"Kelly! Aloha! I'm soooo glad you could come on such short notice! Give me a hug!" Benny backed up, hoping that he wasn't included in this hugging thing. "Let me put a lei on you. Oh, my! Your headband is really toooo perfect! Did you make that all by yourself? No kidding. Boy, Lori's Thrift Store has everything. Sssh . . . we haven't done anything about setting up the Luau Laundromat yet. Best not mention it in front of my brother. Why don't you come over and get a snowcone, then we'll find the other girls. Zale and Marie Simone. Ooh, wait until you see Zale's new wetsuit. Pardon? No, I don't think she got it at Lori's Thrift. Go grab a snowcone before they melt, and I'll catch up with you as soon as I can." "Oh, before you go, take a look at the beautiful gift that Zale made for us. Don't you think they'd be a good item for my Pearl Stall? I thought so, too. I'm trying to talk Zale into making a bunch to sell to us. When you find her, would you put in a good word for the idea?" Kelly liked the shell very much, but the sight of so many Shave Ice choices left her nearly immobilized. "What is it, Kel? Oh, I see. Don't be afraid. Benny made a special one for you that's got a little of every flavor in it. It's the rainbow one in the middle. Yes, he is thoughtful, isn't he?!" "Mind if I put some more lemon flavor on here? I'm feeling kinda tangy today! Tangy? Well, it means . . . well . . . it means I'd like more lemon on my snowcone. Hmm . . . wonder if I should put more orange and cherry on there, too. Oh, why not!" Nanea left Kelly to her decision making and went back to where Benny was greeting the next guest. "Hey, man! Oho, so Heather is your special visitor! She's a grand pup and always welcome. Good thing we didn't bring Flossie with us, though. She's not partial to animals with fangs. Sorry, I forgot my manners. Aloha . . . and you have to wear this lei. Nanea's idea. I know, but it makes her happy. And they are kinda cool. She made them herself just for the party. She even made one for your guest. Wait'll she gets a load of who's going to wear it." "I've been working with Heather, and she's nearly ready to become an official Rescue Dog. She's ever so clever and always obeys me. Sometimes, though, I don't know who's taking whom for a walk. Ha ha. This is her first party, but I think she'll be good. You really don't mind? Sit, Heather. Good girl!" "Boy, you're cute. Would you like a lei, girl?" WOOF. (That means "yes, thank you very much". Heather is a very polite dog.) Everyone was milling around, enjoying the beach and the good company, when Janie arrived. "Hi, everybody! I'm here! Oh, how cute your puppy is, Fletcher! She's a lot bigger than the last time I saw her. I have too seen her before. Or was that Mabel's kitty? I forget, but she's pretty big, anyway. Look how cute she is with that lei on. Uh oh. Zale, I think the puppy just ate your snowcone. Well, look at your ice cup, and then look at the green around Heather's mouth. Aloha, Benny & Nanea! Happy birthday, too! Nanea, I have a present for you. Close your eyes!" "Surprise! Hey, you can open your eyes, now! I picked out a mermaid doll just for you. Her name is Ariel. No, I didn't name her that. She came with that name. But you can call her whatever you like. She won't mind." "Oh, Janie, you're just the sweetest girl I know. Huggie huggie! And I think that your new swimsuit is the greatest. You look adorable!" Janie said she was never going to take it off. Janie always says that, with every new outfit. Benny had been waiting for this moment all day. Time for some fun. "Hey, Janie! Pick your pois . . . I mean, what would you like? A snowcone or a slushie? I can put any flavor on that you want. How about a rainbow snowcone?" Janie just stared. She didn't like to hurt anyone's feelings, and she loved Benny like a brother. So, she just stared some more. Nanea to the rescue. "Benny, stop playing with her! She doesn't know that you're just fooling. Don't worry, Janie. Benny's just being a boy. He made something special just for you, and he's been waiting all day to surprise you with it. Haven't you, Benny?" The withering glance did the trick. "Surprise, Janie! I have just what you want! A super-duper CHOCOLATE FUDGE Ice Cream Sundae! And it's all yours!" "Okay, everybody! Quiet, now! Benny and Nanea, you have to stand facing us with your eyes closed. No, you don't have to put out your hands. Got 'em closed? Okay, Marie Simone. Now, open your eyes!" Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Benny and Nanea, happy birthday to you! "Blow out the candle, both of you. Wait, you have to make a wish first. Don't tell. It won't come true." Janie hoped that part of the cake was chocolate under all that pink icing. Time for a special birthday photo, Benny and Nanea! Say FREE! (That's Benny on the left.) Excuse us while we clean everything up now. With all this help, we'll be done before you can say ALOHA! Until we meet again . . .
