Goodbye, Tiana!

Okay, famous last words...I didn't get this post done before the weekend.  Sorry!  I guess I shouldn't make promises unless I know for sure that I can keep them. :}

So let's see, where were we?  Oh yes, Tiana and Naveen.  Now that you've had the quick version of the story, it's time to go back and give you all of the juicy details. ;)

Tiana and Computer Naveen exchanged emails for weeks.  The more they chatted, the more Tiana was convinced that he was the Naveen she'd been waiting for.  They even emailed each other pictures.  Here's the one that Naveen sent:

It was hard to tell from the pic if he had the same lopsided face mold that Tiana remembered, but she was still sure that it had to be him.  

"No one else but my Naveen would know what this Naveen knows.  It's gotta be him," she insisted over and over again.

I was happy for this, but I was still concerned about the fact that Beast'sbelle had ordered a Naveen from the Disney Store.  So at my first opportunity, I asked her about it.  

It turns out that Beast'sbelle's Naveen was sent back to the store.  After Beast'sbelle heard Tiana's story, she was determined to reunite her with the right Naveen (I knew she would...Beast'sbelle is a hopeless romantic!). ;)  So when the Naveen she ordered came, she quizzed him and realized he was not Tiana's Naveen.  She apologized but told him that she'd have to send him back.  To her surprise, he was actually relieved.  It turns out he had his own special Tiana that he'd been separated from, and while he wasn't looking forward to the long trip back, he was hoping that he'd be able to find her again.  

I was so glad to hear that at least this part of the situation was taken care of.  But I still wondered how we could get them together.  When I asked Beast'sbelle about it, she just smiled mysteriously and said, "I have an idea."  But she wouldn't say any more about it.

About a week later, Beast'sbelle pulled Rapunzel and I aside.  "Naveen is going to be here this afternoon," she announced.  She didn't get any farther.  Rapunzel and I instantly attacked her with all sorts of questions.  "Later," she promised.  "Right now, I need your help.  You need to make sure that no one is in front of the white bookshelf at 1 PM...but Tiana needs to be there, of course.  I want their reunion to be something special.  Tell Tiana she needs to stay there because we have a surprise for her."  

Rapunzel and I assured her that we'd spread the word.  My mind was spinning with all kinds of unanswered questions.  How had Beast'sbelle pulled it off?  Would Tiana guess?  Were we sure he was really the right guy? What would happen next?

Trying to shove all of these thoughts aside, I focused on telling all of the dolls to steer clear of the white book shelf at 1 PM.  Tiana was a little confused by our request, but played along.  She's pretty easy-going.  

At 1 PM precisely, Tiana was waiting alone by the white book shelf.  Well...almost alone.  Rapunzel and I couldn't resist peeking around Emma and Charlie's wardrobe to see what happened.  ;)

The door opened, and Beast'sbelle came in, grinning from ear to ear and hiding something behind her back.  I recognized that look.  It was the same smile she'd worn when she'd brought Robby in to meet me on that day so long ago.  There was nothing she loved better than pairing her dolls up.  At least in this case, Tiana would (hopefully) be happy with the result. :}

Beast'sbelle brought her hands out from behind her back, and there he was.  She gently set Naveen down on the dresser in front of the white book shelf, winked at Tiana, gave Rapunzel and I a teasing stern look, and left the room.

Naveen and Tiana just stood there for a moment, staring at each other.  Naveen seemed nervous, but he had a big smile on his face.  I couldn't see Tiana's face, but I'm sure she was in shock.

Then he started talking.  "Tiana, I..."

That was all it took.

"It's you!" she whispered, her voice choked with tears.  Without another word, she ran over to him and they embraced, holding onto each other as if they'd never let go.

Rapunzel and I were wiping our eyes and sniffling together from our hiding spot.  It was just like watching a movie, but it was even better because it was our friend who was in the middle of it. 

As they pulled away from each other, Rapunzel and I slipped away, deciding to give them some privacy.  Well, as much privacy as you can have in a room filled with dolls, that is. ;)

They talked for a long time.  After a while, they left the room, most likely to take a walk somewhere.  Rapunzel, Isabella and I were dying to know details, but we knew we'd have to wait until we caught Tiana alone, which would be no easy task. 

