With only one or two more Toy Fair reports left, I thought it was about time to post a new Walking the Toy Aisle! Here’s a few things I saw while browsing the shelves last week.

Insurgent Barbie

Fun fact: I was an extra in Divergent.  You can see me twice, if you know where to look.  Because of that, I’ve kept an eye on the doll line.  While I liked the ‘Divergent’ Tris, I love this Insurgent Tris!  The short hair looks fantastic on this doll!

Fifth Harmony Group

Fifth Harmony Doll, Dinah

Fifth Harmony Doll, Ally

Fifth Harmony Doll, Normani

Fifth Harmony Doll, Camila

Fifth Harmony Doll, Lauren

Have you heard of ‘Fifth Harmony‘?  Apparently, they’re a musical group.  I, personally, have never heard of them.  The doll versions of the group are really well done, though.  Lauren and Camila are my favorites.

Anna and Elsa

There were some Frozen items that were, I’ll be honest, super scary.  These two My Size dolls were not.

Anna Styling Head

This Anna styling head, on the other hand, was not my favorite Frozen item.  I don’t like the face and don’t see much resemblance to the animated character.  Maybe it’s too long or not wide enough?  I’m not sure what the problem is for me, but it isn’t my cup of tea!

MIniature Frozen

Mini Dolls

I did quite like these miniature Frozen dolls.  Little Kristoff is adorable.  Anna’s hair color is a bit strange, but the faces on these are rather cute.

Barbie

I am loving Barbie’s rebranding.  I haven’t liked a bathing suit Barbie in forever, but Glam Vacation Barbie is super cute!  And, she has a real bathing suit!  (There are a number of Barbie’s in the Barbie aisle with painted on suits.  Not a good trend.)

Kelly

Which brings me to this new Chelsea/Kelly doll.  Notice her painted on top.  Why, oh, why do you insist on doing this, Mattel?

MiWorld

MiWorld

MiWorld

MiWorld

One of each, please!  miWorld is continually surprising me with new stores. If only I had space for all of them!

Sofia the First

How cute is the ‘My First Princess’ Sofia the First?  I adore her and she looks like she has so much hair!  (You might recall I reviewed a Princess Amber with a huge hair issue recently…)

Sofia the First

Here’s a close up of the Sofia the First Styling Head, which, unlike the Anna Styling Head, I adore.

My First Princess Old vs New

As I learned at Toy Fair, Jakks Pacific is changing their line of My First Princess’s to feature ‘Royal Reflection’ eyes.  Basically, the new eyes have a little more depth to them.  The doll on the left has the new eyes.

Ariel and Eric

Disney Princess Set

These are two adorable Princess 2-packs: Toddler Rapunzel and Maximus and Wedding Bells Ariel and Prince Eric.

Barbie Furniture Set

Mattel is doing an interesting thing this year.  They’re releasing small furniture pieces.  A neat idea!

star wars

Who Shot First?

As 2015 progresses, we’ll be seeing many new Star Wars toys.  The large figures seen above are quite neat! Han and Luke look pretty good, much better than some of the small action figures.

Mini Moxie

Moxie Girlz haven’t done much for me since they debuted.  However, these Moxie Girlz Friends caught my eye while shopping.  They’re kind of cute and definitely different from the dolls we’re used to.

So, there are a few items I saw while browsing the toy aisles this past week. What have you seen recently?  Share your thoughts below!

I’m a fan of Adora dolls, though I can’t say I own any. There’s a vendor at our local doll show that always brings beautiful Adora dolls, however, he’s not the most personable seller. It was nice being able to see Adora dolls in a different environment!  Here’s some of the highlights from the booth.

My personal favorites from Adora are the large 20″ baby dolls, the ToddlerTime Babies.  They have such expressive faces and substantial bodies.  I think they’re so pretty. The ginger/redheads, Froggy Fun Girl and Boy, seen above, were my absolute favorite Adora dolls at Toy Fair.

The boy in blue below, Woof, was such a cutie!

My second favorite thing seen at the Adora booth was one of their new products, Mixxie Mopsie.

You can actually detach Mixxie’s arms and legs and reattach new ones.  What I love about these is their play value.  Baby dolls are nice, but they can be hard for kids to hug as they sleep.  These plush dolls look soft and huggable!

Adora BabyTime Babies have some of the cutest baby faces I’ve ever seen. I love the almond eyes and open mouths.

Also on display were some 18″ dolls called Adora Friends.  Now, I personally prefer other 18″ doll brands.  However, there were some mighty cute outfits on display.  The two outfits below (the panda and western themed outfits) were designed by children and were entries in a contest Adora runs each year called By Kids, For Kids.

For more pictures, visit my flickr album.  You can find Adora online, on facebook and on twitter.

What do you think of Adora? Do you have any favorites? Share your thoughts below!

Recently, Mattel started posting about a new Play, Rate and Review program open to anyone and everyone in the United States. The idea, from what I gather, is that the company will be putting products up on their website.  If you want to review an item you see, you’ll select it and Mattel will ship it to you free of charge.  After that, you’re obligated to review that item on the program’s website.  Now, that’s just my idea of what this program will be based off the FAQ’s.  It could be completely different.  We’ll have to wait and see.

Program

This program covers all Mattel products, not just Barbie’s.  I signed up a week ago to see what this was all about. So far, I have yet to see anything appear on the site for review. To sign up for yourself, visit Mattel’s special website.

Do you think this will help or hinder Mattel?  Share your thoughts below.

Last year, I reviewed Maru from the Maru and Friends doll line.  To my surprise, I received an e-mail early February from the company asking if I’d review another one of their dolls.  Of course, I said yes!  Up for review today is Maru’s friend Tanya. Tanya is 20″ tall and vinyl.

Meet Tanya!

If you’re familiar with Tanya’s original release, you may notice a small difference in the doll I’m reviewing.  The original release had crimped hair with lots of body.  The second version, the doll I’m reviewing today, has been out for two years and has silky hair with a light curl to it.

Tanya

With a face sculpt by Dianna Effner, Tanya is a cutie.  Tanya has a pensive expression, which I love.  If you look closely, you’ll notice that while Maru and Tanya share a sculptor, they’re not identical.  That doesn’t always happen in doll lines of this size.

Maru and Tanya

Her almond eyes are a gorgeous coppery brown, very much like a Tigers Eye (the stone).  They look amazing on her olive colored vinyl.  Just like Maru, she has ‘real’ upper eye lashes and painted on lower lashes.

Tanya

Another feature I love on her face are her chubby cheeks, brushed with a light rouge.  Her lips are a natural mauve like color.  If it weren’t for the faces on these dolls, they’d be like any other 18″ doll line.  However, Dianna Effner’s craftsmanship is seen clearly in this series and that is a huge reason why they stand out amongst others.

