past.  While waiting on our flight at the airport, I started to feel excited.

I didn't bring my camera with me on the trip, but I took a lot of photos with my cell phone.  They are not my best photos.

Our room in Denver was really nice.  It was like a little apartment. 

It had a living area and a full kitchen.

I had my own bedroom.

On our first night there, we went to the mall.  They have an American Girl store!  I wanted to go in, but my dad didn't want to.  "You're not going to buy one of those dolls, so why do you want to go there?"  I told him that I just wanted to see a huge store full of dolls.  I just had to look at them through the window, though, because we did not stop there.  I asked "When are we going to do something that I will enjoy???"  My parents told me that they had a surprise for me.

My parents told me that they were taking me to the Breckenridge Fun Park.  They said that there is a rollercoaster that goes down the side of a mountain!  And Segway tours!  And a SuperBungee Trampoline!  And a bunch of other fun stuff!  Ok, this has the potential to be the BEST VACATION EVER!

It was a long car ride from Denver to Breckenridge.  We made a quick stop in Idaho Springs.

It was such a beautiful day, and the views were spectacular! 

We finally arrived in Breckenridge, and it was breathtakingly beautiful!

My dad had started feeling sick in the car on the way there.  We stopped for lunch, and he was so out of breath just walking into the restaurant.  We thought he would be fine after he had something to eat, but he just kept feeling worse.  We tried walking around a bit and he started to feel faint.  Luckily, there was an oxygen bar nearby.

After talking with the workers there, my dad got the maximum amount of oxygen - 45 minutes.  While he did that, me and my mom went shopping in Breckenridge.

There were so many little shops within walking distance, and beautiful scenery all around. 

The weather was wonderful.  The high was 72 that day.  I talked to some other girls my age, and they told me that they had just come back from the fun park.  They said that there was still a little snow up there.  Snow in the summertime?  I couldn't wait to see!  They said that we would have to ride gondolas up to the peak.  I couldn't wait!

After about an hour, me and my mom met my dad back at the oxygen bar.  My dad told me that he was sorry, but we had to leave.  He just was not getting enough oxygen, and he felt sick.  He said that we would have to go back to Denver right away.  WHAT?  BOOOOOOO!

I mean don't get me wrong, I felt bad that my dad was sick.  I could tell that he really did not feel well, but this was the thing that I was looking forward to the most.  We spent all that time driving here just for this.  I was just really disappointed, and I had a hard time hiding it.

All the way back to the car, I kept asking questions.  "Can't Dad just stay at the oxygen bar while we go to the fun park?"  "Can you just leave me here and I'll go to the fun park alone, and Mom can drive Dad back to Denver and pick me up later?"  "Can't Dad just drive back to Denver alone, and Mom can rent a car and drive us back to Denver after we go to the fun park?"  These sounded like reasonable questions to me.  Every question I asked, I was told "No!"  I was so disgusted.

My mom drove us back to Denver.  So I knew it had to be really bad, because my dad always drives when the 2 of them are in a car together.  As we were driving away, I said "I don't see why we ALL have to suffer just because Dad is sick!"  My mother pulled the car over and turned around and looked at me and said "Calista Clementine Knight, shut.your.mouth.right.now!"  Well, I still had stuff to say!  I said "But..." and my mom said "Not another word!"  The way that she looked at me when she said it, I knew that I would be in big trouble if I kept talking.  I plugged my earbuds into my phone and listened to music all the way back to Denver.

The next day, on the way to the airport, we stopped by my Dad's job.  You can see the mountains from there.  If I had an office with this view, I would spend my days gazing at the mountains.

Then it was off to the airport, where we rode the train to our terminal.

I'm still a little disappointed that my trip did not go exactly the way that I wanted it to, but I'm appreciative of the things that I did get to do and see.  I had never been to Denver or Breckenridge, so it was all new to me.  I feel bad that I made my dad feel worse than he already did about not being able to take me to the fun park as planned.  I know that it wasn't his fault that he got sick.  He was so apologetic and he told me that he would make it up to me one of these days.

Bratz Boyz Clothes

I may not care much for the Bratz Boyz dolls, but I sure do like their clothes!  I am so happy that Dylan and friendz have so many options available, because that means that my boy dolls have the same options!

Here are some photos of some of my boys in Bratz Boyz fashions.  From left to right:  Play Sportz Dylan in his original outfit, Clawd Wolf wearing Bratz Boyz pants (way too short) and jacket, HSM Chad in Bratz Boyz shirt (pants will not fit), Bob Scout, Dave Cub Scout, Todd Brown, and Harry Potter.

