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Post by bab* on Sept 11, 2018 22:06:50 GMT -5
How do you feel about the size of the watch face, islandgirls? I thought this looked very cute online, but it's not shown on a doll and one reviewer thought the face was distinctly too big. From your picture I feel it could go either way. Maybe it's a big, chunky face and you like the look? Thanks for reviewing! Yes, it is largish, but it feels substantial in a stylish way to me. It never occurred to me that it was too big to be realistic. Emma loves her watch! This was how saw the watch too. I gave it to my “trendiest” doll because it felt like something she would wear.
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Post by bab* on Jun 23, 2017 21:12:13 GMT -5
I collect all the AG cats, and this one was released two days after my own beloved kitty passed away, so I had to have it in tribute to him. He has a nice weight to him, and the tuxedo markings are really cute. All four legs are possible, but the tail isn't. I opened three boxes and bought the one with the least smooshed face. Yes, it could be even flatter than this. Overall grade: B-, because of the flat face.
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Post by bab* on Feb 16, 2013 16:46:51 GMT -5
These came out with the February 2013 release. I think they were $12. They're very cute white pants. They're a nice heavy twill. The ankle length is a little funny, and I wish they could be un-cuffed, but the cuff is sewn down and the ends aren't finished. Normally I like it when AG has real pockets, but in the case of white pants I think fake pockets would have been better so they don't show through (something I look for in human white pants too). I used my chubbiest doll as a fit model and they're snug on her, but I've seen much worse. They looked fairly loose on the dolls in the store.
Grade: B
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Post by bab* on Feb 16, 2013 16:37:34 GMT -5
There seem to be two versions of this shirt - one oversized, and the other cut more like the recent tees.
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Post by bab* on Mar 6, 2012 21:00:42 GMT -5
I just got this outfit on eBay, and I'm very surprised at the size of the bodysuit. It's huge! I expected it to fit pretty snugly, as most bodysuits do, but there's a couple extra inches of room in the torso and the arms are loose too. It looks fine with the shorts and vest on, so I don't mind, but I thought I'd add that here in case someone was thinking of using it as a dance or gymnastics leotard, because it definitely wouldn't work for that.
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Post by bab* on Feb 18, 2012 13:16:08 GMT -5
This fashionable parasol is made of cream-colored lace—in the 1850s, that's how young ladies shaded their faces from the sun. It opens and closes easily, and has a sculpted golden handle her doll can really hold.
This item was released in 2012. After the NOLA collection entered the archives, the Lacy Parasol became part of Samantha's collection. It eventually retired in 2017.
Except for the lace, this is quite plasticky.
The handle they describe as gold is a nice soft gold, not cheesy gold.
I found it very hard for her to hold it while open. I had to kinda balance it on her head. Might have been easier if her arms were a little tighter, but she doesn't really have loose arms.
The lace is so beautiful. It's a nice soft lace, not stiff or polyestery at all.
B. would have been an A if she could hold it better.
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Post by bab* on Feb 18, 2012 13:06:31 GMT -5
This outfit is worn by Cécile in the book Troubles for Cécile. It was released in 2012 and retired in 2013.
Cécile's fancy ensemble is perfect for summers in New Orleans! It features: A true-to-era lemon taffeta dress, with a pretty striped yoke, a gathered bodice, and bell sleeves with organza trim. Cécile can shade her eyes with a faux-straw bonnet that ties under her chin—ribbon and daisies add a touch of elegance. Two-tone boots with button details complete the look.
A little bright for my tastes, but gotta love that they finally made a bonnet! And I love the bell sleeves.
At first glance the boots are just like MG's meet boots, but side by side MG's are bright white while these are slightly softer white. Sorry, I forgot to get a pic of them.
Grade: C. The thin fabric is really bugging me.
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Post by bab* on Feb 18, 2012 12:58:13 GMT -5
This outfit is worn by Marie-Grace in the book Marie-Grace and the Orphans.
Marie-Grace chooses this lovely outfit for summertime in New Orleans: A pink-and-green checked taffeta dress inspired by real fashions of the 1850s, with a triple-tiered skirt and satin ribbon accents. A wide-brimmed hat, trimmed with a matching taffeta ribbon. Pink-and-white boots with button details for the finishing touch.
So pretty! Since AG didn't give her a birthday outfit, I think this will be Cécile's. The hat has a nude elastic band to hold it on. Of course, it's not nude on Cécile. I found it tight and hard to get on. Since I really just display my dolls, I won't use it. I thought I'd have to use Cécile's ribbons with it, but MG's nicely pick up the darker pink of the thin lines in the pattern.
When I first saw the dress online, I though it was a lot like MG's meet dress - pink plaid with pink things coming down from the shoulders. But I don't think they look very similar at all IRL. They have very different "feels."
Overall, A.
