Strawberry Shortcake Mini Dolls

Strawberry Shortcake Herself

The best part is that they come packaged in their very own cute little purse

So it seems the being little is back in style. As I took a stroll down the toy isle last night I came across a plethora of new small dolls! One of which, is Strawberry Shortcake. Now trust me I've always been a fan of Strawberry herself, and for that matter her friends. What can I say, I love dolls with wild colored hair, and their scent is intoxicating. I used to keep a Strawberry Shortcake doll in my office just to smell. It was like crack. I had to put it away for fear of being ostracised by my co-workers. With that said, the new mini dolls look like their going to be the perfect little holiday gift.

I LOVE St.Louis Toy Companies!!

Glow Bears can be found at Target & at http://www.target.com/

After falling in love with Zhu Zhu Hamsters, I started digging a little deeper and looking into who actually makes the furry little guys. It seems their creator is a company called, Cepia LLC. And get this; they are based out of good ol' St.Louis, Missouri.


I'm partial to STL, as I grew up in a small town just outside of the area, but Cepia doesn't look like it needs any sympathetic supporters. They have quite a few products that I'm familiar with. One in particular caught my eye at New York Toy Fair the year before last, the Glo-E Bear. Super fun. Super cute. And a natural as far as play patterns are concerned.


Nice to see that there are some innovative creative folks pulling for the Midwest out there. What can I say? I'm a fan.
http://www.cepiallc.com/

Zhu Zhu Hamsters...The Next Big Thing

Mr. Squiggles & Chunk
Hamster House Starter Kit

We've seen countless animal-themed toys come and go -- Pucci Pets, Fur Reals, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, Puppy Club...you get the picture. Well, there's a new little animal in town and due to its modest price, it's expected to be one of the most-purchased toys this holiday season.

I saw these little cuties some time ago for a mear $8 at Wal-Mart, and now it seems that can't seem to keep the shelves stocked before they sell out. Amazon is selling them for close to 60 dollars!!

They go by the fancy name of Zhu Zhu Hamsters. It's a battery-powered hamster.They squeak and move around like real hamsters, but unlike real hamsters, they require no unpleasant cleanup and -- this is the best part-- they all drive around in tiny cars. Yes, that's right they're battery powered driving hamster. There are five hamsters available, Mr. Squiggles, Chunk, Patches, Pipsqueak, & NumNums. Chunk is my personal favorite as the laid back hamster of the group. In addition to the five hamsters, there are also a number of other accessories available as well, Hamster Funhouses, Cars, Surfboards, Hamster Beds & Blankets, the list goes on and on.

So if you haven't started your holiday shopping yet, chances are that these little guys just might find their way into your home and under your tree. Happy shopping everybody, and good luck finding one of these guys on the shelves.

ASTRO BOY PLUSH HITS SHELVES

Zog Trashcan

Cabbage Patch Kids Surprise Newborns Hit the Town

I'm in love with Cabbage Patch Kids new little newborns.

Can you say ADORABLE?!

CPK Surprise Newborns are currently available at Toys-R-Us

BFC Ink Charm Bracelets

It looks like MGA is also releasing additional accessories packs for their new fashion doll line, BFC Ink. Cute charm bracelets. The artistic one is by far my favorite. There are four different charm bracelets available. They retail for 7.99.

Barbie Peek-a-boo Petites

It looks like Mattel has just released the Peekaboo Petites™ version of the Barbie® dolls through the decades, all in one set! Gift set includes six mini Barbie dolls: Barbie and the Rockers™, Brunette Bubble Cut™, Superstar Barbie™, Twist 'N Turn™, Malibu Barbie® and The Original Teenage Fashion Model®! I've been a fan of the Peek a boo Petites since the beginning, but these are absolutely a must have!!

Snow White & Sing Together Friends

No one loves Snow White more than I do, and with that said I've been following her progression back in to the toy world as Disney gets ready to re-release Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs from the vault. With that being said, Mattel just released a new Snow White doll that has a posable body with articulation in her arms and legs, plus light-up and sing-along features too! When you place the bluebird friend in Snow White's hand, the bird will whistle. When the bird is placed in her hand again, Snow White will sing a melody with the bluebird. On the third activation, Snow White will sing while her sleeves magically light up. A bunny and a chipmunk are also included. Although the little baby deer is by far the cutest! Unfortunately Snow White can not stand alone.

Monchichis

The Monchichi franchise is Japanese and held by the Sekiguchi Corporation, a famous doll company, located in Tokyo, Japan. Exportation of the doll line started in North America in 1979, where it was successful. Mattel bought the license for both the toy line and the TV series, localized as Monchichis. As recently as June 2008, Monchichis are still available in the United States in places such as Japan in Disney World's Epcot theme park, and hopefully they we soon be available again at mass. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these little guys. It reminds me of being a kid. :)

Twilight Madness

Tonner Doll Company's Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Twilight Doll, Hungry Edward

The new Twilight inspired Clothing Line that will be in NORDSTROM department stores come October.

