Hi there friends! Phoebe here! (Sherlock, Jess, whatever you want to call me. I know the nicknames get confusing😂)

Anyway, you're almost certainly here because you clicked the link in the description of Laughternoons' latest YouTube video, so thank you for that- it's real kind of you to stop by. The reason I'm writing this post is that it's been a really long time since we've made any sort of stop motion video for our channel, and I feel guilty about that. I feel like Emma and I spent an extraordinarily long time creating videos together, building our channel from the ground up, and just remembering all those long summer days when we were laying on the floor taking picture after picture gives me so much nostalgia and the absolute worst longing for the past. We used to get so excited to check our page and see how many subscribers we had gained, and how many sweet comments there were under each video, and I really do miss that time in my life, but things change. And people change.
Today, both of us are teenagers, with jobs, obligations, and final exams. My dolls sit on a shelf in my closet, and their clothing stored in enormous boxes tucked underneath my bed. The simple truth is that neither of us seem to have time for them anymore.
But, and here's where this blog post comes in, as we are entering our senior year of high school (which comes with oh so many responsibilities, college essays, etc.), I recently met with my guidance counselor, and told her that I wanted to pursue filmmaking/animation. This YouTube channel eventually came up in conversation, and she suggested I mention it in my college applications, or in portfolio-type things, since it is a channel of animations after all. I have thought about it a lot since then, and even though I know it might be a little bit of an embarrassing hobby, I try my best not to be ashamed or secretive about it and, make no mistake, I am proud of everything we've accomplished thus far in our YouTube journey. So I have decided that, even if I don't end up using the channel in my portfolios, and even though I don't know how much free time I'll really have this summer, I will continue making videos.
I want to grow this channel even more in the future, and I know the only way to do that is to put out quality content, and to never stop improving. So that's the plan, fellow doll lovers, and I'll see you all in the next video.
Thanks for reading all this. It really means a lot <3
Much love,
Phoebe

My Opinion on Lea Clark, GOTY 2016

Hi everybody! Today I will be writing on my opinion of American Girl's new Girl of the Year (GOTY) for 2016, Lea Clark.

DISCLAIMER: this is my own opinion!! Please don't fight with me over it, but feel free to leave your opinions in the comments!

Here is an image of the doll if you are not familiar:

This is the stock photo for Lea from the American Girl website. 

According to the American girl website, she is inspired by real girls. This is nice to see, considering that in the past, the GOTYs have been extremely unrealistic when it comes to talent for their age. Isabelle was a stage performing dancer in an unrealistic High School Musical like setting. Saige was an amazing artist, with the ability to paint hyper realistic portraits of horses as the age of 10. Although this is a captivating story, GOTYs tend not to be relatable for the everyday girl. At age 10, I certainly wasn't a champion anything, nor am I now. Not to mention, they are supposed to be 10 years old, an in my own opinion, Isabelle, Grace, and Lea all look much older. Grace appeared to me to be wearing makeup (not to say 10 year olds can't wear makeup- it's just not what appeals to most 10 year olds), and Lea looks as if her hair is highlighted. Of course, this is really pushing it, but I do think they look older than 10. Now that I've covered my opinions of GOTYs as a whole, I can move onto Lea herself.

I do not find Lea a pretty doll. I've never liked that facemold, which is probably why I don't like her very much. Her eyes are beautiful, but a little unrealistic, but not as bad as felicity's. Her eyebrows are gorgeous, goals actually, but they do make her look a bit angry. I saw a nice edit on AGIG of her eyebrows moved slightly to fix the "angry face" and it looked great. Her skin tone is beautiful, I absolutely love it. Her hair is very nice too, but from the photos I've seen so far, it's a little bit too high up on her head, making her forehead look very large. I think the girl on the book looks very realistic, but to me, the doll's overall coloring (the hair and the eyes and the skin) look a bit odd. It might just be the photo, though.

I think her collection is one of AG's best. Her outfits are very cute and really reflect the doll's character from the story. I think her purse is adorable, but I heard the dress can be an issue; it might stain the vinyl if left on too long. Her hiking outfit is also super cute, and I love her animals. I think her collection can be compared to those of Lanie and Kanani and Jess. They have similar collections, but Lea's is unique in it's own way. 