ETA: Oh, and I think this is the first of their outfits whose neckline really works with their chemise.
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Post by bab* on Oct 30, 2011 16:03:12 GMT -5
Thought I'd add a comparison shot to this and the other cat costume's review in case someone is trying to decide which to get.
Overall, I like both, but the 1998 one wins because I love the mask and the mouse. The collar and treat bag are more substantial and realistic on that one too.
~mod edit to remove broken image link~
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Post by bab* on Oct 14, 2011 14:36:39 GMT -5
I would recommend that anyone buying this in the stores open the box and check out the skirt. As you can see above, Aaryana's skirt has diagonal stripes and dragonflybg's has horizontal stripes. AG's stock picture has horizontal, so I guess that's what it's supposed to be, but I prefer the look of the diagonal. However, I just opened mine up to find sort of in-between stripes that just don't look quite right. I may bring it back for an exchange, but I thought I'd warn people.
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Post by bab* on Sept 13, 2011 13:57:19 GMT -5
Though this dress was clearly designed to bring out MG's eyes, Cécile is lovely in it too.
I do think it could have included hair ribbons at $28. A set to match the blue grosgrain bows would have been nice. I also would have been willing to pay more to have it come with boots - in the books MG often wears two-tone white and tan boots that would have looked nice with this.
I found the skirt a little hard to get on. The elastic was a bit tight. No way to get this over the hoops, so I had to take them off, put the skirt on, and then put the hoops on under the skirt. As much as I don't like velcro, I think it would have been easier to deal with in this case.
Overall: B. Pretty, but not without its issues.
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Post by bab* on Aug 30, 2011 13:10:36 GMT -5
In the 1850s, these undergarments were considered essential to proper dressing. Girls wore a double-hoop crinoline like this one to add fullness to their dresses. Includes a ruffled chemise to go underneath for comfort. This item was released in 2011 and moved to Addy's collection after Cécile and Marie-Grace's archival in 2014. You can read additional reviews HERE.
First of all, I don't know a whole lot about historical undies, I just know I love them! I'll let someone else review their accuracy. I was a little surprised at the color - they looked very pale pink online, but they're a bit brighter in person. I love that the hoop is flexible. I could get Cécile's dress on over it without any problem, which is great. I was worried I'd have to pull her dress over her head and risk messing up her curls. It comes right to the end of her meet dress, so I hope they don't skimp on fabric on any future dresses, or you might have to adjust the hoops to hide them. Overall, A+ just cause I'm thrilled AG is making undies again!
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Post by bab* on Mar 15, 2011 12:54:44 GMT -5
I love this outfit! It's not overly girly. (Please excuse the stain on the dress) The dress is so classic and perfect. It's made of a cotton mesh. The zipper really works (but of course it velcros up the back). The tennis rackets at the hem are embroidered, but the "American Girl" on the sleeve is not, so you could probably peel it off if you wanted to. The shorts are nice, though a little long. It's good that they have the realistic ball pockets, but I don't really use them. The left side shows how long the shorts are if you don't bunch them up. The right side shows that she can still pull the dress down with a ball it the pocket. The racket looks a lot like a real racket. The red is a nice touch. I like that it comes with 3 balls and a can to keep them in. The shoes are those early-AGOT plain white tennies that tend to yellow around the edges. The only thing missing is something to tie her hair back! A+.
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Post by bab* on Mar 15, 2011 12:42:54 GMT -5
Cute dance outfit. It's versatile too - it could be used for contemporary ballet, modern dance, lyrical, etc. The leotard could work for gymnastics too. The shoulder poof thingys it comes with are, well, odd. They just sort of flop. Much cuter without them! I love the cap sleeves and the little gather at the neck on the leotard. It's made of a very stretchy crushed velour and goes on even my chubbiest doll very easily. The slippers are turquoise satin and so cute. They came with little cardboard inserts, but I lost one a while ago and they don't really need them anyway. The little accessories are a nice touch. I love that everything fits in the bag, and that the top on the water bottle really works. It took me a minute to figure out what the scrunchie was. It's not made like a traditional scrunchie (tube of fabric wrapped around elastic). Instead, it's a strip of fabric with elastic on both sides, just like a smaller version of the sleeve poofs. Wierd, but still works. (The two sleeve poofs on the left and the scrunchie to the right.) Overall, while not the most stylish outfit anymore, I'll give it an A.
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Post by bab* on Mar 15, 2011 12:22:26 GMT -5
Overall, cute. Seems like a lot of the pieces are versatile and can be used for things other than yoga. I could do without the yellow/greenish accents, but Kay doesn't mind them. The jacket has real pockets and a lined hood. The top is cropped, so you either have to hike her pants up, let her belly show, or zip up her jacket a bit. The pants, mat, and bag are all nice, but not terribly remarkable. The shoes are a little odd, with nubby things on the rubber, which is wider than the top of the shoe. But they easily slip on even the biggest PM feet, and I appreciate that. The headband is really just a piece of elastic with the ends sewn together. I'd give this a solid B/B+.
