AGR- Part One: Where to Buy 18" Doll Clothing for a Good Price

 At least once a month, I will post a part of AG Resources. This post focuses on where to buy 18" doll clothing for a good price.

 Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any of the following websites, sellers, or companies, nor am I affiliated with the manufacturer. I am also not responsible for any problems or issues caused by ideas from this post. Do, read, and purchase at your own risk. Also, note that these items are probably not meant for the younger crowd, due to small pieces. (choking hazard)

 Also, keep in mind that certain materials and colors can stain American Girl and other dolls, so buy and use with caution.

 Some of my favorite resources for American Girl clothes include the following:

 Lovvbugg on eBay - Based in the United States, great prices, good reviews and feedback. I have a few items that were given to me, as gifts, that came from this seller.

 Etsy is a great place to find unique, handmade doll clothes and accessories. They can be cheaper or more expensive, it just depends on what you are looking at. However, keep in mind, these are often handmade and sometimes even better quality than the mass-manufactured doll clothes. All you have to do is search for whatever you're looking for.

 Doll-Clothes.com carries a great selection of doll clothes and more.

 Our Generation is another great brand. You can find it at target.com and in most Target stores. (At least, where I live.)

 For PDF patterns, you could try Etsy or Liberty Jane Clothing For paper patterns, you could try your local craft or sewing store.

 Have an 18" doll clothing brand with good prices that you'd like to shout out? Leave a comment or use the "Contact Me" widget on the lower right toolbar (scroll down over there ->)

 ~Hallie


 

 


 

Launching "American Girl Resources" Series of Posts

 Hey there! I am proud to announce that I will be starting a new series of posts, called "American Girl Resources," where you will find tips, tricks, and more on buying clothes for your dolls, taking care of your dolls, hairstyles, etc. It's going to be a fun series, and the first post will be along, soon!

 ~Hallie

Through the Lens Thursday: Kit

 I'm starting something new. I call it 'Through the Lens Thursday.' I'll be posting photos of dolls that you don't see in a lot of my videos or posts.

 Note: You are welcome to do a doll-themed TTLT on your own blog, but I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a link to Dollies on a Budget in the post, because this took a lot of brainstorming. The idea is to post a photo of one of your dolls that you hardly ever see, in your blog posts.

 This TTLT is a photo of our dear Margaret Mildred Kittredge, who is not often in my posts, as her legs are extremely loose and she can't stand on her own. I just can't see myself taking off her head to fix her, though.

 Kit came to me in five years ago, in 2011, as my second doll. I played her so much that, within a few years, her limbs became loose and it was hard to use her in my videos.

Kit Kittredge

   I hope you enjoyed this Through the Lens Thursday. I'll be doing this every week, unless I am away, with no access to a camera.

 Thanks for reading!

 ~Hallie
 Doll: Kit Kittredge (American Girl)
 Clothing: Sweet Savannah Dress (American Girl, discontinued)
 Photo: Created by Hallie. (15DollsAndCounting/DolliesonaBudget) Edited using PicMonkey.

Undergoing Construction

 Hallie here. I've been suffering from easily-triggered headaches, lately. I had to change the blog background to something less bright. I like the new color scheme, though. I will be changing up some things and posting more often. :D

 ~Hallie

Lea Clark: No Neck Strings, Less Custom Dolls? Pros and Cons

 If you haven't already heard, Lea Clark has no neck strings! Instead, she has a zip-tie. I'm not a huge fan of the whole idea, because I customize my dolls, but I'm sure for some people it's a good idea.

 No strings attached, here are the pros and cons I've come up with. (cheesy pun intended.)

 Pros:
 -Dolls can now wear swimsuits and similar items w/out the neck strings sticking out.
 -You don't have to worry about people accidentally cutting them.
 -Brushing hair may be easier. (Am I the only one that gets my brush caught in the strings?)

 Cons:
 -Customization. It would be a lot harder to customize Lea's eyes, head, or hair.
 -Some people have mentioned it is harder to move her head. (I've heard this from three people)
 -Not the same traditional AG build that Pleasant Co. started with. It's as though they are taking away everything original, lately.

