Grace Stirs Up Success review

I reviewed Isabelle's movie about a year ago and I finally got around to watching Grace's movie recently so I thought I'd review it like I did Isabelle's.(Hopefully you can still watch Grace here). I'll try to follow the same format I used in Isabelle's review. Please remember that quite a bit of this is going to be opinion because it's a review.

Isabelle's movie was shown on Disney Channel in early August so AG may have plans to do the same with Grace's movie. I have not heard anything and could not find anything online to indicate that this will happen but I don't think there was much warning about Isabelle's movie showing on Disney Channel before it happened. Keep an eye out. I will try to post about any showings if I hear about them. 

The director was Vince Marcello who also did Isabelle's movie and the two Disney Channel "Teen Beach Movie". Olivia Rodrigo stars as Grace. Caitlin Carmichael who portrays one of Grace's best friends, is a recurring voice on Disney Jr's Doc McStuffens.

Plot - Grace Thomas plans to start a cupcake business with her two best friends so that they can raise money to pay for their new bikes for some bike race at the end of the summer. Then Grace's mother drops the news that she and Grace will be living in Paris for a while because Grace's aunt is too pregnant to work in her husband's bakery anymore. Grace and her cousin do not get along and find it difficult to relate to each other. Grace gets in the way at the bakery when she tried too hard to prove how good she is to her uncle. After the baby comes, Grace and her mother return to Massachusetts where Grace overhears that her grandparents' bakery is in too much debt to keep running. Grace puts her Paris bakery knowledge to use and everything is going great until the old oven finally breaks. Grace gets an email the next morning saying that she is a contestant on a baking competition/TV show and the prize is $100,000 (and a trophy). Grace goes to the competition in hopes of winning. 

Good points 

• The acting was a lot better than the Isabelle movie
• Most of the characters were fairly developed and had meaning
• Grace wasn't nearly as whiny and woe-is-me as Isabelle was 
• All of Grace's doll outfits and most of her accessories were in the movie (along with a few original outfits which would've been cute additions to her set)

Some not-so-good points

• In all honesty, it seemed really long. There were a lot points that I thought were nearing the end and then I'd see how much time was left or I remembered another scene I had seen when passing the TV in the store. There were a lot of subplots within the whole movie.
• It seemed odd that Grace's parents could afford to give her an iPhone, iPad and an Apple laptop but couldn't afford a new bike for her. I also thought it was a little ridiculous that a 9 or 10 year old would have all of those devices. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned but does an elementary schooler really need all of that? 
• Another thing I thought was odd was the fact that Grace had to go to Paris. Why couldn't she stay behind with her dad and brother or even her grandparents? She really only seemed to be in the way at the bakery for 95% of the movie so couldn't her mother just have gone? Or couldn't her uncle have just hired a temporary baker/worker?  
• Her dog (Bonbon) was practically pointless to include. He was only significant to one scene and it didn't even make sense how the dog knew where to go in that scene. (Without giving too much away, Bonbon is sent into a hotel with something around his neck for a specific person who he had never met before so I don't know how the heck he knew where he was going or who he was looking for.)

Personally, I wouldn't rewatch it as I didn't find it super entertaining but I think younger kids would like it. Supposedly the parents who went to the premier event at our store liked it a lot (in comparison to Isabelle's movie).

Historical Dolls Release and Archive Dates

American Girl has had thirteen (13) historical character dolls (Marie Grace and Cecile are being counted as two), not including dolls' friends. Here are the years each doll was introduced and archived. This list will go in order of their introduction to American Girl, not alphabetical or what year the doll is set in. I will not get into super specific dates, just the years. The original three are not listed in any specific order as they were released at the same time.

