Rambled Opinions and General Snarkiness: Dat Street Chic Urban, Flying the AG Skies, and Sweets, Treats, and Other Neats: The 2021 Early Quarter Releases

We run these exceptionally clean and well-maintained streets.

I got two retrospecticuses--retrospectici? retrobungalows? we'll take that to the workshop--in and started sorting images for the third when a local snowstorm came in and delayed me and my buddies going to AG Seattle together, even though it was good for Maryellen in the snow for pics. Followed by sad over my last day in AG Seattle. Followed by concern over my family and friends in Texas because of their own freak snowstorms. Followed by March yet again I'm just saying, February was wilding and my brain decided every trip up meant focus was bullshit. I didn't even get my Valentine's day takeout dinner until last weekend.¹ Yes, I'm a bougie bitch. Get you a partner that looks at you like a warm cheddar bay biscuit and then gets them for you to eat at home.

Anyways it's now March and as of today, it has literally been an entire year that my life has been affected by this pandemic. "I'll be working from home for at least two weeks" followed by "actually, roomie, don't go on your usual walking trip out to the store this weekend, it's not fun out there" followed by "...all my thingies are getting super cancelled and the Costco is out of  paper towels, bleach, disinfecting wipes, hand soap, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, and rice. And toilet paper, wtf, why is everyone buying all the toilet paper, good thing we restocked last week."² Things are better but we're not out of the woods yet. Wear your masks, stay home, and stay distant. I don't care what your stupid state governor says about opening the entire state up to full capacity right now because their dumb ass wants to force things "back to normal." Fuck a normal. This is the equivalent of going "the flames are only on half the house now, everyone back into the living room to play on the XBox!" That bastard ain't gonna pay your medical bills and you can't contribute to the economy when you're dead. Freedom is not freedom to be a dick to everyone around you because you're weaker than a fursuiter and mewl at the mild inconvenience of some cloth on your face. And if you're like "lol that's what Texas/Mississippi get, backwards states voted backwards and everyone there deserves it" I want you to snort capsaicin up your nose like it's the 1970s and sauce is the new snow. There's millions in the south, many of which are BiPoC, that are being voter suppressed and trying to be heard, and they're not less worthy. Fuck your northern moral superiority, you fucking weeb. Don't make me overlay the Republican dominated states over the diagram of the Confederacy again. 

Ahem.

While I was working on old stuff and also being sad at times, new stuff came out with AG. I already covered Courtney's new stuff--all of it, really--in her own post, but she wasn't the only one getting the goods. The only Historical, true--but not the only line. Lo, have the moddie things been thinging. Due to the local store closure, I knew I wasn't going to see any of it in person and would just have to use website images and details as it came out, with the oldest new stuff coming out with Courtney and the newest new stuff having come out yesterday. 

So to keep on top of that, I'm still gonna blog about it. And Blaire's gonna have to wait another week for me to take my meds, get my new glasses to read better, and slam some black tea with milk and sugar so I can go over the deep interest of her not being able to eat dairy. I could try to do her stuff first, but then I'm delaying more and then more stuff comes out and then we're talking about 2021 releases in 2022 and I've got enough of a 2019/2020 backlog. Also I've got something neat coming soon and y'all might get the first new review of something in forever.

That and those three new girls are stupid cute and I'm trying to decide when I'll get them.

Pop under the cut and run these streets, site-used images and all. 

Who Run, We Run: The Truly Me Street Chic Collection

Since there is still quite a pandemic out there, Toy Fair did not happen. Mattel instead had their regular shareholders meeting as a virtual conference--and, as they are a publicly traded company, all the information from said meeting were posted online. This is how we've as a fandom learned about things like Courtney and the Create Your Own System--as well as the fact that Monster High is coming back this year.³  

The good news among words like "driving innovation" and "external distribution channels" was that AG had its first positive quarter in a while. I'm not het up on endless capitalistic growth,⁴ but I want brands I like to stick around for a while, and they stick around when they make money because businesses are in the job of making money. AG has (after years of bad profits followed by the screams from the fans that the brand is dying because they won't sell some elder millenial Molly's school desk anymore) started to turn around with the new CEO in charge. And that's after shutting down four-now-five stores. They cite several factors including that Joss sold 20% higher than Blaire even in a pandemic and no surfing, that Gen X really fucking loves the '80s so Courtney tore it up, and that more people are just buying shit online instead of person which, yeah, same.