Our chance finally came later that evening, when Naveen was visiting with Robby, Eugene, and Ben.  We all cornered Tiana and begged her to share as much as she was willing to.  

"It was just wonderful, the whole day..." Tiana began dreamily, her soft Southern drawl caressing each word.  "We talked about everything that happened to us since we've been apart, shared our dreams, told each other how much we'd missed each other.  I don't know...it's hard to describe everything in detail."

"So the big question is...will he be living here with us now?" Isabella questioned, her lovely French accent even thicker than usual in her excitement.

Tiana's face fell.  "Well...no.  That's the only drawback."

We all gasped.  "Why ever not?" Isabella asked, almost indignantly.

"He was purchased by a little girl who loves him dearly," Tiana explained patiently.  "He told me it would break her heart if he left her home."

"But what about your heart?" Rapunzel asked gently.

Tiana looked down at her hands.  "Well," she said again.  I could tell she was hesitant to share this next bit of information.  "that's the other part you're not going to like so much.  He's..." she paused.  "He's invited me to go to his human's house with him."

We were all very quiet at this news.  Tiana seemed to mistake it for anger. 

"I know it's sudden, and I hate to leave all of you, but after today I realized that I don't want to be without Naveen.  He said he wants to marry me and live together for the rest of our lives."

"He wants to marry you?" I asked happily.  "You didn't share that part of your day with us."  

Tiana blushed.  "I was going to.  And he hasn't really asked yet...not officially, that is.  It just came up in the course of our conversation."

'So, when are you going?"  asked Rapunzel.

"Tomorrow," Tiana said softly.  "Naveen could only get away for a day.  His human girl misses him, and she's very anxious to meet me.  Apparently she's been wanting a Tiana for a while, but Naveen begged her to wait until he could find me."

"That was nice of her to wait, especially for such a little human," Isabella offered, trying to sound cheerful.

Tiana's eyes filled with tears.  "I'm going to miss all of you so much!" she blurted out.  

We all started crying then, and shared a four-way hug.  After a while, Tiana laughed through her tears.  "I really am happy about this, I promise!"

Our laughter drowned out our tears, and we decided to try to forget our sadness and just be happy for our friend for the rest of the time we had her with us.

All too soon, it was the next morning and time for Naveen and Tiana to say goodbye.  We all gathered in front of the white shelf to send them off.

It showed just how much impact Tiana had in the short time she'd been with us.  I mean, even Ben came to say goodbye.  I think I might even have noticed a tear or two escape from him.  That's huge, as you all know by now. ;)  I think she made him cookies once, so that could have been part of it.  But if I know her, it was more than the cookies.  It was the way she genuinely cared about all of us.

Tiana was simply radiant as she stood next to Naveen.  He looked like the happiest doll in the universe with her by his side.  I was so thankful that my friend would finally be reunited with the doll she'd waited for.

It was hard to feel sad when Tiana was so happy, but I have to admit I still felt a twinge of grief as I watched her go.  I'd grown to love Tiana like a sister, and I would miss her terribly.  We all would.  

Beast'sbelle took some pictures of them before they left, and she said she'd print one out for us to remember Tiana by.  I knew we didn't need a picture to remember such a wonderful friend, but it was nice to have the reminder anyway.

It's been a week now since Tiana's been gone.  We heard that she made it safely to her new home, and she and Naveen are already discussing a small, private wedding ceremony with Tiana's new human.  I'm sure it will be lovely.  Meanwhile, we're still working on adjusting to life without our friend over here.  

More to come later, dear readers.  I'm sorry for leaving you in suspense for so long. ;)

Quite Embarrassed

I am so sorry for my lack of posts recently.  The summer is flying by, and our days are full of trying to keep out of Beast'sbelle's daughter's way and yet still keep up some sort of regular routine.  The Olympics have really messed things up, too.  Belle'sbeast has been watching the recorded Olympics on the computer as soon as he gets home from work, which was my best blogging time.

