Super Impulse has a line I think some of you will love!  It’s called World’s Smallest. Here’s the gist. World’s Smallest is a line of working miniature replicas of some of your favorite toys. I think these would make pretty cool props for photo shoots and set dressing!

Toys featured are popular brands like Etch-A-Sketch, Rubiks Cube, Perplexus, Duncan Yo-Yo’s and Little Green Army Men. The Polaroid is one of my favorites.

New for 2016 are popular Mattel toys Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone, Fisher-Price Rock-A-Stack, Magic 8 Ball and Fisher-Price Little People School Bus. These are due out Spring 2016.

They also had a miniature GI Joe on display at New York Toy Fair, though it isn’t mentioned in the press release I received, so that may be an early prototype.

You can find World’s Smallest at most major retailers, including Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Hasting, Learning Express, Paper Source, Five Below and Ron Jon Surf Shop.

Another fun product they had on display was called Icon Glam. It plays on the 2D purse trend. (I own a 2D/cartoon purse and it’s very cool.) These sets will allow you to customize your own 2D cartoon purse. Again, what you see here is a prototype, so they’ll be making tweaks and perfecting it before it hits store shelves.

What miniatures do you think should be created in the World’s Smallest line? Do you think they’ll make good props for photos? Share your thoughts below!

Earlier this year, I purchased a 1930’s Dionne Quintuplet on eBay. (My second of the year– see the first here.) Made from 1935-1939, the Dionne Quintuplet dolls were big business for Madame Alexander and other doll brands of the time. For me, I’ve always loved their adorable hand painted faces. This particular auction listing tugged at my heartstrings. The seller said that this beloved Dionne Quintuplet was a prized possession of her elderly friend. Because she had no one to pass this Quint on to, she had decided to sell it to help with medical bills and the like.  The Quint had clearly been loved by this lady and I’m a sucker for a good story, especially when they throw in that they have no one to pass such a treasured item on to within the family.

I didn’t ask many questions about the quality of this quint, because the price was low enough that I could get her restored. On arrival, I noticed that she was definitely in need of a few more repairs than I thought. She was completely unstrung and needed some of her composition repaired around her hip and on her foot. She needed to have some work done around her eyes, too, because some of her paint had rubbed off. (That, of course, I knew from photos.) Here’s a shot of her taken after she arrived to my house. Notice she’s missing eye brows and eye lashes.

So, in search of a doll doctor I went. Dr. Noreen had been on my radar because of the work she’d done in the past restoring dolls under the Tonner umbrella. She recently left Tonner’s doll hospital and is now working out of her own storefront. (See her in action during her Tonner days in the video below!)

Dr. Noreen was amazing. She restored my Quint in record time and kept me in the loop on the restoration through e-mail and facebook updates. Not only that, her price for the work was much better than I anticipated. At no time during the process did I ever feel worried about my doll, which says a lot! More on where you can find Dr. Noreen below. But first, are you ready to see the newly restored Dionne Quintuplet?  Here she is!

She was restored beautifully! Look at this darling little face. Both Dionne’s in this post are composition. Prior to collecting hard plastic dolls, I had assumed composition dolls were super fragile. After handling a few, though, I’m amazed at how solid they are! Think about it– these two dolls have survived 80 years with only minimal damage. Think of everything that’s happened between now and 1930. This doll has literally seen it all. That’s one of the reasons I love this kind of doll. They carry so much history with them. (If only they could tell us all about it!)

Here she is with her sister, a Dionne with real hair. (And when I say real, I mean it. This doll is usually listed as having a human hair wig!) While the doll with painted hair is meant to sit, the real hair version has legs that welcome standing. Adding these two dolls to my collection means I have successfully acquired another item on my grail list!

Because I was so impressed with her passion and professionalism, I asked Dr. Noreen if she’d do a spotlight here on the blog and she agreed. Below is a quick Q and A I did with her over email. If you’re looking for a doll restoration artist in the US with talent and experience, visit her website! She did an amazing job on my Quint and is highly recommended!

Question: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you become interested in doll restoration.
Answer: I owned my own doll shop and doll hospital years ago and found that all my enjoyment came from the repair and restoration side of the business. Since I was very young, I always loved to rescue dolls (dogs and cats, too)!

Dr. Norren’s Photo– My Doll’s Before Shot. Notice her leg damage.

Question: How long have you been restoring dolls?
Answer: I have been restoring dolls for about 30 years.

Question: What kinds of dolls do you restore?
Answer: Antique bisque to vintage and modern. I do not work on Barbies or the smaller fashion dolls at all. Sadly, I also do not sew–so cloth dolls are not something I am comfortable with restoring. My favorite are probably the 50’s hard plastics.

Dr. Noreen’s Photo– Operation fix Dionne’s foot and hip is on!

Question: What is your favorite part of the process?
Answer: The before and after shots–I love! But the part I find rewarding is the look on the customers face when they see their beloved doll back the way they remember it!

Question: If someone sends a doll to your hospital, what should they expect?
Answer: When a doll arrives, I spend about 20 minutes checking her completely and take many photos of exactly how she arrived. Then, I usually start within a week or two, depending on how many [dolls] are waiting for the dolly O.R. Generally, they are finished within a few weeks. I show the dolls restoration process by photographing and posting [on facebook].

Dr. Noreen’s Photo– You can hardly tell there was a comp issue!

Question: Do you collect dolls? If so, what kinds?
Answer: Yes! I do have a bit of an eclectic collection ranging from late 1800 China Heads to modern ball jointed dolls. Of course, after working for 14 years as the doll doc for Tonner Doll, I have quite a few of those, too.

Dr. Noreen’s Photo– Her ‘after’ photo!

Question: Where can they find out more information about your services?
Answer: On Facebook and my website, Dr. Noreen’s Doll Hospital.

I encourage you to check out Dr. Noreen’s site and facebook page for more information on her services. She did an excellent job on this 1930’s Quint and has become my go-to doll doctor for whatever dolls come my way in the future that are in need of a little TLC.

Have you picked up a grail item recently? Do you own a Dionne Quintuplet? Have you ever worked with Dr. Noreen? Share your thoughts in the comment area!

A Girl for All Time has just launched a Kickstarter for two new 16″ dolls– Maya and her friend, Nisha. Maya and Nisha fall under their new series, ‘Your Modern Girl’. This new range of dolls will add diversity to their collection, which currently features historical girls from the same family line. (Read my reviews of Lydia and Amelia, two of the historical girls.)

Credit: A Girl for All Time

If you’re collecting the whole Marchmont family tree, you’ll want to get your hands on Maya. She’s part of the Marchmont family line and has had the family legacy passed on to her. She looks a lot like Matilda, which is a nice call back to A Girl for All Time’s origins. Nisha, the second doll in the Your Modern Girl series, is Maya’s best friend. She has a nice tan skin and a cute outfit. I personally love the shoes!

Credit: A Girl for All Time

The Kickstarter campaign has just started, so head over to the site to check out the various pledge rewards. A Girl for All Time needs just over $28,000 US dollars to cover the production of this new doll line. So far, they’ve raised over $4,000, which seems like a great start!

Will you be helping A Girl for All Time with their campaign? Share your thoughts in the comment area!

The Purse Pal Doll Case has been on my watch list for a long time. It’s quite a unique piece when it comes to Skipper cases. Made by Standard Plastic Products (SPP) in 1965, this purse shaped case is special for a few different reasons. First, it’s not labeled Skipper, Barbie or even Mattel. Also, unlike other cases that feature large graphics of Skipper in action poses, this case features a scaled down Skipper wearing her token look Red Sensation. Skipper stands in a doll-like pose on a shelf alongside other toys, like a guitar, horse and books. (It’s worth noting that SPP worked on various licensed cases for Mattel, so they would have been familiar with her look and had similar graphics to play with already.)

