Playsets: Cookie Topper's Cozy Kitchen

  I have to apologize for the lateness of this post. It was scheduled to go on while I was gone, but it didn't publish. So I'm publishing it by hand. My hand, as you can tell, is back home from Georgia, which I'll tell you about soon. I'll catch you up on the Doll Book of the Month Club tomorrow. But first, this month's play set is, I think, Topper's Cozy Kitchen.

   It looks very similar to the Deluxe Reading Dream Kitchen. (Click the link to see mine.) The colours and design are similar. There's a good reason for that. Topper and Deluxe Reading were the same company. Deluxe Reading was the parent company, and they sold toys under various names, including Deluxe Topper, Deluxe Toy Creations, Deluxe Reading, Topper Corp., Topper Toy Group, and Topper Toys.

It says Topper right there.

  There is one major difference between the Deluxe Reading Dream Kitchen and the Topper Cozy Kitchen though: size. The Deluxe Reading Dream Kitchen is 1/6 scale, or Barbie/Fashion doll size. The Topper Cozy Kitchen is tiny. It's more 1/12, or dollhouse scale. The pieces are 4 1/2 inches tall.

Cookin' Goodis Tutti, forsaking her own white stove for Cookie Topper's Cozy Kitchen. You can see Tutti with her own stove in my post, HERE.

  It makes a good play kitchen for Tutti, or a regular kitchen for dolls like Dolly Darlings or something else short. I'm pretty sure it would be too short for Dawn though. What confuses me is, I've seen it on line as Penny Brite's kitchen, and it's way too small for her. She's even bigger than Tutti. Besides that, Penny Brite had her own kitchen set. (Oddly enough, Dawn's Apartment used the same stove mold as  Penny's kitchen, even though Dawn was way too small for it. You can see my post on Dawn's Apartment, which also shows you Penny's kitchen, HERE.)
   Here's a picture of the Cozy Kitchen set in the box. As you can see, the set originally came with the stove, sink, fridge, a table and chairs, and  a chandelier.

You'll notice that the pieces aren't always the same colour, although the same colours are used in the set. 

    And who is 'Cookie Topper'? As you can see, it is called 'Cookie Topper's Cozy Kitchen'. I assume there was a doll called 'Cookie Topper'. I can't find anything on such a doll though. If you Google 'cookie topper' you get sprinkles and icing decorations for topping cookies!
  I bought this set second hand. I originally had the table too, (Mine was pink.), but it had gotten separated from the set. I didn't know what it went to, and it was broken. The corner was missing, and it only had three legs, so, in a rare moment of common sense about such things, I threw it out or put it in a bunch of things for donation.
   Unlike the Dream Kitchen, none of the doors open. They're just hollow plastic pieces.

   The 'chrome' is worn on all the pieces.

The stove top, (and sink top), is a solid piece, although it is a separate piece from the rest of the stove. 

The hole and piece of plastic on the upper shelves are where there used to be non-removable plastic plates, as you can see in the picture of the boxed set, above.

 That's the playset for the month. I'll see you back here tomorrow for the Doll Book of the Month Club.

Review Time! Lottie Dolls' Fossil Hunter Lottie

  Hey! Today is a review post. I have to say beforehand that I took complete unboxing pictures,but they are on my computer. I can get it on as far as the pictures, but no internet. That means I can't send the pictures to Ken, and put them on his computer. I also have a bunch of things to do before I go to Georgia, so I don't have time to retake them. This will have to do.
  I was recently treated to two dolls for review by Arklu, who make Lottie dolls. Today's post is the first of them. Even though I received the dolls for free, I will be honest in my review, and tell you exactly what I think of the doll.
  First, let me tell you a bit about Lottie dolls in case you don't know. Lottie believes in letting kids be kids. I think kids grow up too quickly these days, and Lottie doesn't encourage precociousness with big lipped, over made-up, scantily dressed dolls. The dolls' bodies are "based on the average proportions of a nine year old child rather than an adult woman". The website also says, "Lottie dolls celebrate childhood and promote the empowerment of children by encouraging kids:
*to be themselves
*to play--imaginatively and adventurously
*to have fun!

