Julie

Hi everyone. I'm Julie. Welcome to my page!

As you've probably figured out, I'm not an American Girl doll like my sisters. I'm a Magic Attic doll. The Magic Attic character I was modeled after was Heather Hardin, a Jewish girl who was a lover of all things pink. That's why I have so many pink outfits. To set the records straight from the beginning, I am not Jewish, and while I like pink, it's not my favorite color. 

I was Mom's first doll, a birthday present from her grandma way back in May 2001. She picked me out because American Girl totally failed at making a doll that looked like her: fair skin without freckles, brown eyes, and long, straight, medium brown hair without bangs. Luckily for me, I fit the bill perfectly.

Mom had a classmate in elementary school named Julie, a pretty brunette she admired from a distance. That's where the inspiration for my name came from. As far as I can tell from baby name websites, which never seem to totally agree, Julie means "youthful" or "soft-haired." Both are fitting for a doll, I'd say.

While all 4 of us dolls have a lot in common with my mom, she says that I am the most like her not only in appearance but also in terms of personality. We're both quiet, like to play it safe, and avoid being the center of attention. 

Now for a run-down of the basics:

Name: Julie Danielle Stebbins

Birthday: June 30

Hair Color: medium brown

Hair Texture: straight

Skin Tone: fair

Eye Color: brown

Instrument(s): clarinet and piano

Favorite Color: aquamarine

Favorite Animal: horse

Hobbies: horseback riding, writing stories

Favorite Main Dish: spaghetti

Favorite Dessert: apple pie

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: black cherry

Favorite Book: The Horse and His Boy

Favorite Movie: Black Beauty

Favorite TV Show: The Saddle Club

Here is my personality as I think it would appear according to Horse Isle 2's system. (Confused? See our blog post from April 22, 2014.)

Personality: Unique
Skittish	|--+--------|	Brave	(2)
Stubborn	|---+-------|	Easygoing	(3)
Antisocial	|--+--------|	Social	(2)
Leader	|---------+-|	Follower	(9)
Lazy	|-----+-----|	Energetic	(5)

(2) Very Skittish

I am not a total coward, but given the choice I stick with what’s comfortable and safe. I’m not so great at facing my fears.

(3) Moderately Stubborn

I try to keep the peace and generally don’t rock the boat. If I don’t agree with you, I’ll be polite about it and probably won’t say much, but my mind doesn’t change easily.

(2) Very Antisocial

I’m content to be by myself, and I keep quiet most of the time. I also enjoy talking to friends and making new ones, but it’s usually up to them to initiate contact.

(9) Extreme Follower
When I’m with other people, I’d much rather they lead and make the decisions about what we should do. (Though of course I won’t go along if they choose to do something stupid and/or dangerous!) I have a hard time making difficult decisions on my own and frequently ask my mom and sisters for advice.

(5) Middle

I have my lazy moments and can be quite the procrastinator when it comes to things with distant deadlines/no deadlines. Generally, I guilt myself into getting such things done before they become a problem. I can get quite excited for things I like to do, though, and I work hard at them.

My Pets

Here's a picture of my dog Bingo, a Shar Pei mix. He is aloof of people he doesn't know, but he warms up quickly if you scratch him behind the ears. He's happy to be wherever his humans are, whether that means just hanging out, taking a nice long walk, or trailing behind the horses on trail rides. It's fun to teach him new tricks because he usually catches on quickly. His favorite tricks are speak, spin, and play dead.

In music, "allegro" means to play something at a quick, lively tempo. My horse Allegro does have impressive speed over a short distance, as most Quarter Horses do, but she was actually named Allegro because of how quickly she responds to her rider's cues. She's very affectionate and laid back in the stable or pasture. Put a saddle on her back, though, and she becomes all business. Her best event is dressage, but she also enjoys jumping and long trail rides. 

We are aware that AG intended the bay horse to be Felicity's Penny. So why did Allegro become my horse rather than Felicity's?  First of all, Mom got Allegro and me before she ever thought she'd ask for Felicity. This was even before Kaya and her Appaloosa came out. Second of all, there's the horse's appearance to consider. She didn't look how Mom and I imagined Penny to look at all. Penny's described as a red-gold chestnut in the books, not a bay, while Heather actually rides a bay dressage horse named Adagio in one of her Magic Attic adventures, Heather at the Reins.