Lea Dives In

[impy]

Today we'll go over Lea's stuff.



Lea Doll & Book
Item# DGT25 // $120
Meet Lea, the 2016 Girl of the Year™! She dives in to new adventures and explores what’s in her heart. The 18" Lea doll has warm hazel eyes that open and close, and long, light-brown wavy hair with sun-kissed highlights. She has a huggable cloth body, and her movable head and limbs are made of smooth vinyl. She comes with the Lea Dives In paperback book, plus her Brazilian festival outfit:

• A bright, multicolored dress, featuring an attached braided belt and braided trim on the straps


• Sandals with crisscrossed laces


• Underwear


• An embroidered canvas messenger bag with colorful woven straps


• A pretend compass necklace

   Oh good lord. With people, to this day, debating whether McKenna had blond or brown hair, this is going to be fun watching people do battle over Lea's hair color. I don't see brown, I see dark blond, and you won't convince me otherwise from every promo shot we're about to see.

I'm glad the price didn't jump and that you get her necklace and bag included with the doll. You do have to pony up for earrings/ear piercing ($16 again) but given how many years in a row AG jacked up the prices come the New Year, well... you gotta applaud them when they don't do something completely evil.

I'm a sucker for the Josefina mold and the sheer number of people hating on her makes me want her. That and the homicidal looks she's sporting in some of these shots, I mean. :P

But if I'm completely honest, there's not a lot to recommend Lea if you've been around for oh, any of the GOTY dolls in the last six years or so. A lot of the photography here reminds me of Lanie's stuff, and Lanie also had a thing for butterflies. Lea herself is basically Kanani with lighter hair and a different face mold. There are catalog shots where I honestly thought someone snuck Nani in. She's doing the Starter Set Exclusive Outfit thing like McKenna and also with the ambiguous hair color like McKenna. But since I don't own Marisol or Rebecca, two dolls she reminds me a lot of, well... y'know, tempting. Very tempting.





Lea's Accessories
Item #DGT26 // $32
Lea’s adventures in Brazil have just begun! With this set, she’s ready for a world of new sights and experiences. The set includes:

• A pretend camera that she can really hold, or hang around her neck by the removable woven strap


• A braided headband


• Four animal photos


• A 3-in-1 wish bracelet, featuring three ribbons with her wishes printed on them and a sea turtle charm


• Her passport


• A mini book about sea turtles

  Like Grace, you can save $5 if you buy Lea's Accessories at the same time you buy Lea herself. Y'know, in case that's your thing.





Margay Cat
Item# DGT34 // $20
Lea is excited to see margays—small, spotted rainforest cats that live in trees—at the rainforest sanctuary. This cute little 7" (17.8 cm) plush margay cat has soft pink paws and an embroidered face.

American Girl will donate $1 to World Wildlife Fund up to $100,000 for every Margay Cat plush purchased through December 31, 2016.
  Can we all agree kitty here looks ready to eat Lea? Or possibly your soul? No? Just me? Okay then...



Three-Toed Sloth
Item#DGT35 // $20
Lea adores sloths—shaggy, slow-moving animals that live in trees in the rainforest. This cute little 7.5" (19 cm) plush sloth has a sweet embroidered face and touch-closure front and back paws, so it can hang onto things just like a real sloth.

American Girl will donate $1 to World Wildlife Fund up to $100,000 for every Three-Toed Sloth plush sold through December 31, 2016.
  If you listen very carefully, you can hear the combined squees of a million fangirls losing their minds over the sloth.



Sea Turtle
Item#DGT36 // $18


Lea loves turtles, so she’s thrilled when she gets to see them in the wild in Brazil! This cute little 6" (15.2 cm) plush sea turtle has mottled colors all over—like a real sea turtle—and an adorable embroidered face.

American Girl will donate $1 to World Wildlife Fund up to $100,000 for every Sea Turtle plush purchased through December 31, 2016.

  A few years ago when we braved AG Atlanta the first time, we swung by the Aquariaum on the way home. While there, I picked up a stuffed turtle for Widget that was cuter than the turtle here. Still, turtle!



Lea's Rainforest Hike Outfit
Item#DGT32 // $34

Lea can’t wait for her first hike into the rainforest! She’s ready to go in this outfit, which includes:

• A tee with a watercolor butterfly design


• Cropped cargo-style pants


• A belt with a green buckle


• A headband


• Colorful hiking boots


• A sports watch

  Huh. This is a weirdly mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I'm having serious flashbacks to early Girl of Today outfits that tended to look a lot like this, color wise. So a bit of nostalgia is trying to tell me I like it more (as a whole) than I do. When you take it separately, I like it more. That shirt is gorgeous and I like the watch. I dig that the belt isn't attached to the pants, too, which is actually one of the best things about the outfit. But I'm not sold on the pants (yet) and the headband is kind of a waste. Also, not a fan of the shoes because I don't like that color combo.