Kids - in all their glorious, heart-warming and life-affirming diversity - inspire us every day:

• Kids who refuse to be put into boxes
• Kids who aren’t going to wait until they’re grown up, to change the world
• Kids who’ve decided that the moment is now!

And we want to encourage all kids – regardless of gender, ability or ethnicity - to follow all their dreams."    e toys and dolls are one in the same.

   Here's another quote from their website that I love.
"The reason why we have three male dolls in the Lottie Dolls’ collection? We want our toys to be representative of real kids’ lives and have lots of real-life boys and girls have fun playing together! Our boy dollhouse is the same as our girl doll house, all of our boy doll clothes fit our boy and girl dolls. We believe action figure toys and dolls are one in the same."
   I love that they encourage kids to use their imaginations, something I don't think kids do enough in these times of video games and such things. I like that they are dolls that are children. Kids try to be too old now,and having a child doll to see themselves in, rather than an adult, is good for them. Some of their dolls are based on ideas sent in by kids.Another thing about Lottie dolls is, they offer dolls that are not only ballerinas and princesses. Their dolls represent all sorts of things kids might be interested in, and encourage girls to be interested in things usually associated with boys' interests, like today's doll.
  When I was a kid I LOVED dinosaurs. I still do! I was always fascinated by history and science. I considered being a paleontologist or an archeologist  when I was little. That's not common amongst girls though. Girls have traditionally steered away from science and math. It was (stupidly) assumed that females couldn't be as good as males at things like math. These days it's been realized that girls can and should be encouraged to be involved in STEM activities. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.) The old stereotype is being fought, but sometimes there are backtracks, even in toys.  Remember the controversy over Talking Barbie from the 1990's saying, "Math is tough."?  (For the record, math was my best subject in school. It's not 'tough', it's just boring.)  I like that Lottie encourages STEM interests. (I think the character of Ellie Sattler in "Jurassic Park" probably helped little girls realize they could be a paleo-scientist too.) Fossil Hunter Lottie is an example of a doll that encourages STEM interests.  Her box says she's from the 'Gold Collection'.

I'm not sure what that is. It also has the Lottie slogan, "Be bold. Be brave, Be you." I like that slogan. Everybody should feel they can be themselves. The box has a handle, for carrying. There are little side windows in the box so she and her things can be seen well. The back of the box shows what she comes with. Her box was sealed with two small tape circles, which peeled up easily. The insert slid out with no problem. The shaped plastic that held Lottie was only taped on the back of the insert. What really held Lottie in was elastics around her neck and ankles. They can be broken when pulled, and the feet can be pulled out of the ankle one, so kids won't need scissors. Her accessories were taped to the insert. The plastic bags were taped closed. Easy to open.
 Fossil Hunter Lottie is a kid interested in fossils. To quote "Jurassic Park", she's "a digger". She has her tools: a rock pick...

... a trowel...

...and a magnifying glass.

The best thing about the tiny magnifying glass is, it actually works!

And she has her fossil finds.

  Also included are small cards telling the story of  Mary Anning.

Mary, born in 1799 is described by Wikipedia thus: "an English fossil collector, dealer, and paleontologist who became known around the world for finds she made in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset in Southwest England."
  Also included is a paper with information about female paleontologists,

On the back is various information, including advice on hunting your own fossils.

And they can all be carried in Fossil Hunter Lottie's back pack. The back pack is made of felt. It has straps with buckles, but they are just for looks. Seems to me it wouldn't have been much harder to just make the buckles usable. Even as a kid, I liked realism.

The bag closes with Velcro.

On the positive side of that subject, the  backpack has tiny real side pockets, and Lottie's things can actually go inside.

Lottie is 7 1/2 inches tall.

  She wears a blue shirt with a pink insert at the neck, and a picture of her fossil find on the front.    .

She also has khaki cargo shorts.

The pockets on the sides are real, not just for looks. She could really put stuff in them. Small stuff, but stuff.

Both the shirt and the shorts close in the back with Velcro. I like the Velcro Lottie Dolls uses. It's thin, so there's no giant lump on the doll's back,(or between the back pack and flap, for that matter), and yet it holds really well. Why don't all doll manufacturers use this kind?
  Lottie's other large piece of clothing is her vest. It's green, with a yellow lining with white polka dots.

