The year was 1999. I was nine years old. The item at the top of my Christmas list came from this wonderful catalogue, American Girl’s first holiday “wish book”:
I badly wanted this, the special edition Year 2000 Outfit:
How could I possibly have been able to welcome a new millennium and survived the Y2K bug if Abby didn’t have a sparkly purple outfit to wear on New Year’s? Everyone else was buying bottled water thinking the world was going to end along with the century, but I was blissfully drooling over my American Girl wish book. Ahh, the life of a nine-year-old.
On Christmas morning, though, amongst many other wonderful presents, I opened not the American Girl Year 2000 Outfit, but this close alternative made by my creative and determined mother:
She apologetically explained that when she called American Girl to place the order for the outfit (nope, no online ordering in those days) they were out of stock. Apparently it was pretty popular that year! I wasn’t bothered and was perfectly content with the purple, sparkly, spangled dress that my mom had created to convey the same look as the one from American Girl. Abby wore it happily on December 31st to ring in the new year. Well, maybe she stayed up until midnight to ring in the new year. I don’t remember for sure, but I can be fairly certain that I stuck to my 8:30 bedtime that night.
This year for Christmas, 17 years later, look what I opened up! My sister, who adores the late nineties AG outfits, gave me this incredibly thoughtful gift:
Though there is no Y2K to ring in this year, Abby is bringing her 1999 style to the year 2017! I’m not sure that I’m much more prepared to stay up until midnight now than I was as a nine-year-old, but maybe Abby’s sparkle will be my inspiration!
I can’t believe 2016 is almost over! Do you and your dolls have fun New Year’s plans?
She'll Go Down In Herstory 
Love the story. What a thankful kid you were to be able to appreciate your mom’s homemade interpretation of the outfit, and how wonderful the AG outfit made it’s way back to you so many years later.
Side note, our most recent PWP outfit is a lavender sparkle outfit!
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Very cool! I love the story too. I have the recent PWP and this sparkly outfit and hope to do a post showing both very soon.
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The dress your mom made is so cute! How sweet of her to make it, & how sweet of your sister to get you the original all these years later! Either way, you can’t go wrong with purple & sparkly! I don’t know if I’ll be staying up til midnight this year either, but maybe my dolls will get to have a NYE party! They can stay up as late as they want as long as they don’t wake me 😉
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That’s amazing! What a thoughtful gift with a fun story. I can’t believe how long ago Y2K was. I spent the night with a friend but my mom made me take a walkie-talkie because she was a little worried the world was going to end, haha.
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Fun gift, great story! Happy new year!
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I actually like the one made by your mom better, but I’m glad you finally got your New Year’s Holy Grail. Happy New Year!
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This made me smile because I am that same mom who would totally work to create an even sparklier outfit to make up for it. 🙂 ❤
Abby looks very ready for a Happy New Year now!
ginnie / http://www.fakingitmostly.com
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Thanks! That is so awesome, your daughter will be so grateful for all of your creative projects one day!
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I too just bought the year 2000 outfit with all it’s accessories even 2000 confetti was there . 17 years later . then I read your story . I may give it up someday if my daughter Megan , who was born in 2000 , has a little girl when she grows up. But I always wanted this outfit . now it’s finally mine !
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ma’am the skirt seam goes to the side… just like on a human A-line skirt…
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