DD8 got lots of new AG stuff for her birthday this past week, so I thought I'd share my impressions. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Kaya's Tepee - The good: the tepee is really pretty and looks authentic. I love the campfire, too. The bad: I was disappointed with the size of the tepee. It's way to small for Kaya to stand in. In fact, all you can really do is slide her in on her back to sleep. If you are purchasing this for a display piece, it's lovely... but I don't see a lot of play value here. One annoying thing: The letters they use as code for putting the poles up are printed on the base in bright white letters. They aren't exactly small, either. Even when the hide is stretched over the poles, you can still see some of the white letters. It's distracting and really takes away from the overall look of the tepee. I may try to go over the letters with a brown marker or something to make them less glaring.

Beachside Cabana & Seaside Accessories - The items in this collection are way cute! The cabana is easy to put together and is really roomy. There is plenty of room for at least two dolls to stand or sit inside. The party lanterns that hang on the outside are too cute for words! My girls love the beach towel, cooler, campfire, etc. I can see loads of play value here!

(An aside: All of the party guests brought AG dolls to the party. I covered the kitchen bar area with a blue table cloth and set up the Cabana as the party scene for the dolls. I added a couple of colorful butterfly chairs I found on Ebay and it all made a really cute display. It was a great party decoration, and it will be so fun to use later, too. [img]smile.gif[/img] ) I happened across lantern lights at the party store that look just like the ones that hang on the cabana. I bought four sets to decorate the living room and kitchen. Everything was so colorful and fun!)

Back to the reviews...

Seaside Wardrobe - All of the items in this set are great! They look really great together, and at $30, this set is a great value, IMO. You get a lot of fun stuff for the money.

Beach Boots - We got these in berry and blue and both are very cute! They look great with the items from the Seaside Wardrobe.

Jess's PJs for Girls and Dolls - These PJs are cute. The doll version looks great on DD's AGOT23 (Carrie), and I love the little hemp anklet. I'm going to have to learn to make these so I can do a matching one for DD. That is my only complaint, really... I wish they had included an anklet in the girls' version. The slippers are soft and comfy. I am loving that AG finally added an elastic strap to the back of the slip-on shoes. It makes them much more practical. As for the girl version: DD is an average-to-slightly-below-average size 8yo and the small size PJs are a little too big on her. The top was hanging way low on DD, so I clipped the straps together in the back using a barrette. She'll probably be able to wear these PJs for at least 2 years, so hopefully the fabric will hold up. It seems a little on the thin side, but I guess it is comfortable.

Horse Lover's Outfit for Dolls - This is one of my favorite AGOT outfits. We haven't tried it on Carrie yet, but the pieces are really great looking in person. DD has the shirt for girls and the two of them are going to look cute together. [img]smile.gif[/img] I wish there were pants and a belt for girls, too.

Basketball Outfit for Dolls - Again, this is one of my faves. In fact, I love all of the sports-themed outfits. We have the tennis and soccer outfits as well, and all three of these are so cute and come with lots of accessories. I love feeling like I am getting a good value in an outfit. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Sightseeing Outfit for Dolls - This one I am not so crazy about. It's cute enough, I guess, but just not one of my favorites. The colors seem more muted than they appear in the catalog. But maybe it will look better once it's on Carrie. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Travel Luggage Set - Eh. This is just OK. Again, it's cute enough... but not really worth $26, IMO. I'd be much happier with it if I had only paid $18.

Kelly hasn't opened her gifts from her grandparents yet, but I know she is getting Tea Lesson Gowns and Summer Outfits for Felicity and Elizabeth. With all of this loot, DD's AG wish list is pretty much fulfilled (at least until the next new items are announced [img]wink.gif[/img] ). Hopefully all of this will keep her nice and satisfied for a good long while!