Dolly Review: Monster High Freaky Fusion Avea Trotter
Hey, hey, hey, it’s time to review a new Monster High doll! For the past few months, the internet has been abuzz about the Monster High Freaky Fusion line, which features monster hybrids.
Avea Trotter is one of three new characters introduced in Freaky Fusion. She’s part Centaur and part Harpy. We’ve seen Harpy’s before in the Create a Monster line, but a Centaur? That’s completely new and very exciting. Of the three hybrids introduced in the new line, she was the one I was most looking forward to. A doll with four legs who can stand on her own? Sounds perfect! For the most part, she didn’t let me down.
Avea Trotter
Let’s start off with the big thing– Avea’s body. Is it jointed and how well? Avea’s light purple torso is very similar to what we’ve seen on other Monster High dolls. Her arms have the exact same jointing we’ve seen on other dolls, in fact. A nice unique features on this doll is the rough scale like design on her arms. Her hands are black, which makes her look like she’s wearing gloves.
Avea
The main difference in the torso is that Avea has a chest joint that allows her upper chest to move forward and backward and to tilt slightly left and right. It’s not the best joint and doesn’t give as much movement as I would have liked.
Avea
I had expected there to be a joint somewhere where the torso meets the centaur body, but alas, she has none.
Avea
Because Avea is part Harpy, she has wings. They are removable.
Avea
Her torso is attached to a dark purple horse-like body. The four legs allow this doll to stand on her own, which is fantastic. Jointing is a little sketchy when it comes to the legs. The front legs have joints that go forwards and backwards at the hip and knee. She also has a joint right above her hoofs, hidden by the black leg warmers.
Avea- front legs
Her back legs have large joints at the hips that allow her legs to move backwards and slightly forwards. There are no other joints on her hind legs. Her hip and leg are decorated with pink skulls.
Avea
Avea has a tail, of course, filled with bright blue hair.
Avea
Avea’s head is the same light purple as her torso. Her eyes are decorated with lots of colors in a feather-like pattern,including a nice green and various pinks. I’m a bit torn on my opinion of her eyes. I like the bright colors and the feathery pattern, but it almost seems like too much is going on. I really do like her dark purple lips, though. They look great on the skin tones they chose for Avea.
Avea
One really nice feature on the head mold are Avea’s horse ears. They’re so neat! I love them. They stand out a lot due to the hair style on this girl. Speaking of styling, Avea has bright (and I mean bright) rooted hair in various blue tones.
Avea
The bright blue is a great contrast to the light and dark purple’s on the body. The style is simple, just a high pony tail, but is rounded out with a cute steampunk’y style hat.
Avea
Avea is dressed in a very equestrian sort of way. Because she’s part centaur, the clothing only covers her torso. I must admit, I didn’t mess around with her clothing a lot. Her wings are staying in really well at the moment and I didn’t want to ruin that. She has a dark blue shirt, covered with a short sleeve pink equestrian style jacket. Her belt is made of plastic and is molded to cover her horse body like reins. Because she has hoof’s, shoes are not necessary, but she does wear some neat plastic leg warmers.
Avea
Finals thoughts? There’s no denying she’s a neat doll, in terms of body type. I think they cut some corners with the jointing in her back legs. However, I love the fact that she can stand on her own. The color palette is vibrant and for the most part, I like it.
Avea
I really like the details on the wings and the colors they chose for them, too. The make up can be seen as being a bit over the top, but as I mentioned, I’m on the fence at the moment! In a strange turn of events, after seeing all three of these new hybrids, she is no longer my favorite. You’ll have to wait and see which of the remaining two is! Overall, though, I think Avea Trotter is a nice addition to the Monster High line.
What do you think of Avea Trotter? Share your thoughts below!
Dolly Re-Root: Little Miss No Name
I’ve been re-rooting again! I know, I know, I’ve re-rooted a ton of Little Miss No Names’ in the past, but they’re so much fun to re-root. Plus, the usual recipient of my re-roots really likes Little Miss No Name.
