Elizabeth Cole - 1775

My Elizabeth's story really begins with my custom Ariel. I'd gotten the idea to use the body from a seldom-displayed custom doll and swap her head with one from a pre-loved doll that I could transform into Ariel. That pre-loved doll ended up being an Elizabeth with such a sweet expression, I almost didn't have the heart to keep going forward with my plans. Luckily, the Ariel wig I'd ordered arrived the same day she did, and that gave me the push I needed to continue.

But even after Ariel was complete, I couldn't stop thinking about how pretty Elizabeth was! I'd never seen one in person before -- she'd been discontinued three years before I'd started collecting -- and her stock photos kind of did her dirty...

Why are there such dark shadows around her eyes...?

(See what I mean? She looks a little creepy with dark circles around her eyes and very little paint to her lips. Who signed off on this shot?! How did they fail at capturing her loveliness?!)

I decided to keep checking eBay to see if a nicer Elizabeth showed up (i.e. one that didn't have a choppy haircut, and hopefully still had her pin curls intact). I quickly learned that a lot of people seem to think that even the most TLC Elizabeth is worth a lot (at least during the time I was looking -- I know doll prices tend to ebb and flow). I saw dolls that were covered in stains and smears, with ratty hair, missing eyelashes, stuck eyes, and a variety of other issues. They seemed WAY too expensive for the amount of work they'd need to restore completely.

I started trying to find listings that didn't necessarily know they had an Elizabeth -- searching for things like "American Girl blonde blue eyes." After hunting this way for a while, I found a TLC Elizabeth that was being sold for $25. From her frizzy, matted hair alone, I could tell she'd been very loved. I knew I could probably figure out how to clean her body (I didn't see any difficult marks to remove), but her hair was definitely beyond saving. Her face was a little grimy, and although her eye sockets were the same size, her eyes seemed to be looking in slightly different directions. Still, she was definitely much cheaper than the "new" (but removed then replaced in the box) dolls I saw going for $200 or more. I could definitely save a lot if I attempted to restore her, but I wasn't completely sure I was skilled enough to do the job. At the same time, I did really want her to have her original wig -- complete with her pin curls. I'm not the biggest fan of them on Marie-Grace, but I love them on Elizabeth and Felicity.

Then I remembered that when I'd bought my McKenna, she'd been "new" via the Doll Hospital. In other words, both her head and body had been replaced, so she was technically new, but was missing her meet outfit, accessories, and book. I began to toy with the idea of doing the same with the TLC Elizabeth. Elizabeth had been retired since 2011, but from what I could see on Reddit, people were still able to get her head replaced.

I decided to try. As soon as TLC Elizabeth arrived, I carefully wrapped her up, then sent her off to the Care Center. In the notes section, I asked them to please find me a head with eyes that were even and symmetrical eye sockets. I'd seen one unfortunate new head on Reddit and hoped mine wouldn't be as bad. Worst case, I could always continue to scour eBay for a nicer head and then use the new Elizabeth head's wig. I was determined to end up with a good Elizabeth!

And luckily, I did!

Miss Elizabeth Cole! Back from the Doll Care Center!

The Doll Care Center found an absolutely beautiful Elizabeth head for me! She arrived on April 1st, so -- partially inspired by her book, Very Funny, Elizabeth! -- I decided to play a little joke with her! I actually managed to trick a few people, too -- including my own sister! ;D

It's funny, the Elizabeth who became Ariel had a very spunky look that worked perfectly for her new character...

Technically my "first" Elizabeth (now Ariel)

And this Elizabeth has a very sweet and elegant face. It's amazing how different the same doll can be -- especially when you change up their wigs and face paint!

Elizabeth Cole and Ariel (a.k.a. Formerly Elizabeth Cole)

Elizabeth has quickly become one of my favorite dolls, and having her has weirdly been very healing. I know it's not remotely the same thing, but in some way, after spending so much time in hospitals with my dad and having him ultimately pass away, it's nice to have a happy outcome in a situation with a "hospital."

Part of me feels a little like I need to be really careful with Elizabeth. She's retired and it took so much time and hunting to find her and get her restored. But I'm trying to push those thoughts aside and just enjoy her. It actually reminds me a little of when I got my Magic Attic Club Megan as a kid. I knew she was expensive and I was super careful with her, but I eventually realized I didn't need to be extremely cautious with how I played with her, I could actually treat her like the toy she was. (As a side note, my Megan is actually in pretty good shape! She needs to be restrung (thanks to the heat of our old apartment) and her hair could use some hot water treatment, but her face paint and vinyl are pretty much perfect).

Lizzie celebrating Easter

I feel like lately I have Lizzie around more often than not! She hangs out on the table with me while I'm working on different tasks, and she's been my guinea pig/almost dress form/model as I work on becoming better at sewing.

These shorts aren't great, but Lizzie makes them look good!

So far, she's helped me with a pair of recycled denim jeans, some graphic t-shirts, and most recently, something for the upcoming AGIG Ren Faire on Instagram. I'll be posting her outfit here after the faire takes place on May 11th and 12th.

Beautiful Elizabeth

Elizabeth can pull off both modern and historical looks so flawlessly. I really have yet to find something I don't like her in.

I'm so, so happy I have her in my collection. Meet Felicity was the first American Girl book I read as a kid (I absolutely LOVED horses), and reading Elizabeth's book reminded me how much I enjoyed her story. I'm not the biggest fan of Felicity's intense green eyes (which is why I opted to get Kirsten instead during the 35th anniversary doll re-release), so it's nice to have her best friend instead! And between the two, I think I share a lot more personality traits with Elizabeth than Felicity.

Expect to see a lot more of her on Instagram (and here) as I continue to try new sewing projects. I want to try my hand at is making something more 1770's for her to wear -- but first, a shift that she can wear under her pink meet dress. ...And some good jean shorts. Everyone needs a good pair of jean shorts.

Welcome, Lizzie! ♥

#ElizabethCole