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It's Benny and Nanea's birthday today, and they're having some friends over for a small beach party. We wanted to surprise them with a party, but Benny really wanted to set up his Shave Ice stand that day. Ah, well . . . the best laid plans of mice and men . . . and Islanders . . . "Oh, Benny! I'm so excited! Do you think we have enough leis? I can run over to the Pearl Stall for more, if you think we need more. I want to make sure that everyone gets one. They do make things so much more festive. Do you have enough cones and drinks for everyone? And please don't forget Janie's chocolate ice cream sundae. The sign is just perfect. Do you think it's high enough to keep it from getting wet? Ooooh, I'm SO happy, dear brother. Don't you wish we could have a birthday every day?!" "Everything is perfect. Stop worrying, and let's just have fun. I sure hope Nachito can make it. We haven't seen him in a while, and a I'm a little worried that he won't have finished his boat repairs in time to make it today. And Fletch said he's bringing us a surprise visitor. I hope they get here soon. And I hope Janie gets here soon, or her ice cream sundae will turn into a chocolate shake." "Now who's worrying? You're right, as always. Let's just have fun. And Janie won't care what she eats or drinks, as long as it's chocolate. You know that. Wish Flossie could have been here, but Bunty and Eliot didn't want to let her come home yet. Benny, do you think we have the only Grand Champion chicken that goes on vacation by herself? Ooh, I hear someone coming! Get ready!" "ALOHA, Nachito! ALOHA, Marie Simone! We're soooo glad you could share our birthday with us! Nachito, we'd like you to have this remembrance of our special day. It's a lei that I made all by myself!" Benny relaxed, now that his friend was here. "Hey, man! How's the boat repair coming? Come on over and get a snowcone, then you can fill me in." Nanea pulled Marie Simone to the side and left the boys to themselves. "Happy birthday, Nanea (and Benny)! Everything looks just perfect! You have such a gift for decorating. How do you find the time?" Nanea handed her friend a lei and a snowcone. "I just make time, that's all. You know, it's so much nicer to have everything looking festive around you. And I love festive! You look great, Marie Simone! Is that a new suit? Well, it suits you. Get it. Suits you." The girls giggled, but the boys didn't pay any attention. "Hey, Benny! I think I see Zale coming! You'd better find Nanea, and don't worry about me. We'll have plenty of time for a good long chinwag later. Right now, I'm going to sit here and soak up the rays while I enjoy this snowcone. Later, man." "Here comes someone else, Benny! Excuse me, Marie Simone. I must greet my guests, in true Island fashion, of course." (Nanea is always the attentive hostess.) "Zale! Aloha! Welcome to our Birthday Party! Oh, you really shouldn't have. We put "no gifts, please" on the invitation so that no one would feel like they had to bring something. I'm ever so glad you did, though, because I just LOVE gifts from friends!" "I know what it said, but I just couldn't come to your party without bringing something." Benny was more interested in Zale's new short wetsuit. Maybe he should get one of those. I wonder if they come in any other colors . . . "I made this just for you. It's a lovely shell that I found a while back, but I've been waiting for just the right occasion to try my hand at painting it. And this was the right occasion. Happy Birthday, and many more! "Ooh, Zale! It's just perfect!" (Nanea uses "perfect" to describe anything she really likes. And she really likes a lot of things.) "Benny look at how wonderful this is. Doesn't this give you ideas?" Being twins, Benny knew just what Nanea was thinking. His only problem would be to convince his sister that she should sell them and not give them away. He often thought that "FREE" should have been Nanea's middle name. "Oh, Zale! Thank you! It's beautiful! I know just where to display this in our house! And you say you painted this yourself? Hmm. Benny and I need to talk to you . . ." Benny's mind was racing. And it had nothing to do with wetsuits. "Zale, here's a lei that Nanea made just for today! Thanks for coming, and Nanea's right. We do need to talk." While Nanea admired their friend's handiwork, Benny recovered his manners and offered to make a Shave Ice cone or Slushie for Zale. "Pick your poison! What? Oh, sorry, Zale. Nanea doesn't like me to say that. What flavor would you like?" Nanea felt like a mermaid princess looking at the most beautiful shell in the ocean. She just knew that her Pearl Stall needed these to give away. She could hear herself, now . . . "Free ALOHA shells! Free painted shells!" Er, um, uh . . . she could hear Benny now . . . "ALOHA shells for sale! Painted shells for sale!" She'd work the fine points out later. Right now, she was just going to bask in the sunshine of good friends and warm sand. "Can't we talk NOW guys? What's 'the idea'? It's just a seashell that I painted for you. Did I spell something wrong? A-L-O-H-A, right?" "Oh, it's just perfect! There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, it's so perfect that we have an idea about offering them at the Pearl Stall, if you think we could buy a stack of them from you." (Notice how smooth Nanea was about that? "Offering", get it? She'd address the "free" or "for sale" with Benny once they got them in the stall. Or not. He isn't there too often these days, so maybe it won't have to come up in conversation. "Zale, we love it! Get something cold from Benny, and I know that Marie Simone's been waiting for you to get here. Over there, wiggling her toes in the warm sand. Sure, there are chairs under the tree by Nachito. Help yourself, while I find a place to display your gift where everyone will see it." Zale felt like Kelly. What to choose? Benny assured her that he had enough for her to have as many as she wanted throughout the day. Except for the Ice Cream Sundae, of course. Smiling, she said, "Let me guess. Janie's coming!" Don't leave! The party isn't over yet! Part 2, coming up!
