Sunday, December 31, 2017

What Madelon's Mom got her for her Birthday And Christmas This Year!



Madelon is a very lucky adult doll collector who shares her passion freely with all of us. Today however it is Madelon's Mother who has really blown me away with her fun finds, I guess it is easy to see where Madelon gets her knack, drive and love of dolls.



Madelon's mother has been collecting, locating and tracking down items that have been on Madelon's dolly wish list for a long time and I think it is safe to say blew Madelon away this holiday season!
From Felicity's Carriage to Julie's Table and everything in between it is simply amazing!
I love the desk!
Just look the lid lifts!


Just looking at these photos you can feel the excitement, see the quality in the older pieces that are part of the reason the older American Girl items are so collectable and valuable!



Is there anything here in the photos that might even be on your own wish list? I know there are several that would be on mine!

Oh the Island life!
The cotton candy! Oh my! I love this so much!

Well done Madelon's Mom and lucky Madelon for sharing these treasured finds and beautiful gifts with all of us here today. Doll collectors delights, doll play marvels and so much fun to see.
We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Saturday, December 30, 2017

More Madelon Fun Finds From The AG New York Store, what is your favorite find?




My favorite new piece from the new releases is the snack stand-always a sucker for AG food items


I love the details and the chips!
Festive reindeer pjs reduced to $10! Such a great find Madelon!

I love the slippers!
On the left the AG dress reduced to $15 and the My Life AS Dress Madelon got that was $10!
it is all in the details for sure!
both would be lovely to have!
Was $39, Madelon got it for $15!

Always so well packaged!

Thank you Madelon for your photos and your fun finds! 
We would love to hear from you, so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Friday, December 29, 2017

Create Your Own Dolls and more from Madelon's trip to the AG New York Store

Madelon has filled my inbox with some delightful images of the Dolls you create section of the NY AG store. The one above reminds me of my sister Bre! Always had the most (and still does) wonderful curly blonde hair!
It is easier than ever now to see yourself or your doll lover in the eyes and features of each of these dolls.
The new boy face molds have no teeth showing and I think he is super cute!
I think this is a wonderful idea and the selection so you can make your dolls truly your own!


The mix and match section looks ready for spring!
I do love the spring colors

Thank you Madelon for sharing more of your visit to the AG store in New York with us today. We all wish we could have been there with you!
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Thursday, December 28, 2017

American Girl , Truly Me Boy Dolls...

Madelon very kindly went to the store and caught some wonderful images of the new Truly Me Boy Dolls. I am really excited to finally see these dolls in stores and soon in the hands of doll lovers everywhere.

When I started my doll blog the idea of and the debate over American Girl Dolls having boy counterparts was out of the question. When I interviewed the PR rep for American Girl at the opening of the Lynnwood Store in Washington State many years ago I posed the question and I got the stock answer of no, it is not a way we feel the company should go at this time. Well I am glad that not only did they come around to the idea but now they are expanding the line.

With the addition of more boy dolls to the line, the ideas for more crafts, accessories and doll based activities have me quite excited. In life I find it so interesting that as women and girls we look for and fight for equal treatment and rights in this life and that same fight had to be made for equality in the dolly world too. I am impressed by American Girl and their new line of boys. It gives me hope and pleasure to see such attention to detail and care put back into such a beautiful doll line.  These are my opinions of course and kindly lent photos of Madelon.
I hope you get to see, hold and bring home a new truly me boy doll to your collection very soon.
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Monday, December 25, 2017

Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas and A Very Happy Anniversary.


Dear Friends,

This Christmas Day marks 7 years since I began this blog.  Truth be told I did not know what to expect nor could I have imagined what was to come, in those last few minutes before I hit publish just a few minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve.  I am today looking back on what I feel has been an incredible journey both professionally and personally.

Personally, I started this blog on the eve of the first Christmas I was facing without my mother. She died rather suddenly in September of 2010. In my grief I began sewing as a way to keep my hands busy and my mind focused on something other then the absence in my life. 


At the time I had a 5 nieces all enjoying dolls and sewing for them for Christmas, knowing they were going to be getting American Girl Dolls that year was very soothing. As three of those nieces lived in Montreal, I began taking photos of my work to share with my sister in Montreal and I posted them on Facebook. After many likes and inquires into my work it was suggested that I start my own blog. Not really knowing what I was doing I stumbled into blogger and set this one up and named my blog after a title I hold very dear, Karen, Mom of Three.

Writing the blog helped me in so many ways, creatively, through the grief process, and it helped me work on my own reading skills, and I found it greatly helped with my profound dyslexia. I guess there really is something to be said for practice.


My photography improved as well. My doll collection grew, and grew and at one point I had a sign up that said "My doll room runneth over"
I have had in the last 7 years the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of doll lovers and those who love them. I have attended 7 American Girl Doll Stores, two openings and participated in media events that related to doll releases and events.

I have managed to gift dolls and products that were sent to me to review to families of doll lovers who were much less fortunate than myself. Over the years my collection massed more than 30, 18 inch dolls and it is currently sitting at around 12. Each smile of the families who were recipients of dolls I donated stays with me and makes me very proud that as a community of doll lovers who give to me their attention and take time to read my work, helped put dolls into the hands of those who needed it most.


I tell you all of this today to thank you for taking your time to join us here daily after all this time. While some of my original readers have perhaps outgrown their hands on doll play days, I hope that the creativity and the love of dolls stays with them for a lifetime.

I have also had the amazing pleasure of working with and sharing ideas with the team here. Madelon, Brandy, Jessica T, Jenny and Nikki (from years ago) give their time and ideas freely to all of us, their photos and their research and I am thankful for each of them today as well.



Thank you to all those who have advertised here with us this year, who make it easier for us all to enjoy doll play through their vision, patterns, hand craftsmanship and ideas.

I hope you will take the rest of the day and the upcoming days to spend with your families, your dolls and the things that make you the most happy.

I will be taking some time off here, don't worry just a few days to reflect and prepare for 2018.


I wish you a very Merry Christmas from all of us here and look forward to spending more time with you all again very soon!
Best Wishes,
Karen M. Owen and the team here at Karen Mom of Three's Craft Blog.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

A Look At Madelon's Our Generation Doll Rafael

Today Madelon kindly shares with us photos of her new Our Generation boy doll.
Here you can see his grey/blue eyes and meet outfit.

his hair appears to be long and slightly shaggy with a side part to the left.
We love his shoes! 
Thank you Madelon for sharing your doll with us today! I had not seen him yet and I love the photos!
Wishing you all the best this Christmas Eve. 
Thank you for joining us here we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Madelon's Great Fun Find At Walmart

How cute are these? $4.88 at Walmart


Madelon has found some truly adorable lip balms that would double beautifully as doll play food and all under $5! 

From the Pizza and Juice box to the beverages below you could not go wrong with these sets for Tween Doll lovers!
If you are brave enough to hit the stores today you may just luck into these fun doll sized lip balms for the doll lover in your life. 
Thank you Madelon for sharing these finds with us today!
We would love to hear from you so please email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Friday, December 22, 2017

Madelon's New Barbie! Misty Copeland!

Today Madelon shares photos of her newest Barbie, Misty Copeland!
This is a stunning Barbie!
Madelon is also sharing a book about Misty Copeland for young readers. She found it on Target online.

Thank you Madelon for sharing your beautiful Barbie with us today!
We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com