Hello dear Doll Diaries friends,
I would like to thank every single one of you who have sent in photos, left comments (all 200,000+ of them), shared our posts, stopped by for how-to’s and crafts, and have become a part of this amazing community. You mean so much to me. From the emails you send me, to the meet ups at American Girl Tysons, you have brought me (and my team) SO MUCH JOY over the past 9.5 years. It is just incredible.
When I started Doll Diaries almost 10 years ago, I never anticipated the journey it would take me on. I never envisioned the community we would build or the friends we would make. It was just another experiment of mine (some of my other web site experiments were not as successful). It was a way for me to share the love of dolls my daughters were developing and to inspire others to find new ways to be creative, as well.
I never imagined that my crazy idea of doing 100 consecutive days of doll play inspiration in June 2012 would be so incredibly popular and eventually lead to three summers of Camp Doll Diaries (2013, 2014, 2015).
But, all those things happened and I am so incredibly grateful for every single comment, email, friendship and business relationship that is the result of Doll Diaries. Really, you have no idea.
Anyone who really knows me, knows that I either do things 100% or not at all. It is just how I am wired. I pour my heart and soul into things that I am passionate about – and for many years, that is how things were with Doll Diaries. As many of you know, I have gone through quite a transition in the past two years. This transition has been hard, but it has been amazing – and has opened up some doors I previously thought were closed. I have been given the opportunity to really focus on the job I love the most again – coaching gymnastics. In many ways it is similar to what I have focused on with the site – inspiring girls to be the best they can be.
My girls are also growing up – one is graduating from high school and the other one is entering high school. While they still have a love and appreciation of dolls, they don’t play with them anymore. Their time spent doing doll crafts and coming up with fun hairstyles for their dolls has been replaced with sports practices, homework, theater and time hanging out with friends.
As my dear Ellowyne demonstrates best, this has been a hard decision for me to make. I have spent many hours thinking about how I could still manage to juggle the time/energy/passion required to make Doll Diaries a success with the time/energy/passion required to be the best coach, Mother and friend I can be. After much deliberation, I have decided it is time for me to “retire” from Doll Diaries.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???
- Camp Doll Diaries – CDD will not happen this summer. As much as I wanted to find a way to make it work, I just can’t. The good news is that there is THREE YEARS or 36 WEEKS of camp themes and activities on the site – use them as inspiration (please do not republish them anywhere without permission), go back and do activities you missed or really enjoyed the first time. You can find them all here: CAMP DOLL DIARIES ARCHIVE or by searching specific topics in the search bar on the right side of the sidebar.
- Sunday Showcase – I know this has been a favorite for many of you. It is my favorite post of the week, too. We are going to take a break from it for now. It may return – who knows?
- Reviews – I have a closet full of goodies I still need to review – once Natalie gets out of school, she is going to be finishing up the reviews as her time permits. We may even do giveaways of some of those items, too.
- Featured Posts – Do you want to write a post for Doll Diaries? I will continue to check my email and if there is a fun reader submitted post, I will happily post it for you. Just follow the instructions on our Get Featured page.
- Karen, Anna and the rest of the Doll Diaries team – I know you have all grown to love the other writers on the Doll Diaries team – just like I have. They are the best – and they have become such great friends, too. You can still keep up with each of them on their own websites – Karen Mom of Three’s Craft Blog, Anna’s Doll It Up, Laura’s Me and My Inkling’s, Brandy’s Happy Home, and JGKelsey’s Journey Girls Adventures. All of them are more than welcome to stop by and add a post to the site when ever they would like, but be sure to visit their sites, too!
- The site in general – well, for the time being, Doll Diaries is going to stay right where it is – which means you can visit any time – download one of our MANY printables, get inspiration for a craft, read a review, visit our merchant partners or continue the conversation on any given post. In the future, I may sell the site – if the right buyer comes along – and I may post from time to time, but for now, I am going to enjoy my “retirement.”
So, if you read that ENTIRE post – you are a rock star! Seriously – that ended up being a lot longer than I had intended.
Until we meet again!!
Wow, I am sad to see you go. I wasn’t a consecutive poster as I am a full time teacher and really don’t have much time to craft until summer which is when I enjoy my favorite hobbie, dollie crafting for my AG’s I participated full time during you CDD in 2013. Boy I did the tshirts, I prepared the campsite and the girl’s dorm. I did the rustic stage and all the printouts, me and the girls who came to play enjoyed sooo much you CDD. We have a lot of pics from this. I also want to give thanks to you from the bottom of my heart for making this a wonderful friendly and inspirational site. Best wishes on your future projects.
THANK YOU for your site! I am almost 22 years old, and it was Doll Diaries that gave me the courage to be more outspoken about my love for dolls. Y’all’s unashamed, outspoken love reignited my passion and let me see that, while it’s not common for an adult to love dolls, it’s okay. I don’t have to hide it . I can be who I am. THANK YOU for being such an inspiration to me! I love Doll Diaries, and while I’ll be sad to see it’s activity winding down, I am happy that you will be doing something else that you are passionate about. I love your site, but I love you guys better. Blessings!! <3
I am sorry to see you retiring from Doll Diaries, but I totally understand why. You have given us so much through this site, I just love all the craft ideas and the reviews you shared with us. Thank you for everything… I’ll miss reading new Doll Diaries posts!
Good luck in whatever you choose to do next! Thank you so much for making Doll Diaries what it has been.
