Too Much of a Good Thing!

Almost 3 years ago, I was bitten by the Monster High bug. I had read articles prior to the dolls' release, and could wait to get one in my hot little hands! Previous posts explain my frustrations in purchasing those first dolls, but once I got them, I was smitten! They had almost everything I look for in a doll - uniqueness, articulation, small size, and a storyline! It wasn't long before they had a line of cool accessories, and I thought I must have them.....Cleo's bunk beds, Lagoona's Hydration chamber, Coffin Bean playset. I was quite happy with my first dolls - Cleo de Nile, Clawdeen Wolf, and Frankie Stein, but soon, new characters started cropping up faster than I could keep up! I would see pics posted on line, then run out to local Walmarts, Targets, and TRU in search of them.....many times in vain! Websites showed the dolls sold out, and the only place they could be found was Ebay at triple the retail price or more! Whenever I would find a new character locally, I would buy it whether I liked it or not. I felt like I could use them as bargaining chips to get the dolls I really wanted. Then came the Create a Monster sets that allowed you to build your own monster, fashions, more characters, and a bunch of other stuff - I couldn't keep up! It wasn't long before Monster High dolls and "stuff" had all but taken over my doll room. My dioramas and other dolls became hidden by MH boxes. It got so bad, I no longer wanted to go in there to play - there was just no room! It got so bad that the only time I opened the door was to put in another MH box, and quickly shut it before my inner voice asked the inevitable question: "What are you going to do with all of this sh*t?" A few months ago, I came to my senses (sort of) and came to the conclusion that it was time to part with some of it. The thought of me ever being the subject of an episode of Hoarders surrounded by mounds of Monster High stuff, and peeing in a bucket was more than I could bear, and enough to get my behind in gear! I took a deep breath, went into the MH...I mean doll room, and started sorting. I listed many of the dolls I had duplicates of - not exact duplicates, but duplicates of the same characters. I had Lagoona in the Hydration set, so why would I need another? These items were sold on Ebay for a nice piece of change, and I was happy....sort of. Though I did reduce the MH stash considerably, I still couldn't play in the doll room! At any rate, the holidays were upon me and I had other things to think about - I would figure out the MH problem later. Well, we are now 2 months past the holidays, and the time has come....yet I still don't know what to do! In going through what's left, I realize a couple of things: 1. I've spent way too much money on this madness. 2. I can't decide what to keep! I want MH to occupy but 1 2'X4' space in the room. with no boxes taking up space. Today, I am tempted to just list everything still NRFB on Ebay. If you are a MH fan, would you buy it? Would it be more prudent to list things individually? I need help!

How do you Collect? Part 1

As I continue to go through my doll collection and separate the keepers from the must-find-another-homers, I can't help but notice what makes keepers, keepers. They are all dolls that I love! Whether purchased 25 years ago, or just last week, whether the price was exorbitant, or found at a yard sale for a quarter - I love them. Conversely, the dolls looking for new homes, were either gifts, prizes, emotional purchases, or frenzied purchases. The "frenzied" purchases are of greatest concern. This is when a company creates a frenzy for their product. MGA did this with their Moxie Teenz dolls by delaying the release, and limiting the number of Bijou dolls. People were furiously hunting for her, and when some found her, they bought up as many as they could to sell on the secondary market. All this Bijou buying lasted until someone finally de-boxed one, discovered her poor articulation, and posted their findings on the internet.

By the time I actually de-boxed one, I had already purchased 2 Bijous, an Arizona, and a Tristen. All but one of them will be looking for a new home! Another frenzy that I fell for - and only beginning to recover from, is that of Monster High. Mattel started to cast their spell in 2009 with articles and blogs all over the internet about this new franchise of dolls, books, videos etc which were on the horizon for the coming year. I saw pictures of the dolls and fell in love almost immediately! I confess to being a bit on the odd side, and these dolls made being odd - cool! My first mistake was to pre-order 2 of the dolls from an online store whose name shall remain nameless but their initials are AD. I paid my money and waited. Soon, I start to see posts in online forums about people having found the dolls in their local stores - and the prices were much lower than I had paid at AD! My patience flew out of the window, I made a mad dash to my local Target, Walmart, and TRU stores. Found them at Target for $5 less than AD, and I did not have to pay shipping. Because I knew I could not get a full refund from AD if I cancelled my order, I just purchased one doll - Clawdeen Wolf at Target. A few days later, I found a Draculara at Walmart for a few dollars cheaper than the Target price. My AD dolls arrived several weeks later, but I still wasn't through! People kept posting pictures of new characters that I just had to have. Then there were new "waves"! These were just the same characters in new clothes! On and on it went until at last count, 19 Monster High dolls were living here! This does not include the 5 Create a Monster sets, a few clothing packs, Lagoona's Hydration Station, Clawdeen's bunk beds, or the Coffee Bean play sets. In my own defense, I was going through trying times with my family, and confess that these were stress induced purchases. About half of the Monster High madness is, or soon will be looking for new homes. I have now committed myself to no more frenzy buying. Methinks a bottle of wine shared with friends is a better way of combating stress, cheaper, and takes up less space than new dolls.

