The Alice Project, Day 10

Bobobie Lan, with a face-up by Leah Lilly, dressed in Tonner Doll's Alyce outfit (a Reimagination doll).

Bobobie Lan is a slim MSD-sized ball-jointed doll, and she can share clothes with some Tonner Dolls, like slim-busted Tonner girls and Antoinette. This makes her a great first BJD for doll collectors who already own Tonner Dolls. Many of the Bobobie lines come very loosely strung from the factory, and their face-ups aren't very detailed, so it would help to know someone in your doll group who is familiar with stringing--or to be up to a little adventure yourself if you take the plunge!

Lan is dressed in Alyce's outfit (from an Reimagination line by Tonner Doll), and has some Fashion Zombies accessories (I believe the gloves and stockings as well). My Lan has visited the spa at Leah Lilly's (from Froggy Duds) who has done no less than work her magic on this rather blah factory face-up. I couldn't be more pleased.

You can see more photos of Lan as Alice on Flickr, including photos of her in other wigs, too.

Here are all the Alices together, up through today.

The Glamour - Limited edition tan Briana by Peak's Woods

Peak's Woods limited edition tan Briana, from the Glamour collection.

She's here, and I couldn't be more pleased with how she looks. Peak's Woods pierced her ears for me, and included a turquoise wig with her as well, which was great! I requested a "fun colored"wig, and listed turquoise as one of my top color choices.

Briana is so dramatic--and so different from my other Peak's Woods dolls. I should have ordered a tan Sky as well. In the photo above, she's wearing a brown Pouf wig by DollHeart, from the latest Val Zeitler collection featured in Haute Doll, and a one-of-a-kind outfit I commissioned by JennyGrey Designs.

You can see more photos of her on Flickr. If you log in, you can see the deboxing photos as well--some of these include nude shots (you can only see the top of her nude, and they are tasteful), but I have them labeled as "moderate," for any younger viewers.

Tonner Treat specials...

While supplies last, Tonner Direct is offering several specials for you:

• Orders of $50 or more will receive a free surprise gift (valued at $40)
• Orders of $100 or more will receive two free surprise gifts (valued at $80 total)

Additionally, the Fashion Zombies are on sale. (Keep in mind these lovely girls do have "decay" on their faces, which appears, in my opinion, as splotches of light mica. It really adds to their "deadness" and their overall look--but if this isn't your style, it's worth knowing about before you buy the doll.)

• Decay and Decadence $99.99 (retail $209.99)
• Dance of Death $99.99 (retail $209.99)
• Death by Fashion $99.99 (retail $209.99) - this is a red-haired Lana Lang sculpt
• Death Becomes Her $99.99 (retail $209.99) - this is a blonde Magnolia sculpt

All of these dolls are on the slim-bust body with regular fashion feet, and are limited editions of 500. Their outfits--at least Death Becomes Her--is incredibly detailed and well-made, and includes some of the most fabulous jewelry I have seen from Tonner. Death becomes her includes black stockings with one plain leg and one striped leg. It's really a cool outfit!

The Alice Project, Day 9

Bearbrick Cheshire Cat with Peak's Woods Wake-Up Cue, dressed in DollHeart's Alice Fantasy.

Wake-Up Cue (Peak's Woods) is our ninth Alice. She is wearing an outfit by DollHeart called Alice Fantasy, a wig by Michele Hardy, hat from Tonner Doll's Lilah, and Glib acrylic eyes. 

Cue's companion belongs to a member of our doll group--he is a Bearbrick Cheshire Cat, a limited edition Alice in Wonderland exclusive. While he may be just a bit spooky, he is very cool, I have to admit! His box proclaims, "400% Chesire Cat," a claim which simply cannot be denied.

Here are the nine Alices as a group:

The Alice Project, Day 8

Peak's Woods Yeru, Alice #8, dressed in Azone Alice outfit

On our first day of week two of the Alice Project, I'm pleased to introduce you to Yeru, a Peak's Woods Fairy of Color, normal skin, large bust. She's wearing her default wig and eyes, and an outfit by Azone, in addition to a DollHeart petticoat and shoes. I think of all the larger BJDs, she looks most like Lady Bee, the smaller Peak's Woods I own--very sweet and nearly anime.