Tanya

And look at her profile. Gorgeous!

Tanya

Tanya is wigged.  As I mentioned before, her silky hair is chestnut (with some red shades tossed in for good measure) with a light curl.

Tanya

When compared to promo shots, it doesn’t seem to have as much body as you’re lead to believe. However, it feels nice and, while it lacks body, the style (a basic side part) is very cute on her.

Maru and Tanya

For the most part, I like Tanya’s outfit.  It’s a knit two piece that consists of a long turquoise sweater with hidden snaps and a belt, and leggings made in the same color.  Under her sweater is a spaghetti strap top and, of course, white undies. I love the sweater.  There are so many small details that they didn’t need to put on her outfit, but did anyway.  Her pockets, for example.  I love them!

Tanya

As far as cons, the outfit might do well with another snap, higher on the sweater.  Sometimes, the garment puckers in a weird spot across the chest.  However, I love the color, especially on this dolls skin tone.

Tanya

The outfit is completed with black riding boots.  While I like the way they look with the outfit, the shoes seem to hinder Tanya in a way Maru wasn’t.  Tanya has a really hard time standing and I think it has everything to do with the heel on her boots.

Tanya and Maru

To get Tanya to stand while wearing the boots, you have to stand her so her torso pushes forward more so than you might assume.

Maru and Tanya

Tanya

Speaking of joints, Tanya has a head that can tilt in multiple directions.  She has shoulder and hip joints, as well.  Tanya doesn’t have joints in her elbows, knees or ankles.

Tanya

I hope these dolls receive elbow joints one day.  While her shoulder and hip joints allow her to move well in all directions and hold poses well, elbow joints would be a nice addition to her body.

Tanya

As far as quality is concerned, Maru and Friends are completely worth their price point.  They have far more vibrancy than similar lines and have some of the best face sculpts I’ve seen.  I highly recommend taking a peek at Maru and Friends.

Maru and Tanya

Tanya

You can find Maru and Friends online, on facebook and on youtube.  If you live in the Florida area, you can actually see these guys in person at one of their showrooms in Miami and Coral Gables.

Do you own Tanya? What do you think of her?  Which Maru and Friends doll is your favorite?  Share your thoughts below!

*This product was sent to me for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m not a baby doll collector, however, I do appreciate well made baby dolls.  JC Toys had a booth of really impressive baby dolls at Toy Fair. This family run company has been in the doll world for quite some time.  Their Artistic Director, Salvador Berenguer, has an eye for crafting really nice, realistic faces and expressions.  Here are a few of the items they had on display.

I believe the dolls above are from the ‘First Day’ 15″ anatomically correct La Newborn Baby dolls.

This crib has dolls from the polka dot and white star lines.

One thing was clear from the booth’s showings– they have a variety of sculpts and skin tones.

I love the faces on these dolls! The expressions are fantastic. The hands and feet are also quite detailed.

Stepping away from babies, JC Toys also had some different play dolls on display.  Below are some examples, including their Lil’ Cutesies.

The real high points for me were the baby dolls, though.  I loved the variety. They definitely looked like they were made with quality and care.  And the expressions?  So cute!

For more pictures, check out my flickr album.  You can find JC Toys online, on facebook, on twitter and on youtube.  You can see their catalog online, as well.

Do you own any JC Toys dolls? What do you think of them? Do you see anything you love in this post? Share your thoughts below!

Lizzie Hearts is finally in my collection! After months of searching, one lonely Lizzie was sitting on the shelf, waiting to be snatched up by yours truly. What can I say?  Lizzie was totally worth the wait. (I’ve learned that this is actually the new re-issue of Lizzie.  The original release had more details.)

Lizzie Hearts

Lizzie has tons of style.  She’s on a short body, like Maddie, which draws her apart from many dolls in the Ever After High line.

Lizzie Hearts

Lizzie has rooted black hair with bright apple red highlights in the front.

Lizzie Hearts

I really like the contrast between the black and red.  It looks great!  Held in with tabs is a large gold crown.  It looks really neat!  I would recommend leaving the tabs in the doll, because I don’t see her crown staying in place without them. Behind her crown is a sprayed down curl. I lucked out and found a doll with a very nice curl, though with Mattel’s quality control problems, I can imagine some left with less than perfect hair.

Lizzie Hearts

Lizzie has a fantastic face. The show stopper is the heart that surrounds her right eye. Her eyes are large and green.  They’re highlighted with heavy black eye liner and long lashes.  Lizzie has red lips and her peach skin is blush free.

Lizzie Hearts

As far as outfits go, this may be my favorite Ever After High outfit so far! Lizzie wears a sleeveless dress that is perfect for her character.  With a red, gold and black color scheme, her outfit is reminiscent of a decorative deck of cards.

Lizzie Hearts

The dress itself is very tight, but doesn’t look tight due to the checked fabric on the sides of the outfit. Lizzie’s black fish net tights are decorated with red hearts. With heavy play, you’ll probably find that Lizzie’s tights will slip down. Her red shoes play on the card theme, as well.

Lizzie Hearts

Lizzie’s joints work well.  One thing to mention on her body, though, are her black gloved hands.  She has black molded hands and two black bracelets that double as the ‘lacy’ bottom of the gloves.

Lizzie Hearts

As far as pros go, I love the look of Lizzie from head to toe!  Her color scheme is spot on.  The hair styling on this doll is cute and, to be honest, I prefer it to the prototypes (and short lived/hard to find original releases) styling which had two sausage curls atop her head.  Her face paint is very pretty, as well. And finally, Lizzie’s short stature– I love it!

Lizzie Hearts

Lizzie Hearts

Cons are few and far between on this girl.  I can’t think of anything that really bothers me about her final product, other than the fact that it took months to find her.

Lizzie Hearts

Lizzie Hearts

What do you think of Lizzie Hearts? Share your thoughts below.

It’s time again for a new My Little Pony Express box opening post!  As you know, Ruth over on Etsy runs something called ‘My Little Pony Express‘.  It’s a subscription box service based around the first generation of My Little Ponies. Since writing about this program a few months back, it has changed slightly.  The three and six month subscription packages are gone, meaning the boxes have to be ordered month to month. As of yesterday, the April subscription boxes were sold out.  (They sold out very quickly from the looks of it!) I recommend ‘liking’ the My Little Pony Express facebook page for instant updates on the program.

January brought me Bubbles.  February brought me an Italian Posey. Here’s what was in my March subscription box!

My Little Pony Express March

This month brought me an Italian Applejack with curly hair!  The Italian Applejack differs from the US Applejack in a few ways.  The green eyes of the US pony are instead blue in this Italian release.  The coloring on the cutie marks differ slightly, as well.

Italian Applejack

Italian Applejack

Here’s the Italian Applejack compared to the US Applejack.

