Back in February, I picked up Maudlynne Macabre by Tonner Toys for $35.00.  I had been eying her since she debuted, but her $45.00 price tag was just a bit steep for me to justify.  When Tonner offered her for a lower price during Toy Fair, I couldn’t resist.  Since that time, I’ve been meaning to do a review on her.  Many people commented on Maudlynne after I featured her as set decoration in my Collector Spotlight, so I think the time to talk about her is now!

Maudlynne Macabre

Let’s start off with the basics.  Maudlynne stands at a whopping 15 inches tall and has 10 joints (neck, shoulders, elbows, thighs, knees, torso).  She’s made of plastic.  Unlike Tonner Toys Little Miss Matched doll line, Maudlynne is not sold in stores like Toys R Us.

Maudlynne has an adorable face.  One part Wednesday Addams, one part Susie Sad Eyes, Maudlynne stands out amongst other 15 inch dolls.  Her heart shaped face goes perfect with her large, purple, almond eyes.  She has rooted black hair with bangs/fringe that works fantastically well with her face mold.

Maudlynne

As far as her hair goes,  I don’t see anything wrong with it.  It’s a basic enough hair style that you can ‘dress it up’ however you’d like.  There’s not an over abundance of hair plugs, but enough to keep her hair looking full!

While the prototype outfit is made out of slightly different materials, factory Maudlynne still has a great sense of style.  The dress is made out of thinner material than expected and to be honest, I thought she’d have a slip of some sort, but both of those are minor issues (and mostly based on my own assumptions)!  I do love the ‘two tone’ look to the fabric and the cut of the dress is great.  It’s simple, yet has character.

Maudlynne

The only downfall I really have found with Maudlynne‘s attire is the material used for her fingerless gloves.  It slips and slides a lot and isn’t the most easy fabric to put back on if you’re playing around with outfits.  The look, however, is quite cool!  Maudlynne‘s shoes are similar to Little Miss Matched.

Shoes and Tights

How does Maudlynne pose?  Well enough, I say.  She stands and holds poses well.   As previously mentioned, she has 10 joints and you can do a good deal with them.

Maudlynne

The ten joints include: neck, elbows (2), shoulders (2), chest, thighs (2), and knees (2).

Notice the Joint

The downfall of her jointing is that Maudlynne is lacking wrist and ankle joints.

No Wrist Joint

I would love if Maudlynne had the ability to hold objects in the palm of her hand or to place the palm of her hand on a suface.  To me, the wrist joint is very important in photographing your dolls in realistic positions and I’m surprised Tonner Toys left it out of Maudlynne.

Maudylnne

Overall, I really do like my Maudlynne doll and the line is only just beginning.  I’m hopeful they’ll release a Victoria doll, Maudlynne’s best (ghost) friend, and I hear there are fashion packs in the works, too!  Is she worth $45.00.  It really depends on you.  I think she’s totally worth the $35.00 I spent on her. 

Maudlynne

Maudlynne is a doll that oozes character and is adorable to boot!  I am looking forward to seeing what Tonner Toys releases next!

For those of you that YouTube, I put together a video review for this girl.

What do you think of Maudlynne?  What would you like to see in her doll line?  Do you think they can improve upon her?  Share your thoughts below!

Okay, Mattel.  Take my wallet.  Really, how about I just re-direct my paychecks your way because you’re going to get the money anyways with this new Ever After High line.  Those crazy folks at Mattel, makers of the popular Monster High and Barbie lines, have launched their newest idea to the masses, Ever After High.  And honestly?  I think I love it!

Ever After High

While Monster High is a school for the sons and daughters of monsters, Ever After High houses the children of fairy tale characters.

Secondary Characters

At the moment, the main story seems to be centered around Apple White (Snow White’s daughter) and Raven Queen (daughter of the Evil Queen).  Apple White seems to be obsessed with playing out her story (ie: biting into a poisoned apple from Raven Queen, falling into an endless sleep, waking up from true love’s kiss, and living happily ever after), while Raven Queen is reluctant to latch onto her ‘evil’ roots.  It’s a story of ‘rebels’ verse ‘royals’.

Apple White

Raven Queen

All the images used in this post are screenshots from the three videos posted on Ever After High’s YouTube channel.  Apple White and Raven Queen aren’t the only royals and rebels walking Ever After’s great halls.

The ‘Rebels’

Cerise Hood

Dexter Charming

Alongside Cupid, who recently transferred to Ever After High, there’s Cedar Wood (daughter of Pinocchio), Madeline Hatter (daughter of Mad Hatter), Dexter Charming (son of Prince Charming), Cherise Hood (daughter of Little Red Riding Hood) and Hunter Huntsman (son of Huntsman).

Ashlynn Ella

Briar Beauty

Daring Charming and Blondie

Apple’s crowd seems to be Daring Charming (son of Prince Charming), Blondie Locks(daughter of Goldie Locks), Briar Beauty (daughter of Sleeping Beauty), and Ashlynn Ella (daughter of Cinderella).

The website features look like they won’t ‘unlock’ until July, so don’t expect these dolls to be hitting toy shelves any time soon.  At the moment, the website features four character profiles, Apple White, Raven Queen, Briar Beauty, and Madeline Hatter.

Leaked images of Apple White and Raven Queen can be seen here.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they disappear off the internet pretty quick, so check them out before Mattel sends out those fun cease and desist orders!

What do you think of this new spin-off line?  Share your thoughts below!

I disappear from the internet for a week only to find Integrity has released images of three new dolls in their Jem and the Holograms line!

Broadway Magic Jem

Most recently released is the W Club Members exclusive Jem, Broadway Magic Jem. This new Jem will retail for $119.00. As you know, I’m not a huge fan of Integrity’s releases so far. They’re too expensive and they never look ‘right’ to me.  I do believe, however, that Integrity is working on making the face look a little less harsh, which was a major gripe of mine!

Broadway Magic Jem

San Diego Comic Con will bring us yet another new Jem release– Glitter and Gold Jem.  G&G Jem will retail for the whopping price of $140.00 and will be very limited (like the entire Jem line thus far).

The weird thing about this release is that this is a Hasbro exclusive, not an Integrity exclusive.  I know that Hasbro owns the rights to Jem, the cartoon, but don’t quite understand how that warrants this to be strictly a ‘Hasbro’ exclusive.  Just be sure to note that if you want this, you have to go to Hasbro’s booth to get it!

Glitter and Gold Jem

The last edition announced this week (well, last week) is a second edition Rio dressed in Glitter and Gold attire to match Jem.  Rio was one of the few releases I did like from Integrity, but this 2nd edition?  Don’t like it at all.  Nope, sorry.  It just doesn’t look like Rio to me and the fashion just doesn’t work on him!  Literally the only thing I like about this doll is the record he’s holding in the promo picture below.

Glitter and Gold Rio

Rio is a web exclusive and will only be sold in Integrity’s online store starting July 17th.  I have a feeling this is going to be a hot seller, regardless of how bad I think it looks, as buying this is the only way to complete the the ‘Glitter and Gold’ set for those attending SDCC.  Rio will be priced at $119.00.

What do you think of the new releases to the Jem line?  Love them?  Hate them?  Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

The Headless Headmistress is in the building!  My Toys R Us exclusive Bloodgood arrived last week.  Of the three dolls hinted at during SDCC 2010, I was most excited about this doll.  How could you not love a doll that is meant to be headless?   Plus, she’s one of the few adult characters created for the Monster High line.  I’m a huge fan of the traditional gang, but I do enjoy when we get a new ‘first edition’ doll.  It’s refreshing!

Introducing The Headless Headmistress

Bloodgood, as a doll, is neat and screen accurate.  She is packaged as a two set, alongside her trusty stallion Nightmare.  They’re sold exclusively through Toys R Us and are priced around $40.00.  $40 is a lot to ask for a playline doll set, even one with two pieces.  Is it worth it?  For the most part, yes, but it really depends on how badly you want this doll in your collection!

Nightmare

Let’s start by talking about Nightmare.  Nightmare isn’t anything special.  Barbie has had horses before and Nightmare is pretty similar to those that have been released.  Ironically, while the dolls are heavily jointed, Nightmare isn’t.

