Disney store a good place to get extra characters

     So during a day at the mall recently I noticed at the Disney store that they're having a sale on Barbie-sized main character dolls!! Yippee! Now there's just the issue of choosing which characters to bring home first next month. I definitely want to get one of the princes, because they have more variety than Kens do and I think their arms even looked bendable - but then they also have the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella, who would be a valuable character because it's really hard to find an older lady doll for Barbies. They're $10 each which isn't too bad, so I might get two dolls. Which two should I get? As far as the princes are concerned, it's a choice between Flynn Rider (that smirk on his face would be good for stories with a little mischief), Aladdin (cool shoulder length hair), and Naveen (seriously, if I get both of those last two, I could have them be cousins), and Li Shang (I don't think I've ever seen an Asian Ken doll). I've written some basic comic strip story ideas out, so now it's a matter of choosing which characters would work best with them.

Which one would you pick?

Sindy vs. Barbie

     Today while reading the BBC News I found out a new type of fashion doll I'd never heard of before. Her name is Sindy, and was created as a British answer to Barbie. Unlike Barbie, though, I don't think I've ever seen her sold in any store. However, if you've ever seen those generic dollar store "Barbies", the kind with the hollow legs and plain packaging, you'll notice that their faces look a lot like that of Sindy. They are rounder and more child-like, almost like a baby or toddler doll head on a teen/adult body. One thing for certain, Barbie was/is sexier and more grownup than Sindy was. This is not to say that Barbie is an inappropriate toy, but Sindy was definitely more childish.

     Oddly enough, though, that is/was part of Barbies appeal - the idea of being able to play out the fantasy of being a, or controlling the life and story of, a stunning siren, grownup enough to have a glamourous, slightly out-of-reach and forbidden appeal, but still respectable and accomplished enough to be allowed as one's new toy (and possible role model). Perhaps Sindy would be more appropriate for younger girls just getting their first doll, or those who want a younger sister in their Barbie family.

     

     There are pros and cons to both styles. The pros of the Barbie style is that she's also a good doll for a teen girl, or even adults who want to make storyboards. I mean, I kind of have a hard time picturing Sindy with the bf they made for her, Paul, who looks like Ken. If she was gonna have a bf, they should've made him more boyish looking, kinda like Barbie's little bro Tommy. I kind of have a hard time imagining her doing or wearing anything too grownup with that childlike face. I saw a Sindy doll for sale on Ebay with a sexy red outfit, and, even though she's pretty...it almost looked wrong, you know? The P-word almost comes to mind when she's dressed like that. Though I suppose you could pretend she's a young adult with a really young looking face - and if you're a British girl, you might want to be able to get those types of clothes for her sometimes.

     The pros of the Sindy style, though, is that it's a good, simple, respectable character for young girls, and might encourage them not to dress too sexy too soon. I also liked her simple, charming English 60's-70's fashions. I'm sure most of you have seen, heard of, or maybe played a story with Barbies in which there was sexual content (even if it was just mild kissing). Did that happen as often with Sindy dolls? That might make an interesting study.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18670757

More Aragorn

Honestly I'm not sure who to have for Aragorn's gf yet. He's one of the best male dolls I have in that size range, and there are way more Barbies. To start with I decided to pose him with Yvette lol. Maybe I should have a "Bachelor 16" reality-show style series where he dates and chooses from the bunch of them til he finds the perfect one? Or let him have a harem? LOL :D

Yay, poseable LOTR awesomeness!!

One time during my break between classes I decided to walk down to a nearby thrift shop, where I found this gem, for only $4! Yes, it's a Barbie scale Aragorn doll!!! Unlike Kneeless Beach Ken, this guy is fully poseable.

Why doesn't this Ken have working elbows and knees?! D: Lol :D

During my break between classes I went down to the shops and checked out the Goodwill. That's where I found this guy, for $4. As you can see, his knees and elbows don't bend :/ That's a little disappointing...how would he ever go down on one knee to propose, or to kiss a lady's hand in a courtly manner? Even most Barbies have slightly bendable knees. At least his hair looks cool, and isn't the stiff molded kind, lol.

A Big Little Coffeemaker

Among other things, I also found this coffeemaker. They said it was 1/6 Barbie scale, but it's actually a tad big for her. It's not too bad though, and it's battery powered, which makes a cute "brewing" effect, and it lights up too. I'll have to upload a video eventually so you can see for yourself. :)

Lately I've been ordering some fresh things to liven up the little house. Here's a neat gem I found, for about $6...And yes, that is a working electric plug there :) Now I just have to wait for the matching outlet to arrive!

Remodeling the Dollhouse!

For about 2 years now, my dollhouse has been sitting in the closet of my shared room, so as not to take up too much space. It was, after all, just over 5 ft in height, and each room was a little over 12" in width and depth. Even being in the closet, though, it took up a lot of space - and it's bulk made it hard for me to get it out of the closet to take photos! What with college studies and all, I needed to find a way to make it easier to work with, while freeing up some storage space at the same time. So I decided to take it apart and remake it a little. It no longer stands the way it used to, but worry not, it hasn't been destroyed! I've just folded things down a little. Now, flat boxes/panels FTW! :D Now it can sit conveniently on my closet's top shelf, leaving some actual walk in space.

Since I've taken it apart, I decided to take some pics of one of the rooms before I demolished it. The curtain in that room actually can be pulled down (though it takes a little adjustment and effort). Pic #1 is the location for a light switch I attempted a few years ago. It did indeed work, but had some quirks, as I made it from bits of stuff around the house...more on that later...

Keep watching :)