Below the shelf is a girl, sitting by what looks like a miniature Susy Goose furniture set. Stars fall down from the top of the purse, past Skipper, towards the girl and play set next to her. This element draws your eye to the Skipper doll, which makes me think SPP thought it would be a clever way to market this case to girls.

The purse has two spots to place your doll and her accessories.This example is very, very clean! There’s no rust or rips, which is rare nowadays.

Watch the video below!

While this purse pal case has a small strap suitable for hanging at the crease of your elbow, there is a pink version floating around that has a longer strap. Overall, this is a pretty awesome case and I’m happy to have added it to my collection! Do you own this case? What do you think of the design? Share your thoughts in the comment area!

A few weeks ago, Tonner announced that the license to produce Sindy was ending and discounted all the remaining stock to crazy awesome prices. Tonner’s time with Sindy was, well, not perfect. They missed the anniversary and never marketed this iconic British series properly to the US audience.  Another thing they never got right was the pricing. Sindy was priced way too high. As much as I hate to say it, I would have felt so ripped off had I paid full price for the Sindy you’ll be seeing in this review. Tonner would have done themselves a huge service had they aimed this series towards the younger set and not solely collectors. If Tonner Toys, for example, had produced it and gotten a select number into big chain stores, I think this could have been a real hit. However, deciding to make her a collectible with a high price tag just didn’t work.

But, to the review! The Tonner sale saw Sindy’s usually priced between seventy to one-hundred or more dollars marked down to as little as thirty-five US dollars! Clearly, the time to buy! When I logged in, Tonner had pretty much most of their stock available. Very quickly, though, they started selling out.  I was lucky enough to snatch up two, one for me and one for my mother for Mother’s Day. The latter is being kept a secret for now, but I would like to introduce you to my new Sindy (which is also my first Sindy) Sindy’s TV Dream.

Unknown to me at the time of ordering, Sindy’s TV Dream was limited to 225 pieces and exclusive to the Guilty Pleasures Tonner Collectors Convention in 2015. This doll comes dressed in a mod style outfit with a pink and green checkered jacket with a peter pan collar, a pink top and mini skirt in the same pink and green checkers. There are small details like white buttons on the jacket, a thick pink belt on the skirt and matching pink heels. She also comes wearing pantyhose and undies. One element I particularly like is the long silver chain necklace. It totally completes the look.

Sindy has a cute little face!  Her blue eyes are large and round. Sindy’s round face has two chubby cheeks. Her lips are a nice mauve color and there’s light blush on her cheeks. Sindy has ‘real’ eyelashes and a handful of painted ones. Her real lashes are a bit disappointing. They’re not done very well, to be honest. They’re hard and thick, not effortless, like you’d expect from a brand known for high quality products like Tonner. Between these and painted lashes, I’d have much preferred painted lashes.

Sindy has the most adorable brown wigged hair! I love her short bob with bangs. It goes perfectly with her groovy outfit. She wears a pink ribbon in her hair. It’s just a normal pink ribbon, nothing special, but it looks nice. At 11″ tall, she’s a great size. Her vinyl is surprisingly thick and of a nice quality. There’s no hollow limbs on this girl! It’s very apparent when you feel her head. Her head is made of very thick, hard vinyl.

As far as articulation goes, Sindy is lacking in that area. Now, I can’t fault Tonner for this, because if they were making a true reproduction, then many they purposely decided against giving this girl articulation. But, in this current doll market, she would have been much more popular, I think, if she had some more articulation. Sindy’s shoulder and leg joints only allow her limbs to move up and down, not out. If you put her in a sitting position, she will sit in a straddle. She has no elbow or knee joints. On the upside, she does have a twist and turn waist and a head that moves in all directions. While I love the TNT waist, she’s hard to pose in natural and different poses due to her lack of elbow and knee joints.

I thought it would be cute to take a few photos of Sindy with my Big Chief 11th Doctor, seeing they both hail from across the pond (in relation to Illinois, at least). The prop TARDIS you’ll see in the background is actually from a convention I attended earlier. A company was selling mystery boxes shaped like the TARDIS. It turns out the box was the coolest thing about the mystery box, because it was perfectly scaled for MSD sized dolls or those of a similar size. (It’s a little big for these two, but it works!) Due to Sindy’s lack of articulation, poses were limited between the two very different dolls, but you know what? I think these turned out so cute!!! (And no, I don’t know why I always make my Doctor pose romantically with his assistants. It just happens.)

Overall, I like this Sindy, I really do. But I can see why she may not have gone over so well with consumers. Her lack of articulation isn’t really on trend for today’s collectors. Sindy’s high prices didn’t help, either. I think, if you find a Tonner Sindy for $50.00 or below, you’re good. She’s a solidly made doll and was produced in some super cute looks. At the time of this writing, there are still two outfits (no doll included) for sale at $20.00 a pop, originally priced at $70.00 (yikes!). You can easily find Sindy’s TV Dream and others in the line on eBay and most likely at your favorite doll shops.

Do you own a Tonner Sindy? How do you think she compares to the original Sindy line? Do you think her original price tag is justified? Share your thoughts below!

Have you heard of Tiny Frock shop? It’s probably one of the coolest online doll stores on the web! This Spotlight post is a Q and A with Pamela Thompson, the force behind the cool doll clothing and accessory shop! Read below to learn a little more about who they are, what they offer and the passion behind this online business!

Question: Tell us a bit about your background and how it had a hand in opening up Tiny Frock shop.
Answer: Before starting Tiny Frock shop, I was a fashion designer in NYC for 20+ years, working as head designer for Betsey Johnson, Heatherette and designer at Anna Sui. After I had my daughter, I decided to leave NY and thus left my full-time fashion career with it. I have always had my career as a creative outlet and found I needed to reinvent myself in order to have a new outlet for my creativity.

I have been a huge fan of Barbie since I was a kid and when my Mom brought me my old 1970’s Barbie case and clothes she saved from my childhood, I fell in love all over again. I realized that no one had created a Vogue worthy online department store for Barbie’s world and with so many amazing designs made for her from Mattel, clone companies and handmade, the options to style her and offer a new way of looking at Barbie is infinite. I decided to take my real world fashion experience and create an online shop for Barbie that encompasses not just all product areas related to her world, but also make the shop a microcosm showing how the real fashion world works. I use behind the scenes photos, interviews with the doll models and commentary from the doll staff to show a tongue in cheek version of the real fashion world.

Question:  Tiny Frock shop is a unique sort of online store in that it’s a resale shop that also sells its own unique clothing pieces and accessories. Can you tell us a little about your concept and how it differs from other online clothing shops?
Answer: Most of the standalone online Barbie shops out there are small and focused in one area such as OOAK clothing or furniture. Since I incorporate resale, I am able to offer a wider range of products and product categories, that makes Tiny Frock shop a one stop shop for all things Barbie and Ken! Offering resale allows me to “rehab” some of the amazing clothes that come my way and give them new life, as well as offering a less expensive range of clothing. The artisan collection I produce called TINY FROCK, is more expensive, very fashion forward, one of a kind and uses high-end fabrics and trims, therefore making it a bit more costly. Having tiered pricing in the shop allows collectors and Mom’s/kids the ability to shop all in one place.

I am a big advocate of recycling and love that I am able to revive old clothing, accessories and dolls and give them a new chance at being loved.

