Clothes Reviews: Kanani's Aloha Outfit (2011)

Fall yes. but in Hawaii it's always warm!

Wow, has it been a month and a half. I live, people! Long story short: I was working on a massive long infostyle post starting mid-September, and while working on it I got kicked in the ass with germs that laid me up hard. Soon after I had family things come up, lovely depressions, and lost total focus. I still plan to finish said massive post, but for now it's set aside. It's not lost! Just paused.

Anyways, what has happened in that month dollwise? Let's see. I got Grace's Bistro set and Baking set at significant discounts, completing any furniture and accessories I wanted and leaving maybe one outfit I want to grab up. The Bakery of Doom has had the distinction of being the earliest retired item ever in AG's GotY lineup, going fully out of stock near the end of September (I suspect they didn't make a ton of them, wanting to avoid that WonderBread fiasco of last year) and the many tears for the kids that won't get it are refreshing. And, for my 35th birthday, I went ahead, got all wibble-wobble, mentally waffled and dipped and weighed back and forth like the Libra sun sign I am that takes forever to make any choices...and added Maryellen Larkin to the AGGiB. Well. That didn't take long at all for her to join. Time to take pics of her and review her outfits! (And make her a cute Giftmas dress. I hate her birthday dress and skating is not a Giftmas dress.)

A little bit of data for those who are on Instagram: peep the newly pimped hashtag on Instagram, #AGsofColor. It was started by user AG_Warriors and is all about showcasing dolls of color. Instagram has its good in the doll community, but it also has more white than a snowstorm in Antarctica, and that can just be annoying as shit. So a tag just for girls of color so I can see all those beautiful brown, black, Asian, and girls of color? Sign me up, that is some good shit right there, I have been mad crazy about that.¹

Anyways, summer is gone til next year, and we are into my favorite season, fall. Mmm, sweaters, color changing leaves, the sun setting by 6:30, and caramel apple cider from Starbucks.²  Yaaaaas. But that doesn't mean that I can't review summery outfits. Including summery outfits that I took pictures of months ago. Whoops. It's still warm in Hawaii? Good. Then let's review Kanani stuff! 

Kanani has the distinction of being the only front line Girl of the Year I bought the very first day of her availability--Sonali I got day of, but she was not the frontline girl because fuck you AG, that's why. I have everything in her collection³ and she doesn't have to share with anyone; she even has her own storage drawer here. Pretty Kanani is a delight and a half, and her collection--while it has a lot of narrow focus on her Hawaiian self--is super. C'mon AG. Stop flinging the ball away and give the world the Not!Kanani we all desire so people don't have to pay $300 for her on eBay.

When I ordered her, I got her, her starter collection and the Aloha Outfit all at once. (And the rest that summer when AG Seattle opened, sans the ice shaving stand.) Girl had to have a casual outfit to wear around here, and this is pretty casual--a print t-shirt, capri pants, sandals, a bracelet, and sunshades. Originally $28, it, like everything Kanani, can go for too damn much--but the average selling tends to be in the $30-40 range which ain't terribad. There was also the secondary version for the moddies called the Tee and Capris for Dolls at $22; it was a blank white shirt, and no sandals or sunglasses. Nope, don't care much for that version.

Oh, and around here Kanani often wears her flower, regardless of the outfit, if she can get away with it. Surf's up to the review!

Clothes and Accessories Reviews: Swim Shirt and Shorts and Sailboard Set (2015 Summer Store Exclusives)

The Dog Days of Summer with Kanani.

Overall, summer is not my favorite season, to be honest; that would be fall, where it's cool but not cold and I can wear hoodies and jeans, enjoy the looks of back-to-school and the cheap supplies, wait for my birthday, and watch the trees change color. There's just a few weeks left before Caroline leaves and lets Maryellen Larkin take her place. I actually think I might like the little redhead, what with learning that her books include a pro-vaccination message and that she at one point had polio. I've preorded her books on Amazon along with Josefina's journey book for one big reason: they're up to half off or more right now, making them super cheap. No, really. That link leads to the Journey book, but you will probably be able to pull the others up, and at the time of this post they're each coming in nearing half off. And Amazon pre-order price guarantee means that while you might pay less, you won't pay more than whatever the cost was when you place the order. So if you want to save more money for other things, here's your chance.