Overall, I think Lea is a pretty cute doll, aside from her eyebrows making her look a bit angry and her face mold is not my favorite. Her collection deserves an A+, and her story is pretty nice, but not the most original AG has done. I will not be purchasing this doll, but I think many people will benefit from her original looks. 

I hope you guys enjoyed reading my opinion of Lea. Feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section below.

Lynne

A Letter to 2015.

2015. 
365 days. 
52 weeks... 
and 52 Mondays. Gross. 

Here is my letter to 2015.



Hello 2015,

I can't believe you're finally coming to an end. We've had some pretty great times, and some pretty low ones too. I thought today I'd write to you about these memories. 
I remember the cold. The freezing. The snow days and glory days of your winter storms. The hot chocolate, feeling warm in my throat, and the ache of the bruises on my knees after skiing for an hour too long. The horrendous hours spent trying to film in the snow, only to find the footage didn't come out quite as planned. The pain of my toes starting to warm back up after a chilly photoshoot where I slipped on the black ice. But I also remember the sun. The first warm day of the year. Easter, and that one time I stuck easter eggs on my ears and walked around in public with them. Our two year anniversary on YouTube. My lucky opportunity to travel to Europe, and coming home to see we had gained so many new subscribers. The smile on my face as we celebrated this achievement, and the frown when a stop motion had failed. The decent into summer. Longer days and shorter nights. My birthday swung past, as did my best friend's. School closed it's doors. The stress went away for a few weeks at least. The car ride to camp... the hours spent staring out the window into a vast nothingness. The way my eyes widened when I got cell reception at camp for the first time. That empty feeling when camp was over. The dozens of new contacts in my phone for my new friends. The excitement I felt when I pulled into my driveway. The phone-call I made to my best friend, because even though I had just spent three weeks away in the mountains, and four hours in the car, all I wanted to see was my best friend. I remember the stupid movie we watched that night. I remember discovering Photo Booth, and from it, arose so many hilarious inside jokes. I remember the days becoming a little shorter, and the trip to Maine. The ocean breeze, and salty smell. The meet-up on the beach, and the struggles of doll photography in the wind. I think of the mall, that late August day when I saw the maroons, the navy blues, the army greens, and realized that Autumn was not far away. I remember seeing fall photoshoots way to early for my taste. That horrible feeling of putting on your school uniform for the first time in months, but also the excitement of seeing your friends again. That rush when you realize your best friend is in your favorite class, and the feeling when your assigned seat is next to somebody annoying; but the even better feeling when you find out that "annoying" person is actually pretty cool. I remember the taste of chocolate in my mouth, and the endless bag of candy. The countless days of tears rolling down my face in laughter at the hilarious things said in the group chat, and also the number of days spent with just tears, and no laughter. I remember the beautiful leaves my state is known for in the Autumn, and the way they disappeared so quickly. The oddly warm winter that began, and the taste of bitter thoughts and family feuds upon a Thanksgiving meal. The way my feet ached that day from walking away. I remember the posts about how it's too early for Christmas. I remember the sermons in church about how Christmas was just around the corner. I see the lights every time I close my eyes. The light shows, the light-up sweaters, the lights wrapped around the tree. The taste of peppermint, and the way that the last lunch at school before Christmas is always the best. I remember Christmas morning, and the excitement in my eyes, and seeing my siblings. The sadness the day after Christmas. It's hard to believe it's over. I remember that 2016 is just a few days away, and I remember the year about to be just a memory. I remember you, 2015.

Sincerely,
Lynne 

Autumn!

Autumn is finally here! The time of year when the leaves start to change color, the Halloween decorations are put up, and apple trees are picked clean. The orange, red, and yellow leaves make a gorgeous backdrop for photos, but the cold and windy weather up north can make filming difficult. We apologize if our video output slows down throughout the next few months, but we hope that you will understand.

Thanks!
         ~ The Laughternoons Crew

A Splash of Color ~ Dyeing a Doll Wig

Hey everybody, happy Monday!
I hope all you out there who have already gone back to school had a great day, it can be tough to go back. 
Today, Jess and I got together (after a doctors appointment- yuck!) to dye my new doll Nova's wig. Nova is a Caroline doll. I removed her wig with a spoon and some nail polish remover, then straightened it. Caroline's wig, when it's straight, goes to her knees! 

