Waiting for Grace: Samantha's Fancy Coat & Jip

In all the excitement about the holidays and Waiting for Grace, we forgot that Posey has a new coat from Samantha's new BeForever collection. We also decided it was the perfect excuse to try out the Winter Fun Scene that we brought home just last week. 

Samantha's Fancy Coat is meant to be worn by a Victorian girl, but the faux-fur on her hat and collar make her look like a movie starlet. I just haven't been able to place a finger on the era (a 1940s retro vibe?), but it feels much more modern than 1904.

The Fancy Coat and hat is trimmed with black velvet and spotted faux-fur. The coat has four black buttons, the top three paired with a button hole and the bottom one on the velvet belt closes with velcro. The buttons are light weight and made with plastic, so while they look perfectly acceptable they are not particularly fancy. 

The coat itself is a medium weight material that feels closer to a coarse linen than wool. It is not soft to the touch and neither is the fur, so the materials were not chosen for a luxe experience even if they do look reasonably upscale from a distance.

The mittens were probably my least favorite part of the set. They are described as "dainty white gloves" on AG's website and they certainly are only appropriate for going to an afternoon tea or a ball--there is nothing wintery about these tiny satiny sacks-for-hands.

Bonus! Posey pointed out that her new puppy, Snickerdoodles, barely got a mention in her last appearance on Poppets & Posies. Her puppy is part of Samantha's BeForever and is the reimagined Jip.

Jip is described in Samantha's books as being mixed-breed, but this new Jip II certainly looks very much like a cocker spaniel. The pup has reasonably soft fur and the body is squeezable and huggable.

The puppy's eyes, nose and mouth are embroidered.

I really like the new puppy. It looks completely different from Samantha's original dog but I think Jip II is a welcomed update. I give Jip II an A+.

Samantha's Fancy Coat is an A for design and a B for materials. Overall I will round up this outfit to an A-. 

Posey sends her warm regards to Grace and wants her to know that she shouldn't let the winter coat make her worry--it is quite warm here in California and she is certain that Grace will find the weather here to her liking!

Waiting for Grace: Posey Poses

Part of our Waiting for Grace activities have been simply enjoying all of my poppets and letting them select and wear their favorite holiday outfits, both new and old. I had promised Posey, my BeForever Samantha, that she would get a chance to take a twirl in her brand new holiday dress and the unveiling of the Gala Party Scene seemed like the perfect time.

Posey poses with her Christmas gift, Jip. The puppy is part of the new BeForever reimagining of Samantha Parkington's collection.

I just adore those cascading curls!

The velvet bow of her sash is actually pre-tied and only attached to the left side of the velcro back opening. I wish her pink Meet Outfit velvet sash and bow would have been constructed the same way as I am terrible at tying a good bow.

Her lace collar and yoke above the swirled black trim is a delicate contrast to the strong red-and-black plaid taffeta of her dress.

Posey and I had reserved judgement on the velvet boots trimmed with bows until she had a chance to wear them. We originally thought the velvet boots were too wrinkly and I questioned how well she could stand in the low heel. However, the boots have a more structure look once pulled on over the foot and calf and so far she has been able to keep her balance.

The new holiday dress from Samantha's collection is a winner largely because of the red-and-black plaid taffeta. The black velvet sash and boots are luxurious and all the other lace and trim details work in harmony. Posey is pleased! Will your Samantha be wearing taffeta, velvet and lace this holiday season?

(13 days! Less than two weeks!)

Waiting for Grace: Samantha's Holiday Set Unboxing

Posey, who is my BeForever Samantha poppet, was inspired by the pictures of Kini Zamora's red-and-black plaid dress and begged to be able to get out her new Christmas dress by unboxing Samantha's Holiday Set. So today's official Waiting for Grace activity will be more holiday preparations!

Samantha's Holiday Set is a large box because her holiday dress has been bundled by AG with her revised tea set. The box contains essentially three layers--the outfit on top, the tray and tea cloth in the middle, and the tea set on the bottom.

The cautionary note was appreciated! I plan to keep the entire box and styrofoam and stiff cardboard layers to be able to store the tea set components safely after use.

Ooh! Pretty! The tartan plaid is wonderful and the black lace detailing at the hem of the skirt divine. Posey noted that she would need to press out this dress before wearing it.

And look at the white lace bow! Posey can't wait to try it on!

On the upside of the design, the bow is attached to a scrunchie for ease of attachment, but this is also less than historically accurate. AG went for ease of play and practicality over historical accuracy here--a decision that I am sure does not please all customers. I am mixed on this. I have minimal hair styling ability so I appreciate the ease, but I love the long ribbons that came with earlier Samantha outfits that need to be tied on by hand.

Velvet books with bows and a pair of black tights. Posey was not thrilled with the velvet boots--they seemed very wrinkly. Maybe they will look better on.

Oh no, the velvet boots come with tiny heels. Posey is not certain she will be able to pose and stand securely in these boots if previous experiences with these sorts of heels is any indication. 

The next layer down in the box reveals the white tea cloth and silver-tone tea tray.

