HSM Taylor, Gabriella, and Tamika's Redress

High School Musical Taylor

Taylor
On a recent trip to the thrift store to see if any dolls were available that interested me, I found a nude High School Musical (HSM) Taylor.  Initially, I did not know who she was because her hair and the plastic baggie she was in covered her markings.  After seeing another doll of a similar size there, Gabriella, and seeing Mattel's name stamped on Gabriella's back, I put two-and-two together and realized the doll I purchased was Taylor.  I already own this version of HSM Taylor, still in box, but I reasoned that rescuing this one would provide a quick, inexpensive doll fix.  I left Gabriella behind because I already had her, although until finding Taylor, I had no idea who my Gabriella was.

Gabby
Finding Taylor did indeed help me identify the tan-complexioned doll, found at the same thrift store several years ago, as Gabriella.  Until then, I had incorrectly assumed she was a recent Skipper.  My husband even asked who Gabby was after noticing her sticking out like a sore thumb among all the brown dolls that surrounded her.  "She looks a little out of place, doesn't she?" he asked. I replied, "No, she's a friend."

Before Taylor arrived, my dyed/painted Skipper had been Gabriella's BFF.  She enjoyed Baby-Sitter Club Claudia's companionship too and Bob Scout liked them all.

Gabby had originally been dressed in part of an Only Hearts fashion:  pink sleeveless top, off-white twill skirt, and rust-colored wedge loafers, but after Taylor arrived and received her trip to the spa, I dressed the two in similar fashions.

Taylor and Gabby

Taylor's hair was a mess upon arrival

Before dressing Taylor, I washed and conditioned her hair, allowed it to air dry overnight, and styled it in a side ponytail.

I dressed both dolls in Sparkle Girlz fashions, which are a little big at the waist, but not terribly so.

I pulled the top Velcro closure of their pants over more to the right and pressed it down onto the knit fabric of their pants instead of pressing it onto the bottom Velcro.  Later, I'll add another small piece of adhesive backed Velcro alongside the bottom piece to make a permanent waist closure adjustment.

Taylor and Gabby now both wear Barbie shoes made for Fashionistas with flat feet.  Taylor's high-top white sneakers have mock laces, which my camera was unable to capture.

The final touch for these two was quilting needles to pierce their ears and to use as stud earrings.  The studs of the needles were light blue.  To better match their new clothes, I painted the studs using green glittery fingernail polish.

Tamika's Redress

Tamika now wears a Sparkle Girlz fashion and the shoes that came with it.

While I was in redressing mode, I decided to redress Tamika in a Sparkle Girlsz fashion, too.  She models the blue baby-doll top, white jeggings, and pink high-heel shoes above and below.

Royal blue quilting needles were added to her Mattel-pierced ears.  The holes in her earlobes are too large for the quilting needles to remain in place.

Tape, which is barely visible in the above photo, has been wrapped around the needle to increase the diameter.

Scotch tape was wrapped around the upper-to-mid section of the needles/earrings to increase the diameter and prevent these from falling out Tamika's ears.

After giving me a nice dose of doll therapy, they all posed for one final group photo, looking quite refreshed in their spring fashions, shoes, and earrings.

It's a tight squeeze, but Taylor joined Gabriella on top of the bookcase where Gabby had been prior to Taylor's arrival.  Tamika remains in her preferred spot on my personal desk where I can see her at a glance.

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