Sunday, September 27, 2015

#GirlsLife 18" Doll Harper from Kohl's

Greetings Doll Friends!

As you may realize, I am always on the lookout for 14-20" dolls. Second hand, new, vintage or modern, I am always on look out out for good candidates for the Doll House to tell you about. So, as I was reading a doll blog one day, a writer mentioned she had purchased one of her dolls at Kohl's. Kohl's! There is a Kohl's five minutes from my house! So I drove over there one day to check it out. Not a thing! I mean, toys to be sure but only preschool ones mostly... So, I scratched them off my mental list as a 'source' and didn't think much more about it. 

Fast forward to my dear husband needing socks and underwear. We ran out to Kohl's to pick some up and low and behold the clerk said "such and such a sale is also good ONLINE" *light bulb goes off* So we go home and I go check their website for 18" dolls... First all I saw was Madame Alexander variety. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Madame Alexander and that is probably the sort of doll I was reading about in original blog that made me realize Kohl's may have dolls. However, I have several already and don't need another (unless one finds me at a Thrift Store and then all bets are off!) However, scrolling down, I came across this little lady:


"Huh? Who are you?!" Cute outfit! Pretty face! 18" inches... #GirlsLife Doll? Never heard of them?!


Look at that cute hat?! 


See her sister dolls? How have I missed these before now? There are four of them!


This one was my second favorite... I think. I still can't decide!


I love her glasses and cute style!



This one is pretty too except for her unfortunate choice in lip color. If I got her, she would have new shade as soon as possible. Then she would be drop dead gorgeous!


I mean look at that hair!


Then there is the blonde one. As most of you know (maybe?) I generally always chose dolls that are not blonde haired and blue eyed. Why? Well, one, that is what I look like. Boring! I've been looking at that color combo my whole life. Second? Nearly every doll ever made when I was a kid had that exact coloring and again, boring. So... Sorry blonde dolls of world. Unless I find you really cheap, you'll not be joining Doll House. I digress... 

She is pretty though, I'll give her that. 


So... Then I realize she is on sale, no less. AND the sale the clerk told me about would make her 15% off that. So, you guessed it. Harper is on her way. She will be here between October 1st and 6th! I HAD to buy her! As a public service to the doll community! Because I can not find one WORD of information about these dolls ANYWHERE. It's like they don't exist other than in the depths of Kohl's website?! So... Let's check them out. Pretty sure if I like the way they're made, that pretty girl in glasses will be coming home at some point too. Ha! They seem to be similar in body type to BFC Ink and Disney Princess and Me dolls. We shall see... We shall see...

Till next time!
XXOO

PS I just found this photo of the dolls with the little girl who modeled for their packaging. I can't find any other information or even these photos in her Instagram but it showed a photo of the doll in the box! 
















Thursday, September 24, 2015

A Rainbow Wig for Famosa Nancy

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

already have three Famosa Nancy dolls in the Doll House. I love them and think they are gorgeous dolls! I have three blondes because I've gotten them inexpensively. Two from an eBay auction and one from a favorite thrift store. So... Then I found another one the other day for $3.99, I paused and considered maybe not getting her. Hahaha! Kidding!! But I did think one more blonde would be too many! I've wanted one with dark hair for a while now. So I thought "maybe I'll re-wig her in a darker shade..." So off to eBay I went to look for wigs. Well... I didn't go with dark. 



I went rainbow!! Isn't she fabulous!!



I haven't even removed her blonde rooted hair yet but I had to show off how cute she looks even with it over her hair! I'll come back later with an update after I actually commit to it in glue! It may be after we get moved but I think she will be fabulous as a rainbow colored hair doll!

Till next time!
XXOO 



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Madame Alexander 18inch Doll Heather

Hi Doll Friends!

I was out at a Thrift Store and these two followed me home. Really! Ok, maybe not. I actually *gasp!* nearly didn't buy this Madame Alexander doll... I was a bit worried she was too beat up from massive neglect. Still, she was only $4 because her tag color was half off and so I decided to bring her home and see what I could do. 


Here she is with a Precious Moments doll I found at same store that day. I'll come back and tell you about her sometime soon to... But for now... Heather.


The photos don't really do justice to how dirty and beaten up she was.


Here was my main concern though. Her head seemed pretty wobbly on her neck! After researching it a bit to see how they are made, I am a bit less worried. They were designed to have poseable heads and if I set her head strait, she seems to be able to hold it up fine. It did give me pause at first though!


My other concern was her right leg. It was twisted in a strange way that made it turn outward funny. I decided I couldn't make it worse  and so I sort of just twisted and turned it until it was basically set to rights.


Her hair was very tangled up in this up-do! After inspecting it though and untangling it, I discovered it was still in really good shape! Not damaged, just tangled.


She came out so nice!! I can't believe I almost didn't buy her!

Here she is in an OG outfit that came on another doll I got recently. Can't wait to get moved so I can start making doll clothes again for her and all my other new dollies!


I decided to name her Heather because she is basically my dolly doppelganger... Literally... I have very pale blonde hair and blue eyes and pale skin.... So. She will be 'me' in the Doll House! ;) 


Look at her gorgeous hair!! My hair used to be like that... As a 42 year old woman though, it's a tad less thick and gorgeous than it was when I was a girl. :)


I love her.


Here she is with Adrienne, a doll I found two days before I found her at same thrift store. Both dolls cost less than $10! 


Till next time!
XXOO










Adriene; A Girlie Girlz 18inch Doll Joins Doll House

Greetings and Salutations a Doll Friends!