Here are all the girls together on day eight:

Tonner Tuesday specials...

Photo property of Tonner Doll Company

It's Tuesday already, and Tonner Tuesday's specials are live. A few of these special offers only have a couple dolls left, so don't delay!

• $49.99 bargain bin: Russell Williams Ultra Basic, 2009 Basic Dorothy, Prim (Antoinette outfit), Ultra Basic Esme
• $99.99: Sealing the Deal Bette Davis, Death By Fashion, James from Twilight, Black Magic Ava Gardner, Snow White, Organic Antoinette, Spot On DeeAnna Denton, Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Monica Merril It Girl and Will Turner
• $124.99: Hypnotic Antoinette, Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch, Billie Burke's Glinda, My Mother's Portieres

The Alice Project, Day 7

Our last Alice addition to this first week of Alice dolls is Anya, another Kim Lasher BJD. She's simply adorable, dressed in a short auburn Kemper wig, a one-of-a-kind outfit created from denim by Jen from JennyGrey Designs, and her original boots and tights.

You can become part of this interactive web tour of Alice dolls, too. Read more about the Alice Project and how you can participate on this post.

Our first week's group photo is starting to group pretty large--and don't worry--I have more where they came from!

The Alice Project, Day 6

Lady Bee, as Alice, with her precious red cardinal.

This is a Peak's Wood Lady Bee doll, a Fairy of Bug, also resin, in a small bust size and white skin. She is quite ethereal looking, I find, and she makes an elvin Alice. She is dressed in a Tibetan lambswool wig, and a one-of-a-kind cherry shepherdess dress made by Michele Hardy.

Lady Bee always has a soft spot in her heart for birds. You can see the rest of her photo shoot on Flickr.

You can become part of this interactive web tour of Alice dolls, too! Read more about the Alice Project and how you can participate at this post.

The Alice Project, Day 5

Ashlyn, a 5" resin Goodreau Tiny by Goodreau Dolls.

Day five has arrived, and Ashlyn make her grand entrance. This is in one of my favorite American BJDs--she's compact, perfectly strung and out of the box ready to go. She's only 5" tall, and she was a Bearzabout Exclusive for Goodreau for some time I believe.

My Ashlyn has a special Mod Alice dress commissioned for her from Nancie at Nankatts.biz, who really throws herself behind her work. She did a total of three pieces for me, and all three will be making appearances in the next few days.

You can see the rest of her fun photo shoot on my Flickr photo stream.

To learn more about the Alice Project, and how you can participate, visit our first post, and then comment on it (or this one) when you start. Link back to our site, and I'll post a link to your site from ours as well.

Chinese Baby Adoption Barbie, an exclusive from the White Swan Hotel

At the risk of posting some controversial, I read this interesting article about "Going Home Barbie" in Marie Claire magazine, thanks to JennyGrey, who pointed it out to me this morning.

In reading a bit about this doll online (and yes, I know you shouldn't believe everything you read online), I hear some advocates are pressuring Mattel to a) make this doll available to all adopting families, and b) make this doll in other races besides white (hello? What year is this again?).

And others are generally offended by anything Barbie says or does, and she's just a doll (who doesn't say or do anything).

Look, for a mere $70, this doll is available from Amazon.com:

The Alice Project, Day 4

The Alice Project, Day 4

Introducing Goodreau Doll's resin BJD Whisper, 16" tall and about MSD sized. Whisper is dressed in an outfit by Goodreau, and a wig by Monique Gold called Faith (in turquoise). Her "cage" is a prop I discovered on sale at Ross Dress for Less.

You can see the rest of her rather fun photo shoot on my Flickr photo stream. 

To learn more about the Alice Project, and how you can participate in something similar, visit our first post, and then comment on it (or this one) when you start. Link back to our site, and I'll post a link to your site from ours as well.

The Alice Project, Day 3

The Alice Project, Day 3

Day three of the Alice Project. My third addition is another ball-jointed beauty by Peak's Woods, called Segi. Like Mintie, she is also a normal bust and normal skin doll. She is dressed in DollHeart's Alice Underground outfit, and a DollHeart wig called Lynea (in blonde).

See the rest of Segi's Alice photo shoot on Flickr. 

