I thought some of you might enjoy this video of Dianna Effner and family singing, (and beautifully too!), the Dolly Parton song "Wildflowers". can see it HERE.
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Thursday, October 15, 2020
The passing of Dianna Effner
I just found out today that Dianna Effner died yesterday. You may have read here many times how Dianna Effner is my favourite doll artist. I have posted about many Effner dolls. I love their sweet, cute, realistic faces.
I am sad,but I can't tell you anything about her. I can't find any information, not even how old she was. Oddly, I can't even find her death on the internet. I only found out because some of the doll groups I belong to on Facebook mentioned that she passed away.
Taking a look at Dianna Effner's creations is a nice way to pay tribute to her. She was a very talented artist. She created dolls that were so sweet looking,sometimes even sad. But she could also sculpt a silly faced doll that looked like a real child who could be quite a handful.
Jamie by Maru and Friends looks like a beautiful real child.
...as well as her porcelain Goldilocks, in the bottom left corner, and her porcelain Willow, in the upper right corner.
Little Chad, the first Maru and Friends boy is an Effner sculpt too.
Ashton Drake's Alice was sculpted by Dianna Effner, combining two of my favourite things: Alice in Wonderland, and Dianna Effner dolls.
I actually have two long awaited Effner dolls coming in the mail in the next few days, as well as the new Effner sculpted dolls from Maru and Friends. I wonder what Maru and Friends dolls will look like in the future. All but one have been sculpted by Dianna Effner. How sad that such a talented person, who gave the world such beautiful creations, has left us.
Sunday, October 4, 2020
Doll Book of the Month Club: William's Doll
Okay. I lied. I did not catch up on my posts the other day. My sister called and talked me senseless, and I was too sleepy to work on my posts. Actually, I have the playset post written, but Ivy won't let me dig her set back out of her closet so I can photograph it. I am having a hard time with playsets because most of mine are second hand and missing pieces. I don't want to give you guys a crappy half post. As for the book of the month, I did have one, but my sister and I ended up going to a toy show yesterday. She has never expressed an interest in going to a toy show before, and nobody ever offers to go to a toy show with me, so I thought I should take her up on it. I found some great doll deals, which I will show you all at some point here.Now...
This month's Doll Book of the Month Club selection is "WIlliam's Doll", by Charlotte Zolotow.
It's the story of little boy named William who longs for a doll. William's brother and the boy next door laugh at him and call him a sissy.
William's father tries to make him forget the idea of a doll by buying him traditional 'boy' toys, a basketball and hoop and a train set. William plays with and masters the 'boy' toys, but he still wants a doll.
William's grandmother visits, and buys him the doll he's been dreaming of. She explains to William's father that the reason William needs a doll is so he can learn to take care of a child and grow up to be a good father.
The book was written in 1972, so the reasoning behind why it's ok for William to have a doll is still based on gender stereotypes. William can have a doll, but it has to be so he can be a good dad when he grows up.
It's made clear that William is a 'real boy', because he can play basketball well, and likes his train. That makes it 'okay' that he wants a doll too. How about if William wants a doll just because he likes dolls? What if he wants a doll and isn't good at basketball, or interested in trains? How about just letting William enjoy what he enjoys, and not forcing him to do things he doesn't necessarily want to do just because it makes his dad more comfortable? And how about telling the other kids that it's wrong to make fun of others, and that everybody is different and should be accepted just the way they are? So while the book might have been ground breaking at the time, it's outdated and not exactly what it needs to be.
Charlotte Zolotow is also the author of a book I love called, "Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present". The book is very simple, and somewhat repetitive, but it has the most gentle story and gorgeous illustrations by Maurice Sendak.
You can hear "William's Doll" read aloud by going HERE.
This month's Doll Book of the Month Club selection is "WIlliam's Doll", by Charlotte Zolotow.
 |
| The covers are out of order. Blame the computer. |
It's the story of little boy named William who longs for a doll. William's brother and the boy next door laugh at him and call him a sissy.
William's grandmother visits, and buys him the doll he's been dreaming of. She explains to William's father that the reason William needs a doll is so he can learn to take care of a child and grow up to be a good father.
The book was written in 1972, so the reasoning behind why it's ok for William to have a doll is still based on gender stereotypes. William can have a doll, but it has to be so he can be a good dad when he grows up.
It's made clear that William is a 'real boy', because he can play basketball well, and likes his train. That makes it 'okay' that he wants a doll too. How about if William wants a doll just because he likes dolls? What if he wants a doll and isn't good at basketball, or interested in trains? How about just letting William enjoy what he enjoys, and not forcing him to do things he doesn't necessarily want to do just because it makes his dad more comfortable? And how about telling the other kids that it's wrong to make fun of others, and that everybody is different and should be accepted just the way they are? So while the book might have been ground breaking at the time, it's outdated and not exactly what it needs to be.