Nightmare

Nightmare has no joints whatsoever.  He (or she?) stands relatively well, but has less weight to him (or her) than I would have liked.  In the end, Nightmare is just an overpriced prop for Bloodgood.

She ain’t called the Headless Headmistress for nothing!

Now on to the good stuff– Headless Headmistress Bloodgood. I love idea that this doll is designed to go headless.  It’s probably the most macabre thing we’ve seen in the Monster High line to date.  In terms of her body. It’s constructed the same as traditional Monster High dolls.  The joints are no different than what we are used to.  Bloodgood is taller than your traditional Monster High doll, however.

The Duo

Bloodgood, like the rest of the line, looks nearly identical to her cartoon counterpart.  Her head is easy to pull off and push back into place.  You’ll notice when she’s headless, you’ll still see the neck knob on her body, but I don’t think Mattel could have realistically done anything to cover that up.

Hair

Bloodgood’s hair is rooted and styled well.  I was a little worried, to be honest, because having pre-ordered this doll, I didn’t have the ability to select the ‘best’ doll on the shelf.  Hair is a huge thing for me and my Monster High purchases.  I’ve passed on many a Monster High dolls because the hair was unevenly cut or the highlights were terribly uneven.  Thankfully, this Bloodgood came styled well out of the box!

Riding ‘Boots’

Headless Headmistress’ snazzy top

Fashion isn’t lost on Bloodgood. She’s decked out in a very chic horseback  riding style outfit.  I don’t love the fabric that Mattel used for the purple duster.  It’s a little stiff.  However, the stiffness works in a way to create the affect that Bloodgood, when riding Nightmare, is moving fast.

There are many things I like about Bloodgood. Mainly, what I like is that her doll does a good job of embodying the character that we’ve seen numerous times in TV specials and online in webisodes.

There is one slightly important issue that Mattel forgot when putting Bloodgood together, though.  And it’s kind of a big one.  Bloodgood’s character is seen many times holding her head in her arms.  This was, of course, the first thing I tried to do with my Bloodgood when I deboxed her.

Figuring Mattel had realized this, I thought they would have made allowances for the extra weight Bloodgood may hold in her hands, but apparently not.  While Bloodgood’s joints aren’t loosy goosy like the original releases, they don’t exactly love holding her head.  With a bit of guess and check, eventually you can get her to hold it so it looks okay, but it would have been great if Mattel had thought about adding a bit of support to the arm joints.

Bloodgood and Nightmare

The weak posing ability while headless aside, I am glad I added Bloodgood to my collection!  She’s pretty cool. Do I wish she’d been released without her steed and offered for a better price?  Oh, yeah.  But, overall, I’m happy Mattel decided to go forward with releasing Monster High’s Headless Headmistress!

Would you like to be featured in future Collector Spotlight posts?  If so, fill out the form below!  Don’t collect, but know someone who does? Why not send them a link to this post and suggest they fill out the submission form!

I’m looking for collectors of all ages and backgrounds.  (Those under 15  will need parental permission, of course!)  While I prefer having a written and video element in my Spotlight posts, I am willing to tweak it month to month for what is comfortable for the featured collector.

To submit, please fill out THIS form.

If you have any questions, please ask away in the comment area!

It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for Monster High 13 Wishes to hit store shelves.  I’m happy to write that the wait is over!  While I haven’t spotted all of the 13 Wishes line, I have spotted many and picked up a good few for my collection!  Without further ado, let me introduce you to the first of two new characters introduced in 13 Wishes, Twyla, daughter of the boogieman.

13 Wishes Howleen, Lagoona, and Twyla

Twyla is the same size as Howleen, Clawdeen‘s kid sister.  Howleen needed some ghouls her own size and I, personally, love this size on Monster High dolls!  As a character who ‘hides in the shadows’, her color scheme is muted purple’s, teal’s, and pink’s. Twyla comes with her pet Dustin, a dust bunny, the traditional Monster High comb, and a Monster High stand.

A Few Accessories

Dustin, the dust bunny, is adorable and wins the award for cutest pet introduced in the Monster High line.  Seriously, he’s adorable!  He definitely needs a plush release!  I’d buy a big plush version of Dustin in a heartbeat!

Dustin, the Dust Bunny

Let me get right to the point on the stand– it doesn’t work.  The stick doesn’t like to stay in the base.  On top of that, the stand is sized for the traditional Monster High dolls and is a twinge too big for poor little Twyla.  Many people have mentioned gluing the stand together and that is a simple way to fix the problem. However, Mattel really shouldn’t be putting poorly made stands (or anything for that matter!) in with any of their dolls.  They’ve been around long enough to know that by now.

Twyla’s Hair

Starting from the top, Twyla has sea foam hair with royal purple and blue highlights.  It’s fizzier and thicker than what we usually see on Monster High dolls. In truth, it gives Twyla a Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) sort of look.  I quite like the color choices used in her hair.  The royal blue and purple look really nice together.  A little more highlighting on the sea foam and her hair would have been nearly perfect!

Twyla– strange how different they look from each other!

Twyla’s face is adorable.  Her skin is a light purple and her features are various shades of pink and teal.  While she wears some make up, her face isn’t over done and she looks age appropriate, I think.

Notice the grey hands

Twyla’s body, as I mentioned, is the same size as Howleen‘s.  Her purple coloring turns into grey towards her wrists and hands.  In the same respect, Twyla’s legs are tattoo’d with a grey swirl pattern.  No complaints on my end about these, as they look really neat on her!

Leg Tattoo’s/markings

Like Spectra, Twyla seems to have a purple theme in her clothing.  She actually wears a pretty cute outfit, which is to be expected in Monster High at this point.  In particular, Twyla has some neat patterns in her fabric and the purple they chose goes well with her light purple skin tone.  Also included with her outfit are multiple bangles (bracelets), earrings, and some adorable shoes.

Twyla’s Fashions

Overall, I really like this new release.  Howleen was in serious need of a friend and Twyla looks like the perfect partner in crime!  The only real con with this doll is the fact that her stand is useless, but that is the only thing that bugs me and is far more a Mattel problem  than a Twyla problem!  (Especially considering that Mattel upped the price by at least $5.00 for these new lines!)

Hanging Out

I hope we see more of 13 Wishes Twyla in other lines!  She’s adorable and a fun addition to the Monster High line.  For those who would like to watch the video review, the review is below!

What do YOU think? Share your thoughts below!

I’m a huge fan of the A Girl For All Time doll line.  A Girl For All Time currently has two dolls out, Matilda and Amelia. Recently on Facebook, A Girl For All Time released images of their newest creation, Clementine, Your 1940′s Girl.  Based on these promo shots, I think Clementine is adorable.  Simply adorable. I mean, how can you not love her adorable ginger bob and 1940′s outfit?

Clementine, Your 1940′s Girl

Clementine dressed to impress!

What a fantastic jacket!

Due out in September, you can pre-order her now on the companies website.  Clementine is £89.99 or $134.99.  What do you think of Clementine?  Share your thoughts below!

I was on the fence about adding Mattel’s 13 Wishes Lagoona to my collection.  Why?  Because she looked so different from the other versions of her that I just didn’t know what to think.  Instead of the muted colors we usually get on our Lagoona’s, this 13 Wishes Lagoona is bright.  With bright blue skin and highlighter yellow hair, Lagoona definitely stands out in this 13 Wishes line.

13 Wishes Howleen, Lagoona, and Twyla

In the end, I did buy her and while I don’t love her look just yet, she’s growing on me!  Let’s start off with the question on everyone’s minds– why is she so different looking? Read her journal and it becomes clear.  (I’ll admit it– I don’t always pay attention to every journal that comes with these, but this one totally explains the reasoning behind the massive changes to Lagoona in her 13 Wishes release!)  The short version of the story is that Lagoona makes a wish and slowly starts changing from her sea monster self into a  freshwater fish (like Gil).  Not only does this affect her coloring, but it also seems to influence her actions and thoughts.  I’m sure there is more to it than what we see in the journal, but until Mattel releases the movie, we will just have to speculate!

Had I known this back story, I might have not been so slow to decide on buying Lagoona.  She is essentially a different Lagoona than we’ve seen before, which is kind of awesome!  Now that we’ve covered that little bit of info, let’s get on to the review.

