Once Upon a Time is one of my favorite shows and it has been since the pilot episode.  For those who haven’t heard of it, here’s a quick synopsis.  Once Upon a Time is a fantasy show that follows storybook characters who were taken, memories ripped from them, from their fairytale home to Storybrooke, Maine, USA.

Once Upon a Time poster

Emma Swan, one of the leads, is a woman who grew up in the foster care system and one day finds a boy at her door.  This boy brings her to Storybrooke and from there, she learns that not all is what it appears to be.  I’m notoriously bad at describing my favorite tv shows or books, so even if this doesn’t sound appealing, check it out (today, if possible).  It’s a really, really good show.

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan in a Once Upon a Time promotional Still

Why am I writing about Once Upon a Time here on this doll blog?  Well, it occurred to me that Once Upon a Time is a series I would love to have in doll form.  Unfortunately, as of this post, I haven’t seen any official releases or even any gossip about any doll lines being planned.  I decided a few months back that if there was to be no official line, I would just customize a few dolls myself and create my own personal Once Upon a Time collection!

I have picked up a few Pullips that I thought had the right ‘vibe’ for particular characters.  For example, I purchased a Roman Holiday Pullip because I thought she was a good fit for Mary Margaret, otherwise known as Snow White.  I also picked up a Taeyang Gackt, because he reminded me of the dashing pirate Captain Hook.  (Admittedly, he doesn’t look a lot like Colin O’Donoghue, but until I find the perfect Taeyang, he’ll have to do!  You can’t deny he has a similar vibe with the eye make up and outfit!)

For Emma Swan, I went the extra mile.  After finding the perfect body and face on a Pullip Select Melissa, I sought out some talented folks on Etsy to see if they could help me with getting the outfit right.

Pullip Select Melissa

Before I go any further, let me tell you a bit about the Pullip Select line, because I think a few of you might care to know about it.  For years now, you had to buy a factory Pullip with a factory outfit, making the Pullip’s price a bit daunting, especially for those that like to change the dolls outfits or customize certain aspects of the dolls look.  Pullip Selects are basic Pullips, packaged wearing a doll sized towel, with a factory wig (glued on) and factory face up.  Because the factory outfit isn’t included, these Pullip Selects are under $100.  My Pullip Melissa was only $58.00, which I think is a bargain.  It saved me from paying over $150 on a doll that I was going to re-dress anyway!

Back to my Once Upon a Time Pullip story…  Last month, I contacted Lovely Cie on Etsy and asked if she would re-create Emma Swan’s outfit in a Pullip friendly size.  I also contacted custom Pullip shoe crafter Milky Way Blythe to get the proper footwear.  Lovely Cie was a joy to work with.  She kept me updated on everything, sent me photos to show me what she’d done and in the end, she created a great Pullip sized Emma outfit, complete with jeggings, a white tank top and Emma’s token red jacket.

Milky Way Blythe had the perfect pair of shoes on her Etsy already, so I didn’t have to request a custom order.  Shipping for both the outfit and the boots was super quick, which I didn’t expect as the outfit came from France and the shoes from Hong Kong!

Enough back story. Are you ready for the big debut?  Here you go!  Here’s Emma Swan, making her debut in Pullip form!

Emma Swan Pullip

Pullip Select Melissa Face aka my new Emma Swan Pullip

Notice the token red jacket Emma’s wearing, crafted by LovelyCie on Etsy

Boots, crafted by Milky Way Blythe on Etsy

And here’s a few with my current Captain Hook…

Custom Emma and Hook (Taeyang Gackt)

Custom Emma and Hook (Taeyang Gackt)

Custom Emma and Hook (Taeyang Gackt)

So, there you have it!  My custom Emma Swan from the fantastic TV show Once Upon a Time.  I’d like to send a huge thank you out to Lovely Cie and Milky Way Blythe.  This Pullip Select Melissa could have never been transformed into Emma Swan without your talents!

Here’s the video reveal!

So, readers, I want to hear from you.  What do you think of Emma?  Is there a TV or movie character that you’d like to see in doll form?  Share your thoughts below!

This Easter, my Kurhn collection grew by one.  I received the 7th Anniversary Kurhn (1122, Shining Blue).  It seems every year Kurhn releases a Kurhn doll with a short brown bob to commemorate another year on toy shelves.

7th Anniversary Kurhn

I believe some of these anniversary dolls are limited to 1000, if I’m understanding the listings properly.  The 7th Anniversary Kurhn was made in 2011.

7th Anniversary Kurhn

This Kurhn features the traditional rooted brown bob hairstyle.  It’s more chocolate brown than the 8th Anniversary doll, who has much darker hair.  She wears a white hat with a soft blue ball.  Like other Kurhn’s, this 7th Anniversary Kurhn has large brown eyes with long painted lashes.  Right above the lashes is a hint of lime green eye shadow.

7th Anniversary Kurhn

7th Anniversary Kurhn

While some Kurhns come on jointed bodies, this Kurhn is on a basic body with a porcelain skin tone.  Her shoulders and hips have movement, but her knees and ankles don’t.  It seems these jointed bodies are a bit elusive, at least for me.  All three of my dolls have this basic body.

Kurhn Trio

I have a Kurhn on the way that, while her promo shots show joints, is still just on this basic body.  There’s a lot to be said about this kind of body, though.  It has a nice feel to it.  It has weight to it.  And on top of that, it is pretty easy to make these guys stand on their own.

Pink skin (left) vs Porcelain skin (right)

This porcelain skin tone seems to have a different feel than the pink skin tone.  It’s hard to describe the difference between the two, but they do feel different from each other somehow.

Kurhn and the Doctor

This 7th Anniversary Kurhn is wearing an adorable white baby doll dress with a bold, blue pattern on the bottom.  This dress is actually two layers, which is great, seeing how white fabrics could easily come off as see-through.

Notice the seed bead details

Kurhn and the Doctor

This Kurhn wears blue heels.  They hinder her ability to stand on her own, but are rather cute, I think!

7th Anniversary Kurhn

Kurhn doesn’t come with a comb or stand, but does come with a blue purse.

7th Anniversary Kurhn

I find Kurhn’s so adorable.  Their simple faces, especially their big eyes, are fantastic and come off as both innocent and mature at the same time.  Here are a few more shots of Kurhn, guest starring the Big Chief 11th Doctor and K-9.

7th Anniversary Kurhn and K-9

7th Anniversary Kurhn and the Doctor

8th Anniversary Kurhn and 7th Anniversary Kurhn

Kurhn and the Doctor

7th Anniversary Kurhn

Here’s the video review!

What Kurhn is on your wish list?  Share your thoughts below!

The second Saturday of June each year is World Doll Day.  Started in 1986 by doll collector, artist, and author Mildred Seeley, World Doll Day is celebrating its 28th year in existence.  This year, 2014, World Doll Day will be on June 14th.

World Doll Day Logo- share this!!!

World Doll Day started with a simple letter sent to Mildred’s friends and colleagues that read:

“Since you have not heard of World Doll Day? This is not surprising as of an hour ago, I hadn’t conceived the idea. Give a doll to a grown up, a child, or family friend.

Think of it this way and ship a doll to another country. I have always felt that the common doll could be an instrument of world understanding. From the first time I started writing books on doll making, I had the hope that dolls would help make friends all over the world and develop a little love among all.

World Doll Day will also be a day for doll exhibits. It is my hope that all libraries will have a special doll exhibit. Museums will publicize their doll exhibits and have special doll exhibits at this time. Magazines will put out special editions. Doll stores will put on campaigns weeks ahead. Doll Makers will make special dolls for World Doll Day. There will be doll competitions with World Doll Day awards, plaques and trophies.

The logo is made from artist Boots Tyner’s doll representing a child. The child carries a German bisque doll to represent this doll collectors gift. Feel free to copy the logo or have one made.