Question: What kind of dolls does Tiny Frock Shop sell clothing for? (Size? Type?) What era’s of clothing can be found in Tiny Frock Shop?
Answer: Generally, our clothes fit on all Barbie types from vintage to new, as well as Integrity dolls and any other 12” doll. There are notes put in each item description if it runs small or large. I have also just opened a department for the new “curvy” and “petite” Barbie’s just released by Mattel and plan to also offer a “tall” section soon. Since there is not a lot of clothing out there for the new Barbie types, I wanted to help add a little variety to those new dolls offerings by making it easy for people to find clothes to fit the new body shapes.

The clothing the shop features goes all the way back to the first 1959 doll to current. I also have a lot of handmade and vintage clone clothing from Hong Kong.

Question: Tell us a bit about TINY FROCK, a line you created for Tiny Frock shop.
Answer: The line is called TINY FROCK and Monotone was the inspiration for the first collection in conjunction with the January Monotone issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly, where the line is featured. I was playing on the starkness of black and white contrasts and the mixture of different print, texture and finishes. The line is made of European fabrics and each has its own TINY FROCK woven label and hangtag.

Our newest collections called Retro Candy, will launch with a spread in the Spring issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly and feature a surprise collaboration!

Question: I love that your shop is so much more than just pre-made outfits. Can you tell us a bit about your team and the unique pieces they make for the shop? I’m a huge fan of Tiffany’s wall art. I noticed you also have some miniature wall art from Sharon Wright on your site, as well.
Answer: I LOVE collaboration and am always looking for new designers to work with and feature. It is something I learned is necessary for creativity to really blossom and it is extremely invigorating. I was inspired by the Target Go International shopping model started in 2005, where they take amazing designers like Anna Sui, Jean Paul Gaultier, McQ, Alexander McQueen, etc and have them design a diffusion line. I wanted to create a platform for known and unknown doll artists in all categories (furniture, clothing, art) to have their work seen and also able to be purchased within the Tiny Frock shop store.

I call our version of this the Tiny Frock Shop Designer Collective. It has included amazing designers like Andy Sorensen for Haute Poppet, Cat Hammond and currently is featuring Littlest Sweet Shop, Haute Doll Editor in Chief Sharon Marie Wright’s photography and Chicago artist Tiffany Gholar. This Spring I will be featuring Maryann Roy’s Acryluxe furniture, Mari Krasney’s art on canvas and more are in the works.

Question: Props are necessary for any dolly photo shoot, what kind of props do you sell in Tiny Frock shop? I noticed some awesome Re-Ment that I may need to sweep up! And the musical instruments are pretty neat, too!
Answer: I have been getting deeply into props or what I like to call “home décor”. Many of the items I sell are vintage so there can sometimes only be one of each. I try to curate the products for you and offer lots of options in the shop so you can pick and choose what you want to decorate your space. In most cases what you buy will be something only you have and make your space that much more unique!

I have just jumped headfirst into the Re-Ment game and am super excited about it. I am in love with the tiny details of Re-Ment, but I get frustrated by buying blind boxes. There is some fun in it, but when I really have my eye on one particular set and don’t get it, I get so weepy. So in the shop I am buying full Re-Ment sets and have launched an unboxing channel on YouTube where Lily, my 7 yr old CEO daughter and I, along with my 70-year-old Mom unbox each blind box and show how they look and work together. We like to call it “multigenerational unboxing”😉. That way you can see exactly what you are getting in detail and then you can go on our site and buy what you see! The Thompson girls are all kids at heart no matter our age.

I get in a lot of other really cool items daily and try to do unboxing videos of all that are worthy. It’s like Christmas every day at the Tiny Frock shop!

Question: Do you sell dolls, as well? Are those found through second-hand means or are you a direct dealer for doll lines like Kurhn?
Answer: I do sell dolls in a variety of categories and price points. I have a section for what I call “pre-loved” Barbie’s, which are used Barbie’s that get a spa treatment (hair wash, style and new clothing) and then are put up for sale in order to give them an opportunity for a new life. I also sell new in box Barbie’s (vintage and new), as well as Integrity Dolls. I am a direct dealer for Kurhn (the Barbie of China) and also sell Licca Chan from Japan.

Question: Do you collect dolls? If so, what kinds?
Answer: Yes. ALL kinds! Since my staff is made up mainly of dolls/action figures, I have many in my collection, all with different jobs. They have their own bio in my “the team” section of the site where you can read about their jobs. Probably the most famous employee is Ms. Bunny, our resident stylist, who is a mid century Japanese poseable bunny doll. I also have a love for 60’s big eye dolls and any type of kitty figurine!

As for Barbie’s I collect, generally most of them become models with the exception of a few elite girls that have not and will not probably make it out of their boxes. The most prized?? My Karl Lagerfeld Barbie which I feel so fortunate to have gotten.

Question: What has been the most fun aspect of running Tiny Frock shop so far?
Answer: The best thing about running the Tiny Frock shop is being able to marry all aspects of running a real fashion world brand in 1:6 scale. I am able to take all of my experience, apply it to this tiny world and share it with everyone. It also grants me the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of the business like photography, e-commerce, design, buying and more. When I was in the regular fashion industry, I worked at small companies and wore many hats. This business allows me to wear even more.

I also love being able to include my daughter, Lily and Mom, Jean in the process. Lily and my Mom both help styling the home décor sets and with unboxing.

Question: If someone has extra dolly clothing lying around, do you accept donations? If so, what are the requirements?
Answer: Absolutely! I pride myself on taking clothing of almost all condition levels and doing my best to bring them back to life. There is no requirement. We accept all eras and conditions of clothing as donations. There is a link in the homepage footer with information on donating.

Question: Where can people find your site?
Answer: You can find us:
Website: http://www.tinyfrockshop.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tinyfrockshop
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tinyfrockshop
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tinyfrockshop
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/tinyfrockshop
YouTube Channel: http://tinyurl.com/tinyfrockshop
Tumblr: http://tinyfrockshop.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tinyfrockshop
TINY FROCK: http://tinyfrock.tumblr.com/

I’d like to thank Pamela for answering my questions! It was great learning a little more about Tiny Frock shop. Clearly, this is a dolly shop that you need to visit. I love that the whole family is included in the Tiny Frock shop. It reminds me of how Barbee0913 and I celebrate doll collecting together. I’m very temped to pick up some of the Re-Ment set and love the idea of being able to style my dolls without going broke! Next time I’m outfitting a Make It Own Pullip, this will be my first stop.

Have you ordered from Tiny Frock shop? What do you think of this neat online store? What’s on your Tiny Frock shop wish list? Share your thoughts in the comment area! (And if you know of a store, person or site I should spotlight next, let me know that, too!)

Just a quick heads up! World Doll Day is June 11th, 2016! That’s two months from now, which gives you more than enough time to plan your World Doll Day. Whether it’s a small party with friends or something more involved, World Doll Day is what we make it. (So make it great!)

World Doll Day Logo

Last year, I wrote up a post with a few ideas of how you could spend your World Doll Day. Instead of repeating myself, I thought I’d link to that post again. Maybe it will help you in planning your World Doll Day! I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I want to do this year. Last year, this blog was lucky enough to celebrate with Lottie and offer an amazing giveaway. I don’t have anything planned like that just yet, but keep your fingers crossed and maybe a giveaway for World Doll Day will happen once again in 2016.

Do any bloggers out there want to work together and try to do something across all our site? If so, contact me! I’m not sure what we can do, but let’s brainstorm! We have enough time that our options are quite open. Non-bloggers, what plans are you working on to celebrate World Doll Day? Let me know in the comment area!

2015 marked the 35th anniversary of Strawberry Shortcake. To celebrate, The Bridge Direct released two throwback dolls I know some of you will love! These were sent to me for review from The Bridge Direct. The Bridge Direct took care not to ignore the significant anniversary and even celebrated it during Toy Fair 2015.

