A Beautiful Ballerina

Greetings!

Can you believe that my little one is ONE MONTH OLD already? In a way it seems like this month has gone really slow and really fast at the same time. It's been fun and exhausting, this mommy is tired *sigh* But she loves her little man! 

First, an announcement! I have gotten the bug to finish the Benny project! Remember this from SO long ago? You can read about it below:

Benny Post 1 
Benny Post 2 
Benny Post 3 

So why have I gotten the bug to sew again? Who knows but it may not happen quickly as I have a little one to attend to. But we shall see! Stay tuned :)

I lied. I do know why I got the bug to sew again. It's because I went to the fabric store to buy some fabric for a sleep sack for my little one and I found the perfect black satin to make my Courier's dress. 

Now, as the title suggests, this post is about a beautiful ballerina. 

The fabulous new addition - Duchess Swan!

Isn't she awesome?

Duchess is a royal and the daughter of the Swan Queen. If you recall the fairy tale, Duchess is a princess however is doomed to life as a swan instead of a human. Because of this fate she doesn't think she gets the "princess" respect that she deserves so she comes across as mean and is willing to point out flaws in other royals to make her look better. And from the webisodes, she's a great antagonist. 

However, Mattel I think has been slacking with EAH dolls. Doll Duchess does not fit Webisode Duchess. 

www.everafterhigh.com

As you can see, she wears kind of a corset top and has more white hair than black. And her necklace is more simplistic than on the doll. I do like the doll however. 

The head piece on the doll seems more extravagant than the one she wears in the webisode. She does have the same ruffle on the sleeves and the makeup is similar. 

Here is where I'm frustrated. The corset top I don't think would be that hard to even print on the dress. This plastic piece doesn't do it for me. The dress is much darker but the feather print on the skirt is the same and I do like it. It's sparkly and pretty. 

She carries a ruffly pink purse which I totally think fits her style.

She also has the standard two-finger ring in the shape of a swan. 

She has the same earrings as her webisode counterpart however has a bracelet which has been added. 

THE SHOES!

I love Duchess' shoes. They are platform on the toes to give the appearance of ballet toeshoes.

They've got some great detail on them too!

However, her tights have changed in the doll version. In the webisodes she wears white tights that have a design down the leg. I believe there is a person on Etsy who makes these tights for your Duchess doll.

www.everafterhigh.com

Her hair is in a nice curl that came out of the box well. I'm sure you could brush it and straighten it out if you wanted. Personally, I like the curl!

All in all I like Duchess, I just wish they would make her a little more true to life. I'm going to try my hand and painting her headpiece and see if I can make it a little more lively. Ah, another project! 

Friends, what do you think of Duchess? Are you planning on adding her to you collection? 

Stay tuned for the Thronecoming Briar Beauty post. I should have the playset I can debox next week!

Until then!

I'm back!

Hello!

I'm back (quickly). The baby is rocking in his swing after being fed so I figure this would be a good time for an update! However, this is a short post (I'll get to that in a minute.) But, baby update! Yesterday he turned 3 weeks old! He's so cute!

We've had some hard days (and nights!) and some easier days. Earlier this week he went through a growth spurt where he wanted to feed ALL.THE.TIME and he was inconsolable. We seem to be doing better now! He'll actually go down for a nap in the swing at times (like now!) so mommy can get some food and take a break. Hubby leaves the house at 8am and returns at 4 so by the time we get up around 8 or 9, change, feed, nap, feed again, etc...daddy is almost home. So it's been okay being at home with him by myself. I honestly didn't think I could do it at first but I'm adjusting and we both are learning along the way. 

I will say though, keeping the house low-key is ideal. Getting him overstimulated is the worst and then he will NOT go down for bedtime. So we've been keeping most of the blinds closed and we've been on Pandora a lot with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin (*swoon*)

www.deanmartin.com

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Dean Martin? Like, if he were alive today and asked me to marry him I would say yes and current hubby would have to deal with me having two husbands (joking, kinda) ;)

Okay, dolly stuff!

We do not have a Toys R Us anywhere close to where I live. In fact, the closest one is about 150 miles away. This sucks because they usually have the most extensive selection of Ever After High, Monster High, and Barbie dolls. 

Well, it so happens that hubby's grandmother lives in the city with the nearest Toys R Us. Unfortunately she passed away last December and a couple months ago, hubby had to go help prepare her house to be put on the market. (I stayed home because I was REALLY prego.) I kindly asked him if he could look for an item I wanted at Toys R Us since he was going there to pick up the baby's car seat anyway. 

He told me that they did not have what I was looking for but then I received this in the mail.

OMG. 

He bought it! Finally! I now have the complete Thronecoming collection!

So why is this the shortest post ever?

