Big Valentine's Day

Oy, vay... Bridget, Nanea, my mom and I all went out for a loooong day of fun this Valentine's day! We started off going to Sam's Club (my local area doesn't have a Costco, we have Sam's Club instead). I found 2 things: 1) I really need to build up my doll-outing confidence (I was shy thanks to the looks people would give me) and 2) AMERICAN GIRL STUFF! (Okay, so it was only books but... it's something.).

They had Luciana's 1st book and Beforever mysteries featuring Caroline, Samantha, Rebecca, Kit and Maryellen (I think).

The doll hair salon! I didn't get it because I flipped through the book and didn't find any cool hairstyling tricks I already don't know...

Then, we went to our local museum (which is free, by the awesome way). I didn't take too many pictures because I feel like that'd spoil the fun of the museum, so I mainly focused on African American history-related stuff - the good and the bad. But first, a quick picture of Nanea with a bowl shaped like a canoe! I can't remember who it was made by but was made by an Islander group similar to Hawaiians. 

They had a cute Native American vase on display that had a child-like handprint in it... It reminded me of something Bridget would do!

Being the hair lover that I am, I had to snap a pic of the ancient Roman hairpins! This was the early form of your ponytail holders and scrunchies... I also love the vases. 

This is a corn husk bonnet. It reminded me of something Kaya, Addy or Kirsten/Bridget would wear... I'd love to figure out how to make one.

I could spot this one from a mile away... African cloth! Very beautiful... (For more history about African textiles, see my Family Quilt post). This particular piece is an agbada, a long and flowing wide and long-sleeved robe worn by the men of most of West Africa.  

The description on the plaque beside this cloth is "strip-woven cotton with wool and silk embroidery, c. early 20th (the 1900s) century, Nigeria... This agbada robe, in particular, the spiral design on the left front panel, demonstrates the masterful embroidery of the Hausa people of Nigeria. The dense openwork, which resembles lace, is created using a modified buttonhole stitch technique. Such elaborate displays of needlework are found only on the most expensive Hausa robes. Though decoration in Hausa textiles borrows largely from Islamic motives the aska biyu ("two knives") pattern seen here pre-dates Islamic cultural diffusion and is therefore solely Hausa in origin. It is likely intended to serve a symbolic function as a talisman against negative spiritual forces."

I'll post the rest of the pictures of the museum later because there are soooo many!~ But I promise I will. Probably as a Media Monday or something? Who knows...

Oh, and we went to Tuesday morning and got a new doll. Here's a clue to who/what she is... Her name starts with a J and Caddicarus did a review on a video game she was in...