13 Wishes Lagoona

Right off the bat, you’ll notice two things– her bold blue skin and her highlighter yellow hair.  Separately, those are strange choices, but together they actually look pretty good!  I don’t know much about fish, but I’m assuming the bright colors mean freshwater fish are brighter than fish found deep in the sea?  That would account for this trip back to the 80′s color pallet.

13 Wishes Lagoona

Lagoona’s lips are done with teal and her eyes are brightly highlighted with pink, which with the blue skin tone, looks a bit purpley.  I’m not a huge fan of the color’s used on this freshwater Lagoona.  However, I do love her freckles!  (Which is usual for me and dolls!)  One strange thing about her face around the eyes is that it is textured. It’s almost as if they meant to put glitter on her and missed most of the forehead.  Honestly, I’m not sure what was going on there!

13 Wishes Lagoona

Once I got over the color of Lagoona’s hair, which I like quite a bit now, I decided the styling wasn’t too bad, either!  Lagoona’s hair is in a twirled ponytail that is heavily sprayed down and looped at the bottom.  It’s that reason why I find the fact that we get a comb with Lagoona so funny.  This is not hair you’ll find it easy (or necessary) to comb.

As far as Lagoona’s body, she is the first doll I’ve purchased in a long time that doesn’t have a loose limb.  Unlike the first set of dolls where it was expected that the majority of their limbs would be loose, the new releases haven’t had many problems on that front other than a loose wrist or elbow here and there.  Lagoona, however, is tightly put together all around.   The only major change they did on this freshwater Lagoona is to her fins.  They are different than the usual fins we see on her.

13 Wishes Lagoona

13 Wishes Lagoona

While I am a fan of Lagoona (the character), I am not always a fan of her clothes. 13 Wishes, however, has a very cute outfit!  Also included are some stylish turtle accessories (necklace, bracelet) and super cute earrings.  As usual, Lagoona is wearing stylish shoes that match her outfit well.

Neptuna

And we can’t forget Neptuna.  These 13 Wishes dolls all seem to come with their pets.  Neptuna has transformed a bit, as well, in this release with a new color scheme.

Don’t trust Lagoona’s stand to hold her whatsoever.  It just won’t happen.  (And if it does, count yourself very lucky!)  Be prepared to be super-gluing Lagoona’s stand together!  If you watch my video review, you’ll notice my Lagoona quickly loses the stand!

As far as cons go, I don’t have many.  I don’t think I’ll ever love her make up.  I wish they’d chosen a different color for her eye make up, in particular.   Besides her stand being useless, the biggest gripe I have is that I don’t think Mattel prepared us for this ‘new’ Lagoona.  And that might not work out her benefit.  Because the movie hasn’t been released yet, people might just look at her (like me) and think ‘wow, that’s a strange Lagoona’ and pass her by.  But, if they only knew it was a ‘new’ Lagoona from the get go, they might give her a second, well deserved look.

Sea Monster vs Freshwater

In the end, 13 Wishes Lagoona is growing on me.  I’m super happy to have her because she is, essentially, a new character.  A retelling, so to speak, of the first Monster High character I ever purchased.  That being said, I do hope that this is a one time event.  One freshwater Lagoona is enough for me!

13 Wishes Lagoona

As usual, I put together a video review on 13 Wishes Lagoona.

What do you think of 13 Wishes Lagoona?  Share your thoughts below!

As long suspected, American Girl is retiring yet another classic historical doll. Being discontinued is none other than my personal favorite, Molly McIntire and her friend Emily.  Molly will be joining Samantha, Kirsten, and Felicity in the American Girl vault.

Molly

Molly’s story begins in 1944.  Living under the umbrella of World War II, Molly goes through a lot of things that girls today can still relate to.  Molly’s father enlists as an Army medic, her family is strapped for cash and common day items that used to be easy to find are suddenly in short supply.  American Girl put together a pretty nice introduction to Molly for their YouTube channel. You can watch it below.

I love Molly as a character.  In fact, she’s my favorite American Girl doll, hands down.  While I realize that Molly was released way back in 1986 with the Samantha and Kirsten at her side and has been available since then to doll collectors and kids alike, I don’t think Molly should be retired.  I’m not saying that only because she’s my favorite, but also because Molly’s stories take place in 1944, which is a time period that really does mirror a lot of what we in the States (and I’m sure abroad) have had to go through in the past few years.

Not only that and maybe most importantly, many of us still know people who grew up in or around World War II, so Molly’s story gives us a little more insight into what those who are still part of our lives had to to go through back in the 40′s.  My grandparents were born in the 1930′s and grew up in a world very similar to Molly.

Something important to note is that the books will still be available to the general public. Thankfully, Mattel doesn’t take away the book series attached to the dolls they reitre.  Still, I feel sorry for the girl who picks these books up this time next year when there is no dolly counterpart.

Emily

It occurred to me that once Molly is retired, I won’t actually have many ties left to American Girl.  I still would like to add a Kit or Ruthie to my collection, but I don’t actually like many of the other historical dolls, nor do I want a Just Like Me doll. If you would like to get your hands on a Molly before they are officially retired, check out the American Girl website and order yours now.  I waited and waited until it was too late to get Kirsten and still kick myself!

Molly

With that, I’ll ask you: what do you think of Mattel retiring Molly and Emily?  Do you have any memories of Molly and Emily that you’d like to share?  Write you thoughts below and share them with the world!

Ever After High have it stores!  Well, Justice, at least.  When news first spread about these being out and about, my Justice had yet to re-open from a remodel.  However, as we drove through the mall yesterday to go to Toys R Us, we noticed the once empty Justice was filled with clothing– and people!  Needless to say, we dashed in and saw them.  Literally all four dolls sat on the shelf.

Apple, Raven, and Maddie

Now, I wasn’t about to spend $100 on all four, but I did pick up three.  Two are mine, one was payment to my Mom, who kindly picked up a Monster High doll (or two) for me this past week.  (Yes, we pay each other back with dolls occasionally!)

Look what I stumbled upon at Justice!

This first Ever After High review is on the doll that I most looked forward to– Madeline (Maddie) Hatter!  Seriously, she’s one of the most entertaining characters in the web series so far and her character design is fantastic.  To me, she’s a lot like the Pinkie Pie or Luna Lovegood of Ever After High.

Back of Box

A Bit About Maddie

A Bit About Maddie

Maddie Hatter

What do Ever After High dolls come with?  As expected, Ever After High dolls come with a comb. The comb is kind of cool. It’s shaped like a key. Ever After High dolls also come with a stand (hidden inside the box).  I can hear you asking about the quality of said stand, seeing as Mattel doesn’t care about giving Monster High decent stands anymore.  Good news!  These stands are really good!  Much better than what we’ve seen on the MH front recently.  (Now give Mattel a few years with the Ever After gang and we’ll revisit this!)  The last ‘extra’ included is a bookmark/storybook that tells the story of the character.  Actually, the writing and storytelling within the storybook bookmark is pretty good and much longer than the MH journals, I believe.

Comb

Stand

Maddie is a similar size to Howleen or Twyla, which was a happy surprise!  I love that size doll and didn’t know they were incorporating it so early into the Ever After dolls!

Maddie and Twyla

Notice the size difference

Unlike Monster High’s long faces that usually have exaggerated noses, chins or cheek bones, the Ever After High dolls seem to all have large, round, flat faces.  Maddie is no exception.  I love her round face!  It allows for a really awesome eye design.  They have that hand painted look, instead of the eye sticker look.  They’re also very large and over exaggerated, which I love.

Notice her round face

See the differences between Venus (MH) and Maddie (Ever After)

Maddie’s colors seem to be purple and sea green (think Twyla green). Her hair is styled in tight curls.  Because her hair was pushed forward in the box, I had to do a bit of restyling in the back to remove some odd looking bald spots.  I don’t recommend using the comb on her hair unless you want to undo the curls.  If the sea green is anything like Twyla’s, it will be frizzier than usual if you decide to ooak up her hair style.

