Thursday, July 24, 2014

Pick of the Glitter Our Generation Outfit

Our Generation Outfit Review


Today I am reviewing another Our Generation outfit from Target.   This dress is one of the deluxe outfits and is normally priced around $16.99.  The Our Generation outfits have cute names that are on the back of the boxes.  This one is called “Pick of the Glitter”. 

It is a satin, salmon-pink colored bubble dress (has an elastic bottom, rather than free flowing) with flowers at the top, that comes with an embroidered shawl, a glittery circular head band with a flower on it, a silver flower purse, a pair of silver glitter shoes, and the Our Generation hanger.




The dress is a nice semi-formal dress.  It comes to knee level on Kelsey.  It has straps on the shoulders.  The dress looks really great on the Journey Girls dolls since they have the upper vinyl breastplate.  I really like the fabric “rosettes” that are on the top of the dress.  I think that they are just the right size for this dress.  I don’t really like the cut of the dress (the bubble style is kind of like a high empire waist with an elastic cinch at the bottom of the dress…giving it a bubble look).  



I would have liked to see it more free flowing at the bottom, but then it wouldn’t be a bubble dress.  The dress has Velcro up the back to make it easy to get you Journey Girls dolls in and out.



Accessories really make this outfit.  Even though the embroidered shawl feels a little old ladyish, it really helps this outfit.  I feel like the shawl is a little too long.  The embroidering is very nice and helps bring the silver in from the shoes and the purse.  



Speaking of the purse…wow!  That thing is neat.  I like the flower on it.  I think it goes with the theme from the dress well and is not too big and obnoxious.  My favorite part about the purse is that it is usable!  It has a zipper that works and the bag is big enough to put some doll accessories in it.  



The glitter shoes are very cute.  I like the pink accents to tie them into the dress.  I wish the shoes were not just fabric, that they had a hard sole of some type.  And even though I love the glitter look…I hate finding glitter all over everything.  Not a lot of glitter is coming off, but you will have some sparkle on you if you pick a doll up with these shoes on.  

The headband is one that goes all the way around Kelsey’s head and has elastic in the back.  Again this will shed some glitter on you.  It is really cute though with its’ pink flower.

Rating
All ratings are out of 10

Value 10 – This is a well put together outfit.  The embroidery on the shawl is awesome.  There are no loose stitches or threads.  The outfit comes with some great accessories that make the dress feel complete.  At $16.99 it is a good buy.  Watch for sales though.  I bought mine for under $12.00!

Fitment 8 – As with other Our Generation outfits this one is a little loose.  You really don’t notice the looseness though because of the style of the dress.  One shoe is a bit tight.  I thought Kelsey might have one foot that was a little bigger than the other, but I switched feet and it was still tight.  Even on some of the other girls the one shoe was always tight.  Headband fits wonderfully.

Versatility 7 – This is a going out dress.  The accessories that come with it are very universal though.  The purse is awesome and can go with a lot of other outfits.  The head band is very versatile, with its’ silver and pink colors.   Because the shoes have a pink strap they may not be able to go with every outfit, but they are still very useful.  The shawl will probably stay with the dress for the most part.  At this point I don’t have any other outfits I can see using it with.

Cuteness 8 – I want to like this outfit more.  It is very cute, it comes with great accessories…I just am not crazy about the bubble effect.  That is just personal preference though.  The outfit is very cute and looks great on most of the girls.


Overall 8 – If you are looking for a semi-formal dress this is one that you should have.  I love the color, the detail of the rosettes, the embroidery on the shawl, and the glitter (even though it stays on you sometimes).  This is a modern princess dress, elegant, sparkly, and cute.  It is a great outfit for your Journey Girls.  Keep your eye out for sales and grab this one when you see it!

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Dana's Day of Fun

Out and About With Dana and Her Pets

Dana is the animal lover in the Journey Girl group.  She loves all animals big or small.   She loves to try and help find animals good homes.  Today Dana is helping a friend by taking her dog out for a walk.


Dana was up bright and early to take Buster for a walk.  Buster loves to walk on the path, but he can get a little excited when he sees another dog.

After taking Buster for a walk, Dana decides that today is a good day to visit her horse, Whitney.  stays at a farm near Dana.  Dana can go see Whitney any time she wants, as long as mom and dad can bring her there.   Whitney is out in the grassy fields, roaming around and eating the tall grass.  