Some exciting happenings on the Island (near a certain lagoon) will be taking place tomorrow. Benny and Nanea are having a beachy birthday party, complete with shave ice and leis! Be sure to check out the Gazette tomorrow for a two-part issue of Island fun.
Happy Star Wars Day! Trudy here. Jill and Silver just delivered the photo files from the Photo Spot, so the Gazette is happy to announce that all attendees had at least one photo taken. If you didn't check out the previous entries about all of the celebration and fun we've been having at Islandshire's Community Center, then be sure to do that now. Everybody was fairly buzzing after watching their favorite episodes of The Mandalorian. (Some of this energy might have been due to the vast amount of sugary Nevarro Nummies and Cara Dunecakes that everyone had eaten, but we'll ignore that for now.) The Photo Spot was Silver's idea, and she'd made a really spiffy backdrop, placing her camera tripod right in front of it. No one visitor missed this part of the event. A few non-moviegoers even got in on the fun! Who could resist getting to stand next to Baby Yoda, right? In fact, this was such a success that the Gazette is pleased to announce that Nanea is already planning a similar feature at the Luau Laundromat. (No opening date yet, but she assures us that Benny is working on the plumbing.) Okay, so grab a glass of Spotchka or Blue Milk, settle back, and enjoy the photos. Be sure to notice Truannie, because she's just too cute for words! Almost forgot . . . autographed photos are available at no charge for Harold's Fan Club members. Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to him, c/o the Gazette. Well, we sure hope you enjoyed all the Galactic fun. Guess it's time to go grab another Cara Dunecake and finish the day in real Star Wars style. Happy Star Wars Day, and May the Fourth be with you!
Written by Jill (Silver's twin sister) "Aren't you excited, Jill, about how well things are going? Are you running out of anything that I should know about? How's the popcorn holding out? Here, have a pretzel. This is my last set of refills, so we'd better have one before they're gone. Mmmmm. Ooh, almost forgot the butter dip. Want some dip? No, I don't think the popcorn squeezy butter will taste good squirted on your pretzel. It's just going to make a drippy mess. Besides, you'd better save the butter for the popcorn munchers around here. I can't wait to see what they all buy from the Gift Shop. Next year, we'll have to bring posters to sell." I took a quick look at the inventory and told Sis not to push the Droid Doughnuts. "Think a Sorgiecicle would follow the pretzel well? I've been eyeing them ever since we got here. Yum. They are good. Ooh, Silver, they're at the part where the AT-ST Walker falls in the pond. Huh? I know because that's what music is playing right now. It just hit the 29 minutes and 2 seconds mark. No, I'm not making that up." Silver just smiled at me. She says I'm the queen of the player remote, when I just really happen to be . . . um . . . a details kinda gal. Especially when it comes to music and video, two of my favorite topics. Silver and I are unalike in many ways. For better or worse. "Nanea! Janie! We didn't expect you until after the show!" Everyone on the Island knows that Nanea is too sensitive and Janie too young to watch scary movies like Star Wars. "I'm so glad you came early. It was getting a little lonely out here by ourselves. Jill, look at how cute Janie's outfit is. And it's SORGIE colored! Janie, you MUST try a Sorgiecicle. Sorry, forgot. Has to be chocolate. Hmmm. Well, we do have Mando Chocolates down there on the bottom shelf. Sure you wouldn't like to just try a Sorgiecicle? And you can't come by today without trying a Nevarro Nummie. Okay, just pretend there's chocolate inside." Silver and I love Janie to pieces. There's such a sweet air of personal confidence about her. She loves who she is, and she loves everyone else for who they are. And such a chocolate nut. Nanea looked around for an out-of-the-way place for Truannie's stroller, nearby enough to be able to keep an eye on her but far enough away so that no one could trip over her. Since they were the only ones in the lobby, she didn't have to look far, and there was a lot of cute stuff to distract the baby for a bit. "Isn't she just the best baby ever?! Janie and I said we'd babysit, so that Harold and Eliot could enjoy the Star Wars Day fun. And she just loves Baby Yoda already. Say 'Grogu', Sweetheart!" Truannie stared at the display for a minute. "Googie." The twins went into raptures. "She said it! She said GROGU! Oh, just wait till Harold and Eliot hear about this." Nanea and Janie looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Googie is the only word Truannie knows, and she's been saying it since she was a tiny baby. Someone really should tell those girls that there is life apart from Baby Yoda, Nanea thought. No. That's not a good idea. Better to leave them happy the way they are. Their enthusiasm brings a lot of smiles to the residents of Islandshire. And Googie does sound kinda like Grogu. Hmm. I don't know. I'll ask Harold what he thinks. Leaving Truannie to enjoy the Baby Yoda display, Nanea went back to have a quick look at the lovely treats and