Back of Maddie’s head

It seems to me that Maddie has a similar body to her Monster High counterparts Howleen and Twyla.  She has the same amount of joints as those dolls and the limbs seem to be the same thickness.  I decided against comparing the dolls without clothing, as I like how my Maddie looks and don’t want to do something to screw her up.  Update: The Toy Box Philosopher went over the body differences in her review.  

Outfit

2 Finger Ring on glove like hands

Tea Pot Shoes

Headband Hat

Maddie is decked out in a fun purple and teal dress decorated with gold embellishments.  It’s perfect for a tea party!  (And for future cosplayers!) Her outfit includes plastic cuffs that hang loose on her arms.  Maddie has molded hands that are designed to look like gloves.  She wears fantastic polka dotted leggings. To complete the outfit, Maddie wears spoon earrings, a large two finger ring, teal necklace, and tea cup headband. Her shoes look a bit like a tea pot, as does her handbag. Overall, a very fitting outfit for a quirky girl from Wonderland who speaks in riddles!

Ice Cream, anyone?

The only problem I see with Maddie is that my doll seems to have a wonky knee.  Her right knee bends, but it doesn’t bend as much as much as the other.  It’s because of this, I think, that her legs are actually two different sizes.  One is just a smidgen shorter than the rest which makes it a little harder to prop her up for photo ops.

Maddie and Apple

The only other minor issue I found was that her tiny ring likes to slide off.  That worries me a bit, as I don’t want to lose it!  I wasn’t paying attention when I opened the box to see if I accidentally cut an elastic that I shouldn’t have, but keep an eye out when opening your doll.  It might be easier to just keep it on with elastic!

Maddie and Apple

That being said, in the long run of possible problems, Maddie Hatter scores well!  If all the Ever After High dolls are as well made and creative as Maddie, then Mattel has a fantastic line on their hands!

New Meets Old

Maddie Hatter

Update: Here’s the video review!!!!

For all your YouTuber’s, the video review isn’t up yet, but will be soon!!!!   What do YOU think of Maddie Hatter? Share your thoughts below!

Apple White, daughter of Snow White, is one of two main characters in the Ever After High web series. Think of her as the Frankie Stein of the Ever After High line.  Mattel‘s spin off line, Ever After High, has just hit Justice stores around the States and of course, my mom and I made it a priority to hit up our local Justice!  Thankfully, they just re-opened and had a full stock of dolls on the shelves!!!  I’ve already reviewed Maddie Hatter, my favorite of the four dolls released.  Now, however, it’s time for Apple White to shine!

Apple, Raven, and Maddie

Back of Box

Maddie and Apple

Apple White is boxed with a comb, a bookmark storybook, and a stand (hidden inside her box).  Her stand, as with Maddie’s, works well.  I haven’t had any major malfunctions with it yet, unlike the most recent Monster High stands! (Keep it up, Mattel!)

Combs

Stand

Apple White looks to be rooted with soft blonde hair.  To me, it looks warmer than what we usually see on Barbie and other blonde dolls on the market.   I don’t usually go for blonde dolls, but I like the shade Mattel chose for Apple White and it goes very well with her porcelain skin tone and color pallet.

Apple White

Apple White

Apple’s hair is styled so that it falls mostly on one side of her head.  It’s an adorable style and looks great on her.  Her curls are loose and the hair feels smoother than Maddie’s sea foam hair.  A red headband decorated with a bow and crown top off the hair do.

Apple White

Similar to Maddie, Apple’s eyes are large and round.  They have a hand painted ‘look’ to them, which I love.  Some of the recent Monster High dolls have had eyes that looked *very* decal like and I’m happy that Mattel seems to have taken a bit more time on the four dolls in this Ever After High debut. For Apple in particular, I love that we can see the upper eye lid because of her light, silver make up.  It looks fresh, clean, and light.   All the Ever After High dolls have a few dots of silver on their lower lip to give them a little more shine.

Maddie and Apple

Like Maddie’s face, Apple has a round, flat face.  Her features are placed well and sized perfectly!  Some readers have noted that while pretty, the faces of the four dolls in this line are too similar. They’re right, these four Ever After High dolls are all very similar and very well may use the same head mold (though I’m not the best judge of that sort of thing).  Personally, I don’t mind the fact that the faces are similar. I think Mattel has done well in styling each doll to still look unique, even if the face design/feature placement is similar doll to doll.  (Unlike Skipper, who I really, really wish Mattel would do something new with!)  Of course, I can see how people may not love this and I do hope that when Mattel expands the line, they give us some more character specific faces.

Confession time, I decided (again) against taking this girls clothing off for doll comparisons.  When they come out with a second edition of Apple or a basic, I totally will.  However, I think she’s put together really well right now and don’t want to ruin it by messing with her outfit!  Apple is a similar height to traditional Monster High dolls and in general seems to have a thicker body.

Apple vs Venus

As I mention in my video review, it seems she just has a more humanoid body, where as the Monster High doll’s have narrower frame’s. Another thing you might find interesting– Apple is actually taller than Maddie.

Notice the size difference

Apple’s joints are tight and unlike Maddie, Apple doesn’t have any right leg issues.  (Long story short, my Maddie has a wonky leg that is slightly shorter and tighter than the other!)

Apple’s Dress

Apple White’s dress is very in character with her story line and background.  It’s perfect for the daughter of Snow White.  The color scheme, as you’d expect, is gold and red with various apple and flower stenciled embellishments.  It’s a cute dress.  I like that Mattel took the effort to try to give each doll a different style dress.  Yes, they’re all pretty much the same length and have the same general idea, but each doll has their own take on style, which is clear to see!  Apple wears fishnet stockings that look fantastic on the skin tone of this doll.  They do bunch up a bit around the knee, but they haven’t yet gotten stuck in the knee.  That’s a definite plus!

Purse

Like the other dolls in the line, Apple comes with a character themed purse– in this case, it’s shaped like an apple.  I really love this purse!  It’s super cute!  I love the texture and the fact that you can actually open it, unlike some of the recent purses we’ve seen in other Mattel lines.  Regarding the purse, keep in mind it is easy to lose the top potion.  You may want to wrap an elastic around it if you plan on moving Apple around a lot.

Notice the ring.

One accessory that seems to be a staple in the Ever After line so far is the two fingered ring.  Apple’s ring is cute, but doesn’t like to stay on very well.  It’s one of the easiest to lose accessories to come out of Mattel, I think.  For those that plan on moving their doll around a lot, or plan on giving this doll to a child, you may want to use elastic on this item or take it off completely.

Apple themed shoes

And let’s not forget the adorable shoes!  If there is one thing Mattel designers always do right– it’s the shoes!  They are apple themed.  Brought into the shoes is the golden bow that was also present in her two fingered ring.

Apple, with Twyla lurking in the shadows!

So far, this Ever After High Line doesn’t disappoint me in the least.  I don’t know if my opinions are colored by my love of fairy tale adaptations (huge Once Upon a Time fan!) or just adorable dolls, but this line– from concept to execution– has won me over.

New Meets Old

Want to see the video review?  Watch it here:

What do you think of Apple White?  Share your thoughts below!

There’s a large range of Monster High related clothing for kids.  Kmart, for example, has a great selection of affordable Monster High tee’s for kids.  Walmart and Sears also have a number of shirts aimed at the young Monster High fans. But what about the adult fans that want to share their love of Monster High with the world by wearing cute clothes with their favorite characters on them?

Hot Topic is a clothing store that specializes in punk rock and pop culture related items. Why am I spending time on this blog talking about a clothing shop?  Because they have two really cool Monster High shirts for sale in adult sizes!

Frankie Tank Top

I actually bought one of these Frankie tank tops for myself.  It’s really cute!  I love the fact that they used a doll photograph instead of just a graphic.  It’s not a fitted tank, but it’s perfect for summer!

Draculaura Tank Top

For all you Draculaura fans, here’s the tank top for you!  It isn’t a doll photograph like the Frankie tank, but it’s an interesting graphic.

Hot Topic ships in and around the United States, as well as internationally (it seems, though shipping is probably an arm and a leg). Those in the States may want to call their local Hot Topic locations to see if these fun tanks are in stock for local pick up!

Are you surprised that Monster High shirts are now coming in adult sizes? What kind of shirts would you like to see Hot Topic add to their selection? Share your thoughts!

