Our Trip to Chicago and the American Girl Doll Store

Heavens!  What is cute and crowded and pink all over?

Yep, it's the American Girl Place, home of all things related to American Girl Dolls, in the heart of Chicago.  That's where the girls and I were a couple of weekends back and the reason why we needed to make Daddy especially happy with us the night we returned.

YIKES! (You have to know this post is going to be very picture heavy!)

It was our first time to the store, and we were celebrating the 9th birthday of this wonderful young lady in the middle of our two girls-with-hats, so it was five country girls loose in the Big Windy City!

We arrived at the perfect time, 9:00 a.m. CST, right when it opens.  It was nice to be able to get at least a quick look around the store before the rest of the moms, grandmoms, and little girls arrived. (There were even a few exceptionally brave dads present!)  And Surprize!  There are TWO floors to this store!

Tink and Bear have their own dolls who are supposed to look like them and did until my girls decided to have their hair cut off, theirs NOT their dolls'.  Speaking of hair, the dolls just had to have their hair done in a special "do" for the event.  There were several different styles to choose from, but these little country girls all chose for their dolls to be princesses, complete with tiaras.

I knew it!  It DOES take three hands to do fancy hair braids and styles!

In honor of the birthday girl, we were treated to a AGD Birthday Luncheon, and WOW! It was very impressive and delicious!  Who knew the dolls get their own chairs at the table?  We started out with appetizers and then had yummy meals off the menu!  Have to admit, they do have "Big Girl" drinks on the menu, and since we had not officially shopped yet, I did order a Bimini that was very good!

Then, of course, we had to have birthday cake and ice cream.

Our idea was to scout out the store, from top to bottom, then go back and shop for real after our luncheon. There is just

SO.MUCH.TO.CHOOSE.FROM!!!!!

Dolls, accessories, outfits, animals, and furniture just to name a few.

Can you guess what we came home with and what stayed in the store?  WOW!  You guys are good!  Yes, the cow came home but not the horse or the VW Bug.  It was cute but not that $$$ cute!

This item below also came home because Miss Bear chose massage therapy as her vocation about two and a half years ago, and she is still very adamant that she will see this dream through!  No arguments here, especially from my feet and toes!

The box above  and to the right was my gift to each of them.  I thought it was reasonably priced, and I loved all the drawers it held that will hopefully hold all or most of the little accessories we have strewn all over the upstairs!  The doll fits in the long space, so you can pretty much tie it up and go.

So now we are finished right?  Oh no!  Our friends needed to go here to find something for Little Brother who stayed behind with his daddy on this trip.

What a cool place with SOOOO many Lego items to choose from.  I never knew you could make so much with Legos!  Gotta love this little Maid a Milking.

So after this store, our story ends right?  Nope!  All that shopping worked up everyone's appetite, and I remembered driving by The Rainforest Cafe.  It wasn't too far from where we spent the night, so we walked on over for supper.

It was our first time there, and the girls loved the aquariums situated all over the two floors of this restaurant.

Whew!  Now we gave up and headed back to the hotel.  Since we had adjoining rooms; my friend and I stayed in her room for a while so that the girls could spread out all their loot and play.

Sunday morning we country girls headed back for home while most of the Windy City still slept.  They are an hour behind us, so it wasn't that early really.  What a great time we had, but now you know why I decided to appeal to Tall Guy's tummy with some of his favorite farm food when we came home ;-)