Poll Results: Choose Your Character

It occurred to me that I never posted the poll results for our last poll which asked you to choose your character from the new releases coming out this year. 

Logan and Tenney had absolutely no votes, which didn't really surprise me, but I was shocked to see that Z Yang also had no votes. I am personally looking forward to learning more about her and her character. 

Felicity came in third with 7% of the votes going to her.

Gabriela got 22% of the votes. Not too shabby, Miss. Gabby. (She most certainly had my vote!)

71% of the vote went to this year's BeForever character Nanea Mitchell. This time last year we didn't yet have Melody's release date, but we had her first book. This time around we have Nanea's release date but absolutely no clue when we can expect to read her story. I am not the most patient person in the world, and I'm chomping at the bit to learn some more about this 1940s girl!

Less than a month until Z Yang's release! Who else will be going to a release event?

~Mrs. D   

Poll Results: Who Would You Choose? and New Poll: Choose Your Character

In my most recent poll I asked Who Would You Choose? and gave the option of three different dolls. One was the highly anticipated Nanea Mitchell, set to release in August, and the other three were Truly Me dolls that I'd like to get my hands on at some point. 

Nanea was the overwhelming winner with 54% of the votes saying that you would wait to get her above the other dolls. 

Truly Me #58 and #53 were tied with 18% of the vote each.

10% of the vote went to Truly Me #64. 

After much consideration, and a surprise eBay purchase of my first moddie and Jess mold anyways, I will be waiting for Nanea's release to make another major doll purchase. (Barring any amazing deals, of course.) 

Now it's time for our next poll! Inspired by the release of six named characters being released by American Girl in 2017, my next poll is this: Choose Your Character.

Who can you not live without in 2017? Who has come home with you already? Who is coming home? I understand that many people have purchased multiple dolls this year, but if you could only have one, which one would it be? If you'd choose another character tell me who it is and why! 

You have 10 days to vote, so give all the love to your favorite! 

~Mrs. D 

Latest News & Rumors!

Unless you have been living under a rock, and I'm going to assume that's not so, you know about Tenney and Logan. theagboy on Instagram has some amazing photographs of them both. (I am waiting for permission to share them here, but you can see them on his page now.) Release date for both of them seems to be set for the 17th, (complete with Meet Tenney store events) and there are already several leaks from within the store of their pre set-ups going on in back rooms around the country.

If you are eager to learn more about Tenney's story her first two books and her journal are already available for purchase, and her third book is set to release at a later date. 

  

Tenney and Logan will not be coming home with us, though I plan on taking at least one of the children with me to the store to see them in person and get some photographs for the blog, so keep your eyes open for that. 

Despite the fact that AG is obviously trying to overshadow Gabriela, 2017's GOTY, with Tenney and Logan's release (and that it is absurdly apparent to anyone paying attention that Tenney was their original GOTY plan) AG has said that there will be a release with some of the larger pieces that you expect to see with a GOTY for Gabriela later in the year. Some of the items shared on AGs own Facebook page include a chair with ottoman and a loft bed. Considering we are going to get Gabriela's entire collection as a way to speak with our money, and because she is a truly gorgeous doll with a great story, I'm watching eagerly for images and pricing. I'll share here as soon as I see either.

In the mean time, I highly suggest her first book, and am counting down until the release of her 2nd book in April. (April 25th on Amazon, though it might be available sooner in stores like her 1st book was.)

Speaking of books, February 16th is the release date for the new Felicity BeForever books! Every rumor I've heard says that will also be the day of her BeForever doll's release, though American Girl has not advertised it on their site yet and there are no release events scheduled. 

Rumor also has it that the Felicity doll will be available only at the flagship stores and online, though I am among many in hoping that these are just rumors. Perhaps she will start out there and then be released in more stores as the year progresses. We can all hope.  

In addition to Tenney, Logan, and Felicity (as if that weren't enough), agupdatenews just shared a ton of new outfit leaks also set to release in February. (I am also waiting for permission to post these, but you can see them on her page in the mean time.) I am pretty sure that both our Kit and Rebecca will be getting a special treat here in the coming weeks.

Perhaps the most exciting news, for me anyways, is the rumor that there will be a new BeForever character released sometime in August 2017! I have no more information than that for now, but many are speculating that it might be the mysterious Nanea Mitchell that was trademarked back in July, though another name, Luciana Vega, was also trademarked back in December. You can rest assured that I will post more just as soon as I know it. 

That's all for now! Keep checking back for the latest news, and let me know if there is anything I missed!