Everyone can enjoy the fun as there are no fees, no permission needed, no obligations, nobody owns the day, no club, no company. It’s a free- for- all, take up the day, its ideas and fly with it. Lets do it now. World Doll Day.

If you think World Doll Day is a good idea, then appoint yourself a committee of one to do something about it–only then can it become a reality. Would you tell five people, ask them to tell five people, and each of them tell five people and so on. World Doll Day’s birthday is June 14, 1986.

Sincerely,
Mil and Vernon Seeley”

To tell you the truth, I had no idea there was a World Doll Day until last year, when I stumbled upon an informational page on the day.  I love the idea of having a day to celebrate doll collecting and hope that one day, this ‘day’ truly takes off.  I’d love to see all the things Mildred speculated for the day come true.

I’m not quite sure what I’ll be doing for World Doll Day.  I don’t know of any shows that weekend (Puddle, the Pullip convention, is the Saturday before) and while I know a lot more collectors through the internet than ever before, I still can’t say I know anymore than four collectors within driving distance. To top it off, I know our local doll store won’t be doing anything special to celebrate.

But regardless of what I’m doing, I hope you, reader, do something.  You could buy a small child their first doll or donate a doll to those who might not be as fortunate as others.  Or why not buy a collector friend a doll for their collection?  If there’s lots of you, do a dolly grab bag.  Don’t want to spend money?  Have a small party at home and have everyone bring their favorite doll to do a ‘show and tell’.

If you don’t know any collectors, but have a blog or YouTube channel, why not celebrate there by posting your own World Doll Day post? Photographers, post celebratory photos on flickr, facebook and other photo sites! The options are endless.

So rally the troops! Let’s get the word out that this day exists!  Doll collecting is just as important a hobby as any other, so why not celebrate it!

What are your World Doll Day plans?  How do you plan on celebrating?  How do you think this blog should celebrate? Share your thoughts below!!!

One of the things I really love to do here on Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter is to spotlight other collectors.  This months Collector Spotlight is on a collector you may have seen before.  She has a number of doll related social media sites, including a popular YouTube channel.

I’d like to introduce you to Grace aka Pixie Blossom.  She was awesome enough to fill out these questions regarding who she is as a collector. Grace not only answered my questions here for the post, but she also edited her own video spotlight!  You’ll find that at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

Collector Spotlight Badge

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: I am 25 years old from BC Canada. I am an artist and a vlogger and run a channel on YouTube where I review various TV shows and movies, and am an all around fangirl for a large number of things.

Q: How long have you collected? How did you catch the collecting bug?
A: I am a pretty new collector! I have been collecting for about 10 months now…just under a year!

My collection started with my interest in the new My Little Pony show Friendship is Magic. As a fangirl I wanted to collect the toys from the show and so I started collected the new My Little Pony toys. This collection however quickly expanded from just the characters one the show to a wider variety of pony toys until eventually I found myself drooling over…Dolls.

Ponies started my collecting habits, but dolls cemented it. My first doll to kick me off was a La Dee Da, after which I started buying Monster Highs

Q:What do you collect? Describe your collection.
A: The biggest features in my collection now are Ever After High and Equestria Girls. I also continue to collect Monster High, Disney Store, Kurhn, and even Funko POP! figures. I don’t have a focus on a specific brand so much though, as much as I have a focus on dolls that I personally find very pretty to look at, and characters I know and love from my favourite TV shows and movies.

Q: What made you latch on to (what you collect)?
A: As far as a specific brand, my biggest love is Ever After High, and what drew me to EAH is also what draws me to most of my doll purchases. I love the long and fanciful hairstyles, the feminine girly looks, and most importantly the medieval fantasy outfits that looks like they are straight out of a fairytale. One day I’d love to collect BJDs (if only they weren’t so expensive!) which is another great example. I love lolita fashion and anything ludicrously cute and girly.

Raven Queen

Q: Do you share this hobby with anyone? Did anyone inspire you to to collect? (ie: I share this hobby with my mom…) Who would you like to share this hobby with?
A: I don’t know anyone else who collects dolls! However, many of my friends do collect figures, and I know a few fellow bronies who collect the My Little Ponies figures and memorabilia. They view me as a bit of an oddity for having branched out into dolls, but they don’t think it is all that strange.

Q: What are your ‘grail’ items? Have you found any of them yet? Why are they your ‘grail’ items?
A: Junko Mizuno, one of my favourite manga artists of all time, designed a G3 My Little Pony in 2008, and one day I would absolutely love to have it in my collection. As far as dolls though, as unlikely as my obtaining one is, I would love so much one day to own one of the now banned and discontinued Django Unchained dolls. Mostly I would like Broomhilda, but Id love any of them.
As I mentioned earlier as well, I’d love to some day own a BJD.

Q: Spotlight a few of your favorite pieces in your collection. What are they? When did you find them? What makes them your favorites? Tell us their story.
A: I think my favourite doll ATM is the Ever After High Raven Queen. She is incredibly beautiful, I think it’s the gothic elegance about her that makes me like her so much. She doesn’t look like a really typical doll, which tend to be blond and with a mainsteam ideal of beauty. She’s dark and mysterious, and I love that about her.

My other big favourite is my Orchids Girl Kurhn doll. I love Kurhns for the anime aesthetic. They remind me of Studio Ghibli films! She’s so simply and yet so perfect in her simplicity.

Orchards Girl Kurhn (Kewpie83′s note: this doll is so pretty!)

Q: Do you collect in box or out of box? Why?
A: I am an out of box collector, for the most part. I don’t see the point of keeping items in boxes when the entire reason I want them is because I like how they look, and I find they just look so much nicer out of box on display decorating my shelves. I will make an exception however if I were ever to obtain any very expensive, rare or valuable collection items. For instance, I certainly would never unbox a Django Unchained doll!

Q: What is the most fun aspect of collecting?
A: The best moment I have found in collecting is the experience of buying a new toy/doll. Finding it at the store, getting it home, ripping it out of the package, and taking a bunch of pictures of it. This is the single biggest thrill in collecting…. I do enjoy looking at dolls I want to get in the future online, and I do enjoy having them on my shelves to turn to and admire from time to time, but by and far the most fun is had when you first break a new item out of its package.

Q: Do you have any personal stories you’d like to share that deal with your doll collecting? (ie: Do you have a convention story? A touching backstory on one of your pieces? Share whatever you feel comfortable sharing, anything dolly related!)
A: The most special doll in my collection is my oldest toy. I was given D as a baby and have had him my entire life. I don’t have any interest in collecting baby dolls, but D has a lot of sentimental value.

D

He is an Uneeda doll, though he’s had his body remade at least once during my life. When I started doll collecting, he was in very rough shape as I had scribbled all over his face with markers as a kid! I got him cleaned up and bought him new clothes and now he looks more presentable.

Porcelain Doll

The other doll in my collection that doesn’t necessarily “fit” is an older porcelain doll that came from my grandmother. She’s not worth anything (I checked!) but she was left to me in my grandmothers will after she died. She had a small collection of porcelain dolls, and left one to each of her granddaughters.

Porcelain Doll (Kewpie83′s note:  Again, so pretty! What a great gift to be left with!)

Q: What advice would you give new collectors out there that feel they need to ‘hide’ their hobby?
A: There’s no point in hiding it! Anyone who might care (ie casual acquaintances, co workers, etc) probably will never see your home, and anyone who will be seeing your home (friends and family) probably won’t care! Even so, if you are about to invite someone into your home who you worry won’t react favorably to seeing your collection, a gentle warning ahead of time might be nice. But if someone really cares all that much about what your hobbies are or laughs at you for it, I would question whether you really need that person in your life or not?