Bratz Boyz clothes are also good for my little men (especially the ones that play young boys in my stories).  Pictured below from left to right:  "Deon" (Lil' Penny), Heroes in Action Barack Obama, Playmates Toys Michel Jackson (who really strenuously disagrees to being placed in these clothes), Space Jam Michael Jordan Tee Time, and my little chubby guy.

Sometimes my teen girls find the Bratz Boyz clothes useful, also.  From left to right:  Skipper, Flavas Kiyoni Brown, HSM Sharpay, Calista, Hispanic everGirl, Wee Three Friends Janet, and Flavas Tika.

Have you found any other good clothing lines for your 'tween and teen boys?

Calista's Diary Entry - The Cut

Dear Diary,

The time came for the tryouts for next year's Junior Spirit Squad.  For an entire week, there were practice sessions which lasted for a couple of hours every day after school.  Girls from the Varsity Spirit Squad taught the Junior hopefuls a brand new routine, and we all had a week to learn it and practice for the tryouts.  I was pretty confident that it would be me, Kana, and Briana Joy again.  I missed a couple of days of practice because I felt that I could learn the routine fast, and that I had an advantage in knowing all of the old routines and already being a member of the squad.

Besides the three original members of the squad, Jenna, Big Janet, Gabriella, and Kiara also tried out.  I was shocked that Big Janet was able to tear herself away from her boyfriend Dylan long enough to try out.  The tryouts took place in the gym, and the Varsity SQ girls watched and judged, along with Miss Jones, the squad sponsor.

They split us into small groups and had us perform the routine.  I knew the routine well and I did a good job.  Big Janet did a pretty good job from what I could tell.  Gabriella was awful.  I felt kind of bad because I know that she worked really hard.  But I knew that she wouldn't make it.  Big Janet and Gabriella were cut after the first round.

For the second round, I performed the new routine with Kana and Briana Joy.  We all did a good job, and I had no doubt that it would be the three of us together again next year. Then Jenna and Kiara performed the new routine, and I admit that they were really good.  I still felt like the 3 original members had a big advantage, though.  Then Jenna announced that they wanted to perform some additional routines.  They performed some of our old routines, and they were great!  I had seen the 2 of them hanging around at our practices, but I had no idea what they were up too.  Me and Briana Joy looked at each other, and our jaws just dropped.

The VSQ and Miss Jones got together to go over the scores that they had given each of us, and to discuss their final decision.  It seemed like they talked forever.  I could hear their voices but I could not make out what they were saying.  Finally they came back, and Miss Jones announced that she would call out a girls name.  She said that the name would be for the girl who was eliminated from the squad, and that the girl should leave the gym immediately.  I was standing there thinking that it would be a hard decision on who to eliminate between Jenna and Kiara, because they were both so good.  I was absolutely shocked when Miss Jones called Briana Joy's name.  WHAT?  Briana Joy looked so sad as she walked out of the gym.  I knew that she would be crying later.  I was SO MAD!  How could they do that to her?

I stood there furious for a few moments, and then I heard Miss Jones say my name.  I looked at her.  She said my name again.  I didn't understand why she kept calling my name.  I heard some of the girls giggling behind me.  After calling my name again, she came over to me and said "Let's go."  That's when I understood that I was also cut from the finals.  I did not make the squad.  It felt like my cheeks were burning up and I felt humiliated.  As Miss Jones escorted me out, I turned around and looked at the other girls, and Jenna was smiling and waving at me. 

Once I was outside the gym, I heard Miss Jones announce "Congratulations, Ladies, you are the next Junior Spirit Squad to represent this school!"  I heard squeals of delight.  I looked into the small window on the gym door and I saw the girls jumping up and down and hugging.  Kana looked a little too happy if you ask me.  How could she be that excited when her 2 best friends had just been cut?  I was so mad.

I have been reeling from the experience ever since, feeling shocked, saddened, and angered all at once.  And then I heard that the girls would be performing at our final assembly of the school year today.  WHAT? Shouldn't they be performing NEXT YEAR?  What is the rush?  And how could they even have a routine together that quickly?  I sat in the audience and I felt sick as I watched them perform the new routine that we had learned for tryouts.  It was almost surreal watching them wear the uniform that I used to wear.  I was the one that was supposed to be out there performing, not sitting in the audience observing.  How did this even happen?

So I'm just thinking about all of the time and effort that I put into that squad.  What am I supposed to do now?  What does this mean for my friendship with Kana and Briana Joy?  We spent so much time hanging out on the squad, going to games, etc.  I mean, I'm just so sad about this and I don't know what to do.

Calista's Diary Entry - Field Trip

Dear Diary,

Today I went on a field trip to Dog Iron Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma, which is the birthplace of Will Rogers.  It was so interesting and so much fun!  Something that caught my attention even before we arrived at the ranch was a small replica of the house that Will Rogers was born in.  I wished that I could stop there for a few minutes to take a closer look.  I wished that I could bring my dolls there to play.  Maybe I will one of these days.