~Mrs. D

The Year of Gabriela: February

There was so much hate. So much fear. So much anger. Gabriela didn't know what to do with it. She'd attended the local March For Women with a friend and her family. They were Muslim, and marching because they were worried what would happen to them now simply because of their religion. That wasn't right. No one should be scared because of their religion. Not in the United States of American. But they were, so Gabriela marched with them. 

She saw some amazing things that day. People of all races, religions, and from every walk of life coming together to love and support one another...But she saw some ugly things too. She watched as a group of white women disrespected the prayer circle of a party of Native American women and mocked their songs. She watched a woman walk up to another woman with beautiful, long, dreadlocks and stroke her hair without even asking. She listened as a group of people marching nearby made comments about her friend's grandmother, joking about if she was hiding a bomb under her hijab. Confused and a little angry she spoke to her father about it when she got home that night. 

"People, even will intentioned people, have a lot to learn. We have a long, long way to go. Intention means nothing, especially without action to back it up, but it's a start. If people keep on from here on out, it's a start." he had said. Gabriela was determined to keep on.

At school the opinion was split. Many kids supported the march. Some, like Gabriela, had gone with friends or family. There were others who said it was stupid though. Who said that women were already equal, and that they should be thankful for the opportunities they had in this country. 

It was about so much more than that though! Gabby thought, but she couldn't make the words come. Her stutter got so much worse when she tried. 

Finally, after almost 2 weeks, while cuddling in bed with Maya one afternoon, it came to her! The words came. Jumping up so fast that she startled her kitten, Gabriela curled up on her window seat with her notebook and let her feelings flow out through her pen. It wasn't perfect, and she still had more to say, but it was a start. Oh yes, it was a start. 

We march.

For the right to love.

It shouldn't be confined to your definition.

You need to stop using The Word for your ammunition.

We march.

For the right to speak.

Every person has the basic right to just be heard.

Close your mouth and listen instead of getting in the final word. 

We march.

For the right to live. 

It shouldn't matter where you live or the color of your face.

We all have the right to life as members of the human race.

We march.

For the right to learn.

Money should not determine the right to an education.

An educated society will only benefit all people in every generation.

We march.

For the past.

The mistakes that are now ahead of us have already happened before.

They came for them, now they come again, and it's time to say "No more!" 

We march.

For you, for me, for all faiths, genders, and society.

For good, for right, we're not scared to enter into this fight.

For the right to love, live, laugh, choose. We have so very much to loose.

So we march. 

Introducing Gabriela McBride

The entire Dahly Crew went to American Girl today to see, and eventually decide to buy, (as if there was ever a question) Gabriela McBride. During the drive home, safely buckled in next to Melody, (who came along to celebrate both her and my birthday) she came up with her own way to say hello to everyone. I hope you enjoy.

A new place

A new home to call mine

Where they appreciate my rhythm

Where they respect my rhyme

A new home

Where they love me for me

From the color of my skin

To the rhythm of my feet

A new spot

With my story to tell

Where they know I'm not just Saige

Not "just another Isabelle"

A new girl

One that might not look like you

But our species is a rainbow

And I should be celebrated too

New hair, new hue, new face, new race

I think I'm going to like my new place

Okay, so real talk. Negatives first. Compared to past GOTYs her collection just seems tiny. We knew this already, but it was more apparent when we saw her trying to fill up the space that Lea was in. I know that the rumors say that more will be released for her later in the year, but her release made what little effort AG put into her more apparent. 

I hate the boxes. Truly hate them. We obviously buy to play as well as collect, but we keep our boxes for neat, organized storage, and that just isn't possible with the way these are set up. Not just for Gabriela either, but the clothing and accessories too. Not to mention that I hate the way the clothes are attached to the boxes, and I hate the extra waste that this packaging creates. As a family we really try to limit our waste, and there is an absurd amount with the items that we've bought. (We did not get her entire collection today. We'll be collecting it throughout the year, being super conscious about sales of course.) I try not to grumble about "the little things", but this new packaging is really, really a downgrade that I'm not happy with. 

Notice that none of my negatives have addressed Gabriela? That's because I really don't have any. She's gorgeous! I love her. I love her meet outfit, I love her hair, I love her! I fully admit that her hair intimidates me a bit, because we don't have any super curly haired dolls. She is our first, but it came out of the box adorable, so I think I'll leave it down (at least for a day or two) and admire it. Her meet outfit, that I wasn't wild for at first, is actually really cute. We've found that it seems to take a little more effort to stand her up, and aren't sure if it's the shoes or maybe we got one with slightly wobbily limbs, but the clothes suit her. Her accessories are adorable, and I am hoping and preying that they release a girl (or adult) sized version of her little "boom box bag", because I will have it for my own if they do! 

