Inner Monster by Monster High

After finding Avea Trotter, who for me is the ultimate Monster High doll, I didn't think I would be spending as much time in the Monster High aisles of my regular stores.  However, I have found myself quite interested in seeing the new dolls come into stock--particularly the remaining items in the Freaky Fusion line.  It's fascinating to see the different combinations of characters.  So far, my favorites are Lagoonafire (Lagoona and Jinafire), Dracubecca (Draculaura and Robecca) and maybe Neighthan Rot...although I still think he should have been a centaur.

Anyway, while I was examining these mixed-up monsters last week, I noticed a lone box with a slightly different design sitting off to one side.  At first, the bright neon colors on this box reminded me too much of the Sweet Screams collection and I was a little turned off.  But then, I found myself seduced by how many accessories seemed to come with this doll for her relatively low price--it looked impressive.  Finally, a single sentence made me grab the box and head straight for the checkout: push brain to change my eyes.  Well, that's the kind of thing you don't have to tell me twice.  I was sold.  This ghoulish temptress had me at "push brain."

Inner Monster doll Fearfully Feisty and Fangtastic Love, $21.99.

W.I.T.C.H. Dolls by Giochi Preziosi: A Joint Review!

My next guest reviewer, Emma, emailed me over a year ago to ask if I had ever considered reviewing any of the large range of dolls made by Giochi Preziosi.  I didn't know much about this Italian toy-making giant at the time, so I thought it was an excellent idea--and a great learning opportunity.  Emma recommended several of the Giochi Preziosi doll lines, including the Winx Club dolls, the Sailor Moon series, and (most enthusiastically) the girls from the W.I.T.C.H. comic books.  I took Emma's advice and ordered several of these dolls for review.  I messed up with the first doll I ordered, though.  I ordered a Winx Bloom doll with a Giochi Preziosi label, but learned that I had actually chosen a Witty Toys Boom doll that is merely distributed by Giochi Preziosi.

Six months later, I am trying again--this time with the invaluable help of Emma herself.  This review will focus on the 13" Giochi Preziosi W.I.T.C.H. dolls.  Emma is a huge fan of the W.I.T.C.H. comic book series, and so she is the perfect person to introduce this line.  Emma will share her new "Taranee" doll, and then I will end the review by showing you my redheaded W.I.T.C.H. character, "Will."  It has been fascinating for me to learn more about the magical world of these Witches, and I owe this experience to Emma's persistence, patience, and enthusiasm.  Many thanks, Emma!  This review never would have happened without you.

W.I.T.C.H. doll "Will" by Giochi Preziosi.

Ellowyne Wilde by Wilde Imagination: A Guest Review!

It is my privilege to introduce another accomplished guest reviewer today!  My guest goes by "N," and is a fellow blogger and doll artist.  N's writing over at Paper Doll World focuses on her wonderful handmade paper doll collection and the many accessories she has designed and made for those dolls.  N's paper dolls are modeled after characters from doll lines such as American Girl, Wilde Imagination, and Ever After High.  I highly recommend taking a trip over N's unique site.  The world she has built for her adorable dolls is rich food for the imagination.  N also collects some three dimensional dolls, including...lucky for me...Ellowyne Wilde.

I have had many requests to include an Ellowyne Wilde review on the blog, but for some reason I never get around to adding one of these dolls to my collection.  I had one years ago (before I started the blog) but I wasn't crazy about her inset eyes and she was a basic doll, so she didn't have one of the extravagant and creative outfits that tend to come with the dressed dolls.  I have reviewed Robert Tonner's first Disney Showcase Rapunzel, a doll that shares a body style with Ellowyne, but it's really high time that Ellowyne herself joined the crowd of reviewed dolls.  Needless to say, I was thrilled when N emailed to ask if she could review this particular doll.  Without further delay, I will turn the blog over to the multi-talented "N" and her Ellowyne Wilde doll, "Flora, Fauna and not so Merryweather."

"Flora, Fauna and not so Merryweather" by Wilde Imagination...
playing with some of the Paper Doll World dolls.