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Post by bab* on Feb 26, 2011 20:22:48 GMT -5
Doll Accessory Set (scarf, fingerless gloves, shoes) $16.00 ___________________________ This set is so cute! Most importantly, there are fingerless gloves! (I pushed up her sleeve in this pic to show off the top, which has a slight flare at the wrist.) The thumbhole was a little small, but I think it will stretch to fit. The other one was a tiny bit bigger. The shoes are adorable and a nice basic at the same time. The scarf is cute. The knot is sewn down and it velcros in back. Overall, no complaints, so A+!
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Post by bab* on Jan 29, 2011 16:24:45 GMT -5
The blue and green plaid ribbon doesn't go with any of Addy's outfits. I just got the ribbon set and the blue in the plaid matches her school suit perfectly.
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Post by bab* on Jan 20, 2011 11:47:39 GMT -5
White capris with a red and white polka dot scarf for a belt. These are super-cute, though I was a little surprised by the style, which was trendy years ago. (A quick look at some pictures show me wearing something strikingly similar in the summer of 2005, though my polka dot scarf/belt was purple and pink.) Still cute for little girls though. The scarf is sewn on underneath the back center belt loop. Someone with a steady hand and fine seam ripper could probably remove it if they wanted to. The rolled bottoms are sewn up. Again, you could remove those stiches, but it looks like the hems aren't finished (unlike the Roll-Cuff Jeans), so I don't think they would work as long pants. Overall, A-. They get knocked down a little because $12 seems a little high. Would have been a solid A at $10. Update: Added pics! They are cute with things other than red: I appreciate that the pockets are real, but the front ones are so thick, they cause a bit of a bump: The butt is rather tight, but some of that is because she's wearing 2 pairs of underwear here (I had her in the purple cheerleading outfit before this, so she had on the bright turquoise bloomers over her regular underwear. When I went to try the capris on her, I decided to leave the turquoise ones on to see if they'd show through. They do, but you have to look for it. It's not really noticeable.)
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Post by bab* on Oct 11, 2010 17:58:13 GMT -5
Interesting. I have the purse I got in 1991. I got another one in an eBay lot a month or so ago and noticed that it was different than mine. I had assumed that it was Traveling gown version, but it has the two different sides, so it must be an in-between version. The fabrics feel different, though both are real brocade, not screen-printed, and my 1991 closes much easier.
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Post by bab* on Aug 8, 2010 15:33:48 GMT -5
Britta and Kay bonding by playing Chrissa and Gwen.
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Post by bab* on Mar 18, 2010 21:44:17 GMT -5
I see there's already a few in-depth reviews and photos up, so I'll be brief. I just wanted to add that I love this set and watched for it on the sale page for months because I hate paying over $30 for a doll outfit, but it never showed up on sale. I know, it's 2-in-1, so it costs more, but only one outfit can be worn at a time, right? Wrong! I got inspired one day, called AG, and ordered the outfit, plus an extra polo ($5), skirt ($5), and pair of shoes($10). Now, for $27 an outfit, I have two complete doll outfits, so my 2 JLYs can be dressed for the country club at the same time. They look just like the picture on the website! I love this outfit because I grew up in a very country club world, and this is exactly the kind of thing I wore for tennis and golf. I just wish they had included a white boyshort to wear under the tennis skirt and a pair of ankle socks (really, who plays tennis with no socks?). A+ Edit: Added pic. Looks cute with Licorice's Tennis oufit too, though the tennis balls are different shades of pink.
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Post by bab* on Mar 17, 2010 21:14:20 GMT -5
I wanted this as soon as I saw it, and it's even cuter in person! I just love it. Trench - Gorgeous shade of blue, sort of in the aqua family. My top button buttoned easily. I first tried putting it on over the blouse from the Starflower outfit. It fit, but the sleeves were all bunched up underneath and I didn't feel like unbunching them so I just took the blouse off. I think you could easily put a short-sleeve or sleeveless shirt underneath. The length is just about the same as the Starflower skirt, perfect in my opinion. I have three issues with the trench: 1) The belt is sewn down in the back, which is a great idea so kids won't lose it, but it means that if you cinch it at the waist, like a real trench, the buckle is way off-center. Also, it could use more belt loops, and the back seems a little plain. 2) It seems a little sophisticated for a child. When I was around 8-10, my peak AG years, I mostly wore waterproof windbreakers or a rubbery yellow raincoat (like Molly's) in the rain. I don't think I had a trench coat until I was in college. The color makes it young, but the classic styling seems very grown-up. 3) Why don't they make it in my size??? Hat - Adorable. Not much more to say. Boots - When I went to put them on, I kept looking for velcro. There is none. The little bluckles actually work, how cute is that?! The popped on very easily. I don't like green, but these work beautifully with the coat. Overall - A++. I just love this outfit. So perfect for how much it's been raining so far this March. I love how her curls come out of the hat! *mod edit to resize image*
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Post by bab* on Mar 3, 2010 22:45:44 GMT -5
Before reading this review, you should understand that, if you were to ask anyone who knows me what I love, they would tell you that I love stars and the color lavender. So this outfit should be my favorite, right?
