Thoughts on Blaire

*Opens category dropdown* *Goes to click 2018* *Sadly realizes it’s no longer 2018* *Creates new category for 2019*

HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!!! *throws confetti* 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

A new year means new surprises, new friends, new exciting experiences, and, for all of us doll lovers, A new GOTY!

I did see several leaks/spoilers this year, so I did hear about Blaire long before her release (thanks Faye), but that’s okay.

I did a “Thoughts on Luciana” post last year, so I’m excited to do another one about Blaire.

And . . . here are my thoughts on Blaire’s collection!

*Squeals* She’s adorable! Her hair is AY-MAY-ZING with all of those red curls. It’s my favorite thing about her. I don’t think we’ve had a redheaded GOTY since Nikki, back in . . . . . 2006?!?! So it’s been thirteen years. Holy cow.

(Maybe AG should add a pet cow to Blaire’s collection? Thoughts?)

Her eyes are such a pretty shade of green, but I don’t get the downward slant. Luciana’s eyes did that too, so maybe it’s a continuing thing with AG?

I’m not super in love with her meet outfit. The dress is a good length, but to me it looks sort of nightgown-y. I love the bow and ruching, though. The bandana thing is nice, as are the sandals.

(I’m getting Strawberry Shortcake vibes from her book cover, though . . . )

Her tote bag is so cute! The tablet looks cheaply made, though. The clipboard is really nice, and I like all of the lavender accents (though I am allergic, sadly, and I think of sneezing when I look at them). The stickers are cool too.

Blaire’s bridesmaid dress is a beautiful shade of blue. At first glance I didn’t like all of the beading (it looked sort of old-fashioned to me), but after further inspection I think it’s nice. I LOVE the uneven hemline on dresses so I think it’s a beautiful piece. The shoes are nice, the headband is adorable, but I’m not sold on the choker. Why would you wear a choker as part of your bridesmaid outfit?

I looooooove this gardening outfit. The top is exactly something a girl Blaire’s age would wear, and the overalls go perfectly with it. The boots are great and really compliment the outfit. Again, not sure on the bow thing. It looks really cute but I’m trying to imagine a real girl wearing something like that around her neck and I’m not really getting it.

The Floral Flair outfit is okay. I don’t love the dress (it’s pretty but reminds me of something you’d see in Nanea’s collection). I love the purple leggings, though, and the sandals are really cute. So is the headband (which seems to be Blaire’s thing).

Her PJ’s are my absolutely favorite thing about her collection, and I’m definitely wanting to get them for Tessa. I absolutely love the colors and those pom poms!

I don’t love the fabric on the apron in her gardening outfit, and I’m not sure why she has unmatching gloves (in real life they obviously wouldn’t match but for AG you would think they would). What I don’t understand is why the glove fabric matches her PJ pants??? That makes no sense to me. I really like the hat though, and the bow is very stylish.

 

Her piglet . . . oh my goodness . . . so cute!!!

The lamb is cute too, but I still like the piglet more.

 

The party décor is really pretty. I love those paper flowers – they would look great in a dollhouse. The accessories are really cute too, and I love the color scheme. Not sure how structurally sound the arbor is, though . . . but overall really nice set. Pricey though ($85).

THAT’S A CHICKEN??? I had to look at the product details to figure it out. It looked like a mini alpaca or something to me, but apparently it’s a Silkie, which is a beautiful breed of chicken. The garden is cute but quite small. The chicken eggs are a nice touch, as is the pretty watering can.

The family farm is a cool set but an ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS $300. People will pay it though, soo . . .

I love the pastels in Blaire’s collection. The lilac shows up again here. My favorite part are the pretty lights above! There are a lot of cool features in this set, but not worth $300 to me.

And that’s all for Blaire’s collection! Overall, AG did a great job on it. My favorite thing is the pretty pastel color scheme, with the light blues and lilacs. What do you guys like the most?

I hope you guys had a great start to the new year, and I will see you in my next post!

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My Opinion on New AG Items!

Hello, doll lovers! AHH THE WEEKEND IS ALMOST HERE, I CAN TASTE IT!!!!!

Molly: How does one taste the weekend, AGs in Alaska?

One who is suffering from schoolwork overload can taste it, Molly.

Molly: That’s not a real condition, you know.

For a twelve year old who is studying for her SATs, maybe not.

Molly: *sigh*

Okay . . . yeah, she’s gone. Back to business!

AG has released many new springtime items, and I am very excited to share with you what I think about them!