Because I can't take her out yet. 

Remember back to my Sister's Tiki Bar post where I mentioned that the playset was missing the pineapple carafe prop. So Mattel sent me a $30 voucher to compensate for their lack of part and for my "inconvenience." That is why I asked hubby to look for this at Toys R Us. 

However, the voucher has to be used at a store and cannot be used for online purchases. So what the store did is they ordered it online, had it shipped to me, then next time I'm back in town, return it then buy it again using the voucher. Success! Since this came out mid last year, finding it in a store was next to impossible. It was also a popular item. So that is why there is not a full detailed post about this playset as I can't open it yet. 

Do you even realize how hard this is for me? HAHA

So I did take some pictures of the fabulous Thronecoming Briar Beauty through the box. 

And she is fabulous no?

However, I'm thinking that because Briar comes with this playset, they toned down her dress. It's not as much of a ball gown as the other four dolls. Also, I'm thinking because Briar is a "party girl" so she has to have more of a party dress than a gown. 

It's pretty though and continues with her rose theme that she has going on in her other outfit. 

I however LOVE her hair color scheme. For me it's right up there with Raven's. The pink and sparkles. I can't wait to take her out. And I love the rose and thorn chest piece she has going on. 

The shoes are not as fabulous as they could have been in my opinion. I think that if she has a short dress, she needs to have some killer shoes. These are nice and I like the thorn ankle straps but they need a little more. 

This set is still pretty spendy at a whopping $50 but I'm actually only paying $20 so that's worth it. It has come down in price now at Target and Amazon but online only. So if you want her, now is the time!

So that's it for now! BUT, did you know there are some more Ever After High dolls coming out soon? And you can bet your entire collection that I will be getting them! Look them up on Google!

Allistair Wonderland (Our third boy in the EAH line!)
Bunny Blanc
Rosabella Beauty
Faybelle Thorn
Darling Charming (This is the one I most want!)

AND...what if Raven Queen followed in her true destiny?

www.mattel.com

Not sure where "Evil Raven Queen" will end up for purchase but you can be sure that I WILL have her!

I'm going to use some of my miscellaneous money to buy me a new dolly so next time, I should have her! Until then!

He's Finally Here!

Great News! Our little one has finally arrived! After about 20 hours in labor, we have a precious little boy. 

Little Baby Jacob was born on March 12, weighing in at 7lbs, 6oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. 

Oh, and that 20 hours? SO. WORTH. IT.

I love my Teeny Little Super Guy (I'll have to pick up some Sesame Street for him when he gets a little older.) 

Mommy and Daddy are doing...better. We are starting to get "a little" more sleep at night. Not much but we are getting there. :)

I do have another post for you but with the demands of a newborn, not sure when I'll have the time to type it up. But since baby is asleep (and I'm not tired really at the moment) I had to share him with you!

Stay posted for the next addition (sometime in the future!)

Another fabulous new addition

Hello again!

This blog post was typed in advance so I'm not sure if I'll have a baby as of yet or not, but you are going to see pictures once he arrives! (as well as the dollys that I keep adding to my ever growing collection :)

This girl is super brand new to Ever After High. Her name is...

...Ginger Breadhouse!

I've mentioned before that I'm a member of the Ever After High Dolls Facebook group. I just happened to be online when they posted "Ginger Breadhouse is now $19.99 on Amazon!" so needless to say, I snatched her up before the price skyrocketed again (since she is so new and not readily available everywhere yet.) I bought her at the same time as Kitty and I'm not disappointed. 

Ginger is the daughter of the Candy Witch from the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. If you are familiar with the tale, Ginger is destined to a cruel fate. Hansel and Gretel are left outside by their stepmother because they could not afford food for them. They are lost in the woods however, they follow a sweet scent and are led to a house made entirely of confectionery goodies. The Candy Witch lures them inside (didn't take much because they are hungry) and she tries to throw them into the fire. Hansel and Gretel outsmart her and throw her into the fire and then run back home.

Now, you kind of have to forget about the fairy tale for a minute (because if the Candy Witch dies, who is Ginger's mom?) but needless to say, Ginger doesn't want to follow her pre-destined fate. All she wants to do is cook goodies for everyone, much to the dismay of cousins Gus and Helga Crumb (daughter of Hansel and son of Gretel.)

Ginger is so cute and needless to say, I think I have a new favorite doll. (And she has pink hair which makes it all the better right?)

She looks so cute with her glasses on but I quickly noticed that it makes her appear that she has crooked eyes (which she does not.)

So I took her glasses off to show her face. She has a darker skin tone but the same face mold as some of the other dolls. Some collectors are scoffing because her eyes are not the same shape as the molded sockets. It doesn't matter much to me but just something to keep in mind if you decide to pick her up. 