admire the Mandalore Munchies menu. "That is the cleverest menu! You always have the most creative ideas. You'll have to help me with something like this for the Luau Laundromat when I get it set up. You really won't mind? Ooh, we'll have so much fun. Wow! This must have taken you girls quite a while to source all these Star Wars-y items. You must shop a lot." Sis and I burst into laughter (in unison, of course). "Oh, we do! We do!" Giggle giggle. Nanea wondered what was so funny. As she stood trying to figure it out, I caught sight of Janie sitting on the floor in front of the Popcorn Maker. "Janie, do you need any help down there? Are you okay?" "Thank you, Jill, but I'm fine. I'm just filling my bag with Mando Chocolates to take home. I have a lot of friends who could use a little more chocolate, so I'm buying presents. Is it okay if I take them all? There are just enough to fill my bag. And I think you should always take as much as your bag can hold. After all, you wouldn't need a bag that was bigger than what you want to buy, would you?" See! What did I tell you? An original thinker, if ever there was one. "No problem, Janie. You take as many as you want. We've got a lot of other snacks for the others." While Janie filled her bag with chocolates, Nanea explained that she was shopping for Rebecca (a special Pen Pal living in North Carolina, USA). She had the perfect box at home which she wanted to stuff with Star Wars Day gifts. "Silver, I'd be glad for any help you can give me. My friend is totally potty about Star Wars, but I'm not very familiar with all this. I know who Baby Yoda is, but that's about it. Could you help me choose some things that will ship well (won't melt or crumble)? Anything Mandalorian would be perfect, and I'd like an assortment of snacks and souvenirs. So, what would you suggest?" Janie was busy packing her bag with chocolates, while Silver and Nanea piled up things for Rebecca's box. This left me free to look in on Truannie. Harold's baby sister is a favorite with everyone on the Island, and I wanted to see if she would say "Grogu" again for me. "No, little baby. You can't play with that. We wouldn't want you to get hurt. Just look at this remote Grogu. Can you say Grogu for Jill? Grogu? You can say it. Come on." Truannie ignored me and stared at the paracord toy even harder. Not even a Googie from her. Look at that concentration . . . and cuteness . . . Nanea ate her Sorgiecicle and waited on Silver to ring up her purchases. She turned to check on Truannie and . . . "Guess I'll take one soggy paracord Baby chew toy, too." Nanea turned toward the door with the stroller, but Janie stood staring at Truannie, worried about whether it was healthy for a baby to put that toy in her mouth. Henry came whizzing out for a popcorn refill, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Truannie with the Baby Yoda toy. I wonder if there's another one of those for sale. I broke his reverie with a loud "Hey, Henry! Hurry up! You've only got 43 seconds left before the big finale." "No, don't bother with that. Just throw those empties away and take two more from the counter. I've got plenty of refills here. Look, I'm even covering it in extra butter and salt for you. Now hurry!" Henry flew back into the theatre, and Nanea asked Silver how I knew where they were in the movie. "Don't ask. It's a long story." Silver rushed over to her camera tripod and called Nanea and Janie back into the lobby. "You can't leave without getting your picture taken in our Mandalorian Photo-Op area. Trudy's going to run the pictures in this afternoon's edition of the Gazette, so give me your prettiest smiles. Say NUMMIES!" Click. "Janie, this isn't working. Your two-bow hair is in my face!" Click. Click. "Nanea, how about one with just you and Truannie for Harold? Say NUMMIES!" Click. "Wait, Nanea. Now one with just Truannie on her first Star Wars Day. I bet Trudy sells a lot of papers with this shot. Say GROGU, Truannie!" Click. Where's my toy? I want my new toy. Please. I'm going to cry. "Googie." Silver looked around to see if anyone else had heard. "Did you hear her? She said it again. Grogu. Just as clear as a bell. Say it again, Truannie. Gro-gu." "What did my Goddaughter say, and what is that she's sucking on? Is that good for her to have in her mouth? All right, baby girl, let's see what you've got." The others were stunned into silence with Eliot's long string of words. Janie was glad that he'd been the one to ask. Nanea took her Sorgiecicle out of her mouth long enough to say,"She's fine, Eliot, and Jill and Silver think she's saying Grogu when she says Googie." Eliot smiled at Truannie, shrugged his shoulders at the others, and went to find Harold. Girls. The minute the last show was over, the lobby filled to capacity. Silver and I silently bemoaned the fact that nobody stays these days to watch the credits, but the noise in the room made speech impossible. We just waited for the excitement to die down. What're you guys waiting for, an invitation? Let's move! Go go go go go! "Kelly, where DID you get that shirt? Are they selling them here?" "Did you find that at Lori's Thrift Store?" "Wow! A friend?! What a great friend!" "You need to show that to Jacqui and Toni. I'll bet they'd carry those in the Boutique, if