First up is Maryellen’s Airstream® Travel Trailer! My grandparents have an Airsteam®, and my grandma was the one to tell  about this new item. I think the colors are adorable, and I love how the outside is silver, just like a real Airstream®. Knowing AG you would think they would make it pink . . . but of course, it wouldn’t be a real Airstream® then, would it now?

The couch cushion fabric is super cute, and the floor is very retro 50’s. The little designs like the curtains and cooking accessories are perfect, but I wish the clock looked less plasticky. The minifridge and oven look like part of the Our Generation kitchen set, though. If you watch the video on the AG website, you can see that the table folds up and the couch folds down to save space/make a bed, which is exactly like a real camper. The awning also rolls down, which is perfect. The lights in the trailer work as well, which is awesome.

The trailer also comes with a button to make nine different camping sounds, which I think is hilarious.

Next up we have Maryellen’s Campfire Cooking Set. I have good and bad things to say about this product. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the teakettle, plates, cup, and cooking pot. The pancake box looks very fitting for Maryellen’s time. However, the actual fire looks extremely cheap, as well as the food. Very plastic. I do like the holders for the pots and thingy that goes over the fire (it has a name, but I cannot think of it at the moment.)

This next set is Maryellen’s Hiking Accessories. The brochure and campground guide are super adorable, and according to the AG website that lunchbox/camera thing is a 1950’s falashlight? Okay . . . it apparently glows, again, according to the AG site. It does not look super well-made, like it could easily break. The satchel seems to be of nice quality, but I don’t particularly care for the way it looks. That’s just a personal preference, though.

 

Those are Maryellen’s new accessories, so now it’s Nanea’s turn. This first item is her shaved ice stand, obviously. I love the colors and THE AWNING IS ADORABLE. IT LOOKS SO REAL. The little chalkboard is a super cute touch and I also love the light on the side. The handle actually turns on the shaved ice machine, which is authentic to the 1940’s and is adorable. AND THE SCOOPER. THE SCOOPER IS AMAZING. I really like the syrup bottles too but the shaved ice looks ridiculously plasticky! The old AG quality is turning into something that looks like it’s from a cheaper brand. The cool thing about the cones is that AG dolls can hold them, though, so that’s neat.

Nanea’s Birthday Accessories are pretty cool. I freaked out when I saw the doll-sized Nancy Drew book. It’s my favorite thing about this set. The pineapple skirt for Nanea’ dog Mele is amazing. The purse is interesting but looks like something from the 40’s, so . . . okay. Apparently Nanea’s and her friends are called “The Three Kittens,” so that’s why there are cats on it. The Kodak™ camera looks very cool, except that you can see it’s plastic. I love the black-and-white photos of Nanea and Mele that go with it.

Not a whole lot to say about Nanea’s 1940’s radio, except that it looks incredibly plasticky. The cord looks real, though. Not a great product, in my opinion.

 

This one is Maryellen’s Vacation Playsuit! I think the fabric and the style are adorable, except for the problem that the outfit is entirely too immodest. If the skirt part went down to her knees, it would be fine. The sandals are super cute, and the gingham handkerchief goes great with Ellie’s hair.

 

Nanea’ Tropical Birthday Outfit is, needless to say, pineapple-y amazing. The sailor top is beautiful and the skirt is too much! It matches her eyes PERFECTLY. And the sandals are, again, amazing. I really love these new AG outfits. I’m not a huge fan on Nanea’s other outfits, but I really love this one.

 

Like Maryellen’s new outfit, Nanea’s Palaka Outfit is too immodest. It would make a cute one-piece, maybe with a belt or bow at the waist instead? Love the sandals and the flower, though.

There are a couple of new Truly Me outfits out too – this one is the Sunny Day Dress. I like the embroidery and cinched waist, as well as the sandals – but the headband doesn’t seem to really go with the outfit. I think it would be cute plain. It does match the sandals, though. I’m not really liking this outfit too much.

The Explore the Outdoors Outfit is pretty cute. I love the jacket, very cute and good color. The shirt and skirt are nice, too, cool designs and color (the shorts could stand to be a bit longer). The sandals are okay. I prefer the outdoorsy outfit the Create Your Own dolls come with better. I don’t think AG did a very good job with these new Truly Me outfits.

 

AHHHHHH A MOLLY MINI DOLL! Aside from the ridiculous cost of $24.99 for a teeny-tiny doll, she’s perfect. The outfit is adorable, and I assume this will be the one the 18-inch Molly will wear when she comes out. The glasses are perfect. She’s just so cute!!! Sorry, I’m a Molly fan, in case you couldn’t tell . . .