Lea's Ocean Kayak Set
Item#DGT29 // $85


Lea can discover what’s beneath the waves in this clear-bottomed ocean kayak! The set includes:

• A colorful ocean kayak, featuring a sail that can be collapsed, swiveled, or removed—plus, there’s even a compartment for Lea’s camera!


• A paddle that dolls can really hold


• A colorful nylon life vest


• A pretend underwater camera


• Two double-sided underwater scenes that fit into slots under the kayak

  I like the underwater scenes for the bottom of the kayak, but this isn't going to come home with me so my interest is limited.



Lea's Beach Accessories
Item#DGT28 // $34


Lea is ready for a day of amazing beach adventures! What will she explore next? It’s up to your girl with this set:

• A swim mask with adjustable straps and pretend water droplets


• A snorkel that attaches to the mask


• Swim fins with tropical flower graphics


• An adorable baby sea turtle, like the ones Lea sees hatching


• A sea turtle egg with a hatchling coming out


• A beach towel with ribbon straps to roll it up


• A pretend tube of sunscreen

  D'aww, turtles!




Lea's Fruit Stand
Item#DGT31 // $150


Lea loves getting snacks from the oceanside fruit stand. This set is filled with pretend treats—just like the tasty Brazilian specialties Lea would enjoy. It comes with:

• A colorful wooden fruit stand, featuring a service window with doors that open, a table, an ice bin with pretend ice, and a cabinet


• Two awnings


• A toucan that can perch on the stand or awnings


• A spoon, a pair of tongs, and two plates


• A faux acai bowl, and a spoon for digging in


• Pretend cheesy bread buns and tamales


• Pretend fruit: mangoes, passion fruit, a banana bunch, two whole coconuts, and a half coconut


• A fruit carton for pretend treats: a cluster of acai berries, cubed mango, granola, strawberries, or shredded coconut


• A net bag for hanging fruit


• A pretend blender—it even comes apart, just like the real thing


• Pretend mango juice, guava juice, and coconut water


• A canvas tote bag


• A reversible “open/closed” sign


• A brochure and menu for customers


• Stickers to decorate the stand doors

  If there's something the AG fandom is squeeing over more than the sloth, it's the fruit stand. Personally, I wish I had the money and space, because if I did, I'd have Kanani and Lea having dueling stands. :P "Shave Ice is better!" "In your dreams, Nani! Look, I've got a bird, too!" "Shove it, Lea!" and so on.



Lea's Rainforest Hike Accessories
Item#DGT33 // $28
Whenever Lea goes hiking with her big brother in the rainforest, she knows how important it is to bring her gear. This set includes:

• A hydration backpack with a pretend drinking tube, plus room for her hiking gear


• A walking stick with a grip and wrist loop


• Pretend binoculars that she can really hold


• A pretend bottle of bug spray


• Pretend snacks: an acai bar and mango bar


• A rainforest butterfly guide

  I suspect quite strongly that somewhere someone's Lanie just demanded this for the butterfly guide. I think this is an interesting accessory set just because it's not likely you'll find a bunch of hydration backpacks for dolls. Doesn't mean it's on my list, however.




Lea's Rainforest House
Item#DGT30 // $395


Lea awakens to the wonders of the rainforest outside her window. She can’t believe how lucky she is to stay with her brother’s host family in Brazil! This beautiful house will enchant your girl, too—and inspire dreams of traveling the world. This set features more than 30 items, including:

• A wooden house with mosquito netting and an outdoor shower


• A reversible rainforest scene for the window


• A roof that flips up for easy access


• A hammock, light-up lantern, and seashell chime


• A mattress, blanket, and pillow for the lofted bed


• A table and chair


• A Brazilian-style grill with a faux fire that lights up


• Grill tongs, a plate, a fork, and a pretend fruit drink


• Pretend food: fruit, corn, fish, a fish basket, two shrimp kabobs, and a rice bowl


• Pretend soap and a towel


• A basket and a vase


• Three postcards


• A pretend tablet with a removable cover and keyboard—it even has a USB cord that plugs into any of Lea’s cameras from other sets


• Three printed screens that fit inside the tablet


• A parrot that perches on railings, a red-eyed tree frog, and beautiful blue butterflies that can be attached all over the house

Please note:
Cannot be gift wrapped. Rush shipping not available. Due to its size, this item cannot be shipped to Canada or PO/APO/FPO.
Quantity limited to three per order.
Requires 12 AG13 (LR44) button-cell batteries (included) and 3 AAA batteries (not included).

