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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 0:32:11 GMT -5
I received these stickers as a gift this past January, so I do not know how much they originally cost. What I do know is that they're PINK and so cute! I want to get a second set so I can have an unused one and another that I can stick on things. The sheet of stickers is about 5 inches tall with either 10 or 12 stickers on it - I'm not sure if the trio of stars is a single sticker or not. There are two large scribbly flowers, four small ones, a medium-sized scribbly star and three small scribbly stars. There are also two stickers that say "American Girl Place" - one is pink and the other is grey. Overall, I don't think these are very useful or worth paying a lot of money for (maybe $5 max, considering they're a souvenir and souvenirs can be expensive), but they're so cute and I love this particular shade of pink... Grade: B--- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 0:11:05 GMT -5
I received the t-shirt shaped notepad from AGPC as a gift this past winter, and it's really cute! I don't know how much it costs, obviously, but I love notepads, so I'm very glad to have it. It is in the shape of the classic black AGP souvenir t-shirt, the one with "American Girl Place" across the front with the shooting star next to the A. It's about 4 inches high if you count from the bottom-most point to the top-most point, but less than that otherwise. The inside pages are white and unlined, but there is a grey printed "American Girl" across them, right where the logo would be on the cover or actual t-shirt. Very cute! I wouldn't pay more than $8 for this, considering it's a souvenir and souvenirs run expensive. On eBay, I wouldn't pay more than $4. For a cute little souvenir: B+-- It's not an A because the cover was difficult to flip open at first and the pages are attached in such a way that they'll fall out easily once you start removing them. Also, the grey print on the pages isn't very great for writing notes or anything, yanno? But still, it's cute and a neat little souvenir, and it's USEFUL, so it's totally worthwhile. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on Feb 18, 2007 21:18:58 GMT -5
My friend is letting mee borrowhers and the band in the inside that says American girl is written all in red with a small white star. Also They close with a snap and then there is velcro for the fly. These must be a second version, then! The code on the hangtag has a 2 at the end, which led me to believe that they were a second version when I first saw them, but I didn't think the difference would be that much. How interesting, that they changed the closure to a snap. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on Feb 18, 2007 20:16:06 GMT -5
AGPBJ2 Grade: A+++! These things are awesome! Please excuse my shirtless doll in the photos. I didn't want any distractions from the item being discussed, so I dressed her ONLY in the blue jeans. Okay, so, from the front: very nice bootleg jeans! You know how the Sparkly Tunic & Jeans Outift has flared jeans with distressing on the legs? These are a dark wash all around, and have nice straight legs, like a bootcut almost. There are beltloops for a sash or belt, and 5 pockets! The small pocket on the front has a red embroidered star, which is WAY CUTE. I never noticed it in photos of the jeans before (partly why I did these photos without a shirt or anything for Bea). Two views of the back, now. Again, very classic styling. There is an AGP logo stitched onto the right back pocket, and you can see better how these are bootcut - a very minimal flare to go over the shoes at the bottom. I love how these aren't all tight at top, but more relaxed looking. Also, they don't seem to be very low cut, which is great for the shorter tops! Finally, the insides. Unlike the Sparkly Tunic jeans, these do not have elastic in the waistband. They do have the AG logo on a dark blue grosgain ribbon stitched to it, though, in alternating red and white. As you can see in the photo, the AG tag is down in the middle of the crotch, which would be uncomfortable for a real girl, but luckily these are dolls! As for the closure: there is a false snap button on the front of the fly, but it closes with a long strip of velcro. It's the regular one, not the anti-pull velcro, so be careful if you have anything knit that comes in contact with it. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 7, 2007 0:40:42 GMT -5
Original Price: $30.00 Dimensions: 5 1/4x5x5 (heightxdepthxwidth) Grade: A-Kit's bookend looks so very cosy to me, almost straight out of her father's or uncle's studies. She's wearing the adorable reddish brown dress with the green rickrack trim that she wore in her Christmas story, and is curled up in a large leather chair with a book on her lap. Behind her is a set of bookcases that form a corner. What's really awesome, in my opinion, is that they're fully detailed. Even though you don't really see the books unless you're looking super closely, they're still sculpted and painted! The detail work is about fifty times awesomer than that of the ornaments and figurines, I think. It's pretty cute that her bookbag is propped against the chair, and other books are piled on the side. Plus, there's a small clock and a pineapple-looking plant on a plantstand! The bookstand has a nice weight to it and seems to be made of resin or some other sturdy material. Unfortunately, I think it would probably break easily. I'm always afraid the pineapple will break off the stand, or the stand itself will snap in half, if I touch it wrong, so I've left the protective padding wrapped around it. The bottom of the bookend has Hallmark/AG information stamped into it, and there are four felt casters to protect surfaces. If you've purchased the bookend new or like new, it has a hangtag tied to the chair with a ribbon. The inside of the tag tells you that the bookend is from a set of 8 which are sold individually so you can mix and match to preference. The other side has a small blurb about Kit being a writer AND a reader. I think this is a great addition to a book or Kit collection. My A- grade is primarily because of the fragility of the pineapple plantstand. Also, I have no clue what that plant is supposed to be, but it really does look like a pineapple, doesn't it? --- KERI