I can't give you as much detail as I'd like to, but I can give you basics on Tiana.  The short version of her tale is that she's no longer with us.  It's difficult because she was such a great friend and we all really miss her.  But the good news is that she and Naveen are together!!  And yes, computer Naveen turned out to be the real deal!!  I just don't have time to fill you in on all the details now, but I promise to update you properly before the weekend is done. :)

Thanks for being so patient with me.  I'll try to be better at getting my regular posts up.  I'll also be sure to update you on everyone else:  Ben, Isabella, Robby, Eugene, Rapunzel, their girls, and the newbies (we have several now, and that's been a rather interesting adjustment!).

Until then. :)

Updates Galore

I'm back again, dear readers! :)  Now that Beast'sbelle has returned from her trip, we all have the chance to get caught up on our blogs once more.  And what a lot I have to tell you about!

First, Tiana did decide to email Naveen back.  She sent her first email with Beast'sbelle there watching to make sure everything was okay, and after that, Tiana promised Beast'sbelle that she would only email him when someone else was there with her (for security purposes).

At first, their emails were cautious and halting.  Tiana asked him a little bit about himself, and then started shooting him random trivia that only her Naveen would know.  What was the first thing you did when we first met?  she asked.  I winked at you, he replied, and I think it startled you a bit.

Okay, then what was my favorite song to sing at our all-night sing alongs? she quizzed him.  "Honor to Us All" from Mulan came the swift reply.

What about my favorite food?

Spaghetti, if I remember correctly.

My dream? she asked again.

To learn how to play the banjo.

The questioning continued throughout all of this last week, and every question was answered correctly.  Tiana was getting cautiously excited.

"I really think it could be him, Belle," she said in her soft drawl.  "He knows things that no one but Naveen should know.  I mean, he's answering questions that you wouldn't even know the answer to!"

"So what are you going to do?" I asked her.

"I don't know yet," she admitted.  "I don't want to rush into anything.  I think I'll probably just keep emailing him for a while."  She gave me a light smile.  "I've waited this long for him...it won't hurt to wait a little bit longer."  Even as she said it, though, she couldn't disguise the excitement in her eyes.  I really hope everything works out for her.

I haven't had a chance to ask Beast'sbelle about the Naveen she was ordering from the Disney Store yet.  Hopefully I'll get a chance in the next day or so.

In other news, Cordelia will be finding a new home.  Beast'sbelle said that she's just not a good fit, and she wants Cordelia to find a place where she can be really happy.  In a way, it's sort of a relief.  She's never really meshed with the rest of us, and it's been a bit awkward at times.  I feel sorry for her, though.  Hopefully Beast'sbelle will be able to find her a good home.

Beast'sbelle also informed me today that she brought a new Belle doll home from the Disney Store.  I'm a little bit nervous to meet her.  Overall, I feel pretty secure here, but I can't help that slight panicky feeling I get every time a new Belle doll is added to the collection.  One of these days, I just know Beast'sbelle will find one that she likes better than me.  Then what will happen?  I'm trying not to borrow trouble, like Robby says, but it's hard not to live in my imagination.  The life of a doll is full of many unknowns.

I guess that's about all for now.  Sorry about the lack of pictures for this post...I just wanted to get you all updated with as much news as possible.  Next time I'll try to have another "real" post for you. ;)

Talk to all of you again soon!

An Email for Tiana

This morning, Beast'sbelle let me know that I had an email on her Gmail account for the blog.  I was pretty excited about it!  I normally don't get fan mail like the 18 inchers do.  So, of course, at my first possible opportunity, I confiscated the laptop (our desktop isn't working at the moment...Beast'sbelle somehow killed it while signing up for a free month of Netflix) to read my email.

The subject line said "Attn:  Belle of Belle's Bulletins".  My eyes went down to the email and scanned its contents.  Here's what I read:

Belle:

  Greetings, my name is Naveen.  I happened to come across your blog while surfing the Internet, and read your post about your friend Tiana.  I went through an identical situation myself and am wondering if perhaps your Tiana is also MY Tiana.  I was sold three days after she was and have been looking for her ever since.  

  I realize that this may seem fishy coming from an online source, but I'm desperate enough to seem suspicious.  If you would be so kind as to pass this message on to Tiana and ask her if she'd be willing to email me back, I would greatly appreciate it.  I am hoping against hope that she truly is the doll I've been looking for all of these months.