Q: Give me 3 tips (in general) on how to cultivate a great doll collection.
A: Hmmm… I’ve  just started, but here are the general rules I use in approaching it.
1) Pace yourself! When I started, I instantly wanted anything and everything I saw. It was very hard to curb the impulse to buy everything in sight right away. Instead, let yourself really get to know and enjoy a new doll before you buy another one. That way not only will you avoid going broke, but you’ll appreciate each one more!
2) Pick a focus, or a theme. As an example, when I started in on Funko POP! figures, I knew I would be doomed to become lost down a rabbit hole if I didn’t pick a theme, because there are SO MANY awesome POP! figures. So I decided my POP! collection would ONLY include Princess characters. This can apply to any collection. Don’t feel obligated to buy absolutely everything in a line, stick to the ones you REALLY want.
3) Budget. I’ve quickly learned this can easily be an expensive hobby. Shoot for sales. Make careful purchase decisions.

Basically the gist of all three of these is: don’t rush it. Don’t feel like you need it ALL, NOW. Start slow, and only buy dolls you know you’ll really enjoy looking at all the time months from now.

Q: Are you a doll customizer? Talk to us about what you do!
A: I’d like to be, but I only have so much time. I like the idea of customizing, but I also like the idea of a specific collectors item! I think it largely depends on the doll, too. A BJD for instance is specifically designed to be made your own, so I think I’d customize something like that.

Q: What kind of future do you see for this hobby?
A: I don’t think it will die out, but I don’t think it will be the same as it used to be. There will always be collectors around, for everything, and there will always be those who want to track down rare and valuable items, and there will always be those who want the latest characters out from Disney and Mattel.

But I don’t think that modern dolls will ever age into the same kind of value as antique dolls did. With mass production as huge as it is now, I think most people will find that modern doll collections will never be worth anything. Because of this, new doll collectors shouldn’t get into for the idea that “someday my collection will be valuable!” Only get into it if you REALLY LOVE looking at these dolls all the time.  (Kewpie83′s note: Totally agree!)

Q: Links to your blog, flickr, etc.
Blog: http://pixiecollections.wordpress.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PixieBlossom2012
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixieBlossom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixieBlossom2012

Don’t forget to watch the video spotlight, edited by Grace herself!

What a great look into a fantastic, enthusiastic collector.  Thank you, Grace, for sharing your stories with us!  Grace, feel free to grab this badge for your blog and link to this post, so it is easy for your followers to find!

Blog Badge

Do you have a question for Grace?  Leave your kudo’s below in the comment area!  If you want to be the next spotlight post, click here for more info.

American Girl announced recently that not one, but four dolls are soon moving into the American Girl vaults.  Kit’s friend Ruthie (1934), who I always thought was one of the prettiest companion dolls, as well as Marie-Grace and Cecile (1863) and Julie’s friend Ivy (1974) are all set to be discontinued “soon”.  According to the announcement post on Facebook, supplies are “extremely limited”.

Good Bye!

“Soon, we’ll say farewell to Marie-Grace, Cécile, Ruthie, and Ivy: http://bit.ly/1nkMb9w Complete your collection while supplies last—quantities are extremely limited. This fall, the rest of the historical characters become BeForever, a fresh approach to these American Girl favorites that we’ll reveal in the coming months!“

To be 100% honest, the only doll of the four that I will miss is Ruthie.  What will Kit do without her friend?  What is a bit surprising to me is that Marie-Grace and Cecile, who debuted in 2011, are part of the four dolls going away. They are relatively new additions to the Historical collection.

BeForever Samantha

Speaking of the term ‘historical’, it looks like the historical dolls are being re-branded to ‘BeForever‘.  Books and leaked packaging are already being seen with this branding.  Regarding the book series and the new names and volumes featuring this re-branding, American Custom Dollhouse did some research and got some straight answers from Customer Service on what was ‘new’ and ‘classic’ in the re-branding of the book line.

American Girl even posted this video on their YouTube channel.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of Mattel’s re-branding of American Girl.  Myself, I need time to really process the changes.  I know, it seems silly, but I literally grew up with this doll line and have become attached to certain aspects of it.  What do you think of the recent changes and announcements coming from American Girl?  Share your thoughts below.

2014 has been a very Pullip filled year so far for me.  Recently, I discovered two super awesome Pullip related products.  The first was the My Select line, which helped me put together my Emma Swan custom.  The second was this Make It Own kit.  This Make It Own kit is pretty neat.  It is an affordable option for people who may like the aesthetics of the Pullip, Taeyang, Dal or Isul face, but would prefer it to be 100% customizable from the get go.

Box

Box

From the outside of the box, this kit could look a little scary.  The directions in back are limited and the large amount of Japanese writing could be daunting.  But don’t worry!  You can do it.

So what is this Make It Own kit?  Here’s a quick run down.  Make It Own kits are essentially a do it yourself Pullip!  Inside the kit, you get all the pieces necessary to create your own blank doll, from head to toe.

Inside the Box

Pieces

The kit contains a stock body, a blank head and everything you need to put together the eye mech that makes Pullip dolls unique.

Head

Eye Mech– already assembled in box

Eye Lids and Winking Rods

Clear eye chips and black eyelashes are included, so you can choose the eye color of your doll, too.  This set does not include an outfit or wig.  Also, as this is a blank head, you’ll need to do your own face up.

Clear Eye Chips

Lashes and screws

These sets are under $40, which makes customizing a much cheaper endeavor than before!  I know my Pullip collection would be much larger had these cheaper options been available years ago.

Now, your next question– how did it go together? Full disclosure, I ended up giving this set to my mom to work on.  She has the Wizard of Oz Pullip set, but nothing that is ‘basic’.  I thought this would be a fun project for her.  Plus, I didn’t have a ton of time to dedicate to making this Isul awesome.  My mom, however, did!

Make It Own Isul– all done!

She made this blank Isul into Alaric.  The only problem she had putting this set together came when inserting the winking rods.  Our kit was packaged with two right winking rods.  Because the left and right rods are shaped differently, we had to contact PullipStyle to get a left rod before this guy could be finished.

Make It Own Isul– all done

PullipStyle sent the replacement out quickly and in three days time, we had the proper winking rod and could finally call this guy done!

What do you think of these Make It Own kits? Share your thoughts below!

For months now, I’ve seen the Disney Classic Friends toddler doll on store shelves.  I finally decided to pick her up.  There are two variations of this doll out so far.  One focuses on Winnie the Pooh and the other, the one I picked, focuses on Mickey Mouse.  I was drawn to this particular doll because of her bright outfit and cute pigtails!

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

Disney Classic Friends are made by Tollytots, a division of Jakks Pacific.  You may know the Tollytots name from the My First Disney Princess line. Disney Classic Friends are 15″ tall.

Disney Classic Friends Winnie the Pooh

She has some jointing, though not as much as I would like.  Her arms go up and down and do tilt out a small bit. Her legs are limited to moving up and  down. Because of this, I find it hard to make this girl stand on her own.  I wish I could just tilt her legs out a bit to widen her stance.  She has no joints on her elbows, wrists, knees or ankles.  Mickey Mouse’s head can turn left and right, but does not tilt up or down.

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

Speaking of her head, she has a head full of rooted reddish/brown hair.  The prototype doll has hair that looks a lot more ginger than the doll we see in stores.

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse Prototype

I prefer the doll they eventually produced to the prototype!  Her hair is styled in cute, curly pigtails.  Her bangs are curled, as well.  The style is moderately sprayed down with hair spray.

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse’s face is adorable.  Similar to the Disney Animator Collection, her eyes are made to look more like inset eyes and less like the decal eyes many toddler dolls have.  They’re large and blue.  Above her eye, there’s a little light pink shadow.  Mickey has adorable chubby cheeks highlighted with a little blush, a button nose and large pink lips.  I love the cartoon like look these dolls have and, of course, the large features!

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

One of the things that made me choose Mickey vs Pooh was her outfit!  It’s adorable and very, very colorful!  She wears a dress that has a bright yellow top and a blue skirt decorated with flowers, hearts and the Mickey Mouse logo. Attached to the collar of the dress is a red sweater decorated with a blue flower.