All historical dolls except Marie Grace, Cecile, Caroline and Maryellen

Main Characters
Molly McIntire - introduced 1986 / archived 2013
Kirsten Larson - introduced 1986 / archived 2009
Samantha Parkington - introduced 1986 / archived 2009 / re-released 2014
Felicity Merriman - introduced 1991 / archived 2011
Addy Walker - introduced 1993
Josefina Montoya - introduced 1997
Kit Kittredge - introduced 2000
Kaya - introduced 2002
Julie Albright - introduced 2007
Rebecca Rubin - introduced 2009
Marie Grace Gardner and Cecile Rey - introduced 2011 / archived 2014
Caroline Abbott - introduced 2012 / archived 2015
Maryellen Larkin - introduced 2015

Friends
Nellie O'Malley - introduced 2004 / archived 2009
Elizabeth Cole - introduced 2005 / archived 2011
Emily Bennett - introduced 2006 /archived 2013
Ivy Ling - introduced 2007 / archived 2014
Ruthie Smithens - introduced 2008 / archived 2014

Things That Drive American Girl Employees Crazy!!

Disclaimer - this is all personal opinion and has nothing to do with what happens in the stockroom, manager’s office, etc. This is only about what we see/hear on the floor and what I or other employees have complained to each other about. Please do not take offense if you have done any of these.

This will be broken up by several sections as there are a couple categories that everything falls into.

Questions - As an employee we get asked a million questions a day, that most of the time we are happy to answer, but sometimes.... sometimes we wonder why people ask us these questions.

"Can you sell the display?" - Plain and simple, no. No. No. No. Sometimes we have to do things to the display dolls/items to get them to pose or hold something or whatever and there may be hot glue or tape on it that actually ruins the doll. Plus, all dolls say display in Sharpie on it somewhere. The Truly Me dolls all have "Display doll #__" on their butts. Do NOT offer to pay extra for it. We cannot sell it. Don't try to guilt us into it either (I have had a lot of people try this tactic).

"Where is ______?" - If you legitimately cannot find something, of course, ask. But please try to find it yourself first. I have had a lot of customers walk right past what they're looking to get because they didn't even try to find it before asking an employee.

"Do you have ______?" when the sign says we are out of it. -  The signs says right there "_______ is out of stock. We apologize for the inconvenience." 99 times out of 100, we truly are out of it. 

"Do you work here?" - This is such a dumb question. I get asked all the time while I'm working. Obviously I work here. I'm fixing things, wearing all black, in an American Girl apron, with a name tag and an ID badge. Don't ask us. The worst that can happen is you ask another customer (and unless they magically have an AG apron and ID, they don't work here!). All AG workers get asked this and we just don't understand why. We are very identifiable and very uniform. 

"Who is the new Girl of the Year (GOTY)?" before we release it. - We cannot answer this. It's a company secret. I know it gets leaked months in advanced but we can't tell you. The internet is usually right, Just google "GOTY [year]" and you'll get a pretty accurate answer. I knew who the 2015 GOTY was before we were told in December. Of course we know by December, but we will never be able to tell you. Even if it is released on Good Morning America or something like that, we are told not to say anything until January 1st. 

Questions that can easily be answered online or by looking at something in the store. Questions like “How much are dolls?” You might want to know about the product you’re about to buy. “What year is Kit from?” Take a quick look above her display or look at her page on the AG website. 

Thing People Do - People do a lot of things in our store, some are rude or annoying.

Leaving their trash wherever they want. There is a bistro on the top floor of the DC store and sometimes people take their drinks when they leave. Nothing unusual when the cups are plastic and transportable. What is unusual, however is the fact that people seem to think it is ok to leave their trash wherever they feel like. There are trashcans all over the store. There is NO reason that a customer could not find a trashcan and throw whatever away. I find the cups from the bistro in the most random places. My job is not to clean up after you. 

People who leave the items on a different store level. The top floor and bottom floor have differently colored boxes. Employees can spot boxes from a different level a mile away. I understand not wanting to go back up/down a level to put something away but please hand it off to an employee and don't just throw it on another shelf for us to find. 

People who leave boxes in a completely wrong area. The boxes having writing on them and anyone can read what the item is called. Leaving Caroline's Winter Coat and Cap in the stack of Kaya's Pow Wow Dress of Today is obvious. We notice. Really, we do. Every section has a different color scheme, even Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins have discernible colors that I can see from wherever I am. Again, give it to an employee instead of ditching it wherever you want.