Sincerely, 

Naveen

I chewed my bottom lip thoughtfully (a habit I've picked up that I really need to break...I don't want to chew through my plastic!) and wondered whether I should pass the message along or not.  If it was a serious lead, then of course I wanted Tiana to see it.  But I also didn't want my friend to get hurt by some mysterious online scammer.  Beast'sbelle had warned me before that not everyone on the Internet was trustworthy.

After debating with myself for a while, I finally decided that Tiana had a good head on her shoulders and would be able to make the decision after seeing the email for herself.  Before I could change my mind again, I went and got her.

My friend was very quiet as she read over the email.  When she finished, she got up and slowly paced back and forth in front of the laptop.  Finally, she sat down on the laptop's edge, deep in thought.

I carefully took a seat next to her.  "Are you okay?" I asked her gently, putting my hand over hers.

She nodded but continued staring off into the distance.

I didn't say anything else, but I began to doubt that I'd made the right choice.

"I'm not sure what to think," Tiana said softly, finally breaking the silence.  "I miss him so much, Belle.  I'd take any risk if it meant finding Naveen again."  She paused, her face troubled.  "I just want to be careful, though.  I mean, this guy could be anybody!"

I nodded.  Her thoughts mirrored my own.

"Maybe I'll talk to Beast'sbelle and see what she thinks," she said.

"I think that's a great idea," I agreed.  "Tell me what she says..." I blushed as I realized how nosy that sounded.  "That is, if you want too."

Tiana smiled.  "Of course I don't mind.  And thanks for telling me about this."  Without another word, she went off to find Beast'sbelle.

I turned back to the email and read it one more time.  And I found myself "hoping against hope" that this guy was legit.  Tiana deserved it.

Girl Talk

At last, I've got a little time on the computer!  Beast'sbelle was working on her checkbook for several hours this afternoon (something about a math error or two...she was really stressed out!), and I was beginning to think I'd never get a chance to do this post! :} 

Like I mentioned in either an earlier post or an earlier comment, last Saturday my friends came to help me get my room ready before the wedding.  I still felt really self-conscious about being the only one with a room of my own, but none of the other girls seemed to mind.  They've all been really nice about it.  Rapunzel even pointed out that I was the logical one to get my own room, since Belle was Beast'sbelle's favorite Disney Princess.  It still made me feel weird to be so favored, though.  

Before we got to work, we all sat and visited for a while.  I'd really missed being able to visit whenever I wanted (yet another reason I'm not a fan of my room:  it keeps me too isolated!).  Cordelia was not able to make it, as she'd recently been moved to the curio with Marguerite and Raoul, but Tiana, Isabella and Rapunzel all came.  It was kind of nice that way, though.  These three were the ones I was the closest to.  

"I can't believe the wedding's less than a week away!" I said with a mixture of excitement and nervousness (remember, this was Saturday). ;)  

Rapunzel smiled over at me.  "I'm so happy for you and Robby, Belle.  Married life is wonderful.  You two will love it!"

I blushed.  "It's just crazy to think that by this time next week, I'll be Robby's wife.  I feel happy and nervous and giddy and a little queasy.  What on earth is wrong with me?"

Rapunzel laughed.  "I think that's pretty normal.  I had to make myself eat the week before my wedding.  I was so on edge that I couldn't get rid of the butterflies in my stomach!"

"Still, in spite of your nervousness, you must be very pleased, no?" Isabella remarked in her lovely French accent.  "To be getting married to the one you love more than any other...it is so romantic!"  And she let out a huge, dreamy sigh.

Rapunzel and I giggled, and Isabella joined in.  I never would have thought that I'd come to love this dramatic, dreamy, fashion-obsessed doll as a dear friend.  When she first arrived, I thought she was shallow and waayy too excited about clothes.  But little by little, I'd come to know the real Isabella, the doll who was fiercely loyal to her friends, always keeping her eye out for others, and full of passionate ideas and dreams.   She also had an absolutely gorgeous singing voice, even better than Rapunzel's!  Sigh.  I would feel slightly better if at least one of the other dolls Beast'sbelle brought home was tone deaf like me. ;)  

She still tended to randomly change her outfit every few minutes, but it didn't annoy me as much as it used to.  I was still glad for my less involved wardrobe, but I didn't see why I had to get so worked up over something so harmless that brought her so much joy.  