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

One of the cutest pieces of this outfit is the white, polka dotted apron featuring a full body image of Mickey Mouse himself.

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

To complete the outfit, Mickey wears yellow rain boots.

Disney Animators Collection vs Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

One aspect of this Disney Classic Friends line that I love is how well it fits with the Disney Animators Collection line.  Their bodies are slightly different, but they’re the same height and they have similar faces.

Disney Classic Friends Mickey Mouse

Overall, I think this is one of the better Disney themed toddler dolls to be sold outside of The Disney Store. I wish she had better jointing, especially in the legs, but in terms of character design, they did really well on this toddler doll.

What do you think of the Disney Classic Friends line?  Share your thoughts below!

Saturday was Puddle, a convention that celebrates all things Pullip and friends.  Started in 2007 by fans of the doll line, Puddle is held yearly in the suburbs of Chicago and is attended by collectors from all over the United States.  While I’ve known about Puddle for a few years now, this year was the first year I attended.  Because there’s safety in numbers, I invited my mother along for the ride.  She’s the best convention partner around!

Our Puddle adventure started bright and early at around 8:30AM. Once we checked in, we both grabbed our goody bags that included things like original laminated art, candy, outfits, eye chips and other small things.

Goody Bag Dress

My bag included an outfit donated by Sewgrandmacathy in cute Hello Kitty fabric and my mom’s had a pair of dolly sized skinny jeans.  I don’t have a doll to model this yet, but will post a photo on my Facebook page when I do!

Inside the Convention Room…

Inside the convention room were various tables. Of course, the center was filled with tables for attendees to sit at and display their dolls.  Mingling was very much encouraged throughout the convention.  As I’m not the best at socializing with strangers (I can’t help it, I’m a bit shy), I welcomed the initial ice breaker, which focused on us walking around with a sheet of paper getting signatures from people who had brought or done various Puddle/Pullip related things.  Upon completion, we received a raffle ticket for a chance to win outfits and other fun dolly items.

One table featured free issues of Dolls Magazine, recent and not so recent!  Dolls Magazine even offered attendees a free digital subscription to the magazine.  While I have my issues with doll magazines of today, I am not one to pass up a free issue or two.

Dealers Tables

The area that I was most excited to see was the row of dealers table at the end of the room.  You all know this by now, I love shopping, especially at conventions.  As Puddle is a smaller fan gathering of under 100 people, I didn’t expect to see lots of dealers.  My assumption was right.  There were just under 10 dealers selling their wares.  I was happily surprised by the vendors that did attend Puddle, though.  I was able to pick up some super cute outfits that were not only Pullip friendly, but Hujoo and Makie friendly, as well!  Ironically, while I came in thinking I would enhance my Pullip collection, I mostly enhanced my other 1/6 sized dolls closets!

As far as activities went, the morning portion of the convention was mostly mingling, shopping and trading, ice breakers and group photos.  The afternoon activities included an open customizing Q and A and a variety of contests.  My mom and I only stayed through lunch, because we had to get back home to take care of something, but the morning turned out to be pretty fun!  I met a lot of nice people and had the shock of a lifetime when someone asked me if I was on YouTube.  It turned out she was a YouTube subscriber of mine!  Small world, right?

And the dolls people brought?  First off, there were so many!  Attendees literally brought suitcases of dolls to show off on their table.  I’m positive the dolls outnumbered the attendees!  And there weren’t just stock dolls!  The majority of what I saw were custom dolls.   There was a huge variety of types and sizes of Pullips, Taeyangs, Dals, etc on display.  Like my mom and I, people brought other non Pullip dolls, too.  I saw many Blythes and surprisingly, I found some of them really cute! (I’m not a huge Blythe fan…)  Here are some of the dolls that came to Puddle.

Group Shot- Left

Group Shot Middle

Here are some of my favorite dolls collectors brought to Pullip.

I love the Taeyang in this shot!

The two middle Pullips are adorable!

This Doctor Who themed Pullip is a customized Victorique!  I reviewed one of those a while back!

How cute is Harry Potter?!

Another cute rainbow themed custom

This girl is adorable. The bob, the eyes, the jacket– so cute!

Jedi Knights are always cool.

This girl was just so different than the rest. Her freckles are great!

Puddle’s theme was rainbows. This dress turned out amazing, do you think?

I love the purple wig and the make up free face on this Pullip!

Hello Kitty. So cute!

And there were two very large displays that need to be featured here.

Large display of adorableness.

Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids, need I say more? This was by far the coolest collection brought to Puddle.

So, the question I’m sure your asking, what did she buy?!  I went into Puddle thinking I would pick up a Make It Own or My Select set to customize my own doll or even get a head start on my next Once Upon a Time based doll.  Unfortunately, none of the vendors had those sets.  The backup plan was to find someone selling nude dolls at a price that warranted customizing them.  Following suit, no one had affordable stock bodies for me. Two disappointing strikes. In the end, I decided to focus on outfitting my dolls, because most of the vendors were selling clothing and at affordable prices, to boot! (Azone was selling, but while I love the look of their 1/6 scale figures, I can’t pay over $100 for them.)

My Makie in her new Sailor Moon cosplay

I brought my Makie along, because, while I love the doll itself, the outfits from MakieLab’s need work.  My first purchase at Puddle was an adorable Sailor Moon themed outfit for Siena, my Makie.  Being a two piece outfit, I didn’t have to worry about Siena’s strange torso.  The top fit really well, too, as it’s not supposed to be skin tight.  This outfit was made by Quamara of Quaint Quintessence.

Doctor Whooves Cosplay (modeled by my Makie)

Doctor Whooves (back)

Twilight Sparkle cosplay (modeled by Hujoo)

Twilight Sparkle Cosplay (back)

Quamara had a ton of cute pop culture’y pieces at her booth, including two piece sets (a hoodie and skirt) themed around My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.  Of course, I couldn’t pass those up.  I picked up Twilight Sparkle and Doctor Whooves.  The great thing about these is that, like the Sailor Moon outfit and my Makie, these outfits fit my Hujoo!

Re-Ment

Because I can never pass them up, I picked up four Re-Ment mystery boxes from Sakura’s Blossoms.  I’m a sucker for miniature food items, even though I don’t have a doll house to really display a lot of the pieces I own.  (The fact that Anime Central had ziltch when it came to Re-Ment aided in me buying these at Puddle!)

Coat (modeled by Bobobie Sprite)

My mom picked up an awesome MSD sized jacket for her Bobobie from Kaleidoscope Coats, a newer vendor to hit the dolly market. These coats are super neat and almost otherworldly.

Coat (modeled by DIM Fantasia)

I picked up a cool earthy jacket that cuts off at the waist.  Currently, Breena, my Doll In Mind Fantasia is wearing it, though she needs a new skirt or pants to match it!

Catwoman and future Regina Mills/Evil Queen custom

The last thing I picked up is the piece I went back and forth on most.  I went into the day thinking that I wouldn’t pick up any stock dolls.  However, Shifty Lizard was at the convention, which made things a little more difficult.  I truly wasn’t going to buy anything from their booth, because their prices were high, but then I saw a discounted Catwoman Pullip. The doll was being sold at a discount because the goggles were loose in the package.   What really caught my eye was the doll under the outfit.  The stock doll immediately reminded me of Regina/The Evil Queen.  In the end, I picked her up in hopes to add to my Once Upon a Time custom collection.

My mom made out pretty well in the swap/buy/trade portion of the morning, picking up a handful of wigs at 3 bucks a pop!

I must admit, I did expect more wig and shoe options on the vendor floor and I definitely expected more nicely priced nude dolls or a Make It Own set or two.  However, I am happy with the majority of what I picked up, especially in regards to the outfits!  My dolly budget is, of course, blown for the month, which means I will most likely see every single new Monster High or Ever After High dolls released recently on store shelves!