People who bring their sick kids to the store. We understand that leaving kids at home isn't really  an option, but when your child is coughing and sneezing all over the store and the other stuff anyone can touch, it's pretty gross. People can touch everything and it's a very germy practice of AG's. Please try keep your sick child's touching to a minimum (especially during cold and flu season). This may sound petty, but your sick child literally can make every employee sick if your child unnecessarily touches things in the store.

People who allow their child to have a meltdowns in the store, especially parents who don't try to stop or prevent it. Although that may be the only meltdown of your child that day, the employees have to hear multiple a day. No one likes to hear kids crying. We know kids will throw fits, but please exit the store. It's not fun for anyone and it makes other customers' trips unpleasant. 

People who come up to employees and expect the employees to be servants. Customers come up, say something to the effect of "Hey, help me find this stuff." but when workers try to hand them their boxes, they walk away and expect the workers to follow them around with the stuff they want. One man made me follow him around, and when he was done, he turned to me and demanded while pointing at the register, "Now ring me up." Excuse me?? Bossing me around does not make me want to help you. It angers me and I fume about it after you leave. I won't change my demeanor or facial expression but I sure do not want to help you. Treat the employees with respect. 

Customers who allow their kid(s) to wreck the store. It is amazing how badly parents allow their kids to act. Shelves look like they've kicked around when I've been gone for only a minute. I see so many kids knock stuff to the floor and don't pick it up. Even when parents see their child knock stuff over, they don't tell them to pick it up. What are you teaching your kids?? That it's ok to mess stuff up and not fix it? That it's someone else's job to clean up after them? Parents and kids who knock stuff over and make eye contact with me but still don't pick it up are the worst offenders. People never cease to amaze me. 

Another thing is that we have the Bitty strollers and dolls that we allow the kids to play with and every so often I realize that one is missing so I go look for it. I find them in the strangest places. Sometimes kids take the dolls off of the stands and carry them around the store. This really is not ok. Leave it where you find it. We cannot risk your kid taking a doll from the store and we don't have time to waste, tracking down missing displays.

Being rude in general. I understand being disappointed that we don't have an item you want, especially if you've driven for hours to get to the store. It does NOT excuse being rude. The employees are humans who should be treated with respect. Some customers act like employees are garbage, uneducated, etc. Many of us have some kind of college degree or working to get one. People treat us like we're nothing and it drives us crazy. The child almost always takes the disappointment better than the parents. 

People who are racist or try to make something into a race issue. (Did you expect this one?) One day a coworker told me that he offered to help someone and she replied with "I don't need your kind of help." Now, this is rude in general, but it was a white woman who responded like that to a black man (the employee). Racism is alive and well, unfortunately. I told someone we were out of Addy but there were other dolls that looked kind of like Addy downstairs and she replied angrily "Oh, so all the black dolls are downstairs??" Um, no. That is not what I said at all. Get over yourself and stop trying to make a problem where there isn't.

Also people who need to get over themselves are people who try to argue with employees over things related to AG. We work here, and most of us have a pretty vast knowledge of the company/items. People try to question things I say and it annoys me because I can nearly guarantee that I know a lot more than you do about AG. I have to be polite about you being wrong too, because I don’t want any manager to overhear me being rude to a customer, even if they deserve it. I personally despise that dumb saying “The customer is always right".

Customers who ask for something and walk away from where I left them. This is especially annoying and frustrating on the weekend and other busy days. I can see hundreds of people over the day, I don’t have the time, nor the ability, to memorize who asked what question. Stay where I leave you, because I am not going to run around trying to find you. Also, don’t ask for a manager and walk away. I told a lady who asked for a manager that it might take a minute or two for a manager to arrive because it was very busy and she rolled her eyes and walked away even though I had already called for a manager. I’m trying to help, don’t walk away/be rude. You waste everyone’s time when you do that.

Girl of the Year – Here are things, mostly questions, that relate to GOTY that get annoying.

Asking us who the new GOTY will be before she is released. As mentioned above, we CANNOT and WILL NOT tell you.

Asking us for previous GOTY items. I am constantly asked for Makenna and Saige. We don’t have their stuff and even if for some reason we did, we can’t sell it. We do, however, continue to sell both of their movies and books. 