Read more about the Alice Project and how you can participate at this post. I'd love to post a link to your website, as well!

Tonner Doll shipping schedule update

As of yesterday, September 22, Tonner has updated its shipping schedule as follows:

• Tarrant, the Mad Hatter - beginning of October
• Carol Barrie - end of October
• Hollywood Treasure - beginning of October
• Heart on my Sleeve - beginning of October
• Hear Me Roar - end of September
• 13" Fashion doll stand - end of October

That means all the Reimagined Oz character now have release dates for September and October. 

And also--don't forget you must have your made-to-orders for the new Revlon dolls to your dealers by this Friday, September 24, 2010.

The Alice Project, Day 2

The Alice Project, Day 2

Day two of the Alice Project. So far, so good. This is Kim Lasher's Simply Alice, a slim SD-sized American ball-jointed doll with the most precious face ever. She's been redressed in a OOAK Michele Hardy shepherdess outfit (a la Alice mode), and she's wearing her original shoes and stockings. This is her in a Monique Gold wig, I believe. The prop is a wrought iron chair I found for $6.99 at Michaels at the beginning of summer.

See the rest of Alice's photo shoot on Flickr. And read more about the Alice Project and how you can participate at this post.

Mintie (Peak's Woods) and Simple Alice (Kim Lasher)

Style Icon: Wallis Simpson

Love her or hate her, adore or revile her. No matter what you think of her, there is no denying that Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor was a true style icon.  She went everywhere, knew practically everyone who was anyone and wore all the best designers in the world.  She was a style setter for decades and continues to capture the imagination to this day.

Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was born Bessie Wallis Warfield on 19 June 1896 Square Cottage at Monterey Inn in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania. She was the only child of Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague.  She was named in honor of her father and her mother's sister, Mrs Bessie Buchanan Merryman, and was generally known as Wallis.  Her father died of tuberculosis on shortly after her birth and for her first few years, she was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, dependent upon the charity of a wealthy uncle, Solomon Warfield.  In 1901, her aunt Bessie Merryman was widowed, and Alice and Wallis moved into her large and comfortable house. Between 1912 and 1914, Solomon Warfield paid for Wallis to attend Oldfields School, the most expensive girls' school in Maryland.

The Alice Project, Day 1

The Alice Project, Day 1, originally uploaded by alington.

Welcome to the Alice Project, a new concept and running photo project on the Fashion Doll Review, which hopefully will include reader (that's you!) participation.

Starting with today's post, I will begin posting a series of dolls all dressed as Alice, from Lewis Carroll's main character of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. My series will include many interpretations, many sizes, many types and varieties. In each entry, I hope to include at least one clear photo of the day's doll, her complete description (including her clothing credit), and also a group photo, including the dolls used in the previous photos. I will continue posting these photos until I run out of dolls or outfits to use (or borrow).

As far as reader participation--if you have a blog, I invite you to participate. Perhaps Alice is not one of your heros. That's fine. Use the character you love (Red Riding Hood, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Barack Obama, Elvis, vampires, fairies, etc.), and let me know you've started such a Project. Link back to me, and I would love to start a special blog subscription list to other "project blogs."

If you need a place to host your photos, please use the Alice Project group on Flickr. It's open to all doll-related photos (even the ones you don't use), though keep in mind it's for open to all ages, so please watch your language and themes. Also, Flickr is free to use, up to 200 photos, and it's simple to post directly from Flickr to Blogger, too!

Giving out-moded bodied dolls another chance by guest blogger Milady Blue

Always Another Chance

by Milady Blue

Special Guest Writer

I started late in my collection of higher end fashion dolls like Tonners: 2007, to be exact. My first was a straight armed Tyler Wentworth, the only Buy It Now I found at a reasonable price. I tried auctions, only to be quickly outbid. I had no knowledge of articulation and different bodies. All I knew was I had a beautiful doll I liked.

In 2008, I started joining online groups such as Prego (membership required), MEF Forum, and Cheery About Agnes Dreary, and learning about different dolls. I also started keeping an eye on various doll stores that sold Tonner, as well as sales announcements on the boards, forums and groups, and my Tonner collection took off.