Okay, that’s all for my opinions!

What do you think of these new AG items? Which one is your favorite? Are you getting Molly when she returns to the AG collection? Do you like Maryellen’s or Nanea’s collection better? Let’s talk in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts on Luciana

Why, hello there! Happy 2018! I hope you guys are all recovering from staying up until midnight, or one in the morning, in my case.

I am SO excited to be doing this opinions post on Luciana Vega, GOTY 2018. Let me just tell you that I am WAAAAAAY happier with this year’s GOTY than I was with Gabriela. AG did a MUCH better job this time around, and I am very, very pleased.

All pictures are from American Girl.

First of all, let’s talk about the doll itself. I like her face mold. It seems a bit different from the standard AG face mold. Her eyes are beautiful, as well as her hair. It’s so glossy and I love the side bangs! And the purple . . . LOVE THE PURPLE. In case you don’t know already, purple is my favorite color. 🙂 🙂 🙂

I don’t totally love her necklace, and her shoes are okay. But her dress is ADORABLE. I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!!!! I like the length as some AG dresses are a bit short. But when I saw Luciana’s meet dress, I was like, “Ahhh! It’s so cute!!!”

Note quite sure about the red bag. I don’t really care for it. I like her book cover, though.

Luciana’s visitor center accessories are pretty cool-looking. I like the doll-sized Nasa shirt. The bag is very detailed. The bookmark and pamphlet are adorable, as well as the passport. And I really like the book! The astronaut kind of freaks me out, though . . .

The robot dog. Hmm. I don’t love the pink (there seems to be a bit too much pink in this collection), but the dog is fitting for a space/technology-oriented doll. It doesn’t look like it’s very high quality, but it is pretty cool that it moves (plus the tail wags, which is awesome).

Luciana’s telescope and blanket are adorable. I don’t like how the telescope is pink. I feel like blue would have been a better choice. But the blanket is SO CUTE!!!! I’m not quite sure why they’re charging FORTY DOLLARS for this set. That seems outrageously overpriced, but then again, AG prices have been going up.

Luciana’s accessories are pretty neat. The backpack design is pretty cool. The smart watch looks cheap, even from the picture. The ice cream is awesome. Not much to say about the other accessories.

Her pajamas are ADORABLE!!! The shirt says “To the moon and back,” which is awesome.  I like how it comes down further than most AG pajama tops. The pants are amazing. I don’t like the slippers very much, but overall I like it a lot!

I think this is totally adorable. Luciana looks so sweet in it!!! At first I was confused as to why a doll would have a space training suit, but then I realized that she goes to space camp so it makes sense. I think this is a really great outfit.

I don’t really care for the jacket in this outfit. Green is not a favorite color of mine, but I think the shoes and top are amazing. The shorts do not look like they are very high quality.

Her Mars habitat looks very, very detailed. But THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am outraged at this price. It is HUGE, for something this size. No way. It even looks plasticky from the picture. The stairs look like they would break instantly. The headset is cute, but no way am I getting this.

Overall, I think AG did a spectacular job with Luciana’s collection, except for the ridiuclous pricing and too much pink stuff. I would like to get Luciana, but . . . I don’t know.

What do you think of Luciana? I would love to chat in the comments!

 

Like my new signoff???

 

Thoughts on Gabriela

Okay, okay, I know. Gabriela will only be Girl of The Year for four more months! What’s with the late review?!?! HOWever, I could not let 2017 go by (hello, New Year’s!) without doing a GOTY thoughts post. Instead of earlier thoughts posts, this post will only have my opinions, instead of reviews on Gabriela’s entire collection. Without further ado, here’s what I think about ‘er!

Quick disclaimer: These are my opinions and my thoughts. I am not saying that everyone will agree, nor do I expect everyone to agree. Now, why am I putting a disclaimer is this particular thought post? Well, you’ll see.

Thoughts on Gabriela

Good things:

Gabriela McBride is a young girl growing up in modern times, just like all of the other GOTYs. (BTW, a GOTY is a Girl of The Year, in case you didn’t get the memo.) I love that she’s African-American, especially since other GOTYs haven’t ever been African-American. Her hair is amazing, super cute, and totally unique to her look.

And that’s about all for the good things.