People who don’t understand the blasted Girl of the YEAR concept. YEAR, not yearS. One year. That is all. One year.January 1st - December 31st. 365 days and then she's gone forever (except for ebay or something like that).

People who wait until the last week to get the GOTY stuff. The items are all mostly gone and you’ll be left with nothing. American Girl stops producing stuff and sending it within the last two or so weeks.

On the flip-side of the late-comers, there are the people who storm the doors on January 1^st, when they have over 300 other days to get the new GOTY. There is plenty of the GOTY to last. It isn't a one-day deal. Your kid doesn't have to get her the first day. It won’t make her a loser at school.

People who say the GOTY’s name wrong. Please know who you are talking about when you want to buy her. 

So quite frankly, this was a bit of a rant. I am not exempt from asking stupid questions in stores, but those employees can write their own blog post about it ;)

Review of AG's "Isabelle Dances Into The Spotlight"

I was able to find the latest American Girl Girl of the Year (GOTY) movie on YouTube. "Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight" is 2014 GOTY Isabelle's movie.

Disney Channel is showing the movie on Saturday August 9th at 7/6c if you want to watch or TiVo it.

Plot - The movie is about Isabelle's struggle to shine at her performing arts school. She loves ballet but feels stuck in her older sister Jade's shadow and is bullied by a classmate. Isabelle has very low self-esteem and has basically no faith in herself. When she takes a part in the Nutcracker she has to face both her bully and feeling like she'll never compare to Jade. When the big dance number becomes harder will she be able to land the final turn sequence or mess up in front of everyone? Will she be good enough to get the New York Ballet summer program?

Good points:

• The acting wasn't bad, especially for the number of child/teen actors
• The dancing/choreography was great (I have no experience dancing so I'm not the greatest judge on this). 
•  The costumes were nice although only two looked like the Isabelle doll outfits. 

(I realize that it looks like I have far more complaints than compliments but that does not mean I thought it was a bad movie. It's easier to find flaws than good points.)

Some things I noticed that were off or not quite right to me:

• Isabelle's pink hair seem to disappear on and off throughout the movie
• The girl who played Isabelle's sister Jade (Grace Davidson) is obviously not close to Jade's age (which I believe is about 13 because there is a New York ballet program for 4-7th grade spots and most kids are 12 or 13 in 7th grade). Jade could easily pass for a 18 year old. I wasn't able to find Grace Davidson's age but I'm sure she is a legal adult (18+). Isabelle is a 9 year old played by a 14 year old so I'm sure Grace is several years older than Jade which isn't uncommon. 
• There are very few kids that look to be Jade's age or any other age besides Isabelle/Renata's age despite the fact that the school spans several grades/ages.
• The movie is set in DC but quite a few people have noticeable Canadian accents.
• The movie can be painfully slow and predictable. Maybe it's less predictable for younger viewers but I was definitely able to guess what was about to happen most of the time. 
• The music wasn't very good. Mediocre singing and lyrics were (unsurprisingly) pretty cheesy. 
• Isabelle constantly put herself down, to the point where I didn't even feel sorry for her. 
• Renata's bullying went undetected in places where adults weren't out of ear-shot. The bullying seemed off in a way I don't think I can quite describe. It just seemed like too much I guess.
• (Spoiler alert!) It ended the same way every AG movie ends - everyone gets along and everything is perfect. 

American Girl Facebook Chat with Erin Pitt

On July 29 2014, American Girl held a chat on their official Facebook page with Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight star Erin Pitt (who played Girl of the Year Isabelle Palmer). Erin stated in the chat that she was doing it from her home in Canada.

