School Accessories (School Bag & Supplies)
Jan 14, 2009 23:11:38 GMT -5
Post by Keri on Jan 14, 2009 23:11:38 GMT -5
I was surprised by the schoolbag as a gift today, and I absolutely love it. It's one of the items I always included on my wishlist when I was a kid (I love the school sets for all the dolls) and I'm tickled to have been given it.
There are so many fantastic things about the set, but also a few disappointing ones. I have Kit's school accessories, so when I opened the box, I immediately started to mentally compare them.
The bag is darling and large! I suppose I always thought it was a bit smaller than it is, but it's a great size. The books and everything fit in with just a little bit of room to spare, and it's probably large enough to use as an overnight bag if you don't want to put the books in. I love that the straps are actual buckles - I expected them to be false buckles with snaps or velcro underneath. Each buckle has three holes punched in so that you can strap the flaps down more loosely if needed. Also, the little pocket on the front is real and large enough for the pencil case.
The binder is maybe my favorite part. It's covered in cloth and the rings open and close. The pencil case and stack of paper were already inserted in the binder, which was pretty neat. I expected everything to come wrapped in its own plastic bag, I suppose. But one of the great things about the binder is that it's a lot like the ones I used in the 90s, which makes it versatile for modern girls, too.
The pencil case only has two pencils and an eraser, which is a bit disappointing. After all, Kit's pencil case has a fake fountain pen, a ruler, crayons, a pencil, and an eraser! But the case zips open and closed and is totally adorable, itself. I also love the shape of the eraser.
The reading book is really frigging cute. I love the books for dolls, and I was disappointed when Julie didn't get any, I have to say. I love the 40s illustrations in this one, and I'm planning to sit down and actually read it, because it's so cute. I was surprised that it's a paperback, though, because I had expected it to be a hardcover like Kit's geography book.
Finally, the report card. This was the most disappointing thing about the set, and I'm not entirely sure why. It's a stiff piece of paper with report card stuff printed on it, and I don't know what else I expected, but it totally underwhelms me. I guess I thought it'd be more like Kit's, with an envelope and stuff, instead of being all glossy.
If I hadn't seen Robin's review of the set, I wouldn't have known to look in the front pocket for the flash cards. One side has the eights times tables (8 x 0 through 8 x 12) without the answer, the other side has the equation plus the answers. All the flash cards are are one sheet of cardstock with perforations to separate them, a bit like the little cards that come with the historical things lately. There are 5 blank cards, and the entire thing is folded in half (two rows of nine cards) and folded accordion style before going into the front pocket. I guess that if you don't plan to actually use the flash cards, this will make it more difficult to lose any!
Overall, I love the set, but I'm a bit disappointed that some of the things didn't live up to my 15 year old expectations. (Yeah, that's how long it's been since I first saw and wanted it.)
There are so many fantastic things about the set, but also a few disappointing ones. I have Kit's school accessories, so when I opened the box, I immediately started to mentally compare them.
The bag is darling and large! I suppose I always thought it was a bit smaller than it is, but it's a great size. The books and everything fit in with just a little bit of room to spare, and it's probably large enough to use as an overnight bag if you don't want to put the books in. I love that the straps are actual buckles - I expected them to be false buckles with snaps or velcro underneath. Each buckle has three holes punched in so that you can strap the flaps down more loosely if needed. Also, the little pocket on the front is real and large enough for the pencil case.
The binder is maybe my favorite part. It's covered in cloth and the rings open and close. The pencil case and stack of paper were already inserted in the binder, which was pretty neat. I expected everything to come wrapped in its own plastic bag, I suppose. But one of the great things about the binder is that it's a lot like the ones I used in the 90s, which makes it versatile for modern girls, too.
The pencil case only has two pencils and an eraser, which is a bit disappointing. After all, Kit's pencil case has a fake fountain pen, a ruler, crayons, a pencil, and an eraser! But the case zips open and closed and is totally adorable, itself. I also love the shape of the eraser.
The reading book is really frigging cute. I love the books for dolls, and I was disappointed when Julie didn't get any, I have to say. I love the 40s illustrations in this one, and I'm planning to sit down and actually read it, because it's so cute. I was surprised that it's a paperback, though, because I had expected it to be a hardcover like Kit's geography book.
Finally, the report card. This was the most disappointing thing about the set, and I'm not entirely sure why. It's a stiff piece of paper with report card stuff printed on it, and I don't know what else I expected, but it totally underwhelms me. I guess I thought it'd be more like Kit's, with an envelope and stuff, instead of being all glossy.
If I hadn't seen Robin's review of the set, I wouldn't have known to look in the front pocket for the flash cards. One side has the eights times tables (8 x 0 through 8 x 12) without the answer, the other side has the equation plus the answers. All the flash cards are are one sheet of cardstock with perforations to separate them, a bit like the little cards that come with the historical things lately. There are 5 blank cards, and the entire thing is folded in half (two rows of nine cards) and folded accordion style before going into the front pocket. I guess that if you don't plan to actually use the flash cards, this will make it more difficult to lose any!
Overall, I love the set, but I'm a bit disappointed that some of the things didn't live up to my 15 year old expectations. (Yeah, that's how long it's been since I first saw and wanted it.)