Nice things first...

I get the Mary Engelbreit newsletter. Her cute e-newsletters include free downloads, fun recipes and projects, plus great information on her special events and new products. I used to be an avid collector of most thing Mary but I've run out of room. I have most of the pieces that I want and have realized that I can't buy everything. I forgot to renew the magazine this year, but at least I still get the newsletter. Here is Mary's free background download for Valentine's Day. Her artwork is clever and cheerful. We can all use a little help getting our smile on.

Mary Engelbreit's official website.

Putting things in perspective

While the hit and run drama was unfolding at home, my eldest daughter Sophia found out that one of her classmates was going to be returning to Japan next week. She is sad that her friend is going away. Yuta (sounds like Utah) told Sophia that he and his mother want to stay but not his dad. What a hard situation to be in. Sophia wants to get him a going away present. I'm not sure what would make a nice gift for a 9 year old Japanese boy.

Hit and Run Part 2

I found out that I won't get reimbursed for the deductible. I started to have a panic attack when my insurance agent was giving me the news.  The police went to look at the car in question and couldn't find any damage. They went recently. It's been almost two weeks since it happened. So I don't know if this driver had time to get the car repaired. The good samaritan that gave me the license plate of the other car may have given me the wrong plate number. Which is scary. My brain that night thought I saw the plate starting with the letter Y. I thought the number she gave me was too good to be true. I asked her repeatedly if she was sure this was the right number.

The dark side of me started to freak out. I worried that the good samaritan was just trying to mess with someone she had a beef with. I called the gas station to find out if they had surveillance cameras. The clerk said that the police had come by to check them, but I don't know if it was in regard to my case. I have to call again when the manager is there. The paranoid side started getting scared that the police might think I filed a false report. Friends and family have since reassured me not to worry. This is such a mess. I don't know what I should do. $500 is a lot to have to shell out for something that isn't my fault. But it's all the extra drama that is freaking me out. I don't know if I should pursue this further or just let it go. I was so naive to think this guy was going to get out of his car and exchange insurance information with me. My father, brothers, and husband have all had their fair share of accidents but the other drivers never fled. Was it because I was a woman? How often does this happen?

The lesson that I learned was to find a pen and start writing a number down. Then call the police. I'll have to assume, if there is ever a next time, that the other driver is not going to do the right thing.

I hate to Exercise!

I made myself do the treadmill today for 31 minutes/1 mile. It's not so much the activity that I loath it's just so boring. I forgot to grab my ipod so I had to do this silly workout in silence and that is bad for me. I start to think. I alway wind up thinking about things that I shouldn't.

Lisa Lecture is having her 1st ever GIVEAWAY

Take a look at Lisa Lecture's blog. So delightful. I can't wait to look at all of her creations.

Hit and Run

Here I am blogging about dolls and forgot about the hit and run I was in on 12/23/2008. I guess I was blocking it out. I should have stayed home that night. I was trying to pick up a refilled prescription for my husband before Christmas. It was snowing hard and the plows hadn't been out yet. First bad decision was choosing the Prius. I got stuck in the alley because the alley hadn't been plowed. My neighbor saw that I was stuck and came to help me shovel the car out. I almost switched to the minivan but proceeded to run my errands. I was driving home when this guy started to spin out in the opposite lane and even though I tried to change lanes and slow down he still managed to hit me. I was screaming NO, NO, NO when he started to come at me. His '95 Ford Escort wagon survived. My new '08 Prius wasn't so lucky. The impact damaged the front left tire so I needed a tow. He hit me so hard that I wound up on the street. After he got control of his car he looked at me for about 30 seconds and then drove off. My iPhone had locked up. I was waiting for it to restart to call 911. In the meantime, the Escort driver just left. I didn't even have time to get his plate number. I started screaming again. I was stuck in my car and had to force the door to get out. Just then 3 different people came to my aid. The first was a man that came to check if I was ok. Next came, a woman who called 911 for me since my phone still hadn't restarted. Finally and most important was another woman who managed to get the needed plate number. The man even gave me his business card, in case I needed a witness. I was overwhelmed by their help. I started to cry when I thanked and hugged my good samaritans. I couldn't believed that people had stopped to help me after I just experienced a hit and run. I was upset about the car and the big deductable but I was glad that I was getting to go home to my family. Since the car needed to be towed, I had to get home somehow. The police officer that filled out the accident report offered to drive me home. I got to ride in the back of a police car. Now that was weird. I was anxious about my neighbors seeing me getting out of a cop car. I thought great the tongues are going to start wagging. I could just imagine the things that they would come up with. Yes, it's that kind of street. Like Wisteria Lane without the money or bling. The Prius is still in the shop and my husband is forced to drive a smokey rental for now. He's been really great about all of this. He told me that his Christmas present was that I made it home that day.

Doll Obsessions

I have an obsessive personality. This combined with a woman's inclination to shop is a lethal combination. I have collected dolls in the past, but then I get bored with it and put it to the side. That is until my interested is peaked and it starts all over again. My doll interest is bad enough. When it is combined with that of two young girls then it gets expensive.

My daughter's have crossed over to the American Girl side. I remember when they first came out. I had just started college when the catalog arrived. I learned about St. Lucia through the catalog. I was amazed that someone would walk around with candles on their head. I thought the dolls were clever and interesting but I never bought one. I was too old for dolls. Had I known how much they retain their value, I would have indulged.

For Christmas, the girls each got a used AG thanks to eBay. I can't bring myself to buy the new ones for xx amount of dolls no matter how cute they and their accessories are. I did indulge in getting several outfits for my older daughter, thanks to AG's black Friday sale. Some of the clothes were drastically reduced so it was a good value.

Through this new interest in AG, I've had to learn how to do some repair work. One of the dolls had some purple stains on it. Silly me. I thought that magic eraser would get it out. Not so. I learned about putting acne cream on the stain and putting the doll in the sunlight. It worked. How? I have no idea.
I have to learn how to restring the dolls. It is expensive if you need to get all four limbs done. May as well buy a new doll. But there are helpful people out there that offer advise on how to do many of the repairs yourself. My favorite is justmagicdolls.com. I appreciate the information that is provided. I have one AG I bought from eBay that I need help with. Jess arrived and smelled like smoke which the seller didn't disclose. I was able to clean the body using the techniques described on justmagicdolls. However, the doll's head still smells like smoke. This is after washing her hair and sticking the head in a box with a box of baking soda. I just can't get the smell out completely.

Here are some informative sites on American Girl dolls.

Complete Guide to American Girl Doll Collecting

Pre-Mattel Dolls

Just Magic Dolls