Robin of Roville Writes [About] StarDolls

Do you know what I know? Don't worry ... I am not going to drag it out. The post title leaks the story. Robin of Roville has a blog! Eeekkkk! Robin is the tour de force behind the incomparable Roville. When I began doll and action figure online activity back in 1997, Robin was one of the first doll enthusiasts who maintained a constant storyline using incredibly detailed sixth scale dioramas and fascinating characters. And she was/is pleasant and generous with her tips and suggestions. Everyone dancing now? Sure. And most kindly, she mentions moi in her StarDoll post when she tipped me to their existence. (Eyes widen, mouth opens, splayed hand to chest in mock modesty - wink and grin as recovery sets in.)

My silliness aside, go visit the Roville blog and see which bodies Robin uses for her StarDoll heads. I won't tell which ones she uses. Nope, horses won't drag the story from me. (Not that horses or de Cat or the turtles would likely want to ....) The dolls are beautifully photographed in a cafe setting.

But you don't need to take my word - go see. Bye for now.

Ethnic DAF Hair: B is for Braids

Behold! Four beautiful ladies sit before us. Three are from Mattel and the last, from Olmec. They all have one thing in common: braids. Last month, I wrote about the afro. The afro was about embracing an ethnic identity and freedom from repression. Braids would seem to be the opposite, however braids have been an art form for many people. These ladies each has embraced braided hair as fashionable styling.

From the far left, we have Harley Davidson Barbie #5 from 2001. HD5 Barbie is the only ethnic HD Barbie. Mattel gave her tiny micro-braids, which give the sensation of fine-as-in-narrow cornrows. The hair is not literally cornrowed though because that would mean the hair was braided closer along the scalp. Still it is a fair enough approximation.

Next, we have Stylin' Hair Brandy sitting next to HD5. Mattel created this doll in the likeness of the [then] young R&B singer/actress/dancer who drew attention to braided hairstyles. In this version of the Mattel doll, Brandy not only has two-toned hair - brandy red and black, she also has two textures. The red hair is straight; the black hair is bound in tiny micro braids. Variety?

Pajama Fun Nikki sits next to Brandy. This charming teenager, friend of Barbie's teen sister Skipper, seems to wear her lovely black hair straight. However, Mattel achieves a slightly heavier than usual texture by twining her hair strands. The effect is not as dramatic as the braids are, but the hair does feel slightly different than "regular" straight hair. I consider it a variation on the braided hair theme.

Next, Olmec's Naomi, who has a pseudo-cornrow style. Her hair is actually the standard black straight hair used for dolls of all races. Her braids are thicker than those of any of the Mattel dolls here.


In this final photograph, the back view of the braided heads can be seen:

Behold, the beauty and the diversity of braids.

Integrity Dolls 2012 - See Them and Weep!

Maddies Dolls has photos of the new Integrity Toys fashion dolls.

Of course, there are some that I would have like the Pop of Color Annik, Back to Brooklyn Jasper, and Remi. Or maybe Quiet Storm Annick? And Another Thing Kyori? Maybe this year, I will get lucky?

Time will tell.

What Doll Fell Into East Philly on April 1st?

Ta Da! StarDoll Fallen Angel 2 arrived yesterday. Unlike her fellow StarDolls, Fallen Angel 1 and Pretty N Love, Fallen Angel 2 has a name - Natasha. (No, Boris is NOT around the corner, lol.) Natasha has two wishes: one, to be reunited with her sister Roxanne (Bonjour Bizou 1) and two, to have a poseable body.

Does anyone have suggestions for an articulated body for Fallen Angel 2? I don't want a Liv doll for this doll. I would like something more mature and slightly heavier.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Dana and Natasha

D7ana Stopped by Target - Oh No!

I went by another Target today. I know that sounds like the start of a really bad, terribly sad tale in which money was exchanged for a new doll or dolls. I am supposed to be selling. NOT b-u-y-i-n-g.

But ... I have not been able to resist popping into various Targets since they started that StarDoll sale. I tell myself, the cat needs treats. He has to have them, or he won't go to sleep at night. So I have to go to Targets. What kind of cat owner/servant would I be if my poor starving cat did not have his treats from Targets?

(Aside. Yes, he has me trained. Well, mostly. Sometimes I have to put my size 10s down and resist those big green eyes. Like when I need to eat. Sorry Louie. Oh, who am I fooling? What is all this blathering about the cat, but an evasion of the inevitable confession?)

Okay, me at Target. What did I see? StarDolls, yes! But what else did I see? Blythe's Littlest Pet Shop. Moxie Girls. Oh and the cat treats. But I doubt anyone else is interested in them. Except the cat. And he has no interest in reading about cat treats; he just wants them there when he's hungry.

Still blathering. Okay, I have photos. Such cuties there were there today at Target. I'll let you guess which if any of these dolls I bought today. They are Blythe's Littlest Pet Shop Autumn Glam

and the Horse Riding Club Moxie Girls

Remember, today is April 1st. Stop by tomorrow and I'll reveal all.

Lady Revealed as Street Fusion Janay

I did promise to show the Street Fusion Janay without her sunglasses. She has the prettiest reddish coloring ... auburn curls, red-brown eyes, and a warm reddish-brown complexion. I have to give Integrity Toys kudos on how well they changed the looks of their Janay and other play line dolls.

Lovely, hmmm?

Princess Catherine Engagement Doll Provokes Giggles

I was investigating the Toys R Us March Clearance sale to be held this Friday and Saturday, when I saw this header: Princess Catherine Engagement doll. Huh, I thought. This must be one of the 16-20" dolls. One of the reviews compared this doll to a Barbie. So I clicked to enlarge the small picture of a brunette doll wearing a dark blue dress. Nothing about the height of the doll is in the description. But when I checked under the Additional information tab, I found the box size: Product Dimensions (in inches) 13.4 x 5.1 x 2.6. That sealed her size for me. Barbie-sized. What in that information is there to giggle about?

Actually, there were two things to giggle about. First, the spindly legs of the doll. Cheap, cheap, cheap. No birds chirping there. I have previously confessed to being a doll snob. Cheesy-dolls give me something like hives. My eyes even hurt. Ouch. It seems cruel that the doll was made with legs like that. But that can happen to celebrity dolls. They need to be re-bodied as soon as possible. 

I mean, her face is not too bad. I like the wide grin that bears every tooth Princess Catherine ever had in her life - in one fell swoop. There is a trickle of a resemblance. The eyes show mascara and liner. And she has a decent nose. I have seen worse doll faces. So Arklu Ltd. did a fair job. I'd give them a B- for the likeness; a D though for the body.

Clothes? I won't even comment on her bargain basement dress. Many a decent doll has been buried in frumpy or cheap clothes. We won't mention the Pink Princess here. Zips lips. But the COST of the doll ... $49.99 USD for that doll. Please. Too much. Too high. That strikes me as funny ... and here, I wag my finger at Toys R Us. Tsk, tsk and shame on them.

Fortunately, there are alternatives for the Princess Catherine fans: r-e-l-i-e-f is spelled A-m-a-z-o-n. I joke not. You can get the same doll through at least three Amazon dealers for half the Toys R Us price. Think, $49.99 OR $21.32, $21.12, or $22.88?