Winter Sweaters on Playscale Dolls - Thanks Brini!

The playscale sweater slide show is up. 

Can you guess the dolls and action figures shown? 

Thanks for looking!

Brief Update and Random Pinterest Discovery

Good thing I didn't photograph the DAFs I thought were going. I re-dressed one doll I knew was going. Who'd have thought she'd look great re-dressed? Not I. But on the balance, I decided another doll that I thought would stay, well, she's going. Can you guess which one?

Who was slated to go? Who's leaving instead?

The dolls shown are all Black Barbies with the Nichelle face mold. They are from left to right: Halloween Fun, Avon Representative, 101 Dalmatians.


Aside: there is a Pinterest board for glamorous camping. (No, I'm not going for that after I've finished my January activities.)

Organizing a Doll Collection, Part 2: List of Assignments

Okay, I confess. I slipped today. For about 20 minutes, I sorted dolls, action figures, fashions, and accessories. Me, smiling. Good? No, no, no. I'm supposed to be writing to do lists first. Sigh. 

Me: Look, I'll just clear off the printer, okay?

My conscience: Just the printer.

What happens next? My conscience drifts into a brief nap. It's tiresome being the Enforcer. So much more fun seeing the Stay and the Go piles growing ...

My conscience: Enough! Time to write those to do lists. Let's get the task tally started!

Psst ... before I share the lists, wanna see what I did? Here goes.

Dolls to go

Dolls to go side view

Dolls to be sorted

FRONT ROOM

•     Open IKEA bags holding boxed DAFs - who stays? Who goes?
•     Open cardboard boxes with doll magazines - what stays? What goes?
•     Check DAFs against Excel spreadsheet
•     Refill IKEA bags with Stay or Go labels

MY BEDROOM

•     Open IKEA bags holding boxed DAFs - who stays? Who goes?
•     Sort loose doll magazines - what stays? What goes?
•     Sort loose dolls and action figures and accessories
•     Check DAFs against Excel spreadsheet
•     Sort receipts for past purchases
•     Underbed plastic box with men’s clothes and accessories – keep as is?

LAUNDRY

•     Sort loose dolls and action figures and accessories
•     Check DAFs against Excel spreadsheet
•     Sort saved opened boxes and packing materials

DOLL & ACTION FIGURE ROOM

•     Open IKEA bags holding boxed DAFs - who stays? Who goes?
•     Sort doll booklets, papers - what stays? What goes?
•     Sort loose dolls and action figures and accessories
•     Check DAFs against Excel spreadsheet    
•     Clear off rest of desk
•     Note where items stored
•     Sort loose and boxed doll accessories in plastic bins

Links to Hispanic/Latino Dolls/Action Figures

Black Doll Collector asked if I would submit a post about Latino dolls and action figures. I had compiled a list of Hispanic/Latino dolls and action figures so I am happy to share that information as well as posts from other bloggers. If you know of additional sites about
Hispanic or Latino dolls and action figures, please leave the web address(es) in the Comments. (Thanks in advance.)

Note: additional posts about Hispanic or Latino dolls and action figures on this blog can be found under the word, "Hispanic."

Note2: usually, I have used the word, "Hispanic," because my understanding had been that "Hispanic" was the "correct" North American-centric term or ethnonym for people who live in the United States whose ancestors came from Spanish speaking countries. "Latino" is the "correct" North American-centric term or ethnonym for people who live in the United States who have Latin American origin or ancestry and who may or may not speak Spanish.

The dolls below may help clarify what I mean. On the left, I have Mattel's Shakira doll, representing the Latina singer. On the right, I have Haschel Toys' Olga Tañón representing the Hispanic singer. (Olga Tañón has also been described as "Latina.") Shakira is Colombian, thus, Latina; Olga Tañón is Puerto Rican, thus Hispanic. 

