Vogue Black Barbie issue...

I really enjoyed looking at all 142 pages of this great Vogue Barbie magazine that is available on the Vogue Italia website.  Just click this post's title and you will get to the magazine.  Enjoy!!

Riley and The Toy Shop Fiasco

It was the day of the dress rehearsal and Riley had just performed beautifully.  Her eyes had sparkled as she heard the rush of audience approval.  Never before had Riley felt the vibration of several hundred people applauding.  She would never really be the same.

But for now, let 's follow along with her as she insists on wearing her ballet costume, including her tutu, on the drive home from dress rehearsal.  Mom felt sure it really would not hurt anything.  The costume had to be washed fresh for Sunday afternoon's performance and Riley was certain that her life would come crashing down if she had to put on the jeans and t-shirt she had worn to rehearsal.

There was something about that applauding.  It made Riley think she might never take off that costume (and we have been here before with Little Miss who can get "clothes fixated" and refuse to give up her garments even when stained or much too small.)

But this evening, Riley and mom crawled into the car and instead of heading home, mom drove straight to the doll store where she had a surprise for Miss Riley.  Right after Christmas, mom had put a precious baby doll and cradle on lay-a-way.  Today was the day of the last payment, just as mom had planned.  She wanted to reward Riley for all the hard work put in to "be a ballerina".

At the store, mom rushed up to the counter to make the last payment and collect the booty.  Riley, quite a good girl, was permitted to roam the store on her own.

Then it happened.

A beautiful, peaceful angel stood looking down at Riley.  Riley felt like she was in heaven. 

She got up as close as she could reach.  Riley could hardly believe her eyes.

Riley called to her mom, "Mom, look, it's an angel."

But mom barely took a good look at the divine angel before she wisked Riley off to get her mind off this angel doll.

Right then, mom decided she better show Riley her surprise right now.  She could keep the crib hidden until Sunday and it would be two great surprises.  So, right there in the store, mom showed Riley her new baby doll, Lisa.  Now you must know that Riley loves baby dolls.  She has a wonderful nursery full of various baby dolls and their clothes and toys, bottles and beds, rockers and rollers, cribs and cubbies.

And Riley did love little Lisa.  And Riley did think baby Lisa had the most beautiful eyes.  And Riley loved the precious little lacey bonnet and the amazingly gorgeous, embroidered and lacey white dress.  In fact, on a normal day, Riley would be the happiest girl in the world.  And she was trying to be that happy girl.

Riley waited patiently for mom to come back so they could put little Baby Lisa back on the shelf -- Riley needed to get back over to that Angel.  Riley had already named her Ariel and she knew that Ariel was not going to last over there. Riley was afraid someone else would scoop Beautiful Ariel right up and take her flying home with them.

Riley waited some more, a little less patiently, and finally mom came back and Riley asked her to please put the baby back on the shelf.  Mom was shocked into silence.

Riley ran back to her Ariel and made a display not really much like a ballerina, in fact, not really much like Little Miss Riley.

Right then, mom knew she better pull out all the guns.  She decided that she would show Riley the cradle to sweeten the deal.  (Oh, dear, never did mom realize when she placed that lay-a-way that the "delivery" would be so painful.)

Riley did what mom asked and came back over to see the lovely cradle where Baby Lisa would sleep, right next to Riley's big girl bed.  And Riley tried to love the cradle, too.

Then suddenly Riley put the baby in her crib and ran back over to protect her angel.

 

But soon mom was back and she was insisting that Riley leave the angel because the baby had a cradle and Riley would certainly like that better and be more happy later.... Riley had always wanted that dark, walnut cradle that matched her own big girl furniture.

But before much insisting could be done, Riley "proved" to mom this Angel was the best doll for Riley.  Riley called out, "Look, mom, this Angel can have a chair."  "This chair is just like my big girl chair."  "Look, mom!"

Oh, dear... what was mom going to do.  Riley saw mom "get that look" and Riley knew that the Angel was going to have to stay with Mrs. Michele at the store.