they could get enough of them. I know they don't carry t-shirts; but maybe they can call them 'shabby chic' and ask a lot of money for them. You can call any ordinary item 'shabby chic' and triple the price on the tag. That's what the mainland stores do." "Do those come in boy colors, too?" Everyone was sharing their favorite moments or quoting their favorite lines. The red wire. No no, the red one. Good. Put the red wire where the blue wire goes in the board. No. Hold them apart. Cough cough. Are you okay? Well, it was worth a shot . . . [Slurp] Want some soup? . . . Chatter, chatter, chatter. Everyone except Harold. If that's what I think it is, it's just what I need. If I can just get a little closer, I think I can reach it. Hope I can get there before someone else snags it . . . It is. The perfect souvenir. A moment of awed silence. "Eliot! Where are you?! Wait'll you see what I found. You won't believe your eyes. It's a . . . SLAVE I. You do too know. It's Boba Fett's ship. Wow!" "Hey, George! Look at what I found!" Mina and George were oohing and aahing over what he'd found. Harold stopped in his tracks at the sight of the Mando Blaster. "Wow! Where'd you find that? Are there anymore? Look at what I got! No, this was the only one over there, but you can come to my house and look at it any time you want. Hi, Mina! What was your favorite part? Did you eat that binful of food all by yourself?" Harold didn't wait for answers, he was so anxious to pay for "the perfect souvenir". As he left the register to have his picture taken, he thanked Mina for her hard work on the water pump and said he'd have it operational tomorrow for her to see in action. "Well, then, until our paths cross . . ." "You're not seriously considering going over . . . Hang on! No no no no no . . . aaaaaaaaaaaah! Was that my speeder?" "What is going on back there? You wanna come back here and try this, be my guest!" "Was that the plan?" "Something like that." May the 4th be with You! And a Merry Christmas to all! Oops, sorry. Wrong movie again. Happy Star Wars Day! That's it. Happy Star Wars Day! Until next year . . . WAIT! It isn't over, yet! Check back soon for the afternoon edition of the Islandshire Gazette, featuring the pictures taken at today's Photo-Op corner!
(A number of you have asked what we're doing with the proceeds of the day. Silver and I have had a dream for some years now of opening our very own "Goofy's Candy Company" sweets shop right here on Islandshire. Just like the one at Disney Springs. Today's event was a good start towards making that dream come true.) Written by Jill (Silver's twin sister) The crowd staggered in with enough time to get their snacks and find a seat in the screening room. Souvenirs later! "Say, Pete! Mind standing over by the Photo Spot for just a sec? I've gotta make sure that everything's set correctly, or I'll never get everyone done in time. Say NUMMIES!" "Oops, I missed the top part of your head." Silver was having a bit of trouble with her tripod, but Pete's a patient fella. Besides, he knew Kelly probably wasn't here for the popcorn. "One more time. Say NUMMIES!" Click flash. "Gotcha! That's great, Pete! Thanks bunches!" Kelly was in raptures. She'd come early to get enough snacks for showtime, but she never expected to find Wetzel's Pretzels at the Star Wars celebration! "We brought those in just for you, Kel. We thought about dying them blue and green, but it seemed a shame to mess with perfection. And I just finished making the butter dip, so it should be nice and warm." No hard decisions for Kelly today! As soon as Silver said "Gotcha", the popcorn maker popped on (pun intended) and Pete was drawn in like a ship in a tractor beam. "Hey, Jill! Is it okay to help myself? I can't wait one minute longer! Mind if I put some extra butter on top? Thanks! Wow! Everything looks great!" Munch munch. "Just a little more butter, I think." Munch munch. "See ya later, Jill! I'm gonna find a good seat before the crowd arrives. What? Oh, a good seat is the one right in the middle of the theatre." Munch munch. I hollered after him to come back for free refills. That boy's popcorn isn't going to make it to the opening credits. "Oh, Zale! Your glasses are so you, so . . . Sorgie looking! Are they new? You look wonderful! Nope, we don't have any kelp shakes, but this Grogu green shake kinda looks like one. No, Silver's running the register right now, so just give her the money. And don't forget to have your photo taken before you leave. Trudy's going to run the photos in today's edition of the Islandshire Gazette. Enjoy the flick, and May the 4th be with You!" Sun-Ho and Masami wanted to check out quickly, hoping that all the aisle seats weren't taken yet. They tried to get Silver's attention, but she was talking to me. Best not to interrupt. (They are very polite and kind. Besides, as owners of the Fruit Smoothie Stall on the Island, they know the value of patience in a customer.) "Oh, Jill! I think it's going to be a success, don't you? Look at the crowd, You'd better do a head count to make sure we have enough seats in the theatre. I've got to get back to the register! Oh, Lillian, that Cara Dunecake matches your shirt so well, maybe you should just walk around with it for everyone to see." Giggle giggle. "Are you ready to pay, Sun-Ho? Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's your change. Enjoy the movie, and May the 4th be with you!" Harold and Eliot almost bumped into Alice Maud Mary, who just smiled and decided to take her popcorn and get away from the crush. Harold looked around at the crowd and ran to find his friend (who was looking for him). "Hey, Eliot. Ready to check out and find a seat?" "Yep." "I hope that all the back seats aren't gone yet. Every time the two of us go to the theatre, somebody hollers for the 'tall guys in the front' to slouch in their seats. Maybe if we sit in the back, we can sit however we want." "Good idea." "What'd you get to eat and drink, Eliot? Oh, good. I wanted to try one of those Space Travel Sticks. Wanna split everything in halfsies and share? That way we get a little bit of everything." "Sure. And it's on me." "Oh, Lillian! That cupcake looks scrumptious! It's a what? A Cara Dunecake? Ha ha! Those girls are so clever! I'd love to stay and chat, but I just finished a special-order, cast iron well pump for Harold, and I'm STARVING! Save ma a seat when you go inside, and I'll find you. Pardon? Oh, somewhere towards the side, where my eating won't interrupt the movie. I'll make sure to buy only soft food." Lillian left to find seats, wondering what soft food was, while Mina made her way to the counter. "What's the total, Silver? I'm paying for both of us." Trudy blew in like the Razor Crest going into warp drive, afraid she was too late to get a good seat. She liked to sit in the center towards the front but always seemed to be stuck with an aisle seat. "Oh, Trudy! You're the first Sorgiesicle customer of the day! Did you taste it yet? They're OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!" I'd been waiting to use that line since we'd opened. "Hope you get a good seat. Don't forget to have your picture taken afterwards. And May the 4th be with You!" "Um, good question, Trudy. We'll get the photos over to you the minute we close. Excuse me while I help Mina with her snacks. I'll see you just as soon as we're done taking pictures. Now, Mina, have you made up your mind yet? Well, the Mandalore Munchies are very popular, and the Droid Doughnuts are a good choice. You take another look, while I help the boys with their popcorn. Boy, that machine has hardly stopped popping since we opened. Why does popcorn taste so much better at the theatre?" Henry and Vesey were doing just fine on their own, though. "No, thanks, Jill. We're got it covered. Mina looks like she needs some help, though. Hey, Vesey, you grab the butter and I'll shake the salt. One, two, three, go! Munch munch. "Nope, more butter!" Squirt squirt. "Hey, Jill! Is it okay if we use up the last of the butter? Oh, swell. Thanks." At the first sound of the opening-theme music, the earlybirds made a dash to find their "good" seats and I refilled the butter container. Isn't that Harold the handsomest thing you've ever seen? Eliot dearly loves his "fellow chappie". They're best buds. "Whoa, Mina. That's quite an order. But I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you take all those sweets without insisting that you eat this healthy galactic macaroni-and-cheese. A little protein goes a long way with a hard-working girl like you. Now, give me that list again. Ha! Hang on a minute. You can't carry all that stuff to your seat without some help. Wait a minute. I've got an idea. Back in a minute." "Jill, you're the best! That's just perfect! I'll be sure to return the bin after the movie. Have you got room in there for one of those pretzels, too? Great. And some butter dip, too, please. Has Kelly seen these yet? Oh, good. Now, do you have any other 'soft food' that I've missed? You know . . . non-crunchables. I'm really starving, but the well pump took longer to finish than I expected, and I didn't want to miss any of the showtime. I figure that if I get soft food, no one will have to listen to my crunching and slurping through the movie. Boy, I hope Lillian got good seats for us. Yeah, she's saving one for me. Somewhere out of the way, where my eating won't bother anyone. Again, thanks for the bin. And may the fourth be with you!" "Hey, man! The girls just told me that we're the last ones in. I've got my Sorgiesicle and Mando Chocolates. Be quick about it, or we won't get good seats." Benny liked to sit in the front row. Benny turned to Silver and asked, "Is Mina going to sell stuff during the movie?" Silver just smiled and explained about the well pump. George and Fletcher couldn't decide what to buy, but Benny was breathing down their necks. They picked up what was in front of them, having agreed to take a better look after the show. "Hey, Jill. Mind if I take one of these empty popcorn cartons? Thanks. Now I'd like 5 or 6 of those green Droid doughnuts, if you don't mind. We'll be back for some different stuff later. George, come on. We're gonna be late. Benny's already gone in." "Hi, Silver! Great place! I think she said there were six in there. And I'm paying for George's pretzel and drink, too. We're in a hurry, and Benny's already gone looking for seats. Hope the Force is with us. See ya later!" The Theater is full, the credit music is playing, and Silver and I get to take a quick break.