Group Photo

More importantly, I had a fun time interacting with other doll collectors!  It’s always interesting (in a good way) to be around others who like the same things you do and can relate to the hobby based things you might do!  Overall, I’m glad I finally got to attend Puddle.  It was a fun way to spend a Saturday. I can’t wait till next year!

For more photos, check out my Facebook page.  You’ll see table photos galore over there!

My mom’s MIO Isul and my custom Emma Swan

Did you attend Puddle or another local doll con recently?  What did you think?  Did you buy anything fun? Share your thoughts below!

World Doll Day Logo

World Doll Day is tomorrow, Saturday, June 14th!  Don’t know what World Doll Day is?  I blogged about it a few weeks ago. How do you plan on celebrating?  If your blog is doing something special, link to it in your comment.  Share your thoughts below!

Happy World Doll Day!  I’ve been going back and forth on what to post to celebrate the occasion for the past week.  I finally settled on this.  I’ve reviewed many new dolls here on the blog and discussed a lot of Skipper dolls, but I have yet to introduce you to five of my favorite non-fashion dolls. These dolls were all gifts and will always hold a special place in my heart.  None of them are worth much in terms of second hand value, which is fine with me, as I don’t collect solely to re-sell, but all hold sentimental value.

Cabbage Patch Kid, Elizabeth Ann

The Cabbage Patch Kids came out in 1983, the same year I was born.  If you remember, the Cabbage Patch Kids were a big thing, especially during Christmas of 1983, where people literally ripped stores apart trying to get their hands on one. My father, during that time, worked multiple jobs, one of which was at Osco.  A perk of working at Osco (besides having enough money to pay the bills)?  Getting first dibs on Cabbage Patch Kids when they arrived.  Elizabeth Ann arrived during a shift, he claimed her and brought her home for his dear, sweet daughter– me– sometime in 1984.  While I have a handful of Cabbage Patch Kids, Elizabeth Ann is still my favorites. My dad going the extra mile to find one makes her special.  Elizabeth Ann was originally dressed in a dress, but has been wearing this Brownie outfit for a few years now.  You can see her legs and arms have a bit of wear, but that’s from being loved.

Avatar: The Last Airbender 20: Appa Plush

Appa is a flying bison and was featured in the excellent cartoon Avatar: the Last Airbender (2005-2008).  If you haven’t watched Avatar, I suggest doing so!  The animation is fantastic and the storyline is friendly for all ages.  When this plush first appeared in the Nick store, I did what most 20 somethings do when they see something they want– post the link on my Mom’s Facebook.  My mom and I share links a lot and usually it doesn’t lead anywhere.  However, during one Christmas a few years ago, I was happily surprised to find this adorable 20″ stuffed Appa under the tree.  This Appa is the most huggable plushie I’ve ever seen and for this reason, whenever I’m feeling down, hugging this little guy makes me feel better.

Madame Alexander Victoria

I’ve written about my Madame Alexander Victoria before.  I received her in 1987 when my brother was born.  The special thing about Victoria is that not only do I have one, but my mom does, too!  She received her own Victoria when her brother was born in 1968. The tradition of giving a Victoria to those with siblings has continued with my cousins and, hopefully, will continue on for a long, long time.

12″ Russ Troll

As a kid, my mother, brother, grandparents and uncles would frequent malls quite a bit.  One of those malls was Gurnee Mills.  Back in the 90′s, Gurnee Mills had one of the best kiosks ever– it was a Troll Kiosk.  Filled with trolls big and small, it was one of the highlights of going to Gurnee.  The thing that stood out most in the large kiosk were the 12″ Russ trolls. Dressed in all different outfits with different hair colors, these trolls were on my wish list throughout most of the 90′s!  Here’s one of the cuties that I received from that booth.  These large trolls will always be attached to memories of walking through Gurnee with my family.

West German Doll made by the Germany Toy Company (GTC)

I received this doll upon my grandmothers death.  My grandmother purchased this doll as an adult sometime in the 70′s.  I don’t have much information about this plastic doll, other than she’s 20″ tall, with a German Toy Company tag labeled West Germany.  My grandmother didn’t have many dolls, so I treasure this piece and am glad it could come home with me.

These five dolls may not be rare or in mint condition, but they are some of my favorite pieces.  The fact that they were given to me by people I love and that they hold memories make them special.

World Doll Day seems to be a great day to share the love of doll collecting with others, whether it’s giving a doll away to a stranger or to your best friend.  Just the art of giving a doll to another is a great thing and you never know– one day maybe the doll you gave someone will pop up on a blog just like this.

World Doll Day Logo

What dolls were you given that hold special sentimental value?  Share your story in the comment area. And have a very happy World Doll Day!

I’ve been re-rooting again!  I know, I know, I’ve re-rooted a ton of Little Miss No Names’ in the past, but they’re so much fun to re-root.  Plus, the usual recipient of my re-roots really likes Little Miss No Name.

For this re-root, I used a nylon brunette tone called ‘Devil’s Food’.  It took 5-6 hanks from Dollyhair.  My mom chose a dark brunette for this doll, because the last re-root was a light blonde.  I’ve dubbed these two as sisters with very polarizing hair colors!

Little Miss No Name Re-Root

The sisters together

I never tire of re-rooting Little Miss No Name heads.  I have one more in the wings getting a ginger sort of color, but I really want to try a fantasy color on these guys.  What fantasy color or colors do you think would work wonders on this doll?  Share your thoughts below!

Hey, hey, hey, it’s time to review a new Monster High doll!  For the past few months, the internet has been abuzz about the Monster High Freaky Fusion line, which features monster hybrids.

Avea Trotter is one of three new characters introduced in Freaky Fusion. She’s part Centaur and part Harpy.  We’ve seen Harpy’s before in the Create a Monster line, but a Centaur?  That’s completely new and very exciting.  Of the three hybrids introduced in the new line, she was the one I was most looking forward to.  A doll with four legs who can stand on her own?  Sounds perfect! For the most part, she didn’t let me down.

Avea Trotter

Let’s start off with the big thing– Avea’s body.  Is it jointed and how well?  Avea’s light purple torso is very similar to what we’ve seen on other Monster High dolls.  Her arms have the exact same jointing we’ve seen on other dolls, in fact. A nice unique features on this doll is the rough scale like design on her arms.  Her hands are black, which makes her look like she’s wearing gloves.

Avea

The main difference in the torso is that Avea has a chest joint that allows her upper chest to move forward and backward and to tilt slightly left and right.  It’s not the best joint and doesn’t give as much movement as I would have liked.

Avea

I had expected there to be a joint somewhere where the torso meets the centaur body, but alas, she has none.

Avea

Because Avea is part Harpy, she has wings.  They are removable.

Avea

Her torso is attached to a dark purple horse-like body.  The four legs allow this doll to stand on her own, which is fantastic.  Jointing is a little sketchy when it comes to the legs.  The front legs have joints that go forwards and backwards at the hip and knee. She also has a joint right above her hoofs, hidden by the black leg warmers.

Avea- front legs

Her back legs have large joints at the hips that allow her legs to move backwards and slightly forwards.  There are no other joints on her hind legs.  Her hip and leg are decorated with pink skulls.

Avea

Avea has a tail, of course, filled with bright blue hair.

Avea

Avea’s head is the same light purple as her torso.  Her eyes are decorated with lots of colors in a feather-like pattern,including a nice green and various pinks.  I’m a bit torn on my opinion of her eyes.  I like the bright colors and the feathery pattern, but it almost seems like too much is going on.  I really do like her dark purple lips, though.  They look great on the skin tones they chose for Avea.

Avea

One really nice feature on the head mold are Avea’s horse ears.  They’re so neat!  I love them.  They stand out a lot due to the hair style on this girl.  Speaking of styling, Avea has bright (and I mean bright) rooted hair in various blue tones.