The news that matters for this next segment is that part of the growth was due to the release of three brightly colored hair dolls--#86, #87, and #88--and so AG decided to expand that into what they named the Street Chic collection: It's hip! It's cool! It's urban. These girls don't wear sunbonnets and spoon bags, dickies and sweaters, or bloomers and plaid drop waist dresses with plastic Mary Janes. They wear urban looks. We're coming for Pleasant Company in in baggy pants, boots, and hip hop graffito tags that would make Grandmary clutch her Victorian era-brooch to her bosom if she hadn't been dead since the first run of the Roaring 20s. Also each comes in a unique-to-them meet outfit, a first for the moddies. They're really going with something new, and I like it.

Yes, I know I haven't covered the prior dolls, or any that have retired over that past two years. I will. But today, let's cover their cooler siblings and shared meet accessories. And none of them are classic faced.

Blue, green and brown. She is the Earth.

#89 in the Cool Camo Outfit: The first numerically of the new urban girls is a medium toned Josefina mold with hazel eyes--still with the hazel eyes, AG--and brown hair with blue and green streaks running through for that earthy girl feel. Her meet set is a set of green camo top and pants, a white AG tank top, black plastic shoes with roses--one of the major motifs of the Urbans, a little of that Rose that Grew from Concrete style--and, I must assume, panties. 

I really love the streaks, though I kind of wish she had a whole head of brightly colored hair like her hip hop street siblings and no brown in it. A lot of people are slapping the Billie Ellish moniker on her but I don't see it myself. That or I don't listen to whisper songs much. To me camo is the stuff the white suburban kids who go hunting on the weekend wear on Monday while telling us about how they went deer hunting with Dad and had their first beer. I grew up in Texas, what the fuck you want. Still it's not a bad outfit. Feel like the tank trim should have been less neon and more matching, but.

I will likely get her and make her a quirky hippy-like girl with flower children grandparents who wears more of the broomstick skirts and flowy tops and flowers in her hair and carries reusable tote bags to the market before going to a protest about abolishing ICE. Then keep the outfit because I like it anyways. 

Blue, light and blue. She is the Wind.

#90 in the Skater Dress Outfit: #2--okay, #90--has the Josefina mold like the one before her, but in white, paired with blue hair--two colors, there's some lighter highlights in that braid--and blue eyes. Her one-of-a-kind meet set is a hoodie dress, steel colored boots for stealing your heart and, I must assume, panties. 

I'll say it before and I'll say it again: AG struggles to not have at least one light skinned girl, blue eyed and/or blonde haired girl in a new release. They just gotta do it. I think it's some deal they made in the contract when Mattel bought the company so St. Pleasant doesn't sneak into their bedrooms and suck their breath out while they sleep. And yet she's not a bad kid. I mean, at least she's not a Classic Mold which was the only other active face mold option for her.⁵ We gotta take our wins somewhere. And she isn't blonde. It's more the blue eyes that make me roll my brown ones. Look, you spend your life in a society that overemphasizes them and also have to spend every new release trying to tell if the blonde one is #22 or #27 and you'd be sick of blue eyes too. Plus she's got the weakest meet outfit with just a dress and shoes. Even the main moddies have jackets now with their dress. But since hers is a lace side hoodie, no extras. The dress is way too busy for me--I like the top half and dislike the bottom. But the boots are badass. More dolls in boots to kick ass. 

I'll get her, swap her eyes, and turn her into another of my many anime girls. And then decide if I'll modify the dress into a top or not.