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Charms
May 3, 2007 23:55:45 GMT -5
Post by Keri on May 3, 2007 23:55:45 GMT -5
In 2003, Hallmark and AG introduced a line of charms of the American Girls' favorite animals to be sold at Hallmark stores. See this post for the American Girl portrait charms, and more information about the boxes.I have the Grace charm, so this is what my pictures will be of. Like the portrait charms, these are tarnish-resistant. They're silver so they're probably sterling or stainless steel. The Grace charm has a decent weight to it and is about an 1/2in tall. The inside of the box flap has an excerpt from Happy Birthday, Kit! while the back tells us who Grace is. I love how tiny the sculpt is, and cute. I'm not as partial to the pet charms as I am to the portrait charms, but I think they make a neat addition to a collection - or the charm bracelet Hallmark sold, especially if the other pet charms were there, too. I would pay up to $6 for this. A- (because I think the pets are slightly boring without the girl counterparts, but it's well done and lovely) --- KERi
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Post by Keri on May 6, 2007 20:25:03 GMT -5
Original Price: $30 Size: 6x5x5 inches. (heightXwidthXdepth) Grade: B+The Kaya bookend is absolutely lovely. It has a good weight to it and nothing feels like it's likely to break off at any point. It's an outdoor scene of Kaya creating a basket (the typical flat kind of the Nez Perce) in front of a background of purple flowers and fields. I love the perspective of the sculpt. The flowers and rocks closest to Kaya are fully three-dimensional, but as the image recedes, they lose their shape until they're simply painted onto the backdrop. The sculpt of Kaya herself is also lovely. It's about a zillion times better than the ornaments or figurines, I think, and she looks so very peaceful. I love this bookend and I think it's one of the nicer ones (and not just because Kaya's my favorite girl!), but I'm a little disappointed in the color. It's possible that mine has faded after five months sitting on my desk, but even relative to each other, the colors are kind of bland. Kaya stands out mostly because she's done up in warm colors while the background is all cools, but otherwise, she's also rather bland. It's also a very simple design, compared to the other girls. I understand that her tribe did not have a written language, or really, anything to properly "read," so by nature her bookend has to be radically different from the others. But I still feel a bit down that it's so plain, even if it is just lovely. The backdrop is curved to help with the trompe l'oeil, and the back of it is smooth plaster or resin, or whatever it's made from. The underside of the bookend has a Hallmark/AG stamp and four felt casters. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 9, 2007 0:36:38 GMT -5
The individual short stories AG had were also sold in Hallmark shops. I believe they were sold in sets according to the girl, but since I haven't a set, I am not sure. At any rate, these are almost identical to the AG-version short stories. The primary differences are: - No ISBN information on the back cover; Instead, there is a Hallmark logo - The front page of the book is inscribed with a place to write a note as a gift - There is a Hallmark "gold crown" ribbon bookmark - The spine has a Hallmark logo underneath the usual "American Girl" white-on-red logo, which makes it look different when in a row with other short stories. Do these make any difference in the value of the book, or quality or anything? No. Unless you're specifically going for a certain look, I can't see why you should pay more/less for a short story because it's a Hallmark one. Though, to be honest, the ribbon bookmark annoys me. The book is so thin that it seems silly to use it, and if I forget to tuck it under the covers it hangs out when I put it on the shelf. As a special Hallmark book, I give them a D. There's really nothing special about these books that makes them more worthwhile than the regular short stories. But the short stories themselves I rate with a B+. (Not an A because they're small and somewhat awkward to hold while reading, and some of the activities are dumb.) The Hallmark short story I have is "Molly Marches On." An eBay search for the title--- KERI
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Charms
May 3, 2007 23:46:14 GMT -5
Post by Keri on May 3, 2007 23:46:14 GMT -5