Focus on Fashion: Emilio Pucci

Emilio Pucci was born in Florence in 1914 into one of the oldest and noblest families in Florence and he would live in the Pucci Palace in Florence for most of his life. He was a keen sportsman, who swam, skied, fenced, played tennis and raced cars.  

After two years at the University of Milan, he studied agriculture at the University of Georgia, where he became a member of the Demosthenian Literary Society.  In 1935 he won a skiing scholarship to Reed College in Oregon, received an MA in social science from Reed in 1937, and received his doctorate in political science from the University of Florence the same year. In 1938 he joined the Italian Air Force, and served as a bomber pilot during WWII, rising to the rank of captain and was decorated for valor by the time he left to pursue his fashion career.

The Sisters of La Boutique Purse of the Month Club

September 2010 POTM Quilted Chanel Bag

 Do you have a closet full of designer purses? A different purse for every day of the week...of the year? Do you wish you could do the same for your fashion doll? Let me introduce you to Diana and Janet.

Diana Wieler and Janet Ellis are the sisters behind La Boutique Purse of the Month Club (POTM). Every month they offer new spectacular designer purses and coordinating outfits for our favorite fashion dolls.  Most of their offerings are geared to the 12" dolls, but they occasionally have something for the larger 16" gal, too.  I used the occasion of POTM's fifth anniversary to ask them some questions regarding their business.

FDR: Where are you located?
Diana: We both live in the Niagara Penninsula/wine country of Ontario Canada. Janet lives in St. Catharines and I'm in the metropolis of Grimsby.

New survey!

Please take this short survey--only 10 questions. It's designed for our regular readers, and I'd really like to know what you might think of this new idea we've been tossing around for the past week or so.

We've been thinking of launching a free digital magazine for you all. I'd love to get some feedback from you, and possibly trying out a sample issue, just to see how it goes. What do you all think?

Click here and take this short survey! Thanks!

Barbie Dream Sale starts September 21...

Loving You Barbie® 1983

Mark your calendars for the BarbieCollector.com  Dream Sale, which runs from 12:01 am, September 21 through 11:59 pm, September 27, 2010, central time.

Tuesday (9/21): Save 25% off every regularly priced doll, fashion and accent, plus additional 25% on already reduced Dream Sale shelf items. These discounts will appear in your shopping cart only.

Wednesday (9/22): Save 25% off already reduced items on the Dream Sale shelf. These discounts will appear in your shopping cart only.

Thursday - Monday (9/23-9/27): Save as much as 67% on Dream Sale shelf items, and these items will be indicated on the listed prices.

Have any items on your wish list? Have any early holiday shopping to do?

The fine print: Offer is valid while supplies last. You're limited to five of each Gold Label doll per order, and no discounts may be applied to previous orders. Prices exclude shipping, handling and tax, Barbie Fan Club membership, club dolls, and gift wrap or cards. You must be 18 or older to order.

Dawn of the Dance: More Monster High!

I ordered Clawdeen and Frankie Stein from Mattel.com last week and they finally arrived!  I'm loving the retro 80's look to these girls in their "dancin" outfits.  Of course after deboxing these two I've decided I need to pick up Cleo to round out the group.  Isn't that always the case? 

Frankie comes dressed in a cool b&w dress with matching purse, plus shocking pink fishnets and an amazing pair of silver & black shoes.  The shoes are opposites and have no heels!  Super cool!  I also love her blue lightning bolt earrings and her iCoffin phone - what MH outfit would be complete without a cell phone?

Clawdeen is such a nice variation from the first version with her neon green short 'do.  It's actually 2 toned with a brown color underneath.  She comes in a purple dress with zippered details and gold metallic heels.  She too comes with her iCoffin phone and a matching purse.

The winner of the FDR's first drawing is...

Alex M. from San Diego! Alex has won the Target exclusive blonde Barbie. Congratulations! I'll be contacting you shortly for delivery details.

The correct answer is:

Holiday™ Barbie® Doll

The photo was taken in my infamous Laura Ashley Apple #6 living room, and this particular doll's dress is silver. I have heard an earful from my contributors, and they have mentioned they thought this contest photo was perhaps a tad misleading. I ended up including all entries--as they were very good--even the incorrect ones, for that very reason.