Purple pink curls and dark skin. She brings the Fire.⁶

#91 in the Girly Graffiti Outfit: And then we have the one I love the absolute most. #91 shows up to the block party with wings, that good potato salad that doesn't have mayo in it, and her melanin poppin' in the darkest skin tone they offer, grey eyes, and purple curls popping with just enough pink to turn your head. As for the look we've got her in  a grey and white mesh sleeved shirt with a slammin' AG logo in spray tag style,⁷ white shorts with slightly rough edges and the rose motif, purple glittery plastic shoes--and, I must assume, panties. Always assume panties.

I love her, love her, love her. She's sorry for dripping, but drip is what she do, and one of these days she gone get dressed and drip all over you. About the only fault I have is the grey eyes, and even those don't bother me because grey eyes do show up in black people often. The shoes don't bring much--AG is really saving pennies on using those plastic molded shoes on everything--but considering #89 will be running around barefoot in the woods, her shoes can go to this one even if they also somewhat suck.

I'll get her first--hopefully in a few weeks--and she'll be my hip hop inner city diva who does spray paint art and listens to Missy Elliot and Run the Jewels and has her dad buy her spray paint since she's not old enough so she can make murals on the side of buildings as part of beautifying her neighborhood.

Lemme hold a couple dollars--Nope.
Y'all still be poppin y'all's collars? Yep.

Chic and Stylish Accessories: All three girls might have individual meets but they share the same accessories, so they gotta work with all three looks. A knit beanie with a star for Brand, metallic lens glasses, socks, a Brand star necklace that doubles as a weapon, a phone--everyone gets a phone now--and five dollars, because AG only gives you five dollars. I guess we can buy some Starbucks. 

The hat, necklace, and socks--partially--are all I'm really here for, but I do get meet accessories each time, so I'll bite down. I want that necklace to double as a weapon.

This is the start, I think, of something beautiful. I hope they'll expand it to more urban looks and feels, even if these are the only three dolls. The more PC fretters that clutch pearls at the idea of the scary hippity hoppity and bass music in their doll world, the more I am sustained. Go eat a thirty-plus year old gingerbread house. 

Launching a New Airline in This Economy?: The American Girl Air Lines Collection

These are clearly first class accommodations.
I was lucky to get half a can of ginger ale in the before times.

American Girl Air Lines Ultimate Collection: I'm covering everything in this together because it makes my life easier and then I can talk about candy-colored doll shoes and blind bags. Along with Courtney's TV, workout set, and piggy, the American Girl Air Lines collection released in February as part of the the World Traveler Collection, so your doll apparently can get to Europe or Japan in first class. We're looking at a set with the following:

AG Air Lines Flight Attendant Uniform: Someone's gotta serve the drinks, do the seat belt safety dance,  hear the complaints about the air conditioning being too cold, and pretend to be pleasant about the whole thing on five hours of sleep. In a skirt.

AG Air Lines Pilot Uniform: Someone's got to make the plane go off the ground, go back on the ground, do the announcements about hitting turbulence, and be locked inside the cabin the whole time. In flats, so that people can bitch that the boy dolls can't wear the set because wearing those kinds of shoes makes them gay, I guess, and girl pilot? What next, girl doctor? What madness. 

American Girl Air Lines:  Someone's got to have a place to sit on the plane. A nice as hell a place to sit on the plane. A pillow? A blanket? A TV? Headphones? We eating chicken on the plane, sitting in first class, being uppity. Must be nice to travel fine.

American Girl Air Lines Cart: Something's got to carry the drinks--and apparently we're serving real food in first class/overnight because the cart has a menu, platter covers, a fruit tart, fucking Perrier water and waffles. I mean, if you're in first class, you clearly have money for airline sandwich and they're giving it to you.

Each piece can be bought individually, or folk can go for the whole set to pretend to fly for $422.⁸ Which, good lord. I clearly will not be getting this. I have no use for any of it, even the tiny dolly food. I can get tiny dolly food elsewhere, thank.