 I can see how this could be good for some people, and not so much for others. I think it depends on what you are planning on doing with the doll. What are your thoughts on this matter?

 This is Hallie, over and out.

Enter the Doll Diaries Lea Clark Giveaway

 If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out the Lea Clark AG doll giveaway over at Doll Diaries. I mean, what AG fan wouldn't love a free doll? Find it here.

 Tags: American Girl Giveaway, AG, Giveaway

 ~Hallie

Dramatic Color-Splashed Photos Edited Using PicMonkey

 Hey there! It's Hallie, and today I'm going to be showing you how to edit a photo in the same way I edited this photo of my newest doll, Caroline.

Caroline's dramatic photo with a black-and-white color- splashed blackground.

  PicMonkey has SO many ways to make your photos look more dramatic. Today, I'll be showing you how to 'splash' a photo in PicMonkey. I used to do it in Photo Bucket, but it was such a hassle to upload the photo just to edit it. Note that this is on Windows, I don't know if the PicMonkey page is changed for mobile or other devices.

 First, go to PicMonkey 

 Click edit. If you are on windows, like I am, it will likely prompt you to choose a photo from your computer. Choose the photo that you would like to edit.

 Once the in-browser editing program launches, click "effects"

Click on the wand that means"effects"

  Once you are in effects, scroll until you see the button for "Black and White"

Click "Black and White"

 Once you have clicked it, your photo will become black and white and you should see something like this:

Click the paintbrush button.

 Click the paintbrush button. A small tab will pop up on your photo. Click the "Reverse Effect" box and color will return to your image.

Click "Reverse Effect" and the color should return to your image.

 Once you have done that, just move the tab to a part of the picture you aren't painting black and white and click your mouse to paint! It's very simple. Just make sure you don't close out the tab that popped up on your photo (shown above) or it won't work.

 Thanks for reading, have fun, and feel free to ask questions.

 ~Hallie

 Disclaimer:
I am not affiliated with PicMonkey. I am also not responsible for any injury or problems caused by any of my posts or tutorials. Read and do at your own risk. I have to post this 'cuz of legal stuff.

Thoughts on Lea Clark & Some Items From Her Collection + Happy New Year

 Sometimes, us AG bloggers and youtubers just tune out for a little while. We don't post for a while. But, hey, I'm back!

 Anyways, Happy New Year! Here are my thoughts on the new Girl of the Year, Lea Clark!

 Discalimer:
This is my opinion. O-P-I-N-I-O-N. Opinion. Opinion. Opinion. It means it's mine. And, you don't have to have the same one as me 'cuz it's mine. None of this is meant to offend anyone. Don't like, don't read. Enjoy at your own risk! :P

 Also, I am in no way affiliated with American Girl, Our Generation, Mattel, Target, or any other similar brand. I'm not makin' any money off of this! I post my opinion for fun!

 To see the items I am posting about, visit American Girl

 Lea Clark
When I first saw her, I thought "Hey, that looks a lot like Rebecca with different hair." Although she does look like a mixture of (IMO) Lanie, Marisol, Rebecca, and Kanani, she does look somewhat unique. I won't be adding her to my collection, since I have enough dolls (post on that coming soon!), I think that she is a beautiful doll and I know many AG fans will love her! I also like how she comes with the cute little messenger bag, so you don't have to buy her accessories to get it! :D

 Lea's Rainforest House
Awesome, awesome, awesome. What can I say? I love everything, but the price. :/ It's super cute, but 1. I don't have the space. 2. Don't have the money, and 3. Even if I had the money I would rather spend it on something else... (like a new camera, hint hint!) Anyways, this is super-duper cute if you can afford it!

 Lea's Ocean Kayak Set
This is cute and all, but IMO it just looks like a cheaper and slightly changed-up version of Caroline's skiff. It is cute, though, and would probably appeal to AG's target age-group. :)

 This isn't all of Lea's collection, just three of the more expensive items and my random opinion. :D

 I'll be posting again, soon!