Dana leads Whitney out of the field onto a trail that they can go riding on.  Whitney is a great horse and listens well to Dana.


Whitney really wants to run as fast as she can, but Dana likes to see the scenery, so they take it easy and go slow.  It is a beautiful day out; the air is fresh, the sun is shining, wonderful!


The trail takes them through the woods, next to a stream.  Whitney stops to get a drink, before the continue on.  Dana loves being on this trail.  It's nice and quiet.


Whitney sees a flower she wants to eat and goes into some of the taller plants.  Dana doesn't mind.  The flowers are pretty and Whitney is a good horse; she deserves a little treat.


After riding for a while Dana brings Whitney back to the stables, cleans her up, and then goes home.  Waiting at her house is a playful husky named Max.  He is so excited to see Dana he knocks her on her bottom.  Max gives Dana lots of doggy kisses.


Max finally settles down, while Dana pets him.  Dana loves her animals, and they love her!



Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Our Generations Little Pink Dress Review

Our Generation Dress Review for Journey Girls

I love spring and summer; beautiful weather, vacations, and cute dresses.  Our Generation released a dress that is perfect for spring stroll through the flowers.  This pink dress is called “Let’s Hear it for the Poise.”  It is a cotton pink polka dot (who doesn’t love polka dots?) dress with a tulle underskirt, and a mint green ribbon around the waist.  It also comes with a brown elastic headband that has a mint green fabric rose attached to it, a white sweater, and pink fabric shoes.


The dress is wonderful!  It is a fun dress, with bright colors, and a retro feel to it.  The dress is made very well.  It is a heavier cotton material.  The tulle underskirt helps keep the dressed puffed out. It has Velcro up the back to secure it.  This dress is big on the Journey Girls, but as you can see, it looks great on Kyla.  No hint that it is a little big.


My only disappointment with the dress is its pretty mint bow.  It does not stay tied.  The ribbon is sewn to the dress so that it doesn’t fall off, but it is sewn in a way that the bow is always at a goofy angle.  I’ve tried tying the bow several different ways and each time…it comes out a little wonky.  It seems to fall out every few times of playing with the dress.  So, if your little girl cannot quite tie a bow yet, be prepared to tie this one for her often.


The sweater is very nice.  I like the dress without the sweater, but it is nice to have.  If nothing else it is always great to have it for other outfits.  When the sweater is one the dress takes on a retro look.


I love the headband.  It is the type that goes around Kyla’s whole head.  If you wanted to you could use it as a ponytail holder.  The fabric rose on it is pretty and not too large.  It does a great job of making the ribbon on Kyla’s dress pop.


The shoes…are the not so liked fabric shoes.  This time they are a shiny vinyl type of fabric.  I think the issue I have with the fabric shoes, is not that they are fabric, but that they all look the same.  The all look like slippers to me.  They go well with the outfit and fit will.  So I shouldn’t really complain.

Rating
All ratings are out of 10

Value 9 – Like most of the Our Generation deluxe outfits, this one comes with good accessories.  The quality of everything in the package is very good.  And, if you watch for it, you can pick this outfit up for less than $13.  That is awesome!

Fitment 8 – Overall everything fits well.  The dress is big on Kyla, but it isn’t frumpy.  It’s big in the waist, which doesn’t really matter on this dress.

Versatility 9 – I love the variety of things you can do with this dress and it’s accessories.  The sweater can go with a myriad of other outfits.  The shoes, even though not my favorite, can go with other outfits.  The headband works well with some things.  It’s the least versatile accessory.  The dress itself can look very springy; a good dress to run through the fields in.  Or it can look like an Easter dress.  Or with the sweater it looks like a throw back outfit.

Cuteness 9 – This is a very cute dress.  It showcases the little girl in the Journey Girls.  Some of the outfits make the girls look more mature, but this one reminds me of how cute they are. 

Overall 9 – I think this is one of my favorites (at least until they come out with new dresses).  I love how versatile it is.  I love the colors.  It looks great on every doll.  It has very few flaws.  I wish that they had sewn the bow so that it wouldn’t fall out, but that is really not a big deal.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Rain, Rain, Go Away: Raincoats Review

Review of Three Different Rain Coats

There is a great variety of clothing options for your dolls with Target, Toys R Us, and Walmart, each producing clothes for 18” dolls.  Each company has their goods and bads.  Today I am going to review three rain outfits, one from each company.  I will give you an overview of each set and then compare them against each other at the end.