The first doll we’ll discuss today is the 6″ Strawberry Shortcake Classic Doll. It looks identical to Kenner’s original Strawberry Shortcake doll, right down to the window on the packaging and signature strawberry scent! Strawberry Shortcake was a big deal in the early 80’s. Not being born until the end of 1983, I didn’t have many Strawberry Shortcake dolls. (See some early commercials here!)My favorites were the larger baby dolls that blew kisses in the characters token scent. But, these 6″ ones are what most people think about when one mentions Strawberry Shortcake dolls and for good reason– they’re adorable! (The Butter Cookie Baby is not part of the new reproductions, but one of the originals from my mom’s collection.)

This reproduction doll was crafted to be as close to the original release as possible. Like the original releases, she has straight hands (not curved like the later releases), a freckled face and comes dressed in her classic strawberry themed outfit.

The only thing that’s missing is the comb that came with the original release. As reproduction products go, this is a great one. The Bridge Direct made a wise choice in trying to keep this as true to the original as possible!

The second doll released to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Strawberry Shortcake is equally as cute. It’s a large Strawberry Shortcake Rag Doll! She’s 15″, stuffed and looks as close as she possibly could to the rag doll released in 1980! It’s huggable, bright and smells of strawberries!

The Bridge Direct did a great job on both of these dolls. If you’re a fan of Strawberry Shortcake, you’ll want to take a look at these. The strawberry smell alone will bring you back to 1980 (in a good way). You can find these 35th Anniversary edition reproduction Strawberry Shortcake dolls online and possibly at your local toy store.

What do you think of these two adorable products? If they did more throwback dolls, would you buy them? Who was your favorite character in the original Strawberry Shortcake line? Share your thoughts below!

If you’re a Makies fan, you’ve probably been keeping up with the company news, or rather, lack there off. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m as positive and optimistic as the rest of you about Makies eventually making a comeback, but at the moment, I can’t help but feel sad that the company isn’t back up and running yet. I’m a member of a Facebook group that is dedicated to Makies and because of that, I’m privy to a few facts that I, personally, don’t feel it’s my place to pass along here on the blog. However, there is one thing that I just can’t keep quiet about.

Shortly after the Makies UK office went dark, an eBay seller started posting Makies products online. It seemed that he assisted/was hired to do the final cleaning of the office and found himself with a large amount of left behind product. The business woman in me is shocked that Makies, as a company, didn’t just pack this away in a pod somewhere for future use, especially after seeing this sellers most recent offerings. (At the very least, placing these in storage themselves would have helped them make a profit in their downtime through liquidating their stock.) But, for whatever reasons, this didn’t happen, which has made for an interesting couple of weeks for Makies fans. This particular eBay seller has sold a number of small 3D printed accessories, clothing items and dolls, believe it or not! (I believe he even had IM bodies and wigs, at one point.) Many of the dolls that have been sold, apparently, are from the early days of Makies, but even so, they’ve been tempting buys for this small, but dedicated fan base! (The seller has full legal right to sell the merchandise, so please keep your cool and don’t direct your anger at the whole situation towards him, okay?)

With the Chicago Toy Show at the end of the month, I’ve done a pretty good job of not jumping  through hoops to win any of the dolls or small accessories offered by this eBay seller. However, when these two items you’ll see below hit the site, I jumped.

Remember my Q and A post I did with Makies right before they closed up shop? I made a point to ask them about their involvement with the Walt Disney Company. Prior to the Q and A post, photos of two Makies wearing Disney attire were floating around the internet. At the time of the interview, they were really excited about the Disney partnership. Well, fast forward to January— we learn that Makies is moving to the US and would re-open “soon”, leaving many of the projects foreshadowed in the Q and A post and elsewhere in limbo. I, like many others, started to lose hope that the Disney outfits would see the light of day, but color me shocked when I logged into Facebook and read that some had been posted to eBay! And not just one, but at least twenty of both outfits previewed in the promotional photos!

My theory is that Makies had done a test run of these two outfits, for the sake of quality checking, and hadn’t gotten around to doing a big order for the launch. (I don’t have evidence that these are prototypes or test run outfits, but that is my guess!) But, who knows, maybe more will pop up later! It seems like this guy on eBay has stumbled upon a treasure trove of goodies. So, long story short, I ordered both of the Disney outfits. Here they are, being modeled by the last Makie I added to the family. (I had plans to order another after this past Christmas, but alas…) This particular Makie needs a face-up eventually, because she arrived from the Lab with practically no lip color or blush. She’s wearing a Luts wig and factory eyes.

This purple Maleficent outfit comes with a t-shirt with a velcro closure and colorful black/pink leggings. The leggings on this outfit. as well as the next one I’m going to show you, are a little tight on this girls textured 3DP legs, but fit well enough. (The promo photo showed these outfits on IM bodies.) I personally love that the shirt has velcro. So many of the early clothing pieces I was sent with orders didn’t, which put me off on ordering Makie clothing for my dolls. But these are easy to put on and take off.

The second outfit features Minnie Mouse! Again, it has a velcro closure. The leggings are polka-dotted and are true to Minnie’s aesthetic. The leggings are nice, but I think the tops will be used much more than the bottoms. Both shirts fit well on Makies awkward body and look great! I think we could have had some great Disney inspired Makies looks, had the company not shut their doors so suddenly. At the very least, these outfits show that Makies was working hard to make better clothing for their dolls, which was where I thought they struggled the most throughout the years.

What do you think of these two Disney inspired looks? If Makies were to open their doors tomorrow and have the ability to start creating Disney themed merchandise again, what would you like to see, whether it be 3d printed accessories, outfits, or otherwise? Share your thoughts in the comment area! (And keep your fingers and toes crossed that this garage sale, of sorts, isn’t the last we’ve seen of such a cool brand!)

I had an idea for World Doll Day, but it requires YOUR help! I was thinking of making a word art graphic that we could use on a t-shirt or other cool item for World Doll Day. There’s an example below that was created with my blog’s tags to show you what I mean.

Example

What I want to know from you is this: If you had to describe doll collecting and what it means to you in ONE or TWO words, what word(s) would you choose? I want to use those words and see if we can make a cool graphic from them! Mixed in with your words, I want to put names of popular doll lines, like Monster High, Ever After High, Tonner, that sort of thing. Full disclosure, this may not work. It’s really all up to you guys to help me gather enough words to make a neat graphic.

If you’d like to submit a word or two for this little experiment, you can leave it here in the comment area, tweet me a reply @KewpieDoll83 or respond to my facebook post on the subject. Thank you!

I don’t usually post about crowd funding campaigns, but since I am a huge fan of A Girl for All Time, I want them to succeed with their Kickstarter!

Credit: A Girl for All Time

A Girl for All Time’s Your Modern Girl project is nearly 60% funded, but time is running out to make Your Modern Girl’s Maya and Nisha a reality. If you haven’t made up your mind, you have three days left to help A Girl for All Time reach their goal of raising just over 28,000 US dollars.  To sweeten the deal, the company has added another great reward to the mix– Matilda at the record low price of (roughly) 60 US dollars (40 GBP).

Matilda, Your Tudor Girl

If you’ve been looking for a Matilda, it is worthwhile to give a little– if the Kickstarter succeeds, you’ll be getting her at an amazing price. (Keep in mind that if the company doesn’t reach their goal, you will not be charged and get her at this price. Not to mention, it will take longer for the Your Modern Girl series to see the light of day! I may have to bump my pledge up to include Matilda. She’s been on my wish list for a while.) The Kickstarter ends Saturday, Apr 16 2016, 3:20 AM CDT, so if you are planning on helping them reach their goal, now is the time!