She has an adorable cupcake headband. 

I LOVE this dress! She has a plastic blue collar and a black jacket that is supposed to resemble a bakers jacket. Her dress is full of glitter and fun colors that are supposed to resemble frosting and sprinkles. And the sheer glittery yellow train adds a special touch.

Check out this purse! A bubbling cauldron with a spoon as the handle? Fabulous! 

And not to mention, it is a functional purse too!

Are you ready for the shoes? These rank right up with the coolness of Holly O'Hair's tower shoes.

Heels with a lollipop as the heel and dripping frosting for the strap of these open-toe platform Mary Jane's.

Mattel! You are seriously missing out on revenue for human shoes that look like these! Get yourself a deal with someone and make these for us. Size 9 please?!

And don't you love the tights too?

Ginger's hair is two shades of pink and comes in low pigtails. Her hair is supposed to be straight and comes that way out of the box.

In the webisodes, she does wear a ring and bracelet and early pictures from Mattel show at least a bracelet. She however, does not come with either. Even her pigtails are supposed to come with some bobbles that look like candy. I'm not sure what is with them leaving off details. EAH is such a hot seller that putting these extra touches would make the dolls just that much more marketable. Especially with a doll that has a totally functional purse! :)

Can you tell why Ginger is my new favorite? Are you planning on picking her up? Let me know in the comments!

The next post (most likely after baby is here!) will feature the new gift from my hubby. Until next time!

New to the Group!

Hi All!

Well, I am taking a break from doing baby things to type up a blog post! It's been a pretty busy last few days. For those of you who are mommies, "nesting mode" is in full swing! Shopping, making freezer crock pot meals (so mommy or daddy doesn't have to cook!) laundry, setting up the nursery, it's been crazy! But I am glad to say that after making a couple more freezer meals, we are DONE! Hubby told me to relax today so other than doing some "easy" things (where I don't have to bend over, back hurts, ouch) i'm taking a day for ME. :)

Last thursday, a baby thrift store I frequent posted on their facebook page that they had some dollys in stock! WOOHOO! I was going to go there anyway to pick up some baby essentials and decided to take a look. Most of the dollys were newer Barbie, and she had a doll trunk with 4 dolls! All in good condition, nice clothing, etc. However, because I received a couple of fabulous trunks from my dad (including one vintage trunk) I did not need this one. 

She did have a 4-pack of Monster High dolls (2 Draculara, a Clawdeen, and one other) with all accessories and shoes included! I felt this was a big score and the price was right at $20! However, because the hubby bought me another doll (it's on it's way in the mail) I decided to pass. 

Enough talking, what about the doll I DID purchase?

This fabulous little Skipper! I bought her for my Tiki Hut playset that I talked about in my last post. This doll is not a "stiffie". She has bendable legs and one bent arm if I want to pose her with her volleyball. She has nice hair with a blue streak AND these adorable flip flops.

I'm thinking that she must be this doll from the "Sisters Sleep Out" set. How cute is this.

www.lilfriends.net

And unfortunately since I am unable to check (because all dolly stuff is packed away) I do have that top and possibly the shorts for Skipper!

(Just checked, yep I do. And they are too small for Barbie....) If you want to read about the dolls from this post, you can check here! Yay, original clothes with dolls!

Okay, the new addition. She is the newest member to the Ever After High collection. I present to you...

...Kitty Cheshire!

Hubby's late grandmother got me a $30 Amazon gift card for Christmas before she passed. So I used it to buy this cutie.

I was disappointed with her hair in the promo pictures. Kitty's hair does NOT look like this in the webisodes.

www.mattel.com

It looks like this

degrassi.wikia.com

So I was surprised when her hair did not come like either but more true to the webisode picture. 

I love her! She is so adorable. She is the same height as the other Wonderlandians (Maddie and Lizzie.)

She has the beautiful cat-like eyes and adorable smile. I was put off by her smile in the promo shots but was surprised again when I actually saw her. It looks more subdued and sweet on the actual doll.

I love the yarn ball earrings and the hat. I can't get over it. It's too cute!

Her top has mesh sleeves and a plastic fur collar with a tie.

Her skirt has a black lace over purple satin. And her purse matches her hat!

One thing that people were disappointed with is her lack of arm warmers. It clearly shows in the promo shots that she has them but then the production run of dolls didn't come with them. There is a girl who runs an Etsy shop who makes arm warmers on her 3D printer. I'm thinking of getting some. From what I've been hearing, they are true colors and fit perfectly!

Let's take a look at the shoes!

Black open toe wedges with fur at the top.

I don't know if it was because I didn't have good lighting or what but at first thought, I was unimpressed with the lack of detail that went into these shoes. All the shoes have been great so far so I wasn't sure why these were any different. 

