Sunday Surprise: MINNEE by Zuru!

Blogging life feels a little frantic right now!  There are so many new dolls coming into my house, it's hard to keep up.  But it's also really fun to be surrounded by so many new things.  I wasn't very happy with the new Zuru Spaces room that I reviewed last week, mostly because it isn't really new: it's just a copy of a Rolife Super Creator set.  I'll admit that my experience with that toy produced some uncharitable thoughts about Zuru as a company.  But, in the whiplash way that is so typical of the doll world, this week's review has those opinions turned upside down.

One of my most eagerly anticipated summer releases has been Zuru's blind box Minnee collection, or technically MINNEE collection.  The name feels uninspired to me, despite the all-caps font and the reversed "N."  But the concept of these dolls is great.  Zuru claims that they are "the world's smallest poseable fashion dolls," and if that's the case, I'm already a big fan:

Zuru Minnee blind box ($14.99 each).

Quick Look: The Mini Brands Copycat Spaces Collection by Zuru

I've posted a lot of big, multi-doll reviews lately.  Those take a long time to write...and a long time to read!  And I'm not even done: there are at least two more mega-reviews on the way as I try to explore some of the hot new summer releases.  However, right now I'm waiting for a few stragglers that are necessary to start those reviews, so I thought it'd be a good chance to pause and do a nice, simple Quick Look!

During one of my many trips to Target this month, I noticed a group of flashy-looking building sets in sleek black boxes sitting on a high shelf.  On closer inspection, I could have sworn they were re-packaged Rolife Super Creator sets, which is something I adore and have written about several times.  But no.  It's a new Zuru Mini Brands product called Spaces, and it has stunning, piece-for-piece similarity to Rolife.  Those of you who are here regularly might swear that you've already seen this cover picture (or at least the ice cream items) in one of my Rolife reviews.  But this is the Zuru product:

Mini Brands Spaces Sweet Scoops Ice Cream Store by Zuru, $39.99.

Miniverse Make it Mini Spaces by MGA Entertainment

It was so nice to hear your reactions to the My Twinn repaints that I've been working on!  Thank you so much for the encouragement.  Bolstered by your kind words, I've launched into another restoration.  I'll probably list the dolls on eBay at some point, since my Etsy store is hard to maintain.  Or, rather, it's hard to keep my Etsy store stocked, and there's nothing more depressing than an empty storefront!

I've definitely been in a project mood lately, though.  Perhaps it's because I have leftover energy from thinking that we'd be moving?  That was certainly taking up a lot of my creative brain.  So now I'm filling the void with any little project that I can get my hands on.  That's been fun, I guess, but it interferes with me actually sitting down at my computer and typing up a review.  But here I am doing it, finally.

Today's review was inspired by my recent project-seeking behavior.  I've reviewed Miniverse Make it Mini items several times on this blog, so they don't necessarily need any more commentary.  However, the new Spaces line is very similar to the Rolife Super Creator kits that I enjoy, in that both products are diorama-like rooms that need to be assembled.  There are also surprise Spaces capsules with furniture that needs to be built.  I was definitely in the mood for some building, so I decided to check it all out.

Chelsea in a Miniverse Make it Mini Spaces room ($19.99).

Super Creator Happy Meals Kitchen Kit by Rolife

Back in the earlier days of Toy Box Philosopher, I had a project series with a few multi-part articles documenting my efforts with a doll-related art project.  I think there were only two installments, The Saskia Project and The My Twinn Project.  The My Twinn Project, in which I tried my hand at restoring and repainting My Twinn dolls, blossomed into an obsession that lasted for years, and even resulted in a new blog.  I'd love to get back into repainting those dolls someday, but there's just too much going on right now.

However, I still sometimes find myself in a crafty or artistic mood, and am often looking for outlets.  One of my kids has recently become fascinated by the wooden kits made by a company called Rolife.  These kits are apparently very satisfying to assemble, and result in some beautiful pieces (things like clocks, book nooks, dollhouses, and music boxes) that are a manageable size and great for display.  You can see examples on the Rolife website.

I went to browse the wooden kits myself one day, thinking I might try one, and I noticed a newer line called Super Creator.  The Super Creator sets are plastic kits that snap together to make a single diorama-like dollhouse room or shop.  I love dioramas and dollhouses, so these kits are very appealing to me.  One thing that was unclear, though, is what the scale of the kits was, and which dolls might be able to use the rooms.  That left me curious.  So, I decided to buy one of the rooms, build it, and then let some of my dolls test it out:

Littles Pet Shop Blythe doll in the Happy Meals Kitchen by Rolife, $43.99.