2016 Tonner Convention Day Three Luncheon Event

Tonight I'm only posting about the luncheon that took place today. I'm so tired, and there's still the doll show tomorrow! It's been a great time, and I'm glad I got to experience it, for sure. I'll finish up the convention report over the next couple of days. I know when I was researching what this convention would be like, I found very little out there, so I hope I can help someone else with this.

Lunch's theme was Cheery Cherry Mary Engelbreit. I've posted pics of Ann Estelle and some of her friends here before, and it seems the line is being started up again. At the luncheon, we also got to see Ann Estelle grown up, into a doll who uses the Ellowyne Wilde body. And the table centerpiece was from Tonner's new 18" My Imagination line, but the doll was wearing a Mary Engelbreit outfit. The one at our table was a brunette, but there were also a blonde, a redhead with short hair, and I think I saw a darker-skinned doll with dark hair. Although the doll in the picture wears glasses, no glasses came with the actual doll. This was probably because the My Imagination dolls don't come with glasses, and the original picture was probably a prototype. The doll's original basic line dress and sandals were also in the box.

The woman who won the centerpiece doll actually wanted to buy her this time! She was the woman who collects American Girl and Magic Attic, so it was right up her alley. She's saving this doll for her granddaughter in a couple of years.

I bought A Bit Younger for myself. She has the Ann Estelle face, but brown eyes, and the new, more articulated, Patsy body. I'll take good pictures of her when I come home. Mary Engelbreit herself was at this event. There was a video about her career over the years, and then there was a short Q&A period. I asked how old 10" Ann Estelle is supposed to be, as I've wondered for a while. Robert said he pictured her as 6 to 7, while Mary pictured her as 7 to 8. So they settled on 7. :) Afterwards, Robert and Mary had a signing session. I had both of them sign my certificate of authenticity for A Bit Younger.

I brought my Ann Estelle and Lilah to this luncheon. They attracted some attention, especially Lilah, who is a rarer doll. I made them matching sister outfits, some of which I threw together right before the event! But I got to meet a couple of new people who saw me with the dolls, so it was worth it.