Pre-Order Your Zomby Gaga Now
For a while now, we’ve known Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation was working in partnership with Monster High, Natali Germanotta, and Zombie Boy to create a fangtastic exclusive Monster High doll. Born This Way empowers youth to create a kinder, braver world.
Zomby Gaga is a pretty awesome looking Monster High doll. It looks like Mattel spared no expense with this release. Zomby Gaga “wears a killer black tux with flared pant legs, bell sleeves on the fitted jacket, a bow tie and the song title, Born This Way, emblazoned in the lining. Her “to-die-for accessories include suspenders with heart clips, sunglasses perched atop her head and highly detailed patent leather boots”. (Description quoted from Amazon.com) Zomby Gaga is pictured below with a removable bubble gum ‘bubble’. If she’s anything like her promo photos, this doll will surely stand out on doll shelves.
She’s set to ship early January 2017 and is on pre-order at your favorite toy stores now: Target, Walmart, YoYo and Amazon. For those abroad, I suggest checking out the Born This Way post for locations in your country.
Do you plan on pre-ordering Zomby Gaga? What do you think of her? Share your thoughts in the comment area.
Hearts For Hearts Girls Are Back!
Hearts For Hearts Girls are back! For those who don’t remember, Hearts For Hearts Girls first debuted in 2010 from Playmates. They quickly gathered strength by winning various awards and gaining a strong fan base due to the amazing message behind them. The line was inspired by real girls from around the world and showcased their journeys to succeed and create a better life for everyone around them. The dolls, 14″ tall with pretty faces and inset eyes, strive to “change the world, one heart at a time.”
I wish I could say I reviewed one here on the blog, but alas, I never got around to doing so, because in 2015, the line disappeared from toy aisles. At Toy Fair 2016, I could tell that while Playmates had discontinued the line, others who had worked on it were very passionate about the impact the Hearts For Hearts Girls doll line had and still could have on society.
Well, guess what? They’re back! Hearts For Hearts Girls have been resurrected with the help of MPA Sales, the company that bought the license from Playmates. Better still, Hearts For Hearts Girls adorable look and positive ideals have stayed intact! Like the original line, for every sale, $1.00 is donated to World Vision, a global humanitarian organization focused on helping kids in need everywhere.
The holiday 2016 line is set to bring back the favorites of the original run, which includes Nahji, Consuelo, Dell and Rahel. Hearts For Hearts Girls mission continues to be “to empower little girls to become agents of change in their communities, their country and around the world.” (By the way, where they say “little girls”, I’m reading it as “anyone of any gender or age”!) Below are pictures and bios (from the press release) of the four dolls that are being relaunched this holiday season.
Nahji from India:
Background: Nahji is a girl who dreams of a better life. Nahji is a smart and brave ten year old girl from Assam, India. In the region where she lives, girls go to work and get married very early in their lives. Nahji is determined to get an education and find a way for her family and community to thrive. She studies very hard and tells other girls her age, “When you believe in yourself, when you are strong in your heart, then you can change the world around you for the better.”
Dell from Kentucky:
Background: Dell has a voice that can move mountains. Dell is a cheerful and talented ten year old girl living in Kentucky’s Appalachian mountains. Her father was a coal miner, but when the mine closed her family had to move. Dell’s father and brother make beautiful guitars in their new town. Dell and her mother still visit the old mining town bringing food and blankets to the people in need. She loves the beauty and the music she hears coming from the mountains. She has a calling in her heart to make a difference by writing and singing her own songs.
Rahel from Ethiopia:
Background: Rahel is a girl with a giving heart. Rahel is a courageous ten year old girl living in Ethiopia. Lack of rain in their region dries up the crops making food scarce. When the rain finally comes, it brings mosquitoes that carry malaria, a terrible disease that affects many of her neighbors. One stormy night, a supply truck overturns. Rahel and her family journey into the bushes to help the driver bring the supplies back to their village. Rahel dreams of becoming a doctor so she can make a difference in her country when she grows up.
Consuelo from Mexico:
Background: Consuelo has a hunger to help others. Consuelo is a generous and imaginative ten year old girl from Mexico City, Mexico. She knows all about food as her parents own a bakery and everyone in the family helps out. There are many hungry children living on the streets in Mexico City and their yearning faces touch Consuelo’s heart. With her mother’s help, she created a restaurant in a back alley to feed these children, but is surprised when this becomes a challenge.
The four dolls you’ve just seen are available via Amazon. Currently, they are taking pre-orders with an estimated street date of November 20th, 2016. If all goes well, we’ll hopefully be seeing more releases in the coming year! For more information on Hearts For Hearts Girls, ‘like’ them on Facebook and check out their website, set to launch in November.
Did you miss Hearts For Hearts Girls? What do you think of their relaunch? Who’s your favorite of the four girls who are re-emerging this holiday season? Share your thoughts in the comment area!!!