Well it looks like Stephenie Meyers has done it once again. I can't lie and say that all of this hype over New Moon hasn't made me just a tinsy bit excited. Alight fine, I started reading the entire series again from the beginning. Of all of the things that I'm missing at Comic Con this year the pre-screening of New Moon is definitely in my top 5.

Tonner Doll Company has a Comic Con exclusive Twilight Doll, Called Hungry Edward that is currently retailing for 129.99. Only 200 were made.

For those of you who aren't willing to shell out the 129.00 dollars for your very own Hungry Edward doll, Nordstrom's is launching a "Twilight Saga: New Moon" clothing line that will debut in the department store come October. The line features a variety of graphic tees with messages like "Bet You Can't Read My Mind," (Which is definitely the one I want) "Forks High School," and of course "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" You'll also find jewelry (like a Cullen crest necklace). Feel free to check them out at:

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20241149_20293044_20649351,00.html

Lala Pullip Doll; A Comic Con Exclusive

Jun Planning has a Pullip doll named ‘Lala’ this year as an exclusive at the San Diego Comic Convention going on right now. She retails for $70, limited to 300 with special packaging. And I want one. Sigh.

ART-TITUDE Moxie Girlz Fashion Packs

I've had my doubts about MGA's new fashion doll line; Moxie Girlz, however if all of their fashions look like this I might be inclined to change my mind. I LOVE how customizable these fashions are! Check them out.

Madame Alexander International Doll Collection

Madame Alexander produced these international dolls for many years. The early dolls had bent knees. The later dolls had straight legs. All of these world dolls are 8", hard plastic dolls.Each doll is exquisitely dressed in the clothes of the country they represent. They serve as the basis for many doll collections.I've posted a few of my favorites below.

Korea

Norway

India

Best Friends Club

It looks like MGA is at it again. Their new doll line, Best Friend's Club, will be released at both Target & TRU in the weeks to come. The dolls are a whooping 18" in height and in true MGA style seem to be very fashion forward. I wondered if a trend of larger dolls was on the horizon... looks like I was right. Kaitlin Addison

More on the Moxie Girlz

Well it looks like the Moxie girlz are finally here. The overall line look is definitely much sweeter. It will be interesting to see if die hard Bratz fans follow the collection. The first wave of dolls which you see pictured below will be called Jammaz. The full set pictured includes several accessories from previous Bratz sets. Including Chloe's guitar... With that said, it also seems as if MGA will be keeping the Bratz dolls names. Personally, I think this is a huge mistake on their part. The line is already completely different. I'm surprised they wouldn't start over with a clean slate and try to pitch the Moxie Girlz with a whole new identity.

Yasmin
Moxie Girlz Set with Sasha

New Kai-Lan Plush Line by Fisher-Price

It looks like Fisher-Price has just released new Kai Lan plush dolls with different emotional expressions. For those of you who are unfamilar, Kai Lan is a relatively new TV show on Nick Jr. that introduces children to chinese languages and customs. The dolls come in 4 unique styles, and represent 4 different emtions, Happy Kai Lan, Giggly Kai Lan, Silly Kai Lan and Sweet Kai Lan. Each doll has the Chinese symbol for their emotion written on their shirt, and comes with a jade-inspired necklace of the same Chinese symbol that the girl can wear too! Which are super cute I might add. All 4 are currently available at Toys R Us.

Doll Design Done Right

A favorite designer of mine; Suzanne Mills Winkler recently wrote this article regarding doll design. For any of you out there who are looking for a little creative inspiration please feel free to check it out:

http://www.playthings.com/article/CA6635650.html?q=Suzanne+Mills+Winkler

Introducing...The Moxie Girlz

There has been plenty of speculation and buzz surrounding MGA's new fashion doll line Moxie Girlz. The website stills leaves a lot to the imagination. However, the official launch seems to only be 33 more days away. It will be interesting to see how all of MGA's loyal BRATZ fans take to the line. MGA has previously attempted to release several other fashion doll lines in the past (Yummi-Land, Best Friends 4Ever, America's Next Top Model) All of which failed to generate the same impact as the BRATZ line. The image below is a screen shot from the current website. It still leaves a lot to the imagination...

http://moxiegirlz.com/

Reborns

Reborns are one of a kind hyper-realistic dolls that seem to be taking the handmade doll market by storm. Each reborn is created to be as close to the real thing as possible. In fact, it's not unusual at all to create an infant that may resemble it's real life counter part. The dolls are lovingly sculpted to create an extremely lifelike look. Each reborn is also weighted & stuffed to not only portray the look, but the feel of a real baby as well. Heartbeats are also commonly added. I can't help but think that these surrogate babies just might have a place among the baby doll shelves of big box retailers. After all doesn't every little girl want a hyper realistic baby doll to know and love. :)

A reborn doll up close and personal. Tell me this doesn't look just like a real baby!?

