Kirsten Larson: Welcome Home!

***Poppets & Posies 100th Post!***

I have wanted a Kirsten doll since 1996 when I was introduced to my first Pleasant Company catalog. As a Danish/Norwegian girl myself who grew up in Minnesota, I absolutely loved her Swedish/Scandinavian inspired design touches and her midwestern pioneer storyline. And I loved her quirky looped braids even more. Even though I purchased many of Kirsten's outfits throughout the years, I never ordered the doll. Then her archival was announced in 2009 and I decided to let her go quietly.

Until today!

Kirsten is a charmer even still secured in her box. I do not know her exact production year, but this NIB Kirsten was probably originally bought after her archival announcement in 2009 and kept to be sold at a much later date. 

Her apron is crisp and pristine and those braids will never be quite that perfect ever again. Sigh!

This is not news to Kirsten Larson fans, but the boots with her meet outfit are rudimentary at best.

One last loving look! Once she is out of the box she really joins my poppet family!

Kirsten!

So why now some may ask. I had hoped for Kirsten to reappear out of the archives as part of the BeForever line, but with Maryellen arriving the end of August 2015 and the announcement of a new (not previously archived) 2016 BeForever doll, the best I believe I can reasonably hope for is a return of Kirsten in the fall of 2017. Or never.

Never is too long! Actually, another big reason for this leap is that I've collected the majority of Kirsten Larson's collection and while I have had other dolls stand in to wear some of her outfits, I wanted to finally unite the collection with the doll who inspired it.

A closeup of her perfect braid and ribbon for posterity--and reference for when I inevitably mess up her hair.

I am pleased with the short hairs on the back of her wig. Plenty of coverage and an even feathered pattern.

Her pantalettes are edges with eyelet. But take a gander at those galoompus boots!

Shall we revel in these galoompus meet boots for a moment before they are removed from her feet and never worn again? Vinyl, shapeless, an awkward seam up the center of the foot, no finished upper edges, a lazy hole punched for the laces, and a flimsy moccasin-like sole. Added to this list of frustration is that these "boots" do nothing to help stabilize her while standing. I will quickly be putting Kirsten's black lace-up boots on her feet.

As reviews go, the Kirsten Larson doll is an A+++. I don't care about the meet boots, they are easy and relatively inexpensive to replace with her black lace-up boots.

Finally, here at Poppets & Posies all our poppets are given their own name. A happy and enthusiastic welcome to Kristianna!

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!

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.