I like most of the clothes on Lottie dolls. They're cute, and well made, and even use cloth with a weave that's actually in scale in most cases. I like the look of this vest, but it doesn't lay well. It wants to hang open and looks too bulky to fit properly. I think it's lining is too thick or something.

Her shoes are brown ankle boots, the type worn for hiking,etc.

She has orange and white striped socks too.

The socks make the boots fit very tightly. They're hard to get on and off. I was afraid I was going to break the doll's leg trying to get her boots back on. (A kid might really do it.) The boots could have done with one of those slits up the back that make them easier to get on and off.
  She has a khaki hat too, It fits on her head well, and stays on.

The doll has a very cute face, with a tan skin tone, big brown eyes, and long, straight, dark hair.

With her big eyes, she reminds me of an anime character.

Lottie dolls don't come with combs or brushes, but this doll's hair is easy to comb. And even I can't mess it up!

Her knees bend, but not much. It would be nice if they could bend a bit more, but this type of doll leg just doesn't. Even Barbie's don't bend much any more. Back when they bent very realistically, the plastic contained dangerous chemicals that made it more pliable. That was stopped, which is a good thing, but that's why they don't bend as well these days. Lottie's legs bend enough for her to look okay sitting down. I guess that's all she needs.

Her legs can also move out to the sides. Her arms swivel too, so she has quite a range of movement with them.

She can wear her backpack, and carry all her stuff in it.

  I wish her arms bent so she could use her accessories better. I don't think kids would have a problem with her though. She offers plenty of play possibilities.
  You can find Fossil Hunter Lottie on their website HERE. All in all, she's a cute doll, with fun accessories, and a great idea behind her. I like her clothes. I like that this doll arrived in a smaller box, with less packing than the Sammi doll I received a few years ago. She's cuter than the blonde Lottie I have. You can see her, and read my review of Junior Reporter Sammi by Lottie Dolls HERE.  I still think the $24.99 price is a bit high for a small doll and accessories, but the reason could be that the company is based in Ireland. The unusual themes of some of the dolls make the price seem more worth it. I would have bought this doll for Fuzzy way back when. Of course, what would have happened would have been that Fuzzy's Fuzzy the Doll would have stolen the accessories.
  To read more about the story behind Lottie dolls click HERE. You can go to the Lottie Dolls website HERE. Sign up with your email and receive updates about new doll releases. Your kids will be allowed to take part in competitions and suggest ideas for new dolls, accessories, and activities, Your child can also receive free printables weekly. 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. 
  That's this review finished! I hope you enjoyed it. I was trying to get things done early because I had to leave for Georgia to help Lori move.. I was worried I wouldn't get the month's play set post in time, or the Doll Book of the Month Club post done before I left, since I would be gone when it was due to be posted But I worked my butt off, and got all three posts done before I left, and scheduled them to go on while I was gone. Then, of course, none of them posted like they were supposed to. but now I am all caught up. There will be another review post  soon, a post on my Georgia adventures, and very soon, a review of the latest from Maru and Friends. Stay tuned!

Cool Eraser Minis at Target And Another Delay to My Trip

  This is just a quick post to tell you about some cute erasers available at Target that would work for doll minis. Emma bought me some when she was there recently,but she has yet to drop them off. I wanted to pass the info along while they were still available. She messaged me some pictures,but on Ken's computer it's not letting me steal them for the photo files. Descriptions will have to do. They are available in little mesh bags in the $1 stuff at the front of the store. There are little rocket ships, a bag with pizza slices and French fries, and Emma's favourite, popsicles. There's another one too, but now even the  picture she messaged me has disappeared.
  Now it looks like I won't be going to Lori's until at least Tuesday. Yesterday she told me that the buyers had had a survey done, and Lori's driveway doesn't belong to her! It seems the previous owner got permission to  put in a driveway on the edge of the neighbour's property! Now Lori doesn't know how this information is going to affect the sale of her house. She's waiting to hear from the realtor. It seems to me that fate is trying to tell Lori not to move.
  I have several posts scheduled to go up while I'm away...unless I'm here, in which case...I will be.