Italian Applejack vs US Applejack

March boxes featured a number of items from all over the internet including: Dolly Mix Ponies, pony buttons by The Orange Artist and vintage stickers and trading cards.  Select boxes included: ponywear, crayons by WhoaKitten Crayons, Bandanas and Bridles by Oat Couture and bows by Perfume Puff Princess.

Complete Box

My box included a Dolly Mix Shady, trading cards, a button and ponywear fashion City Kids (being modeled by my US Applejack).

Italian Applejack

Just like January and February, I love my My Little Pony Express Box this month!  Did you receive a My Little Pony Express box this month? What was inside? Share your thoughts below.

At Toy Fair, I visited the Hog Wild booth.  Hog Wild is known for novelty toys like the popular Squeeze Poppers.  They also have a line of cute plush that double as night lights called Brobo‘s. There are five Brobo characters: Brobo, Pep, Trex, Mumu and Dog.

Dog, Mumu, Pep, Trex, Brobo

These night-light buddies have three modes. Swipe your Brobo’s hand over the circle on his/her stomach one time to enter Flashlight mode.  In flashlight mode, the LEDS on your Brobo’s stomach light up to their brightest point.

Shine Force Light

Swipe the circle again and the lights will dim into Nightlight mode. Finally, swipe the hand over the circle one last time to turn the light off completely. Brobo’s are equipped with a five-minute automatic shut off, to help conserve the three AA batteries located safely inside their oversized heads.

Pep

This is Pep.  Pep is a baby pink robot and about 13″ tall.  She has an oversized stuffed head with large, cartoonish stitched features. Pep’s eyes are very similar to what you might see in a 1960’s anime or, more recently, an episode of the Power Puff Girls.  Her body is 95% plush.  The only hard part is the circle atop Pep’s stomach, her Shine Force Light.  Pep is stuffed well and is very huggable. Because Brobo’s take 3 AA batteries, they are not machine washable. The battery compartment is cleverly hidden in the oversized head, so you can’t feel it from the outside.  It also includes an ‘off’ switch.

Cool, retro features!

Design-wise, I love the look of Pep and the other Brobo’s.  Their oversized features are really cute.  I also like the concept.  It’s easy to turn the night-light function on and to manipulate it.  Pep or the other Brobo’s available would make a great friend for a child on a dark and stormy night.

Brobo, Pep and friends are also featured in an app, available for Android and IOS devices.  You can find Brobo‘s online.  What do you think of Pep and her friends?  Share your thoughts below!

The article below was originally written as a spec article for Dolls Magazine. Spec articles are essentially writing samples that you hope will entice an editor enough to give you a chance at getting an article in their magazine. I gave them a few weeks to get back to me. After receiving no response at all regarding my submission, I decided it was best just to post it here on the blog. Some of what is stated here is repetitive for long time readers, but there may be some fun facts in this article for you to enjoy! (And for those who missed it, be sure to check out my article in the January 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing!)

A Doll Blogger At Toy Fair

The North American International Toy Fair has always been an elusive event for me. Known as Toy Fair to most, this show has been happening annually in New York City since 1903. You read toy histories about your favorite playthings making their debuts during this important industry event — Barbie in 1959, Cabbage Patch Kids in 1983, Furbys in 1998, to name a few. Every line needs to start somewhere and that somewhere is usually Toy Fair.

My interest in the show came from my mom, an avid doll collector. Growing up the daughter of a doll collector, it should come as no surprise that I decided to collect, too. My collection includes a variety of things. I started actively collecting Skipper, Barbie’s Little Sister, when I was in my teens and gradually added more dolls of all shapes, sizes and brands to my large, out of box collection.

Skipper, Barbie’s Little Sister

In 2010, I decided to share my collection with the world through my blog, Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter. Shortly after starting the blog, I started my own YouTube channel under my internet pseudonym Kewpie83, as a supplement to my written reviews. Eventually, I started a facebook fan page, in an effort to make my blog even more accessible to collectors. My blogging opened up many doors for me, including crossing off a major bucket list item—to attend Toy Fair.

Many bloggers don’t give themselves enough credit. They think they’re not legitimate enough to apply as press for events like this, just because they don’t write for a print magazine. I was guilty of thinking I wasn’t on par with ‘real’ writers until one day, when I realized thinking like that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. That’s why it took four years for me to apply to attend one of the most important events in the field I write about. In November of 2014, I decided to bite the bullet and applied for a press pass to the New York City show. A few days later, I received a confirmation e-mail and that was the beginning of my Toy Fair adventure!

Fast forward two months; It’s February 15th. I have ten booth appointments scheduled and my coveted press pass hangs around my neck. I am standing in the Jacob K Javits Convention Center attending Toy Fair. What can I say? Toy Fair is an amazing event and well worth the endless planning and money spent commuting from Chicago to snowy New York City.

Inside the glass walls of the Javits Center are thousands of toy designers, manufacturers and distributors, from start-ups to big name brands, displaying their wares in nearly every nook and cranny of the gigantic building.

Walking into the large convention halls that housed exhibitors was much like walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. So many different sights and sounds. No one booth was the same as the other. Walking down one aisle, you would see someone sailing down a ramp on a wheel less board, beautiful doll furniture displayed in enchanting scenes, fun and funky vinyl figures and maybe even a brave show attendee lying on a bed of nails! And that would be just one of the 2,000 aisles on Level 3.

One thing that surprised me about Toy Fair was the idea of making ‘appointments’. Appointments will differ depending on who you’re working with, but in most cases, appointments are one on one booth tours. They’re your chance to have the exhibitors’ undivided attention, which is a great advantage during the show. You don’t need an appointment for every booth you see, but if you really, really want to cover a certain type of toy, in my case dolls, appointments are the best way to go.

While perusing the many aisles of Toy Fair, there were some interesting trends that I spotted in the doll world. One theme I saw a lot of were interactive talking dolls that connected to the world in a whole new way—by bluetooth and wifi.

This new element adds extra dimension to conversational play. With these elements, which in most cases allow the dolls to connect to secure databases, dolls can understand what you’re saying, retain it and respond appropriately. Dolls with this technology will be seen later this year in My Friend Cayla and Hello Barbie.

I also noticed a huge growth in the 18” doll market. Growing up, there were two 18” lines that I can remember: American Girl and Magic Attic.

Now, there are a whole slew of dolls in this size range. Some of which were designed in that size due to the fact that so many children already have an 18” doll, making clothing changes endless and easy to find.

In the toy world, there were a lot of electronic toys on display, like miniature flying machines and robots. In the same respect, minimalistic, crafty toys and building sets were represented in multiple booths, as well.

There were a few exhibitors that made lasting impressions on me. Tonner brought prototypes of their new 18” My Imagination line. These unique dolls have a great, childlike look to them and a fantastic wardrobe. Girls and boys of all ages will love this line. I know I do!