I’ve been a My Little Pony fan since I was a kid.  I watched the original cartoon series and was gifted many G1 ponies for birthdays and holidays.  When the G3 line was released, I re-discovered my My Little Pony addiction and again picked up many of the new releases, including some much loved OOAK pieces.  (I’ll have to share those with you someday!)

Fluttershy to the 3rd power!

When Hasbro announced My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I was very weary of it.  I had lived through painful G3 animated specials and wasn’t sure Hasbro would ever find the magic they had in the original My Little Pony cartoon, especially seeing how they treated one of my childhood favorites, Pound Puppies.  (Terrible re-make, I’m afraid!)  In the end, I DVR’d My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (MLP:FIM) and fell in love with it.  The characterization and humor in the episodes was perfect and suitable for far viewers than their target demographic.

Recently, it was announced that a movie spin off was being released. Titled the Equestria Girls, it would follow our pony friends to a place they had literally never been before- high school.  I haven’t seen this movie yet, so I won’t go into detail, but somehow the ponies are transformed into humanoid high school students.

Deluxe Fluttershy Box

Deluxe Fluttershy Box

That is where this doll line comes into play.  These Equestria Girls are shelved with the traditional My Little Ponies, but are humanoid in appearance with hair rooted in colors similar to their pony counterparts.  They come in two different styles– deluxe and basic.

The Basic Doll:

The basic dolls, like the Twilight Sparkle pictured below, come with minimal accessories (a comb) and while their arms go up and down, left and right, they do not have joints in their knees or elbows.  As far as I can tell, there is a basic version of all the main FIM ponies (Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Apple Jack.

Equestria Girls Line

Besides the differently articulated bodies, there is another big difference between these dolls and the deluxe dolls.  These basic dolls have tops that are painted on.  Personally, I hate it when doll companies paint on clothing.  First, it makes them hard to redress and second, it still doesn’t look like real clothing, regardless of how well it’s painted.

Basic Twilight Sparkle- Notice her painted on shirt

The only basic doll I had on hand to review was Twilight Sparkle, but the dolls seem similar enough that most of the aspects I like or dislike about her will match up with the rest of the dolls in the line.  Like all the dolls (basic and deluxe) Twilight Sparkle has large decal eyes.  As they are now high schoolers, Twilight Sparkle does don a bit of make up.  It’s not over the top or too much (in my opinion), but it is there.  Her eye make up is embellished with sparkles.

Basic Twilight Sparkle (modeling Flluttershy’s second outfit) in the Barbie Camper

Twilight Sparkle, like the other ponies, has her cutie mark (or hip mark) on her cheek.  The face paint seems well placed on her head mold.

Deluxe Fluttershy, showing off her ears with earrings

Speaking of her head mold, I love that they kept pony ears on the Equestria Girls.  It seems, from what I can tell, that the movie characters have human ears.  These dolls, however, have ears just like their My Little Pony character.

Twilight Sparkle’s large eyes

The big downfall of these dolls is their body.  While I prefer the basic, less jointed body to the deluxe dolls, I still don’t love the body that Hasbro stuck these Equestria Girls with. The ponies do have a bit of a bust, but I don’t feel it’s too over the top for the age group.  My kid reviewer (who we’ll get to soon) didn’t really look at the body, just the hair, face, outfits and accessories.  Honestly, I think kids could care less about a dolls body type, unless it disrupts play in some way!

Basic Twilight Sparkle next to the deluxe Fluttershy. See the differences in the body?

The problem I have with the body is that they designed the feet like a Bratz doll.  She has no real feet, just stumps that the shoes pop into (or should pop into).  Just like the painted on tops,  I really don’t like pegged feet on dolls.  Take the time to actually create feet and shoes that fit the mold.  It would make the world (or at least me) much happier.

Pegged feet are on both the basic and deluxe versions of these dolls.

Besides the pegged feet being less than aesthetically pleasing, it also means that if (or when) you lose the shoes, your doll has lost the ability to stand.  A doll with molded feet wouldn’t have much of an issue with lost shoes, because she can at least be barefoot.  With pegged feet like these Equestria Girls, however, it is a much bigger issue.  Alongside that, the pegs are tough to push into the boot.  On every doll I tried in the Equestria Girl line, one foot/shoe just doesn’t like to stay/pop in.

Basic Twilight Sparkle (wearing Fluttershy’s second outfit)

Deluxe Dolls:

Deluxe girls, like Flutteryshy and Rainbow Dash, come with multiple accessories that vary with the doll you pick up.  My deluxe dolls had a comb, extra outfit, earrings, an extra pair of shoes, a ‘tail’ hair clip for you or your doll, and an accessory specific to that doll. For example, Flutteryshy comes with a purse, where Rainbow Dash comes with a bracelet.  Both deluxe and basic dolls come with some character trading cards, stickers, and a character specific card to keep.

Rainbow Dash (who I forgot to photograph after this point) with her multiple accessories.

The head mold mirrors that of the basic dolls, with the large eyes, make up, and cutie/hip mark on her cheek.  These dolls also share the pegged legs I mentioned before.  The main difference with the deluxe girls is their arms and legs.  Unlike the basics, deluxe dolls are jointed at their knees and elbows.

Notice the jointed elbow!

The joints could have been done better.  The knees are a bit loose and the elbows hyper-extend a lot.  I’m a little worried about the knee joints breaking at some point, too, because it is a bit tough to get the shoes on and off and even I found myself tugging on the entire leg (as opposed to just grabbing the lower leg and pulling).

One major disappointment is the lack of a wrist joint.  I have a feeling they left this out to keep the age range down, however, wrist joints are quite helpful when it comes to making your dolls pose.  Fluttershy’s wrist looks like it’s bent at some very weird angles if you move her shoulders and elbows certain ways.

Deluxe Fluttershy

One thing I like about these deluxe dolls is the real outfit.  Fluttershy wears clothing that covers both her top and her bottom (as opposed to the basics painted on top).  I think this outfit is super cute on Fluttershy.  It’s long enough to cover what it needs to and fits Fluttershy well.  This gets high marks.  The second outfit, however, doesn’t.  One of the elastic straps on the second outfit (as seen on Twilight Sparkle earlier) broke as I was taking this off Fluttershy for the  first time.  That doesn’t bode well with me.  Outfits shouldn’t break after a quick try on, in my opinion.

Fluttershy’s adorable face!

I think both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ‘look’ like their pony selves, even though they are in human form.  Hasbro did a good job at staying true to their character where looks are concerned.  The concept is still a bit freaky to a long time pony fan like me, but I have to applaud Hasbro for ‘stepping outside the box’ with the pony line.

Fluttershy

All in all, Hasbro gets good marks on the concept, but loses a few with the execution of the joints on these deluxe dolls.  For a one off spin off line, Hasbro could have done far worse.  At the very least, this line will be remembered!

My cousin is in town and staying with us for a few weeks, so for the next few video reviews, I’ll have a tag along.  The review below is a Kid Review, ie: my cousins opinions on this doll line.  I disabled embedding for these videos, as they feature more than just me!  Click the links below to watch!

Kid Review

The full blown review, look below!

Dolly Review

Here is a quick comparison on the basic and deluxe line.

Basic VS Deluxe Comparision

What do you think of the Equestria Girls?  Share your thoughts below!

A few weeks ago, a reader asked me about ‘Pinkie Cooper’.   I had no idea what they were talking about until I googled it and saw that Pinkie Cooper was a new anthro doll line based on a concept by the person who conceptualized the Bratz line. Distributed by The BridgeDirect, I was very interested in seeing these dolls in person and quickly grabbed one when I noticed them on the shelves of Toys R Us the other day.

Pinkie Cooper, front of box.

Pinkie Cooper, back of box

Like most doll lines, Pinkie and her friends even have their own web series on YouTube.  You can check the first episode out below.

Pinkie Cooper is 9″ tall (nearly the same as an Equestria Girl and slightly shorter than Hujoo’s Freyr).  She is jointed at her shoulders, elbows, and thighs.  Pinkie isn’t jointed at her ankles or wrists.  Her knee’s are ‘one click’ knee’s.  The joints are tight and hold poses.  They have a wide range of movement, as well.