**Video clips from this blog post will be featured in an upcoming video. 

The basic method of was that we broke open sharpies and removed the dye logs to get the color. 

This first time we tried dying the wig, in a big bowl with 5 sharpies at once, actually didn't work. Unfortunately, the water didn't take the dye, so we had to dump it out and try again. I don't advise just squeezing the dye in from the logs, you have to cut a slit in the dye logs and let the dye pour into the water to get the maximum amount of dye. 

So since that method didn't seem to work... it was back to the drawing board, or should I say, dyeing board. 

This time, we watched some videos for tips.

The next method we tried, which worked, was using one sharpie log mixed with some water and some rubbing alcohol. We then shook it up and put it in a spray bottle. Then, we sprayed the wig

Of course, this took quite a while, and required about 3 batches of the dye (3 sharpies total), for just the base color of the wig. 

We made a few other colors for dyes and added some highlights, which turned out really cute. Now, we just have to let this wig settle for a little bit, and then we can put it on Nova. Can't wait to show it to you!

~Lynne 

Bringing Back our Blog | Day at the Cape

Hello Everybody,

It's been quite a while since our last blog post (sorry!) Our goal for this upcoming year is to increase our presence not only on our channel, but also on our blog (here!) and our Instagram (@laughternoons). 

In order for us to keep these social media platforms running, we need your help. If we release a survey, ask for your questions or input, please help us by participating. Without you guys, none of this fun stuff is possible.

We hope to use this blog to update you weekly on the behind-the-scenes life of a stop motioner. This week's little update will be about our amazing day at the cape last week. 

Every year, Sherlock stays by the beach up north near this beautiful scenery, but last time we met up there, we had ipods instead of cameras for photography! (This was two years ago!) However, this year I (Watson) planned to go up Wednesday and meet her on this beautiful cape about a half hour away. 

Of course, about a week prior to the meetup, I came down with a terrible fever. After a week in bed, and a visit to the doctor (where I had my first blood test! Yikes!), my mother (who was also sick with something else) agreed to take me. The weather the day before casted hail, a small tornado, and very scary lightning, and I was really upset, but the storm passed and suddenly everything was beautiful for our drive up north.

We packed out bags (and my dog!) and drove up, it took only a few hours to get there. I met Sherlock and we drove even further to the cape.

Once we got there, we ran up this huge hill to see our surroundings and unpacked. However, we very shortly discovered the wind was very strong (Saturday's hat kept flying off!!) so we kept moving. (Also, some kids walked by and laughed at us so we moved because it was a little awkward). We found a cozy spot, but some old ladies were doing zumba (not even kidding. ) We filmed very awkwardly and then ran downhill for escape from the wind. We then decided to hike the cliffs! After going back once to find Saturday's hat (after is blew away for the 5274657265th time), we hiked up to the cliffside to find lots of people in the way. We waited for our turn then hiked down the cliffs (very carefully, we had our equipment). We met a few strangers who we told about our channel along the way, which was pretty good. Although we had a few bumps in the road, we had a great time on our adventure and hope to do it again next year. 

Have a great week everyone! My thoughts go out to those of you heading to school this week.... good luck!! 

~ Lynne

North Shore Studios~ Season 3

Chances are, you want to know what happens in NSS season 3. So, here I am. Giving you a sneak peek. You're welcome.

                                     The following is an excerpt from the script:

Teagan: I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard in my entire life!

Margaret: Me either. If Bellerose keeps working us like this, I won’t have enough strength left to compete!

CT: Girls, it’s time to quiet down and start going to sleep, okay? You have another long day ahead of you.

Teagan: She’s right about that.

Margaret: Goodnight, Teagan.

Teagan: Goodnight, Margaret.

Light turns out, and transitions to the next day. Margaret and Teagan are walking down the street to the gym.

Margaret: You know….

Teagan: What?

Margaret: I've always thought that I deserve to win; more than anybody else, even more than you.

Teagan: go on...

Margaret: Well, now I know that we both deserve to win. And I just wanted to tell you how good of a friend you've been to me. Thank you.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH SO CUTE RIGHT?!