In 2004, Hallmark and AG introduced a series of charms for each of the AGs. They are small, silver and enamel charms of portraits of the girls, similar to the "Picture Frames." They came in a sweet little gift box attached to a short burgundy ribbon. There was a charm bracelet offered that you could put them on, or they can go on a necklace. I have the Kit one. The portrait is 5/8 in tall. The box they come in is 3 1/4 in tall. There is a flap in the front that you can open like a book. When open, one side has a blurb about the girl while the other has a cut-out through which you can see the charm. The inside is classic AG burgundy. The back of the box also has a small blurb about the girl. There is also an AG classic logo and copywright information and stuff. I almost didn't buy this, but I decided I needed to have everything Hallmark made for my Kit and Kaya collections, so I ended up doing so. I think I paid $3 for it, which is a good price. I'd pay up to $5 for the charm. I don't wear it because I'm afraid of losing it, but since it's tarnish-resistant (read: sterling silver or stainless steel), I might eventually get a chain to wear it as a necklace. It is pretty cute. A+--- KERI
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Post by Keri on Feb 18, 2007 19:47:44 GMT -5
I was seriously surprised by the quality of this Kaya frame when it arrived! Becky sent it as a freebie with a recent order from her eBay shop, and it's really cool. The whole thing is something like 3x5 inches and it has real weight to it, and the detail on the frame is molded in - not just painted. It was originally $8, so the eBay prices of about $3 that I see are pretty good. I love that it has a hook on the back, plus the angle stand, so that you can hang it on the wall or stand it up on a shelf. It also came with a little hangtag with photos of the other frames and a short description of Kaya. I'm fairly certain that you can remove the picture to put in one of your own, too. Maybe if you got a set of 'em and included one of the doll, one of your daughter and her doll, and one of your daughter? That might be neat... I'm really glad Becky sent it, though, because I wouldn't have dreamed of collecting these, but it's a GREAT addition to my Kaya, Kit, and Hallmark collection. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 0:27:05 GMT -5
I might be wrong about these being sold at Hallmark. But I bought my packs with a bunch of Hallmark lots, so I assume that's where they come from - at least partially. These sticker packages each have 10 stickers. They are made to match the portraits at the front of the books, at least, Kit's are! Again, I have the Kit stickers because she's the girl I collect for the most (I need to find more of Kaya's things...). The package is a cute little envelope, about 4x2 inches with a picture of the girl on the front. The back has miniatures of some of the stickers plus a little blurb. The stickers themselves have the cover illustrations of all six books (or a crop of the cover illustration) and four bonus pictures. The stickers are slightly smaller than the 4x2 inch envelope. I think these are a really cute addition to a collection. I have to packs, in case I ever want to put the stickers on anything and I paid $1.50 each. I think that's a fair price - I definitely wouldn't pay more than $2 for a pack. They were originally either $3.50 or $5.50 - I forgot to look before I put them away, and I can't read the type on the photos. Oops. Sticker grade: A - the pictures are good quality, and they're a nice size, too! --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 2:22:53 GMT -5
The 2003 keepsake ornament series from Hallmark featured birthday scenes with favorite animals. Kit's has her sitting in her green lawn chair in her birthday dress, holding on of the paper fans, while Grace lies on the ground at her feet. The background scenery from the box is of her garden, like on the illustration of Happy Birthday, Kit!. The inside of the box tells about how she wanted a Robin Hood party but Aunt Millie came and threw a different kind of part, which was just as good. The keepsake card has a portrait of Kit holding a paper fan. The detail on this ornament is amazing, as with all the Hallmark/AG ornaments I have. It's also a much nicer paint job than the 2002 series ornament for Kit, I must say! Possibly this is because there is more green to offset her yellow/pink coloring. Or else each ornament varies because they're all hand-crafted. (So the backs of the boxes say...) Grade: A--- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 0:50:59 GMT -5
The 2004 series of Hallmark ornaments featured the girls in motion. The one of Kaya features her running through grass and there is an additional, mini-ornament of her mocassins. I lovelovelove the detail in this piece. Everything adds to the feeling that Kaya is moving, from the way her braids lie to the way the fringe on her dress is angled. It's just so lovely! Even her porcupine quill necklaces are askew, just like they would be if she really were running as fast as she can. The ornament itself is "hand-crafted" and I think it's resin. It's about 4 inches tall, ignore what my ruler says down there - it's tilted against and is giving a skewed reading. The back of the ornament keepsake box has a blurb about Kaya's character while the inside contains a few sentences from Meet Kaya about the footrace she participates in, when she forgets to keep an eye on her twin brothers. The inside scenery of the keepsake box is green hills and blue skies. The little card included is Kaya's portrait. Overall, I think this is one of the BEST of the AG ornaments, if not THE best. I currently display all my ornaments in their boxes on my bookshelf, and I've never dropped them or anything so I can't say anything about their durability. I love how there is a flat base, though, so you can display it without hanging it up - eventually I plan to set each ornament in a row on a bookshelf in front of my short story collection. Grade: A+!(back of the box) (the inside text) (the little keepsake card) (the backside of the keepsake card) --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 2:38:34 GMT -5