As hot as it gets up here in the PNW, it gets even hotter in Texas and down south, which is at least one reason I'm kind of glad not to live there anymore among other things. ¹ But it's still summer, and that means dealing with the hot on some level. Alas, I don't really live by a coast or beach anymore, so I have to go out of my way to go to one which is about the only thing I miss about where I used to live. July and early August is known often as the dog days of summer. Especially with shitty global warming making it hotter than standard. The Dog Days are called such because way back yonder in the past around the Mediterranean, early astronomical observers put the hottest summer days roughly twenty days before and after the period when Sirius and the Sun went into conjunction. And no, that's not a Harry Potter joke. Sirius is the Dog Star, that's where the whole "Sirius Black is a animagus with a dog form" thing came from.² Still, there's some nice things about the summer.

Out of all my gang members, I'd probably say that I like to put Kanani out for beach and surf pictures the best more than anyone. It helps she's one of my prettiest modern girls, and that in her books she's learning to paddleboard. So when I picked up the Swim Shirt and Shorts this summer and later the Sailboard Set, I decided that Kanani would be the one to display it. I got the pretty brilliant (I think) idea to also take the pictures outside near the pool, since I was also taking pictures for the postcard exchange that LillyMaiden was doing through her blog. Hence these pics being outside. I was pretty good at not getting people in the background.

The Sailboard Set--a sailboard with a life vest--was released this summer as a store-only item, like the Beach Cabana Set before it; the only place to buy either is and was at the stores directly. While the initial offered cost was $68--way too much in my opinion--it dropped to $48 soon after and then went on sale for $38. I got it after the first price drop. The Swim Shorts and Shirt are exactly what they say on the tin--a rash guard style shirt and swim shorts, and started to be offered early this summer through AG Places only as a Purchase with Purchase. I'm pretty sure I've explained how those work to y'all, but to remind those who forgot and teach those who didn't know. A Purchase with Purchase is an outfit or accessory set, often only available at the store, that is able to be purchased as a low-cost bonus when a minimum amount is spent before taxes--generally, $50 are spent to get an outfit for $14, which is how much this one cost. While quite a few outfits have been unique, there's also been cases where outfits are older retired back stock such as old meet outfits, leftover GotY stuff, or straggling old items. It's always something modern, though, so don't go looking for some BeForever stuff. Originally PWPs (for short) were limited to winter sets most of the time, but lately there's been a special summer set. These will probably be gone by summer's end if they aren't already--I haven't been to the store in a month--since they're store exclusive limited, and then the prices will of course, go up.

I'm going to warn you, though, in the process of taking these pictures I managed to fuck up one of the review items. Not grossly, but enough that I'm kind of miffed. If you saw it when I took the pictures on AGC you already know. Long story short? I fucked up my shit so that you are warned against doing the same.

Clothes, then accessories. Dive under the cut for the reviews.