A Review of My Favourite Stain Remover: Stain Devils by Carbona

  Well I'm back on Ken's computer again! My computer shut itself off. It took days to get it on and now that I have, it will only let me see my pictures, but not get online. I'm really fed up with it.
   I don't know if I've mentioned that I have a thing about old bedding. I only sleep on old sheets and pillow cases. Like, really old ones. Let's say, pre-1960's. I love them. They are cool in the summer, cozy in the winter, and nice and soft. I love it when I find some that have been starched and are still stiff after all these years. With use and washing, they still stay stiff for a long time. Not scratchy, uncomfortable stiff. Just stiff enough to not get limp and wrinkley. I think it stems from my childhood. Mom always used to starch and iron the sheets. She dissolved the starch in a white enamel sauce pan, on the stove. Anyway, today Ivy and I went to an estate sale, and I found a set of vintage sheets, and pink pillow cases. I got some yellow ones for Ken, because he ruins all the pillow cases sweating on them. He's not allowed to use my nice ones! I also found three sets of hand embroidered ones for $2! (That was for the whole bag!)

  Ivy bought a couple of vintage wool coats, and a Wedgewood plate, and we split a stuffed bag full of vintage hankies(me),scarves(her), and gloves,(Ivy), and Fuzz got the suede and leather gloves).
  Well, I leave for Georgia on Monday. I'll be gone for about a week. While I'm gone there will be at least one review post. Today's post is something a little different, but the subject is something that doll collectors can definitely use.
  If you're a regular reader of the blog, you've undoubtedly  seen me mention Stain Devils. I mention it a lot. That's because I use it a lot. I discovered it years ago. It's an amazing stain remover. I joke all the time that I should do a commercial for them, because I'm always touting their products. I've been thinking about doing a review of Stain Devils for years. (In fact, some of this post has been in my drafts for 3 years, and some of the pictures have been on the computer even longer than that!) Anyway,  after saying that for so long, and having in the back of my mind that I should contact Carbona, the company that produces Stain Devils and Color Run Remover, and ask them if they would be interested in providing some products for review, I finally did it. I contacted Carbona and told them how much I use and love Stain Devils, and they did indeed want to provide some goodies for review! Carbona sent me this box full of Stain Devils.

    I am  thrilled, because I go through a  lot of the stuff! I'm also happy because Stain Devils is a product I really believe in. I've saved many pieces of doll clothing, as well as our own clothes, using it. I can't eat Indian food very often any more because of my LPR, but we love it and used to eat Indian food very often when I still could. It's delicious, but the spices can really stain clothing. I also can't eat tomatoes any more, but when I could, I ate loads of them, and things made from tomatoes, and they also stain. Add to that that Ken and I are both slobs, and you can see why I keep Stain Devils around.

  Stain Devils comes in numbered versions, each removing different stains. They are numbered 1 through 9.

The backs of the bottles carry a list of the stains removed by that particular number. The current bottles list the numbers, and a few of the types of stains it removes.

For example, number 1 removes, amongst other things, nail polish, glue, and candle wax. (Those things constitute most of Ivy's stains.) Number 2 removes chocolate, ketchup, tomato based foods, and spices. (Those used to be most of my stains, pre-LPR.) Number 3 works on ink, marker, crayon, chalk, and pencil. (Where was this stuff when I markered that brand new green sweater shirt?) Number 4 removes blood, dairy, baby formula, and eggs. I never used baby formula, but it sure is handy for the other stuff. Number 5 is for is for all sorts of fats and grease, including cooking oil, lard, butter, margarine, and mayonnaise. Number 6: grass, dirt, and make-up, including lip stick and mascara. (Ivy is loaning some of her stains for this review!),Number 7: motor oil, lubricants like machine grease, tar, lotion, tree sap, shoe polish, ash and soot, and floor wax. Number 8: coffee, tea, wine cola, baby food, fruits and vegetables, jelly and jam, mold and mildew, urine, and nicotine. With Fuzz in the house, having a stain remover that works on coffee is good to have. I'll detail some of my uses of this one below. And finally, there is number 9, which removes rust, perspiration, and the opposite of perspiration, (?), deodorant.
  I preferred the older bottles. They had a super long list of all the stains, in alphabetical order, followed by the number of Stain Devils that will remove it.