The questions began at 8pm and Erin started answering them quickly. Here are some of the questions she answered and her answers to them. This is only about half of the questions. The answers are written exactly how she wrote them however the questions may have been edited to correct English grammar or shorten them to get to the point.
Q: How long have you been a dancer?
A: I've been dancing since I was 2 years old - 13 years!
Q: What state are you from?
A: I'm not from a state, I'm from Toronto, Canada!
Q: Do you have a pet?
A: I do have a pet - a water frog Lellow and a dog named Chanel!
Q: How long have you been dancing and do you really enjoy sewing?
A: I do enjoy sewing? I make a lot of my clothes actually!
Q: What have you made and do you plan on learning how to quilt?
A: I would love to learn how to quilt!
Q: What was the hardest part of the movie?
A: The hardest part of the movie - messing up my pirouettes.
Q: What was your favorite scene?
A: My favorite scene - the dance off!
Q: Do you like Miley Cyrus?
A: Miley Cyrus is a very talented artist!
Q: How do you like inspiring little girls everywhere to be confident and follow their dreams?
A: I love inspiring girls by being a role model for the,!
Q: What level dancer are you?
A: I'm in Level Elle in Vaganova Ballet
Q: Do you sing?
A: I do know how to sing. I take lessons and am trained classically/
Q: Can anyone take ballet and any suggestions about beginning lessons?
A: Anyone can take ballet, as long as you love it because it's hard work!
Q: What is your favorite style of dance?
A: My favorite style of dance is contemporary, but I love all styles!
Q: Do you have an Isabelle doll?
A: I do have an Isabelle doll!
Q: Do you do any other sports?
A: No, I don't do any other sports. I'd love to try lacrosse, but I'm too busy!
Q: How long did it take to film the movie?
A: It took 6 weeks to film the movie, including 2 weeks of rehearsals.
Q: What is your favorite AG film?
A: My favorite AG film - I like them all!
Q: It that your real hair in the movie?
A: In the movie, it's mostly my real hair but I did get extensions to make it look fuller!
Q: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
A: I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters!
Q: What are your favorite colors?
A: My favorite colors are turquoise, pink and yellow!
Q: Are you close with your movie family?
A: Yes, I'm very close with my movie family. I talk to them almost every day!
Q: Do you like One Direction?
A: I do like One Direction! I'm going to their concert on Friday :)
Q: Have you been in the Nutcracker?
A: I have been in the Nutcracker! I was Clara.
Q: Was it fun leaning the BFF jam?
A: It was super fun learning the BFF jam!
Q: Did you really dye your hair pink?
A: My hair is naturally blonde, but the pink highlights were extensions.
Q: What was your favorite outfit?
A: My favorite outfit would have to be the dance off outfit and I also loved the snowflake costume!
Q: When is your birthday?
A: My birthday is September 22, 1999. I'll be 15!
Q: Do you ever feel like Isabelle?
A: I do sometimes feel like Isabelle and unconfident, but then I pull myself together!
Q: Do you have an interest in acting or did you do it just because it was a dance movie?
A: I have an interest in acting - I've wanted to be an actress since I was 6.
Q: Do you do gymnastics?
A: I don't do gymnastics. Dance is my true love!
Q: Do you have any AG dolls?
A: I only have Isabelle, but if I could have another American Girl doll, it would be another GOTY!
Q: Do you think you pass as a 9 year old?
A: I think I passed as a 9-year-old... a lot of people ask me if I'm that young.
Q: Where did you learn to dance?
A: I learned to dance at many different studio in Canada.
Q: Was it easy to play Isabelle?
A: It was easy to play Isabelle because I could relate to her in many ways.
Q: What other actress or actor would you want to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Rachel McAdams, she's a great actress!
Q: I know you do ballet but are you on pointe?
A: Yes, I've been on pointe for 5 years!
Q: What is your favorite school subject?
A: My favorite subject in school is science. My least favorite is history.
Q: Who is your role model?
A: My role model is my mom!
Q: Have you been on a tv show?
A: I've been in Camp Rock 2 [as a junior rocker] and another movie called Against the Wild, as well as many Canadian tv shows.
Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
A: Favorite ice cream flavor... I can't have dairy so I love lemon sorbet. If I could eat it, probably mint chocolate chip!
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: In my free time, I love hanging out with my friends and sewing.
Q: When did you first hear of American Girl?
A: I first heard of American Girl when I was 11 and started watching the movies.
Q: How long have you been acting?
A: I've been a professional actor since I was 9.
Q: Were the dances hard to learn?
A: The dance moves weren't hard for me to learn because I had such great choreographers.
Q: What is your favorite song from the movie?
A: My favorite song from the movie is You Are Your Own Star!
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
A: My favorite holiday is Christmas!
Q: Do you like Broadway?
A: I love Broadway musicals... my favorite is Mama Mia
Q: What is your favorite thing about Isabelle?
A: I loved how Isabelle pulled herself together to achieve great things and found her own way to shine!
Q: What is your favorite Isabelle doll outfit?
A: My favorite outfit for Isabelle is the one she comes in.
Q: Do you have any of the McDonalds set?
A: I don't have the McDonald's set, but AG is going to send them to me!
Q: Is it fun to go to a performing arts school?
A: Going to a performing arts school is fun! Everything revolves around the arts.
Q: Did you get to keep your outfits from the movie?
A: No, I didn't get to keep the Isabelle outfits I wore in the movie.