If you have been following me, you will recognize these outfits.  Jordanna, Chavonne, and Callie were out after a rainstorm trying them out.  There are great things about each of these outfits, but I think one is a strong winner.



Our Generation’s “A Spot of Rain”





“A Spot of Rain” is a deluxe outfit from Our Generation.  The outfit comes with a raincoat, a rain hat, boots, and a vinyl purse.  There are no pants or shirt with the set, so Callie had to wear her outfit underneath the raincoat (which I think is fine…who wears a raincoat without clothes underneath).  The raincoat is long enough (past Callie’s knees) to get away with nothing underneath.  Callie is just more modest than that.  


The raincoat and hat are made out of thick Nylon with polka dots all over.  The coat has working plastic snaps up the front and on the two pockets.  Snaps are sometimes hard for little girl’s hands to manipulate, but these; because they are plastic, seem to be easy for them to use.  I really like the snaps rather than Velcro.

Unlike the My Life boots, these boots are solid all the way up (no slit).  Because there is no slit, the boots are larger to make it easier to get the dolls feet in.   I think this works wonderfully. It may not work for every boot, but I think it works for these boots, because rain boots are usually bigger.  Callie stands really well in the rain boots, making it possible to pose her more easily.

I like the rain hat for its simplicity.  It’s just a rain hat.  It does have a nice chinstrap that makes it easy to keep on Callie’s head.  The purse in this set is weird…cute, but weird.  I love the see through vinyl the bag is made out of.  I just would have liked something that made a little more sense with a raincoat.  That being said, this raincoat is pretty complete and doesn’t really need something like an umbrella.  For a dollar less than the My Life outfit I was hoping for a bit more.



Rating
All ratings are out of 10

Value 9 – I would have liked to see something for underneath the raincoat (at least undies).  The quality of the raincoat is amazing!  I love the snaps and the working pockets!

Fitment 10 – This outfit perfectly!  It fit just right over Callie's outfit.

Versatility 4 – The only thing that can be used for another outfit is the purse.  The boots might work with a winter outfit.

Cuteness 10 – How can you not just love the polka dots!  Cutest raincoat I have seen for the 18" dolls (I like it better than the American Girl raincoat)


Overall 9 – Cute! Cute! Cute!  I wish it had a few more pieces of clothing…and I am not sure about the purse.  Great rainy day outfit though!

My Life as “Playing in the Rain”





Chavonne is wearing the “Playing in the Rain” outfit from My Life (Walmart).  This is the most expensive set at $17.97.  It also has the most in the set.  It includes boots, blue polka dot pants, a rain slicker, an umbrella, and a dog with a raincoat and hat.  The only thing it is missing is a shirt (Chavonne borrowed Kelsey’s Paris t-shirt). 



I love this raincoat!  I really like the blue and yellow color combination.  The coat is made out of a yellow vinyl material.  It has a blue collar around the neck that is made from a lighter water resistant material.  The pockets are actual pockets and can fit tiny trinkets in them.  The coat has Velcro in the front underneath the buttons to keep the rain out.  The coat has a cute hood also.  Chavonne’s hair can be tucked into the hood pretty easily; however longer haired dolls have a hard time putting their hair in the hood.  You can put their hair down the inside back of the raincoat to keep it out of the way.  The raincoat goes to just above Chavonne’s knees.


The pants are a little loose in the waist, because they are made for the My Life dolls; which are a tiny bit larger in the waist.  The boots are also big on Chavonne, partly because My Life dolls have wider feet, and partly because the boots have a slit in them. I’m not a big fan of the slit in the back.  It makes it easier to get the boot on, but it looks cheap. 


The Scottie dog that come with the outfit is a bonus.  He looks like a stuffed animal.  But he is very cute, especially with his raincoat on.  I didn’t love his little umbrella hat…it is a cute idea though.


One of the reasons I really wanted this outfit was for the umbrella.  It does not disappoint.  The umbrella is very easy to get up and down.  It’s a good size for Chavonne, covering her head pretty well when she holds it up.  The handle fits well in her hands, but will not stay there without the help of the strap that is on it.  My Life is great about putting straps of elastic on anything that the dolls are going to hold in their hand.  I love that!  It makes it easier to use the umbrella in a realistic fashion.  Otherwise you have to try and balance it just the right way.