The tray is very nice and shiny, though the underside of the tray is already showing scratches (not pictured) just moments out of the box. Posey will keep you posted if more start developing.

And finally the tea set is on the bottom. I would have never bought the tea set had it not been bundled with the holiday dress. Let's face it, AG knew the holiday (Christmas) dress for Samantha would be a hit and could drive up profit margins by bundling. Well played, AG. 

The tea set itself comes with a teapot and separate lid, a teacup, saucer, and a set of three petits fours which do not separate. As a little tea set goes, it is cute, cut I don't have much use for a single place setting. Maybe it will show up in some photo shoots because it needs to earn its way!

Posey is thrilled with her new holiday dress and will return before the holidays are over and give a twirl in front of the camera. She has been so busy with the unboxing that she (and I) almost forgot that we were waiting for Grace!

Waiting for Grace: A French Connection?

The countdown begins!

While we wait not-so-patiently for GOTY 2015 to arrive on January 1^st, I am going to post 31 days of speculation on Grace Thomas’ world as well as bring out all my girls to play with their Christmas and other seasonal clothing and accessories.

The speculation for today is question of whether or not Grace Thomas, whose first book describes her trip to Paris, will be learning any French and if her books will feature any lessons in the language. Will there be more than a “Bonjour” and “Au revoir” sprinkled among the pages?

Interestingly, a peek ahead at the new Samantha Mystery titled Danger in Paris by Sarah Masters Buckey could give us hint. Samantha’s book, due out February 28, 2015 also features a trip to Paris—and the book itself will include a glossary.

Samantha and Nellie are thrilled to visit Paris with Grandmary and the Admiral! But what could be behind the Admiral's secret government meetings? After a suspicious accident and a break-in at their hotel suite, the girls are worried. Is someone trying to harm their beloved grandfather and stop his secret mission? Includes a glossary of French words and an "Inside Samantha's World" essay about tourism and international tensions in Europe in the early 1900s. 215 pages.

Will Grace’s first book (titled simply Grace according to the Library of Congress) also have a glossary of French words? Or how about separate miniature/doll size French book? Or would those ideas potentially overlap too much with Samantha’s book? Either way, there is a decidedly French flavor to the early 2015 offerings!

Samantha's Berry-tastic Bicycle: A Beforever Treat

The Beforever bicycle for Samantha is a berry-tastic treat offering a summer bouquet of colors: raspberry red, cotton candy pink, and sunflower yellow, with a splash of white and bronze on the wheels and rims.

The bicycle is a major storyline feature in Samantha's original six books. What always confused me is that while the book illustrations and story aways indicated a two-wheeled bicycle, what was offered in the catalogs was a quaint three-wheeled contraption. While three-wheeled bicycles are historically correct for Samantha's time, so were two-wheeled bicycles. I don't blame American Girl for making this change!

Probably most impressive with this bicycle is how well it is constructed. The wheels, rim, spokes, fender and chain guard and more are all constructed like the real thing. Even the pedals rotate, though the chain does not activate--so the bike must be propelled forward by play-power, though this is quite easy to do, especially since the bike is steadied by the subtly placed extra set of tiny wheels.

The bicycle also comes with a basket and tiny bouquet of flowers. The basket is removable as it has been smartly attached with buckled straps.

I love the basket, since it gives the bicycle a whimsical flair. This leads to my thought that this bicycle would look at home with any of the modern MyAG dolls. The design and color fits a retro or vintage style that is very popular today. In fact, while driving in Palo Alto on Monday, I saw a young woman riding a bike that was almost identical in color and design (sans basket) and then later the same day I spied a another young woman with a bike in teal that was a twin to Samantha's bike--right down to the wicker basket.

The color and design coordination between Samantha's bicycle and bicycling outfit is a dream. Each is darling on its own but together they really pop.

I was able to balance Samantha on the bike with ease. I did not even need to use the elastic bands attached to the pedals for her to stay in pose. The scale between the doll and bike is perfect.

I would love to stay and rave some more about this amazing bicycle, but Samantha has donned her hat and is about to take off down the street! But in parting I must say the sturdy and realistic construction combined with a design that works both in Samantha's historical setting or for any dolls set in modern times makes this item less of an accessory and more of a necessity according to all of my "girls." Grade: A+

Samantha Meets Samantha: Looking Back, Looking Beforever

With the addition of Beforever Samantha, we now have two Samantha dolls in our home. Our first Samantha is a Pleasant Company era doll from early 1994. She was our daughter's first Pleasant Company doll and in fact the first Pleasant Company doll of any kind in our home. Our daughter would go on to be gifted a Felicity (PC era) and then later to purchase Josefina (PC era) with her own saved money, but Samantha would always be the first.

PC Samantha has since been handed on to me after having been packed away in a box for several years. My daughter was torn about just selling her or giving her away, and was relieved to find out that Samantha could have a forever home here. She has been well played with and loved over the years.

Meet Posey and Samantha!

BF Samantha (aka Posey) and PC Samantha look related though PC Samantha is definitely showing her age. She has surprisingly tight limbs for being twenty years old, though her head tilt has become very pronounced and remains even after tightening her neck string. This will need to be addressed at some point, but not sure how to go about it yet. 

