Well, since Samantha has been re-released, I thought it was time for a rant about how I got interested in AG!
I missed Samantha by four years. She was the doll that got me into AG! I grew up reading her mysteries and being inspired by her and Nellie's courage. The Curse Of Ravenscourt was my favorite book in third grade. Little did I know that there were two beautiful dolls that went with the story.
In second grade, all my friends had five or six American Girl dolls. (My four lovely ladies do not even come close to that! Sorry Marie Grace, Saige, Isabelle and Eva) That year, my teacher asked us to all make a "me" box and to decorate the outside and put "pieces of our life" inside. I put a tennis ball, swimming goggles and my figure skate guards inside the box. On the outside however, all my friends were cutting and pasting pictures from AG catalogs! I didn't want to miss out on the fun of using scissors!
They all went on and on of buying clothes and accessories for their beloved dolls. (Clothes only cost $21 back then, can you believe it?) I didn't understand anything they said! I remember thinking: "How can Kit be a name?" Back then, Kit's treehouse was new so I pasted it on the top of my box. I pasted pictures of dolls and pets not knowing what real treasure they were! When I came back home, my mother asked: "You don't even like dolls! How can these be on your "me" box?" I simply answered: "All the other girls were doing it too!"
Flash forward to 2012 (third grade): I received the Holiday catalog from AG. My dad threw it away, but I made my mom retrieve it from the recycling bin. I kept in my room for a whole year just looking at the pictures because it made me happy.
In 2013, there was a big test. I looked at the catalog and realized, one of these dolls would be a great prize if I got a good grade! (All my friends had grown out of AG years ago so I was the only one)
Sure enough, the grades came in and I excelled! I decided to pop the question. "Hey dad, could you get me this doll? I think her name is Cećile." (Yes, you heard right. I said Cećile) When my dad looked at the page and said, "Are you sure she's the one you want?" I looked at the page too. "Oh sorry! I meant Marie Grace! Isn't she pretty?" My dad consulted my mom. The answer was yes! I could get Marie Grace!
Flash forward a few days. My Marie Grace hadn't arrived yet. I asked my dad, "Could I have another Marie in place of the original Marie Grace?" (I was sure she wasn't coming) My dad, sensing my sadness, said, "Alright. I'll order you another one." Sure enough, two days later, my original Marie Grace came! The next day, the second Marie Grace arrived. I asked my dad what we should do about the second doll (we named her Marie Claire). He said we should go to the store and get a different doll in exchange for Marie Claire.
Two weeks later, me and my best friend (and our dolls of course) went to the Boston AG store. I had my heart set on Kit. (I hated Saige back then) But when I walked in, I had a change of heart. Saige was meant to part of my family! We bought her accessories for me and my friend. Since her accessories included earrings, my friend decided to pierce her doll's ears.
Flash forward to January of this year. While driving home from a swim meet in Boston University, my dad changed the address in the GPS to 1245 Worcester St. Natick MA! Insignificant? Not at all! It was the address to the Boston AG store! My parents were buying me an AG doll for my birthday (which is in February, by the way) but they wanted me to chose which doll. They were going to order Caroline online, but I fell in love with Isabelle! (I hated Isabelle before. Why? Because she took Saige's place! Go figure)
Then, last month, I got Eva for making to Age Group cuts (state championships) for swimming.
*I want to add Samantha to this story :)
I missed Samantha by four years. She was the doll that got me into AG! I grew up reading her mysteries and being inspired by her and Nellie's courage. The Curse Of Ravenscourt was my favorite book in third grade. Little did I know that there were two beautiful dolls that went with the story.
In second grade, all my friends had five or six American Girl dolls. (My four lovely ladies do not even come close to that! Sorry Marie Grace, Saige, Isabelle and Eva) That year, my teacher asked us to all make a "me" box and to decorate the outside and put "pieces of our life" inside. I put a tennis ball, swimming goggles and my figure skate guards inside the box. On the outside however, all my friends were cutting and pasting pictures from AG catalogs! I didn't want to miss out on the fun of using scissors!
They all went on and on of buying clothes and accessories for their beloved dolls. (Clothes only cost $21 back then, can you believe it?) I didn't understand anything they said! I remember thinking: "How can Kit be a name?" Back then, Kit's treehouse was new so I pasted it on the top of my box. I pasted pictures of dolls and pets not knowing what real treasure they were! When I came back home, my mother asked: "You don't even like dolls! How can these be on your "me" box?" I simply answered: "All the other girls were doing it too!"
Flash forward to 2012 (third grade): I received the Holiday catalog from AG. My dad threw it away, but I made my mom retrieve it from the recycling bin. I kept in my room for a whole year just looking at the pictures because it made me happy.
In 2013, there was a big test. I looked at the catalog and realized, one of these dolls would be a great prize if I got a good grade! (All my friends had grown out of AG years ago so I was the only one)
Sure enough, the grades came in and I excelled! I decided to pop the question. "Hey dad, could you get me this doll? I think her name is Cećile." (Yes, you heard right. I said Cećile) When my dad looked at the page and said, "Are you sure she's the one you want?" I looked at the page too. "Oh sorry! I meant Marie Grace! Isn't she pretty?" My dad consulted my mom. The answer was yes! I could get Marie Grace!
Flash forward a few days. My Marie Grace hadn't arrived yet. I asked my dad, "Could I have another Marie in place of the original Marie Grace?" (I was sure she wasn't coming) My dad, sensing my sadness, said, "Alright. I'll order you another one." Sure enough, two days later, my original Marie Grace came! The next day, the second Marie Grace arrived. I asked my dad what we should do about the second doll (we named her Marie Claire). He said we should go to the store and get a different doll in exchange for Marie Claire.
Two weeks later, me and my best friend (and our dolls of course) went to the Boston AG store. I had my heart set on Kit. (I hated Saige back then) But when I walked in, I had a change of heart. Saige was meant to part of my family! We bought her accessories for me and my friend. Since her accessories included earrings, my friend decided to pierce her doll's ears.
Flash forward to January of this year. While driving home from a swim meet in Boston University, my dad changed the address in the GPS to 1245 Worcester St. Natick MA! Insignificant? Not at all! It was the address to the Boston AG store! My parents were buying me an AG doll for my birthday (which is in February, by the way) but they wanted me to chose which doll. They were going to order Caroline online, but I fell in love with Isabelle! (I hated Isabelle before. Why? Because she took Saige's place! Go figure)
Then, last month, I got Eva for making to Age Group cuts (state championships) for swimming.
And the rest is history*!
*I want to add Samantha to this story :)
Thanks for reading!
