Lalaloopsy

Have you seen these dollies yet? So precious! I found them one day perusing the aisles of Target. They immediately caught my eye. At the time, they were known as Bitty Button dolls. Upon further inspection, though, the dolls were almost creepy. I moved on. But still I came back to the doll. Something about the concept struck a chord. "Sew Magical! Sew Cute!" These dolls have that made-by-hand, nostalgic look about them, and I think that's what attracts me to them. The back story to the dolls is that they were handsewn from scraps of fabric and magically came to life. There are several dolls in the collection, each with her own personality and pet. I originally wanted Bea with her owlie as a back-to-school gift for Amelia but decided to wait. Birthday and Christmas were just around the corner. Big mistake. My next trip, they were gone. Walmart, gone. Toys R Us, gone. Online, gone. And then on a trip a couple of weeks ago I saw Bea ... just one ... at Target and again passed. Surely, more would be in soon.
Amelia had been saving up her money that her grandparents give her. And after seeing commercials for the newly monikered "Lalaloopsy" dolls, she determined that she wanted to spend her savings on Crumbs Sugar Cookie with her little mouse. I was so excited for her. And proud: the thought of her saving her money and earning something she wanted. So after school the next day, we went to Target ... still not a single doll. So I thought we'd try Walmart. I was almost nervous for her. I really wanted her to be happy. I spotted the doll almost immediately but didn't say anything. I watched her from the end of the aisle as she carefully inspected each row until finally, she spotted it! And not just any doll, Crumb Sugar Cookie. She squealed with delight. I grabbed her package for her, and we headed hand in hand to the checkout. On the way, she obliged a few photos. The joy on her face was palpable. Almost every sweet lady we passed, stopped to admire her and her soon-to-be new doll.
We had to wait to open the doll later in the afternoon. But the unveiling was an event in itself. We carefully peeled away the packaging, and finally, the doll was hers. Brother even took to the doll. She's such a cute doll, all the sweetness of a rag doll without the rags, which is good. She'll stay clean. Her head is even floppy. But she sits up well. And between her and floppy old Woody doll, my kids are in bliss. They've lugged their dollies to carpool, the library and a restaurant or two.
It may sound silly to fawn over something as silly as a doll, but the experience with my daughter was so heartwarming. So when I look at the doll, I'll remember the joy. And that ... makes this doll a treasure!