Identification

Teresa's List of Hispanic Barbies and friends, 1980-2009
Lauriko's Teresa section on BarbieWorld, 1987-1998 (Smaller Places mentioned this site)
Roxanne's List of Hispanic/Latino dolls and action figures
Smaller Places Review of Nicole by Kenya's World LLC     
Black Doll Collector's Review of Nicole by Kenya's World LLC
Male Doll World Hispanic Heritage Tribute 2012
Male Doll World Hispanic Heritage Tribute Tribute 2011  

Comparison

Black Doll Collector's Mattel So in Style Marisa and YNU Group, Inc. Mixis Rosa post

Controversy

NPR post about Mexican Barbie

How to Work a New Year's Resolution: Organizing a Doll Collection, Part 1

HELP! 

I am falling ...

                   Falling ...

                                   FALLING down a rabbit hole lined with dolls and action figures.

Oh the agony of the unorganized doll and action figure collector!

"J'accuse,"  the voices cry. "Guilty!"

I turn left. Eyes turn right. As I raise my hands to cover my ears, I dislodge brightly colored booklets, old catalog pages, and hardbound collectors' books. The heaviest book strikes my bare foot. I howl and pull my knee in to reach my sore foot. My butt dislodges sixth scale motorcycles. Furniture and diorama sets follow. Mini fingers and feet and elbows also jab as I descend.

"HELP," I cry again.

A calendar sheet falls to [my]eye level.  I notice it is for the magical month of January when organizing tips abound and resolutions shine.

"I'll do it! I'm taking an Organizing Challenge."

And as if by magic, I am restored to my computer desk where I draw up this list.
1. Why I must get organized. Because ...

• I bump into things (awake - as do others in my doll rooms)
• I'm not sure what I have
• I want to downsize
• I'd like to get some Want List dolls
• I'd like to enjoy my collection more creatively - sewing, crafting, writing

2. What "organized" is for now:

• I know what I have
• I sell what I need to sell
• I know where things are ... those are my goals for January

3. Where will these actions occur?

• Front room
• My bedroom
• Laundry
• Doll room

4. How I will achieve "organized" state?

• List organizing actions by room
• Schedule actions
• Publicize completed actions

5. When 

• January - March 2015

6.  Who? 

• Me - but I welcome your suggestions.

How about a few pictures from the front room? 

Boxed dolls in IKEA bags

Loose dolls and action figure

 Boxed and bagged dolls and boxed magazines

Next step? Sweeping floors and getting citrus fruit. (I do not "do" cut flowers.) Then writing my "to do" lists for each room holding dolls and action figures. And taking photos!

Seeking a Quick Martin Luther King Day Project? Philly Locals Only

I had not mentioned Martin Luther King Day as a January holiday, have I? No. 

The 6th District Police Department is hosting a children's book drive for their Martin Luther King service day project this year. Well, Greater Philadelphia residents and/or visitors can help by leaving any new or gently used children's books at 

Happily Ever After
1010 Pine Street
(on "Antique Row" between
10th and 11th Streets)
Philadelphia, PA 19107 

BEFORE 5 p.m. today, January 18th. You will need to call to confirm that someone is there before you go. (They usually open around 11:00 a.m. Their telephone number is 1-215-627-5790.)

Why am I happy about this?

1. I got an early start on an 2015 Martin Luther King service day project!

2. I left six near-new Smartees career books for some children to enjoy.

3. I reduced my doll stuff!

Yay! Happy dance ... well in a few hours after I've had some rest. 


 Here are 3 of the books:

January Update: Organizing, Updating, and Collaborating on Pinterest

It seems as if I have fallen off from blogging. I have. Been busy on these fronts:

"Organizing" 
- which at this time means separating dolls to stay and dolls to go.


"Updating"
- adding new blogs to my Blog List; there's a doll fashion site that looks distracting


"Collaborating"
- following up on an invitation to add pins to CorsetKitten's new 1:6 Scale Doll Stories Pinterest board

Hey, Jean-Claude Van Damme Has an Action Figure by Enterbay!