PC Samantha's skin tone is a bit darker as well as more sallow, even yellow in undertone. Again, this may be due to aging as well as being handled and played with by a little girl for many years.

I find it interesting how much the new BF Samantha Meet dress really does harken back to PC Samantha's Meet dress with the maroon waistband sash and the pink tones of the dress fabric. However, the long sleeves, studious checked pattern, black tights, high neckline and long sleeves of the Pleasant Company era dress feel very restrictive and somber compared to the Beforever Meet. Short sleeves! Open neckline! Lace! Mesh overlay! Light pink and white! Fuzzy little dots! Froth and frills!

The hair color and length are surprisingly similar. The biggest difference is the level of sheen. PC Samantha has seen a fair amount of play and her hair shows its age. Like other older Samantha dolls, her bangs are very thick--our PC Samantha's bangs are downright thick and shaggy. PC Samantha's wig is also of an older construction style with the wig tape showing around much of her hairline. I also believe her wig is a bit defective, something not noticed at the time as it was my daughter's first Pleasant Company doll. In comparison, BF Samantha's wig construction is beautiful and nearly flawless.

Their feet also look very different sized--partly because PC dolls had larger feet, but also because the particular shape of the plastic molded shoe.

I was mostly surprised to see the general effect of wave and illusion of volume is almost identical between the two dolls. I would like to presume PC Samantha's wave has relaxed over the years, but I cannot say that definitively. (Note that while PC Samantha appears taller here, much of that is due to a higher placement of her ponytail.)

PC Samantha has earned her retreat from the limelight and now spends her sunny days playing in the yard, bikcycling, and swimming at Piney Point. She is thrilled to have met BF Samantha (Posey) and wishes her twenty years of brand new adventures!

Samantha's Bicycling Outfit: A Beforever Review

Samantha's new Bicyling Outfit was on the top of my favorites when visiting the store for the Beforever launch. And while the debates continue on the blogs and forums on how historically accurate such an outfit might be for Samantha, this outfit quietly made its way home.

Her outfit comes with an embroidered blouse, houndstooth-checked bloomers, gaiters, a hat,  and a pink bow for her hair.

I love all the pieces but have mixed feelings about the gaiters. The felted material is sturdy but I am uncertain how well the gaiters will keep their shape. 

Additionally, when I dressed Samantha with the gaiters I kept catching the velcro strip on the back of the gaiters on her white tights (not included). I may need to stock up on Samantha's tights! However, the pearlized buttons on the gaiters are very lovely.

The embroidery on the blouse is absolutely adorable. While the blouse could be said to harken back to the style of some Victorian shirts for women, it does seem to be more "inspired by history" rather than a painstaking recreation of an actual historical item. The embroidery seems a bit quaint and folksy and the teal trim at the neckline is actually an elastic strip, both which take away from any claim of strict historicity. But the overall design of the blouse is so adorable that I am able to overlook it.

Her hat is adorable as well, if a bit gigantic. But somehow Samantha makes it work!

Many outfits from AG do not look as cute from the back as from the front, but with the cute peplum flair of the blouse and the pink bow, Samantha's outfit is 360 degrees of charm.

Samantha's Bicycling outfit is sweet yet infused with a bit of jaunty independence. Faithful readers of Samantha's canon stories may just wish to imagine that Samantha spends a lot of time with her delightful Aunt Cornelia who dresses Samantha with a little more flair than her Grandmary.

While my irrational love for this outfit insists I award it an A+, I must exercise a hint of restraint and consider my entire review and award it an A-.

Welcome Samantha! A Beforever Review

Samantha has come home! Beforever Samantha is in many ways the same girl as our Pleasant Company era Samantha, yet she is truly her own unique doll. In comparison to the Samantha we once knew, she is brighter and lighter in face, figure, and dress.

My first peek of BF Samantha in the box was a surprise as she does not come with a hair net.

She is stunning right out of the box!

I took her into another room to further examine her in a different setting and with better light. Her face is very sweet. The lace details of her dress are lovely and I really like the mesh overlay of her dress. The dark maroon of velvet sash and hair bow contrasts wonderfully against her pink dress.

Her eyes are a dark brown, but in certain lights there is a hint of a dusky violet undertone.

Her hair was no fuss straight out of the box. I agree with other reviewers who have said her hair is a thinner wig than previous Samantha dolls, but the locks are lustrous and have a bouncy wave, both which give her hair a very full bodied appearance.

Her shoes are a lovely faux patent leather Mary Jane style, a marked improvement on Samantha's earlier meet outfit shoes. The straps are fastened with velcro. 

Her meet outfit also comes with the white tights and bloomers. Sorry, Samantha! WWGS? (What Would Grandmary Say?)

This new Samantha is just perfect for who she has been reimagined to be within the Beforever line of historical dolls: bright and light, optimistic, and always looking toward the future.

Beforever Samantha earns very high marks for quality of the doll and clothing, but also for staying true to the new vision created for the doll. This is not the Samantha doll of yesteryear, but I am am happy to be looking forward with this new incarnation of a classic doll and enjoying many years with Beforever Samantha. Grade: A.