It's January 1, which in the world of American Girl now means two things: it's both the annual debut date of the new Girl of the Year, and the birthday of Civil Rights era BeForever doll Melody Ellison! Both of these factors played into my visit to the Seattle store: I received a beautiful Melody as a Christmas gift from three dear friends, so I wanted to pay some extra attention to her today, and I've been very interested in the thought of adding 2017 Girl of the Year Gabriela McBride to my collection for the past few months, so I wanted to see her and Melody together to compare them.
So my roommate (@restringingorder on Instagram), her family, her new doll, Melody, and I hopped into the car and spent the afternoon running errands, including a trip to the Seattle store!
(Thank goodness Melody and #64 have such easy to fix hair, right? I try to never post pictures of the dolls looking so disheveled, but I was charmed by this picture, since something about the road trip hair just seemed so true to life.)
When I arrived at the store, the first thing I noticed was that the regular mini dolls are out on the floor again! They were packed away for several months last year while the limited edition ones were being sold, and I've been wondering when (or if) they would make a reappearance. Now I'm wondering if the limited edition ones will pop up in the Clearance section at some point during the year, or on Black Friday. Given how many times they went on sale, you'd think there might be some left over.
We got to the store in the middle of the afternoon, which meant that it was quiet enough that my roommate and I were able to get pictures of Melody and Suzume (#64) with Gabrielas! I try to avoid having dolls that are too similar to each other, since I am so quick to feel overwhelmed by the number of dolls I own, but I'm hoping that even though I have both Melody and Cécile, Gabriela won't feel redundant.
My Gabriela thoughts: I really like her! I wish her collection were more detailed (and more hyped), but I like what we do have, and what I know of her story. (And her backstory! Pennsylvania is my home state.) She's cute as a button, and I'm so pleased that we finally have another doll of color as the Girl of the Year. It's long, long overdue. I am definitely planning to get her at some point in the year, if my budget allows, although given how much my collection has grown lately it might wait until this summer at the earliest. Unless we get a really, really good bundle deal in the meanwhile.
I tried to get pictures of all three pairs of earrings that are offered in Gabriela's special ear piercing pack, but I didn't see any dolls on the floor who were wearing the bird earrings. The music notes and the roses are incredibly cute, though!
Gabriela's outfits and items are also in new packages! I will say, I don't understand the fuss about the clear front doll boxes, but I don't like the idea of having items completely sealed away (especially pets! There is so much variety in pet expressions that I would never buy one sight unseen, and I say that as someone who intentionally handpicked an incredibly judgmental looking calf before Caroline retired) or clothes sewn into the packages.
We also took a second look at the items that were quietly released just after Christmas. I am madly in love with the Fun & Games Sleepover Set, and will have to snap it up if it ever goes on sale. Between the UNO cards and the caramel dip and apple slices, it's a must have. I also have the Costco sleepover set (though I resold the drinks and the popcorn), so the two should go well together.
As for the shoes... I've said on Instagram that I dislike the new mix and match collection, and I stand by that. It's just not my style. However, I took a second look at it today and have made two concessions. The first is that I'm going to have to get these shoes for Youngji (my #4) at some point. Once I looked closely enough at them to notice the gold woven in with the blue, I realized that they're totally her style.
The second concession? We'll get to that...
The second concession? We'll get to that...
But first, let's talk about these incredible adorable PJs! I've been collecting since 2011, and it wasn't until the end of last year that I bought PJs for any of my dolls. While I've admired PJs in the modern line now and then (the Butterfly Garden PJs & robe! The Penguin PJs!), it was the Costco Sleepover Set that finally broke my resolve to avoid adding doll pajamas to my collection. I recently made PJs for Youngji (more on that in a future post), and I'm planning to make Winifred (my #38) a set as well at some point, but I'm really tempted to also get these for Winifred sometime. Maybe if they go on sale for a too good to pass up on price.
And now, time for me to eat crow. After complaining last week about how terrible the mix and match collection was, I made precisely one purchase today...
The Geo-Print Shorts! They were one of the items that I mentioned thinking were acceptable when I posted on Instagram last week. I took a closer look at them today, noticed the details (contrasting fabrics! The sparkles on the front pocket! The back pockets!) and realized that they would be great for Youngji. They were $10, and since last year's Mix and Match Collection never went on sale (which is why I didn't purchase any items from it, a fact I am now lowkey regretting) and it fits in my limited budget, I decided to go ahead and get a pair.
(Sidebar: the shirt she's wearing is a sweater my roommate upcycled for Suzume the other day!)
Did any of you go to your local store today, or place an online order? What are your thoughts on Gabriela? What about the other new items? Let's discuss! And as always, feel free to make suggestions or requests for things I should post about in the future. ♥
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