The 2004 keepsake series shows the girls in motion. Kit is running down a set of steps with a paper in her hand, no doubt chasing a good scoop! The mini-ornament included with her is of her notebook and pencil. The 2004 series is probably my favorite, because I love the detail that went into making the girls look like they are actually moving, but I don't think this is the best of the Kit ones. Her face and overall coloring is much better in the 2003 birthday series. Also, the back of her skirt looks really weird to me, because it's filled in (most likely it would be too difficult to mold something realistic, and we preserve her modesty this way, too!). I really like how she's running down the steps, though. I don't know why, but I just think it looks really cool. Plus, the scene from the box is of her house, so it matches really well! The keepsake card with this ornament is a cropped version of her Meet Kit illustration. The inside of the box tells about her Hard Times News. The ornament is about three and a half inches tall, I think. I paid $12 for this ornament on eBay, which is a good price. It was originally $15, and I wouldn't pay more than that. Grade: A-, because of the odd way Kit's face looks. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 1:50:29 GMT -5
The 2002 keepsake ornaments from Hallmark feature the girls' Christmas scenes... except that Kaya doesn't celebrate Christmas, does she? Instead, her ornament features a basket of huckleberries. The back of the box is the same as for the 2004 series ornament, which I've already reviewed. The inside of the box tells about Kaya looking towards the future and the love of her homeland. Overall, I'm not as impressed with this ornament as I am with the one from the 2004 series. It is very lovely and detailed, but I think the running pose is just so much more outstanding than this one, where Kaya is simply sitting on her feet while tilting a basket forward. The color of the huckleberries is wonderful, though, and I like how the detail is visible all around, instead of just from one angle. The little keepsake card included with this ornament is a portrait of Kaya holding her doll. These originally cost $15 and you can find them anywhere from $5 to $50 on eBay. I wouldn't pay more than $13 for this one, since I've seen it on eBay more than any other Kaya ornament. Overall, I give this ornament an A-. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 2:03:48 GMT -5
The 2002 keepsake ornament series from Hallmark features Christmas scenes. Kit's has her sitting on the floor with a book while Grace lounges at her side. I laughed when I realized what was going on in the scene - afterall, Kit doesn't adopt Grace until five months AFTER she borrows the red dress from Ruthie! This is still a rather nice piece, though. The colors are vibrant and the pose looks so sweet. Kit's book has actual pictures inside, which is a nice touch. I've gone and put the ornament up, so I'm going from my photos here, and I think the book she has in her hands is the one she wrote for Ruthie, since it's about a princess. I think. Anyway, she's also got her Amelia Earhardt doll in her arms. The quality of this ornament is nice, but it sort of freaks me out, to be honest. It's just over 2 inches high, so the detail is awfully small, but still... Kit's hair is SO yellow, and her skin is SO peach, and her and Grace's eyes are SO dark... I dunno, it's pretty, but not something I'd want to look at too closely for too long, yanno what I mean? The keepsake card included has a portrait of Kit holding her doll. The back of the box has a blurb about her, and the inside talks about the hardship of a Depression winter/Christmas and how it was brightened by the gifts Kit and Ruthie gave each other - The Story of Princess Ruthie and the doll. There is a matching set of mini-ornaments for this, but I don't have them so I can't comment on them. I wouldn't pay more than $15 for this ornament. Actually, I'd probably try and find it for $10 or less, but if I couldn't, $15 would be my upper limit. Grade: B- for the freaky coloring and anachronism. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 7, 2007 1:27:43 GMT -5
Original Price: $15 Grade: BFrom the outside, the miniworlds are absolutely darling. They look just like a cute, delicate book! Even the sides of the box are painted to look like pages. The cover is a creamy color with a striped border along the top and bottom. The color of the border depends on the character - Kaya's is pale blue. Also dependent on the character are the floral decorations that show up next to the name/year on the spine and front. Kaya's are a black-eyed susan, or some other similar wildflower. The back of the box has a picture that shows what comes inside, I think it might peel off?, and the open edge ties shut with ivory ribbons. When you untie the ribbon and open the cover, the first page is a beautiful miniature painting of Kaya's family teepee. It's just like the larger one that comes with her paper doll set. The second page is the salmon river country. The third page tells you what each painting is of plus a small description. This third page faces an open compartment with the figures and stickers that allow for play. Each page has a small circle of velcro on the far edge at about the same level as the ribbons on the cover. These help keep the box shut and the play pieces