I am really excited for several of her other accessories too. Her tiny drumsticks and a drum pad are absolutely amazing, especially considering that my own little Dahl with speech issues is also my drummer. Her headphones, microphone, and barre are must haves for us, as is her little kitten, Maya. The fingernail polish is a really, really neat idea too, and I look forward to getting it for our Gabriela. I want her earrings, because I think they are really cute, but I am not 100% sold on getting her ears pierced, so we'll see how that goes. Overall, I love what they do have in her collection, though that makes the disappointment over what they could have done if they wanted to all the more pronounced. I can only hope that they will continue to work on her throughout the year, especially since she is set to be here past 2017. 

Did you go to her release? Did you get her? What do you think? (Check out my Instagram @dollywollydoodleblog for some more pictures from the release.) 

~Mrs. D

      

The Elephant In The Room

Here's a shocker for you. I have no intention of raising my children to be "colorblind". I hate the term, and it isn't something we strive for in my home. For me, ignoring that people have different colored skin is as stupid as acting like we don't have different color hair or eyes or freckles...Why would we do that? It makes no sense, right? So why would I try to raise them to not see different skin colors? 

Because it makes some white people feel better to say it? To say "I don't see color." Why? Why does it make people feel better? Could it be that, in not seeing color (which is a complete lie, by the way) we can also choose not to see the horrible inequalities that still happen in the world today because of it? If you "don't see color" you can not see the shocking statistics of police brutality against people of color? If you "don't see color" you can ignore the instances of racism that happen right in front of you? If you "don't see color" you can pretend that there isn't still a very real issue in this country? It is something that is truly still rooted in every aspect of day to day life, but people have spent so much time trying not to see it that many don't. But if we don't see it we can't fix it, and if we can't fix it nothing, I repeat nothing will change. 

And I can't accept that for the world my children are growing up in.

When I told my children that I'd finally seen leaks of the new GOTY for 2017, the first thing my oldest asked was "Did they finally do an African American doll?" We were all so happy to see that finally American Girl was listening to the requests of its customer base. That finally little girls of color could have a doll released that represented them. (Given my middle child's speech and motor delay, we were also happy to see a doll with a disability represented too, but that's not what this post is about.) Then there started to be more and more leaks of her collection, and our excitement turned into confusion, disappointment, and anger. 

Unless there are some huge secrets being kept by AG, which I have very little hope about at this point, it could not be more obvious that American Girl is setting Gabriela McBride up to fail as a GOTY and a DOC. Yes, they finally released a DOC for their GOTY, but they backed that by giving her the smallest collection of any girl in recent memory. There is no "big ticket item", and the clothing items that have leaked so far look pathetic and cheaply made. A mesh dance shirt, AG? That will survive tiny hands and frequent costume changes for about 3 minutes. An accessories chest that looks like it belongs to either Marisol or Isabelle leftovers found in some warehouse, and another fluffy cat...though I do like her kitten's name and the reason for choosing it that you find out when reading Gabriela's book. The rumors have long suggested that 2017 would be the last year for GOTY, but recent revelations certainly make it seem like AG plans to point the finger at Gabriela for the purpose of the line's demise...and as a probably excuse not to release another DOC for a good long while. 

On the other hand we have Tenney Grant, the rumored first character in America Girl's new "contemporary" line of dolls, who already has a larger leaked collection than Gabriela despite having no set release date. Blond hair, light skin, freckles, country singer, and both excitement and anger surrounding the thought that she will be accompanied by American Girl's first named boy doll, Logan. If you look at the leaks for both dolls, it is clear who AG is backing, clear who they are putting more thought, time, and effort into, and clear that they have left Gabriela to blow in the wind. It makes me sad. And it makes me mad.

As for me and mine, we'll be getting Gabby's entire collection for the first time in the history of GOTY. Money talks, and I hope others will also send a nice, loud message to AG by supporting Gabriela and showing them that DOC do sell, and that we want girls of all colors to feel represented by this company that is supposed to be about empowering them instead of telling them that they aren't good enough. 

This is still a very real issue in out country and our world. In 2016, almost 2017, the battle of racism and bigotry is still being fought everywhere. From our streets to our toy stores. So, no, I won't teach my children to be colorblind. I will teach them to celebrate and appreciate every hue humanity has to offer, and yes, to fight for the injustices that happen to people for no other reason than because of that color. It is our responsibility as human beings to do that, and I fully intend for us to do our part.