Chris Flexing Muscles for Mixis Emerald and Houda

"What big muscles you have," Houda said.

Three New Dolls: Celebrate Disco and S.i.S. Kara & Kianna

I saw the S.i.S. dolls in the Cottman Avenue Toys R Us. They had two Grace & Courtney sets and one each of the others. I looked at Grace, but between the hot pants and the frosted lipstick, I realized, I could hold off on getting her. Trichelle & Janessa, I could also hold on getting because Trichelle reminds me a lot of the first Raven doll (I have) and she has red-red threads running through her black curls. Kara won because her red-brown hair, warm brown complexion, and medium brown eyes differed from the other dolls in my collection. Photos below:





Back of the box ... when they show graphics here, I like to see them.




And a gift from my Mom:

Sindy, the Doll You Love to Dress

Sindy AKA Barbie's competition in the United Kingdom, was produced in 1963. Sindy resembled another American fashion doll, Tammy, and even shared the same byline, the Doll You Love to Dress. When I was young, Tammy held no appeal for me. Tammy's head was GINORMOUS; she had no sophistication, no mystery. So I would not have thought that Sindy would hold any appeal to me as I grew into my teens because Sindy also had a bulbous big head. BUT Sindy had an exotic appeal that Tammy lacked: Sindy had the British edge.

Think Hammer House of Horror, Dark Shadows, and later Masterpiece Theatre. Goth Glamour. The similarities and the differences between British English and American English intrigued me. So when I saw the Pedigree-by-way-of-Marx brunette Funtime Sindy sometime in 1978 or 1979, well, I was more receptive. Sindy would be my third British-themed doll - Mattel's Twist'n turn Stacey and Mary Quant's Daisy were my first and second.

Sindy's realistic furniture and accessories were added to my collection. Then sometime in the early-mid 2000s, I discovered the Vivid Imaginations Sindy and Mel. Added them to my collection. The Vivid Imaginations Sindy doll had better head proportions although her build remained more youthful, more early teen build than MOST Barbies produced at the same time.

I started a Webshots folder with a Pedigree Sindy outfit. My other Sindy items will be added in the future.

For information about Sindy in her various forms, please read Sindy on Wikipedia AND for more recent information, see the current Pedigree Sindy 2000+.

Hasbro Guy Identified: The Defender

The Mystery has been solved, thanks to SuperCoolDollHouse and TheRealDollNerd.

In my July 2, 2009 post, I show a 12" action figure whom I call "my Hasbro guy." Well, SuperCoolDollHouse showed the photo to TheRealDollNerd who identified my Hasbro guy as "The Defender."

I think that Don America aka "The Defender" is pleased to have his identity restored.

More Links About Mattel Twilight Edward - Darn

I did say that I did NOT like the Twilight movie, didn't I?

I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to pop Bella or Edward first. Long, boring pauses with "deep soul-gazing" looks made me long for a fast forward button. The Edward deep-sniffing Bella bit struck me as funny, crazy, and impertinent. Was this a commercial stressing the importance of soap, water, DEODORANT, and the frequent application of the three? Mercifully, I don't recall the dialogue - but I recall shaking my head. A lot. When the "bad vampires" went after Bella, I hoped that they would get her. I howled in disappointment when they didn't.

I did NOT like the movie Twilight.

So now, I am getting my comeuppance for plotting on dolls based on a movie I did NOT like ...

On Toys R Us.ca, Edward is described as having golden eyes and "shimmering" skin. I "translated" that description to "hazel eyes and really pale skin." I'll pretend he has a skin disease. Then I read an article in Orato, an online magazine: Robert Pattinson Gets Own Barbie Doll in which the Edward doll is described as having "semi-transparent skin" and "red-rimmed eyes." So much for my assertion to another collector, that the Twilight doll would look "normal" because "He's by Mattel. They'll want to re-use the head." Ha!

It's like the movie bit [me] back through the Mattel dolls. Sigh.

Organizing Clothes by Season and Size

Note to self: separate doll and action figure clothes by season (spring-summer and fall-winter) as well as size. Most things will go in the spring-summer bin; heavy coats, jackets, sweaters, boots, etc. will go in the fall-winter bin. Then if I can break down by size -

infants/toddlers - 3" babies, Kellys, Todds

children - 8-10" children like Stacey, Harry Potter (young Hermione)

teens - 9-12" young people like Skipper, HSM crew, Mystery Squad, Generation Girl

adults - 9-13" juniors

misses - 10-13" fuller bodied females like G.I.R.L. Force, Get Set, Mixis, CyGirl

plump or husky - heavyset figures (probably keep w. individual doll or action figure)


Ideally, I would like to store the outfits I use for certain dolls or action figures with the doll or action figure. Course that makes it harder to share/borrow clothes across the lines.

2009 Independence Day, USA

Happy Independence Day!

Taboo took some photos of the morning fun.


Kat Listens to the Guitarist




Vinnie Barbeques while Nakia and Other Guests Play Basketball




Other Guests Stretch before Swimming or Chat with Kat