Scent of Petrichor and Forgotten Halcyon Days @baka-and-honey - Tumblr Blog

seraphonfire

As terrible as an angel, be afraid.

saintdri

L I Q U I D S

★Insp★

gahdamnpunk

American Girl stories were the best tbh

that-catholic-shinobi

Dude, read the books, she and her mom freed themselves in Book 1. We don’t disrespect American Girl in this house

allthefandomss

Don’t you dare disrespect Addy, or any of my girls for that matter. American Girl used to be legit. Good stories, good dolls, good movies.

smugkoalas

Felicity’s story was set in the beginnings of the American Revolution, and addressed the conflict that she faced when her loved ones were split between patriots and loyalists. It also covered the effects of animal abuse, and forgiving those who are unforgivable.

Samantha’s stories centered around the growth of industrial America, women’s suffrage, child abuse, and corruption in places of power. Also, it emphasises how dramatically adoption into a caring family can turn a life around.

Kit’s story is one of my favorites. Her family is hit hard by the Great Depression, and they begin taking in boarders and raise chickens to help make ends meet. Her books include themes of poverty, police brutality, homelessness, prejudice, and the importance of unity in difficult times.

Molly’s father, a doctor, is drafted during the Second World War. Throughout her story, friends of hers suffer the loss of their husbands, sons, and brothers overseas. Her mother leaves the traditional housewife position and works full-time to help with the war effort. They also take in an English refugee child, who learns to open up after a life of traumatic experience.

American Girl stories have always featured the very harsh realities of America through the years. But they’re always presented honestly, yet in ways that kids can understand. They just go to show that you don’t have to live in a perfect time to be a real American girl.

chaos-in-the-making

Dont you fucking dare disrespect the American Girls in my house. ESPECIALLY Addy!! That was my first REAL contact with the horrors of slavery, as I read about her father being whipped and sold and her mother escaping with her to freedom, but also how freedom was still a struggle.

A slave doll. Please. Read the books.

ironwoman359

Don’t forget Kirsten, the Swedish immigrant who had to deal with balancing her own culture and learning the english language and customs of her classmates, or Kaya (full name Kaya'aton'my, or She Who Arranges Rocks) , the brave but careless girl from the Nez Perce tribe, or Josefina, the Mexican girl learning to be a healer.

And then there are the later dolls, that kids younger than me would have grown up with (I was just outgrowing American Girl as these came out), like Rebecca, the Jewish girl who dreams of becoming an actress in the budding film industry, or Julie, who fights against her school’s gender policy surrounding sports in the 70s, or Nanea, the Hawaiian girl whose father worked at Pearl Harbor.

These books, these characters, are fantastic pictures into life for girls in America throughout the years, they pull no punches with the horrors that these girls had to face in their different time periods, and in many cases I learned more history from these series than social studies at school. And that’s without even mentioning the “girl of the year” series where characters are created in the modern world to help girls deal with issues like friend problems, moving, or bullying. We do NOT disrespect American Girl in this house.

razzleberryjam

American Girl is probably going to be the only exposure young girls are going to get to history from a female perspective. This is actually kind of important considering that in history classes we dont really get that exposure. We dont hear about what women felt and endured during these time periods cause schools are too busy teaching us about what happened from the male perspective, which is not unimportant, but we need both. Girls need both.

star-linedsoul

These books were such a crucial part of my childhood and shaped my love of history, which still ensures today. These books can be a young girl’s first lessons in diversity and cultural awareness (hopefully burying that insensitive “we’re all Americans” tripe) and looking at history from more perspectives than just that taught in school. They also are an example of how women have ALWAYS been part of history, which some people would rather us not believe.

I think Kit and Kaya were the newest American Girls when I started “aging out” of the books, but hearing about some of these kinda makes me want to revisit them!

breezeinmonochromenight

I wasn’t gonna say anything, but you know what?

Nah.

OP (of the tweet thread) was either a actively trying to start shit or is just a huge fucking moron. Probably both.

I’d like to point out that the company that makes American Girl dolls actually doesn’t skimp when doing their research and they don’t make the dolls with the intent to be offensive in any way:

physicsandfandoms

And they departed from the norm in Kaya’s doll to fit her culture! The other dolls all show their teeth, and Kaya does not because that is considered rude in the Nez Perce culture!

It is absolutely true that these books covered the stuff in history that was absent from our history books. I still distinctly remember reading about Addy being forced to eat bugs she missed on tobacco plants, and that started me out from a different perspective and made it easier for me to know to reject the sanitized version of the slave trade we’re taught in school. And these books are targeted at ages 8+, which is a pretty critical time for developing your own thinking and morals.

steakandcheeeese

Tips for new adults

If you have the ability to, pay your bills on time. You never know when you’ll need a loan in an emergency and if you destroy your credit rating it’s going to be rough.

While you’re at it, get a low interest low fees credit card so you actually can start building a credit history. Stick it in the freezer in a block of ice, or even cut it up straight away if you need to take away the temptation to use it. If you know you can pay the balance every month then go ahead and put stuff on it for the cashback or points, just be disciplined about the due date for the interest free period.

Never leave your washing in the machine, that stank takes like three hot washes to get out

Don’t smoke weed inside, the smell seeps in to everything

One of the most important things in life is your physical and mental health. If you need to stop talking to someone to protect the latter then it’s okay.

You have no obligation to your family if they suck

Learn to cook at least five basic healthy meals like chilli, bolognese, roast dinners, salads, burgers . Bulk them out with veggies and beans/lentils if you’re a meat eater but can’t afford a lot of it

Remember that it’s okay to admit you were wrong, or to grow and change your opinions

You’ll always be younger than someone, and there’s bound to be people who will patronise you because of it. You don’t suddenly get respect from boomers the moment you turn thirty. It sucks but don’t let it get to you. Those people are dicks.

Don’t close any accounts prior to applying for any credit, this can temporarily cause a drop in your credit rating as part of what contributes to it is age of accounts

You’ll feel like you’re constantly cleaning your kitchen and bathroom. It’s okay if there’s a bit of mess but as long as nothings growing in it you’re good.

Don’t bother with feather dusters. They just redistribute the dust. Use a damp cloth instead.

Stuff that says dryclean only can usually be handwashed or put on a gentle cycle, just don’t put it in the dryer

If you’re itchy all the time, it’s probably your washing powder/detergent. Switch to an eco friendly brand (actually, just use an eco friendly brand anyway). Also, skip the fabric softener

Invest in the best quality bedding you can afford. Sleep is a huge contributor to your health

It’s okay to take a mental health day, and don’t feel bad if you do nothing all weekend. You need a rest sometimes

For the love of all that’s holy, learn to use your indicator correctly when you’re driving

It’s okay to fail at things, don’t beat yourself up about it

excessivelysesquipedalian

my asshole cat once again comes to me and does his usual indications for “hey, there’s a problem I need you to fix, please help.”

because I love him and he is weirdly smart and actually really good at figuring out problems and getting help (like when he lets me know the bird feeder is empty because he wants to watch the birds) I trustingly get up and follow him.

he reaches the window, outside of which is a thunderstorm. he is very afraid of thunderstorms, and normally does not go anywhere near the windows when they happen. upon reaching the window he indicates in his usual fashion, “here is the problem, please fix it.”

no idea whether to be flattered and endeared that my cat thinks I control the weather, or frustrated because my cat is now mad at me for refusing to control the weather on his behalf. this is the second time this has happened.