I've posted my original photo in Flickr, which you can see here. Click for a larger view. (I promise the next contest will be, well, not so, you know.)



We received eight entries for the contest--and most of them in the last two days. Thanks so much for playing! I am happy to say that I really enjoyed the contest, and I will definitely be adding another contest again in the future.

Drawing information...

I'm uploading the video now, and it's taking longer than I thought... Give me just a few more minutes!

Focus On Fashion: Norman Hartnell

Norman Hartnell was born in London, England, in 1901. While studying at Cambridge University he started designing costumes for the drama department’s performances. His costumes got good reviews and a journalist convinced him that his future lay in designing clothes. He left Cambridge without a degree and took a job with a London dressmaker called Madame Desiree.

He was only there 3 months, but the experience convinced him that he had joined the right field. He briefly worked for Lucile and a house called Esther, and in 1923 started a salon under his own name at 10 Bruton Street, Mayfair.

His early work consisted of tailored day ensembles and elegant evening clothes. It was his ceremonial clothing that propelled him to fame. His first wedding dress, made from silver and gold net was a show-stopping finale at one of his shows.  It was worn by the bride of Lord Weymouth and was described in the press as "the 8th wonder of the world". 

One more day for FDR's first contest!

Barbie Basic, Target Exclusive
Originally uploaded by alington

Win this doll! You have till midnight tomorrow PST (September 14, 2010) to email me (please do not post your response on this blog!) with your answer to this question:

Which doll is used in the close-up photo used in the background of this month's blog layout?

All the correct answers will be put into a pot, and I will draw one lucky winner, who will win the following the NRFB Target exclusive Barbie Basic shown here. (And I have hidden her from my enthusiastic six year-old doll-collecting daughter this time.)

Overseas entries are welcome, and shipping is included. Contributors to the blog are exempt from this drawing. I'll announce the winner on September 15, hopefully by noon PST!

See my original post about the contest here, and what happened to the original prize here. Good luck!

Ye-Ye Misaki & Amelie

The long awaited Fall mini collection of Misaki’s has been revealed! These are the Ye-Ye girls and they’re super cute in their mod outfits. There are 2 Misaki’s (blond and brunette) and 1 Amelie doll. They are each a limited edition size of 250 and are retailing for about 16,000 yen ($177 USD). They are due to ship in late September to mid October.

Denise T. who runs the Japan yahoo group is taking preorders right now with a 25% deposit and full payment due by October 10th. Her price is 177.00 each, 10.00 off if you buy 2, 25.00 off if you buy 3. Insured Shipping is extra & will be from Minnesota (55068). If you’d like to order from her you can contact her at: dtdoll38@yahoo.com

**Photos are property of Integrity Toys/FR Nippon**
(L-R) Misaki, Amelie, Misaki

Morphoa, according to Leah Lilly of Froggy Duds

Morphoa, per Leah Lilly
Originally uploaded by alington

Morphoa, my 58cm (almost 23") Dollzone girl, has returned from Leah Lilly's spa, and I am in love all over again. I sent a few inspirational photos to Leah before the face-up--Peak's Woods girls, actually--and now, she's absolutely gorgeous.

She's wearing shoes and the Alice Underground outfit by DollHeart, hat by JennyGrey, and a Tori wig by Monique Gold. Eyes are acrylic by Glib in Dove.

You can see a few more angles and some full-length shots of her on Flickr. Also, check out Leah's photo stream--you can see some more of her work. She's really amazing!

This is the doll who formerly had the pink eyes and flower tattoo on her face. I have included a before photo (she's a full-set doll) here as well.

I mean--she did have her charms before, but I was really thinking of selling her. Now, she's a great addition to my Peak's Woods lovelies! I don't think I'll ever be able to be without her.

Looking for a new diorama option?

I haven't posted here yet about the wonderful 12" scale furniture and dioramas made by the talented Maryann Roy.  Her doll furniture company is called "Welcome Home Furniture" and I just love her tag line.... "Where do YOUR dolls live?".  I have personally purchased a small vignette from her and a wonderful living room set, a retro fireplace set and some miscellaneous furniture pieces.  All are well constructed, perfect scale and just beautiful - my dolls love them!