Dolly Review: Monster High SDCC 2016 Ghostbusters Frankie
It’s been a long time since I’ve written about Monster High. Why? Since the reboot, I just haven’t been super enthralled by many of the dolls. There have been a few bright spots, like Dayna Treasura Jones, but they are few and far between. Up for review today, however, is one of the more interesting Monster High dolls to be released in 2016– the San Diego Comic Con 2016 exclusive Ghostbusters Frankie.
This Frankie isn’t super luxe or over the top, in fact she’s relatively basic when you look at her. But, it’s because the doll itself is less ‘exciting’ that the outfit and props really shine, making this one of the more unique Monster High’s produced during the series run. If memory serves me right, this is the first ‘mash up’ we’ve seen in the Monster High line. It makes me wish we’d seen more cool tie-ins when we were guaranteed releases with articulated bodies. But, let’s get onto the review, shall we?
Frankie, as I stated, is pretty basic when it comes to her face and hair. Her face is as you’d expect with large two toned eyes and her scar. It’s free of make up and has a clean, fresh look. Frankie’s hair has decently rooted highlights in black and white. They’re pulled up into a simple ponytail. And of course, she has bangs/fringe.
What makes this Frankie stand out among the rest is her super cool Ghostbusters uniform and proton pack! Frankie wears the uniform of the Ghostbusters proudly. Mattel did a great job on this element of Frankie’s look. She has the Ghostbuster logo on her shoulder and her last name printed on the front of her uniform.
On her back is the ever important proton pack with a removable handheld ray gun that wraps around Frankie with enough room to have her hold it. Her outfit is complimented with knee high boots, a belt, a black bracelet, plastic ID/Dog tags, earrings and cool yellow glasses.
This Frankie has all the articulation you’d expect from a good, old fashioned Monster High doll, with shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip and knee joints. Her suit limits her movement a bit, but I’m so happy Mattel didn’t skimp on the body type for this exclusive! (The fingers on my Frankie are a bit hyper extended due to how she was placed in her box, so you might encounter this, as well, if you pick one up.)
One other thing they included that is worth noting is Slimer! Monster High’s Slimer is much smaller than his movie/cartoon counterpart. He’s hollow on the inside, which means you can pretend he’s ‘sliming’ someone easily by being propped on a Monster High’s hand.
Overall, I am very happy with this Frankie. I love how Mattel incorporated Ghostbusters into the Monster High line. If you search Ghostbuster Frankie on eBay there are a number of dolls available. Most are overpriced, in my opinion, since she was pretty easy to get through Matty Collector post comic con. But if you can find one for under $40.00 or so dollars, I think she’s unique enough to be worth the money.
Do you have this Frankie? What are your thoughts on her? Let me know in the comment area!
Loot Crate’s Dream Crate Challenge
I’ve had a fondness for mystery boxes and surprise bags ever since I was a child. Our local Sanrio store would have mystery boxes filled with mystery Hello Kitty and friends merchandise all the time. Unfortunately, they were too expensive for people to buy for me, so I never got to rip open the brown paper wrapped goodies. By the time I was old enough to get a paycheck and buy one on my own, the store had long stopped doing mystery bags and eventually the store went out of business. To this day, I blame Sanrio for my mystery box buying impulses!
Recently, Loot Crate, a popular monthly subscription box service, reached out to me and asked me this intriguing question, “What’s your dream crate?” They asked if I would be interested in setting up a post describing what would be inside my dream crate and why. Thinking of my love affair with mystery boxes and my want to break things up a bit, I thought, why not? (Editor’s note: Loot Crate asked me to clarify that this Dream Crate themed post is open to everyone! If you have a blog, YouTube channel, Instagram, etc, feel free share your Dream Crate, too!)
My problem with most mystery boxes is that they cover way too much. A pop culture box could have items from popular 80’s TV shows, to anime, to current day trends. Because of that, I decided to theme my box around one central topic that I know readers will enjoy, everyone’s favorite fashion doll, Barbie!
Dream Crate: Everyone’s Favorite Fashion Doll, Barbie
Item 1: Funko/Rock Candy Vinyl Barbie Figures
There are currently 8 different kinds of Rock Candy Vinyl figures released, highlighting important dolls in the Barbie series. These 5″ stylized figures, which include 1959’s Swimsuit Barbie, 1965’s Astronaut Barbie, 1971’s Hippie Barbie, 1973’s Surgeon Barbie, 1977’s Superstar Barbie, 1980’s Afro Barbie, 1984’s Gym Barbie and my personal favorite, 1986’s Rocker Barbie. I really like the design choices Funko/Rock Candy made with these figures. They’re cute and stylish.
Item 2: Funko Mystery Mini Blind Boxes
Continuing along on the Funko bandwagon, my dream crate would include not 1, not 2, but 3 Barbie Mystery Mini Blind Boxes. I pretty much adore every single 3″ Mystery Mini made so far. The series includes sixteen vinyl figures from all era’s in Barbie history, including Solo in the Spotlight, Malibu Barbie and the adorable Totally Hair Barbie! Why would I include 3 blind boxes and not just one? They say that once you have three or more of something, you have a collection and what better way to get a collection started than having three blind boxes from the same series on display.
Item 3: Skipper “Little Sisters Have More Fun” T-Shirt
Because this is my Dream Crate, I would definitely need it to include this shirt. I’m a Skipper collector, as some of you know. Skipper is Barbie’s little sister and has been tagging around with her big sister Barbie since 1964. This shirt has an adorable graphic of Skipper with text that reads “Little Sisters Have More Fun”. So cute! (This Barbie Tee is pretty cute, too! This is worth a peek, as well!)
Item 4: Barbie Cell Phone Pouch
At first glance, you wonder, why would anyone need a cell phone pouch? While I don’t carry these things around on an every day basis, they do come in handy when attending conventions or going out of town. Plus, this cell phone pouch, which will hold money, credit cards or other flat things, has a classic vintage Barbie illustration on the front. You can’t get better than that! (Well, unless it had Skipper on it, but alas, that doesn’t exist.)
Item 5: ReMent
I’m a sucker for the (mostly) 1/6 scale food ReMent offers. It makes for great props when doing a photoshoot. There’s a variety of ReMent to choose from. Usually ReMent comes in blind boxes. I think this Dream Crate should have 3 (yes, again) ReMent boxes for any food series produced.
Item 6: Places To Go, Dolls To See Mug
If you’re like me, you probably own 1,000’s of mugs. But who cares? It’s time to make room for this one. Sold through Zazzle, the Place To Go, Dolls to See mug is eye catching and pretty. (This mug is a cute second! Oh, but then there’s this mug!) See full Zazzle store here.
Item 7: Cool Barbie Fabric With An Easy To Make Outfit Pattern
Sewing is not my strong suit, but a fun, DIY project with all the necessary ingredients would be a great way to complete this dream crate! There’s a ton of cute Barbie fabric on the internet that would make adorable outfits for dolls in need of a little makeover!
So, that’s it. That’s my dream crate. It doesn’t include a Barbie, because I have a ton of those already! I love sharing my hobby with things like t-shirts and mugs (real utilitarian things that can be used in daily life, rather than just sit on a shelf). And the other items are just too cute not to include! Oh, and one more thing, this dream crate would be in a pink box, a nod to the term collectors use for Barbie’s from the 90’s.
Huge shout out to Loot Crate for posing this question! Now, I’m going to pass it on to you, readers! What would you put in YOUR dream crate? What do you think of my dream crate? Were Loot Crate going to create a Barbie mystery box, what would YOU put in it? Let me know in the comment area!
Dolly Review: Precious Moments “I Toad-ally Love You” Doll
Today, I’m reviewing a 12″ Precious Moment doll sent for review from the company. Precious Moments have been a staple in the gift giving community since 1978, when Sam Butcher’s 2D greeting card renderings were elegantly transformed into 3D figurines by Enesco. (Precious Moments Inc. took over the brand in 2004.) Through the years, Butcher’s graceful figurines have taken many forms, one form being 12″ vinyl dolls.
I own my fair share of Precious Moments, being a charter member of their original birthday club. I am new, however, to these vinyl dolls, even though they’ve been produced for quite a while now. Up for review today is “I Toad-ally Love You”. This boy doll has a head of rooted ginger hair. It looks adorable with his pale skin, green teardrop eyes and classic Precious Moment expression.
The outfit on this little guy is adorable. Themed around toads, this Precious Moment doll wears a cute outfit, which is partially removable. His shirt seems to be non-removable. I don’t see any velcro on the shirt or any easy way to remove it. The white pants, however, seem to have velcro on them, making them removable. His shoes are made of a less than durable material. They’re not hard plastic or vinyl. They’re made of a softer material than you’d expect. While you can remove the shoes, putting them back on may cause them to split. I’m also a little worried about how the material of the shoes will hold up when stored.
As far as articulation, the Precious Moment dolls are limited. You can move their arms and legs up and down, as well as turn their head left and right, but that’s about it.
Overall, I’m impressed by this 12″ doll. This doll seems like a great gift for someone who collects Precious Moments and is in the market for one that is less fragile than the porcelain figurines. You can find these online or wherever Precious Moment dolls are sold.
What do you think of Precious Moments “I Toad-ally Love You”? Share your thoughts in the comment area.
*This doll was received free in exchange for a review. All opinions stated are my own.
Confessions of a Doll Collectors Daughter 