Before I unveil what we found at the Chicago Toy Show this April, I wanted to let you know that I did a guest post on the Ruby Lane Doll Blog! Read it here!  I had a blast searching through the sale posts on Ruby Lane while trying to pick my favorite Madame Alexanders on their site. If only I could afford all the goodies I wrote about in the post! (Maybe one day?) If you like the article, find Ruby Lane Dolls on Facebook and ‘like’ their timeline update about my guest post! Comment on the blog post or the timeline update with what’s on your current grail list!

Now, onto the toy show!  Recently, my mom and I went to the Chicago Toy Show at the Kane County Fairgrounds. As far as shows go, this was a pretty good one. There weren’t a ton of ‘oh my goodness, I need to have this in my collection’ moments, but we ended up finding some neat things!

I splurged the most on a mint in bag Pose N’ Play Skipper. Pose N’ Play Skipper is one of my favorites. I love her cute face and hair style. This particular Skipper is usually found ‘in the wild’ with more poofy hair. It amazes me that her two pigtails and side swept bangs started out so close to her head!

Now, you know me, so it should come as no surprise that I opened the bag she was in as soon as I possibly could! I had to free her from her plastic prison. I’m happy to report that her limbs aren’t melted! I was worried about that, because Skippers with her body can easily have melted joints. Her face and hair are also perfect! The one thing that is slightly disappointing is that Skipper is missing her wrist tag. In retrospect, it looks like her bag had a hole in it that was then melted back together. The wrist tag must have fallen off then.

My second Skipper purchase turned out to be more exciting than originally anticipated! Vintage Skippers come in a variety of hair colors beyond Brunette, Titan and Blonde. I went to the show looking for a two-tone Skipper, but instead, came home with a unique looking blonde. Brunette’s dominate my vintage Skippers, so adding a second blonde to the mix has been something I wanted to do for a while. This particular doll stood out to me for some reason. She looked different to me. I thought it was just a different shade of hair that made her standout, but it turned out to be much more.

After going home, I realized she was a Sample/Test Market Skipper. Details are vague as to when and how they were distributed, but Test Market dolls are surprisingly different from traditional vintage Skippers. I’ll go into mine in more detail later, but here’s the quick rundown. One site suggested that Test Market dolls were given to Mattel employees and those in the industry at events like Toy Fair to test out the waters, so to speak, and see what the target market thought of Barbie’s soon to debut Skipper. These dolls have a wider stance and a different weight to them. Their faces have a slightly different look to them and their bodies are actually shorter than your traditional Skipper. Even their faces look a little different to those who collect vintage Skippers. The price was great for this doll, too, as the seller (like me) didn’t know she was a Test Market/Sample Skipper!

A total impulse buy was this adorable Love Me Linda. For those who don’t know, I have always taken a liking to dolls that have that ‘big eyed art print’ sort of look to them. Love Me Linda was in a booth and caught my eye. It was ‘must buy’ at first sight! Love Me Linda is a doll made by Vogue in 1965. I love her big brown eyes! Her red outfit is original and looks great with her long blonde hair!

There weren’t many Madame Alexanders at the show that made me want to lay down hundreds of dollars and I honestly thought I would be leaving without one. That is, until I saw this reasonably priced Little Women Beth with a Maggie face and a nearly perfect brown wig. Now, she needs a little fixing in the eye area, but for the most part, she’s in great shape. As far as Little Women go, I have two 1950’s Amy’s, but no one else. I’m excited to add Beth to my collection.

Last, but not least, one booth had a Totally Yo-Yo Skipper for a whopping $3.00 in box. I snapped that up. The actual gimmick, that Skipper can really yo-yo, works well and is kind of cool! My actual Skipper collection is lacking when it comes to Teen Skipper, so this is a welcome addition to my collection. I think I might try to actively add more Teen Skippers to my collection this year.

To see what Barbee00913 (my mom) picked up, as well as these lovely dolls listed above, watch the video linked below!

Have you found something really cool at a doll show recently? What do you think of these finds? Let me know in the comment area!

This past month, my mom and I decided to really use our 3D printer to the best of its abilities– to 3D print some ball jointed dolls! Found on the popular 3D printing site Thingiverse, these projects turned out to be winners!

The first project we decided to print was Froggy. Froggy was designed by an artist named Loubie. I am estimating it took me 26 or so hours to complete this print. I didn’t start keeping track of the hours each piece took until Robotica, who you’ll see next! Unlike the other two projects you’ll see, Froggy took some gluing before he was able to be strung.  My favorite parts of him are his huge frog feet and his fantastically sculpted/designed face. Froggy was printed in green Dremel brand PLA filament. He wasn’t the simplest thing to string, but eventually we got him together.

The second project we printed also took around 26 hours to complete and is pretty awesome! Meet Robotica. She’s the creation of doll artist Shira (aka Sonja Verdu). Shira made an amazing sculpt/design for Robotica, which includes a cool panel like skin, a well defined bust/torso and some pretty awesome leg pieces. Robotica has a headcap, which allows you to do whatever you want with the eye area. My Robotica is currently using dark blue beads as eyes. She was printed with InLand temperature sensitive PLA. In cold temps, she’ll turn dark blue and in warmer temps, she’ll turn white-ish! For some reason, as you will see in the pictures below, she photographs purple in low light.

Because I strung her legs poorly, she won’t stand, but if someone who was a master at stringing worked on her, I bet she’d be really great at standing. I’m not going to worry about it for now, though, because she looks fine sitting and her arms and head are strung tight enough for me to pose her upper body. Robotica’s hands move forward and backward. Her wrists were supposed to turn, but my printer fused these pieces together.

The last project we tried was also designed by Shira. This time, we printed her smaller Jointed Robot. My mom requested him. He took about 9 hours to print and was a terror to string (those darn arms), but we managed it eventually! I love how the robot turned out, myself. The print, especially his face, is adorable. I think I may try to print this guy larger one of these days. (The same goes for Robotica. There was a company that printed her human size and the results look pretty cool!) If you do decide to print this Jointed Robot, you may run into issues with his fingers. I printed the hand, which included three fingers, multiple times and each time I did, the fingers, made to move independently, would break (or fall off). In the end, we had to glue these fingers into place.

Now, you may be thinking, ‘I don’t have a 3D printer, so I can never make these.’ Wrong. Many libraries nowadays are buying 3d printers and things for their patrons to use, so there’s a good chance that if you’re determined and okay with making several trips to, for example, your library, you can actually print one of these for your own collection! (Many schools are buying 3D printers, too, so if you’re a student, you may have access to one!) On top of that, there are sites that will actually print STL files for you and then ship you the results. Shapeways offers this service, but I’m sure there are also many other sites around that might be able to do this for you.  It may be a little more costly then finding a local haunt with a rentable 3D printer, but it’s an option!

The number of projects on the internet for BJD’s like these are slim at the moment, but I hope more artists try their hand at making 3D printable dolls for us to enjoy! This whole thing makes me think about Makies, the 3D printed doll company that closed up shop early this year. (Find real printable Makies files on Thingiverse here!) Wouldn’t it have been interesting if they had evolved into something that was more ‘do it yourself’, rather than doing all the printing in house? If they had created files that were easy to print and modify for users to print on their own printers, saving them the cost of all that filament? (Sure they wouldn’t be as pretty or well constructed, but if printing these three dolls taught me anything, it’s that it’s so cool being able to say you printed your own BJD!) It’s an interesting thought.

So, I’ll leave you with this question. With 3D printers making their way from industrial plants into homes, how do you see them affecting the doll market? Do you plan on trying your hand at printing your own BJD or even designing your own? (I’m not talented enough to do that, so if you are, why not try!) Let me know in the comment area!