Avea

The bright blue is a great contrast to the light and dark purple’s on the body.  The style is simple, just a high pony tail, but is rounded out with a cute steampunk’y style hat.

Avea

Avea is dressed in a very equestrian sort of way. Because she’s part centaur, the clothing only covers her torso. I must admit, I didn’t mess around with her clothing a lot.  Her wings are staying in really well at the moment and I didn’t want to ruin that.  She has a dark blue shirt, covered with a short sleeve pink equestrian style jacket.  Her belt is made of plastic and is molded to cover her horse body like reins.  Because she has hoof’s, shoes are not necessary, but she does wear some neat plastic leg warmers.

Avea

Finals thoughts?  There’s no denying she’s a neat doll, in terms of body type.  I think they cut some corners with the jointing in her back legs.  However, I love the fact that she can stand on her own. The color palette is vibrant and for the most part, I like it.

Avea

I really like the details on the wings and the colors they chose for them, too. The make up can be seen as being a bit over the top, but as I mentioned, I’m on the fence at the moment!  In a strange turn of events, after seeing all three of these new hybrids, she is no longer my favorite.  You’ll have to wait and see which of the remaining two is! Overall, though, I think Avea Trotter is a nice addition to the Monster High line.

What do you think of Avea Trotter? Share your thoughts below!

Maru and Friends made its debut in 2008.  The doll line was the brainchild of  Maritza Gutierrez, a doll collector turned doll designer.  To help bring her vision to life, she enlisted world renowned doll sculptor Dianna Effner to give her dolls a realistic, childlike look. If you’ve been collecting long and have an eye for porcelain dolls, you most likely know that name, as it’s graced the insides of doll magazines for years!  (Her Expressions site has some interesting doll making tutorials you may want to check out!)

At 21″ tall, these dolls are similar in size (about 4″ taller) and price to A Girl for All Time and American Girl.  Maru and Friends are made of vinyl and have jointed shoulders and hips.  Their head tilts in all directions.

The line currently consists of five characters.  The character that brings the line together is Maru, a Latina doll.  When we meet Maru, she is traveling to America from her home country to live with her aunt and uncle.  At school, she meets other girls in similar, but different situations.

Maru and her Friends

Maru’s friends include Tanya, Raven, Jamie and Savannah.  My favorite of her friends is Raven.  Savannah is, also, very cute, with her ginger hair.

Outfits for Maru and Friends

Outfits for Maru and Friends

Of course, a doll needs outfits.  Maru and Friends offers a nice variety of clothing for the line.  Outfits include the adorable bathing suit line, collectable outfits (like the Cozy Collection above) and cute ‘fashionista’ fashions (also pictured above).  The sweater set is adorable, isn’t it?  I, also, like the Rock Star look that Tanya is modeling in the pictures above.

Friends Forever Armoire

Maru and Friends have some pretty cute furniture pieces, too.  The color scheme isn’t terribly exciting, they’re all stark white, but the sets look like they are well made.

Tea Table

Color would add a lot to these furniture pieces, but I like the look of them.  The bunk bed is my favorite.

Sleepover Fun Bunk Bed

Maru and Friends dolls are wigged and have hair that is easy to comb and style.  They even offer styling services!  Those in the Florida area can see these dolls in person at Aventura Mall, Town Center at Boca Raton and Coral Gables. Check the website for exact addresses or call the number below.

Maru and Friends Florida Locations

It looks like they host a good number of activities and even do tea parties!  If you can’t make the trip to Florida, don’t fear– you can order these dolls online, too.  For more information on Maru and Friends, check out their website or visit their facebook page.

Why am I writing about this company, other than the fact that the dolls look adorable?  Well, I received one for review and wanted to give you a little insight into the doll before posting a full overview of Maru. When she arrived,  I put together a box opening video!  It’s been live on my YouTube channel for a week or so now, but, in case you missed it, here’s your ‘first look’!

A full review is on the way, so stay tuned!  Until then, why not check out the Maru and Friends website and let me know what your favorite doll, outfit or furniture piece is!

*Photo credit: http://www.maruandfriends.com

Not only do I collect dolls, but I, also, collect My Little Ponies.  Some of my favorite pieces in my collection are custom ponies I picked up from anime conventions and the internet.  I thought I’d spotlight those customs today!

You’ll notice many of the custom ponies in this post are G1′s.  Why?  Simply put, they’re my favorite generation of My Little Ponies.  I love their size and overall look.  I think they have more personality than the current My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic line, though some of the customs are nice.  (They’re still too small for me, though!)

Many of my customs are from the same artist, because I bought the majority of these at Anime Central a few years back.  So, without further ado, here’s  my small collection of My Little Pony customs.

Fruits Basket- Kyo

I love my Kyo pony, based on the hot headed character from Fruits Basket.  He was one of my first My Little Pony customs.  He was customized by Marienoire and picked up at ACEN.

Fruits Basket

This Fruits Basket pony was gifted to me from a friend who was going through her collection.  There was no way I was going to pass up this cutie.  Her body has zodiac animals painted all over it, to represent the characters in Fruits Basket.  The onigiri represents the main character, Tohru. This custom was made by Marienoire and picked up at ACEN.

Playdate

Playdate is a custom pony I picked up off eBay a few years ago.  The artist is unknown, as eBay won’t go back far enough for me to find their name.  I was drawn to this pony because of her fun hair!

Hello Kitty

These Hello Kitty custom ponies, again created by Marienoire, were gifts.  Unlike the first few featured here in the post, they’re G3 ponies. They make a cute family, don’t they?

Gargoyles Demona

Gargoyles is one of my favorite cartoons.  It’s up there with Jem and the Holograms and Avatar: The Last Airbender. (That makes me think– how awesome would an Avatar: The Last Airbender pony collection be?!) This pony is Demona themed and looks super cool.  She was painted by Marienoire and picked up at ACEN.

The Hunger Games Katniss

This pony wasn’t created to be Katniss, but when I saw it, I thought it really spoke to the feisty character in The Hunger Games trilogy.  She’s a G3 pony, customized by an unknown artist.  Katniss was purchased on eBay.

Zebra

I love this zebra!  She’s so cute.  My favorite part of this custom is the spiky mane.  Purchased at ACEN, this custom was, also, created by Marienoire.

Naruto and Sakura from Naruto

If you’ve seen Naruto, you know who these two cuties are– Naruto and Sakura.  I can hear you asking, what about Sasuke? Sorry, I didn’t like Sasuke as much as these two.  These baby ponies were customized  by AnimeAmy and picked up (again) at ACEN.  One of the neatest elements on these guys are the headbands made of sculpey.  I, also, like that Naruto’s cutie mark is ramen noodles.

Polka Dot

I couldn’t pass up this adorable custom when I saw it on eBay this past month.  Created by Emerring, this pony is appropriately named Polka Dot.  She’s a G3 pony covered in glow in the dark dots.  Pretty much everything about this pony spoke to me– the colors, the dots.  This was a great buy.

Trigun’s Vash

If I had to choose a favorite custom, it would be this one, Vash, from the Trigun series.  Full disclosure, I’ve never actually watched Trigun, but I have always loved the look of Vash.  This pony, with his spiky hair, glasses and bright red body is as eye catching as the anime character.  Another thing I like about this custom is the use of a sitting pony body. Vash was customized by Marienoire and purchased at ACEN.

Do you have any custom ponies?  Do you have a favorite from my top ten?  Do you have a favorite pony artist?  Share your thoughts below!

Earlier this month, I wrote a quick introduction to a 20″ doll line called Maru and Friends, in preparation for a Maru review.  Since then, I’ve played around with Maru quite a bit and I am finally ready to give you guys a full review!