Written by Jill (Silver's twin sister) "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." -- WAIT A MINUTE! Sorry, wrong opening. "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . ." We're sharing highlights today from Islandshire's first ever MAY 4th STAR WARS CELEBRATION! As you know, Silver & I are just crazy about Star Wars. Okay, right. So, maybe we do tend to focus on one character more than the others, but he is SO CUTE! And he is part of the Star Wars line-up. But Cara Dune is great, too. And don't forget IG-11, one of the coolest droids ever seen on the screen. Hey, I've got it! Sabine! I love Sabine. And she's from the Star Wars Rebels series. And there's Han Solo. And the Bantha. Oops. (Can't help myself. Back to the Mandalorian series again.) While we're on the subject, let's not forget Mando! Silver is the real problem, though. She is a "Baby magnet". Baby Yoda, that is. She can spot the merchandise before the eye can see it. Really. It's uncanny. We have more Grogu stock in our room than a Target warehouse. I keep waiting for Disney to call and ask if we can drop ship something for them. I've spent the last six months avoiding taking her with me on shopping trips. But Baby Yoda is everywhere, and our room is full! I'm running out of excuses for her to stay home while I do all the shopping. Besides, I don't like to shop. The idea for this Island holiday was less than sheer inspiration. (More like forced activity.) A nice winter sparkle day, a cup of hot chocolate, Blu-ray remote in hand, and . . . not an empty seat to be had. We both looked around the room and shouted (at the same time, of course), "What are going to do with all this BABY stuff?!" The answer jumped right off the poster on the ceiling: MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU! Eureka! A Star Wars Day screening of our two favorite Mandalorian episodes (Episode 4 from each of the two seasons) with a concession stand and gift shop in the lobby. Two good things happened right away. We put all the "warehouse stock" in bins and recovered seating space, and Silver took over the shopping runs again. This time, however, she was free to bring home anything she found. In quantity. And I kept the dishes washed and food on the table. Ah, back to normal . . . ain't life grand? We had a lot of fun getting ready for this. Our Mandalore Munchies menu took a while to work out. It's not like Sorgan-blue food and drinks are easy to find, you know. Or Yoda-green. Combining Silver's Baby magnet with a lot of shopping trips did the trick, though, and we stocked our shelves with some great stuff. Everyone enjoyed the screening of the two Mando episodes but said that the photo-op corner and food/gift stand were the best part of the day. What? Oh, sorry. Got ahead of myself here. You have NO idea what I'm talking about, have you? Well, watch for the other parts of the story right here on this station. COMING SOON!
Just a quick invite to everyone. Check back right here tomorrow for some real Star Wars Day fun -- Islandshire style. You'll see a lot of familiar faces, as well as a few newcomers, in the crowd. There will be a special screening of the Island's favorite Star Wars episodes, lots of Baby Yoda fun, and special snacks. So, we'll see you then . . . and "May the Fourth" be with you!
After a long month of waiting, the new Truly Me Caring for Baby set has arrived! We preordered within hours of it being released online, and we have been so nervous that it would arrive and be low quality or something disappointing. Not at all. It's amazing! Sis and I both ordered one, because she wants all the pieces for her Truannie (a Baby Polly), and I just need the set . . . don't I?! A quick note about the photo on the box: that's a bad photo! The bottle is not purple, it's clear (as shown in all the online stock photos). And Baby does have lip paint, even though the box shows her very desaturated. So, let's get on with the fun and take a close look at this new baby and her accessories -- as well as comparing her to the original AG "Baby Polly" (or the baby from the retired "Baby and Stroller" set). The BabyOkay, here are a bunch of photos of the new baby. It's precious, and once the pink flowered outfit is removed would make just as wonderful a baby boy for your 18" doll. Unlike the previous doll-sized babies from American Girl, this baby is all vinyl (rather than having a cloth body). It's not hard plastic like a Wellie Wisher, rather the harder (but still soft) vinyl, which I think is more similar to some of the modern mini dolls. Baby sits up super well and has adorable posture. While the stock photos make this baby appear to be AG's classic medium skin tone, it is not. Comparing it to a Logan doll (2017 make, #10 vinyl tone), this is that exact tone. It's very dark painted hair, rather like the 1990s Caucasian Bitty Baby with Brown Hair. Baby also has dark brown painted eyes. Because of the darker coloring on the features, this baby looks equally good when held with a medium-skin tone doll, so there's a lot of scope for character building in your doll world. (Baby looks adorable with Nanea!) Comparing the new baby to Baby Polly (or the baby from the old JLY "Baby and Stroller" set) was quite interesting. The new baby is slightly darker in tone, though our Baby Polly above is rather pale (she's not as dark as Logan). New Baby has almost the same head, though it's slightly closer in style to the modified Bitty Baby. The hands/arms and feet/legs are the very same mold and size on the new Baby as Baby Polly. The hard vinyl body is slimmer than the old-style cloth body of Baby Polly, though you can still pinch the new diapers onto Baby Polly as shown in photos above. The face paint, though very different in coloring, is the very same -- down to the number of eyelashes. Baby's OutfitThis is one cute outfit for your baby girl! She's got a cloth headband with a large bow on it, matching pink-and-white striped pants, and a flowered shirt. The photos above show the new outfit next to the sleeper onesie that came on the baby from "Baby and Stroller" set. The striped pants have an elastic waist and just pull