Many of the questions were repeated over and over by people who obviously weren't seeing what other people were asking. Questions like how old she was or if she liked Isabelle were asked constantly despite Erin already answering them. Another thing was people asking questions that could easily be googled, like where she is from, how old she is, how many siblings she has, etc. Chats like this should be used to ask questions that can't be easily found on the internet.

On the bright-side, Erin seemed to answer more freely than the author Lawrence Yep who had a chat several months ago. Even though she seemed less controlled, her answers to questions were pretty typical and weren't very interesting. Honestly the most interesting thing I learned was that she can't have dairy and that's not exactly super interesting or exciting to learn.

American Girl Authors Summer Book Tours

This summer many of the AG authors will be doing tours to many of the AG stores to promote their book series. Each author will be listed with their schedules and what girl(s) they wrote for below. All events are at the AG stores in the cities listed. Also, the DC store is actually in Virginia (just an FYI).

Most events are from 11am-1pm or 11:30am-1:30pm but check the AG website here to double check. Some places are also offering brunch with the offer so check to see if that is available too. I wish Valerie Tripp was coming to the DC store but I think I'm going to try to go to Lawrence Yep's and maybe Sarah Masters Buckley, too.

Sarah Masters Buckley (Maire-Grace books)
Atlanta - June 22
Washington DC - June 26
NYC - June 27
Boston - June 28

Kathleen Ernst (Caroline books)
NYC - June 6

Jacqueline Dembar Greene (Rebecca books)
Columbus - June 19
Chicago - June 20
Minneapolis - June 21
Kansas City - June 22

Megan McDonald (Julie books)
Minneapolis - June 8

Denise Lewis Patrick (Cecile books)
Denver - June 7

Valerie Tripp (Molly, Kit, Josefina, Felicity, and Samantha)
San Fransico - June 29
Seattle - June 30

Lawrence Yep (Mia and Isabelle)
Washington DC - June 13
Dallas - June 19
Houston - June 20

American Girl Online Chat with Author

On Wednesday May 22, 2014 at 8/7c American Girl hosted a "chat" with author Lawrence Yep who wrote both Girl of the Year Mia and Isabelle's book series.

AG held the chat on their Facebook page. It was not very clear prior to the beginning of the chat how we would be able to chat with Mr. Yep. I got on and went to the the AG page, hoping they had clearer directions for the chat. A few minutes after 8pm, AG began the chat.

You just posted a comment on this picture and Lawrence Yep answered from the AG account. People generally asked the same Isabelle-related questions. I eventually figured out that refreshing the page every few minutes was more beneficial than every few seconds; the chat was pretty slow. 

My biggest complaint was that it seemed like AG was controlling which questions Yep did or did not answer. Several people asked how he felt about AG getting rid of the only historical Asian doll (Yep is of Asian descent) and Yep never answered those questions. He also ignored another question about on of Isabelle's friend's original nationality. Several people (including myself) asked how to become AG authors and he ignored those questions. 

Yep will be doing a AG book tour this summer, as will many other AG authors (I will make a separate post for their information). I am considering attending the one at the DC store (the store is really in Virginia, just FYI)

Yep's schedule -

NYC store - May 30

DC store - June 13

Dallas store - June 19
Houston store - June 20