I am sharing this information for those who might be interested: Enterbay has produced a sixth scale Jean-Claude Van Damme action figure. Okay, I am familiar with Van Damme as a martial arts actor. He looks competent as far as I can tell. He is okay - I can watch him in a movie, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see him. He used to be popular in action adventure movies. I haven't seen much of him lately so his getting an action figure now provoked mild curiosity when I saw Action Figure Fury's article about him.. 

What about him being a new Enterbay figure? Well, I have no Enterbay figures so I cannot comment on their work. They have done some Bruce Lee figures and lots of sports figures. I loathe team sports in general so unless the figure is on sale or strikingly good-looking, I don't follow them. Bruce Lee was/is cool. Period. But his Enterbay figure is over $100.00 so ... I never rushed to get him.

In addition to the Action Figure Fury's article, I checked two reviews. One from an action figure enthusiast who had NOT received the figure at the time of the YouTube video; the other from an enthusiast who had received the figure. While I liked the cheerful excitement of the first reviewer, I felt a little saddened by his and some of the commenters' disappointment that the figure does not depict the young actor. (The Enterbay figure resembles the current Van Damme.) The second review reminded me that sometimes, it is wiser to wait for the actual product's appearance before buying expensive figures. I'm including another review of another Enterbay figure because this particular figure (the Van Damme one) might be an exception. (If you have one or more Enterbay figures, please chime in here in the Comments or share a link with your experience.)

Have I stirred your interest in all things Jean-Claude Van Damme? Check his official website. Enjoy!

2015 Resolutions and Goals

That time again. L.A. Luxe Susie opens her arms to 2015. Resolution and goal-setting time.

I have been thinking along these lines.

1. Decide what I want to keep

2. Sell what I no longer want

3. Post more frequently on my blog; schedule posts

4. Experiment more with doll photography

5. Participate more often in doll group activities

6. Join Barbie Club and Integrity W Club


Not much to do, hey? Anyone else with doll-themed resolutions? Share ;-)

The Wearing of the Christmas Sweaters from Brini

Happy New Year!

Before we discuss 2015 plans and themes, let us check those lovely Christmas sweaters Brini sent. Now the sweaters are not one-size fits all: I think of them as being small, large, and extra large. The blue ones are small, the button-trimmed one is large and the pom-pom tie one is extra large. The bodies modeling the sweaters are a Disney Mattel adult male, a YNU Group, Incorporated female, a Spin Master Liv female, and a Mattel young male teen. Or Kocoum, Emerald, Snow, and Harry.

 

Emerald, Kocoum, Snow, and Harry

Here are two closer photos of the Disney duo: Kocoum from Pocahontas and Snow from Snow White. If you have bent armed Kens from the late 1970s-2000s, you can use Kocoum's fit for how your bent-arm era Kens (or Ken buddy) would fit this size of the sweaters. The sweater fits over his head without the need to remove his head, but the torso is a little short. (The back view exposes more of Kocoum's waist than we think looks "nice." Fortunately, he has a toned torso.) It might be possible to stretch the sweater longer. The sweater arms are a perfect fit for this Mattel body.

Snow's head is on a Liv body. She is wearing the large sweater. The arms are a little long; the body, wider than needed. But I think it looks becoming on her. (Plus: it balances her head.)

Kocoum and Snow heads and torsos

Kocoum and Snow back view

Here are Emerald and Harry in the extra large and small sweaters. The small sweater fits Harry fine. It is just a little wide for him. You can expect a similar fit for your other 10 3/4", straight-armed young male teen bodies - think Teen Skipper's boyfriend Kevin. 

Emerald is slightly swamped. The sleeves are a little long and the body a little wide. Still, she can wear it well. The sweater looks like a sweater-coat on her because she has a heavier build than the Liv body or basic Barbie bodies.

YNU Group Emerald and Mattel Harry Potter

Emerald and Harry show the back view of their sweaters

I had so much fun placing these sweaters on various dolls that I've decided to create a separate page, possibly a video showing them. I'll leave the link on this blog, of course.

If you have any requests, let me know. Please note, some dolls and action figures refused to wear the sweaters. More on that with the follow up. 

Thanks, Brini, for making this holiday and post-holiday fun possible.