up onto Baby. The flowered shirt velcros up the back. Interestingly, none of the pieces are tagged or marked in any way. The photos above show Baby Polly wearing the new outfit, and the new Baby wearing the onesie from "Baby and Stroller". While the new pieces are a little snug on Baby Polly due to the cloth body (pants slightly short at the waist), she still looks adorable in them and wears them without issue. In the same way, the older onesie is a bit roomy on the new Baby, but it also looks precious! High Chair and AccessoriesThe accessories from this set are so cute and much nicer quality than we'd expected. The high chair comes with the legs off (they snap in permanently), and as a whole piece it feels like the thick solid (almost soft) plastic of the old 1990s Fisher Price doll house pieces and the like. It's quite sturdy. The food tray clips on, but it is easily removable, so you can have it on or off. The baby bottle is clear plastic with baby green handles and a purple star decal. The 18" dolls can hold this super well (especially the Tenney/Logan hand style), which makes it fun for them to feed Baby. Check out the later photos in this entry to see some dolls holding the bottle. The food bowl and spoon are pink and white plastic -- not the best quality, not the worst. Cute. The pumpkin baby food is removable from the bowl, and it's very weighty and a nice piece. The other accessories are really cute, too. Our favorite piece is definitely the container of baby wipes! The box itself is blue and white plastic, and the lid clips shut. Inside are three polyester cloth baby wipes that are completely separate and removable. Next there are two pink polyester diapers (seen in photos above on both the older and newer style babies) with velcro closures, and a polyester bib for baby. While these aren't anything special in material or quality, they're cute and perfectly adequate for this small baby. The changing pad is a bit of a disappointment, but nothing to knock stars away from the set as a whole. It's shiny nylon-like material and has a piece of velcro to keep it folded. It's a bit short for Baby, but for a play thing is likely to be enjoyed. The Babysitting Guide book is printed on coated paper and has fully-readable pages inside. Babies Sitting in the ChairThis chair couldn't be a cuter piece for either the older or newer style babies! Photos above show Baby Polly in the new outfit and sitting in the chair. Even with the cloth body, she sits in there very well. Next up, these photos show the new Baby (in the old onesie) enjoying the chair. And finally, just to finish up with this adorable set -- some photos showing 18" dolls (Bunty and Eliot were only too happy to help with this) standing with the chair and the babies to show the scale of the pieces. All in all, we're thrilled with this set. It's a definite bargain at $48.00 with such a great amount of nice pieces. Looking forward to enjoying some photo shoots with all the fun accessories!
In a rather surprising move, American Girl released a lot of new items on their website this morning for preorder (the new term for their usual "backorder"). Everything has a date of March 31st, and it includes some fun stuff like "Caring for Baby" set for 18" dolls, new Mix-and-Match, Sports outfits, etc. But a real first is the release of a series of Mystery Packs -- theme? Snacks! https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/american-girl-mini-mystery-pack-snacks-hbp53 Click thumbnail photos above to enlarge. For $8.00 +tax, you get two pieces of food packed in a pink sparkly mystery bag. There are some really great pieces in here, and all great quality food that won't disappoint. Every piece is a re-release of previously issued accessories from various AG sets:
(An alternate version of the smoothie is also in the current Wellie Wisher Garden Picnic, along with some other nice food pieces that would go well with all of these.) While it's nice food and a good price, we thought it would be nice to show a doll with each set to illustrate what you do (or don't) get in a pack. Being vegetarian, the only two pieces we're missing are the fried chicken and potato salad (originally from Tenney's Picnic set), so we'll just skip that pack. Nanea was very glad to help out here and volunteered to pose for all the photos! First, we had to locate all the pieces and bring them down in one of the dolls' colorful totes. Take a look at Nanea's bin there. A good look. That's holding the contents of nine mystery packs, equaling $72.00 +tax in doll food. (A complete set would have been $80.00 +tax with the two Tenney items from the final pack.) Here's Nanea with the contents of her bin laid out on the table in front of her. And here's a close-up look at all these dolly food goodies. The following photos show Nanea with the contents of each mystery pack (minus Tenney's chicken and potato salad). We're showing you these so that you're not disappointed when you open your $8.00 +tax mystery pack and it doesn't look like much. We LOVE doll food (and have a lot of it) but still can't help being a bit flattened when the contents of the box laid out in front of you don't feel like you got much for your money. That said, we buy a lot of AG food sets (many duplicates) and always think they're a good value in quality and price. Doesn't mean that everyone thinks we got enough for our money, but every piece that AG put in these mystery packs is a high-quality, nice piece of play food that will hold up to hours of play (or serve as a great addition to fancy set-ups). $4.00 +tax for each of these food pieces, in our opinion, is a nice and much needed addition to AG's offerings. Unlike other mystery packs, duplicates are always welcome when it comes to food! If we didn't already own so much doll food and were starting from scratch, we'd probably be purchasing twenty of these packs. Click photos below to enlarge. Now, Nanea would like you to see what she thinks is worth the WHOLE $72.00 by itself. Plus tax.
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Other TopicsMeet the DollsNaneaBennyHaroldHarriet (aka Bunty)EliotJill and SilverKellyEydie |