My Review of Journey Girl Jordana Limited Holiday Edition 2013

This doll is special for two reasons: 1) She is being released for the holidays, and 2) she is the first introductory doll of the newest Journey Girl, Jordana.  I have to admit, I was blown away by this doll when I first saw her on Toysrus.com.  Journey Girls are my favorite 18 inch doll, but I have to admit I was surprised that they added a fashionista to the group.  That is what Jordana is claimed to be--the Journey Girl who loves to study fashion trends.  To me, this seemed to go against the idea of a Journey Girl.  Journey Girls always seemed to be the "hot nerds"...girls that didn't mind getting dirty, who may not shave their legs, or mind having B.O.  However, there is no doubt that a fashionista would appeal to a certain group of little girls...and adult collectors.
Jordana, being a limited holiday edition, costs a bit more than the usual price for Journey Girl dolls.  Generally, they go for $32.99, and it is around $40 after shipping and taxes.  This doll cost $49.99, and I spent $60 after shipping.  Toysrus only allows you to buy one at a time.
She came in a huge box (the box she was delivered in--not the actual box the doll is in itself)!  They looked like they were delivering a weedwhacker.  The doll's box is different than the typical Journey Girl box.  It is more sturdy and has a handle on the top for easy toting around.  I don't know, however, whether it will do well as a display case or doll tote once open.  It was easy to open.  It opens from the side.  I had to be careful snipping around the neck, for I could have clipped the necklace.  The cardboard under the skirt also was rather difficult to snip from the dress.
I have to admit, I was initially disappointed when I first got her.  In the box, she was not that impressive.  She looked cheap.  The picture I had seen was the one above, which is on the back of the box.  They didn't actually show the doll in the box.  My mom said, "Well, she may look better out of the box."  Sometimes this is the case with certain things.  After all, they had her hair tied down--and the dress was scrunched together.

Jordana did start to grow on me as soon as she was removed from the box.  The thing about this doll is that some things look cheap, and some things are stunning.  The doll would have cost a fortune to make if they had used the best materials.  The gemstones, for instance, are just glass...but even glass gemstones can run $9.99 at a craft store for a small package.
Her hair is two-toned...mousy blonde with lighter blonde highlights.  This doll looks better when the light hits her.  It brings out her hair highlights, her hazel eyes, and the rosettes on the dress.  The less attractive cheaper accessories (like the plastic on the bracelet) disappear.  The hair is not as wavy and curly as they show in the picture on the back of the box.  I personally think she looks better when her hair is allowed to hang loose rather than in the pony tail.  The hair is nice, though like most Journey Girl hair, it is prone to snarling. The hair is rooted rather than a wig.  It can also show bald spots, though this is due to  styling rather than hair loss.  The hair accessory matches her dress.  It is a blue ponytail holder with a rosette and glass gemstone in the middle.
Jordana has pretty hazel eyes.  Her eyes are interesting because, unlike the other dolls, they have flecks of several colors: green, gray, and brown.  At first, I couldn't tell what color the eyes were.  They can appear light green one minute and brown the next.  The eyes don't close, but she does have long lashes.
The necklace "chain" is actually a silvery rubber band...the sort they sometimes put around small Christmas packages.  It does have a clasp at the back and a glass jeweled pendant in the front.  I don't know if this type of jewel will eventually discolor.  As mentioned before, this necklace did make removing the doll from the package difficult.  Journey Girls are fastened by plastic rubber bands at the neck, and you have to snip at these to remove the doll from the box...but that was difficult with a necklace there.  If you are not careful, you can cut the necklace.

The dress is supposed to be one-shouldered.  However, there is a plastic strap on the other side--which I suppose is supposed to help keep the dress on.  The shoulder strap has a rosette with a glass gem inside.  The lower part of the dress is covered in rosettes.
She wears white, silk-like, elbow-length gloves.  She has a bracelet on one arm.  This can actually look rather crappy at times.  It is a piece of plastic with glass studs.  In the light, the plastic disappears, and then it looks pretty good.  It can be removed, but I suspect that it will stop working after a while.  It is a soft plastic snap, and I doubt it will last long.
Her handbag also matches her dress.  It has a rosette with a glass jewel on it.  Inside, there is velcro to put it together.  However, I doubt it can hold much.  However, it was the purse that finally convinced me that Jordana was truly a Journey Girl.  Don't judge her because she has style, folks! I could picture her at the opera, and inside her handbag she has  incriminating film or maybe a flash drive.  She's not at the opera to enjoy hearing the fat lady sing! She is there to pass the evidence to the people that hired her! But alas, there is an assassin in the balcony who is planning to thwart her! Yes, folks, she is Jordana...super spy!
I plan to make my Kelsey doll her adversary.  Kelsey had enjoyed the status of being the pretty Journey Girl, but she seems to be feeling insecure since Jordana was put next to her.  Kelsey is more striking, but her tribal sweater outfit seems to pale against this magnificent dress.  Her jealousy is understandable, and I can totally picture her wanting to knock Jordana off the shelf.  However, she is smiling sweetly at the moment, but I don't doubt she is scheming her revenge.

The bracelet and purse

Under the dress, Jordana has underwear and tulle.  She wears blue, glittery shoes.  The clothing is removable.  The dress is pretty, but it isn't the sort of thing you wear when you go grocery shopping.  Jordana may want to dress casually occasionally.  From my understanding, Journey Girls can wear American doll clothes (I don't have an American Girl doll, so I don't know).  There are many wonderful sewing patterns for 18 inch dolls, though you may have to do some adjustments for your particular doll.  There are sewing patterns for Disney Princess outfits (Jordana would make a good Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty), clothing for different cultures and time periods, not to mention many wonderful modern clothes.  Can't sew?  I don't doubt there are people who make and sell them.
Journey Girls actually have a soft lower torso.  The head, upper chest area, arms, and legs are vinyl.  They have classic baby doll movements.  The head can move side to side.  The arms can go up and down, but they can't bend at the elbows.  The legs go up and down, but they don't bend at the knees or ankles.  The doll can stand up, and it can also sit down with some positioning.  Usually you have to put their hands behind them to make them sit well or prop them against something.

It never fails that when you are short on money, there are things you want to buy.  I would have preferred to have bought this doll a little later than I did.  However, the thing about Journey Girls is that they are there and then they are gone...particularly online.  They are available at the local Toysrus, but you can't always get the doll you want.  I  have never seen Meredith at my local store.  I can usually get Chavonne (whom I think was formerly called Taryn) or Callie, and sometimes I can get Dana or Kelsey (though not in the outfit I want).  They usually sell out online incredibly fast.  Toysrus ebay has gotten a lot of negative feedback for offering the doll and then canceling orders.  The dolls tend to be put out again in different outfits, but a lot of times there is a particular favorite that is hard to get.  I was fortunate to get Dana in the outfit I loved the most--the one with the red sweater and black & white checkered hat.  Some dolls are hard to get in any outfit.  I've commonly heard complaints that Meredith seems widely unavailable.  Actually, one of the reasons why I grabbed up Jordana was the fact that I was anticipating a shortage of this blonde doll.  I'm also expecting that the rosette dress will be popular--and will sell out quickly.  I plan to keep one, but I did buy another to sell.
She was disappointing at first, but I do find her to be a spectacular doll, and I am very glad to have her!