I will dearly miss you! I’ve enjoyed doll diaries for a long time and have many fond memories of your posts. I understand why you need to quit, but I was wondering if you were possibly thinking about a replacement? Maybe you could even hold a contest? It would take a lot of work to set up though and finding a replacement would be hard. I really will miss you and your amazing posts though:) I will never forget when you commented on my camp doll diaries photos last year because it made me feel so special when I was just starting out on AGIG. You are such a kind and sweet person and I wish you the best of luck in your free time ?
Oops that question mark at the end was supposed to be a kissing emoji. Anyways best of luck 😉
Aww! So sorry to see you go. We will miss you!
Hey Char! Sad to see you go! BTW the Hearts For Hearts Girls Dolls are being rereleased!
oh… man
Thank you for everything I really appreciate all the great ideas, pictures, and reviews. I will miss it.
Regards,
Helen in Malden, MA
🙁 I love Doll Diaries so so so much! But I totally get it.. busy..! 🙂 I’ very sad Doll Diaries is what inspired me to start my blog https://thedollsoftexas.wordpress.com which I’ve had fun with! I’ll definetly be going back and looking at Camp Crafts.. because my dolls will still attend my own.. imagined camp! 🙂 Thanks for all the work the Doll Diaries team puts into this! 😀 I’ll miss all of you..
<3
LoneStarDolls
I am going to miss you on doll diaries, I loved all of the fun crafts that you showed us how to do. I am defiantly going to miss the things like CDD. I actually got a craft submitted once to it. Goodbye, we will all miss you! 🙁
Wow. What can I say?
I can’t quite remember how I found this site but I am so, so glad that I did. Not only do I have fond memories of rushing home after school to see what was new on dolldiaries but also of the sites that I found through this site too. I remember how excited I was when my picture was posted on Sunday Showcase, and my friend and I planning our doll summer camps and parties.
Even though I don’t play with my dolls as much as I used to, or check dolldiaries every day like I did, I still love dolls and the doll community and definitely owe so much of that to this wonderful site.
Good luck to you Char, thank you, and all the rest of the dolldiaries team, for always inspiring me.Dolldiaries really means so much to me,
I felt I owed it this one last comment.
J
This is sad news. I will miss Doll Diaries greatly. The forum has given me an opportunity to share my love of doll play with others, to engage in interesting and respectful conversations, and to learn crafts and new ideas to make doll play even more fun.
However, none of the above would be possible without your creativity and dedication, Char. You are to be congratulated for creating a site that is safe, inclusive, respectful and always interesting! You should be justifiably proud of your amazing accomplishment as you look ahead to new adventures. Thank you so very much!
Hey Char,
I’m so happy for you…getting to return to something you love so much, but I too will miss your very inspiring voice. I found your site when AG announced the retirement of Samantha and I followed a link to you while reading the massive outpouring of comments the people dealing with the shock of that event. Since that time, you have been my go-to place for all things dolly. I was delighted the couple of times you featured my photo stories. I agree with others who spoke of you helping to mainstream doll play and collecting. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of this community you created…thank you. I wish you the best of times,
Paula
I really enjoy your website. It’s been an amazing resource for me (my children are all very young and really into doll world). The reviews are all so helpful and I’ve done several craft projects with the kids – huge hits! Thank you for everything and congratulations on moving on to new pursuits!
Back when I was seven, I started reading doll blogs, and yours was so popular, I just HAD to see this amazing blog. I understand why it was so amazing. I am sad to see you retiring, and hope you do post from time to time. I am begging my parents to see if I can get a blog on Blogspot, and I hope that when I do, I will have the honor of you checking it out, and maybe giving me tips. I am 11 and am probably the only girl besides my one of my best friends going into 6th grade who is still into dolls, especially American Girl. Your blog still is one of the greatest in my opinion, and I will still do crafts from other posts. I was always sad that my school starts before many others, this year starting on August 10. So I can make up those crafts. I give you a virtual retirement party, and will miss you. Thank you for the entertainment you have given readers for probably about ten years, and the four years of fun I have had with you.
Wow. Just wow. I can’t believe you are leaving, but I respect your decision. Good luck!
Thank you for all of your time and effort. You’ve shared so many wonderful doll ideas! We always looked forward to your posts! Thank you for sharing so much inspiration over the years! You will be missed — enjoy your next adventure!
Question: how much will you sell Doll Diaries for?
A group of doll bloggers are going to be having a summer doll camp! So if you liked Camp Doll Diaries, then go check it out!
Here’s the link: https://happyhouseofag.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/potential-doll-camp/
A group of doll bloggers are going to be having a summer doll camp! So if you liked Camp Doll Diaries, then go check it out!
Here’s the link: https://happyhouseofag.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/potential-doll-camp/
~Ms. AGdoll~
I’m really sad that you’re retiring — your site was the one that got me to start blogging, and I’ve read nearly every post for the last couple of years! The AG community just won’t be the same without you. But I understand why you’re leaving.
I’m sad that CDD isn’t happening, too. I loved setting up camp and creating photostories about my dolls’ adventures there. Know that a lot of girls are going to be heartbroken over CDD, I decided to start a doll camp on my blog, Happy House of AG! It won’t be nearly as grand as Camp Doll Diaries was . . . it’s only going from mid July to the end of August. But my hope it that it will be a stand-in for Camp Doll Diaries this year.
-Loren
I am so sad to see you stop doll diaries. I lobe all the crafts you make. I look on doll diaries nearly everyday! I hope you keep the website still! I would dearly miss it.
Its so sad that you are done with Camp Doll Diaries. 🙁 this is my first year blogging, and I’m doing my own craft camp! It would be AMAZING if you would do a craft on it! 🙂
~kaitlynrh1 from Kaits AG Crafts~