For the past two years, I’ve seen My Imagination, Tonner‘s vinyl 18″ doll line, on display at New York Toy Fair. It took a while, but I finally have one to review here for the blog. Sent for review from Tonner, today’s review is a My Imagination Starter Doll (Ginger/Redhead).

This My Imagination doll is 18″ tall and completely vinyl. There’s no plush torso on this girl! Because of this, she stands well once you position her properly. She’s the basic version of the doll, not the deluxe, so unfortunately, that means she has limited articulation. (The deluxe version with knee joints and a removable wig has yet to be released.) Her head has a nice range of motion.

She also has shoulders and hips that swivel out in all directions. The My Imagination Starter doll (who doesn’t seem to have a character name) does not have elbow and knee joints. Her body has some weight to it and her limbs are sculpted nicely. She has well sculpted hands and feet, too, which sometimes get forgotten on these larger dolls.

The redheaded My Imagination Starter doll wears a yellow sun dress with white polka dots. The finishing touch? Cute, simple, white sandals with velcro straps. While basic, the look is super cute. It allows the unique face sculpt to shine!

Speaking of the sculpt, I love the My Imagination face. With its round shape, chubby cheeks and large almond, inset eyes, the My Imagination look is striking. It’s a quirky sort of face and I can see some similarities to Magic Attic, which Robert Tonner had a hand in, as well.  Now, this may be my imagination (pun intended), but to me, her eyes seem to be asymmetrical. Her inset eyes (with ‘real’ lashes) are a glossy, vibrant yellow color, almost like Tigers Eye (the stone).

They look really great, considering the strange color choice. In promo photos, her eyes look green, but my doll definitely has golden yellow eyes. She has light blushing on her cheeks and a childlike look to her.

The My Imagination wig, non-removable, is something I’ve heard mixed things about. Some people think it’s fine, while others have told me they felt it was cheaply made. I stand in the middle. As far as the cut and style, I love the basic ginger bob. It looks fantastic on this sculpt. I personally prefer this face mold with short hair. The basics with long hair are nice, but this face, in my opinion, calls for a shorter hairdo.

As far as the quality of the wig, I can see where people have found fault. My doll, which because it was sent for review could be a ‘second’, has a lot of flyaways and ‘shorter than they should be’ hairs. Her wig also has a very dry feeling to it. I expected it to be softer to the touch. I’d imagine that if you had a starter doll with longer hair, the dry wig would be the cause of more irritation. For me, with this short bob’d look, it’s not a huge problem.

One of the nice things about My Imagination is that Tonner is able to produce a ton of adorable outfits based on their licensed properties, like DC and Wizard of Oz. (I personally would love to see a Gone with the Wind inspired outfit for My Imagination one day!) Sent alongside this doll was an outfit, specifically, Glinda‘s from The Wizard of Oz. This pink dress has all the flair necessary for an 18″ play doll. (Notice, if you visit the product site for this outfit, the ginger haired starter doll looks to have blue eyes, not green or this doll’s golden eyes.)

The dress, baby pink in color, has a butterfly decorated bodice and a long flowy skirt decorated with sparkly sequins. The dress uses velcro, just like the basic dolls sun dress. Now, with this dress, you’ll want to be careful with the velcro. There were a few times when I thought I was going to snag the fish net fabric of the dress when I accidentally hit it with the velcro. Below is a photo of this My Imagination doll with Wilde Imaginations Patience, also playing the role of Glinda.

Besides that, though, the dress fits the My Imagination body great. It’s not too tight for her and doesn’t choke her torso. The sleeves have a tendency to fall down, but look great at both her elbow and shoulder.  The look is completed with a tall pink crown that fits really well and looks surprisingly good with this dolls red hair. She also wears a pair of pink flats.

Overall, I adore this My Imagination doll. She may not have many points of articulation and the wig may be a little dry, but her sculpt is fantastic. I really do adore her face sculpt, especially her eyes. Some may find them slightly eerie, because of their shape, color and unevenness, but I love the unique look Tonner’s My Imagination has. I am looking forward to the day when Tonner releases more dolls in new and different sculpts and skin tones. (Currently, all the starter dolls have the same face mold and skin tone.)

For comparisons sake, I thought I’d group Lydia (A Girl for All Time), Maru (Maru and Friends) and this My Imagination together for a photo. You’ll notice the My Imagination doll falls right in the middle of these height wise. All three brands have unique faces and, in my opinion, are fantastic examples of what 18″ dolls should look and feel like!

What do you think of Tonner’s My Imagination line? Share your thoughts in the comment area!

The Pullip and Dal Doll Lovers Event, aka PUDDLE, was held Saturday, June 4th, 2016. It’s become a bit of a tradition for my mom (Barbee0913 on YouTube) and I to attend. PUDDLE is a one day celebration of Pullip, Taeyang, Dal, Isul and rest of the Groove family. This year, there was apparently record attendance.

What’s neat about this event is that it’s attended by collectors of all walks of life and even though it’s held yearly in Illinois, attendees come from all over the United States. PUDDLE is best described as a fun fan gathering. There are contests, raffles, door prizes and a few organized activities, like the Design Your Own Pullip icebreaker, but 50% of the time, I’d say, is left open for you to shop the vendor tables, mingle with other attendees and check out all the amazing Pullips brought in celebration.

There were a handful of group activities, like the Dress Like Your Doll contest/parade and the Design A Doll breakout session. Yours truly participated in the Dress Like Your Doll contest as Emma Swan. We (Pullip Emma and I) didn’t win, but it was an interesting experience. A lot of cool Pullip and friends were thought up in the Design A Doll Breakout. It would be neat to see these in person one day!

Like the past two years, PUDDLE was a fun way to spend a Saturday. (Shout outs to everyone we saw, by the way!) This years theme? Space! Because of that, there were lots of  Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who inspired Pullips on the table displays and a ton of cute sci-fi merch in the vendors area! Both my mom and I came home with some fantastic outfits and accessories for our Pullip family. See what we got in the video recap. (Start 8 minutes or so in if you just want to see our loot!

While we weren’t lucky enough to win any of the customization contests, we walked home with two awesome raffle prizes. I won a pink mohair wig from Sleeping Elf (Etsy) and my mom won a cute Star Trek kimono from Keely’s Cute Kimonos (Etsy). Below are pictures of some of my favorite dolls displayed at this years PUDDLE!

PUDDLE is always filled with some awesome vendors. This year was no exception! Vendors included Denise’s Dolls, Darling Clover, EmmerzApparel, KaleidoscopeBJDWear, Keely’s Cute Kimono’s, Little Lenie, Quaint Quintessence, Sakuras Blossom, Shifty Lizard and customizer Doll Angel. Little Lenie and EmmerzApparel have some great items for very wallet friendly prices! Doll Angel’s customs were pretty amazing, too! Check out her Flickr here.

You can see more photos from the event on my Flickr or Facebook page! (Check out Facebook to watch some of the live broadcasts I did from PUDDLE!)Keep an eye on the event by liking PUDDLE’s Facebook page or bookmarking their website! Have you attended a show recently? Picked up/customized a new Pullip recently? Tell us about it in the comment area!

For the past week and a half, I’ve been on vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  It was an interesting trip that included all four Walt Disney World theme parks and Universal Studios/Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. I traveled with my uncle, his wife, their three kids and my grandfather. As far as dolls go, I didn’t see much to share here on the blog. However, I did find something very cool while I was walking around Epcot– Kurhn, China’s answer to Mattel’s Barbie doll! I’ve reviewed a few Kurhn’s on my blog, but had to order them online from eBay or China Sprout. (They can also be purchased from the Tiny Frock Shop.) It was so exciting seeing them in person sitting on a shelf, just waiting for someone to buy them! (That someone? Me!)