For this re-root, I used a nylon brunette tone called ‘Devil’s Food’. It took 5-6 hanks from Dollyhair. My mom chose a dark brunette for this doll, because the last re-root was a light blonde. I’ve dubbed these two as sisters with very polarizing hair colors!
Little Miss No Name Re-Root
The sisters together
I never tire of re-rooting Little Miss No Name heads. I have one more in the wings getting a ginger sort of color, but I really want to try a fantasy color on these guys. What fantasy color or colors do you think would work wonders on this doll? Share your thoughts below!
World Doll Day Post- Favorite Non-Fashion Dolls
Happy World Doll Day! I’ve been going back and forth on what to post to celebrate the occasion for the past week. I finally settled on this. I’ve reviewed many new dolls here on the blog and discussed a lot of Skipper dolls, but I have yet to introduce you to five of my favorite non-fashion dolls. These dolls were all gifts and will always hold a special place in my heart. None of them are worth much in terms of second hand value, which is fine with me, as I don’t collect solely to re-sell, but all hold sentimental value.
Cabbage Patch Kid, Elizabeth Ann
The Cabbage Patch Kids came out in 1983, the same year I was born. If you remember, the Cabbage Patch Kids were a big thing, especially during Christmas of 1983, where people literally ripped stores apart trying to get their hands on one. My father, during that time, worked multiple jobs, one of which was at Osco. A perk of working at Osco (besides having enough money to pay the bills)? Getting first dibs on Cabbage Patch Kids when they arrived. Elizabeth Ann arrived during a shift, he claimed her and brought her home for his dear, sweet daughter– me– sometime in 1984. While I have a handful of Cabbage Patch Kids, Elizabeth Ann is still my favorites. My dad going the extra mile to find one makes her special. Elizabeth Ann was originally dressed in a dress, but has been wearing this Brownie outfit for a few years now. You can see her legs and arms have a bit of wear, but that’s from being loved.
Avatar: The Last Airbender 20: Appa Plush
Appa is a flying bison and was featured in the excellent cartoon Avatar: the Last Airbender (2005-2008). If you haven’t watched Avatar, I suggest doing so! The animation is fantastic and the storyline is friendly for all ages. When this plush first appeared in the Nick store, I did what most 20 somethings do when they see something they want– post the link on my Mom’s Facebook. My mom and I share links a lot and usually it doesn’t lead anywhere. However, during one Christmas a few years ago, I was happily surprised to find this adorable 20″ stuffed Appa under the tree. This Appa is the most huggable plushie I’ve ever seen and for this reason, whenever I’m feeling down, hugging this little guy makes me feel better.
Madame Alexander Victoria
I’ve written about my Madame Alexander Victoria before. I received her in 1987 when my brother was born. The special thing about Victoria is that not only do I have one, but my mom does, too! She received her own Victoria when her brother was born in 1968. The tradition of giving a Victoria to those with siblings has continued with my cousins and, hopefully, will continue on for a long, long time.
12″ Russ Troll
As a kid, my mother, brother, grandparents and uncles would frequent malls quite a bit. One of those malls was Gurnee Mills. Back in the 90’s, Gurnee Mills had one of the best kiosks ever– it was a Troll Kiosk. Filled with trolls big and small, it was one of the highlights of going to Gurnee. The thing that stood out most in the large kiosk were the 12″ Russ trolls. Dressed in all different outfits with different hair colors, these trolls were on my wish list throughout most of the 90’s! Here’s one of the cuties that I received from that booth. These large trolls will always be attached to memories of walking through Gurnee with my family.
West German Doll made by the Germany Toy Company (GTC)
I received this doll upon my grandmothers death. My grandmother purchased this doll as an adult sometime in the 70’s. I don’t have much information about this plastic doll, other than she’s 20″ tall, with a German Toy Company tag labeled West Germany. My grandmother didn’t have many dolls, so I treasure this piece and am glad it could come home with me.
These five dolls may not be rare or in mint condition, but they are some of my favorite pieces. The fact that they were given to me by people I love and that they hold memories make them special.
World Doll Day seems to be a great day to share the love of doll collecting with others, whether it’s giving a doll away to a stranger or to your best friend. Just the art of giving a doll to another is a great thing and you never know– one day maybe the doll you gave someone will pop up on a blog just like this.