Paola Reina brought an assortment of dolls. This doll line hails from Spain and has been going strong since 1994. Recently, it was brought over to North America. These dolls have amazingly expressive faces with hand painted features and inset eyes. They’re even infused with a unique vanilla scent. Their beautiful booth made me leave a huge fan.

Two other exhibitors that stayed with me were creating fantastic multicultural dolls. Double Dutch Dolls displayed their line for the first time at Toy Fair. It was great being able to see their 18” line of multicultural dolls in person.

The One World Doll Project also had an eye-catching showing of dolls on display; with their 1/6th scale Prettie Girls! and new 16” Prettie Girls! Tween Scene literally on pedestals. Keep an eye on these two brands. I personally think they’ll help create a very positive trend in the doll world.

And, of course, we can’t forget the fang-tastic 17” Monster High releases we’ll be seeing later this year. Not only is Mattel creating a new unique character for their Freak du Chic line, Gooliope Gellington, in this large size, but three of their original Monster High girls, as well—Draculaura, Clawdeen and Frankie. Seeing these four in person at the show made me even more excited about adding them to my collection!

Also worth mentioning was the surprise of the show for me; the Nutcracker themed ‘My Ballerina Dolls‘. Standing at 23″ tall, these resin, ball jointed dolls were major stand outs at the show.

Overall, my first Toy Fair was a huge success. However, it was only a success due to the helpfulness of past attendees who were kind enough to pass along their words of wisdom. So, it’s only right that I leave a few bits of advice for bloggers who may be considering attending, as well.

1- Don’t be afraid of applying. The worst that can happen is that you’re not let in. If that happens, just try to bump up your stats for next year and remember, you don’t have to attend Toy Fair to make contacts. You can do that all year round.

2- Before attending, print lots of business cards. You want people to know who you are and where to find you. You’ll also want to make a blogger media kit. My kit consists of a one sheet with my picture, blog links and important stats.

3- The real work begins after getting the registration confirmation. Remember those appointments I mentioned earlier? You’ll want to lock those down before the show. Do you have a relationship with companies already? Shoot them an e-mail and mention you’ll be attending the show. Is there a company you want to work with? Why not shoot them an e-mail, too, explaining who you are and that you’d love to meet with them if they are attending Toy Fair. You may even want to attach your Media Kit to the e-mail. The Toy Fair website is really helpful with this—they’ll usually post who is attending in advance, so you don’t have to contact companies completely blind. Be careful not to over book yourself, though. I found some amazing products while walking the aisles in my free time. (And don’t forget lunch. You’ll want a lunch break, too!)

4- Not all the exhibitors will be blogger friendly. Some don’t care about marketing themselves because they are looking for buyers. Some will grill you on all your stats, others will need you to explain what ‘blogging’ is. Not everyone understands what bloggers do or how they affect the toy industry. Don’t take offense if a booth doesn’t quite ‘get’ what you do.

5- In the same respect, not all booths will allow you to take photos and/or video. Ask the exhibitors when you enter if it’s okay for you to shoot. I didn’t have much trouble with booths saying no when I asked about taking photos. Most just asked for a business card in return for permission. Within photo-friendly booths, there may be items that you can’t photograph. Booths will usually mark those with small signs. If you see something at a booth, but can’t show it off to your readers, it’s more than okay to ask if the company could keep you in the loop.

6- If you visit a booth and you like what you see, ask for a business card. The key thing for bloggers at Toy Fair is to make relationships with companies. Follow up after the show and thank them for speaking with you. If you’re on a company’s radar, you may be offered samples to review for your blog, which is never a bad thing.

7- Don’t underestimate small independents. If you’re at all shy about talking to people, chatting with independents may be a great way to warm up for your appointments. In most cases, the smaller entrepreneurs will want as much Toy Fair coverage as they can get. Plus, there were some fantastic products coming out of those booths.  And you never know, they could be the next big thing!

8- Most importantly, have fun! You may be attending for work, but it doesn’t have to feel like work. Take in the vastness of the Javits Center, run across the lobby to catch up with the Power Rangers for a super dorky, but amazing photo opportunity, step inside that Cabbage Patch Kids box, stand in awe across from the insanely large Funko Groot, drool over (metaphorically speaking) the amazing dolls and toys that will be popping up over the next year.

I would never have expected ten years ago that I would be in a position to attend Toy Fair, but am so pleased I could finally check this bucket list item off my list! It was an amazing experience and definitely one I hope to repeat in the future.

You can find all my coverage here on Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter, YouTube and Flickr.  Below is my YouTube Toy Fair playlist.

Tell me, what was your favorite thing shown here from Toy Fair?  I’d love to know!  Leave your thoughts in the comment area.

Happy April, everyone!  With a new month comes a new Collector Spotlight (occasionally, that is)! Meet Alexandria, a collector and blogger.

Collector Spotlight Badge

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: I have just recently discovered doll collecting, and much enjoy the modern brands. My favourite, by far, is Ever After High. I find them to be so stylish, fun, and beautiful dolls. There’s nothing better than to come home from a day of long work to find all my Ever After High dolls sitting on the shelf, greeting me!

Briar Beauty

Q: Spotlight a few of your favorite pieces in your collection.  What are they?

A: My favourite Doll is my Briar Beauty doll. I’m SUCH a sucker for pink dolls, including Draculaura, Pinkie Pie, Sleeping beauty, etc. I’m also really “close” to my original G3 pinkie pie! (I always have had a thing for My Little Pony…)

Q: Why do you collect? What is the most fun aspect of collecting?

A:I love doll collecting because it opens so many doors. Photography, Journalism, Writing, Reviewing, or even just for fun! I’ve always really loved Photography, but I never really wanted to do it for a career.

Maddie

Q: Give me 3 tips (in general) on how to cultivate a great doll collection.

A: The main points of a good doll collection are:
3. Don’t be afraid to leave them in the box for a while! I loved my Monster High and Ever After High boxes so much I left them in there for about 2 weeks each!

2. Make sure they are put up correctly. You don’t want them to fall, get messy hair, or get chewed by a pet!

1. Showcase! It’s always a great conversation starter if people walk into my room. What’s the point of having a great collection if you’re going to hide them away in a closet?

Maddie

Q: Tell us about your blog!

A: My website, dollvault.weebly.com , has just been published. I’ve been having trouble promoting it, so feel free to check it out! I love reviewing my dolls, I get such an awesome feeling when I just hit “post” on a review.

Screenshot of The Doll Vault

Q: What are your tips for new collectors?

A: If you’re new to collecting, don’t feel embarrassed! If you love it, you should share it with the world! No one is going to judge you. Between us doll collectors, it’s actually really cool, not many people have the ability to think like a kid, so let’s just embrace it!

