The new Beforever spring releases came out yesterday, and this is the best release we've had in a whole year I believe. I am absolutely in LOVE with Samantha's new items. They are all historically accurate and beautiful! I haven't said this in a long time, but I think Im going to buy it all. Not all at once of course, but for my birthday and this summer. The only thing I may not buy is the gazebo, simply because I don't have much room for it. But you never know, I might change my mind, especially if they offer free shipping.
The first outfit Im going to buy is Samantha's Special Dress. Finally an outfit that is historically accurate and not all pink! I think American Girl did really well with this outfit. Its accurate and it uses colors little kids will want. It satisfies kids and collectors, and those shoes are to die for!!!
And once again, Samantha has some outdoor party furniture and treats for her birthday story. American Girl is really cashing in on her birthday story, especially after releasing Tyson's Ice Cream Parlor last August. The removable serving tray is really cool. I heard the glasses are made of plastic, but its a good deal considering Sam's old glassware goes for upwards of $100 or more on ebay.
This is what got me super excited. Samantha's painting set has returned!!! I remember this from a long time ago, but I was never able to get it because it sold out.
Even though its pink, Im glad Samantha has a travel coat again. The coat reminds me a bit of her bird-watching set. I actually have no pink outfits for Samantha currently, so Im sure a few wont hurt. I was thinking it will match perfectly with Our Generation's Retro Car from Target. The Travel bag set is a must have. How I missed things like this!
The gazebo looks to be very good quality. I like the flickering candle lights feature. The description on the website mentions paper accessories to decorate for the seasons, but does not show a picture of them. The gazebo is currently backordered, so it might be later this month before we get any pictures of this accessory. I heard several stores dont have the gazebo out on the floor, because online orders must be processed first.
Now on to the LE sets, starting with Samantha.
Can I say how relieved I was when I checked the website, and the new outfits are only $48 compared to the whopping $64 last year? In fact, last year's sets have been split up into outfit and accessory sets. I really wanted to get Julie's disco set, but couldn't justify $64 for it and a disco ball I could buy from the dollar store. Now I can get just the outfit for $34. Yay!
Samantha's is historically accurate and seems to be her birthday outfit take 2. It has the stripes and lace and little bit of her Valentine outfit pattern. The flowers all come apart, and I am excited the two tone boots are back. They look slightly different from Cecile and Marie-Grace's.
Julie's outfit and banana board. I hope there is elastic to keep her feet on the skateboard or I might pass on this set.
Addy's outfit from her mancala game. Addy sure has gotten a lot of attention lately. Every new release makes me want to buy her myself. They did really well with her new dress!
Kit's outfit is so adorable!!! I think everyone wants it just for that cuuute chicken! Selling eggs from chickens was a main part of her story, so Im glad its been incorporated in her collection. Can we just picture Kit riding her scooter with this outfit and a chicken in the background? Perfect! Im also glad she got some overalls again.
I think this modern dance outfit for Kaya is better than last year's, or maybe its just because red is my favorite color!
Now for Rebecca's.
This is where all the controversy and question marks come in.
The first thing that my eyes went to were the shoes. What in the world? In fact I thought this was the new MAG outfit LOL. I looked it up, and apparently they DID have beach shoes like this and the style of the swimsuit and hat actually IS correct. The problem was definitely the color on this one. And even though its the right style, a Jewish girl would never wear a sleeveless bathing suit. In her books, it was hard enough for Rebecca to convince her grandma to let her wear a bathing suit at all. Good news is, this outfit is only available until Dec. 31st. Phew!
And last of all this Julie outfit.
Um what? All we need is some earrings and Julie is a gypsy girl LOL. My mom said the outfit was correct, but NOT the colors. Come one American Girl, a lot of your original fans cant be fooled by this. They LIVED in that time period. To me that was kind of ridiculous that they even tried to sell that outfit.
So what do you think of the new releases? I loved Samantha's the best! I hope Caroline and Josefina get new outfits in the next release, rumored to be in March. Poor Josie!
Everything is simply my opinion, feel free to express yours. All photos belong to American Girl.