Sewing again - YEAH!

It has been too long since I did any serious sewing for my dolls. I tried, but the stress of caring for my mother, home renovations, and grieving my mother's passing made it all but impossible to do anything remotely creative. Well. it's been about 5 months, and the fog is finally starting to clear. Last weekend, I actually made a couple of outfits that I am proud of, and finished a few that had languished too long in the UFO (unfinished object) box.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tea-Party-Pretty-for-14-Betsy-McCall-and-Hearts-for-Hearts-dolls-/271057562406?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1c4a2b26 I made this one for Hearts for Hearts dolls, but it surprisingly fits 14" Betsy McCall and Dru perfectly! I have it listed on Ebay, but am having second thoughts about selling it.....

Time to Purge....

I saw a show on the Syfy channel today called Collection Intervention. They showcased a woman who was a "passionate" Barbie collector. The woman was not a hoarder, but she did have more dolls and accessories than she could enjoy. Much was stored in her sons' closets and her husband's workshop! Though my doll collection doesn't even come close to hers, there is a common factor: I have more than I can display and enjoy. As I am determined not to become like my late mother (who was a serious hoarder), and I do so want to enjoy my dolls, I have come to the realization that it is time to purge.

I am starting with Monster High dolls. I started collecting them after my father passed away, and while watching my mother's health steadily decline over the following 2 and a half years, I bought more! I have way too many duplicates - same character in different outfit, so these will be the first to go! If you collect Monster High dolls, or know someone who does, please direct them to my listings. http://www.ebay.com/sch/allthegoodgone/m.html?item=271057424228&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&rt=nc Thanks!

squarepeg's misc musings: Why I won't Purchase Another MGA (Bratz) Product

squarepeg's misc musings: Why I won't Purchase Another MGA (Bratz) Product: It is a fact that I have never been a Bratz fan. I was not one of those who thought the dolls were trampy or anything, they just did not re...

Why I won't Purchase Another MGA (Bratz) Product

It is a fact that I have never been a Bratz fan. I was not one of those who thought the dolls were trampy or anything, they just did not really appeal to me. I did however purchase quite a few after they lost their first court battle with Mattel. I had read that the dolls were ordered off store shelves and thought I should get a couple in the unlikely even that they increased in value. Needless to say, that didn't happen.

At any rate, as the court battles went on, MGA launched a couple of "new" doll lines. Moxie Girlz and Moxie Teenz. The former bore an uncanny resemblance to 4Ever Best Friends dolls(2004-2005) which bore a striking resemblance to Mattel's Wee Three Friends line of dolls which were launched several months earlier, and the latter resembled Liv dolls.

Today, I see an ad for Bald Bratz. MGA supposedly launched these dolls to support children undergoing cancer treatments. According to their website, $1 from the sale of each doll(which retails for $19.99) will be donated to The Starlight Children's foundation. So why do I have a problem with this? This comes along only after Mattel announced they would be producing bald Barbie dolls! Mattel chose not to sell their dolls, but donated them to children's hospitals around the country. In essence, I think MGA stinks! I gave them the benefit of the doubt with that whole Carter Bryant/ who is the legal owner of Brats, yadda, yadda, yadda, thing, but not any more! After looking at their entire body of work, it appears that MGA has created a business from other people's ideas/businesses. Why not continue to mimic Mattel and donate the dolls to the children they are supposed to help? No only do I believe MGA to be copy-catting thugs, but also exploiters of sick children. They're like the folks who sell pirated DVDs in front of the grocery stores. I don't buy those bootleg movies, and I will no longer spend money on any MGA products.

Tim Gunn Styles Barbie - Be still my beating heart!

According to InStyle magazine, Barbie is getting a Tim Gunn makeover. Barbie is - and may always be my favorite doll, and for the past 8 years, Project Runway has been one of my favorite television shows. These 2 go together like peas and carrots! The $30 dolls and $25 accessory packs are supposed to hit BarbieCollector.com and Target stores on August 1st. I can only assume that these dolls will replace the now discontinued Barbie Basics dolls. I can hardly contain my excitement!

Monster High Create Your Own Monster

I can't believe this is my first blog post this year! Oh well, better late than never.

At any rate, I've been hearing quite a bit of buzz about the new Monster High Create your own Monster kits, and have been looking for them locally for weeks. I finally found what I thought was one at TRU last weekend.



Turns out, this is an "add-on" kit that has no torso. I searched and searched, but there was no "Starter" kit to be found. Oh well, I will just buy one online - so I thought. To my chagrin, the only starter kits I found online were on TRU's website, and they wanted $26.99 plus tax, plus shipping! So, I decided I could wait. TRU, Wally World, or Target were bound to get them sooner or later.



I didn't have to wait long as I found this starter set at TRU yesterday. I got all excited when I saw that it was half off - label said it was missing a dress, but that was okay since I intended to make custom fashions for her anyway. Upon closer inspection though, I noticed it was not the dress that was missing, but the torso! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; from what I've read, the biggest complaint about these kits is that there is only one torso included, and people are selling torsos on Ebay for up to $40! Isn't that silly? Hell, you can buy a whole new kit for $25 eat TRU!

As you may have guessed, this was the only starter kit in stock. I bought it because of the clearance price thinking that I could perhaps buy a couple of the cheaper Gloom Beach dolls and use their torsos to build my own monster. Of course TRU had none, so off to Target I went. Target didn't have any of the cheaper dolls in stock, but they did have 1 lonely starter kit in stock - and it was only $19.99! I grabbed it, skipped to the checkout, and rushed home to build my monster!



She went together fairly easily, and I think she is adorable! I don't like the clothing, but that's not a big issue - I will make more. What I don't like is pretty much what everyone else doesn't like - only one torso! The kit costs as much as 2 Gloom Beach dolls, so why not include 2 torsos! At the very least,Mattel could sell the torsos separately - kind of like they do the heads for those crazy Swappin' Heads Fashionistas!

Though I love the Monster High dolls, I won't be buying any more of these create a Monster money getters!

What do you think of them?

Why!!!!

Once in a great while, a doll company hits a home run. Mattel hit it out of the park this year with the new Barbie Basics 2.5. For the uninitiated, Barbie Basics are a line of dolls utilizing various head molds, skin tones, and poses. These dolls had a price point of about $20 and were perfect for customizers and costumers. I was a fan from the beginning and only wished the dolls were more articulated. My wish was granted when I saw pics of the 2.5 dolls last spring - these new dolls would have articulated bodies - yeah! I read a post on a message board that said the dolls would be limited editions and got more than a bit anxious. If the dolls would be limited, I might not get one, so I was delighted to find a website taking pre-orders. I ordered 2 model #8 dolls and they arrived last week. Here she is and I couldn't be happier with her!

Also last week, I read that the next wave (3.0) will be the last of the Barbie Basics - WHY? I know the dolls are popular with adult collectors and are selling. Heck, I have 10 myself, and I am cheap! I realize that companies must continually alter their product in order to stay current and relevant, but when you hit that perfect wave - ride it!

Pretty as a Princess

Advance pattern 8551

Ever wish you lived in another era? I do - every time I see vintage fashions like these. I almost want to make this dress, but where would I wear it? Perhaps if I could talk my honey into swing dance lessons, but that ain't gonna happen! So this rare, lovely gem that I found in my mother's garage has been listed in my Etsy store hoping to find someone who will use it.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5079029

squarepeg's misc musings: Retro Halter dress pattern Butterick 6174

squarepeg's misc musings: Retro Halter dress pattern Butterick 6174

Retro Halter dress pattern Butterick 6174

Okay, I confess that I am in love with vintage fashion. My own personal style is kind of Boho chic, but I am always drawn to the uber feminine styles of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Years ago, when many of the major pattern companies began reprinting past designs from these bygone eras, I bought them. I had the best of intentions, but sadly never got around to it. These patterns have been taking up valuable space in my sewing studio, so its time to let them go to someone who will actually use them.

In addition to the above, I recently uncovered a box of patterns that had been stored in my mother's garage for the past 40 years. These are original patterns from the 50's and 60's! I thought it might be fun and interesting to share some of these.

The pattern pictured is a Butterick reprint of a pattern from the early 50's. Can't you just envision Marilyn Monroe or some other Hollywood starlet wearing it? The pattern is in new condition - uncut and factory folded. If interested, it is listed on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78910403/butterick-6174-retro-halter-dress-swing?ref=pr_shop

Bratz Infestation

I didn't like them ten years ago when they first debuted, and I can't say I like them any better now, so why do I have so many? Though Bratz are a tiny fraction of my fashion doll collection, there are still to many considering my dislike of them. I bought one maybe eight years ago out of curiosity. I kind of liked their brassiness, but the out of proportion bodies and amputee feet were just too odd for me to take seriously. They did however, have some really cool accessories and playsets which I loved! I am still kicking myself for not buying the sushi bar when it was still available at a reasonable price. I did get the coffee bar and phone booth for my "real" fashion dolls, but the phone booth is a bit too short for the 11 - 12 inch gang to fit, so they just pose around it.

I still have no answer as to why no fewer than a dozen of these girls have taken up residence here. My best guess is because they were cheap! All of the dolls pictured were purchased for less than $10 and all were purchased in the last 6 months. I bought them for either their accessories, or because I want to steal their clothes for my Monster High dolls.

So how do you feel about Bratz? Do you like them? If you are like me and don't; do you have any? How many and why?

What happened to Esme?

Esme is/was Tyler Wentworth's African American friend, but I am starting to wonder what happened to her! Granted, I am not an avid collector of 16" fashion dolls, since they require too much room to display - way more than 11-12" Barbie types. A few of them however, have found their way to my house. I purchased my first Esme about 9 years ago and she was a lovely brown-eyed beauty with a chocolate complexion. Although she was quite pretty, she had limited posability - her knees would bend, but not her elbows or wrists. I wanted one with more articulation, but kept putting off the purchase in favor of other dolls.

A couple of weeks ago, Tonner Doll Co. had an incredible sale and I thought it time I bought an articulated Esme - this one had wigs too - woo-hoo! Upon her arrival, I opened the box with great anticipation, but was soon taken aback! I had to check the packing slip as will as the box label to make sure I had ordered the right doll! Gone were the pretty brown eyes, and in their place were grey ones! Even more perplexing was the skin tone - now a medium tan, instead of chocolate brown. What happened? Don't get me wrong, the doll is still quite pretty, but she looks nothing like her "old" self. In fact, it looks to me like the face mold is even different.

I have attempted to blacken her up a bit by allowing her to wear the Moxie Teenz afro wig. I think it looks great on her, but she looks biracial at best. What do you think?

I Need a Name!

This diorama is a work in progress. Eventually, I hope to showcase my original fashions for Barbie, Silkstone, and Integrity/Fashion Royalty, Liv, Moxie Teenz, Monster High, and other fashion dolls.

Right now, it is just stocked with random pieces to make it look like the girls are shopping. The challenge I am now faced with is an appropriate name for the boutique.


Since my name is Denyse and I am known online as Squarepeg78, I considered naming the boutique "D Squared" but I believe there are fashion designers for humans (twins) who go by that name. I don't want to be accused of copyright infringement, so I am asking for your help. Please leave a comment with your suggestion. When enough suggestions have been received, I will set up a poll. There will be a prize (don't quit your job) for the person who submits the winning name - fashion doll related.

UPDATE: What I meant by the previous sentence was that the prize would be "fashion doll related". The name of the boutique doesn't necessarily have to be. I really want the name to reflect quirky haute couture, with a chic, Bohemian twist - if there is such a thing. Also, I am revising the "fashion doll related" prize since some of you are out of the country and shipping may make sending the prize a bit costly. Soooo....the person who submits the winning name, will receive an Amazon gift card instead. Now keep those suggestions coming......please!

The Beauty of Scars......

As I was out and about today, I saw a woman whose face and upper body had been badly burned. The scars on her face could not be hidden by any amount of makeup, but the scars on her chest and shoulder could have been easily covered by clothing had she chosen to do so. However, it was a warm, Indian summer day and like myself, she chose to wear something to keep her cool - a tank top. I could not help but stare in awe at this woman. Not because she was scarred, but because I thought she was beautiful! You see, what made me notice her was her laugh. I was not privy to the conversation between her and her companion, but her laugh reverberated throughout the building. It was a hearty, unrestrained, and contagious laugh at that.

I marveled at her ability to laugh like that when she had obviously endured so much pain. It then occurred to me how truly beautiful scars can be. Scars don't form on dead flesh, so if you have a scar, it means that you survived whatever it was that caused it - that's beauty!

Avon Rose Splendor Barbie

When I first saw online pictures of this doll, I thought she was gorgeous! In the picture, the doll looked dark - almost espresso color and I was excited! I love dolls with really dark complexions, so I immediately emailed my daughter at work. She has a coworker who is an Avon rep, and I wanted to make sure I got one! The doll was ordered and I received her last week.

I was a bit disappointed because the doll is not nearly as dark as I had hoped. I'm thinking the other photographer had the same issue I did - not wanting to debox the doll for the photo. She had a plastic covering (removable) that I removed for the photo, but because she was still essentially in a box, the light did not surround and project a true color representation. She does have the Mbili face sculpt which I love, and her dress is more peachy than pink (another good thing). Oh, and she does have the model muse body.

All in all, she is a pretty doll, but had I seen her in person, I doubt I would have paid $40 for her.

Generation of Dreams Barbie

This doll is such an anomaly for me. I don't usually purchase duplicate dolls, but I have triplets of this girl - and today I decide that I don't even like her that much! I was drawn to her because of her dark skin tone and model muse body - I still like those things about her, but I think they distracted me from something much more important. SHE HAS TEETH!

Did I ever mention that I do not like dolls with teeth? Well, I don't. If a doll is otherwise beautiful or fierce, I can turn a blind eye to a bit of white between the lips, but I prefer my dolls with closed mouths. If they must smile, let it be like Mona Lisa.

But I digress. I bought the first of these dolls around this time last year as a Christmas gift for my daughter. Months later, I find her at Big Lots, only with a lovely cloisonne pendant! The doll was priced at less than half of what I paid for my daughter's doll, plus I wanted that pendant, so I purchased the second. The third dolls was purchased simply because I was giddy! During the Barbie Dream sale, she was marked down to a song and a dance. Since I love the model muse bodies for modeling my one of a kind fashions, and she was almost espresso in color, I could not pass up the opportunity to buy yet another.

So......since I now owned 2, I could de-box guilt free - which is what I did this morning. The first thing I noticed after liberating her was those Gawd awful pink lips! I have nothing against pink lips in general, but against a dark skin tone........its just icky! To add insult to injury, there was way too much white in between those pink lips!

Before tossing her into the heap of other "I-don't-want-to-be-bothered-with" dolls, I considered that maybe if she wasn't wearing the pouffy ball gown, I might like her better. I grabbed an outfit from my boutique diorama (still under construction) to see if she looked better more casually dressed. I don't know if she looks better or not! All I can see is pink lips and big ole teeth!

What do you think?

What's the Big Freakin' Deal?

For several weeks many of the fashion doll forums have been abuzz with folks tittering about Bratz' comeback. Many were excited about the dolls returning to their favorite toy aisle, but most were disappointed once they purchased the dolls. Complaints of everything from bad hair, horrific make-up, and boring fashions are more than plentiful. By contrast, there are some (mostly kids) who love them!

I confess that I am not a Bratz collector, or even a fan. A few of them have snuck (sneaked?) into my house over the years, but I took the stance of; "maybe if I ignore them, they'll go away." They didn't!

But any ole way, the past few days have been particularly stressful , and usually when I am stressed, i go trolling for sex ....oops, I meant dolls (really I did!) So I am at Target today strolling through the toy aisles (I told you it was dolls I was trolling for!), looking for nothing in particular. I suddenly see the dolls that are the subject of so much yammering. Supposedly 10-10-10 was the release date of 10 new characters, but Target only had 3. Lydia caught my eye, but she looked just like a Sasha who had been back-handed in the mouth! Sure, all Bratz have bee-stung lips, but this one looked like ....well just look at the freakin' picture! I saw nothing particularly wrong with her make-up, but what is up with the knee length hair? If she ever does get any attention from me, it will be with scissors in hand.

In conclusion, the new Bratz don't move or excite me any more than the old ones did. I really wish I could like them - the $10 I paid for her was a pretty cheap doll fix, except this one came without the new-doll high.........

Fabulous Finds and Franken-dollies!

click on pics to enlarge

One of my favorite weekend pastimes is going to garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, and thrift shops. Not sure why, but the trash to treasure thing really ignites my creativity. Though it happens quite infrequently, I get giddy with joy whenever I find something wonderful for almost nothing. Such was the case when I went to an estate sale a few months ago. I purchased close to 3 dozen vintage dolls, a drum set, and an incredible cedar chest and spent just under $60!

Pictured above are a few older African American fashion dolls I purchased - aren't they lovely! I'm not sure, but I think the second doll on the left may be gymnast Barbie, but it really didn't matter - her hair was a frizzy mess, but she had jointed elbows and knees - woo-hoo! She would certainly be the subject of my next Franken-dolly project.




Here she is with another Franken-dolly ( So In Style Trichelle with a fashionista body). Her head is an Asha face - before the heads got big, and she has been redressed in a Barbie ourfit and Bfc "Converse" Chucks. She tells me that she can't walk in heels, so she will never be a model. However, this girl has some stories to tell..........