Where do I start? Oh, that's right. American Girl Doll News turns 10 YEARS OLD today.
No words can describe how proud I am of this site and what it's become. I was only 8 when I started it for fun, posting random stuff about my American Girl dolls. Some of you know the story, though. Posted something about the "Girl of the Year 2015" - predicted her name would be Grace Thomas - and then, it ended up getting more views than 9 Year Old Sydney could have ever imagined. So I kept going, covering the release of more new American Girl dolls and products.
One year in, I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Two years in, my parents separated and I graduated elementary school. Three years in, I moved to a new house and visited the American Girl headquarters. Four years in, I was gifted Luciana Vega and started my own doll company - which didn't work out too well, but at least I had fun! Five years in, I graduated middle school. Six years in, I made the longest American Girl doll stopmotion of all time - and came out to the world as a lesbian. Seven years in, I was on Good Morning America to ring in the release of Girl of the Year 2021, Kira Bailey. Eight years in, I was supposed to go to the premiere of the Corinne Tan movie - that didn't happen for obvious reasons, but the thought is what counts! Nine years in, I graduated high school, started college, and was gifted Lila Monetti when it looked like I wasn't going to make it to her release. (But I did go to her release ;).
All this is to say, my life has changed a lot since I started this blog. However, despite everything else in my life changing since the day I started this blog in 2014, one thing has stayed constant - this blog, and my love for American Girl dolls. And even as I grow up, even as I start my grown-up career and go to college, I want to keep this blog alive for as long as I can. Because it makes me so happy, and I honestly can't imagine my life without it. And I have you all to thank. Whether you've been here since the beginning, grew out of American Girl sometime throughout this journey and stopped checking, or have only been checking for the last year or two (or even shorter) - thank you.
Thank you for letting me talk about the dolls that I love so much. Thank you for letting me update you on everything going on in the world of American Girl. Thank you for letting me give you first looks at Grace Thomas, Maryellen Larkin, Lea Clark, the WellieWishers, Melody Ellison, Gabriela McBride, Tenney Grant, Logan Everett, Z Yang, Nanea Mitchell, Luciana Vega, Blaire Wilson, Joss Kendrick, Courtney Moore, Kira Bailey, Makena Williams, Evette Peeters, Maritza Ochoa, Corinne Tan, Gwynn Tan, Claudie Wells, Kavi Sharma, Isabel Hoffman, Nicki Hoffman, and Lila Monetti. Thank you for letting me take you through a Truly Me rebrand, and then the revamping of the entire line. Thank you for letting me take you through the rise and fall of BeForever, the cubing and retiring of several dolls, the release of numerous American Girl books and seven movies, two American Girl Live tours, the opening and closing of numerous stores, countless releases, two go-arounds of featuring every American Girl doll as Doll of the Week, and then letting each doll have their own month so we don't go through them every 3 years, the shift of the Girls of the Year from January 1 to October 4, countless collaborations, and so, so much more.
I love American Girl. I love this blog. And I hope I can share the love with all of you for as long as I can.
Thank you, for everything.
-Sydney
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Congratulations!!! I discovered your blog around the end of the Grace Thomas era and the beginning of the Lea Clark era when I started high school. I have enjoyed your blog, and I love how you aren't afraid to share your opinions and how personal you are. I'm excited to see where your blog goes, and I wish you the best of luck!
Well, that's just awesome! I discovered this blog when I was 16 or 17 when you were about to turn eleven. I'm going to turn 26 on October 1st and I've been writing since I was younger than you when you started the blog (I started writing at 6 or 7.), so I kind of know what it's like to do something you love for over a decade AND to have a large collection of American Girl dolls AND to be autistic AND to have divorced parents. I went through some struggles of my own for several years when I too struggled with my mental health at your age now. I had anger issues, depression and anxiety and took it…
Congratulations on this blog. It is a treasure. You always have updates and news concerning the American Girl. We look forward to many more years of this special and inspiring blog.
Marion and Marilyn
Happy Anniversary! I'm around the same age as you, about a year older, and let me tell you I've been following your blog since almost the beginning, found it in 2015. I distinctly remember hearing about Tenney Grant from this blog, how we were all sure she was the GOTY, and all the chaos she entailed! Congrats on 10 years, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with something like this for so long. Here's to more American Girl News!