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

Her adorable little face was crafted by Dianna Effner.  The Maru and Friends line was a passion project of doll collector Maritza Gutierrez.  Her goal was to make a doll line that would more realistically represent the girls who were playing with them.  For an overview of the line, check out my earlier introduction post.

Maru and Friends

American Girl vs Maru and Friends vs A Girl for All Time

Right off the bat, I was surprised by how Maru towered over other dolls within her price bracket.  At 20″ tall, she’s taller than both American Girl and A Girl for All Time.  She’s completely vinyl, which gives her body a nice weight to it. She feels substantial and well made, warranting the price tag of just over $120.00.

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

Maru has well working joints, possibly the best joints I’ve seen on a doll of this size.  Her neck tilts in all directions.  It holds its pose well and allows for a lot of movement.  Continuing down, her shoulders and hip are jointed.  They also hold their poses surprisingly well.   Unfortunately, Maru is missing the ever important elbow joint, so she can’t carry items as well as I would like.  Her arms do have a nice curved look to them, though.

Maru and Friends

Maru stands like a champ.  Even with her arms in various poses, she balances on her own.

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

Wigged, Maru has hair that is easy to style.  They even offer styling services through the company, much like American Girl.  In Maru’s case, she has nicely wigged dark brown hair that goes down her back and fringe/bangs.

Maru and Friends

The thing I like most about Maru is her adorable, childlike face.  The inset, glass like eyes and ‘real’ eyelashes are two features that really make Maru’s eyes pop. The almond shape of her eyes looks really nice, too.  This doll definitely smiles with her eyes.

Maru and Friends

Her round face features full cheeks, a cute nose and mauve lips.  Maru has light coloring above her eye lids and light blushing on her cheeks.  Overall, her face is relatively clear of heavy make up.

Maru and Friends

Maru comes dressed in an outfit that has 9 pieces total, which is a lot considering what her competition comes with.  Accessories that American Girl would charge extra for, like Maru’s purse and hat, come packaged with Maru from the get go.

Maru and friends

Her outfit itself includes a three quarter sleeve orange shirt, a striped orange vest, an orange scarf, a brown corduroy skirt, brown tights, white undies and brown boots.

Maru and Friends

There’s so many pieces to this outfit, I’m amazed.  The number of separates shows that those behind Maru and Friends tried to put out a doll that was worth the price, which is a very good thing.  How is the quality of the clothing? It’s on par with other companies in the 20″ doll market and fits well.

Maru and Friends

Now, the one thing that bugs me a little?  I don’t know of any other doll that is similar enough in size to interchange outfits.  My American Girl’s stuffed torso is much wider than this vinyl Maru and A Girl for All Time is much shorter.  A reader messaged me about asking if she might fit Karito Kids clothing, but as I don’t own one of those, I don’t know for sure.  If anything, that might be the closest to this doll in height, but I have a feeling they might be thinner than Maru and Friends due to Karito’s fabric torso.  As others have commented on my introduction post and box opening, it is annoying when a doll is so specific in size that it can’t wear other doll line’s outfits.  I realize they want you to purchase Maru and Friends brand clothing, but still, it would be really, really nice if we could find a doll line that might be in line with this one, outfit wise.

Maru and Friends

Maru comes with a certificate of authenticity and a picture book.

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

Maru is a beautiful doll.  Her face is really captivating with the glossy brown almond eyes.

Maru and Friends

I had a ton of fun photographing her for this review!

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

If I could suggest any improvements, they would be these: I would love to have seen elbow joints on her.  I think elbow joints would have opened her up to a lot more pose-ability.  Also, I would work on the website a bit to make sure the finalized dolls are the most prominent graphics.  For example, owner images of Tanya have different hair than the product page and Maru is shown wearing two different outfits on her product page, making it hard to tell what outfit you actually receive when you order.

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

Is Maru worth the cost?  Totally.  I will always be a fan of American Girl dolls, but they’re falling behind a bit when compared to dolls like A Girl for All Time and Maru and Friends.  For more information on Maru and Friends, check out their website.  You can also find them on Facebook or you can visit them in person if you live in the Florida area.

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

Maru and Friends

What do you think of Maru from Maru and Friends? Leave your thoughts below!

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

Okay, the title is a bit of an over statement.  Many times, readers will comment on my posts talking about the toys and dolls that they missed out on and look back on with fond memories.  To me, those fall under ‘grail items’ (think: search for the holy grail) Grail items are things that you want desperately.  Items that you wish were in your collection.   Many times, they are items that you saw and put off buying, only to find that finding them later is near impossible.

This post will cover a few of my personal grails that made their debut in my life time (aka the past 30 years).  Some are childhood toys that I never received for birthdays or holidays, others are more recent releases that I stubbornly missed out on for one reason or another.

My Pet Monster:

My Pet Monster

In 1986, AmToy, an American Greetings company, launched what would become a very sought after plush doll, My Pet Monster.  My Pet Monster, originally marketed as a plush for boys, was 26″ tall and brightly colored.  There were a few version of My Pet Monster made, but my personal favorite was the original furry blue one.  As a 4 year old, this was the perfect plush.  How could anyone not love this huggable, colorful monster that came with chains?  Needless to say, it was on my wishlists.  Of course, it, also, happened to be more expensive than most other toys. (I tried to find the actual original retail price, but couldn’t find it online.)

Last week, I saw a My Pet Monster at my local Savers.  (Savers is a second hand store that is popping up all over the United States, it seems!)  It was priced at a whopping $99.99 in ‘played with’ condition with his chains.  It may be a grail item of mine, but I’m not interested in paying anywhere close to $99 bucks for an out of the box plush that has wear..  That being said, I do hope one day to catch myself a minty fresh My Pet Monster.  Because he’s just so cool!

Sarah Jane’s Sonic Lipstick:

In 2005, my mom borrowed the Series 1 re-launch of Doctor Who starring the amazing Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor.  Prior to that, I had watched some of the Tom Baker era, but not enough to consider myself a fan of the series.  The tighter stories and higher production value of the 2005 series, though, won me over and by the end of episode 13, I was hooked.  In Series 2, ‘new Who’ reunited the tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant, with a Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker era companion, Sarah Jane Smith, played by the fantastic Elisabeth Sladen.

Sarah Jane and K-9

Having proven that she was just as popular a companion in 2006 as she was during her original time in the TARDIS, her character was given a spin off show called ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures‘. This show ran for five series, unfortunately cut short due to Elisabeth losing her real life battle with cancer. (I was gutted when I heard the news– it was so shocking!)

Sarah Jane Adventures Sonic Lipstick with Wrist Scanner set

Throughout the 5 year run, a number of toys were made.  One such toy was the Sonic Lipstick/Wrist Scanner set.  This plastic toy set never made it to the United States, according to a few stores I have spoken with at conventions.  While this set couldn’t have been more than $25 dollars when it was first released, it now is priced well above that, making it hard to find at an affordable and worthwhile price.

Honestly, I don’t care about the Wrist Scanner, what I want is the Sonic Lipstick.  It would be the perfect, pocket friendly, toy to keep in my purse for those moments when I feel the need to sonic something (which would probably happen a lot).

My Little Pony Paradise Estate and Dream Castle:

What little girl growing up in the 80’s wouldn’t have wanted the large pony playsets from the original G1 line in their bedroom?  I was pretty lucky as a kid to receive a good amount of My Little Ponies and even received a few of the smaller playsets.  However, these elusive and expensive sets never made it my way.

To this day, I would love to add these to my collection.  They’re just so much cooler than the playsets we saw with the G2-G4 lines.  As My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Rainbow Dash would say, the G1 sets were and are 20% cooler than what’s on toy shelves today!

Barbie & Skipper Doll Let’s Drive! Student Driver Gift Set:

Some of the most irritating grails are the ones that you saw and that you had the chance to buy, but didn’t.  Back in 2000, Toys R Us released this amazing Barbie and Teen Skipper set, which featured a car and a ton of driving related accessories.  I put off buying this set, because it was a little pricey and I wanted to wait for it to get a bit lower in price.  However, three short years later, Skipper would be put in the vault and this set would disappear from store shelves.