Well today she put up her newest "Scene Setter", which are pieces to use as backdrops for your dolls.  This one was just too fabulous, so I wanted to share it here with all of you.  This one is wood paneled with a beautiful padded window seat and an acrylic window.  Plus you get the coffee table too.  For more pictures and to find out how to order, you can check out Maryann's blog here:  http://maryannroy.wordpress.com/

**Photo is property of Maryann Roy**

Updates from Tonner - exclusives to Cami&Jon, Miss Revlon and more!

Cherished Friends has announced two new exclusive sculpts additions to the Cami&Jon line, Chrys (Stella sculpt) and Rose (Suzette sculpt), both on the Antoinette body. A portion of the proceeds of sales of these dolls will benefit the Philadelphia Shriner's Children's Hospital. These dolls are made-to-order, and all orders must be placed by October 15, 2010. All dolls are $84.99 and include basic lilac cami underwear sets and shoes. Your option for these dolls are:

• Chrys Basic Blonde, Cameo skin tone with blue eyes
• Chrys Basic Brunette, Cameo skin tone with green eyes
• Rose Basic Blonde, Bloom skin tone with bangs and brown eyes
• Rose Basic Raven, Bloom skin tone with green eyes

The eye color is my best guess from Cherished Friends photos. They are all four quite lovely, I have to admit! While you're visit their site, check out their fantastic sales at both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey stores. They have some great clearance prices, and Cherished Friends has excellent customer service.

Murphy's laws of doll collecting by guest blogger Milady Blue

In response to the post by KittyKate about her Liv doll collection (and also consequentially on her attempted photo shoot with hurricane Lily), Milady Blue generously shares her wisdom on Murphy's laws of doll collecting with us.

Murphy’s Laws of Doll Collecting
by Milady Blue

Special Guest Writer

Most people in the US have heard the phrase, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” It is part of the American cultural lexicon known as Murphy’s Law. There are a number of legends as to who Murphy was, when he lived and when and why he actually said it. My personal favorite is that he was an Air Force officer sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s, commenting on the folly of building in
“mechanical problems” to planes, so pilots could be trained to handle emergencies under actual service conditions. Captain Murphy, apparently, made his famous utterance while addressing superiors, to tell them that enough problems crop up in an aircraft during regular operations without having more “built in.”

This sounds entirely plausible, based on what I have heard from friends and family who have served in the armed forces.

I got to thinking about Murphy’s Law after reading KittyKate’s post on her Liv dolls -- she was so proud to finally get the whole set of dolls, only to find that a whole new line has come out. I told her that she has discovered one of the Murphy’s Laws of doll collecting.

Fanciful Delights - an interview with Roweena23

I discovered Fanciful Delights, and Jessica (also known as Roweena23 on Den of Angels), a few weeks ago, and I couldn't resist asking her for an interview. Currently, you can find Fanciful Delight's handmade one-of-a-kind hats for sale on Etsy, on Den of Angels' Marketplace forum, and often at GoGa and GoGa Lite conventions in San Francisco.

Tonner Tuesday - don't miss it!

It's that time again, Tonner Tuesday. And the specials are:

• $49.99: Prim outfit, 57th and Fifth, That's All She Wrote, Enlightened, Divine Swine and Fawkes
• $74.99: Red, White and Betsey gift set, Centennial Rose Patsy, And The Award Goes To..., Fame & Fortune, Giggles and Taking a Letter
• $99.99: Power Girl Deluxe, Falling For Her, Wanton, A Night To Remember, Death By Fashion and Captain Norrington

Like always, the specials are valid today only, from noon through 5PM EST.

Barbie update!

Some exciting new Barbie are on the horizon, according to my Mattel dealers. Let me introduce them to you, in case you haven't heard about all of the new dolls to be released yet:

• Barbie Basics 2.0 are on the horizon. They have an intended release date of late fall 2010, and there will be Models 1-17 (and surprise! 15, 16 and 17 are boys!). All the models are wearing jeans and t-shirts of various styles. Four accessory packs will also be avaliable, and Look Four is especially designed for the men. Retail for the dolls (according to Vogue Collectible in Canada) is $25.99, and $19.99 for the accessory packs.

A Pullip and J-Doll Feast with... Lily?