Blog Badge

I’d like to extend a HUGE  thank you to Alexandria.  She was very patient with me!!!! (Alexandria, feel free to add the badge above to your website!) I very much agree with her tips for a great doll collection, especially her last tip about showcasing what you own.

Check out her blog, The Doll Vault, and give her some kudos! If you’d like to be the next spotlight, let me know!  You can check out details on this series on my Facebook page.

Happy Easter

Wishing you a fantastic Easter spent with friends and family. (And maybe a dolly or two from the bunny himself!)

Happy Easter

I first got to see the Sew Cool Sewing Studio in action at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair.  I saw it again at Toy Fair. And now?  I have one of my own, sent from Spin Master for review.  Sew Cool is an easy to use, no hassle ‘sewing’ machine.  This do it yourself craft toy is a way to ‘sew’ without messing with needles, thread or that dreaded bobbin. In reality, this machine’s three needles, protected behind plastic, felt the fabric included with this set together. You can’t use any kind of material in this machine.  Spin Master recommends that you use the special fabric included in this set and sold separately.

Sew Cool

Sew Cool

This Sew Cool Sewing Studio starter set includes a number of accessories, including: 8 sheets of Sew Cool fabric, three pre-cut projects (cupcake, owl, purse/strap), patterns to create your own projects, 22 embellishments (felt pieces, like bows, and black buttons to attach them) and a small bag of stuffing. This machine takes 4 AA batteries.

Sew Cool

How does it work?  Really well, actually.  It’s very easy to make simple felted projects.  Turn the machine on, line up your fabric with the seam line under the three safely tucked away needles, press the blue button and the needles begin to furiously move up and down.  From there, just move your fabric through the machine and press the button again to stop the needles.

Sew Cool

Sew Cool

The biggest con I can see with the Sew Cool Sewing Studio is that there is no way to change the needles if one were to break or wear out.  If that happens, you need to buy a new machine.  Another slight issue is that you can’t use any fabric in this machine.  Spin Master recommends only using their fabric, while others have had luck with store bought fabric.  In the same respect, you can only felt two layers together with this machine, due to the protective barrier that protects the needles.

Sew Cool

To see this machine in action, check out the video review/tutorial below.

I think this is a pretty cool do it yourself kit.  The Sew Cool Sewing Studio makes it very easy to create fun, unique, creative and useful things! Do you own a Sew Cool Sewing Studio kit? What do you think of it? Have you made anything cool?  Let me know in the comment area!

*This item was sent for review.  All opinions are my own.

Up for review today are two 7″ Travel Friends International Collection. Manufactured by iconic doll company Madame Alexander, these two travel friends are part of a larger line of vinyl travel themed dolls. Representing 9 different countries, Madame Alexander’s Travel Friends celebrate a multicultural world.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

This doll represents China.  As you can see, she has long rooted black hair styled in braided pig-tails.  Some hair lays outside the pig-tails and is curled. Be careful when you take this doll out of the box.  I accidentally pulled one of the curls the wrong way and made it a little messier than it was meant to be.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

Kenya, also seen here in this review, has silky black, medium length hair. While these don’t come with combs, you can comb their hair.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

Kenya and China share the same vinyl body type.  Both Kenya’s dark brown body and China’s tan body have joints in a few places.  Their heads can turn left and right, but won’t tilt.  They have shoulder and elbow joints, as well as hip and knee joints.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

While I like that these dolls have joints, they do need some work.  It may just take working them in a bit more, but right now, the joints seem a bit stiff.  It took a while for me to get the gist of posing the elbows, but the more I play with them, the easier it’s getting. I understand wrist joints wouldn’t work for a doll that is aimed at 3 and up, but the photographer in me would love to see them! The hip and knee joints work well and allow the dolls to stand relatively easily.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

Kenya wears a cute, colorful outfit. She wears a bright red t-shirt decorated with giraffes silhouetted by the sun, a skirt with a bold blue and gold pattern, striped pink and yellow leggings and fun red flats.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

China’s outfit is composed of more muted tones.  She wears a sleeveless dress with a pink bodice and blue skirt.  There’s some blue tulle on the skirt for extra body. She wears baby pink flats.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

What about their faces, you ask?  I quite like their little faces! The features are placed well and are proportioned just right.  I wouldn’t judge these guys by the faces seen in the promo shots on the website.  The produced dolls look different, better in my opinion!

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

Typically, I don’t dig decal faces.  However, that’s not the case with these two dolls. China has fantastic grey eyes, pink lips and light blush. Kenya has two shades of brown in her eyes and a dark red lip.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

Overall, Madame Alexanders 7″ play line has many high points.  The first being the pretty faces and perfect ‘backpack’ friendly size.  I also like that they’re jointed. That being said, the biggest thing they need to work on are the joints, specifically the elbow joints.  They could be more fluid in movement.

Madame Alexander Travel Friends

More 7″ dolls are on the way from Madame Alexander, as displayed at Toy Fair 2015, including a career line and a NASCAR line.  What do you think of the 7″ Madame Alexander Travel Friends International Collection? Who’s your favorite? Share your thoughts below.

*These were received for review. All opinions stated are my own.

Back in February, I had the pleasure of meeting Frances from A Girl for All Time.  Mum’s the word on everything that was spoken about, but I can share this with you– a review of Lydia’s Riding Outfit!  If you recall, I obsessed over this riding outfit during my Lydia review and received a happy surprise when I left New York City with one of my very own.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

A Girl for All Time fashions are by far the best being produced by companies within the 18″ to 20″ doll realm.  Design wise, they’re super detailed.  The fabric choices used are spot on and have a real quality feel to them.  Lydia’s Riding Outfit is composed of a few different pieces and to get the complete look, you’ll have to purchase two different items.  Lydia’s Riding Outfit consists of a white sleeveless blouse, dark blue coat and light blue skirt.  The shoes and hat are sold apart from the outfit itself in the Riding Boots and Hat accessory pack. I would highly recommend picking these up together. The blue’s in this outfit look amazing with Lydia’s dark eyes and hair and, as far as storytelling goes, this complete look does just that.  This outfit inspires creative, imaginative play for all ages.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

As usual, the design is superb and the attention to detail is amazing. Decorative plastic buttons are used on the jacket.  They look really nice on the dark blue fabric.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit (cuff detail)

Lydia and her Riding Outfit (Jacket detail)

Lydia and her Riding Outfit (hat detail)

From head to toe, this outfit is perfect.  My favorite element is the collar on the dark blue coat.  If you follow it around, you’ll see it forms a large triangle down her back.  I love it.  Trust me, if I saw this on a clothing rack today, it would be in my shopping cart instantly.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

The hat is super cute and holds its shape surprisingly well.  It’s one of the things that makes this outfit standout.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

The heavy, quality fabrics didn’t let me down in the least.  The heavy light blue skirt, while prone to its fair share of wrinkles, fits well.  It has a fun feature you don’t see every day in doll outfits– pockets.  To be honest, I don’t think I’ll be using the pockets much in this outfit, but it is a nice touch.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit (blouse and pockets)

Pictures speak a thousand words, so here’s a few more photos to show off this amazing look.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

While you can’t see them when paired with a long skirt like this, the riding boots are winners, as well.  The ankle length boots are secured with velcro, so it’s easy to put them on/take them off.