I keep an older bottle around just for the list. The alphabetical order of the stains makes it easier to find what you need, and the list of stains covered by the Stain Devils is more thorough. I really wish the company would go back to the old list.
  Some of the numbers are liquid, and are applied to dry cloth. Some are in powder form, which is mixed with hot water, and used to soak the stain.  

  As I have said, I have used Stain Devils to rescue a lot of things. I've used it on our clothes, doll clothes, including vintage Barbie clothes, and even entire dolls. To start with, let's look at this vintage Barbie outfit called Caribbean Cruise, which I rescued with Stain Devils number 3

  If you remember, number 3 works on ink and marker. It's a liquid, so I was supposed to use a piece of white cloth under the fabric. I just used a folded paper towel though. So sue me.

  The stain was on the outfit when I bought it, so I can't swear to what it is. It looks like marker though.

I put the paper towel under the fabric and squirted the Stain Devils number three on it. The directions say to work the Stain Devils in with your finger until the stain disappears.

The stain was smaller right away, but there was still a little left.

I squirted a little more Satin Devils number 3 on the stain and worked it in. In no time the stain had completely disappeared.

After this the directions say to rinse the fabric, or wash it as you normally wash your laundry.

   I saved these pictures of Caribbean Cruise several years ago, thinking even then I should do a review of Stain Devils. There are loads of things I should have saved for this review, but didn't. One example is the before picture of the Dolly Darlings doll you may have seen HERE. 

This is the 'after'.

I didn't take any 'befores'. 'Before' she and her clothes were very browned. I suppose some of it was from age, but I'm guessing that at some point she had lived in a smoking home. I soaked her---doll, clothes, and all---in Stain Devils number 8, for nicotine. Both the doll and the clothes were improved. The clothes were pretty much perfect, and the doll pinked up a lot. I wouldn't recommend soaking actual dolls in Stain Devils unless they are past all saving otherwise. I don't know what the result would be. 

   I  have  used Satin Devils to get out stains on lots of vintage doll clothes, with only one problem, which was really my fault. I have a vintage Skipper dress called Let's Play House. 

    

You may have seen the post with this doll wearing the Let's Play House I'm talking about, HERE.

  When I got it it was very browned from nicotine or something. It improved after a soak in Stain Devils number 8, but to get it completely bright again I had to soakit longer than was recommended. My mistake was leaving it in way longer than the recommended time. It was just so browned that I just kept checking it and deciding to leave it in longer. As it turned out, I left it so long that somehow the Stain Devils had reacted with the snaps. The fabric began to bleach out around the snaps. But keep in mind that I left the dress in for ages longer than directed. Luckily I had been checking on it periodically while it was soaking, I caught it when the fabric had just started to fade white rings around the snaps.

  I have actually saved another entire doll with Stain Devils. She was an Ivy Cottage Ruby Buttons doll. I got her at a thrift store. People are always leaving comments on my Ivy Cottage post, saying they are desperate to find a Ruby Buttons, or her friend Violet Pickles. So even though when I found Ruby she was totally browned from nicotine, I thought she was worth saving. (She has a vinyl head, but the rest of her is soft fabric.)  I washed her in laundry soap, and then had to soak her in Stain Devils number 8. A lot of brown water rinsed out of her right away, but she was still very browned. I was worried about her red yarn hair starting to bleed, but she was just awful with the browning, so I decided to go against the Stain Devils directions and take a chance: I soaked her overnight! I was worried that by morning she might have no colour at all, or her vinyl might be affected. But in the morning I rinsed her, and she looked great! She came out perfect. Her white areas were sparkling white, her clothes were clean and bright, her vinyl was fine, and her hair was still red. Ruby went on to another home, or I would show her to you. She's one of my best success stories with Stain Devils. Once again, I wouldn't recommend leaving anything soaking in Stain Devils longer than recommended,(especially as long as I did with Ruby!), unless it's a total loss otherwise anyway.
  Besides tomatoes and spices, some of our most frequent stains around here are from grease. Just last week Ivy dropped bean curd homestyle on her shirt. It left a grease stain. I told her to do something about it before putting it in the laundry, but she didn't. When I was about to hang the shirt on the line I found the stain. So I took it inside and got out the Stain Devils. Here's what the stain looked like before I worked on it.