   Take a shot each time someone says something about how compared to Grace's Bakery, this is positively a steal. :P



Lea's Rainforest Dreams Pajamas
Item#DGT38 // $24


After a long day of rainforest adventures, these pajamas keep Lea cool and comfy as she dreams. Includes:

• Romper pajamas with a rainforest print and ruffles at the hem


• Plush slippers with sequins and faux flowers

  If I ignore the salivating I'm sure is going on from the creepy old dude who positively drools whenever rompers are mentioned, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about these. On the one hand, kinda cute. On the other, the promo pic here isn't doing much good. Hrmm. Further inspection required.




Lea's Mix n Match Swim Set
Item#DGT27 // $34


Once Lea finally finds the courage to swim in the ocean, nothing can stop her! This set can be worn four different ways, and includes:

• A sporty rash guard top


• A tankini top with fringe at the neckline


• A green swimsuit bottom with a pink waistband


• A pink swimsuit bottom with printed side panels


• A hair accessory

  People who got the grey market version of this have said that the bottom parts of the suits don't fit properly, so it'll be interesting to see if that flaw made its way into the actual product. For $34, getting two suits isn't bad. I'm not big on swim suits for AGs, though, so limited interest.



Lea's Bahia Outfit
Item#DGT37 // $28


Lea can’t wait to show her American friends the outfit she got in Bahia! It includes:

• A dip-dyed long-sleeved top


• Chambray shorts


• Sandals with braided straps

  I almost like the shirt here, but it somehow falls on the side of meh for me. The shorts are promising and I'm glad they didn't price this one higher than they did, considering you only get three items.



Lea's Exclusive Collection
Item#DMK58 // $180



Bring Lea home in this bundled starter set—featuring Lea’s Beach Dress, available only in this collection! Includes:

• Lea™ Doll & Book


• Lea’s Accessories


• A tie-dye-print dress with bows at the shoulders


• Green flip-flop sandals


• Matching sunglasses


• A pretty butterfly hair clip

   Bonus, the use of double Leas might inspire people to want twins. AG: cha-ching. I'm not sure I'd price the exclusive outfit, even with the cute sunglasses, sandals, and flutterbee clip at $28. But I've gotta say that I might just go ahead and go this route if I decide I want her accessories, too. Flutterbee, guys. Flutterbee.



In case you're wondering, they didn't add a lot aside from Lea's stuff. Some new Truly Me medical accessories (crutches and a diabetes set), a couple of Valentine's things (a dress and a shirt), and the BeForever minis that leaked a little while ago. They also seem to be re-releasing minis for Kirsten, Felicity, and Molly.

Alas, I've literally fallen asleep numerous times typing this all up, so you're getting limited commentary (for now) and tomorrow we'll go over the non-Lea things a little more in depth. Probably.

Oh, and Melody's tragic event IS the bombing, luxken27. Keep it classy, AG.

Comments

[snarky-imp.livejournal.com]

I'd say rewigging AGs is easy, but I'd take rewigging Pullips (and the ensuing worrying about snapping their fragile necks) any day.

Basically, to do it, you need a decent grip and a spoon. You pull the hair into a ponytail and then you search around the wigcap (usually the back) for a gap and you slide the spoon underneath. It may slide easily, it may take some work. And then you just kind of inch your way around, working very carefully (so as not to rip the wig) until you've pried it off. You can carefully use acetone nail polish remover (don't go crazy since you don't want it dripping down her face or soaking the wig, you just want it to kind of eat at the glue and that's it) to loosen the glue, but I didn't have any when I did my swaps. You might also want Band-aids for your knuckles because I tore mine up. That said, I was coming down with something nasty and a little delirious, so I might not have been in the best frame of mind for doll customization. :P

You're really crafty, so it might come very, very easily to you. :)

I can totally see Julie rocking Baby's pigtails!

I don't get what's so hard about making a curly haired brunette with brown eyes but AG keeps throwing us hazel or greenish instead. Sorry, Abby.

I'm waiting impatiently for free shipping and then I'm 99% sure Lea's coming home. I waffle a little but she looks so pretty in photos. I almost want to call and ask for the angriest looking one they've got since people are bending over backwards to find "sweet" ones. "Yeah, can you gimme the one that looks most like she's ready to behead everyone else? Yes. That one. That's the one I want. Thanks."

61 always looks gorgeous in photos but I never managed to pull the trigger when she'd show up on sales (not often, and almost always sold out before I got there) but I always chalked that up to classic mold fatigue.