At Epcot, make sure to visit House of Good Fortune in the China pavilion. There, you’ll find a handful of adorable Kurhns. Ironically, they didn’t have any of the Disney collaborations on display. (Licensing issues, I wonder, though I think people have found them there before.) Much of what was there to purchase were the more traditional dolls, like the four seasons and other more regal dolls dressed in traditional styles as opposed to street clothes.  At House of Good Fortune, I picked up three dolls: a basic DIY Kurhn, a four seasons Kurhn for my mother and Sweet Girl, a more contemporary Kurhn that’s been on my watch list forever.

Honestly, the prices made no sense to me. The cheapest Kurhn was the basic DIY one priced at $28.00.  The Four Seasons dolls were at $32.00. The anniversary doll, in the short hair and white/blue outfit, was closer to $40.00 and my Sweet Girl was in the $50.00 range. You’ll want to take out your smart phone when you’re at House of Good Fortune to do a bit of price checking. I overpaid on Sweet Girl, who I could have gotten cheaper on eBay. The other dolls, however, were pretty much on par with eBay or were just a little more expensive.  Strangely enough, three of the ones for sale at Epcot were one’s I already owned– the anniversary doll, peach bride and a Four Season doll. That saved me quite a bit of money!

You’ll be seeing these in more detail later here on the blog and channel! Here’s a few more tidbits from my vacation. If you get a chance to go to Orlando, try to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We only went to Universal Studios (not Island of Adventure), so we could only see Diagon Alley, not Hogsmeade. However, Diagon Alley was amazing. It’s narrow, small and has only one ride, but it was so cool being able to walk through a screen accurate Diagon Alley!

Being a huge Harry Potter fan, I loved being able to walk through Ollivanders, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and Quality Quidditch Supplies. I bought the best Quidditch Hoodie at Quality Quidditch Supplies and almost bought a Quidditch robe. (I totally should have!) I missed a few of the shops, like the Magical Menagerie, because the family members I went with were being pains in the neck and had pretty much checked out, but it was so much fun walking around the shops!

I very nearly bought myself wizarding robes at Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. (I totally regret not buying one now, but with everyone in my group being miserable outside, I just couldn’t concentrate on what I really wanted.) Another huge highlight was enjoying a frozen Butterbeer from The Leaky Cauldron. So tasty! Wish I could grab another without having to travel to Florida! Below is a picture of me, my tasty Butterbeer and the Night Bus!

Seriously, guys, if you go to Universal, try to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s just very, very cool. I hope to check out the Wizarding World located at Islands of Adventure one day! And next time, I’ll make sure to bring my wand! (Neville Longbottom’s wand, courtesy of two of my friends from their last trip to Universal!) Over the next few days, I’ll post more pictures from my trip over on Flickr, so keep an eye on that to see more photos from the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Universal!

On a sadder note, during the trip my family was dealt a very sorrowful blow when my great uncle lost his battle with cancer. The saving grace was that my great uncle, a cast member of ten years at the Magic Kingdom, lived in Orlando and a few days prior to his passing, I was able to spend some time with him. While he didn’t really interact with us, I know he knew we were there for him, as his eyes would clearly flicker up and down as we spoke.  Even after his long and fierce battle with cancer, he never lost himself. Below is an excerpt from a post I wrote about him on Facebook.

This past week, I’ve been experiencing the wonderful world of Walt Disney in Orlando, Florida. However, the memory I will take away from this trip isn’t being whisked away to see Mickey and Minnie by a kind cast member or being able to walk around Diagon Alley. Instead, the memory made this trip that is most precious to me is that I got to see my great Uncle Russ for one last time before he passed away. He was a guy that really took life into his own hands and wasn’t afraid to take a sudden turn left or right in his life story. He literally packed up his bags one day and moved clear across the states to work in the most wonderful place on earth, Walt Disney World, and enjoyed every moment of it. Not many people would be able to do that at ANY age, let alone when Uncle Russ did ten years ago. So, Uncle Russ, enjoy the italian food, chatting with Sinatra and hanging out with Walt up there in Heaven.

There’s a lot one can take away from his life, but what it has taught me is that you should never be afraid to take a giant leap. It may lead to wonderful things. (Now, if I could only figure out how to insert that into my current life story!)

I’m currently playing catch up with a lot of reviews, so I hope to get them posted ASAP. Be sure to check out the Disney Princess Box opening I posted last night on YouTube! It features some really neat Ariel Stuff that you’ll see here soon! Until then, what have you picked up lately? Have you gone on vacation? Where? Let me know in the comment area!

It took a while, but I finally got my hands on some of Wicked Cool Toys Cabbage Patch Kids, sent for review. Because Cabbage Patch Kids haven’t changed very much in the past 30 years, there’s not much I can say about them! My relationship with Cabbage Patch Kids started way back in 1984. Cabbage Patch Kids, then produced by Coleco, were all the rage. They literally caused riots. (I can only imagine what would have happened if eBay existed back in 1983! Those scalper prices would have been insane! Check out some old newspaper articles written during the first few years.) My father took a part time job at a convenient store  and when a shipment of Cabbage Patch Kids came in, he made sure to leave with one. (I’m sure my mom had something to do with it, too!)

Cabbage Patch Kid, Elizabeth Ann

Many kids probably had a lot more Cabbage Patch Kids than me. For the most part, I grew up with one, Elizabeth Ann. I gathered a few over the years, but as far as original Coleco ones, I didn’t get very many. I think that’s for the better, though, because if I had too many as a kid, I wouldn’t have been able to bond with Elizabeth Ann (my original Cabbage Patch Kid) as much as I did.

Fast forward to 2016, Wicked Cool Toys is now breathing new life into this classic brand. Wicked Cool Toys Cabbage Patch Kids haven’t changed that much when compared to other companies past releases. Their main goal seems to be to bring back the excitement that followed the brand back in its early years. You’ve seen that with the release of the limited edition collectible 18″ Cabbage Patch Kids released in 2015.

Keeping with tradition, all Cabbage Patch Kids come with a birth certificate. It’s printed on nice quality paper. (In this day and age, Wicked Cool Toys could have easily included a QR code or site URL to print a digital birth certificate.) Each certificate includes a unique doll name and birthday.

Like past re-imaginings of Cabbage Patch Kids, the ‘Kids’ have vinyl heads and plush bodies. The stuffing seems lighter than what has been used in the past. My original Cabbage Patch Kid, for example, seems heavier than Wicked Cool Toys newest release, even though she’s practically the same size. Wicked Cool Toys kept the facemold similar to what we’ve seen in past years.

They’ve added the element of animal adoption with their Adoptimals. The traditional Cabbage Patch Kids all come with a key. That key pairs with the Adoptimals (sold separately) and will make your Adoptimal’s collar light up and unlocks their ‘secret heartbeat’. The Adoptimals are 100% plush and scaled for the Cabbage Patch Kids size. They’re cute and some kids will really enjoy this secondary element to the Cabbage Patch Kids brand. I, personally, wouldn’t have been over the moon about it, but I could see pairing a Cabbage Patch Kid with an Adopimal for birthday gifts.

Also packaged with these two Cabbage Patch Kids that came for review was the more interactive, completely vinyl Drink and Wet Newborn. The gimmick of the Drink and Wet doll is simple– fill the provided bottle with water, feed it to your Cabbage Patch Kid Newborn and watch as the doll begins to wet its diaper. Aesthetically, the newborn is adorable. He has cute molded fingers and toes and the classic newborn face we all love.

As far as how well he works, well, he could work a little better. Half the water in the bottle went onto the poor newborns face when I was testing him out. You’ll want to use this on a table or in a room where you don’t mind if things get a little wet. Unlike some of the other interactive Cabbage Patch Kids, this one doesn’t require batteries or the use of any electronic device. Because of the tube inside the doll (I assume), the doll can’t turn his head in any direction. (You don’t know how many times I’ve tried to turn it left or right.)