from falling out. The play pieces are: 7 thick cardboard figures of Kaya, a teepee, a doll, a doll in a carrying basket, a basket of water, and two dogs. There is a small plastic stand for each cardboard piece. These are small circles with two upright and parallel semi-circles to support the cardboard bits. There are also two sheets of stickers. These stickers can be removed from the scenery and reattached in different spots without losing their effectiveness. The stickers are things like toys, animals, food, tools, &c. I rather like that one sticker is a magpie! Overall, I think these boxes are more enjoyable as display pieces than play pieces. If you remove the stickers from the sheets, you don't really have any place to store them again, except on the scenes, and it looks messy. Also, though the velcro circles are a nice idea, they're difficult. I've had problems getting the scenes to stay open enough for actual play, and the velcro tends to stick funny so that whenever I try to open the box, only the last velcro pair detach, so all the pieces in the storage part fall out on me. But I love the display value, and they look so beautiful lined up together. I have them displayed with the story collections and bookends on my desk, and they're a nice, kind of upscale look compared to my regular book collection. I wouldn't pay more than $6 for a used one on eBay or $13 for a brand-new one, simply because of the lack of play-value, but they're so pretty! Oh, and dimensions - they're about seven inches tall and five inches wide when shut. The thickness is 2.5 inches. When open, the scenes can span just under 10 inches, if you open them completely. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 10, 2007 19:34:42 GMT -5
(I apologise if this reads too similarly to the review for Kaya's mini world, but they are based on the same concept and all...) Original Price: $15 Grade: B From the outside, the miniworlds are absolutely darling. They look just like a cute, delicate book! Even the sides of the box are painted to look like pages. The cover is a creamy color with a striped border along the top and bottom. The color of the border depends on the character - Kit's is mint green. Also dependent on the character are the floral decorations that show up next to the name/year on the spine and front. Kit's is the trio of pink/purple/yellow flowers that you can see at the AG site on her "world" pages. The back of the box has a picture that shows what comes inside, I think it might peel off?, and the open edge ties shut with ivory ribbons. When you untie the ribbon and open the cover, the first two pages are of Kit's attic bedroom. The second set of pages are her mother's garden. The fifth page tells you what each painting is of plus a small description. These paintings are similar to the ones from her paper dolls set, but the attic scene is bare of accessories, since you can add them in with the cut-outs and stickers. Where the sixth page would be is instead an open box, where all the pieces to the Mini World can be stored. You could also use it for jewelry storage or for post-it notes or something, if you're so inclined, I suppose. Each page has a small circle of velcro on the far edge at about the same level as the ribbons on the cover. These help keep the box shut and the play pieces from falling out. The play pieces are: 7 thick cardboard figures of Kit, her desk, her desk chair, her aviator doll, Grace, a copy of her "Hard Times" newspaper, and her wagon. There is a small plastic stand for each cardboard piece. These are small circles with two upright and parallel semi-circles to support the cardboard bits. There are also two sheets of stickers. These stickers can be removed from the scenery and reattached in different spots without losing their effectiveness. The stickers are things like party decorations, party favors, games, toys, school supplies, writing things, &c. Overall, I think these boxes are more enjoyable as display pieces than play pieces. If you remove the stickers from the sheets, you don't really have any place to store them again, except on the scenes, and it looks messy. Also, though the velcro circles are a nice idea, they're difficult. I've had problems getting the scenes to stay open enough for actual play, and the velcro tends to stick funny so that whenever I try to open the box, only the last velcro pair detach, so all the pieces in the storage part fall out on me. But I love the display value, and they look so beautiful lined up together. I have them displayed with the story collections and bookends on my desk, and they're a nice, kind of upscale look compared to my regular book collection. I wouldn't pay more than $6 for a used one on eBay or $13 for a brand-new one, simply because of the lack of play-value, but they're so pretty! Oh, and dimensions - they're about seven inches tall and five inches wide when shut. The thickness is 2.5 inches. When open, the scenes can span just under 10 inches, if you open them completely. (PS: I bought Kit's Mini World used, and all the stickers had already been placed. There wasn't a sheet for me to re-stick them to, which is why the pictures are as they are. Also, most of the plastic stands had been lost by the time it got here.) --- KERI
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Post by Keri on Feb 18, 2007 22:15:20 GMT -5
I'm surprised there isn't a thread for this, since her outfit isn't talked about much on the Lindsey Doll thread!
So, what are the thoughts on the outfit? I think it's awfully cute, but the tights don't fit Beatrice so well. She doesn't like to sit in them.
