So while in Manhattan, I stayed with my old Wonka friend, Eric. On Tuesday, I had some time before meeting up with a friend of mine from back home, so Eric and I went to grab lunch and walk around midtown and do a little bit of shopping that he needed to do. One of the stops was to the American Girl store on 5th Ave, to buy his niece a birthday present. I'd never been to one before...but I figured it's a doll store so no big deal. WELL FOLKS, it is a big deal. Because it is scary beyond BELIEF in there. It is not just a doll store....there are doll hair studios, a doll hospital, a CAFE where you can eat and they bring a little doll-sized high chair up to the table for your doll, a photo studio to get pictures with your doll, and the list goes on and on and on. There is even the option for a PERSONAL SHOPPER for your American Girl doll. With your personal shopper to guide you, you can head to the shopping for REAL little girls....where all the clothing racks have a doll with an outfit in a glass case on top of them - and then are full of human-sized clothes of that exact outfit to purchase for yourself. (I asked to try on some of the leggins...but I guess they haven't expanded their line into the PLUS sizes......) And if you happen to need a break from shopping? Head to the 3rd floor to see 2 of the LIVE MUSICALS that play everyday....about American Girl characters.
What was CREEPIEST about it, though, was not the zomie-like state that mothers and some poor dad's were in as their daughters dragged them from floor to floor to partake in the madness of the store. It was the dolls themselves. As I sat down in a reading area and waited for Eric to make his selection (which he ended up with a play tower for a cat - because his niece's American Girl doll has an American Girl cat and, evidently, it was getting bored without it's American Girl cat tower, naturally), I felt a pair of eyes on me. So I finally looked to my right, and saw not 2 eyes, but like 6 pairs of eyes on me. The AG dolls are sold in these solid boxes - with only ONE little circle peep-hole to see in or out of the box...and their faces stare out of the box, with a longing that says "BUY ME. BUY MEEEEEE!" And there were 6 of them just staring at me. Glaring into my soul. So I quickly looked away, after we all made eye-contact, and looked to my left to see if I could find Eric, and there were 4 more staring at me. Intensely. I broke THEIR gaze and thought to myself, "Just look straight ahead...you'll be fine." Straight ahead, YOU GUESSED IT...like 12 more pairs of eyes, peeking at me from inside the packaging. Creeped out beyond belief at this point, I look away and notice Eric is paying and I'm thrilled. SO I hop up and head over to the register....ONLY to realize that I stopped where 8 more sets of eyes are staring up at me - and I can FEEL atleast that many staring at my back.
Luckily, Eric paid and we made our way out of the store...complete with Eric's ENORMOUS red bag that announced to everyone in Manhattan that we had just spent some quality time at the American Girl Cult Headquarters on 5th Avenue. I don't think I'll ever be the same after that trip inside. And I'm pretty sure those beady little eyes, full of longing and boxed-pain, will stay with me for years to come. Even sitting hear today, I can hear their American Girl voices whispering with the winds in Manhattan........"BUY ME. BUY MEEEEEEEEE........." Someone is coming for you, you American Girl. Hold on........
Eric attempts to find the perfrect AG gift for his niece. While I sit in the reading nook.
My first glance to the right...
and then to the left... (notice the one on the far right even turned her HEAD to look directly at me.....)
and then straight ahead.
Waiting for Eric to pay.
We survived our day 'on the inside.'
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