Charlotte Zolotow is also the author of a book I love called, "Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present". The book is very simple, and somewhat repetitive, but it has the most gentle story and gorgeous illustrations by Maurice Sendak.
You can hear "William's Doll" read aloud by going HERE.
Thursday, October 1, 2020
I Manage to Totally Miss the End of the Month...
Can you believe it? I completely lost track of the date, and have thus missed the Playset of the Month post for the end of last month, and the Doll Book of the Month Club post that was supposed to happen today! That will be rectified tomorrow, so hang in there. Sorry!
Thursday, September 24, 2020
What I Saw at Target
Yesterday we stopped into Target, because Ivy is addicted to Target...ok, and we needed a few things. I had a look at the toy department. I with Ken had had his phone on him, because I saw several things I wanted to talk to you about,and I couldn't take any pictures. So I'm still going to talk, (because that's what I do!), but I'll have to use stock photos.
First of all, even though the dolls are still available on the Target website, there wasn't even a section for Creatable World stuff any more. I had my eye on some of those clothes, so that's disappointing.
There were still some Lori dolls and things,but the faces look different on some of them. I'm not sure if they are using a new sculpt, or just painting them differently. This girl had a cute outfit, and SOCKS!
I finally saw a couple of the Cave Club dolls.
They were jointed, and kind of cute, but too bright and colourful for me.
I had never seen the Na!Na!Na! Surprise dolls in person either. I love the faces.
This one was really cute,but with platform shoes. The other one they had was wearing black fishnet hose. Here we go again with the provocatively dressed play dolls.
There are some different face sculpts in the Our Generation dolls now,besides the pointy little face. They've had them for a while,but I think there are more of them now.
There were a couple of bendy dolls too. They can bend their arms and legs,and even sit cross legged. My favourite was a red haired one that had the older style face. She came with crutches. On the OG website the doll with crutches was blonde.
They had some really wonderful accessory sets for the OG dolls too! I want most of them! My favourites were the set of little 'records' with a record tote...
... and the little record player with records...
(I'm not sure they really 'play' anything, and I'm not sure why kids these days would want records. They don't even know what they are. They probably think they're weird CDs.).
And my absolute favourite favourite: the 'Take A Letter' typewriter set! I got so excited about this thing! I only wish it were Tammy World's size!
The best of the larger sets for the OG dolls was the movie theatre! This thing is fantastic!
The Barbie Fashionista #132, that comes with a wheelchair and ramp, and has the Made To Move body was marked down to $15.19.
That's my Target story for this time. I didn't buy anything, because I didn't have the money/don't have the room, or a kid to buy for, or play with. I need to borrow somebody's kid to play with. But they have to buy the toys too. You know, all this money/space situation could be solved if more people bought stuff from the sales page. I did recently add a bunch of dolls and things, and for great prices too. Some of this stuff needs to move. I really need the room. So check out the sales page by clicking the link in the top right of the page,or ask about a doll that's been featured on the blog. I might be willing to let it go.
First of all, even though the dolls are still available on the Target website, there wasn't even a section for Creatable World stuff any more. I had my eye on some of those clothes, so that's disappointing.
There were still some Lori dolls and things,but the faces look different on some of them. I'm not sure if they are using a new sculpt, or just painting them differently. This girl had a cute outfit, and SOCKS!
I finally saw a couple of the Cave Club dolls.
They were jointed, and kind of cute, but too bright and colourful for me.
I had never seen the Na!Na!Na! Surprise dolls in person either. I love the faces.
There are some different face sculpts in the Our Generation dolls now,besides the pointy little face. They've had them for a while,but I think there are more of them now.
There were a couple of bendy dolls too. They can bend their arms and legs,and even sit cross legged. My favourite was a red haired one that had the older style face. She came with crutches. On the OG website the doll with crutches was blonde.
They had some really wonderful accessory sets for the OG dolls too! I want most of them! My favourites were the set of little 'records' with a record tote...
... and the little record player with records...
(I'm not sure they really 'play' anything, and I'm not sure why kids these days would want records. They don't even know what they are. They probably think they're weird CDs.).
And my absolute favourite favourite: the 'Take A Letter' typewriter set! I got so excited about this thing! I only wish it were Tammy World's size!
The Barbie Fashionista #132, that comes with a wheelchair and ramp, and has the Made To Move body was marked down to $15.19.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Review Time! Lottie Dolls' Kid Activist Doll
Finally! This review is finished. (Some of you may have seen it when it was accidentally posted before it was finished. Well, it's back, and it's done this time!) It seems like there has been something preventing me from finishing every day, not least of all my lack of a computer, and our constantly faltering internet. I'm still using Ken's computer, and it's still complete crap.