Take a look with the flash. 

See it now? The shoes have cat faces on them. The lines on the front are whiskers and up by the fur there are ears. Okay, I'm feeling better now. 

And you gotta love those tights right? 

Kitty also comes with the standard 2-finger ring, hers has three black yarn balls on it. 

Honestly, I am very much liking Kitty's hair right out of the box. It's got the right amount of curl to it. Adorable!

And because the Wonderlandians are turning out to be a super fun collection of dolls, I displayed them at the front of my case for a while. All three of them have some super cute tights!

So friends, do you plan on getting Kitty Cheshire? There are two versions of her right now. She was featured as a Wal-Mart exclusive for the "Spring Unsprung" line. 

www.amazon.com

I think she is in hot demand because they are out of stock online and I have yet to see her at our Wal-Mart. (not surprising as they don't have any MH or EAH most of the time.) But she is adorable as well! (And cute shoes!)

Anyone already have either Kitty? Let me know in the comments!

Another new addition post coming up in a few days!

Christmas Treasures 2014 Post #8

Welcome!

A couple of posts ago I talked about a couple of Stacie dolls that I received for Christmas and how ridiculous it was that they had one arm up in the box. 

Like this.

One of my commenters said how this could be stated as a "Pick me! Pick me!" to little girls in the store, which I think is a cute idea.  

Another said that the new Barbie "Princess Power" doll has the arm up too. I honestly thought that this was a thing of the past. 

I bring you proof that nope, the one arm up is NOT gone yet!

And not having seen the new Princess Power doll, I took a cruise through the toy aisle and photographed my findings. 

Here is Barbie in her new role of the Princess Super Hero. Cute doll but man, no top? It seems like more and more dolls are coming with this "permanently dressed" business. But yes, the arm up. I guess because a sign of "power" is to have the arm up? 

Her cape magically changes to a skirt going from super hero to princess.  

More of my findings. 

Two Fashionista Dolls who have the arm up.

A Barbie Style doll with the raised arm. (Maybe to show off the purse?)

And a Barbie Style "In The Spotlight" again, arm up.

So I was incorrect. Mattel has not done away with the arm up thing. Maybe they are going for a Vanna White impersonation? To show off their fashions? Or maybe they are waving?

I guess we will never know ;)

My last gift for Christmas was another Barbie item. Remember back to my Thronecoming posts. The sale at Target was "Buy 2 get one free" and I needed the last three Thronecoming dolls. Unfortunately they were out of Apple White. So I chose this Barbie item instead!

The Sisters Tiki Hut!

I do apologize for not having more photos of this cute set. It got packed away in the shuffle of changing my "Barbie Room" to "Nursery."

One reason why I wanted this set was 1. I have a Tiki Bar on my deck. Grass roof and everything! We love having Tiki Parties in the summer. And 2. I don't nearly have enough Skippers. I love when playsets come with a doll so this was no exception!

First, here is what I love about it. ACCESSORIES! There are sunglasses, snorkel and fins, bottles of suntan lotion, drinks, a couple of chairs with a surfboard back, an MP3 player for Skipper and more! Unfortunately the back of the Tiki Bar is printed cardboard. I would rather it be plastic and stickers but I can deal.

I do love the Skipper doll. However I do wish that she came articulated. She can't sit on the chairs (without her legs sticking straight out) and it makes it hard if you want to pose her arm with her volleyball. 

I love how the volleyball says "Barbie." :) Again, probably to save on plastic pieces, one end of the volleyball net came with a stand and the other end connects to the Tiki Bar itself. Not too much of a gripe for me, I can display it that way. Also the volleyball is connected to the plastic net by string. Again, not a huge issue for me. 

Unfortunately, this set came with a couple of mishaps.

First, there was some awful sticky junk in my dolls hair. It seemed like it was glue from the box and it had to be cut out. You can't tell where I cut but it irked me a little. 

Second, take a look at this stock photo of the Sisters Tiki Hut.

www.mattel.com

Mine.

See what's missing? 

The Pineapple.

My tiki hut was missing the pineapple drink dispenser!

I contacted Mattel hoping they had a replacement part that they could send me. The lady exclaimed "Well, you can't have a Tiki Hut without a pineapple!" Unfortunately they did not have a part so they sent me a claim voucher and reimbursed me for the entire price of the product. Now that is great customer service!

I wish I had the pineapple but it does not warrant me buying an entirely new playset (what would I do with 2 tiki huts?) So this gives me something else to purchase. I have until May to use the voucher. Wonder what I could get with it! Any ideas? :)

Friends, do you have the Sisters Tiki Hut? Like it or don't like it? Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Until next time!