LOVELOVELOVE the style, though! Very comfortable and cute but not overly girly, like Kailey's or Nicki's outfits. However - what the heck is going on with the skirt? What are the drawstrings for? Did girls really wear that kind of thing in 2000? I remember shorts and pants having 'em, but not SKIRTS (or else, they were vertical rather than horizontal).
The boots are pretty darn cute, too.
The clasp on the side is a cool touch, and it makes them easier to get on and off than if there were elastic or strings to tie or something.
--- KERI
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Post by Keri on Feb 18, 2007 20:02:53 GMT -5
Everybody seems to have these, or else they show up on eBay a lot, but this is the first review. Interesting! What makes these espadrilles? -- Canvas vamp and heel sections -- Open almost-a-sandal design -- Canvas yarn around the sole -- Thick sole -- Ankle strap You'll find that all espadrilles have this same basic design, though colors and exact styles vary. Overall, I give these shoes a B+Negatives: They don't balance very well, for some reason, and I had trouble getting Beatrice to stand in them so that I could take the photo. The elastic around the ankle is awkward to get on - a couple times, it slid under her foot instead of going around the ankle, and I had to take the shoe off and start again. The way the canvas is stitched at the toe looks weird to me. Positives: RED shoes! I love red shoes Very cute with the beachside outfit if you don't have the matching white espadrilles Cute little AG logo on the outside of each heel section The detail stitching of the platform sole is really nice. These shoes go with lots of outfits. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on May 4, 2007 0:18:34 GMT -5
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Post by Keri on May 1, 2007 13:07:20 GMT -5
I have the Kit charm and the Samantha/Nellie locket charm for the club bracelet. I can't find them at the moment, or I would add a photo now. I'm sorry. :/
Anyway, I purchased the Kit charm for my Kit collection and the locket was a gift. They're both rather cute, but I wouldn't pay more than $2 on eBay for either one. The Hallmark charms are a MUCH higher quality.
They attach to the bracelet with a question-mark style hook. You know, where the main part is shaped like a question-mark, and there is a straight piece that is somewhat springy to close it off.
They're silver, but not metal. They may be aluminium or something, but I'm fairly certain they're just silver-painted plastic. This is probably cheaper to produce, which means it's better for sending out as a club prize.
They're also very small, only a little larger than my thumbnail. I guess about an inch long, and less than that wide. Fortunately, this makes them the perfect size to use as a charm on a doll's jacket zipper or backpack!
Overall, I give them a B+ because of their original purpose and their cuteness. Ignoring their original purpose and everything, they're a D in my book.
(pictures will come when I can find them)
--- KERI
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Post by Keri on Oct 16, 2006 3:54:46 GMT -5
Wow, I feel awful that you were so disappointed in the accessories, nelliegirl!
I didn't even remove everything from the box when I received it, so I don't know if there are problems with the cardigan, but just seeing how tiny the box was, and the dogtags on top looking so plastic, I didn't have the heart to inspect much further.
I also expected the scrapbook to have photos pre-attached, and I thought it would be BIGGER. My grandmother's scrapbooks are all two or three times the size of Emily's, proportionally, and I've never seen one much smaller.
--- KERI
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Post by Keri on Sept 14, 2006 2:01:14 GMT -5
This meet outfit is worn by Emily in the book Brave Emily and in the movie Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front. Emily came in this meet outfit from her debut in 2006 until her retirement in 2013.
Your Emily doll arrives in a dress printed with cherry blossoms, and a headband. Underneath, she wears knickers, ankle socks, and T-strap shoes.
A-
Emily has lovely red-tinted, honey-brown hair that falls to where her shoulder blades would be. It is very straight with a center part, and is just lovely to touch. She has the classic face mold with light blue eyes (like Kirsten's, not Kit's), and there is actually a little piece of plastic or vinyl or something along her part to make it look more natural!
She is a beautiful doll, though not very unique, considering all the other dolls with similar hair and/or eyes! Her hair is easy to brush and style, and its length means it is less likely to get caught in everything.
My doll arrived with extremely tight legs, and I've had trouble getting her to stand or sit without something propping her up. Also, though Emily is said to have red hair, it looks more like a honey brown with a red glaze rather than a "true" red. In most photos and in most lighting, I would call it more brown than red, though when the light hits it right, it is a beautiful shade.