Tiana had also become a special part of our group in a very short amount of time.  She was one of those dolls that you couldn't help liking.  She always had a smile on her face and always had a positive, upbeat outlook on life.  Plus, she could sing just like Anika Noni Rose (the voice of the actual Tiana).

"So, what did you have in mind for us today, Belle?" Tiana asked in her sweet southern drawl.  

"Well, I'd like to get some decorations up on the walls, and maybe organize my other things.  I don't know...I think some stuff will just have to wait until Robby gets here and we decide the best place for things together."

Tiana nodded.  "That's understandable.  But I'm sure we can spruce this place up in no time!"

"First things first, though," I said with mock seriousness.  "You were going to tell us a little bit more about yourself, remember?"

Tiana looked embarrassed.  "I guess we did have that conversation, didn't we?"

We all nodded.  Rapunzel and I waited expectantly, while Isabella settled herself on the floor and leaned back against the bed.

"Are you sure you don't want to work on the room first?" Our newest friend seemed uncomfortable in the spotlight.

"It can wait," I encouraged her.

"Well, as you know, I started out at the Disney Store, just like you two."  She motioned to Rapunzel and I as she said this.  "It wasn't a bad place to be, although I wasn't a big fan of the twist ties and the confined box."  

I shuddered just remembering my original box.  I was so glad that Beast'sbelle liked opening her dolls.  Well, most of them.  My gaze wandered over to her boxed Belle dolls across the room.  I was really glad I wasn't fancy enough to be one of them!

"I'll never forget the day I was put on the shelf," Tiana continued softly.  "They had so many of us, so I ended up being a few boxes back from the front row.  I was a little claustrophobic at first, but then I noticed the doll in the box next to me...a Naveen doll."  Her eyes brightened as she mentioned him.  "Of course, at this point, I didn't really know anything about our movie or who he was, but it was pretty easy to tell that he was supposed to go with me.  We were in matching outfits, and all of the Tianas like me were paired up with Naveens."  She chuckled lightly.  "One of the first things he did was to turn his head my direction...as much as he could in his box...and wink right at me.  It kind of shocked me, but it was sort of cute at the same time.  And he was so handsome!  I suddenly didn't feel trapped anymore."

Rapunzel and Isabella let out a simultaneous sigh, and Tiana and I laughed.  

"We were in the store for a few months, always side by side, so we had a good chance to get to know each other a bit.  It was a little hard to hear each other through the plastic and cardboard of our boxes, but we managed.  Every night, when the dolls would have their sing alongs, Naveen always sang out at the top of his lungs.  He had the most wonderful voice!  During the day, he would purposely try to make me laugh whenever a human came by.  He was such a tease."  She shook her head, smiling at the memory.

"The more we got to know each other, the closer we became.  I couldn't imagine life without him.  We both hoped that we would be selected by the same human, and our chances seemed pretty good, since we were always next to each other.  What would be more logical than for a human to select the Tiana and Naveen right next to each other?"  Tiana's smile dimmed slightly as she continued.  "Well, the day finally came when someone lifted my box off of the shelf.  But something was wrong.  She wasn't even looking in Naveen's direction!  She just kept looking me over from head to toe, as if she wanted to make sure I was just perfect. She turned me over to check the back of my box, and I found myself face to face with my Naveen for the first time.  I noticed that his face mold was a little uneven on one side, but he was still the most handsome doll in the room in my eyes."  She stopped suddenly, as if the memories were too painful.

Isabella sniffled and wiped her eyes.  Rapunzel and I sat on the edge of our seats, waiting as Tiana collected herself. 

"Our eyes met for one brief moment, and we saw our worst fears mirrored in them.  We both knew instinctively that we wouldn't be going to the same home.  But Naveen held my eyes with his and said as clearly as he could through the plastic: 'Tiana, I'll never stop looking for you.  We will be together someday, I promise.  Don't forget me!'  I just had time to nod before I felt my box moving again.  The woman took me to the counter and paid for me, and I was put in a bag that blinded my vision.  But I could hear him calling after me the entire time: 'Don't forget, Tiana!  Wait for me!' "

After another brief pause, Tiana continued.  "My new home was nice enough, I suppose.  I was freed from my box, but held in place by a doll stand with such a firm grip that I couldn't escape, even when everyone was asleep.  There were a few other collectible dolls there, but they weren't very sociable.  I was never posed or played with.  And every day and night, I thought of my beloved Naveen and wondered how he would ever find me."