An 18" My Twinn Face Mold Guide

I don't know what it is about My Twinn, but they're ridiculously good at sidetracking me.  I had a completely different review planned for this weekend, but here I am writing about My Twinn again.  This is actually more of a project than a review, though, so let me back up and explain.

The other day I got an email from AJ, admitting that she had been bitten by the My Twinn Adopt-a-Friend bug during the most recent $49 sale.  Hearing about AJ's experience in picking her new doll (which you can see on her blog) sent me scurrying over to the My Twinn site myself.  Before I knew it, I was back in my old habits--hunched over the computer, entrenched in the process of peering at tiny pictures, trying to find some treasures amidst about a thousand discounted Adopt-a-Friend dolls.

The most recent sale was for the newer, smaller, 18" Adopt-a-Friend dolls, and I found the process of choosing one of these characters more difficult than it was for the older 23" Friends.  I think the biggest problem is that the facial features aren't as distinct.  I ended up spending most of my time just trying to identify the different face molds, which was really hard for me.  I searched the internet looking for clues, and couldn't find a single resource on these new faces--there certainly isn't anything on the My Twinn site (there should be).  So, for this post, I'm going to share some of the faces I've deciphered, with the ardent hope that many of you will know more than I do, and will pitch in to fix any mistakes and help me create a complete, accurate resource.

18" (left) and 23" (right) My Twinn Katie faces.

Review Fusion #2

I am delighted to have another Review Fusion today!  I wasn't sure if this idea was going to work, so I'd really like to thank all of the reviewers who have been willing to share posts with one another and contribute to these fun combinations!  I love grab bags and surprises, and I think this ever-changing blend of dolls and perspectives feeds into that passion.  I hope you enjoy the mix, too.

I am in the midst of trying to inject some order into my madness (in other words, rearrange my doll room) and so having the help of such wonderful guest reviewers is amazing.  Today, I have two reviewers, George and Amanda, and they will be talking to you about a Mattel Winx Club Bloom doll and a Disney Store singing Cinderella (eeee!).  The cover picture this week is an extraordinary photograph that I have been holding on to for months, waiting for the right moment to share it with you.  This exquisite girl is a new Cutie Face Makie (like Effie) named Ever.  Ever is owned by Amy and was customized to Amy's specifications by Sioux.  You can see more of Amy's pictures of Ever on her gorgeous Flickr photostream.  I think Ever is magical:

Makie doll, Ever.  Photo by Amy, used with permission.

Mega Bloks Barbie vs. Lego Friends: A Comparison Review!

My kids have always loved Legos.  My youngest is particularly passionate about these toys, and has built some impressive models over the years.  We've also owned a certain number of Mega Bloks sets--the most memorable ones being from the Dragons series.  While my kids were never as happy with the design of Mega Bloks' actual building blocks, we were all amazed by the realism of the dragon figures, and my son played with his Mega Bloks dragon hoard for years.  Despite my family's passion for building, I rarely talk about this kind of toy here on the blog.  I did a short post way back when the Lego Friends were first introduced, but nothing since then.

Despite the atypical subject of this review, it was actually inspired by a doll.  I was browsing the aisles of Walmart when I came across a display of Mega Bloks Barbie mini figures.  These tiny 2.5 inch dolls are packaged in single lipstick-sized boxes and cost under $3 each.  I've seen these Barbie figures before--or at least seen the place on the shelf where they should be--but usually the display is mostly empty and not very appealing.  On this particular day, the display was almost completely full, with six different varieties of doll in stock.  I was struck by how fun the range of dolls was: there were several versions of Barbie, two Ken dolls, and a Nikki.  There was even a Barbie with pink hair!  Since the aisles were packed with out-of-school kids begging their reluctant parents for a new toy, I was also struck by how clever this individual packaging is.  For kids over four, these mini figures offer a cute, articulated Barbie figure that costs less than a latte.

I scooped up a few of these mini dolls, thinking that they would offer a fun, quick, mid-week review of what seemed like a nice, detailed, portable little Barbie doll:

Mega Bloks Barbie figure.