World Doll Day Logo
What dolls were you given that hold special sentimental value? Share your story in the comment area. And have a very happy World Doll Day!
World Doll Day is Tomorrow!
World Doll Day Logo
World Doll Day is tomorrow, Saturday, June 14th! Don’t know what World Doll Day is? I blogged about it a few weeks ago. How do you plan on celebrating? If your blog is doing something special, link to it in your comment. Share your thoughts below!
Puddle 2014
Saturday was Puddle, a convention that celebrates all things Pullip and friends. Started in 2007 by fans of the doll line, Puddle is held yearly in the suburbs of Chicago and is attended by collectors from all over the United States. While I’ve known about Puddle for a few years now, this year was the first year I attended. Because there’s safety in numbers, I invited my mother along for the ride. She’s the best convention partner around!
Our Puddle adventure started bright and early at around 8:30AM. Once we checked in, we both grabbed our goody bags that included things like original laminated art, candy, outfits, eye chips and other small things.
Goody Bag Dress
My bag included an outfit donated by Sewgrandmacathy in cute Hello Kitty fabric and my mom’s had a pair of dolly sized skinny jeans. I don’t have a doll to model this yet, but will post a photo on my Facebook page when I do!
Inside the Convention Room…
Inside the convention room were various tables. Of course, the center was filled with tables for attendees to sit at and display their dolls. Mingling was very much encouraged throughout the convention. As I’m not the best at socializing with strangers (I can’t help it, I’m a bit shy), I welcomed the initial ice breaker, which focused on us walking around with a sheet of paper getting signatures from people who had brought or done various Puddle/Pullip related things. Upon completion, we received a raffle ticket for a chance to win outfits and other fun dolly items.
One table featured free issues of Dolls Magazine, recent and not so recent! Dolls Magazine even offered attendees a free digital subscription to the magazine. While I have my issues with doll magazines of today, I am not one to pass up a free issue or two.
Dealers Tables
The area that I was most excited to see was the row of dealers table at the end of the room. You all know this by now, I love shopping, especially at conventions. As Puddle is a smaller fan gathering of under 100 people, I didn’t expect to see lots of dealers. My assumption was right. There were just under 10 dealers selling their wares. I was happily surprised by the vendors that did attend Puddle, though. I was able to pick up some super cute outfits that were not only Pullip friendly, but Hujoo and Makie friendly, as well! Ironically, while I came in thinking I would enhance my Pullip collection, I mostly enhanced my other 1/6 sized dolls closets!
As far as activities went, the morning portion of the convention was mostly mingling, shopping and trading, ice breakers and group photos. The afternoon activities included an open customizing Q and A and a variety of contests. My mom and I only stayed through lunch, because we had to get back home to take care of something, but the morning turned out to be pretty fun! I met a lot of nice people and had the shock of a lifetime when someone asked me if I was on YouTube. It turned out she was a YouTube subscriber of mine! Small world, right?
And the dolls people brought? First off, there were so many! Attendees literally brought suitcases of dolls to show off on their table. I’m positive the dolls outnumbered the attendees! And there weren’t just stock dolls! The majority of what I saw were custom dolls. There was a huge variety of types and sizes of Pullips, Taeyangs, Dals, etc on display. Like my mom and I, people brought other non Pullip dolls, too. I saw many Blythes and surprisingly, I found some of them really cute! (I’m not a huge Blythe fan…) Here are some of the dolls that came to Puddle.
Group Shot- Left
Group Shot Middle
Group Shot- Right
Here are some of my favorite dolls collectors brought to Pullip.
I love the Taeyang in this shot!
The two middle Pullips are adorable!
This Doctor Who themed Pullip is a customized Victorique! I reviewed one of those a while back!
How cute is Harry Potter?!
Another cute rainbow themed custom
This girl is adorable. The bob, the eyes, the jacket– so cute!
Jedi Knights are always cool.
This girl was just so different than the rest. Her freckles are great!
Puddle’s theme was rainbows. This dress turned out amazing, do you think?