Today we're looking at another doll I recently received from Arklu/Lottie Dolls. She's the Kid Activist doll.
She's a 'kid activist', based on Amariyanna 'Mari' Copeny, an activist from Flint, Michegan.
Mari became known as 'Little Miss Flint' when she began campaigning for clean water in Flint, after their water crisis.
At eight years old, Mari wrote to President Obama, inviting him to come and see what was happening in Flint for himself.
First I want to menton the change from the last time I received items from Arklu, back in 2017. Back then, the doll and carded outfit arrived in a box that was way too big, and stuffed with gigantic wads of paper. This time the dolls, Kid Activist and Fossil Hunter Lottie, arrived in a just the right size box, and a bubble envelope. I think the box was a better idea. Much more environmental than the last time. (They were shipped separately because they were in the midst of being restocked and I think they arrived at the warehouse at different times.)
The Kid Activist doll is part of the Gold Collection.
I'm still not sure what that entails. Her box also has the Lottie motto, "Be bold, be brave, be you". As I said before, good advice.
Her box has little windows on the sides so she can be clearly seen.
Her box is sealed with two little tape circles. When they are peeled, her insert slides out easily.
She's attached to plastic pieces that are only taped in back.
Here she is, free of her insert and plastic thingies.
She has a great mass of hair. Beautiful!
I can just imagine what would happen f I tried to comb it though! Disaster! Lottie dolls don't come with a comb or brush, so maybe that will discourage kids from brushing her hair.
Her jacket has an iron on that says "Stand up".
Her shorts have stitched 'pockets', (not real ones), and a real button that's just for looks.
Her shirt says "Kids Voices Matter".
I always taught my kids to stand up for what's right, and told them that doing what's right isn't always doing what's easy.That came up when the kids at school made fun of them for being vegetarian.
The Kid Activist also has white tennis shoes.
They're cute little shoes with realistic tread on the bottoms.
They slip on and of easily, but stay on well.
She wears some elastics on her wrist that I think are supposed to be like friendship bracelets.
For her hair, she has a tiara, like the one worn by Mari.
She comes with a bullhorn, for speaking out at public events.
She also has a sign, which, unfortunately is only made of cardboard.
Since this is a toy for kids, I think it would have been a good idea to have made the sign from something a little more sturdy. Now that I think about it, it would have been a pretty great idea to have included a few blank signs to, so the kids could make their own signs, for things they feel strongly about. Of course,you can make your own signs out of cardboard too, but something more lasting would be nice.
The paper included with the doll tells a little about Mari and some of the things she has managed to accomplish so far in her young life.
Very inspiring. You're never too young to stand up for what you believe in. Next I want a Greta Thunberg doll!
Like other Lottie dolls, this doll is jointed at the neck, shoulders, and hips, and has bendable knees.
The arms can move out from the body, and the legs can move out from the hips, as well as back and forth, as you can se in the photos of Meg with her accessories, above.
Her arms don't bend.
Meg has a different head sculpt than Lottie,as you can see from this picture of her next to Fossil Hunter Lottie, which I reviewed recently.
She has a broader face, a more pointy chin,and more of smile. She also has quite a set of eyebrows! I think she has the same head sculpt as Junior Reporter Sammi, which I reviewed a while back.
She has the same body as Lottie though.
I love that Lottie dolls are more than just hair play and princesses. It's kids like Mari that should be inspiring kids. I love the sweet faces on the Lottie dolls. They have great clothing that is well made. They usually come with interesting accessories that relate to their character. I was a little disappointed that Meg only came with a megaphone and a cardboard sign. I'm not sure what else I would have had her come with that would have suited her. Maybe a bottle of water? Surely there's something else. I'll tell you how much the Lottie dolls appeal to me: I have trouble deciding which I like most. The Fossil Hunter appealed to me because I was always interested in fossils myself, and I would have bought that doll for little Fuzz, because Fuzzy always answered the 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' question with, "A paleontologist." I was interested in Meg because I thought the 'kid activist' doll was a wonderful idea. The Lottie dolls are a bit high priced for what they are,but, as I have said before, the interesting and unique subject matter is worth a little extra. There are princess dolls all over the place. But how many Fossil Hunters or Kid Activists are there?
Mari is now 13 years old, and still an activist. She has raised money to help underprivileged children, providing school supplies, Easter baskets, Christmas toys, movie screenings, and books, and has managed to give out over a million bottles of water You can go to Mari's page HERE. You can read a recent interview with Mari HERE.
You can find Kid Activist Meg on the Lottie website,(Click there for the website, and HERE .for the Kid Activist doll. Click HERE to join Club Lottie for free printables, offers, and news. Click HERE to read the Lottie blogs, with some good insight on why more childlike and diverse dolls are healthy for kids.