Bad things:

I know I’m not the only one who thinks this. AG has been running out of GOTY ideas. I totally don’t get it! AG is super creative with their contemporary and BeForever dolls, but when it comes to GOTY, they’re totally drawing blanks. Gabriela, to me, is a combination of McKenna (GOTY 2012), Saige (GOTY 2013), Isabelle (GOTY 2014), and Melody (BeForever from the ’60s). Why? Well, Gabriela likes to write poems, just like McKenna. She’s an artist, just like Saige. She likes to dance, just like Isabelle. And she likes to sing, just like Melody.

American Girl seriously needs to branch out. Can’t we have a doll who likes to write books or has a blog? One who is into STEM? Ooh, what about a GOTY who likes rollerblading? Really. I feel like AG is stuck in a never-ending cycle of artist. Dancer. Singer. There are SOOOOOOO many other ideas for GOTYs that American Girl could use. Sorry to be so negative, but it’s true! Besides, artist/dancer/singer is kind of a girly-girl stereotype. I mean, I love dancing and singing, but I like other things that aren’t so girly-girl too! I’m hoping GOTY 2018 will like something other than dancing, singing, or art.

I’m super sorry if those are things you are obsessed with. Like I said, I love dancing and singing (I suck at art), but re-al-ly? AG, it’s time to change it up a bit.

Gabriela’s hobbies aren’t the only things I don’t like about her. Her meet outfit just isn’t that cute (love the headband, though), and I don’t particularly care for her pajamas. There’s so much glitter in her outfits, which is totally Isabelle from 2014. The only thing of hers I actually like are her ottoman and her loft bed.

I was kind of disappointed that the GOTY for this year wasn’t very creatively done, and I’m hoping next year’s GOTY will be better. There are GOTY 2018 leaks all over the Internet, but most of them obviously aren’t true.

The picture of Gabriela is from americangirl.com.

Thanks for reading!

-AGs in Alaska-

Thoughts on Nanea

Last spring, American Girl divulged that they would be released several dolls this year. That was when Tenney, Logan, Felicity (yay!), and Z came out. They also said that in the fall they would be releasing Nanea (nah-NAY-ah) Mitchell. And when I checked the AG website last night, Nanea was on the front page. And now I’m going to share with you my opinions about her.

About her:

Nanea is growing up in the 1940’s, same as Molly, one of AG’s retired characters. However, Nanea is Hawaiian (hello, Kanani) and is there when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. I think it’s great that AG is giving a different World War II perspective, but I feel like Nanea is a copy of Kanani. 😦 Nanea is kind-hearted and likes to help those in need.

Appearance:

Nanea has big hazel eyes, wavy brown hair, and tanned skin. She’s a very cute doll, cuter than Kanani, actually.

Outfit:

Nanea arrives in an orangey-red blouse with an island graphic. She wears white sailor shorts with blue buttons on the sides and sandals with crisscross straps. She also comes with a faux Hawaiian flower clip in her hair. I don’t care for her outfit, but that’s just me.

Accessories:

Nanea’s accessories include a speckled-blue shell necklace, a cloth handbag, an envelope and letter from her friend, faux money, a fabric ID pouch she made herself, and a government-issued ID card. I think her accessories are cute and very fitting for her time period.

Collection:

Nanea’s collection is very Hawaiian-flower themed. She has a school outfit, PJs (yay! Z has no PJs, if you will remember), an ADORABLE dog named Mele, a pet set for Mele, a bed with a Hawaiian flower quilt, Nanea’s family market set, a hula outfit, hula implements, a holoku dress, her school lunch, her swimsuit, and her island fishing set. Since I’m not much into flowers or Hawaiian-print anything, I don’t like her outfits very much, but her dog and lunch set and SO CUTE!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Books:

Nanea has three books, Growing Up with Aloha, Hula for the Home Front, and Prints in the Sand: My Journey with Nanea. I haven’t read them but I will for sure.

Extras:

People can purchase $1, $5, and $10 dollar donations for the American Red Cross. Additionally, there is a Nanea mini doll. I think AG could have picked a better organization to donate to, as only a small percentage of every dollar donated to the Red Cross actually gets used for helping others in need. The Red Cross will tell you that they use 91% of every dollar donated towards helping others, but that’s not true at all. It’s more like 17%. The Red Cross just happens to be a very well-known organization, and I’m sure that’s why AG picked it. The Salvation Army is a much, much, much better place to donate money too. However, that’s just my opinion, and if you want to donate, go right ahead.

Also, sorry that there are no pictures of Nanea in this post! The American Girl website isn’t working and you can only see recommended items and items from Nanea’s page, but when you click on the individual items, it doesn’t show a picture. 😦 When they get it working, I’ll add in pictures.

-AGs in Alaska-