Let’s Drive Giftset

I kick myself when I see this for upwards of $100 on websites.  This Teen Skipper is one of the cuter ones.  What I like about this Skipper is that she looks younger than Barbie.  Some Teen Skippers looked very similar to Barbie, especially the bathing suit ones, and that bugged me a bit.  It’s a huge reason why I don’t have many of the later Teen Skipper releases.  This set, however, features a Skipper that definitely looks different from her older sister, Barbie.

So, there you have it.  These are just a few of the dolls and toys that I missed out on as a kid (and adult!) and occasionally obsess over finding!  One day, I do hope to have them all in my collection, but until then, the hunt continues!

Is there a doll or toy that you missed out on and would desperately like to add to your collection?  Did you or do you own any of the items mentioned in my post?  Share your thoughts below!

Earlier this year, Mattel released a blonde reproduction Skipper in honor of her 50th anniversary.  It sold out in less than a week, leaving many collectors empty handed.  After fans repeatedly asked for a re-release, Mattel eventually announced a new run– this time, with a brunette Skipper.  I was super excited, as I always preferred brunette vintage skippers to blonde.

50th Skipper

Well, today is the day, folks!  Barbie Collector currently has the 50th Anniversary Skipper in stock!  I don’t know how long it will last or how limited supplies are, so you may want to order it soon!  Also, don’t forget to take a peek at the cute shirt they just released, as well!

Did you order a Skipper?  Share your thoughts below!

And the collection grows again!  A few months ago, I picked up a Kurhn that I’ve been drooling over since I first learned of the line– Gentle Lilia Bride.  While pictured out of the box as a jointed Kurhn, the seller confirmed that the doll in the box wasn’t jointed.  (Alas, one day, I’ll add a jointed Kurhn to my collection.)  I mention this, because multiple sellers still use a photo of this Kurhn on a jointed body and I don’t want anyone to be disappointed.

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

Gentle Lilia wears a beautiful strapless peach wedding gown and a long white veil.  The dress is well made and looks fantastic on Kurhn. The skirt has two layers.  One is a nice silky peach, the other a peach tulle.  The skirt is rather full, which I love!  Gentle Lilia should display beautifully when I have the right place to put her!

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

She has the large brown eyes that make Kurhn unique amongst others and a nice, clean face.

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

As always, the 11th Doctor (manufactured by Big Chief) came out to welcome this new Kurhn to the collection and got roped into a rather romantic scene!  For a full review on Kurhn (in general) see my past reviews.  Here are some photo’s from Gentle Lilia’s first photoshoot.

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn with the Doctor

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn with the Doctor

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn with the Doctor

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn

Gentle Lilia Bride Kurhn with the Doctor

Here’s a quick video review for you, too!

Have you purchased a Kurhn recently?  Which one? Share your thoughts below!

You’re a very lucky collector if you know other collectors within your area.  The internet has been very nice to doll collectors, as it has helped many people who may have felt alone in the hobby relate to other collectors through Youtube videos, Flickr, Facebook and other sites.

Collector Spotlight Badge

Collector Spotlights are some of my favorite things to post here on Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter.  Why?  Because it gives collectors a chance to tell their story– and everyone’s story is different and interesting!

Credit: Nate Bratzshows (flickr)

Today’s spotlight focus’ on Nate, also known as Bratzshows101.  Nate has a wide collection that features Bratz, Monster High and American Girls, among other doll lines.

Credit: Nate Bratzshows (flickr)

Nate caught the collecting bug as a young boy, when he spotted a Barbie that he wanted.  His parents bought it for him and the rest is history.  Nate shares his hobby with fellow collectors through his Flickr and YouTube accounts (second account: here). He hopes that one day he will inspire his mother, an admirer of his own collection, to start her own collection.

Credit: Nate Bratzshow (flickr)

Nate aspires to create his own doll fashions and lines in the future. He’s mostly an out of box collector and gets the most enjoyment out of styling dolls in his collection, as well as sharing those dolls through photos and videos online.

Credit: Nate Bratzshow (flickr)

Nate offers up some very handy tips for collectors on cultivating their collection.

1: Make or find a checklist of what you’re collecting.  There’s an amazing Monster High checklist on the web.  Use resources like this to keep track of your collection.

2: Make a wishlist and don’t only list what the item is, but why you want it.  It will help you separate what you really want from what you think you want.

3: Only buy what you love.  You’ve heard it before in other spotlights and you’ll most likely hear it again.  It’s a very important piece of advice.

Credit: Nate Bratzshow (flickr)

To hear Nate’s full story, watch the video spotlight below.  Then, head back over and leave some kudo’s for Nate and his collection!

Big thanks to Nate  for sharing his story. Grab this badge and place it on your various websites.

Blog Badge

If you’d like to be featured here, check out my facebook page for more information.

Ah, fans have asked and Mattel has listened.  After months of only having one male Ever After High doll, Dexter Charming is finally on store shelves!  And I’ll let you in on a secret– he’s well worth the wait.

Dexter Charming

Dexter has a short rooted, light brown hair-do.  He wears a small crown that is attached onto his head. As expected, his hair is very hair sprayed.

Dexter Charming

Dexter Charming

Like Hunter, his face is clean.  He has thick eye brows, bright blue eyes, and natural lip color.  His face looks youthful, which I really like, and unlike some of the female Ever After High dolls, Dexter’s face is unique looking when compared to Hunter, the only other male doll so far.

Dexter Charming

Dexter Charming (with Raven)

Dexter is decked out in the basic outfit we’ve seen him wearing in the webisodes, which is tight grey pants, a dark tank and a fantastic blue jacket that is longer in the back than the front.

Dexter Charming

He has a plastic pocket watch hanging from his pants and a pin attached to his jacket. The pieces fit well and still allow him to bend a fair amount.

Dexter Charming (with Raven)

Dexter Charming

He can’t move his shoulders as well in the jacket as he can in his tank top, but overall, he still has decent movement with all his pieces on.  Basic high top shoes complete the look.

Dexter Charming

Dexter has the same body as Hunter.  He has some nice arm muscles and stands well.  I believe my Dexter has one leg that is a twinge shorter than the other, which makes for some difficulty posing, but once he’s in place, he’s solid. Personally, I really like the Ever After High male body.  It’s masculine, but not too bulky.

Dexter Charming

Dexter has joints in the usual places.  His neck moves and tilts fluidly.  His shoulders, elbows, wrist, hip, knee and ankle joints work well, too.  I’m very happy about his wrist joint.

Dexter Charming (with Raven)

Other dolls have had unusually tight wrist joints that you had to work in a lot to get full range of movement.  These, however, worked fine from the get go.

Dexter Charming (with Raven)

Dexter comes with a few extra’s.  First, you get his glasses.  While they look great on him, they don’t stay well on his face.

Dexter Charming

I’ve, also, noticed that the hair on either side of his face above his ears (where the glasses would lay) does get a bit undone when playing with the glasses a lot.  Maybe the actual glasses should have been made a little tighter, to fit his head properly.

Dexter Charming

Dex, also, comes with a neatly sculpted backpack, which, sadly, is a useless prop.  It doesn’t open or hold anything.  Its main purpose is to look cool, which it does, but alas, I like it when props do something.  He comes with a stand, as well, and the usual bookmark.

Dexter Charming

Dexter Charming with Raven)

Overall, Dexter has successfully moved to my ‘favorite Ever After High’ list.  Mattel made a very smart decision in producing another boy for the line, which is very female heavy so far.  Even with the small issues, the one size too big glasses and the short leg, Dex is a super doll and I’m very happy to have him in my collection!

Video review is below!

What do you think of Ever After High’s Dexter Charming?  Leave your thoughts below.