As you already a know if you've read my blog at all, I love to stop into thrift stores any time I am in the general area of one of my favorites and have a few minutes to spare to stop in. My constant "look for" items are dolls, books, dolls, DVDs, dolls, melamine dishes, dolls, clothes, doll related items, and dolls. You get the idea. Even in the middle of a move, I can't help but look. And when I find one, I pretty much always have to buy her. I am going of have to start thinning out my collection after we move but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it...

In the meantime, meet these two recently thrifted beauties!! I got one on left (in purple) on Saturday and the other (pale blond Madame Alexander) yesterday when I stopped into one of my favorite thrift stores. See? I mean it when I say I stop in whenever I can. You can stop in in the morning at one of these stores and miss a treasure that afternoon, it's the way it works. So to find treasure you have to go often and look closely. I digress. Back to the pretty dolls I got...


Meet Adriene and Heather! Adriene is a Girlie Girlz 18" Doll by the Uneeda Doll Company. Heather is a Madame Alexander 18" doll. I am going to review her in a future post...


They both were in rather sad shape when I found them, dirty and hair a fright. I was so excited about finding Adriene, because she was a totally different 18" doll than I'd ever seen before, that I didn't even think to photo her "before" shots before I set to cleaning her up. You'll just have to trust me that she was kind of a mess... Interestingly enough, she must've been a gift to a child or something and then relegated to the toy box to get dirty before she even had her shoes removed because they came still on her feet, like sewn on. I'll get to that. What kind of doll is she you ask? Well it took me a little research to find that information but after a bit of digging I discovered that she is a Girlie Girlz doll by researching what was on her tag: 2013 Uneeda Doll Company. This is them both all cleaned up and dressed. They both came as naked as a jaybird or the day they were manufactured! Poor dears!


I took the liberty of borrowing a few images of what her box would have looked like new off eBay. From what I can tell, they were a kind of lower price point doll. I am not sure who sold them originally but you can find them on secondary market now. Naturally they probably cost more now that it appears they are not longer made than they did when new in stores. Nature of eBay, I guess. I got mine for $5 and I don't regret it at all. They aren't the best made doll ever but I think they have a really pretty face mold for a doll that was an inexpensive one.


As you can see, they had several different outfits and styles for her.


She seems to have come with bangs and without.


And in all sorts of different outfits and with bangs. 


And with long strait hair and long curly hair like mine has.


They also came in a blonde but I think face mold is exactly the same. Do you agree?


She came in several different styles as well.


From what I read on Uneeda Doll Company, they've been around a while!


This one is out of order, another style...


As you can see, they have sleep eyes that close when they lay down. They also have soft bodies with chest plate much like Journey Girls or Madame Alexander dolls. I'll take detailed photos of her body and post soon as an update. She is made ok for a "inexpensive" doll, on par with the Style Girls I got at Aldi a few years ago quality wise. I am pleased with her and am glad she will be part of the doll house!


The company that produced them was more famous for their "Walking Dolls" that were a whopping 32" tall! 


I remember really really wanting one of these when I was a kid but my Mom had a thing about "cheap" dolls... She loved Fisher Price and not many others. So I never had one. Now I think they are just too big for my doll house... So it's nice to have an 18" version of the doll I wanted when I was a kid!


I haven't had a moment to review her properly yet! I named her Adriene after one of my all time favorite yoga instructors Yoga With Adriene I will come back and go over her with photos and show you how she is put together soon! Moving has got me in crunch time and lately I've been spending all my time in Lowes and with my hand on fixing up our house. It's finally finally finally going on the market this weekend though. Hallelujah!! Luckily we live in a pretty popular neighborhood and price point so hopefully by this time a month from now, I'll be settling myself and my family and Doll House into a new place a little bit west of here... In the coming weeks, as our house is being shown or whatever, hopefully I'll have some time to write up some reviews because.... Well.... As a way not to obsess obsess obsess at Zillow about houses I couldn't bid on because we had to get our house ready... I've been spending a bit too much of my focus on doll "research" and, well, we all know how that comes out, right? 

That's all for now! I have to get ready for church! 
Till next time!























Sunday, September 20, 2015

Vintage 14" Vinyl Dolls by Avon Gift From Friend

Greetings Doll Friends!

One of best things about having girlfriends is they pick up things for you when they find them inexpensively. 

Case in point? These amazing vintage 14inch dolls by Avon! My friend paid just 99cents for each of them says she is going to mail them as soon as I get moved and settled. She doesn't want me to have to pack them!


I'll review them for you as soon as I get them! Something to look forward to!


In side news, I found this porcelain Shirley Temple doll on color clearance at my favorite thrift store for 99cents and bought her just for her dress. I re-donated the doll right after I took off her dress. It'll be a great dress for my HeartforHeart dolls!


That's it for now Doll Friends!
Till next time! 
XXOO 


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

My First Journey Girl Doll Kelsey!!

Greetings Doll Friends!

My husband loves me. I mentioned to him that ToysRUs has a line of 18" dolls that I would love to have any one of them and... Well...


He brought me home this beauty yesterday!!



Isn't she gorgeous?!?!


I love love love her!!


I love the way they do the boxing too. Very easy to get her out of package. 


I am pretty sure she will not be my last Journey Girl. 


Here is what she looks like out of her dress. 


I was glad that she didn't have any stains on her body from her clothes anywhere. That seems to be a common problem I've heard about in YouTube reviews.


I renamed her Susannah after my dear friend Susannah. I thought she looked like a doppelganger version of her. 

That's it for now! Till next time!
XXOO