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

Lydia and her Riding Outfit

You can see all the outfits A Girl for All Time has on their website.  You can also follow them on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. What do you think of Lydia’s Riding Outfit?  Do you have a favorite A Girl for All Time outfit? Share your thoughts below!

*This outfit was sent to me for a fair and honest review.  All opinions stated here are my own.

2015 looks like it’s going to be a truly outrageous year for Jem and the Holograms.  Celebrating 30 years, the doll line turned cartoon is far from forgotten.   In March, the first issue of the new Jem and the Holograms comic made its debut.  Published by IDW Publishing, this series is written by Kelly Thompson and drawn by Sophie Campbell (formally Ross Campbell).  So far, the releases have received multiple limited edition variant covers created by popular artists Sarah Richard and Amy Mebberson.

Amy Mebberson Cover- Each Hologram has a cover!

Now, I’m the first person to call myself a single issue comic book ‘newb’.  I haven’t gone searching for a single issue comic book for years, to tell you the truth.  I prefer to read my comics in bound, multi-issue bindings. But this is Jem and the Holograms!  There was no way I would miss getting my hands on this potentially outrageous comic.

Jem Cover by Sara Richard (Sub Cover)

Of the many cover variants offered on this first issue, I ended up picking up the Sara Richard Subscription cover (and a Jem postcard) at C2E2 this past weekend.  Truthfully, it was my favorite of the different covers.  I love Amy Mebberson’s work, but I adore the realistic portrayal of Jem on Sara’s cover.  It reminds me of the box art on the Jem dolls.

How does one go about reviewing a comic book?  For simplicities sake, I’ll split this review into two categories: story and art.  This is not a retelling of the original cartoon.  Don’t expect a young adult to be put in charge of a major music corporation or to be running a home full of foster kids.  (Though I am not saying that can’t happen– who knows!)  While the creators took care in making the foundation similar to the original cartoon, it isn’t a carbon copy.  The story begins with our hero, Jerrica Benton, suffering from some super serious stage fright.  Unable to sing in front of large crowds, she’s putting her band and her sister Kimber’s dream of winning the Misfits VS competition in jeopardy.

Jem Sample Page 1

Jem Sample Page 2

Jerrica freaks out and runs back home where she finds the holographic earrings.  That’s when the story really picks up.  Being only a single issue, 20 page comic, the ending of this comic feels a lot like the ending of the cliffhangers in the first few Jem episodes.

I think they did a great job of adapting the material. They kept elements that were necessary, like Jerrica and Kimber losing their parents, and tweaked the stuff that didn’t make as much sense in today’s world, like a young adult who has very little life experience being given permission to care for a large group of foster girls.  (Again, though, having only read the first issue, this could totally be part of the story.  We’ll have to wait and see.)

Character Art- Rio

For those looking forward to seeing Rio, bad news– he’s not in this issue.  However, there is new character art featuring him on IDW’s Jem page, so he hasn’t been forgotten.

Jem Cover Art (basic edition)

Art can make or break a comic, especially for me.  (I can’t help it, I’m a bit picky about style when it comes to comics.)  However, I’m happy to say that the art style used in this comic wasn’t a deal breaker! The colors are spot on and the characters have a cool, stylish look to them. Jem, Jerrica and the Holograms sport the same unique hair colors that made them stand out in the cartoon, but don’t all have thin, super model type bodies.

Character Design Jem and Aja

Character Art- Kimber and Shana

The character design is more cartoon’y than realistic. The art isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, I’m fine with it.  The best thing about the character design so far? Their hair. I love all four (five, counting Jem) of the main girls hair styles.  As far as reading and dialogue flow, the thought bubbles didn’t seem intrusive at all and they were easy to read in sequence, which is another bonus in my book.

Jem

Overall, I’m liking this series so far.  It has a ways to go and no doubt it will be a struggle for me to remember to pick up my copy every month, but so far, so good!  Kelly and Ross did a great  job at keeping Jem and the Holograms both classic and modern. Currently, Samantha Newark, speaking voice of Jem, is offering signed comics via her website.  (I would order issue two, signed by Samantha, Sara and Patricia Alice Albrect, speaking voice of head Misfit Pizzazz.  Plus, it comes with a 11×17 poster!)

Logo

And with that, I’d like to remind you that today (5/2/2015) is Free Comic Book Day!  Here’s Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker to those who aren’t in the know) to talk a bit about the day.  (The Star Wars fan in me is so excited to say that I have now had Mark Hamill on my blog, even if it wasn’t shot just for me and multiple people can share it.)

You can find the day’s origin story here. Gold Sponsors for the event (which means there’s a good chance they’ll have a comic or two lying around) are: Viz Media, Archie Comics, Bongo Comics, Boom Comics, DC entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, DE, IDW (publishers of Jem), Image, Marvel, Titan Comics and United Plankton Pictures.

Contact your local comic book shop, library or bookstore to see what they’re doing to celebrate Free Comic Book Day. And don’t forget to unleash your inner cosplayer and go to the events in character!  (If I weren’t busy, I would totally be going as Daria, my cosplay for the season.) To learn more about Free Comic Book Day, visit their website.

Now, back to Jem. Have you read the Jem and the Holograms comic yet?  What did you think of it? And a question for comic book readers, can one subscribe to a comic, like a magazine? Educate me. I would so prefer that to having to hope the comic shop gets it each month. Share your thoughts below.

This past weekend was very busy for my mom and me.  Friday, we attended the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). I was looking forward to it, being the first convention of a very convention heavy summer.  Overall, it was a fun day.  I put together my first ‘real’ cosplay, which was exciting. (Past years, I’ve usually just tossed on a Her Universe Everyday Cosplay look.)  I’m very proud of my costume, actually.  A few people recognized my slightly obscure character, Daria, which made me really, really happy.

Besides that fun, we actually found some pretty nice doll related items in the vendor hall.  Besides growing my C3PO collection a bit with a few affordable action figures, I picked up a fair amount of Jem and the Holograms items, too!  Now, these are all fan made items, no actual dolls, but still, finding one Jem thing is usually a big deal for me and at C2E2, I walked away with a few neat pieces.