Pinkie Cooper in London

The lack of true knee joints and wrist joints is disappointing.  For those of us who like to photograph dolls, knee and wrist joints are kind of important in posing.  I have a feeling they left those joints out of Pinkie’s design to keep her age suggestion down, but still, it’s disappointing.

Pinkie Cooper (without clothes)

Pinkie Cooper is modeled after the English Toy Spaniel breed.  There are three dolls in the line (so far).  Pinkie Cooper is the main character.  She has two best friends, Pepper and Ginger. Each doll is a different shade of brown.  For example, Pinkie, is a tan sort of color, while Pepper has dark brown elements in her design.

Elbow and wrist joints

One Click knees

These dolls have been released (again, so far) in single and deluxe sets.  Single sets include the basics– a dressed Pinkie Cooper/friend doll.  Deluxe sets include much more.  Besides the dressed doll (in a different fashion than the single set), you also get a full sized pet (in Pinkie’s case, Lil Pinkie), a hat to match the dolls outfit, and two accessories.  The deluxe Pinkie, Pinkie in London, comes with an umbrella and a camera.  Right now, it looks like Pinkie (the character) is the only doll included in these deluxe sets.

Pinkie Cooper

I have to pause a moment to mention the packaging.  I was really impressed with the packaging of these Pinkie Cooper doll’s.  In its design, it was more carrying case than toss away packaging.  I love when you don’t have to rip the box open to get to the doll!

packaging

Back to the doll, I have to say- I love her design!  She’s adorable!  I fully admit, I have a soft spot for anthro dolls, but I wasn’t prepared to be hit so hard by this Pinkie Cooper line. Pinkie’s face has all the elements of a great anthro doll.  Of course, I adore the large eyes. While not glass or glossy, they look inset to me.

Pinkie Cooper

Also important to note is that Pinkie has ‘real’ eyelashes.

Pinkie Cooper

Pinkie’s face isn’t littered with heavy make up, which is a huge plus, as well.  That would look strange for an anthro if done wrong! Instead of make up, we get a nice Cocker Spaniel themed face. What’s lovely about that in particular is that it doesn’t look too cartoonish or too realistic.  It’s just right.  The Cocker Spaniel theme is brought back on her body, which you’ll notice has marks or ‘spots’ on various limbs.

Expansion Pack

One very important aspect of Pinkie is customizing.  Pinkie’s ears are actually little wigs. Sold separately for roughly $9.00, are accessory packs that include a complete outfit and a set of ears. The wigs seem fine to me so far.  The hair seems soft and easy to comb.

Wig Cap Ears

Wig Cap Ears

The wig cap has a peg that is inserted into a hole on the head.  They stay in well and are easy to pull out and place in.  Better still, the rim on the wig cap isn’t too thick that it is terribly noticeable like some wigged dolls.

Pinkie Cooper dressed to impress!

Expansion Pack outfit

As far as the outfits are concerned, I adore the outfit on Pinkie in London.  Simply adore. The velcro fasteners make it easy to take off and put on new outfits.  It was a little complicated putting the long sleeves on Pinkie, as her elbow joint kept turning, making her arm bend in strange directions.  However, that’s a small complaint. The outfits look well put together and in terms of style, are super cute on these anthro’s.

There’s not much to say about Lil Pinkie, Pinkie’s dog.  He is a solid accessory for Pinkie.  His head turns left and right, but that is the extent of his mobility.  His ears detach, just like Pinkie Cooper.  However, you don’t receive different ears for him in this set.  Those are sold separately.  She’s a cutie, though, just like her owner.

Lil Pinkie

Pinkie Cooper

The biggest con I can give these guys is the lack of  a fully jointed body.  One click knee’s are okay, but they still don’t really help with posing.  And no wrist joint?  I can understand that, but still don’t love that it was left out.  It would also be great if this doll could stand on her own better, but it seems we’ll have to wait for more releases to see if that happens.

Pinkie Cooper

I like a lot about this new Pinkie Cooper line.  In fact, I even plan on buying her friends, because I think the line is just plain adorable.  (And this is coming from a girl who never really liked the  Bratz line!) The size is perfect, the outfits are well styled and Pinkie’s face is everything I love about anthro’s.

Pinkie Cooper

As usual, I put a video review together with my thoughts on Pinkie Cooper.  Watch it below!

Pinkie Cooper

What do YOU think of the new Pinkie Cooper line?  Do you love them? Have questions about them?   Share your thoughts below!

I haven’t done much re-rooting this year and the projects I did do, I forgot to post!  Here’s an update on my re-rooting projects this year!

Introducing Little Delancy (pre beauty mark)

Most recently, my mom requested that I make a ‘We Three Friends’ Stacie  into a little My Scene Delancy.  Delancy is her favorite My Scene character.  She has a whole shelf of her doll case just for Delancy’s, in fact.  Over the past few years, I’ve collected a box (and bag) of dolls that need new hair.  Strangely, a good number of them are from the We Three Friends line that included Stacie and her two friends.  As My Scene dolls are known for their large features, We Three Friends Stacie seemed like a perfect choice for the re-root.

Delancy (factory) with Little Delancy (re-root)

This Little Delancy was re-rooted with White Chocolate and Carrot Cake saran hair, ordered from Dollyhair.  While I’ve re-rooted Stacie’s before, I have never tried ‘uneven’ highlights before.  While they’re still not as uneven as I wanted, I think the Carrot Cake highlights turned out looking pretty good!  My mom added Delancy’s signature beauty mark.  Little Delancy will be re-dressed eventually. At the moment, she’s still in the dress she wore when we found her at Savers.

Introducing My Scene Madison

This Madison re-root is the third in ‘series’ or sorts.  To clear out my dollyhair box, I started re-rooting a handful of My Scene dolls with lots of different colors, as you’ve seen on Barbie and Chelsea.

My Scene Madison

Madison has a ‘cacophony’ of colors in her hair, from hot pink to lime green to silver.  It goes down to her mid back and is braided all the way through in tiny braids.

Crissy Re-root

And onto Crissy.  Overall, we kept Crissy pretty normal.  I  believe she’s re-rooted with Sable Brown saran hair.  (It’s been a while, though!)  She used many hanks.  I love the dark color and how it works with her dark eyes.

Crissy Re-Root

The most complicated part of the re-root was figuring out how to work around and with the moveable ponytail function she is known for.  Thankfully, we found some handy websites that had instructions on how to handle the ponytail.

I still have lots of leftover colors in my box of dolly hair and my goal is to go through them by December so I can start 2014 with fresh dolly hair!  I have a lot of work to do!!!

Have any questions?  Comments?  Share them down below!

I have many Skippers in my collection, but there are a few that I consider my favorites.  I thought I’d share with you ten of my favorite Skippers (in no particular order).

Japanese Skipper

By far one of the most rare items in my collection is this Japanese Skipper.  Back in 1964, Mattel manufactured  this Skipper for the Japanese market.  She is known for her special eyes– large and black.  I am still on the look out for reasonably priced Japanese Skippers in different hair colors.  I just adore her eyes!

Japanese Skipper

Living Skipper

Like many of the Skippers made in the early years, Living Skipper was released with at least two different hair colors.  While both blonde, the pale blonde Skipper is harder to find.  I stumbled upon her at my favorite doll shop.  These pale blonde Skipper’s have tighter pigtails and paler skin.  I just think she’s so pretty.

Living Skipper (pale blonde)

Cool Tops Skipper

Cool Tops Skipper is from 1990.  She’s from what I call the anime eye era, where Skipper’s eyes were large and round.  The anime eye era is my favorite of all time.  Why?  It’s my youth.  These were the dolls i received for birthdays and holidays.  I’ve always loved this Skipper’s look.  It’s just so, well, me as a grammar school kid in the 90′s.

Cool Tops Skipper

Cool Tops Courtney

Courtney is my favorite Skipper friend of all the era’s.  This Cool Top Courtney is one of my favorites.  Her hair is awesome– so much volume!  I also especially like her outfit.  The colors are so bright and fun!  I found a cute commercial for Cool Tops on YouTube.