For this post's pictures, I had a little trouble, because one of our cats, Lily, wanted some of the plastic food I was using. She mostly wanted a little cake with some paper on the bottom of it.

On the right is a picture of a J-Doll and three mini Pullips. They are having a feast of Italian foods like manicotti and pizza. It's nice and quiet until somebody comes and "eats" everything. If you look closely, Lily is licking her lips as if she's ready to eat every single piece.

As Lily tries to get a piece of plastic food, she knocks down a Pullip named Moonstone. She also knocks down the cake she's trying to get and then sniffs it, but doesn't even bother it anymore. She goes to bother the other cats.          

 But before she knocks down Moonstone, she goes to sniff the J-Doll and Virgo (Virgo is the Pullip with yellow hair. ). I'm just glad I didn't put any glass on the little table or any flowers!

So sometimes it isn't a good idea to leave very breakable dolls out with a very curious cat! Otherwise, you'd have to say good bye to that doll!
I think I should've kept Lily out of the way.

How to turn those extra bookshelves into Barbie real estate!

My two-year-old niece, Emma (whom I absolutely adore! all you Aunties out there know what I'm talking about) is starting to express some interest in Barbies. So, when she recently came to visit, I wanted her to have a doll house to play with them in.

If you've ever been to my 600-square-foot condo, you know that there is not much room inside for an additional residence, Barbie-sized or not. So, to save room and cost, I cleared off two bookshelves and transformed them into a brand new housing development!

If you have a niece, granddaughter, neighbor or friend coming over, or just want to create your own display diorama, here are a few tips I've discovered:

Update on the contest

Dear readers,

About the Fashion Doll Review's first contest... there has been a slight change: the prize doll! Right after I posted a photo of her, my daughter Lauren found the box and opened her!

No worries, though--I picked up a replacement doll. It's a blonde exclusive red-dress Barbie Basic from Target--I think she's the Bob Mackie sculpt, and she is gorgeous. I've got her hidden out of Lauren's reach, so she is safe!

The contest is still on, though--so keep those guesses coming! (Photo coming soon--this is my hubby's birthday weekend, hence the brief lack in posts.)

Prize time for our beloved readers...

As you may remember from a post last month, we are now regularly updating the Fashion Doll Review's look monthly. So that little poll on the left side that asks you if you like our new look, which has 13 days left to vote--well, in less than two weeks, you'll have a brand new look. For those of you who don't care for the lime green and silver lines, you'll get something new!

If you want to make specific comments on this layout, or leave feedback on what you'd like to see, comment on last month's post, and I'll read them.

So to celebrate the upcoming change to this new and fun features, I thought I'd offer a little prize. This's month's background is actually a close-up of a famous doll. Do you know which one?

If you do, email me your answer (please do not post here!!), along with and your first name, last initial, and your state (US) or country. Please send your guess to me by September 14, 2010, midnight PST, and I'll add you to a pot of names (if more than one of my readers gets it right). I'll do the drawing for the prize on September 15 at noon PST. And shortly thereafter I'll announce and contact the winner.

The prize: A NRFB Barbie Basic No 9 to add to your collection. And yes, I will ship overseas, too.

So come play with us!

The fine print: Sorry, guys, but contributors who already know the answer to this question can't participate in this game (if I've told you--Jen!). But if I haven't told you, and if no one else has told you (I'm pretty sure I have a few guest bloggers who don't know), you're welcome to play!

Special Edition Amelie, Misaki's Friend

These 2 dolls popped up for sale today. They are listed as “Amelie Debut Change”. They’re both cute and they both come in the original Amelie debut outfit. They are limited editions (not sure how many) and are retailing for about $180 through Doll-Collectible's site HERE. 

**Photo is property of Doll-Collectible**

September POTM: Chanel

Another month, another purse! This month La Boutique has deemed Chanel as their purse of the month. 

For those unfamiliar with La Boutique, each month they make a miniaturized version of a high end purse. They always have several options for purchase, with accessories and outfits.

The purse this month is availabe in red and in gold. Plus you can order in 12″ or 16″ doll sizes ($32 & $35)! So even our bigger dolls can sport some Chanel this month! For more information click HERE. To order, email to: jellis116@cogeco.ca


**Photo is property of La Boutique**