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Post by Keri on Dec 31, 2007 20:44:43 GMT -5
I think the problem with the shoes is that they're the typical espadrille style. AG seems to have a few different shoe styles they re-use in different colors and patterns. Because these are espadrille, the back isn't connected to the front. That means you have to watch that the front of the foot stays in while you get the back over the heel - and with the elastic going around the ankle and through the sides, so that it slips around and gets in the way, it's even harder. I noticed that although the shoe upper is basically canvas, like the other espadrilles, it's covered in crochet, which makes it very stiff. So Beatrice's feet couldn't get far enough into the front of the shoe to let the back slip over her heel, or if it did, part got folded over and wedged down, and then it didn't fit right. I did eventually get them on (spent too long fighting with them, really), and now that they're on, they're staying on extremely well. They're also not wobbly or anything, so she stands up without any problems. I find that some of the other shoes I've received recently have bubbles or other imperfections in the bottom of the sole that mess up the balance. As for the rest of the outfit, I really like it. It isn't very much Beatrice's style - a bit too froofy girly - but it's much LESS froofy girly than other spring outfits, like the two Flower Garden dresses or the new flower-print sundress. I think it's because it's two pieces with crisp colors and a simple but bold design. It's definitely something that I can picture Beatrice wearing to a somewhat dressy event like brunch at a nice restaurant for mother's day or a matinée at the symphony. It's very sporty, that's the word I've been searching for. The little scarflet is much shorter and narrower than I had been expecting, so there really aren't many options for using it. It can be tied around a ponytail, though, if you doll dislikes neckerchiefs. The barrettes are decent, plastic. As usual, both clasp on the same side, so it's more awkward to get one in than the other. What a pain! But still, they're nice accents for hairstyles. The blouse fits quite nicely, I think. It's a relatively thick white cotton, but if I pay attention and look, it's thin enough that I can distinctly see the top of the pink skirt underneath, contrasting with Beatrice's 'skin.' This might not be an issue on lighter skin dolls. I like that even though there aren't any sleeves, the armholes go right up to where the fabric body ends, to help disguise the shoulder joints. The velcro goes all the way from top to bottom in the back (well, nearly), and it's the lovely newer kind that's more flexible and thinner and not as likely to snag hair. There isn't a lot of stretch at all in the blouse, and no elastic anything, so if it doesn't fit your doll, then it won't, but it's also a fairly simple style to recreate, I imagine, barring the eyelet along the hem (only in the front) and neck. The skirt is yoke-style, but that doesn't really affect the fit much. It's an A-line. The lining is the same white cotton as the blouse and its hem is about 1cm higher than the overskirt's hem. The embroidery (only on the front) seems to be done with a running stitch of some kind, and it doesn't have the backing you might expect from appliqué. The front waistband is flat, but there is a smidge of elastic at the back. I don't know why - it doesn't seem to make any kind of difference, but I've noticed this a few times recently. The velcro is a matching pink and stiff, and it's about half as long as the skirt. The little purse is nothing to write home about. It's fairly stiff, which surprised me - I thought it'd be soft and collapsable. It is faux-straw and the inside is lined with matching pink fabric. There is a cluster of three same-colored flowers on one side, but they don't match the flowers in the skirt any, which is disappointing for me. (Then again, why are the barrettes hearts? There are no hearts anywhere else on the outfit!) Overall, I love this set. Even though the shoes are a PITA to get on and the purse and barrettes are mostly useless (but pretty!). I especially like that even though it is pink and floral, it is still sporty and crisp-looking. The only thing that I would want to change about this is to make it in different colors, because it's still pink and as much as I love pink, it's not a great match for my doll's personality. Well, and I'd like the shoes to be easier to get on, but you can't have everything. Oh, by the way, Beatrice doesn't wear underpants, but I imagine that if you're dressing your doll in this, you'll want to be careful with the underpants or they might show through - especially light colored ones on darker-skinned dolls. Grade: A! --- KERI
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Post by Keri on Dec 16, 2007 4:44:03 GMT -5
I haven't unboxed the entire outfit yet, but I pulled the little book out last night when I couldn't sleep and read through it. I was really impressed! The quality of the books have greatly improved since they started including them, or else this one's way better than the others I've received in the past.
I didn't expect it to be, but the Mini Mini Mystery was a complete short story with the twist at the end for you to discover. It was actually kind of difficult! If I were reading with the intention of figuring it out, I might have, but since I wasn't, I totally missed the clues, which were quite clever.
I don't know if this makes the outfit worth $26 instead of $24, but it's a nice addition.