Then Riley pulled out her own set of big guns.

"Mom, Ariel can help me take care of Little Baby Lisa!"

But mom was still thinking of how much she had spent on the baby doll and the crib and how she really could not "undo" that when Riley made the "fate complete".

"Mom, please mom, Ariel is an angel.  Grandma told me that any time I saw an angel, I could ask her to take my kisses to grandpa."  "We have to get Ariel, she can make my kisses fly to grandpa!!!!!"

"Baby Lisa has to wait.  Some new momma will come by to love her.  I do love her, but kisses to grandpa.... Ariel.... Ariel is an angel, please, mom ..... can we take her home?"

Mom wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled out her wallet.  Riley, Ariel, Baby Lisa, the cradle and the rocking chair all went home to Riley's big girl room that night.

Isn't it amazing how they can be so small and yet still wrap us around their tiny fingers.

Let's take a tour of the color red.

My doll collection is eclectic to some degree.  Here are examples of various dolls - Red is the theme.


Let's start with Gene Marshall.  Gene did not give birth to my love of dolls but Gene did give me "permission" to begin to collect these objects of my desires.

Doll Shopping

Gene repainted and coiffed by Mark Middendorf.  Outfit, Robert Tonner for Tyler Wentworth.

Well, why am I ready to apologize for putting another Gene doll in this post?  LOL, it is my blog...  Gene repainted by David Wolfe and wearing Simply Parisian by DAE.

Here Gene, Simply Platinum, takes on the 60s wearing part of a Daisy and Willow outfit called King's Road.

Let's stay in the realm of the 16 inch fashion doll.  Robert Tonner's Casual Jac is doing her usual thing, playing music.

These are beautiful instruments that I sell at the dollymall, I have them in various scales, no pun intented.  The lounge chair is from Boyd's Bears.



Robert Tonner is also the sculptor and producer of this 11 inch fashion doll, Tiny Kitty.  This TK is an exclusive from some convention.  I bought her from a friend who dressed her in this red kimono.  I love it.

And in this next photo you can see that my gorgeous CED Dance Card Constance is also admiring Robert's precious Tiny Kitty.  Constance is a creation of Doug James.  It looks like she is doll shopping.

In the summer of 2006, I was blessed with the beautiful sisters Ryung, Soah, and Sooah.  These gorgeous BJDs (Ball Jointed Dolls) are 60cm of fabulous resin.  The dolls are sculpted by Rainman for elfdoll from Korea.  I was very wise and bought all three sisters that summer.  Today it is nearly impossible to find these gorgeous dolls.  This is Ryung, who is draped in one of my hand painted silks.

Here is sister Sooah wearing a red Faith wig available in many colors at the dollymall.

Sooah proudly showing off her El Paso tote.

At 23 inches tall, these BJDs have such a presence.  Here Soah, the youngest of the three sisters who must be borrowing her big sister's Faith wig in Red, is wearing clothing designed for the 18" play dolls that represent little girls about ten years old.  Funny how an adult body changes the look of the outfits.

Well, let's move on to the little girls and see how they like to use red... this is Helen Kish's Zsu Zse.  In this family, Zsu Zse is the painter -- in honor of my mother,  Thelma.  Zsu Zse is 8 inches tall.  I sell the little gingham bears, by World of Miniature Bears, at the dollymall, and ZZ only pretends that she has painted them.  We believe in dreaming around here.

Zsu Zse (above) is part of the Riley Kish world by Helen Kish.  Riley is also 8 inches tall.  She is adorable.  In this photo, Riley is outside playing on the lawn swing that Aunt Rita sent to us.  Riley is wearing a size 4-5 version of the Faith wig that you have seen above on big girls Sooah and Soah.  Riley's sweater is from a designer in Europe.

The World of Miniature Bears Golly wants you to notice that he is wearing a red jacket, tie, shoes and button...AND gingham trousers!! He and Riley's precious red shoes and wig are all for sale at the dollymall.

