Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!
If you've read this blog a while, you may know the story of how I met my dear sister friend Frann via this very blog... In case you don't know our friendship story, long-story-short; two years ago or so sweet Frann wrote me an email all the way from her distant land of Korea telling me she liked my blog. We got to talking and became instant friends!! She has, over the course of our friendship, sent me dolls and doll related gifts that have become of my most treasured doll items. I've sent her twinsy dolls as well so we have the same of many different dolls in each of our respective doll houses. It makes it so much more fun to have one in each place because it's kind of like virtually 'playing dolls' when either of us photograph those certain dolls and share the photos. If that makes sense? In any case, if it were not for Frann and our friendship I am absolutely certain I wouldn't have had the enthusiasm I've likely had in writing this blog. So I kind of consider her an author of this blog too in that she supports me and encourages me so much!
So recently one of Frann's favorite doll types have become Paola Reina dolls. She loves to have doll faces customized by her amazing artist friend Reein. She also has a friend named Goofy who creates amazing custom doll clothes. I know they are amazing because Frann has shared some of them in the past that Goofy created for our 18inch dolls the very first time she sent me an amazing doll care package! She's sent more of them in the meantime and each piece will always be some of my favorite doll clothes in my whole collection! Given that Frann loves the Paola Reina dolls, she decided to collaborate with Reein and Goofy to make fabulous customized Paola Reina doll creations!! Then, to my utter delight, she decided to share two of these amazing little dolls with me!! Thanks Frann!!
I love love love them! They arrived mid-week last week and I got photos taken but... Am only now getting here to tell you about them. Here they are with Leone Doll, Frann Doll and Saila Doll the day they arrived! Aren't they adorable and beautiful? Such cute little sisters for the 18inch dolls!!
As is her way, Frann shares great doll items with me when she finds them and the amazing black Mary Jane shoes you see in the top of this box are one that I am so glad she found and shared!! She bought some for her own dollies and was sweet enough to make a double order and send me some for my dollies too. More on them later because they deserve their own post after I get a chance to have some of the dolls model them...
Here are the two dollies!! One is customized by Reein and one is 'factory direct' in package. I love them both! Such adorable face sculpts and such a nice weight to them. You can tell they are top notch dolls just by picking them up.
Being the sweet sister friend that she is, she also shared more amazing clothes by Goofy for them to wear!! So. Many. Cute. Things!!
She also sent some shoes for the girls... Two pairs of Mary Janes and two pairs of awesome sneakers! So they are totally set for clothes even! Such an amazing gift.
Here is the Carla Doll that Reein painted so beautifully... I call her Carla Doll because that is, from what I understand, what this face sculpt is called in the Paola Reina Doll world. It is also what Frann named her doll which is a twinsy doll to this one and so naturally I am naming my doll the same.
So, meet Carla! Isn't she stunning?
This type of doll is 12 1/2 inches tall and are all vinyl and are called Las Amigas. There is a review of three different Paola Reina dolls here on Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter's Blog. There is a video review posted in that link too... I love her blog and videos. So much fun. Her mom is fantastic too. I digress...
She also sent a Las Amigas Liu Rapunzel. I've named her Hekele Liu and I think she's instantly popped into my top 10 favorite dolls! She's so sweet!!
She came in a plastic bag with just undies on... Which is fine because I couldn't ask for a better 'meet outfit' than the ones that Frann sent for her to wear... The only problem I had was which of the adorable ensembles should she wear first?
Here is the packaging. Simple but honestly I almost wish all dolls were packaged so simply. No annoying bits to untie them from and to kink up their hair etc.
Here she is holding her tag.
And here they both are out on their first photo shoot!
Hekele looks amazing in the blue dress!! It makes her eyes pop!
And Carla looks gorgeous in the dress that Frann herself made!! Isn't it fabulous!??! Instant favorite in the doll house!
Here they are by the garden gate on a walk....
Hekele out in the lush green forest...
Isn't she beautiful?!
I also took her with me the day I took some dolls to the lake last week... Still working on a video from that one... Here is LaQuela, Leoni and Hekele on the dock.
And on a walk...
Carla, being customized with beautiful make-up, is likely not going to go on too many outside adventures... I would worry she'd fall into the dirt and when I went to clean her up accidentally mess up her beautiful face. No matter, with backdrops and grass panels, I can bring the outdoors to her. Here she is in a little Girl Scout Uniform I had on hand that I thought was adorable on her.
Then I decided she would be a key character in my newest YouTube Video about the dolls being at the beach and taking a Hula Lesson from Cat Doll like we had last year.
Isn't she totes adorbs in her hula outfit?? I got it at the mall a few weeks ago and it's designed for Wellie Wishers but I thought it worked perfectly for little Miss Carla Doll too! I love it!
Here's the whole class! Left to right: Cat (Lotus), Charlsea, Leoni, Saila (all Maplelea), Nanea (AG), Star (Starpath Dolls), Amy (OG) and Prism (Custom JG).
Better run! Where does the time go?
Thanks again Frann!
XXOO
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