--- KERI
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Post by Keri on Dec 12, 2006 4:06:28 GMT -5
GSOF $22 - discontinued 2003 (see Meg's Guide year 2001 for the listing) B+This outfit consists of a wrap jump, a longsleeved t-shirt, and a pair of mary jane shoes. It is utterly divine. The t-shirt is a pinky-lavender color with loose sleeves, rather than tight ones like the current JLY meet outfit, and there is a pretty flower design on the outside of each. The jumper is a purple-tinted denim with tiny magenta lace along the top, where it wraps, and lavender satin at the bottom. The front panel also has royal blue and pink scalloped beading just above the satin. The jumper closes with a small snap that attaches the bottom panel under the right arm, and a hook-and-eye closure attaches the upper panel under the left arm. The snap was surprisingly easy to use, but the hook-and-eye took a few seconds to get. The shoes are a dark purple suede-feeling type, with a chunky black rubber sole. The straps double-over to velcro to themselves which makes them really easy to put on and off! They're a purple microsuede material and maryjane style. The sole is thick, very 2001 style, and black. The strap doubles over and velcroes to itself. I think they're a little darker in person than this image makes them out to be. I love the shoes, and Beatrice wears them with her jeans a lot. I love how divine this outfit is, and it's not overly trendy. It looks very much like a nine-year-old's school dress - appropriate for play, but still nice enough to wear to school. It's also not overly pastel, which is nice. And I love the purple shoes! What I don't like is the hook-and-eye closure. I'm always pulling those things loose, and it was a little hard for me to get, so I fear that I'll be pulling it loose, too. Also, the skirt seems a little short to me. It is just above the kneecaps, where I'd have liked it to come just below the kneecaps. There are no tights or socks included, so her legs look really bare. On the other hand, the jumper can be worn without the t-shirt, so it would make a nice spring-time dress, too. The school accessories from 2001 look really divine with this outfit. The crochet hat is the same color as the lace edging of the jumper, and so is the little felt purse. This is the entire outfit, plus the school accessories. The picture is rather poor, I haven't figured out why, but it makes the jumper, shoes, and hat rather grainy. And here is a view of it without the shirt underneath, as Beatrice plays "Godzilla" and attempts to knock over the Eiffel Tower. As you can see, Giant Rufus and Kim Possible have come to the rescue, while Shego and Dr Drakken watch. Yay! --- KERI
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Post by Keri on Dec 27, 2006 13:15:56 GMT -5
Oh, I meant to post this ages ago. Anyway, the website and catalogue descriptions say that the trousers are corduroy, but honestly, if they are, it is an extremely skinny ridge! (or whatever it is called - weft?) They're more like a velour in my opinion, or brushed twill. Very soft and rather thick, but not really a corduroy. Still, they're extremely cute! And I haven't had any problems at all with the hat catching on Beatrice's hair. Maybe it's because it's short. ~ mod edit to remove broken image link ~
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Post by Keri on Aug 24, 2007 0:59:44 GMT -5
How tall is Coconut? Does the head tilt in more than one direction? He is about 4 inches tall, I'd say. Only comes up the dolls' knees, I guess. His head doesn't turn. --- KERI
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Post by Keri on Sept 11, 2006 23:38:43 GMT -5
So the comments on the photos were a lot of "wow, 28 looks just like Marisol!" Now, I don't have Marisol, but I do have 28, and I absolutely love her. Her hair is a blend of dark and light brown strands that falls just below her shoulders, with the same part as Marisol's. The hair on the left side of the part near her face is longer than on her right, which is rather cute and probably adds to the styling capabilities. Her eyes are a nice dark brown - not so dark to be black, but very rich nonetheless. I've noticed that in halogen lighting, as on the website photos, the lighter bits of her hair stand out, which makes her hair seem much lighter and very close to the skintone. But in daylight, her hair looked much darker. Also, with her arrival in pigtails, her hair is rather stiff and clumpy along the part in the back, but I'm told that should get fixed with brushing. A!#28 in Josefina's outfits as requested! Well, I only have the Weaving one, but still, here ya go! (I love that outfit so much! I had to play with the rebozo as many ways as I could ) Also, I managed to get the short hair into a ponytail. TA DA! I've been able to do loads of hairstyles, but I've lost the blog post with photos. I like best to do two pigtails, a single ponytail, or to pull bits of hair back from the front and secure with barrettes or bobby pins or the like. I've also done two french braids, two regular braids, a half ponytail, which all took patience. And then I've done lots of styles that weren't really planned but made up as I went along, using twists and small braids and stuff. Last night I did a variation on the pony-veil that was really cute - one tiny braid from the hair next to the part at her forehead, a tiny braid further back along the part, and a tiny braid from the hair above her ear, then I pulled each of the three braids back and braided them together a short amount, then put in a barrette. I did that on each side and it was really cute. Headbands - either the regular kind or tied ribbons - generally look really nice, too. *mod edit to remove broken image links*
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