It added up to three separate grease stains. Ivy is efficient.

I got the stains out quickly with Stain Devils number 5. It's the liquid kind that you work in with your finger. I then rinsed the shirt, and left it in the kitchen sink because it was soaking wet. Of course, then later Fuzzy came along and made coffee. Fuzz gets coffee grounds EVERYWHERE when making coffee. That shirt must have been cursed, because what is the combination of a wet cloth and coffee grounds? Another stain! There were two coffee stain spots on the nice clean shirt. Naturally I didn't see them until the shirt had gone out to hang on the line again! So I pulled out Stain Devils number 8. Number 8 is the dry kind of Stain Devils. I dissolved two teaspoons of it in hot water. (I admit that I didn't measure the Stain Devils, or the water. I just eyeballed it.) It was supposed to soak for a half an hour. I confess to not timing it exactly either. In any case, the stains came out. Ivy's shirt was back to normal. I can't show you because Ivy took it to her room and put it away,and she's not feeling well at the moment. She can't go get it for me. But trust me.The stains came out.
  You know how tough blood stains are. Ken manages to bleed on everything at some point. Don't ask. He's just good at it...unfortunately. He got some blood spots on our new white comforter.

Number 4 is one that has to be used on dry fabric, and worked in with your finger. You're supposed to put an absorbent cloth under the fabric, but this is a comforter. It's thick. So I did my best. Then the spot had to be rinsed with warm water.

The tiny spots completely disappeared. The big one is now faint. I have to run the comforter through a wash now, and see if the rest comes out.
  I said I have been thinking about doing a Stain Devils review for years. Some proof of that is the date on the following pictures. I found them on Ken's computer. They're dated 2014! They are of the American Girl Kirsten I bought at a flea market. You might have seen the post where I showed her in my flea market finds of the day.  She had a few spots on her clothes, and her body. So what did I do? I pulled out the Stain Devils, of course!

On her bonnet.

 

 I made a guess at what the stain was. I think I went with chocolate. It's been six years, so cut me some slack. Whatever it was, I used one of the Stain Devils that is a liquid, that is just squirted on and worked in with the fingers.

She also had some spots on her bloomers.

Apparently I used a Stain Devils that requires soaking the stain in it.

The first guess on the bonnet stain must not have worked. I appear to have soaked them together.

Here's the bonnet now.

And here are the bloomers. They still have a faint stain,

Her body also had spots.

Whatever the stain was, I decided to use Stain Devils #8, which is for wine,tea coffee, and juice,amongst other things.

It's dry, and has to be dissolved in warm water. I put it in a plastic container in the sink.

I added the water and stirred to dissolve the powder.

And in she went!

This is after a preliminary soak. Looks like there's one faint spot left.

This is after a little longer in the  Stain Devils bath. All the stains are gone!

And here's her body today.

Sorry about the upside down thing.

  Yes, I still have her, in spite of saying I was going to get rid of her. She was good to use as a size comparison doll for various things I was going to sell, (Furniture and accessories), because she was an appropriate era for the stuff.
  I have used Stain Devils to get rid of black mildew spots too,like the ones on the Lee Middleton doll I showed you HERE, who now lives with Ragingmoon1987, over at Confessions of a Dolly Lover. I could have gotten his spots out, because it works great. I just couldn't be bothered and need to downsize.
  Ivy has lots of nail polish stains. She loaned me the one on her blanket with the giant picture of our cat Mow.

Yes, this is an eye. The nail polish stain is yellow/green.

This is the after picture.

I used Stain Devils #1. The directions said to soak the stain in the #1, but all I did was put it on the blanket and rub it in! Then rinsed the spot. There' s a reason I love this stuff!
  I forgot to mention the Betsy McCall wedding dress that had rust stains, which I removed with Stain Devils. You can see that beautiful white dress HERE.
  So there you go. Watch for a doll review in the coming days.