Goodbye Lanie! (and what to expect in 2011)

Hi! Well, actually Goodbye. I loved Lanie, I wouldn't get her because of her blonde hair but she was cute and had a great personality and story!

She was charming, sweet, creative, outgoing, and didn't care what other's think. Ta ta, Lanie.


Anyways, here's what you can expect from this blog in 2011 (this will be a great year!)

• a contest! (starting Jan. 2nd!!!!)
• seasonal giveaways
• rants, raves, and opinions, 
• reviews- readers can submit reviews for any AG products and they could get featured on this blog! (I am most interested in products that new for GOTYs, MAGs, and HCs)
• photos and videos! during the summer I may have a music video, series, or small movie.......

This will be a great year! And I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! If you want, you can start submitting reviews tomorrow to be featured (one will be featured each week, e-mail me if you have any questions.)

Happy New Years!

~Gabby

American Girl- You're Crazy for $$$$$

Hi! I think we can all agree that American Girl is going for the money. With higher priced items, no wonder we have a recession. I have been really disappointed about the higher prices, but there are two sides to this argument. Read on:


Side 1:
AG is about Girls


There isn't much to this side of the argument- except thousands of girls complaining about AG's high prices. Did you know in 2011, dolls will be $100? And that a four piece outfit costs $24-30 when it's still made in China? I know they need money, but girls put the 'girl' in American Girl! 


Side 2:
AG is about $


This is true. But AG is company and needs money. My mom says that AG is probably losing customers because of the high prices (no surprise there) and they need to raise their prices in order to keep up production. Hmmm.... I believe in both sides, but this side is definitely stronger. Why else would you price a set of doll earrings at $7?


Also, did you know that American Girl will only donate up to $100,000 in the purchase of Kanani's Hawaiian Monk Seal?


So why do we keep buying AG products? Because the love for AG has been passed down by our older siblings or cousins and then the littler generation just ends up loving it. It's the same thing that happened with me. And those prices just want to make me try harder. Because no handmade outfit or copy cat doll accessory can replace the feeling of opening an American Girl box.


I hope that made sense,
Gabby

Kanani- shocking!

Hi! Personally, I have already decided that I don't like Kanani. And I can officially say it too. I saw some high quality photos after visiting I Love American Girl's blog and saw that she had a link to Kanani's catalogue photos too. You can check it out too HERE.

Wow. Kanani is by far the topic discussed on this blog that has sparked the most controversy, so please be nice to others. And I have to say wow......... she is not very cute, although if she had brown eyes, I might change my mind.

Actually, she looks like she has a pretty cool story, but the doll still isn't pretty.......

Her paddle board is really cute! I also really like that AG is still supporting National Wildlife Federation and they are continuing with Shine on Now. I will definitely think of purchasing a Hawaiian Monk Seal.

I am super excited for American Girl's 25th birthday!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!! It will be so cool!!!!!! I would love to take a trip on the cruise, but it's probably expensive....

I love the idea of the 25th Birthday Mini Dolls! It's such a creative way, although I probably can't afford to buy a mini doll every month, but I am looking forward to buying Kaya's, Felicity's, and Kirsten's! (I may also buy Julie for Kaylen.)

So, what do you think?

~Gabby

Kanani

Hi! *Before I start this post, I want to say that these opinions expressed in the post are mine, please respect them as I would do for you. Please feel free to post your opinions in the comment section too!*


Today, as I was reading the latest edition of American Girl Magazine, I found a pretty shocking ad and flyer. The back cover was plastered with a face of a girl we all know to well-

Miss Kanani Akina. I was surprised and shocked. Although, I guess I shouldn't be because of they did this same thing to Lanie last year.

But then, I saw this flyer-

So, you know each GOTY since Nicki, has had a contest? Like how Chrissa had girls create 'Stop the Bullying' posters and Lanie got girls outside to take nature pictures? Well, for Miss Kanani, in order to enter to win a Kanani Doll (nope, there are no GOTY collections being given away this time!), girls must create an e-card to send to friends and family- and you can enter as many times as you like. So, what will this mean? Thousands of girls sitting in front of their computers and creating e-card after e-card. Yay.

I wish American Girl would have done something else, like have girls write a story about living in Hawaii or having girls submit photos or stories about how they have shared their spirit. (Kanani's all about spirit, AG describes her as- She's a cheerful girl who helps others by sharing Hawaii's Aloha Spirit.) Now what, may I ask, is 'Aloha Spirit'?

I am seriously thinking AG is losing it's touch. A virtual world? Eight dollar graphic tees? Contests where girls enter by sending e-mails?

It's just not the AG I loved as a six-year-old.

~Gabby

Natalee

Hi!


So from my good old friend Santa Claus, my sister, Kayla, received Natalee.


Yes, she is a doll.


A Madame Alexander Doll.


She has brown eyes.


And Brown Curly Hair.


And loves the water.


She's really pretty- especially with her hair down (sorry, no pictures of that yet!)


Her full name is Natalee Mae Dixon- I came up with the name Natalee- it means born on Christmas Day!  
                                                                            
Also, my sister is having a giveaway for some winter wear over at Forever American Girl. 


Check it out!
~Gabby                                                        

AG Christmas Haul 2010!

Hola! Guess what? Tennessee had a white Christmas! Yippee! Unfortunately, we didn't get that much snow, so we couldn't sled. :-( But here is a photo of the snow-

Yeah, but anyways- for gifts!

