Month: April 2012

The American Girl Store

On Wednesday, we made the long-awaited trip to the brand new American Girl Store at Chesterfield Mall, in Chesterfield, MO. (The store’s “soft opening” began Wednesday; the Grand Opening is this weekend.) Of course, the girls were very excited about going, but I have to admit, I was pretty excited myself. I’ve had an American Girl doll for over 20 years, now, but had never actually been to one of the stores, so I had no idea what to expect. Even if I had had an idea in my head, I’m sure it wouldn’t have come to close to what the store actually is, from the sheer vastness of it and the way the displays are arranged to the “Doll Salon” and the charming little Bistro.

When we first walked in, we were greeted by a (somewhat overly) enthusiastic saleswoman.Her knowledge of the products and the history of the company was commendable, and she was very good at talking with the girls, (not to mention listening to them!), and directing them toward the things that would interest them the most. She also gave us a brief tour of the store, and explained how the different areas were set up. One thing that surprised me was that the “salon” was right in the middle of the store, and the dolls that were being “styled” were on full view for anyone who wanted to watch. For some reason, I thought that this would have been done in the back, out of sight.

From the center, the store was divided into a few main sections. On one side, were the dolls we were there to look at–the historical collection. The displays were very eye-catching, and set up in many different and interesting ways. There was, of course, a display for each  doll, to showcase her entire collection. There were also smaller vignettes set up here and there, to showcase something in particular…for example, new items in a collection, like Cécile’s and Marie-Grace’s new summer items, (what we were looking for), or a particular theme, like the bedtime collections for each doll.

Another side of the store was dedicated to the “My American Girl” collection–the line of modern dolls which are offered in a variety of hair colors and styles, and skin and eye colors, so that they can be customized to look like any girl.

And let’s not forget the Bitty Baby section in the back–that was Ladybug’s favorite part of our shopping trip!

The Bistro was also adorable…we didn’t go on Wednesday, but we did have a fun time peeking inside!

My only real complaint about the store was the way the check-out line was organized. It seems like there could have been a more efficient way to have people get through the line, because if you had a lot of items on the way to the register, or a large bag on the way out, you were certain to bump into somebody else in line, or knock over a display, or both.

It was a fun shopping trip. Because of the distance, (not to mention the cost!), it’s not a place we’ll be going often, but I’m sure we’ll go once or twice a year, to check out new items, or to go to the Bistro. Plus, I can’t wait to see what the store looks like at Christmas. I’m also looking forward to the day when we can go back and I can take the girls to have tea (or hot chocolate) in the Bistro!

April 21–Anselm of Canterbury

From the LCMS website:

Born in Italy in 1033, Anselm is most closely associated with England, where he served as Archbishop of Canterbury for many years. A brilliant scholar and writer, Anselm used his political skills with the British kings on behalf of the established Christian church, affirming that it is the leadership of the church and not the state which has the responsibility of establishing structure and maintaining order among the clergy. Anselm is especially remembered for his classic book, Why God Became Man, which taught that the reason for the incarnation was that Jesus, the Son of God, would suffer and die in place of sinners.

April 20–Johannes Bugenhagen

I have to admit, I love Johannes Bugenhagen’s name. It’s very fun to say out loud–especially the last name! He’s also very cool because he served as Luther’s father confessor, and was a great scholar in his own right.

From the LCMS website:

Johannes Bugenhagen (1485-1558), from Pomerania in northern Germany, was appointed pastor of Wittenberg in 1523 through the efforts of Martin Luther and thus served as Luther’s own pastor and confessor. One of the greatest scholars of the Reformation era, he helped translate the New Testament into Low German and wrote a commentary on the Psalms. He also worked to organize the Lutheran Church in northern Germany and Denmark, journeying to Copenhagen where he crowned both King and Queen and consecrated seven men to the offices of superintendent and bishop.

Book Review: The Beauty Book

Thomas Nelson provided me with a copy of The Beauty Book by Nancy Rue, (author of “The Lily Series”), to review. This is a book meant for seven- to eleven-year-old girls, and deals with issues like hair and skin care, make-up, body piercings, tattoos, (?!?), and weight. It’s written in the style of a magazine, with lots of real questions and answers, quizzes, and journaling activities, (called “The Lily Pad”–cute).

I really wanted to like this book. The idea of a book that deals with these issues from a Christian appeals to me as a parent. Unfortunately, I wasn’t happy with the implementation, as the idea falls flat, in my opinion. While it does explore real issues that girls may face, I think that it could also end up putting ideas in girls’ heads, (especially girls on the younger end of the suggested age range). For example, weight…this is something that isn’t even on my seven-year-old’s radar, and while it might be for some, I don’t want to start her thinking that this something she needs to worry about. The same could be said for any of the other issues explored–frizzy hair, bad skin, etc. At such a young age, I don’t think girls need to be told that these are matters of concern, (it’s different if the girl brings it up herself, as a matter of personal concern), and they’re not even issues that every girl will face before the onset of puberty.

The other thing that I really dislike about this book are the “Talking to God About It” sections. I really hate the idea of forced prayer like that for any age, but especially for young children. I really don’t want my chid praying a prayer written by a person I don’t know, for a purpose I don’t really “get.” And the fill-in-the-blank nature of many of the prayers is just annoying…prayer shouldn’t be treated like one of the quizzes in the book, or a test, or anything other than what it is–praying to God.

Maybe this book will work for some families, but certainly not for ours–I can’t recommend it at all.

The King’s Speech

This is the culminating speech from The King’s Speech. It’s also the actual speech delivered by King George VI during WWII. This is a great example of an inspiring speech by a leader at a time when it was needed the most.

In this grave hour, perhaps the most fateful in our history, I send to every household of my peoples, both at home and overseas, this message, spoken with the same depth of feeling for each one of you, as if I were able to cross your threshold and speak to you myself. For the second time in the lives of most of us, we are at war. Over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies. But it has been in vain. We have been forced into a conflict, for we are called to meet the challenge of a principle, which, if it were to prevail, would be fatal to any civilized order in the world. Such a principle, stripped of all disguise, is surely the mere primitive doctrine that might is right. For the sake of all that we ourselves hold dear, it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet the challenge. It is to this high purpose that I now call my people at home, and my peoples across the seas, who will make our cause their own. I ask them to stand calm and firm and united in this time of trial. The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead, and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield. But we can only do the right as we see the right, and reverently commit our cause to God. If one and all we keep resolutely faithful to it, then, with God’s help, we shall prevail. Colin Firth as King George VI in The King’s Speech (as taken from an actual speech by King George VI)

Booze Soaked Cheesecake–Chocolate Irish Cream

This is a wonderful, rich, cheesecake, which can be made even more special with the addition of an Irish Cream and Chocolate Ganache, and Irish Whipped Cream!

Cheesecake

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 15 cookies)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, powdered’ sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at medium speed until well blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed. Pour filling over baked crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, and continue baking for 60 minutes.
With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Top with chocolate ganache while cheesecake is at room temperature, if desired. Chill before serving.

Ganache

  • 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 Tbsp. heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. Irish Cream liqueur
  • 1 tsp. instant coffee granules
Melt chocolate over low heat with cream, liqueur, and coffee granules. Cool slightly, then smooth over the top of the room temperature cheesecake.

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2-3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Irish Cream liqueur
Beat cream until soft peaks just begin to form. Add sugar and liqueur; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Dollop on cheesecake just before serving.

Quote of the Day

…The house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes. The house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you bet and you bet big, then you take the house. George Clooney as Danny Ocean in Ocean’s Eleven