Here is Contempo Zsu Zse who is articulated and 8 inches of precious vinyl.  She is a doll collector too (who isn't?) and she is playing with her Lil Red.  The precious little World of Miniature Bears 3 inch doll is available (only three left as of 12/09) at the dollymall.  Note the red gingham table cloth... is there a theme?

Here's Riley...Halloween 2008

Two more Helen Kish dolls are part of the Kish family.  Jada is 8 inches tall and her little sister Jessamyn is about 3ish inches tall... notice the swing... sweet memories of Samuel Gagermeier...and a gift.  The rag dolls are wearing the red too!

The rag dolls and many more like them are available at the dollymall.  Hee, hee, hee....the tiny stick pony is also decked out in red...the pony and the red bear are available at the dollymall, who knew?!

Another little girl who lives here is Georgia.  Georgia is 10 inches tall.  She is part of the Ann Estelle line of Mary Englebreit dolls by Robert Tonner.  The two inch difference is scale between Riley and Georgia is huge in doll world and Georgia cannot play with Zsu Zse or Riley.  But she can play with another Tonner doll...the American Model who is 23 inches tall.

Hey, her couch is red.... and besides, she gets to play mom to Georgia, whose outfit of red cherries and red gingham was purchased from a private designer.

Since we are talking scale and little girls, let's stay with the little girls for one more doll, Miss Lola Jeanne Stinkerbean.  She would like to introduce herself and her dolls.

Lola Jeanne (Jeanne is my dear sister Rita's middle name) is a resin BJD, 10cm tall...that is less than four inches.  She is wearing Bratz tiny clothes and "demonstrating" her impressive doll collection which is miniature scale, one inch to the foot.  She can also wear Mattel Kelly clothing.  (And she does!!!!)  Please note that the teenyist, tiniest doll in the little blue bed has red hair, LOL

Rebel in deed!!

And before we end this post, let's look at another really tiny doll - I mean he is wearing gingham!  He is true miniature scale.

Miniature clown by Rita Jeanne Mowrey - my sweet sister designed this precious one inch tall clown and sells him as a kit on her website, A Rainbow's End.  She made my redhead for me, because she loves me and she knows that my kits stay kits.

This little guy lives in my dollhouse.  He is in the bathroom on a dressing table.  He wants you to note that the bear in the mirror is red...or is that der? 

We are getting bigger again....back to the 16 inch fashion doll by Robert Tonner.  Friday Foster Finds Christmas and Joy.  Friday is wearing an outfit from the early Doris Mixon collections. 
 

 
This beauty is by Robert Tonner, the Queen of Hearts ... her hair is thermal reactive and turns a dark red when it is cold.  Right now it is hot... red hot!  She is wearing a kimono by Vickie Rubie - one of many in my collection.
 

 
Now Gene, by Mel Odom, is reminding me that she started it all for me... so she brings this round to a close... forever perfect in a photofunia version of a Gene Marilyn repaint by the talented and gracious Helen Skinner.
 

Kali - a Gene repaint by the reknown artist, joy

Bringer of joy...

Singer of joy...

The End

Is just the Beginning

Miss Lunt brings joy to the season & Carmen's families inspire my heart.

David Hutton is a story teller and over the years he has given us such wonderful characters as Miss Lunt.  She is full of wit and wisdom.  There are many of us who wait and wait to hear word from Miss Lunt.

Many a Christmas is made more merry by these wonderful dolls, Nana and Family, and the stories and photographs of David Hutton.

My own Christmas Nana is quite the homebody, not at all like Miss Lunt, who has been going out to work all these many years.

My Victoria Prudence Winsley can also set a soft Christmas spell.

And I receive such joy when I see great photos like these that Carmen posted on the fabulous doll board Riley Hugs and Kishes to show us her families all dressed for Christmas.  I feel like I am in such great company as I enjoy these images and the soft and loving Christmas moments and memories.

And to add to my fun, the pups in these pictures are from the dollymall.

Merry Christmas