Cool Tops Courtney

Totally Hair Skipper and Coutney

One of the most memorable Skipper dolls of the anime eye era is Totally Hair Skipper.  At one point, Totally Hair Barbie was the best selling Barbie in Mattel’s history.  Skipper and Courtney hit store shelves in 1992.  In 1992, I was 10 (ish) and Totally Hair Skipper very quickly became a favorite.  Courtney, I nabbed later via Ebay.

Totally Hair Skipper and Courtney

Pajama Fun Skipper

I have very few Teen Skipper’s.  When Skipper originally changed to the ‘teen’ body, she still looked like Skipper.  However, as the line evolved, she began to look a lot like Barbie.  Pajama Fun is one of the cutest Teen Skipper’s Mattel made.  She came out in 2000.  What I like about this Skipper is her outfit.  It gives off a ‘fun’ vibe and keeps her looking young.

Pajama Fun Skipper

Camp Barbie

Camp Barbie Skipper, from 1994, is by far my favorite anime eye Skipper.  She came out late in era and only a year later, Skipper would look different with the new Pizza Party Skipper headmold.  I honestly don’t know what it is about this Skipper that makes me love her so much.  She’s a simpler Skipper than many of them, but she has such pretty face coloring.

Camp Barbie Skipper

Pose n Play Tiff

Tiff is one of Skipper’s lesser known friends.  They were, in fact, only ‘friends’ for one line– Pose n Play.  Tiff was put on the market and sold as Skipper’s tomboy friend and released around 1972.  You may notice, she has the same face mold as Living Fluff, minus the eyelashes.  Fluff is a cute doll, but Tiff?  I think she’s adorable.  What stands out the most to me are her dark brown eyes.

Pose n’ Play Tiff

Twist n Turn Skipper

In 1969, Skipper got a new, more modern look and was given a Twist n Turn body.  It took me a long time to find an affordable TNT Skipper to add to my collection.  I’m still on the lookout for other examples of the TNT Skipper.  This one, to me, is so striking.  She still has great color and her hair is very nice.

Twist n Turn Skipper

1964 Dark Brunette Straight Leg Skipper

It’s not everyday you come such a pristine straight leg Skipper.  I have a good number of straight leg and bendable leg Skippers from her release by in 1964 and this is by far my favorite. The dark brunette hair is perfect and she still has her wrist tag.  There’s something so innocent about the 1964 Skippers that I’ll always love.

1964 Dark Brunette Straight Leg Skipper

Of course, there are many other Skipper’s I’d love to display here, but the post would turn into a novel.  I put these photos in to a video, for anyone who wants to take a peek!

I know many of you have commented before about your favorite Skipper dolls, but for those that haven’t (or those that want to comment again), why not leave a comment with your favorite Skipper memories?

Catty Noir is in the house!

Catty Noir

For the past few weeks, toy stores have been advertising a new doll to be released on the 13th of September with a graphic that looked like Catty Noir in silhouette.  Turns out that Catty Noir was being put on shelves as early as last week.  So much for the grand unveiling on Friday, September 13th…

Cattie Noir in Box

Catty Noir Box

Catty’s back story is that she’s a teenage popstar who is tired of the lime light and ready to experience the normal high school experience at Monster High.  It looks like Catty is also featured in the new Monster High special, 13 Wishes.

Catty Noir

Catty has charcoal black skin and is decked out with lots of pink.  She has long pink hair styled in a high ponytail.  Her hair looks to be rooted in two different colors, one light pink and one raspberry.

Catty Noir- Hair

Her eyes are highlighted with silver and her lips are pink.  Mattel, also, accented the nose to make it look ‘cat-like’.

Catty Noir- Face

I like the look of Catty’s face.  I think Mattel chose colors that look good on her black body.

Catty’s limbs are black.  Our Catty’s arms don’t have 100% posability, because the rubber bands holding Catty’s necklace on are stuck in her joints.  However, if I have to choose between securing her necklace or moving her arms higher, I’ll take the necklace.

Catty Noir

Catty’s legs are strange.  They seem really hollow.  They definitely feel different than her arm’s.  I don’t remember other Monster High dolls having hollow feeling legs (maybe the guys?), but I do know that I don’t like it!  The shoes even make a weird clanking sound that I don’t think I’ve heard with other Monster High dolls.  (See EDIT at the bottom of the post for a few more words on the legs.)

Catty Noir- Outfit

Catty Noir- Outfit

Catty Noir- train

Catty Noir- shoes

Onto the outfit.  I actually love Catty’s outfit.  It totally fits her character.  It’s not too showy or pageant-like.  It is, however, very pink, which works with this doll.  What I like best about Catty’s outfit is the silver, spiderweb like top.  It looks  great on the black body.  EDIT:  Her hard plastic shoes are removable.  As someone on my YouTube channel described, they come apart like a plastic Easter egg.

Catty Noir- notice her tail

Catty Noir

Overall, I like Catty a lot!  She looks so much better in person than in promo shots.  Even my pictures don’t really do her justice.  Putting aside the strange legs, Catty is a doll that has character.

Catty Noir

For thsoe who like YT videos, here’s a video review of Catty.

Catty Noir- mirror

Catty Noir- autograph

What do you think of Catty Noir?  Share your thoughts below!

EDIT:  Since posting, people have mentioned that the legs are the same as usual, but the hard plastic shoes Catty wears could make them seem ‘off’ or sound hollow.  I compared Catty to another MH doll and it seems that could very well be the case!  Goes to show how you change one thing and the mind can easily perceive it as something more!  :)

EDIT 2: Sorry for the typo’s in the original post.  Spotty internet decided to not save the corrections.  

It’s been a while since I did a ‘Walking the Toy Aisle’ post.  This post is a collection of the pictures I’ve taken throughout the past few months.  Some of these dolls have been out for a while, but maybe they’ll be new to you!

Sister 4 Set for A Pony Tale

Mattel has released multiple four sets that include Stacie, Chelsea (Kelly), Barbie and of course, Skipper.  I actually don’t own a single set.  Why?  They’re pricey and really, I don’t want all four sisters.  However, this set is tempting.  Not only is the Skipper dressed differently from her normal shirt dress/leggings get up, she also has a horse!  This Sisters ‘Horse Adventure!’ 4 set is a Toys R Us exclusive.

New from Lalaloopsy land…

This Loopy Hair Lalaloopsy reminds me a bit of a Cabbage Patch with her yarn hair.  It looks easy to style and adorable!

Christmas in July

I don’t know about you, but this Lalaloopsy reminds me a lot of Christmas with her candy cane colors.  I love her swirly hair, too!

Is that a Pipos?

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking, what’s a book doing on a doll blog.  This book has been out for a while, yet every time I walk into Barnes and Noble, I stop and look at it.  Why?  Because the cover looks very much like an anthro ball jointed doll.  To me, this cover model looks very much like an older Pipo’s.  What do you think?

Pinkie Pie and her Wheels

Let it be known that I’m not a huge fan of the Friendship is Magic Ponies.  They’re too small and repetitive for my taste.  However, I really like the larger interpretations of them.  This car is a great example.  I think ponies should have some weight to them and it never hurts to add a cool car as an accessory!

G4 Ponies

Arg.  I just mentioned that I’m not a crazy fan of the Friendship is Magic ponies, right? And this is a great example why.  The masks look an awful lot like cardboard to me.  Once that cardboard is ripped or lost, you just have another Rainbow Dash or Rarity.  I expect cardboard accessories with happy meals, not My Little Ponies…

Holy Coolness Batman!

How cool are these Batman inspired nostalgia figures of Catwoman and Batman?

Mooshka

Plush dolls aren’t as popular as they have been in past years, but for Mooshka’s sake, I hope these catch on.  I find them adorable.  They come in three different size, too, so at least one of them should fit perfectly into your collection!

Sisters ‘A Pony’s Tale’ 4 pack

What’s the first thing you notice when you see this?  If you’re me, the first thing to jump out is Skipper’s bang-less forehead!  Is Mattel finally listening to us collectors about ‘switching up’ her look?

CU on Skipper

Does her face mold look different to you or do you think it’s losing the bangs that makes her look a bit strange? Or is it the purple looking eyes?  Next time I’m at Toys R Us, I’ll have to re-examine her.

Skipper and Her Horse in A Pony’s Tale

Same horse, different outfit in this Skipper and Horse set.  Mattel really wants me to go broke.  Actually in terms of Skipper outfits, I do like this.  I prefer the outfit in the 4 pack, though.

