It was a big week for girls of the Pacific Northwest. On Saturday, July 16th a brand new American Girl Store opened in Alderwood Mall just a bit North of Seattle. To celebrate the opening, girls came from all around to get a chance to see inside the store and shop, most of them bringing along their beloved dolls from home.
I’ve visited both Chicago and New York American Girl Stores in the past with my daughter so I knew somewhat what to expect, but this time it was different because my daughter was really old enough to appreciate it. And, this time we were mere moments from our house in the brand new “Seattle” Store so I didn’t have to worry about fitting our purchases into crammed luggage. Can you say "dangerous"?
By now I’m sure you know how much my daughter loves {no, make that adores} dolls, girly things, and all things miniature. That in mind, you will not be surprised at all that she was willing to roll out a sleeping bag and take her nap in the store if I would have let her. Luckily, we had a few hours free for “girl’s day” that allowed us to take our time wandering through the store without boys rushing us along.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I'm secretly very excited that she loves the store so much. Maybe it’s because I'm filling my lifelong void that comes from having no American Girl Doll of my own, or maybe it's because I may never be too old for life-like miniature replicas, but whatever the reason, I was giddy with excitement as my daughter and I walked hand-in-hand through American Girl Place.
For those of you who have not visited an American Girl Place and don't know about the magic that awaits, let me give you a little background. American Girl is not just a doll store; in fact, even though the dolls are simply exquisite, they were not the sole reason I grew up flipping through the American Girl catalog and wishing I lived in NYC and Chicago so I could visit their showrooms, it was the fact that American Girl Place has everything a girly girl could wish for.
The AG Alderwood location may be a bit smaller than the multi-story mega stores that we’ve visited before, but it still has all the charm and allure of the big stores, with a bit more manageable footprint for the medium-sized mall. Whether dining in the American Girl Bistro, watching dolls get makeovers at the Doll Hair Salon, browsing the bookstore or shop, attending craft days or even making their own matching Creativi-Tees, visiting an American Girl Place in Alderwood can be a quick trip, or you can make it a full-day event.
My daughter and I spent quite a bit of time in the Bitty Baby area since she had brought her doll from home and she had a blast playing with the accessories on the showroom floor like the Bitty Twins’ Double Jogging Stroller which all the little girls were lined up to play with. From there we made our way through the historical favorites dolls to the My American Girl® dolls and then to Kanani, the 2011 Girl of the Year, pausing frequently to oooh and aaah over all the adorable accessories, lovable pets, furniture, and miniatures that are the hallmark of the brand. With so much more to see and do that we didn’t get to in our visit during the Grand Opening weekend, I predict there is going to be a whole lot of time spent at Alderwood Mall in our future.
Want to experience a little bit of the American Girl magic? Check out the Seattle Store if you are in the Pacific Northwest or see the full product line of books, dolls, and accessories on the American Girl website. You can even play games and more in their online AG activity section!
One lucky Rave and Review reader will their own Kanani Doll, the 2011 American Girl of the Year!
Here's a bit about the beautiful Kanani from AG: 18" Kanani features long, wavy medium-brown hair and hazel eyes and is available for one year, launching with two books that tell her story and an array of outfits and accessories such as a paddleboard set, a plush Hawaiian monk seal, and a shave ice stand! To share in the Hawaiian spirit of helping others, American Girl is partnering with the National Wildlife Federation® (NWF) to help raise awareness of endangered animals, like the Hawaiian monk seal featured in Kanani’s stories. With the purchase of every Kanani plush monk seal sold in 2011, American Girl is donating $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to NWF’s efforts to help children throughout the United States gain an appreciation and understanding for America’s most vulnerable animals through various educational programs and activities.
To Enter: Tell me what doll or accessory you love from American Girl!
And, as always, there are extra entries available!
1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar {2 extra entries, must be verified to count}
2) Tweet about this Giveaway after following {daily Tweet, just post link here}
Have you entered the American Girl Doll #giveaway from @raveandreview? Win your own Kanani Doll http://bit.ly/n0PxFj!
3) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage {just post the URL where I can find your writeup}
4) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website {2 extra entries, must have an active link to R&R}
5) Comment love. Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!
6) Email love. Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com {I will never, ever contact your email recipients}
7) NEW! "Like" Rave and Review on Facebook! {3 extra entries}
On September 15th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US Addresses.
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to:
A big thank you to American Girl for letting us tour their facilities and for offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.