I know for a fact, jack, that I can buy round trip tickets for less than that. Which I'm not doing right now because there is still an entire mother-goddamn-fucking pandemic out there and things are still getting postponed or cancelled--and even when I do get back to flying, I'm not just going to be sitting there with my nose out breathing the air of people I don't know. I'm gonna be wearing a mask, headphones synced to my phone, a hoodie, and glaring dirty at anyone that I don't know trying to hold a conversation. Talking to strangers on a plane was the Before Times, Brenda, now I don't want to hear about your grandchildren in Poughkeepsie and your desire to retire to Florida. Drink your $6 cup of red wine, eat your pretzels, and leave me alone. 

On to Candy Shoes and Blind Bags. 

I'll Take You To The Candy Shop: The Sweet Street Mix and Match Moddie Collection

I had to photoshop this this so as to make sure every component was
covered in one group image. You're welcome.⁹

Another few months, another new Mix and Match Moddie collection. You can still get dolly stink sticks and sweatpants online--if I want them I have to--but the new set is out already. We turn over fast now. The new one came out yesterday along with the other new stuff. Perfectly called the Sweet Street Collection, the set is all about pastels, candy, and shiny things: 

• Minty Sweet Tank Top
• Sweet as Candy Twist Tee
• Sweet Street Sweatshirt
• Sweet Street Bomber Jacket
• Candy Stripes Jumper
• Double the Sprinkles Skirt
• Sweet Shorts
• Sweet Street Black Pants
• Sweet Ombre Sunglasses
• Sugar-Coated Sneakers
• Sweet Feet Flats
• Cute as a Cupcake Accessories

And yes, we loves it precious. It's that mix of candy and cute that really appeals to my soft pastel aesthetic.¹⁰ Will be ordering a good part of it.  The only things I don't like are the shorts as I find them boring, the glasses because I am always hit and miss with glasses, and the accessories because the only part I really care for is the hair clips and I can live without and get my own. The rest we'll work into a wardrobe. That jacket is the stinking cutest thing. I just want that entire leftmost look (sans clips).

Ballet and Dance, Sports, More Tiaras, and Say Hello To Your Friends: (Almost) All The Other Truly Me Stuff

That says "Almost" because one thing I want to poke all my own~! Anyways, all the other new shit that came out yesterday. Sports, then Dance, then crown the baby. Without pictures I can just sort shit by category and not by how I took pics in a store. 

Always find the silver lining. And yes, baby.

Kick the ball!

Go for the Goal Soccer Outfit: Gotta keep that sports up for when the Olympics happen. lol, even if they happen you won't be going to them, Japan hates you, you won't wear a mask because you think freedom is you getting to do what you want and everyone else having to deal with it regardless. A standard soccer kit, complete with shin guards. Guard your shins! Shin guards.

I like the blue shade of it but no one here plays footie unless Tina and Gabbi are sitting at a table together so it'd do me no good. I do like the blue of it instead of doing the set in an aggressive "GIRLS WEAR PINK" pink. I hope they show this on the dudes too. They can wear the headband as a sweatband. 

Shoot the ball!

Shoot for the Stars Basketball Outfit: Basketball is a sport! With bouncy balls!¹¹ And there's uniforms when you play for a team. Guard your points! Point guard.

This isn't aggressive pink. It's kind of a reddy pink color. I hope they show this on the dudes too. They can wear the sweatband as a sweatband. Still no need, only two sporty girls and they don't do this sport. I don't think I own any of the Big Known Formal Sports uniforms. It be that way.

Do a dismount flip!

Somersault Sparkle Gymnastics Outfit: Gymnastics is a sport! A very flipperly sport. With the beam and the bars and the floor and the very dangerous if done wrong vault. And when you perform you wear a leotard, though you don't wear the shorts performing I think. We can't put this on the dudes. They wear different styles of gymnastic uniforms.