So far, I think Wicked Cool Toys is doing a good job with Cabbage Patch Kids. As time passes, I’m sure they’ll be experimenting with even more ideas to make their mark on the iconic brand. For now, they seem to be taking inspiration from the past, releasing a variety of Cabbage Patch Kids in cute fashions and some fun, interactive newborns.

What do you think of Wicked Cool Toys take on Cabbage Patch Kids now that it’s been out for a while? What do you want to see from them in the future? Share your thoughts below!

*These toys were sent for review from Wicked Cool Toys in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

While visiting Walt Disney World, I picked up two adorable Kurhn dolls. Kurhn dolls, for those who don’t know, are Chinese fashion dolls. (See all my coverage on the line here!) They have a unique look when compared to other dolls, because of their large expressive eyes and cute fashions! This post features Sweet Girl Panda Kurhn!

One of the reasons this Kurhn has been on my radar is her adorable hairstyle. Sweet Girl Panda Kurhn wears her dark brown hair in two asymmetrical pig tails. There’s a cute black and white detail near the higher pig tail that matches the black and white polka dot theme in Kurhn’s outfit.

Kurhn wears a sleeveless striped turtle neck, long sleeve polka dotted jacket, white skirt, striped knee high socks and fun red high tops. To finish off the look, Kurhn wears a cute Panda backpack. It’s a plush panda with straps, so you can’t place anything in the backpack itself. She comes with a lacy black skirt attached to white tights, as well, but I’m not crazy about how that looks on her. Interestingly, the promo shot shows this girl wearing a lacy black skirt, but with her striped knee socks, not the white tights.

What I love about Kurhn’s are their faces! This Kurhn has large brown eyes with very light green shadow, light blush and pink lips. Her skin is a porcelain color, which works really well with the black and white color scheme. Unlike some Kurhn’s, this one is on an articulated body, meaning she has elbow and knee joints along with the usual shoulder and hip joints!

A word of caution to people searching for Kurhns based on promo photos alone, always ask if the body is articulated in advance. I’ve come across a few dolls where the promo shot showed an articulated body, but the doll itself was on a non-articulated one (and vice versa).

You’ll be seeing more of Sweet Girl Panda Kurhn, I’m sure, when my newest Big Chief figure, the 9th Doctor, arrives in July. (I love pairing Kurhn’s with my Doctor Who articulated action figures!) And stay tuned for my post on another Kurhn I picked up at Epcot, DIY Bracelet Maker Kurhn, coming soon!

Have you picked up a Kurhn recently? Which one? Are you eyeing one for your collection? Share your thoughts in the comment area!

At an amazing store in Walt Disney World’s Epcot, I picked up two 11″ Chinese fashion dolls. You saw the first doll, Sweet Girl Panda Kurhn, in a recent post. This post is about the basic Colorful DIY Bracelet Kurhn. (See all my Kurhn coverage here.)

This was the most affordable Kurhn at Epcot, priced at $28.00. It was also one of the more basic Kurhn dolls, which is why I picked her up. While I love the elaborate costumes and hair-do’s on many of the Kurhn’s I’ve picked up over the years, I have always wanted one that I could ‘play’ with, as in change her outfit or hair style. That’s why I picked up this particular Kurhn!

This Kurhn comes with supplies to make seven of your very own bracelets! The bracelets are ribbons with a button sewn in the center that allow you to push through and secure cute felt pieces. The ribbons have a velcro fastener. (If this were released in the States, there would be far less bracelets included with this doll.) There are also three Kurhn sized bracelets to place on your dolls.

The actual Kurhn in this set is very basic. She has long, straight brown hair with a side part, no bangs/fringe. It’s a lighter brown when compared to most of my Kurhn’s, who have dark brown or black hair. She has large brown eyes, similar to Sweet Girl Panda, with some light pink eye shadow, light blush and pearly pink lips.

Kurhn wears a yellow polka-dotted sun dress, red long sleeve sweater and white boots. The outfit is cute, but very simple. It makes her a perfect Kurhn to experiment with different fashions. Her white boots are super cute and should look great with anything!

Now, as you may already know, sometimes Kurhn promo shots lie. The box art for Colorful DIY Bracelet Kurhn shows articulated dolls. This peach skinned doll, however, is not on an articulated body. She only has shoulder and hip joints.

Colorful DIY Bracelet Kurhn may not be the most show stopping doll in the line, but I adore her basic-ness. Do you own this Kurhn? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comment area!

This past weekend was the My Little Pony Fair. Like last year, it was held in Schaumburg, IL. Being a My Little Pony collector, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to attend! The My Little Pony Fair is a family friendly celebration of My Little Pony. Mostly centered around G1 ponies, it features a handful of high-profile guests, limited panel programming and, one of the most important elements of any convention, a vendors area!

To be honest, the convention could use some improvement. While it’s more organized than some of the conventions of its scale, it lacks a lot of quality panel programming. It would be great to see them expand on the panel programming for next year and add a little more variety to the mix. That being said, they have a great vendors area!

The vendors hall had a whole slew of My Little Pony sellers, the majority stocked full of G1 ponies. The room that held the vendors was a little small this year, which made it slightly cramped and hard to maneuver. We managed to find a lot of good finds, though! Care to know what they are? Here’s the goodies we came home with!

My main goal (pun intended) was to pick up some Big Brother/Clydesdale ponies. I’m happy to report that I found a few great examples of that kind of My Little Pony at the fair! While I couldn’t snag the Big Brother (series 2) Wigwam, I did buy Chief, a fireman themed pony with his hat and handkerchief. (The number of Big Brother’s missing their accessories was so sad! Half of their charm came from their hats, handkerchiefs, etc! I’m proud to say that both of my childhood My Little Ponies, Slugger and Tex, have their accessories.)

I also picked up the mail order only pony Coats n’ Tails (also known as Tux n’ Tails). He’s a blue Clydesdale with bow ties on his hip. Coats n’ Tails has been on my radar for a while, because he’s be the perfect companion for my Pony Bride!

The last adult Clydesdale I picked up was Daddy Sweet Celebrations. He was part of the Loving Family series that consisted of three (or four) like ponies (mom, dad, baby, sibling). I thought Sweet Celebrations would go well with my birthday themed ponies from the year 4 birthday set, so I picked him up.

The last of the Clydesdale’s that went home with me was Baby Drummer. Baby Drummer was just too cute to pass up with his dark coloring and freckles!

Also added to my My Little Pony family was a So Soft Cupcake and an Italian Peachy! Last, but no least, I picked up a print of concept art for the Pretty Mane series. Only two of the ponies on the poster were produced (both mail order ponies).

Usually, I come home with some OOAK My Little Ponies. This show had some very pretty OOAK ponies, but very few were in my price range. It wasn’t a total bust, though. I did come home with a beautiful Zorse from Sunshine’s My Little Pony Shoppe. She had a nice array of OOAK’s on display, a few of which I am still considering buying if they show up on the Etsy shop!

My smallest purchase was this cute little blind bag repaint by My Little Demon, dubbed a Petina Pony. I couldn’t pass it up!

My mom picked up a nice variety of ponies herself, mostly beddy bye eye ponies. She likes them and because they were only released for a year or so, it’s easy to collect them all. (See them in the video, linked above!) Overall, it was a fun day and resulted in a lot of great ponies being added to my collection!

I didn’t take a ton of photos at the show, but there are a few in my Flickr album. Check it out! Have you picked up a My Little Pony recently? Do you have any favorites of the ones we picked up? Let me know in the comment area!