Review: Kirsten's Bed and Nightstand

So I need to take a break from my American Girl predictions. They require a bit of research, and I am trying to work on my novel writing. Yes, I write-my current project promises to be a three book thing, and I've got the draft down for the first (I'm in the process of editing it), I'm about 30,000 words into the second, and I've got my plan for the third. It's been taking up quite a bit of my time and my creativity, but I know I need to be dedicated to it. American Girl, while still dear to my heart, comes second.

Also I have two jobs right now, and that takes up some time as well.

 

So instead I've decided to review some of the furniture I've purchased in recent weeks. I've had a busy month in terms of buying AG stuff. I bought Kirsten's bed and nightstand, and then I just bought a bunch of Caroline's stuff since rumor has it she'll be retiring at the end of the year. This could be for any number of reasons-lack of sales (I have heard that while the doll sells well, the collection is weighed down with too many expensive items) or the legal issues they're having in Canada.

I know a lot of people don't like Caroline-they call her the AG Barbie. But I actually love Caroline a lot. I'd be okay with her retiring if that means there will be room for an Asian BeForever character though, because that crap with Ivy? Not cool.

All in all, I bought Caroline's skiff, her holiday outfit, and her travel outfit. Her hat and spencer along with her travel accessories are on the way. I'm hoping to pick up a few more things in the coming weeks. So basically if you want Caroline's stuff, get on it, because it doesn't look like she'll be around much longer.

This is just my own speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing applies to Josefina. Luckily I have most of what's still available for her, so that concerns me less. There will be less of a rush for me to buy if I find out that Josefina retires.

In societal terms, it concerns me more since she is the only Hispanic character. Once upon a time, I thought that meant she was safe, but that didn't help Ivy, the only Asian character.

At first, I thought the retirement of Ivy might even be good-I thought maybe AG was going to create a full blown Asian character. But it appears I was wrong, so boo to racism.

If you want more details on the racism of AG, head on over to American Girl Outsider and read the post dealing with assumptions people make about Addy Walker-it was a great one!

Anyways I digress-I've talked about the racism of AG before and the mistreatment of Ivy. I'm sure I'll talk about it again. But not today.

The items I wanted to talk about today are Kirsten's bed and her nightstand. Now Kirsten is not my favorite character in terms of personality (that would be Josefina, followed by Addy and Samantha), or even the prettiest doll (Rebecca, Kaya, or Cecile in my opinion). Her time period isn't my favorite-I enjoy reading about Felicity and Elizabeth's time.

However I adore Kirsten's clothes and collection. I think the details are great and I have a pioneer obsession. I think her furniture is adorable.

Here is her bed covered with the friendship quilt. I realize that this set isn't complete-the quilt usually comes with an embroidery hoop thing, but I don't have that. The quilt was Kirsten's birthday present from her friends and her teacher. I can only imagine that this would be a precious item for Kirsten, since her life was filled with goodbyes.

At the bottom, the girls embroidered a message. The quilt reads "To Kirsten Larson on her tenth birthday." The colorful fabric squares-probably made from dresses and old clothes-are on a beige background. I love the tie in with the story.

On the baseboard, Kirsten's bed has a heart carved into the blue wood and rosemaling, which is a traditional form of Swedish art. You can read all about rosemaling in the "Welcome to Kirsten's World" book. In my review, I included some pictures of real rosemaling examples in America. This was an important art form in Kirsten's culture, and that detail makes the bed.

The mattress under the blanket matches the pillow-pink and white. Not much else to say about it.

The nightstand matches-it is also made of blue wood with the traditional rosemaling.

It has two storage compartments. I do not have the nighttime necessities yet, but parts of that set could certainly be stored in the nightstand. The doors open and close easily despite my nightstand being an older piece-this was a very well made item.

Kirsten in her flannel nightgown (I don't have the housecoat or sockor) sitting on the bed. This set makes a great display, and the picture will only get nicer when I have more pieces.

The trunk would be a lovely addition, but it costs a pretty penny on eBay and I have yet to see it on any Facebook resale groups. The nighttime necessities aren't cheap either, but I have come across some cheap components at least. I'll be keeping my eyes open for some additional items. I would also love to have the Sari doll to put on the bed, and perhaps her kittens next to the bed on the floor.

What do I think are fair prices for these items? I paid $60 shipped for the bed, bedding, and blanket. The nightstand ran me $50 shipped. I tend to buy used pieces from Facebook resale groups, though I still sometimes resort to eBay.

I think these items are worth a slightly inflated price-they look great and make a very nice decorative display. To me, these items are practical but pretty, just what I would want for my pioneer doll.

Next time, I'll probably either take some pictures at American Girl Place Atlanta, make a prediction for Felicity and Elizabeth, or review Caroline's skiff.