Foot details

The Art of Amigurumi

Amigurumi means, "knitted or crocheted doll" in Japanese. If you're into Japanese crafts, then chances are you've heard of the art of Amigurumi. If not then check these out!! They're beautiful, and the tiny seal is absolutely adorable!!

All of the items seen here are for sale on www.etsy.com

Baby Abuelita

I came across this doll yesterday in the clearance section of Toys R Us. Baby Abuelita-Abuelita Rosa, is a musical 17" plush grandmother doll that sings traditional Spanish language lullabies and nursery rhymes. I love the idea of a bi-lingual doll, but the grandma / grandpa characters just don't have that aww facter for me...

Love Bully

Jackson & his best friend Morgan

LOVE BULLY

The name Love Bully stems from my giant cuddly Doberman Pinscher Jackson; who has no idea how strong or heavy he is. Weighing in at 130 lbs, Jackson is not exactly the standard for Dobes, and is constantly leaning all of his weight against you, crushing your feet, arms, etc.

Thus my little Love Bully.

Jackson had an FCE on Saturday, and was rushed to the emergency vet clinic. Upon arrival he was paralyzed in all four limbs, and was unable to do much besides lift his head. He was, however, extremely happy to see us. Lots of nub wagging and kissing. He has since been transferred to the McAdory Veterinary Clinic and is under the care or Dr. Susan Polhemus.

He seems to be getting better everyday, however, still no luck on getting him back up on all fours again. We are continuing treatment and hoping for the best…

With that in mind; I wanted to pay homage to my “little” guy today.

Jackson enjoying the shade in Ashville, NC after a long hike

Disney Fairies Micro Dolls

Disney Fairies has the cutest new line of small dolls available at Toys R Us. Each micro doll sits in a beautiful piece of jewelry that allows the child the opportunity to bring her special friend with her where ever she goes.

Tinkerbell

& my personal favorite, Silvermist. Who doesn't love water fairies?

Luna & The Martians

Celestral, Starla, & Zippie The baby Martians

Luna

Luna & The Martians is Tonner's newest FAR OUT collection!

Luna is 16" & is of course the universe's most fashionable alien.


Her skin color changes to match her outfits. However, please note that her changing skin tone is part of the fictional story line not an actual feature.

Little Miss No Name

In light of the recent recession, I thought I would do some research on dolls that seemed to resemble the depression era. Well this little doll takes the cake, her "name" is Little Miss No Name and she was marketed in 1965, by Hasbro. She is 15" tall and was created by a famous doll designer, Deet D'Andrade.

Each doll came barefoot and dressed in a burlap sack-type dress with stitched on patches. As far as I know this was the only outfit that she was sold wearing.

Her hand was molded so that when extended, she appeared to be begging. She also has very large, sad eyes with a large plastic teardrop under her left eye. Something about these Little Ms. No Name's is just a little creepy...

Project Zambi: Giving Hope to Children in Need in Africa

ZAMBI THE BABY ELEPHANT is a Special Edition FURREAL FRIENDS baby African elephant that was created to help children who have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa. Some of these children even helped by creating the artwork for ZAMBI's ears, feet and bracelet!

When you pet ZAMBI he will respond just like a real baby elephant. His trunk moves up and down and he can wiggle his ears. My favorite feature though, is the fact that he can wrap his trunk around your finger & "blow" you kisses!

http://www.hasbro.com/discover/Project-Zambi.cfm

NYC

And I finally made it to get my little brown bag!! The Bloomingdale's show was absolutley amazing.

Barbie at Bloomingdale's

Barbie seems to be celebrating her birthday all around the globe,and lucky for me in New York as well. Bloomingdale’s on 59th will be helping Barbie celebrate by exhibiting 120 Barbies through the decades in 60 vitrines on the third floor, with some first editions valued between $25,000 and $27,000. From Feb. 11-22, Bloomingdale’s Third Avenue windows will be dressed in Barbie under the theme “My Boyfriend Is Back” and inside the store, a 242-square-foot Barbie boutique will display Barbie T-shirts, accessories, jewelry, DC Super Hero Barbies, a Barbie Book by Assouline, and the dolls, among other merchandise. There will also be an event with live Ken and Barbie models. Similarly, Bloomingdale’s SoHo will have window displays and a Barbie shop. IN addition to the Bloomingdale’s events for the first-ever Barbie runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on Feb. 14, Barbie’s parent, Mattel Inc., has hand picked 50 designers, Diane Von Furstenberg and Anna Sui among them, to create looks inspired by the doll, some of which will be displayed at Bloomingdale’s. In addition, the first-ever Barbie store is set to open in Shanghai on March 6; an eight-story flagship in a former movie theater. The store comes equipped with a spa, a restaurant for the older girls as well. Perhaps the best part however is the strapless wedding gown that Vera Wang has designed for Barbie fro the bargin price of $16,000. For any woman who buys it, Mattel will also create a doll in her likeness in a miniature version of the gown! Interesting considering Barbie has never been married… hmmm.