If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll know I love when a doll related product can be used in real life.  That is what drew me to my first Jem and the Holograms purchase– a belt.  Yes.  It’s a new Jem and the Holograms belt with vintage promotional graphics on it.  Being a huge fan of the promotional/box art, I couldn’t not buy this Seatbelt Belt from Buckle-Down.  I just noticed Kimber and Shana aren’t on the belt.  Strange, right?  I love the graphic with Rio, Jerrica and Jem, though.  It’s always been my favorite.

The second item I picked up was the first issue of the new Jem and the Holograms comic with the subscription cover (cover art by Sara Richard). I had been searching for this at my local comic book shop since it made its debut, but hadn’t found it yet.  I’m glad I didn’t, because the cover artist was able to sign this for me at C2E2.

Last, and this is totally due to my mom, I picked up this amazing Jem and Cheetara print.  You might remember Cheetara from Thundercats.  This is a truly outrageous print, in my opinion.  I love the classic, yet updated look the artist, Catherine Saturn, gave Jem.

To see the full photo album, visit my flickr. It has pictures of the other items I bought and some of the guests I saw, including the dreamy Eoin Macken.  Embedded below are two blind box videos we shot after the show.  They include a cameo from my brother!

Now, onto the following Sunday, when mom and I went to the Chicago Doll and Toy Show.  Usually, I leave the Kane County Fairgrounds with bags of goodies.  This year was a little different.  Nothing really spoke to me, like it has in the past.  One whole walk around and nothing really said, “Buy me, Ashley!”. The ‘Doll Room’ seemed lighter than usual, vendor wise.  We didn’t see what we usually do, either.  There were a lot of porcelain and older composition dolls, but not a lot of baby boomer dolls, like Little Miss No Name, Sketchy or Giggles.  There also weren’t as many fashion dolls or Madame Alexander’s for sale.  It was a really strange showroom floor.

That being said, we still managed to buy some pretty awesome things and the best part? We got them for amazing prices.  One of the dolls I purchased was a reproduction Terri Lee doll, Bonnie Lou. She was part of the KMart exclusive line, according to the seller.  There were a few on the show floor, but the one I picked up was the cheapest to be seen at $15.00.

Another purchase, my first for the day, actually, was a 21″ R&B (Arrenbee) composition bride doll from the 40’s or early 50’s.  She wears a brown mohair wig, has dark brown eyes and tan skin.  This bride doll is my first R&B doll and my first composition doll. I’m currently on the hunt of finding the exact name of this doll and a more definitive year of production.

The third item I picked up was a 14″ Madame Alexander hard plastic Amy. This was the only lonely Madame Alexander doll in the dealers booth and when she saw us taking an interest in her, she came over to tell us the dolls story. It turns out one of the vendors dear friends had passed away and she was trying to get her friends doll collection into good hands.  The marked price on the doll was $85.00, but by the time I got to the booth, she had been lowered to $35.00.  There wasn’t a question about if she would go home with me at that price.  Her face needs some work, but her hair is practically perfect, due to the previous owner being a hair dresser.

My mom picked up a number of fun dolls, too, which include a mint in box Baby First Step and Rosebud.  Watch the video reveal to see everything we bought and some fun little banter, as well.  Also, visit flickr for a few more images of these beautiful dolls!

Did you see anything fun at a doll show recently?  Have you added something new to your collection?  Do you know the name of my new R&B or have you seen an Amy in the outfit mine is in (because I haven’t yet)?  Share your thoughts below!

Filed under: Introductions & Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged: convention, conventions, impulse, madame alexander, mattel

Late April, my My Little Pony Express subscription box arrived. (To see past box openings, visit here.)   What was in my April mystery box?  Here’s the reveal!

Italian Seashell

I received an Italian Seashell with a collector pose head that has no freckles or blaze.  This pony is in the sitting position, which is my favorite pose.  I think this is a very pretty pony!

Italian Seashell

I just so happen to own the US version of this pony.  Here’s a few shots of them together.  You’ll notice a few differences. As I mentioned before, the Italian pony has a collector pose head, as opposed to the head Bubbles uses, which curls in more. Italian Seashell looks straight ahead with no tilt of the head. Besides the Italian Seashell not having freckles or a blaze, it seems her cutie mark coloring and hair are a darker shade of green when compared to her US counterpart, as well.

US (left) Italian (right)

And then, there are the blue eyes, which seem to be a staple when it comes to Italian My Little Ponies.  Similar to my other Italian ponies, the blue eyes seem to have been painted on quickly and aren’t perfect.

US (left) Italian (right)

Besides Seashell, I also received a number of other fun accessories!  Like last month, I got a Dolly Mix pony, comb, seapony pin, Firefly sticker, seapony coloring sheet and, finally, a bandana from Oat Couture (seen on my US Seashell).

The entire box

Did you receive a My Little Pony Express box in April?  Who did you receive? Let me know in the comment area!  And of course, don’t forget to check out My Little Pony Express on Facebook!

Once upon a time, Hollywood decided to adapt a book from my favorite series into a big budget movie.  All signs pointed to said movie being a complete and utter disaster. From casting announcements, to rumored story changes, it would have been easy to write the movie off before seeing it. But, throughout the production of the film and up to the release, I kept a ‘cup half full’ mentality on the whole thing. I didn’t want to color the film with negativity before seeing it– that would be unfair to the actors and crew people behind the film.  In the end, the film did suck, but I’m happy I went into it with an open mind.

Why am I writing about this? Well, USA Today recently released photos from the new Jem and the Holograms movie!  I’ve seen a lot of ‘cup half empty’ responses to this film.  But, I implore you, don’t judge this until you see it.  A lot of people put their heart and soul into making this movie, so, for their sakes, keep an open mind.

Let’s be honest, even though we love the source material as is, it needed an update to relate to the children of today.  I’ve tried to sit my cousins down in front of Jem before and, let’s just say, they were not impressed. For this re-boot to work, changes needed to happen.  For me, as long as they keep the messages and themes alive in this new Jem movie, I’m fine with a little re-writing.

Universal Pictures, Jem and the Holograms, borrowed from USA Today article

Not only are their photos, but the USA Today article also tells us some juicy tidbits about the film.  Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film stars Aubrey Peeples (Jem/Jerrica), Stefanie Scott (Kimber), Hayley Kiyoko (Aja), and Aurora Perrineau (Shana). Until now, no one was really sure who Juliette Lewis was playing. Turns out, she’ll be playing Erica Raymond (a female Eric Raymond). Molly Ringwald (Breakfast Club, anyone?) will be playing the four girls guardian. Ryan Guzman (Pretty Little Liars) plays Rio.  No word yet, that I’ve seen, on Synergy.  It would be a shame if she wasn’t part of the movie concept, but then again, cup half full.

The story seems to be taking the same route, or a similar route, to the comic book, giving Jerrica a case of stage fright when it comes to performing, even though she’s amazingly talented.  I like this concept, because right off the bat you know this movie will be promoting self-confidence in this crazy, social media crazed world.  For more information and photos, check out the USA Today article.  Universal’s Jem and the Holograms is set to hit US theaters October 23rd, 2015.