Actually, I thought it looked really ugly in AG's stock photo. I was never interested in getting it until I decided to get a mini-me and started building a wardrobe for her. I decided that she needed the lavender blouse, tights, and ponytail holder, so I bought the whole outfit.
I love both the blouse and the sweater, but I'm not sure I get why they're supposed to go together. I like the blouse under Marisol's dark purple wrap sweater better. I'll try to remember to get a picture next time she's in it. The sweater looks good with a cami and jeans.
I don't care for the skirt or the shoes. The skirt is just strange to me, though removing the ruffle helps. It somehow makes my girl look overly slim in the hips and therefore top-heavy. The shoes look cheap and plastic and the color doesn't really match anything else in the outfit.
I give the oufit as a whole a B-, with A's going to the blouse and sweater and D's to the skirt and shoes.
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Post by bab* on Feb 20, 2010 18:52:21 GMT -5
I am a completionist, so I have both versions of Sam's bathing Suit. I would just like to add that, if you are choosing which one to get, I reccommend the second version. In person, the white piping really adds a lot and makes it a much cuter look. The second one is also made of a crisp, heavier fabric that is more of a sharp navy, while the first one is a soft, thin fabric that is a softer navy. Also, the lifesaver that comes with the second one is hard plastic, while the first version came with a styrofoam lifesaver, which gets dinged and dented easily.
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Post by bab* on Feb 4, 2010 20:05:58 GMT -5
I saw a badly yellowed one on eBay for $5 and decided to try to save it as I am with the people who think it's nice that AG finally made something simpler for Sam. I put it in a bucket with water and OxyClean before bed. When I woke up, it was bright white and flawless! All I had to do was rinse, hang dry, and steam a couple wrinkles and it looked brand new. I strongly reccomend that anyone with yellowing issues try OxyClean. Just wish mine had come with the hair ribbon I give it a B. I love the dress, and I'm glad the yellowing can be fixed, but it really shouldn't yellow in the first place, right? PS - I love it with Nellie's Spring Party shoes!
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Post by bab* on Feb 3, 2010 20:21:29 GMT -5
I only have the blanket, having got it as part of a lot on eBay, but I thought I'd review it since there's so little info on the Sleigh. The blanket has two sides: a plaid flannel side and a black faux-fur side. The faux-fur is so soft and plush. The flannel is green and orangey-red. I wish it were more of a true red.
I agree that two dolls really have to cuddle up to both fit under this. They should have made it a bit bigger if they wanted them to share easily.
It fits fine over one doll.
B-. It gets marked down because of the size and the orangey-ness. Overall, I think it's a high-quality piece that a little girl would enjoy playing with or a collector would enjoy with the Sleigh set.
Mod edit to remove broken image links
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Post by bab* on Feb 3, 2010 18:57:44 GMT -5
I agree that she is pretty much Samantha with straight hair and a tan. I actually got them together at the Christmas when AGOT first came out. As I recall, there wasn't a doll that really looked like me (now there is, #21) but #2 was the one on the cover of the catalog that introduced AGOT and I fell desperately in love with her. My mom had always wanted me to have Samantha though, so I got both. (Thanks mom!) Here are some pictures of the together for comparison. Sam isn't really taller, they're just on different stands. I think she was their attempt at a hispanic doll at the time, but to me she's just tan, so I usually put her in outdoorsy clothes. My twelve-year-old self who first got her probably would have given her an A+, but now I give her a B- for being ambiguous and too close to Sam. However, her straight hair is still silky and beautiful with no care except an occassional brushing, while Sam's curls give me tons of trouble.
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Post by bab* on Feb 3, 2010 17:34:27 GMT -5
I have a 1989 Pleasantly plump Kirsten, and the dress without the apron looks awful on her because it's tight and bunches wierdly. As a Swede, I had to have this dress as soon as I saw it because it looked more Swedish to me than most of her stuff because of the mix of colors and patterns. I had very little trouble getting the shoes on, but I put them on over her Mattel meet socks, not her PM ones. Just a little wiggle, and they popped on. I expected the ribbons to be the same woven ribbons as all her other outfits, but these are a stiff grosgrain. Not sure if they're historically accurate, but they make really nice bows.
I give it an A (no plus because I think, even if they wanted to use plastic for the shoes, they could have made it look more like wood).
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