Today we're looking at another doll I recently received from Arklu/Lottie Dolls. She's the Kid Activist doll.
She's a 'kid activist', based on Amariyanna 'Mari' Copeny, an activist from Flint, Michegan.
 |
| Mari with the Kid Activist doll. |
Mari became known as 'Little Miss Flint' when she began campaigning for clean water in Flint, after their water crisis.
At eight years old, Mari wrote to President Obama, inviting him to come and see what was happening in Flint for himself.
First I want to menton the change from the last time I received items from Arklu, back in 2017. Back then, the doll and carded outfit arrived in a box that was way too big, and stuffed with gigantic wads of paper. This time the dolls, Kid Activist and Fossil Hunter Lottie, arrived in a just the right size box, and a bubble envelope. I think the box was a better idea. Much more environmental than the last time. (They were shipped separately because they were in the midst of being restocked and I think they arrived at the warehouse at different times.)
The Kid Activist doll is part of the Gold Collection.
I'm still not sure what that entails. Her box also has the Lottie motto, "Be bold, be brave, be you". As I said before, good advice.
 |
| Apparently she's actually named Meg. |
Her box is sealed with two little tape circles. When they are peeled, her insert slides out easily.
She's attached to plastic pieces that are only taped in back.
Here she is, free of her insert and plastic thingies.
She has a great mass of hair. Beautiful!
I can just imagine what would happen f I tried to comb it though! Disaster! Lottie dolls don't come with a comb or brush, so maybe that will discourage kids from brushing her hair.
Her jacket has an iron on that says "Stand up".
 |
And the jacket is a great, thin fabric that is very in scale. It allows the jacket to lay naturally. Lottie dolls have wonderful fabrics that are almost always to scale.  |
Her shirt says "Kids Voices Matter".
I always taught my kids to stand up for what's right, and told them that doing what's right isn't always doing what's easy.That came up when the kids at school made fun of them for being vegetarian.
The Kid Activist also has white tennis shoes.
They're cute little shoes with realistic tread on the bottoms.
They slip on and of easily, but stay on well.
She wears some elastics on her wrist that I think are supposed to be like friendship bracelets.
For her hair, she has a tiara, like the one worn by Mari.
She comes with a bullhorn, for speaking out at public events.
 |
| It has a handle her hand fits in. |
She also has a sign, which, unfortunately is only made of cardboard.
 |
| It has a cut out in the handle so she can hold it. |
 |
| But I didn't use it. |
The paper included with the doll tells a little about Mari and some of the things she has managed to accomplish so far in her young life.
Very inspiring. You're never too young to stand up for what you believe in. Next I want a Greta Thunberg doll!
Like other Lottie dolls, this doll is jointed at the neck, shoulders, and hips, and has bendable knees.
The arms can move out from the body, and the legs can move out from the hips, as well as back and forth, as you can se in the photos of Meg with her accessories, above.
Her arms don't bend.
Meg has a different head sculpt than Lottie,as you can see from this picture of her next to Fossil Hunter Lottie, which I reviewed recently.
She has a broader face, a more pointy chin,and more of smile. She also has quite a set of eyebrows! I think she has the same head sculpt as Junior Reporter Sammi, which I reviewed a while back.
She has the same body as Lottie though.
I love that Lottie dolls are more than just hair play and princesses. It's kids like Mari that should be inspiring kids. I love the sweet faces on the Lottie dolls. They have great clothing that is well made. They usually come with interesting accessories that relate to their character. I was a little disappointed that Meg only came with a megaphone and a cardboard sign. I'm not sure what else I would have had her come with that would have suited her. Maybe a bottle of water? Surely there's something else. I'll tell you how much the Lottie dolls appeal to me: I have trouble deciding which I like most. The Fossil Hunter appealed to me because I was always interested in fossils myself, and I would have bought that doll for little Fuzz, because Fuzzy always answered the 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' question with, "A paleontologist." I was interested in Meg because I thought the 'kid activist' doll was a wonderful idea. The Lottie dolls are a bit high priced for what they are,but, as I have said before, the interesting and unique subject matter is worth a little extra. There are princess dolls all over the place. But how many Fossil Hunters or Kid Activists are there?
Mari is now 13 years old, and still an activist. She has raised money to help underprivileged children, providing school supplies, Easter baskets, Christmas toys, movie screenings, and books, and has managed to give out over a million bottles of water You can go to Mari's page HERE. You can read a recent interview with Mari HERE.
You can find Kid Activist Meg on the Lottie website,(Click there for the website, and HERE .for the Kid Activist doll. Click HERE to join Club Lottie for free printables, offers, and news. Click HERE to read the Lottie blogs, with some good insight on why more childlike and diverse dolls are healthy for kids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)