I love the purple wig and the make up free face on this Pullip!
Hello Kitty. So cute!
And there were two very large displays that need to be featured here.
Large display of adorableness.
Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids, need I say more? This was by far the coolest collection brought to Puddle.
So, the question I’m sure your asking, what did she buy?! I went into Puddle thinking I would pick up a Make It Own or My Select set to customize my own doll or even get a head start on my next Once Upon a Time based doll. Unfortunately, none of the vendors had those sets. The backup plan was to find someone selling nude dolls at a price that warranted customizing them. Following suit, no one had affordable stock bodies for me. Two disappointing strikes. In the end, I decided to focus on outfitting my dolls, because most of the vendors were selling clothing and at affordable prices, to boot! (Azone was selling, but while I love the look of their 1/6 scale figures, I can’t pay over $100 for them.)
My Makie in her new Sailor Moon cosplay
I brought my Makie along, because, while I love the doll itself, the outfits from MakieLab’s need work. My first purchase at Puddle was an adorable Sailor Moon themed outfit for Siena, my Makie. Being a two piece outfit, I didn’t have to worry about Siena’s strange torso. The top fit really well, too, as it’s not supposed to be skin tight. This outfit was made by Quamara of Quaint Quintessence.
Doctor Whooves Cosplay (modeled by my Makie)
Doctor Whooves (back)
Twilight Sparkle cosplay (modeled by Hujoo)
Twilight Sparkle Cosplay (back)
Quamara had a ton of cute pop culture’y pieces at her booth, including two piece sets (a hoodie and skirt) themed around My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Of course, I couldn’t pass those up. I picked up Twilight Sparkle and Doctor Whooves. The great thing about these is that, like the Sailor Moon outfit and my Makie, these outfits fit my Hujoo!
Re-Ment
Because I can never pass them up, I picked up four Re-Ment mystery boxes from Sakura’s Blossoms. I’m a sucker for miniature food items, even though I don’t have a doll house to really display a lot of the pieces I own. (The fact that Anime Central had ziltch when it came to Re-Ment aided in me buying these at Puddle!)
Coat (modeled by Bobobie Sprite)
My mom picked up an awesome MSD sized jacket for her Bobobie from Kaleidoscope Coats, a newer vendor to hit the dolly market. These coats are super neat and almost otherworldly.
Coat (modeled by DIM Fantasia)
I picked up a cool earthy jacket that cuts off at the waist. Currently, Breena, my Doll In Mind Fantasia is wearing it, though she needs a new skirt or pants to match it!
Catwoman and future Regina Mills/Evil Queen custom
The last thing I picked up is the piece I went back and forth on most. I went into the day thinking that I wouldn’t pick up any stock dolls. However, Shifty Lizard was at the convention, which made things a little more difficult. I truly wasn’t going to buy anything from their booth, because their prices were high, but then I saw a discounted Catwoman Pullip. The doll was being sold at a discount because the goggles were loose in the package. What really caught my eye was the doll under the outfit. The stock doll immediately reminded me of Regina/The Evil Queen. In the end, I picked her up in hopes to add to my Once Upon a Time custom collection.
My mom made out pretty well in the swap/buy/trade portion of the morning, picking up a handful of wigs at 3 bucks a pop!
I must admit, I did expect more wig and shoe options on the vendor floor and I definitely expected more nicely priced nude dolls or a Make It Own set or two. However, I am happy with the majority of what I picked up, especially in regards to the outfits! My dolly budget is, of course, blown for the month, which means I will most likely see every single new Monster High or Ever After High dolls released recently on store shelves!
Group Photo
More importantly, I had a fun time interacting with other doll collectors! It’s always interesting (in a good way) to be around others who like the same things you do and can relate to the hobby based things you might do! Overall, I’m glad I finally got to attend Puddle. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday. I can’t wait till next year!
For more photos, check out my Facebook page. You’ll see table photos galore over there!
My mom’s MIO Isul and my custom Emma Swan
Did you attend Puddle or another local doll con recently? What did you think? Did you buy anything fun? Share your thoughts below!
Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter 