Generation of Dreams Barbie Mystery

Sometime in October of last year, I purchased this doll at Costco.


It was to be a Christmas gift for my daughter who is also a Barbie collector. The price was significantly less that the suggested retail, so I thought I was getting a pretty good deal.


Last Friday, I was shopping my local Big Lots and found this:



Holy smokes! Not only was she priced at less than half of the one purchased at Costco, but this one included bonus jewelry - a really nice cloisonne pendant with the same motif as the dress. Nowhere on the box does it say that this was any particular store's exclusive, and I can find no information online about the doll with the bonus. One of these dolls is destined to be deboxed and become one of my models (love the ebony skin tone and the model muse pose), but I am unsure which to debox. It would make sense to leave the least common NRFB, but I would love to wear that pendant! Can anyone out there solve this mystery?

Dolls and Alzheimer's cont'd......

I don't remember exactly when I acquired these dolls. The months of February and March are pretty much a blur. Caring for my mother with dementia, going back and forth to the hospital to see my dad and consult with doctors, and shuttling relatives to and from the airport occupied most of my time. Somehow, these dolls managed to present themselves in the midst of the chaos!

Blythe has always been on my "must have" list. I wanted one as a child, but her production was ceased before I got my hot little hands on one. For the uninitiated, Blythe's eyes will change color and position with the pull of the string in the back of her head. As a kid, I thought that was the coolest thing - still do! I was delighted when I learded that Ashton Drake was going to make reproductions a few years ago, but I was not prepared for the price. Lukily, I found her on Amazon a few months ago at a price I could afford. Her arrival was a tiny glimmer of light during my darkest days watching my father deteriorate before my eyes.

The doll on the right (with glasses) is Calista, and she is a new girl in town. I'm guessing that MGA was preparing for the demise of Bratz dolls and released the new BFF line of dolls almost concurrently with Mattel's lawsuit victory. I believe there are 4 characters, but Calista seemed to have the most personality to me. I like her, but I wish she had more articulation. Besides the normal shoulder and hip joints, her ankles are jointed - weird? How about knee and elbow joints folks! Those wiggly ankles will only excite those with a foot fetish. Anyway, she is cute, I like her, and she is here. She and Blythe have been laying around in the buff for a couple of months at least. I wanted both to have new wardrobes, and I so desparately wanted to get my mind off my family issues, so I tried many times to design something for them. I got as far as drafting basic slopers for them, but never actually made anything. I grabbed what was handy to make them presentable for this photo shoot.

Dolls and Alzheimer's .......

Yes, I am a doll collector. I have been collecting for over 20 years and until recently, my hobby was well under control. Well, life happens and I now find myself more stressed than ever before. As my stress level increases, so do the number of dolls in my collection!

Last February, my father was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and passed away 2 months later. I became the primary caregiver for my mother who has Alzheimer's disease. I share the same birthday as Barbie (March 9), but because of all that was going on, I didn't really have an opportunity, or desire to celebrate. I did however, purchase a few new dolls. Liv dolls by Spin Master were about the same size as Barbie, but with bigger heads. They also have glass eyes instead of painted, and are fully articulated. I purchased the Hispanic, Daniela and the African American, Alexa because they were the cutest of the 4 characters. I was a bit disappointed in Daniela as her picture on the box front was much prettier than the actual doll, but I kept her anyway. The dolls are bald, but 2 wigs are included with each doll. These dolls are sure to be de-boxed, played with, and displayed in my dioramas soon.

I also purchased a couple of Juku Couture dolls, my very first Blythe, and a Moxie doll during the month of March, but I haven't yet taken pics of them yet.