AG Complaint Department: #‎AGDoCGotY‬: Because Representation in AG Lines Matter

If I don't stand up for myself, who will? If not now, when?¹

So, here we are in 2015. 2014 was a good year and a bad year, in so many ways. Wonderbread is out, and Grace Thomas--SnarkNamed Vanilla Buttercream--is out, with her Paris Vacation and $500 Bakery that almost no one will be getting for multiple reasons, the least of which is that it's $500. I'm going to blog about her things after Saturday when I go see things myself face to face and can take my own pics, along with the new stuff. December was an up and down month, and I plan to do a lot better at keeping up here. One is to give this blog and all my online places a lot more attention.² A post a week is my goal again. But I ramble on. I have a point for this post, and it may not be as long as other posts, but I want to get this message out at the start of the year and keep it up all year and beyond.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The Limited Edition Doll line is flooded with a lot--a lot--of white Girls of the Year. I can't say it or blog or push back against it enough. Grace makes four in a row since Kanani. And before Kanani, the frontline girls were Nicki, Mia, Chrissa and Lanie--four other white girls. There hasn't been a girl of color at all since Kanani. There's not been a Girl of the Year, frontline, specifically named as not half white, since Marisol. That's ten years--ten years--of little to no representation. And even worse, there's been the last few with friends of color or in high PoC locations--Chipotle Mayo and Wonderbread were in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Washington D.C., respectively. And Grace has continued the pattern of a white main character with a PoC best friend: Gabi to Saige, Sonali to Chrissa (at least she was released), Luisa to Isabelle, Toulane to McKenna, and now Emma (I think that's her name) to Grace.

For Mama's sake, she's RIGHT THERE.

The Best Friends Line is dead, so we can't even get hope that the girls would come out as side characters to the main like Sonali did. We get nothing.

I am so irritated by this. I'm tired of nothing. I'm so damn tired of nothing, or flickers, or dregs.

We can't just be getting Girls of Color every four years, if that, and only with the hints of color when they do. Stories know no race. Yes, AG has pointed out the diversity of the My AG and the Historicals, and even hinted at a new AA girl in 2016. But that's not the line they hype every year. They hype the hell out of the Girl of the Year. They push and push and push--and then they give us nothing but white girls. If AG really means for us to believe that these stories are about contemporary girls in contemporary times, then they need to reflect everyone--not just white girls.

And I am going to hashtag the shit out of getting the word out about AG's need to highlight and give voice to other cultures and people. American Girl, give us a Doll of Color for Girl of the Year.

Good thing I've got social media to back me up. 

This is the tag I'm pushing:

#‎AGDoCGotY

It's short, simple, and gets the point across. If you want to use longer or more clear ones then use #AGGoTYDiversity. Or both. The point is that we want to point out all these options, all these looks, for a Girl of the Year that isn't always white.

More help and details under the cut. 

Accessories Reviews: Lindsey's Laptop and Bag (2001)

Man, has technology changed in thirteen years.

April has been a very tiring month for multiple reasons: some good, some bad, some still up in the air. The fun part of chronic invisible illness/disability is that sometimes, I literally can't do much beyond playing Pokémon X, hitting the reblog button on tumblr, posting on/reading SA¹ threads, and catching a bunch of Vivillon on my secondary decommissioned 3DS system to get some rare patterns. But don't worry, my loyal readers (and not so loyal haters, why are you here). I'm still kicking around, trying to get things done in bits and pieces. Believe in the Neth. She does things as she can get to 'em.

A lot of people who participate in the American Girl Fandom fall into one of two major camps: people who had access to the dolls and/or books as a child and have either continued to stay attached or returning after a hiatus, or adults who got into the company in because their children² found out about AG and thus they latched on to it and persevere after their child has put away their own dolls. This leads to both camps having a crisis of age when they realize they're no spring chicken anymore and times of their childhood are now historical. Julie was a special litmus test on the fandom: with rumors of and then release in 2007, many women who grew up in the 70s began to lament that the 70s couldn't be historical, because it meant that their childhood was historical.  I have even seen the ludicrous³ claim that historical fiction must be at least fifty years old to actually be historical. Which is bullshit. History happens every day, and every day over is another day in the books of history. I made a joke in a book I'm working on when my characters argued that history was anytime before reliable indoor plumbing, but it's just that: a joke. Serious claims that history can't be the 70s will make me laugh right in your face and call you out. Accept the fact that you/your parents are older than twenty-nine and live with it.

One of the major things that scream that history is always ongoing is technology. While early centuries of technological advancement were in less large jumps, the last twenty to thirty years alone have had an explosion of technology--and just looking at the 20th century shows the major changes, Live music playing went to sound recordings went to phonographs went to record players to 8-tracks to cassettes⁴ to CD to mp3s; from short silent film to talkies to color, radio to TV to streaming boxes, hand drawn animation to CGI--from movies only being able to be seen in theaters to being able to download and stream a movie that just came out a few months ago when I need background noise. And when it comes to computers--whew. When I started on a computer, I typed hunt-and-peck style on an Apple IIe at my grandmother's house when I was four years old. Now I communicate with that same grandmother online over the internet.

American Girl has not released much in the way of doll tech. Whether this is to avoid dating themselves--too late, moddies have dated ways already--because parents whinge that dolls don't need all that tech to play with, or because it's cheaper to ignore it, they don't really give their modern a lot of technological play items. But a few of the Girls of the Year have had some technology. And they started it off with Lindsey Bergman and her Laptop and Bag. After her release in 2001, she plodded along for about two years before retirement in 2002, doing so poorly that AG was debating that maybe this modern limited line wasn't going to be a big thing. Lindsey had a very tiny collection--she didn't even have a change of clothes--and for accessories, all she had was her laptop set and her scooter set, with the laptop set going originally for $32. The set not only came with a laptop styled organizer, but a shoulder bag, two faux CDs, diary, and pencil. The laptop design was later reused (with different colors) for the Backpack and Laptop in 2002, thus starting the trend of LE stuff being released in a new form. I have the backpack and one CD from that, which will get a look over in a Bits and Bobbles review.

While I will never pay the costs for a Lindsey (can't say I like her all that much personally) I had been peeking about for her laptop, or at least a doll sized one. Last month I managed to luck out on a set for only $29 with shipping, and was delightfully surprised to find that it was new in box and had never been used. eBay costs vary; anywhere from retail cost to triple that or more, and it doesn't show up very often. Since I don't have Lindsey, Kanani will be our adorable presenter as needed. 

Kanani will be your tech girl for this dab into the past.

Clothes Reviews: Blue Jean Basics II (1999) and the Liebster Award

More blue jean basics, now with Kanani.

While March was hit and miss for decent weather, April comes in here in the Pacific Northwest--or at least, the part I'm in--with fairly good weather. I've planted new strawberry plants in the garden,  my old one has come back from winter sleep still healthy, and I think my avocado trees are doing very well.¹ I'm hoping for longer days and sunshine and continued blogging. Let's jump on that continued blogging bit and do another review--and a bonus at the end. 

By 1999,² the American Girl Today Line was actually doing pretty well. They were on their third meet outfit, had a decent wardrobe, and while they were not the juggernaut that they are today, they had a pretty good foothold as an AG line. And after the pitiful showing of 1997, '98 and '99 were actually pretty good for clothes and accessories. One of the sets that came out was a sequel, as it were, to the recently retired Blue Jean Basics: Blue Jean Basics, Part II--also known as the Jeans, Shirt, and Shoes, because AG was fond of having double names for everything. For the same cost as before--$22--the set came with a white long sleeved top, pale jeans, purple socks, and black lace up shoes. (No belt in this set.) eBay searches will get you both the '95 set and the '99 set, with this set being a little rarer to find than the first one. Still it goes for anywhere for $20 to 30; I paid above retail at $29, with an extra $5 for the socks. Much more than that is ridiculous. And while I don't think my socks are authentic AG ones--I got mine separate--they're purple socks, and they'll do.

Kanani, like Mellie in the last review, had this set on before the holidays.

Clothes Reviews: Starry Night Outfit (2002)

Happy St. Nicholas Day from Kanani Akina!

Who should be next? I thought as I was sorting out outfits and cursing the name of stick on decor and mule shoes. I'm a 3rd Decanate Libra with Aries Rising and Moon in Capricorn,¹ so I'm brash and bitchy and distant if I don't know you, but when you get down to my essence I'm fair. And part of fairness is making sure all my girls get a day in the spotlight. So while Naomi is chomping to show off some new and old duds and Addy would like to know why she's not in her holiday dress yet, I have to cover the girls who have never been in a review yet first. Everyone gets a turn. So this is how we ended up with Kanani Akina displaying on St. Nicholas Day. You know, that guy who got turned into the secular Santa Claus. I'm not Catholic, Anglican, or Episcopalian--I've never been, though the religion fascinates me. But I like St. Nicholas Day. And I happen to be posting on it. Enjoy your presents, European children!

The Starry Night Outfit was released in 2002 and, like the Twilight Outfit and Garnet Holiday Outfit before it² and the Radiant Rhinestones Outfit after it, was a Limited Edition Holiday Set that came with extra accessories, a shiny special box, and was gone by early 2003. The dress cost $26 originally. I actually bought the set twice; once with just the dress for $15 with shipping, and one that was complete with another set for, when divided, $22. But I gifted one set to AJ when I sent Miss Mari along to her because when I like a person, all the generous comes out. So either way, I got it for below cost.

The dress came with a long black sleeveless velvet dress, black knee high net socks, and black ankle shoes. Accessories had a purse, silver hair combs, and a present in a silver box that was--spoiler--a Coconut snow globe. Excitement, she said in a flat sarcastic voice. Instead, we have decided to dress this up with a black grosgrain ribbon and a black choker made of a black ponytail holder.

Our presenter today is Kanani Akina. Kanani is the absolute best. I loved her the moment I saw her. She was so exciting for me as a collector--what's that? A collection not focusing on another boring white girl?--that I ordered her and a massive part of her starter collection at midnight with my Giftmas money from my in laws, and then blew my then work bonus on the rest of her collection when AG Seattle opened in July. I have all of her collection except the ice stand, because it was sold out when I went to buy it in November. (Eventually someday, she said.) Also, while book canon has her as half white, here in my gang her mother is Hawaiian and her father is Japanese. I don't need a spoonful of whiteness to make the ethnicity go down. She loves her heritage, warm sweaters, Cooking Mama, and  Lilo and Stitch.

Crafting Creatively: Get Your Knit Together

Knitting and crochet look good--when you do it right. Sonali says~

There's a nip in the air, there's a talk of apple cider, and the trees are detreeing themselves. Things smell of pumpkin, cinnamon, and my birthday coming up. Mabon and the Autumnal Equinox have hit, and it's time to look towards the darker days of the year and the fact that come November the sun's going to be fucking setting at 5 pm. Long story short: it's fall weather. And fall weather draws in wearing sweaters, and sweaters mean knitting or crocheting, and there is a lot that goes wrong in AG crafting when it comes to making a good sweater or anything in yarn, for that matter.

See, I tied it all back to the fact that this is a doll blog. Mad skills.

Knitting and crocheting are pretty useful skills to have, even when you don't have a doll. And pretty neat too. It's turning yarn into clothes, and yarn into clothes is a pretty kicking rad situation. I've been crocheting for years and knitting for a few less years. And by a few less I mean that I learned crochet at seven and knitting at twelve and a half, so. It feels nice to make things of yarn and needles and hooks. At the same time, I see some things in the doll community that are perfectly good waste of yarn and time, and no one is telling these people no. Well, now I am. Cause some things are just a big old free spun worsted weight ball of NO.

Here are, in my opinion, some of the bad things done with a set of needles, hooks, yarn, and spacers that make your doll yarnwork look utterly terrible and a big old ball of handspun amateurity.¹ There's going to be examples of things done right, and examples that should crash and burn into a twisted, melted knot of WalDeMart² Red Heart Super Saver nightmares and be posted on What Not to Crochet or What Not To Knit.

Kanani showing how it's done right.

Bee-tee-doubs, this post actually covers both crochet and knit work. But "Get Your Crochet Together" doesn't make a pun on a cuss word, and we're not making a crotch joke. We're semi-above that. I am also going to shit all over Red Heart Super Saver. Brace yourself.