Rating
All ratings are out of 10

Value 10 – Even without a shirt in this set…you get a lot for your money.  All of the pieces are made well with no fraying or stitching issues.

Fitment 8 – The pants are a little big, and I don't like the way the boots fit (because of the slit), but over all the fit is great.  I think the fact that the outfit is big works great, because then Chavonne can wear something underneath of it.

Versatility 6 – It's a rain outfit…there isn't much else you can use this for.  The pats can be use with other outfits and the dog can be used.  So there is some flexibility.

Cuteness 9 – The yellow is such a classic color for a raincoat.  It's just perfect.  And Chavonne looks great in it!


Overall 9 – This is a wonderful rain outfit!  It has got a lot of accessories, it is made well, and it is very cute!

Journey Girl Fashion Accessory Pack





The Journey Girls raincoat is the least expensive of the three outfits at $9.99.  It is also the only one that requires the use of other outfits to be appropriate.  Both the My Life and Our Generation raincoats are missing something, but they can be worn as they are packaged and still be appropriate.  Without Kelsey’s jeans, Jordanna would be showing off her naked bum in this outfit.  That being said, this is not one of the Journey Girls outfit packs…it is an accessory pack, so it is supposed to be combined with an outfit you already have.  Just be aware that this is not a complete outfit.

So here’s what’s in the package: a green nylon raincoat, a cotton (fisherman’s) hat, a pair of pink cloth rain boats, and a plastic cell phone.  The raincoat is very cute.  I love the green!  It adds great color to the Journey Girls wardrobe.  The jacket is made out of a thinner nylon.  It reminds me of a windbreaker more than a raincoat.  It Velcro’s up the front.  The pockets are just sewn on and cannot be opened.  I like that the neckline is higher.  Makes it look cozy.



The hat is very cute!  I love the floral design on it.  It’s hard for me to say that it is a rain hat, since it is made out of a stiffer cotton material.  If Jordanna wore it out in the rain her poor head would be soaked.  It reminds me of a fisherman’s sun hat.  I like it with this outfit…it’s not realistic for a rain outfit (as far as fabric), but it works great with the ensemble.



I have mixed feelings on the boots.  They are super easy to get on and off thanks to the Velcro strip in the back and them being made of a fabric material.  I like that they are not open in the back, like the My Life boots, but I don’t like that they aren’t rubber/plastic.  There are other Journey Girl boots that are made out of plastic; I’m not sure why these aren’t.  I have a shoes fashion pack from Journey Girls and there are some green rain boots that are made out of this same strange material.  I like the looks of these boots; again it’s not very realistic (but come on…these are play dolls)


The cell phone should not even be mentioned.  As you can see from my photo, Jordanna’s foot is holding the phone.  Since the pockets are non-functioning she cannot put the phone in these.  The phone is not quite the right size for her to hold it.  She kind of can…but only for a few seconds.  It would have been great to have a little elastic strap or piece of plastic to help Jordanna hold onto her phone.  Oh well, I don’t think she needs a cell phone at her age anyways.

Rating
All ratings are out of 10

Value 8 – Missing a few things that I would like to see in this pack.  The raincoat feels cheap compared to the other two.  But it is the lowest price…and it is an accessory pack, not an outfit.

Fitment 10 – Awesome.  It's made for the Journey Girls…so it fits perfectly.  I especially like the fit of the boots.

Versatility 8 – All of the pieces of this out fit can probably be used for other outfits.  The coat could be used in the spring as a windbreaker; the hat can be used for camping or fishing; and the boots can be used for winter or fashion.

Cuteness 8 – I like this outfit, but compared to the other two…it's not quite as cute.  


Overall 8 – I wish it was a little better quality, and more raincoat than windbreaker.  I love the color, I like the boots, and the hat is really cute.  Oh…do I hate that phone though!

The Final Verdict

After going back and forth for awhile I went with the My Life, "Playing in the Rain" as the winner.  It has the most accessories, is very cute, and feels the most like a real raincoat.  It is the only raincoat set with an umbrella.  And it has a dog!  The Our Generation; "A Spot of Rain", was a close second.  With the Journey Girls outfit finishing it out.  Any of the rainy day outfits will make a great addition to your Journey Girls wardrobe.