(And in case anyone is wondering, the movie I referenced in the first paragraph is The Seeker, adapted from The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.  So many things went wrong, including the script writer essentially saying there was nothing he could salvage from the original story that would work for today’s youth. Don’t take an adaptation job if you don’t see anything in the source material that’s calling out to you, dude.  Just saying.)

Edit: Here’s the trailer!

Earlier this year, I posted pictures from the JC Toys booth at Toy Fair.  While I’m not a baby doll collector, I left the booth impressed with these realistic vinyl baby dolls.  There are a number of different baby dolls produced by JC Toys.  Made in Spain, these baby dolls come in both genders and diverse skin tones. Many of their vinyl dolls are anatomically correct and all are highly detailed.

For review today is the Berenguer Boutique La Newborn Layette Gift Set from JC Toys (Amazon link).  Unlike many of their dolls, which are 100% vinyl, this La Newborn is made with a soft body and vinyl limbs. She’s 15.5″ tall.

This baby girl is adorable. Her inset, steely grey eyes have specs of silver in them.  They look really, really nice and are my favorite thing about this doll.  Her glassy gaze is just enchanting.

Adding to that, she has the cutest  expression on her face.  Her half-open eyes, chubby cheeks and open mouth make her look like she’s actually looking up at you.  There’s a sense of wonderment in her expression that isn’t seen on lesser quality baby dolls. Her head is blushed to make it look like she has hints of hair.

One thing I gushed over at Toy Fair were the details on the arms and legs of the JC Toys baby dolls and this La Newborn is no exception. Her hands and feet are incredibly detailed, with unique hand molds that include baby wrinkles, fingers that are sculpted in multiple positions and finger nails.

Her legs are just as detailed, with little wrinkles around the thighs, the cutest knees and darling little feet.  I love the little wrinkles around her ankle and her cute little toes.

Also worth noting is the body blushing, which is really well done.

This baby girl comes dressed in a striped onesie, pink socks and a pink hat. Her outfit is fastened with velcro, so you can easily remove it and redress her.  While her torso is stuffed, her arms and legs move up and down well.  They even hold poses.  Her head doesn’t turn as willingly as her arms and legs.

Also included in this set is a baby blanket that you can tie around your baby doll, a birth certificate, pacifier, bottle and pacifier holder.  Both the pacifier and bottle fit in this girls open mouth well.  The hands are even molded in a way that makes it look like she’s realistically holding them.

Needless to say, this baby doll stole my heart almost immediately. She’s not the most affordable baby doll around, but if you’re looking to gift a quality baby doll to someone, you want to check out JC Toys.

For more information on JC Toys, visit their website, facebook or twitter. Also online is their 2015 Catalog.  You’ll find lots of fun baby dolls of all shapes, sizes and colors.  All the pictures above can be found on Flickr.

Contest: That’s not all, though!  JC Toys has agreed to give one lucky US reader a La Newborn of their very own! To win a doll just like the one I reviewed, fill out the google form below!  Earn extra entries for liking JC Toys on Facebook, and/or following them on Twitter. The contest ends June 6th and is US only.  (Sorry, international readers!) What do you think of this adorable Berenguer Boutique Baby doll? Share your thoughts below!

This product was received for a fair and honest review.  All opinions stated are my own.

At Toy Fair, I got to experience a craft product called Paper Punk.  What is it?  Well, it’s a product that allows you to make fun paper sculptures with no wet glue or hassle!  There are a number of Paper Punk products to choose from including animals, robots, snakes, unicorns, cars, as well as licensed characters like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Urban Fold and Kitty001

Urban Fold

For review, I received two sets: Kitty001 and Urban Fold. We’ll start with the Urban Fold set, which allows you to build your own paper block city.  What drew me to this set was the open ended play element it had.  This set includes 48 punchable, foldable shapes, 697 stickers, 1 poster and planning mat and 1 storage box.  Half the fun of this set is putting the pieces together.  Inside the box you’ll have a few pages of perforated cardboard shapes.  Punch them out and follow the numbers– put tab 1 into slot 1, tap 2 into slot 2, etc.  It takes a while to put all 48 shapes together and little kids might not make it through the whole process. This is definitely something you’ll want to do as a family.

Storage box

Inside Storage Box

Perforated shapes

After you’ve built your building blocks, it’s time to go to work building your own cardboard city.  Use the blocks to build towers, homes, bridges– whatever you’d like.  Add extra elements, like bikers or buses, by attaching stickers to the blocks.  There is no right or wrong way to play with the Urban Fold kit.

What I like about this particular set is that these easy to fold shapes work well as background elements in photography.  These are sized just right for 1/6th scale dolls like Makies. They are also light enough for jointed dolls to hold without giving their limbs trouble.  For those looking to use this more traditionally, the blocks, while not weighted, do stack relatively well.

Shapes

Shapes

Shapes

The pieces included in this set vary in size and shape.  They are all brightly colored and stay together well. No tape required.

stickers

The stickers packaged with this set are super cute and offer you a wide range of options- from cars to bikers to dinosaurs; A lot can be said using the stickers provided.

Instructions/Playscape

Color Key

The biggest disappointment in this set has to be the black and white instructions.  Doubling as a playscape for your blocks, the instruction side of this oversized document is in black and white.  It features already made patterns for you to create with your blocks that resemble landmarks you may be familiar with around the world (ie: the Duomo in Florence).  Great.  Love the idea.

However, the color key that you use to find the blocks you need is in black and white.  I don’t know many 6 year olds who would be able to ‘see’ blue (sky) on a key that shows it in light grey, if you know what I mean. It would have been easier if they had printed this element in color.  Overall, though, this set is great for those kids who enjoy open ended play.

Ktity001

The second product for review was the Kitty001.  The Kitty is more of a display piece.  I think it’s really cute! Built from 16 foldable paper shapes, this cat is super colorful.  This set also comes with over 100 stickers and 40 adhesive dots.  Plus, you can reuse the folder the pieces are packaged in for whatever you’d like.

Folding the shapes for the Kitty can get tricky- some are very small. Once they’re folded together, follow the instructions provided (again, black and white) and use the glue circles to start making your Kitty.  This set comes with a lot of glue dots, so don’t worry about using multiple circles on your pieces.

Kitty001

Kitty001

The age range on these two sets is 6 and up and the younger set may need some help in folding and placing the pieces. However, I think these kits would work great as rainy day/vacation projects.

Shapes

Shapes

Shapes

Here’s the video review:

You can find Paper Punk online, on facebook and on twitter. Do you have a favorite Paper Punk product?  What do you think of this new paper craft toy?  Share your thoughts below.

This product was received for a fair and honest review.  All opinions stated are my own.