I don't know yet if I I like it quite enough to get it for Shanna, though. I'll have to think about it. It's not like I can see it in the person.

Grand jete!

On Your Toes Ballet Outfit: Ballet is a sport! A very pretty sport. With the leaps and twirls and the en pointe dancing--but not just because you want to force a child that barely practices on her toes and break her ankles, since you're a fool who thinks your child is Carmelita Spats and can do everything your wild brain wants her to do at the age of sixteen except have a bra and and a nap in her own bed.¹² 

A sport and skill that I love even if I can't do it, and this is just the next set that I don't have yet. I really want all the versions AG has out. You know that, having been reading this blog for a time? That even if I hate the ruffles on the leotard, I want the set? That I love ballet? Good? Good. 

Dane like no one is watching. Because you should be at home.

Rehearsal to Recital Dance Outfit: Dancing is also a sport! After all ballet is dancing, and ballet is a sport, and therefore dancing is a sport. A = B = C. Those feet things confused the fuck out of me the moment I saw them. They're lyrical turners for lyrical dancing, which is where we put ballet, jazz, acrobatics, and modern dance in a blender and then dance the resulting form. As for the turners they're like a shoe? But they leave your heels out? Because it's more about protecting the balls of your feet rather than the whole foot. Anyways I don't care for it outside of the bluish tones and Gabbi won't wear it so nope.

It's a tiny human with tiny human needs
and a book on tiny human watching.

Caring for Baby Set: Have you done enough sport work? Then the eleven year old can have a little baby sitting responsibility as a treat.¹³ The baby care set is even complete with a baby. Alas, you have given too much food to the baby, Emma. She will throw it on the floor, and then you will have to clean it up.

This set is amusing and interesting, but I can't say it's fifty bucks worth of amusing. Maybe on sale. I need more details on the baby's skin tone before I commit my gang to this level of responsibility. This baby might have to do dual work. Also I might have to make a category if they keep this up because this is the third set with a baby in it.

Everyone's a goddamn princess nowadays.

Star Tiara: Comes in both doll and people sizes, so you can have stars in your hair. That is money I can spend on--let's all say it--

Wait, not doll shoes this time? Nope. Because AG's finally gotten in on the hidden packages.

Blind Box All The Things: American Girl Mini Mystery Packs  

That thing I said I wanted to poke all my own? Is this:

AG getting into the blind bag game with food.

Welliity, wellity, wellity. American Girl has finally decided to get into the blind bag game with American Girl Mini Mystery Pack: Snacks. The first round offers small amounts of food bits to give your dolls munchables for muñecas.There's even two rares to chase. 

And yes, they're from old items and sets. That much is and was clear. You're not a detective for figuring that out and AG is not trying to rip you off if you already have an older set by blind-bagging stuff because you don't have to get any of it. Someone shut down production, AGIG has found out that a company with spare food bits from old stuff might want to find ways to get those little bits to turn a coin. I don't recognize every piece, but the first thing I recognized was the Nashville hot chicken and potato salad from Tenney's Picnic Set. I mean, it's still got the labels on it. 

As for the rest, I want to eat lunch and finish this post, so I'm not guessing everything, just as I recognize it. Starting from the top, going sunwise. your ten potential gets are: 

• Sandwich from the Beach Blanket Set paired with baby carrots;
  
• A tropical drink and a papaya snack¹⁴
  
• A berry smoothie and some snack mixed berries in a box
  
• A chocolate shake and burger
• two popsicles, a rare
• a strawberry shake and fries,
  
• the aforementioned hot chicken and potato salad;
• a sushi, a sushi roll, and chopsticks from the Out for Sushi Set
  
• The maple syrup and pancake from Adventure Pop-Up Camper/Delicious Breakfast/some other set probably, the other rare
  
• and some kind of chocolate deth snack treat and coffee. 
  

If you guess them off this post, you win a prize! The prize is that you had more time than me to do this.