Me and Bob had a good view from the balcony of the house.  We were enjoying watching the others below, and just talking to each other.  He seemed like he had something on his mind.

It wasn't long before the others joined us on the balcony.

It was cool in the shade!  Mira got right in between me and Bob.  

We went back down to the porch, and Mira still positioned herself in between me and Bob.  Okay, she was starting to bother me!  I felt like Bob had something to say to me, and that maybe he would say it if the others weren't around.

We were able to go inside the house also, and it was so interesting to see how people lived in the 1800's.  It's so hard to imagine what people did before computers, TV's, cell phones, cars, etc.  But I have to say that the house and the land are really beautiful!  OMG, is that an OUTHOUSE over there on the right?  I've only seen those in old movies!  I guess that there's a lot that I take for granted.

 I wandered away from the others to have a look around.  The house overlooks Oologah Lake.  The view is breathtaking.

There were a lot of animals.  We saw some Texas Longhorn steers. On the grounds, there were goats, rabbits, donkeys, horses, chickens, peacocks, etc. 

Speaking of peacocks...

I'm not sure, but I think that this may be where they made the horseshoes.

I wanted to see what was inside the barn.  There were some goats and some horses.

The workers at the ranch are EXTREMELY nice, friendly, and helpful!  They saw me looking at the goats and petting them, and asked me if I wanted to ride.  I was nervous about it, but how could I pass up that opportunity.  They helped me onto the goat, and it was a fun ride!  YEEEHAWWW!

I went outside again and had a closer look at the donkeys.  I petted them and everything.

Bob found me.  He said that he had been looking all over for me.  I told him that I just wanted to get away from the group for a while, and that Mira was really getting on my nerves.  He told me that she was getting on his, too.

I was feeling so self-conscious because it was extremely windy and my hair was blowing all over the place.  I kept trying to hold it down in front of Bob, but he told me to just let it go.  He said that I looked cute with the wind blowing through my hair, and that I looked "vibrant" with my hair blowing around and framing my face.  Vibrant?  Me?  Really?

We were alone, so I just asked him if he had something on his mind.  He hesitated for a second, and then said that we should just enjoy today.  He said that this had been one of the best days of the entire school year, and I had to agree with him.  We spent our last few moments alone sitting on a bench and watching the lake, sometimes talking, sometimes not.  And then it was time to go home.

Teen Girl Doll Comparisons

Here are some teen girl doll comparisons.  A couple of them were in previous comparisons, but I wanted to put them with other similarly sized dolls.  They are from left to right:  Wee Three Friends Janet, Super Model Bel doll with Calista head, Hispanic everGirl, Flavas Kiyoni Brown, V.I.P. A.N.T. Farm Chyna, and Sashabella Paws.

Calista is the only one that can stand on her own in bare feet.  The others can stand in certain shoes.

Here they are showing their elbow flexibility.  They all have jointed elbows.  Sashabella Paws has the most flexibility in this pose.

Here they are sitting on the floor trying to cross their arms while showing their feet.  Sashabella Paws comes the closest to being able to cross her arms.  Janet has very large feet and can share shoes with Ken.  The others have doll friends that they can share shoes with.  Calista has arched feet and articulation at the ankle, so she can wear flat or heeled shoes.

Here they are doing a side stretch.  Calista and Sashabella have articulation at the lower torso, while  Kiyoni and Chyna have articulation at the upper torso.  Kiyoni's side arch is the most impressive.

Here they are in the "walk like an Egyptian" pose.  Calista and Sashabella have articulation at the wrists, while the others do not.  As previously stated, Calista also has articulation at the ankles.  I think that Sashabella does this the best.  What do you think?

Here they are attempting kneeling back bends.  Janet, Hispanic everGirl (does anyone know which one she is - Joy, Hope, Skye, or Starr), and Kiyoni have clicky knees and can not kneel.  Chyna does this pose the best.

Here they are showing off their hands.  None of them are able to grasp objects in their hands.  I like Calista's hands the best.

Here they are attempting to sit cross-legged on the floor.  Calista does this the best.

Here they are attempting to do middle splits.  It's close between Calista and Sashabella, but I think that Calista does this slightly better.

 Here they are doing front splits.  Kiyoni does this the best.

 Here they are doing a leg lift.  Janet does this the best.

Here they are sitting down.  Since Calista, Chyna, and Sashabella have articulation at the knees, they look more natural in seated positions.  

 Do you have a favorite among these dolls?  What makes that particular doll stand out for you?  Which ones pose the best?  Which ones look the best?  Which dolls are the most realistic?