My First Barbie by Mattel

Happy July!  I decided that since the movie, Barbie, is coming out on the 21st of this month (I can hardly wait!!), I would make this Barbie Month here on the blog!  I'm not sure if every single review in July will be Barbie-themed (that'll depend on how fast I work), but I'll definitely have a few Barbie features and will round out the month with a look at some of the dolls that are specifically based on the movie.

To start things off, I figured that on the first day of the month, the first Barbie that I review should be My First Barbie!  Makes sense, right?  Besides, I teased a review of this doll during a Tea With Lena post way back in January, so it's high time we finally get to meet her:

My First Barbie by Mattel, $19.99.

Ella Enchanted by Robert Tonner

Deciding what I want to review each week is always an interesting process.  My decision is often based on a loosely-structured master plan that involves balancing newer releases, awesome suggestions from all of you, and an ongoing desire to document a wide range of dolls on this site.  But I occasionally allow myself to be guided by a whim.  This past week, it's been windy and rainy outside, and my husband was far away on business travel.  That's the recipe for me to feel nostalgic and emotional.  In that kind of mood, I get hung-up on a lot of things from my past, including Robert Tonner dolls--the first fashion dolls I ever collected as an adult.  And in moods like this, I also tend to crave the emotional release of cheesy romantic movies.  I mean, isn't that why those movies are made?

Anyway, I love Robert Tonner's work mostly because of his interpretations of my favorite princess, Cinderella.  Tonner's 16-inch fashion doll Cinderellas are among my favorite dolls of all time, and are what I think about when I imagine the Cinderella character.  The doll in today's review is not a typical Tonner Cinderella, but she's based on a Cinderella-like character from...wait for it...a cheesy romantic comedy called Ella Enchanted.  Sounds pretty perfect for my mood, right?

I've had this doll in my collection for a while, always assuming I would share her with you some day.  But for one reason or another she's never pushed her way to the front of the queue.  I suspect now you understand why this week, for a bunch of reasons, she was the perfect doll for me to spend some time with...and do some movie "research" on.  I hope she's just what some of you need, too:

Ella Enchanted by Robert Tonner, 2004.

Blythe Plaid Parade by Takara TOMY

I can't believe it's been more than a year since my imitation Blythe doll review.  Do you remember that whole saga?  I reviewed a cute but overpriced doll that I purchased from the This is Blythe online shop, and the owner of the shop (who has no association with Gina Garan) harassed me relentlessly for months, threatening all kinds of nonsense.  I got fed up and trashed that review and that doll.  I started over again with a new doll of the exact same brand that I got for less than half the price on AliExpress.  I'd rather not talk any more about the whole debacle now, but you can get the detailed scoop on that shady store here, here, here, and of course in my earlier review.

When I wrote the imitation Blythe post, I had the intention of following it up with reviews of authentic Blythe dolls--something I've never done on this site.  But after all of the nastiness, I had to take a break from that whole world and re-gain my sanity.  Now, a year later, I'm ready to proceed with the original plan.  The reason I was so excited to dive into the Blythe-o-sphere in the first place was that back in July of 2021, Hasbro (who owns the Blythe license) severed its long-term connection with Takara and switched the manufacturing of their dolls over to Good Smile Company.  This made me curious to compare an older Takara doll to a newer Good Smile Company release.

To kick off that comparison, today I'm going to talk about my Takara Blythe doll, Plaid Parade.  This redheaded cutie has been sitting in her box at my house for well over a year, patiently waiting for her turn in the spotlight:

Plaid Parade Blythe doll by Takara TOMY, ¥23,650 (~$166).

G3 Draculaura and a Mini History--a Guest Review!

Hello everyone!  My name is Ariel and I'm a toy and figure collector/enthusiast and an avid reader of this blog.  I'm here today thanks to Emily giving me the opportunity to talk all about my favourite ghoul, Draculaura.  While I don't have the most extensive collection of her, I still have several dolls that represent interesting points in Monster High's history.  I'll introduce Draculaura and go through some of her pre-reboot dolls so that you guys can get a feel for her before I show you the newest Drac.  So, without further ado, here we go!

A decade of Draculaura!