"So how did you end up at Goodwill?" I asked curiously.

Tiana looked pained.  "I'm not really sure what happened.  Maybe I wasn't fancy enough, maybe she lost interest.  Whatever the reason, the woman decided to donate me.  But I'd rather not talk about that place," she said with a shudder.  "The workers are nice enough, but there are some really rough dolls there who have been through a lot.  They were unfriendly just because I was in such nice shape and..." she rubbed her arm uncomfortably.  "Well, I'm just glad that Beast'sbelle found me when she did!"

"So you never saw Naveen again?" Rapunzel asked softly.

Tiana shook her head.  "No," she answered.  "But I've never forgotten him, and I never will.  I still hold on to the hope that someday he'll find me, or I'll find him."

It seemed pretty unlikely to me.  It was an awfully big world for two dolls to try to be reunited in.  But even as my logical side pointed this out, I found myself hoping that Tiana and Naveen really would be together again.

Isabella was unashamedly wiping tears from her eyes.  "That was such a beautiful story!" she sniffed.  "I am sure that someday you and your true love will be reunited!  It would be too cruel if you didn't."  She sighed again.  "Ah, to be loved like that!"

Tiana gave her a gentle smile.  "Thank you, Isabella.  All I can do is hope.  And I'm sure someday you'll find someone special too."  She glanced slyly over her shoulder towards the shelf where Ben sat with the others. "Maybe he's not that far away."

Isabella looked down at her hands resting in her lap.  "I don't think so," she whispered.  "He does not seem to notice I exist."  She blushed.  

Tiana reached over and took her hand.  "I'm sorry, Isabella.  I just thought you seemed interested...I didn't know."

"He's...recovering from losing someone he loved," I explained briefly.

"Or perhaps two someones," Rapunzel added under her breath.  

I elbowed her, and she hid a smile.

"Well, it's about time to work on the room, don't you think?" I said a little too quickly.

Everyone agreed, and we all got started holding things up to the wall to see where they would look best.

We didn't get everything done, but it was a good start.  They gave me some great ideas, and as of today, I'm nearly ready. :)  I hope Robby is happy with the results. 

That night, as I lay awake in bed, waiting for sleep to claim me, I thought back over Tiana's sad story.  Once again, I found myself wishing that her special Naveen would somehow be able to find her.  I remembered that Beast'sbelle had mentioned ordering a Naveen from the Disney Store.  I decided not to mention it to Tiana.  I mean, what were the odds that he would be the Naveen?  That would be a pretty amazing coincidence.

Save the Date! :D

Well folks, it's official!  After going back and forth for a while and after several discussions with Beast'sbelle, we've finally set a date for the wedding.  Mark your calendars:  Robby and I will be getting married on Friday, May 25th!! :D

I can't believe that our wedding is only 23 days from now!  It seems like I've been waiting forever, and now all of a sudden it's almost here.  I can't wait! :D

Wedding plans are going well.  I've got all sorts of ideas for decorating the front lawn underneath the tree, and my dress is all ready.  Robby keeps reminding me about the cake, so I'll have to be sure that Beast'sbelle picks one up for us. ;)

And, since Beast'sbelle can never limit herself to just one picture, here are some of the other photos from our shoot today. ;)

Well, that's about all for now.  I don't know how often I'll be on in the next few weeks.  Every spare minute will be used to take care of all of the last-minute details.  I'll try to at least do a quick update post every once in a while if I can.

Oh, and I nearly forgot!  Good news for all of you Tiana fans out there!  Rumor has it that Prince Naveen is officially on his way from the Disney Store as we speak. :)  I think it's safe to say that our new friend is staying. ;)

Talk to all of you later!

P.S.  I've also included a copy of our header, because this afternoon I'll be changing it again. :)  I like having my old headers in my posts just for my own enjoyment.  Hope you don't mind! ;)

(You can click on it if you want to see a larger version!)