New Mystix Zombie’s and Grimm

Whether you love them or hate them, Mystixx are back in two new forms- Zombie’s and Grimm’s (like the fairytales).  I think these fantasy lines fit the facemold better than the whole high school storyline.

Pinkie Cooper

I’ve reviewed my Pinkie Cooper a few weeks ago.  Here’s a picture of the different releases that are on the shelf right now!

Action Heroez Bratz

I’m not a huge Bratz collector, but I like the bright colors on these and the longer legs really do suit the outfits.

More Bratzillaz

Bratzillaz seem to be going strong.  I actually really like the outfits on these ‘Back to Magic’ dolls.

La Dee Da Aisle

I was super surprised to see how massive the La Dee Da display was during this shopping trip.  Not only are the basics still there, but there are tons of playsets and two packs.  Love it!

Cutie Pop’s

I want these.  I mean, how cute are these Hattitude Cutie Pops?  Not only are the hats awesome, but the outfits are chalk full of color!

New LPS vs Old LPS

Confession.  I don’t like the recent re-design of the Littlest Pet Shop Line.  To me, they’re strange looking.  What do you think?  (The new LPS is on the left and the old LPS is on the right.)

Really?!

Did I really just read that?

E gad.  Can you believe this Moxie Girlz concept for their Poopsy Pets? The whole concept is designed around animal droppings?  Sorry, but that’s stretching it!

Styling Heads

Mattel had (and my still have) two styling heads out.  One that was for the Princess and the Popstar line and one that your basic Barbie Styling head.  I have to call them out on the quality difference between these two different heads.  The Princess and the Popstar may be a one off, but let’s try to keep the quality up, okay?

Man of Steel

He’s not a doll, but he’s super cool, don’t you think?  I think this Man of Steel figure looks awesome!

Kawaii Crush

To finish off this Walking the Toy Aisle, I though I’d share Kawaii Crush.  The anime fan in me is also a fan of Pinky ST figures.  While these are different, they still remind me a bit of the tiny Pinky characters that were so popular back in the early 2000′s.  Kawaii Crush has many different variations out at the moment  and seems to play on the whole opposites attract concept.

PB and J Kawaii Crush

Large Kawaii Crush

I find them, well, kawaii (cute in japanese).

Single Set Kawaii Crush

So that’s what I’ve seen recently while walking the toy aisles.  What have you seen?  Share your thoughts below!

It’s no secret that I tend to buy the majority of my ball jointed dolls from The Junky Spot.  There are a few reasons why.  First, Emory, the owner, only lists products that he has in hand.  I’m not the most patient person when it comes to waiting for dolls to arrive so that is a huge plus!  Second, he ships super fast and since we’re both based in the US, I get my new doll in days, not weeks or months!

The Junky Spot has two new items that I thought I’d spotlight.  First, they’ve added a new resin BJD to their already diverse line up of doll manufacturers- Mystic Kids.  I went to the Mystic Kids website to learn a bit more about them, but alas, the ‘About Us’ was a blank page.  While I can’t share any company history with you, I can at least share some promo shots of the dolls produced by Mystic Kids.

Mystic Kids SD (1/3) Eileen

Mystic Kids SD (1/3) Ellis

Mystic Kids SD (1/3) Lawrence

What I’m really interested in with this doll company are their 58cm dolls. At US $398.00 with a factory face up, they seem pretty well priced.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re still a lot of money, but much less expensive than some other BJD companies that want upwards of $600.00 for their SD sized dolls.

Lawrence is my favorite, I think.  My BJD collection consists of many female dolls.  For years I’ve been on the look out for the perfect male SD doll and he’s definitely a contender.  Many male dolls have sculpts that look very, well, female.  Lawrence does have some ‘pretty boy’ features, but also has (as my mom put it) an anime sort of look about him, that keeps him looking like a guy.  I like it!

Mystic Kids MSD (1/4) Caroline

Mystic Kids MSD (1/4) Evelyn

The MSD dolls are also reasonably priced at just over US $200 with a face up.  These 45cm dolls have faces that are priceless.  They also have that anime sort of vibe going for them.  I really like their large eyes.

Mystic Kids 27cm Vanetta

While I’m not over the moon about the 27cm dolls, I thought I’d post a picture of Vanetta here because I instantly saw a character in her– Cardcaptor Sakura.

Cardcaptor Sakura

You may not see it, but I think this sculpt would be the perfect Sakura!

There’s a new anthro in town over at The Junky Spot and it looks adorable.  You’ve read on my blog about the Hujoo/Junky Spot collaborations Freya and Freyr.  Another new anthro has been introduced– Nano Freya.

Nano Freya from The Junky Spot/Hujoo

Nano Freya is 12cm tall, which is the same height as the Hujoo babies (according to specs) that were released a few years back.  Nano Freya comes in two colors– white and light grey.  They are made from ABS, just like the other Hujoo’s.

Nano Freya White

Nano Freya- light grey

These guys are available now and priced at the very affordable price of US$27.99.  Awesome price, right?  Like the other anthro’s from Hujoo/Junky Spot, there is no face up option.  These guys arrive strung, but without a face up, eyes, wigs, or clothing.

Nano Freya

There will be more Hujoo fun coming to the blog in future weeks.  Until then, you can check out The Junky Spot to see the new Mystic Kids and Nano Freya’s.

What do you think of these new additions?  Do you own a Mystic Kids doll?  What’s their quality like?  Are you looking forward to adding a Nano Freya to your collection?  Share your thoughts below!

Back in July, Integrity released photos of the newest band to hit their Jem and the Holograms line– The Stingers.  I was a bit busy in July playing babysitter to my 6 year old cousin, so I missed the news completely!

The Singers

What is interesting about these three dolls is that we, collectors and Jem fans, have very little to compare them to. Hasbro had made prototypes of The Stingers (on linked site click name of character for photo) prior to the cancellation of the toy line, but the dolls were never produced and few have surfaced. The fact that this trio has no doll comparison might very well work in its favor because us fans could never become too attached to another dolly incarnation.

It may be late, but here for your viewing pleasure are a few promotional images of The Stingers!

Integrity’s Riot

Riot is the lead singer of the Stingers.  I can see they tried really hard to capture Riot and, for the most part, I think Integrity did a pretty good job!  (Shocking, right?) His outfit is very reminiscent of his cartoon persona and I can see hints of the arrogant and slightly troubled Riot that we all grew to love in this face mold.  He looks bit younger than his cartoon counterpart, but that’s a pretty minor issue.

Riot

What I don’t love about Riot is his rooted hair.  I can see they tried, but it reads too ‘girly’ and less ‘wild’ to me.  Still, all things considered, I think Integrity did a solid job on Riot!

Integrity’s Minx

Minx is one of two female members of the band. She plays the synthesizer and constantly hits on Rio.

Minx

Again, I think Integrity did a pretty good job on her face.  The company’s long, angular facemolds seems  to work far better on the ‘trouble making’ bands than the Holograms.

Integrity’s Rapture

The third and final member of The Stingers is Rapture.  Rapture plays a yellow and black guitar.  Rapture is the mystic of the group, always trying to con someone into believing in some magical object or omen and usually succeeding in getting whatever she truly wants!

Rapture

Aesthetically, she’s not my favorite doll, but just like the other two, I do feel Integrity captured a bit of her essence in their design.  The hair is a total re-design, it seems.   I don’t quite understand why they decided to give her as much hair as they did, but I’m sure trying to recreate her original hair style would have been a manufacturing nightmare.

These fully articulated vinyl fashion dolls are 12″ tall.  Riot is taller by .5″.  They come with various accessories, including extra hands, instruments and albums.

Rapture, Minx and Riot retail for $119.00.  The Stingers are (surprise, surprise) ‘ultra limited’ and were estimated to start shipping this month via their authorized dealers.  I did a bit of web hopping and saw them still available on many sites.

I’m intrigued, now that Integrity has released all there major bands in the Jem and the Holograms cartoon, who will we see next?  Video?  Clash?  Or maybe some of the other unreleased characters?

What do you think of Integrity’s interpretation of The Stingers?  Share your thoughts below!