They're an interesting concept and a way to clear out old stock, trade with friends, and maybe get a passicky. I know blind bags are annoying, but they are the hotness for not knowing what's in the bag. I mean, I'm still hot about Hairdorables and pick up random things here and there to unbox. I'll probably get a few and then have to trade here and there for any I really want to have, like that smoothie or the sandwich. 

We will not be chasing maple syrup. I burnt all my recent Blind Box Luck on getting the Ultra Rare Butterfly Neila. 

*~*~*

I might have ended up behind on '19 and '20, but so far so good for keeping up with 2021. And the Retrospecticuses--yeah, that's what we'll use as the plural--are organized into what to do, even if they'll take a while to do. I've been planning to mix them up with other things since I realized how much back there was logged and don't want my wonk brain to shut down doing so much look backs.

However, we're going to delay Blaire just a little bit more.¹⁵ Because I said it earlier and I'm saying it again. My next post is going to be a honest to goodness discussion and review. Last month--as a "the store is closing and I'm sad" thing, I got myself something as an AG treat. I want to set up and take pics here for review, because I don't go live on Instagram even if things will be posted there first. I don't do video if I can't help it, I can't think on my feet that smoothly and I hate the feeling of eyeballs on my face.

Gird your loins. It's a first for me. 

A first time designed by me kinda thing.

 Tune in Tuesday or so.

--Neth

¹ Truth is, I barely went out to sit down restaurants in the Before Times. Generally just at my birthday, after big events to celebrate like us getting our house, and my anniversary, with one other time a year when we felt like treating ourselves and maybe once on vacation with my mom sometimes. But until this pandemic is properly over? I will be eating my meals in my house and maybe at the other houses I visit in my tiny panny poddy when I'm there. I will not be sitting in a restaurant until people have enough of their Fauci Ouchies that I don't feel like eating around them means they'll give me the Spiky Boi, and even afterwards might be minimal. As it is I've given up communal air. Mask fashion, baby!

² Then it took me like four weeks to restock flour because I ran out just as everyone was learning to bake. A friend had to ship me yeast. 

³ Make Clawdeen gay this time. Ghoulia too. Hell, let's all be gay. 

⁴ I'm not het at all.

⁵ The two options for white kid in the line are Classic and Josefina unless the Marie-Grace Mold comes back or Joss gets used again. Using any of the rest to make a white doll--including in the CYO designer--sends you straight to hell where you will eat naught but burning hot coals and drink naught but burning hot cola.

⁶ And that is how you work a kickass band into the captions. 

⁷ Dumbass on IG: "are we just going to pretend that dressing a black girl in "girly graffiti" isn't wrong?"

Me, a person who is black, knows black people, and appreciates the gorgeous art that can be done with spray paint: Graffiti culture and hip hop in black culture is a good thing, you absolute fucking dustpan. You smell like a performance white. 

⁸ There's also the American Girl Airlines Set shown as part of the set--does it come with the collection? fuck if I know--and the passenger is wearing the Explore More Travel Outfit and no mask. But I don't feel like talking about either of them in this post and they're on my Retrospecticus sheet, so I'll yammer about them then. 

⁹ I am well aware that the image--and several after it--contains images of dolls I haven't reviewed yet. We've already made that point, try to keep up. 

¹⁰ I am both soft pastel and so goth I was born black aesthetic. I contain multitudes.  

¹¹ Yo, the other day I ended up on the How It's Made side of YouTube and learned that basketballs have the black lines hand painted on with this fast curing rubber? Like with a brush and everything. Wild. 

¹² If you know, you know.  

¹³ Eleven year old: does a little baby sitting, as a treat
AG Fandom: this is child labor =) we are very intelligent
Me: . . . Jessi Ramsey is squishing you in her head. 

 ¹⁴ You put the beer in the coconut and you throw the can away.

¹⁵ This kid cannot catch a break from me. Soon enough. I don't hate you, I just think your collection is dull and that's why I gave you a redo.