I got Samantha's Fashion studio from my parents! I designed the outfit beside it.

I got Felicity's Riding Outfit and Patriot from Santa! They are too cute!

My parents gave me a Molly Book set and Mini Doll! (they are part of the same set from Costco)

I also received the Star Hoodie Outfit! (very cute, better than the stock photo) Oh and do you see that second charm?......

It's from the Ruby & Ribbon dress! This is too cute beyond words!

Red shoes.

Bejeweled headband. This outfit isn't sold out yet- get it before it's gone!

Also, an AGP Zip bag, headband, and doll shirt!

And I got this cute blanket! (for dolls, of course!)

Now this isn't exactly American Girl, but I got the Freeing Dobby HP Lego set!

And....

The Sorcerer's Companion! This is an amazing book- like a Harry Potter encyclopedia!

I hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as I enjoyed mine! What did you get?

~Gabby

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all of my fabulous 65 followers and other readers! I hope you enjoy your Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas celebrations!

(yes, I did receive some very cool AG items- but they're coming in the post tomorrow;) )

~Gabby

New Dolls? We (think we've) Got the Names.

Hello! I was overwhelmed with the response from my last post that I decided to do a little more searching on Kanani. I was unable to find anything but I did remember rumors about Rebecca's Best Friend, Ana, being made into a doll so I decided to look her up (I didn't find anything though). I came upon Tradmarkia.com- a website where people can look up trademarks made since 1870. Being an AG fan, I looked up American Girl's Trademarks. And look what I found-

It seems as if the were planning Rebecca since 2003 but changed the spelling of her name.

Fudge? This definitely a new animal. 

Kanani.......

These were made recently, do you think they are new dolls being planned? I do.

Teagan- this is a very new name so I'm guessing this will more likely be the doll of 2012.

There are plenty more trademarks too! You can visit the site here.

~Gabby

KANANI PICTURES!!!!!

Hi! I still don't really like Kanani, but I did find a video on YouTube with actual photos of Kanani.

That is one, ugly meet outfit.

Yum Snowcones!

Cute snowcone set!

It's Kailey all over again.......

And it looks exactly like Jess's pajamas too! Seriously AG, can you come up with something original!

This chair set.... is um..... just plain weird. And how exactly can American Girl Doll's use a foot rest?

Yes, feel free to voice your opinions too! I don't really like Kanani that much if you haven't noticed. Have you ever noticed that I only like the GOTYs that come out in the even-numbered years (Jess, Mia, Lanie)?

~Gabby

Felicity's Birthday

Hey! Here's a video celebrating Felicity's Birthday! Happy Birthday Lissie Jules!

~Gabby

GOTY Ramblings

Hey everyone! I have been waiting to write this post for a while- so get ready for a my views on each and everyone of the AG GOTYs- starting with Lindsey.

I don't like Lindsey that much- she's not very cute and I don't think her story was that good. And besides, I didn't even know what AG was back in 2001 when Lindsey first came out.

Kailey. She's pretty cute and I have to say- she did do a lot to help her community! Although her meet outfit isn't very cute, her hair and eye combination are! Kailey was the GOTY of 2003.

Marisol. GOTY of 2005- cute, but not my kind of doll. I am not very interested in dance and there was some upsetting remarks regarding her heritage and her reason to move from the suburbs.

Jess- 2006. I love her! I think that she has made the biggest impact by far! My cousins entered a contest about her story, an excerpt has been taken from her book for a Canadian test, and she is Asian. If I could have another doll, it would be her!

I don't like Nicki- GOTY 2007. Sure she's nice and she has a warm heart but I don't like her name or hair/face. I often forget about Nicki whenever I am listing GOTYs. She, in my book, didn't make a statement.

OMG- this girl is cute! Mia, GOTY 2008, is very hard-working despite coming from a less fortunate family. Her story is soooo sweet and so is Mia herself!

I never liked Chrissa- GOTY of 2009. She has an odd face that make her cheeks seem really chubby. I also think that her movie displayed her giving a bad example- if you brother gets a concussion, you get stabbed with a pencil, and your BF ends up with a bad haircut all because of a bully and you still don't tell? Way to show 'standing-up' AG.

Lanie- GOTY 2010- she's cute and sends a good message! Although I don't think she made the market with parents. Something about curly hair, a $295 camper, and a raccoon in a trash can might have something to do with her not selling well......

As of yesterday, I don't like Kanani. Why? She looks way to much like Marisol. I also don't like her name and guess what? After we get Kanani, AG will almost likely create another Caucasian doll and we will have to wait for an African American doll. Also, I read on another site that a commenter desribed her as ".....a mixture between Kailey and Jess......" So true!

Well, that's all the ranting for today.

~Gabby

(Lanie picture property of AG, Kanani photo property of Barnes and Noble, All other photos from AGD Wiki)

The Birthday Loot

Hola! I am so happy- this has been a great birthday and you all have left many sweet comments down below. I am also excited to say that I received 2 American Girl items!

Chrissa's snow gear!

I love this hat!

The snow shoes are great!

The mittens and the tube pattern are soooo cute!

And the travel set! This item is beyond cute!

It comes with stickers to customize your suitcase.

And a passport, passport holder, tickets, and a luggage tag.

I love all of my birthday gifts! Don't you just love the feeling of ripping of the wrapping paper to see an AG box?

~Gabby