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| 10th Anniversary Silkstone Barbie |
I'll just have to be content to look at the pictures.
9/04/2010
Two Silkstone Dolls I'd Like to Have...But
I do love to add an occasional beautiful Silkie to my small collection. I liked Palm Beach Coral the minute I saw her. I did not like her price of $139.99. They have got to be kidding, right? I pay that much for fully articulated Fashion Royalty dolls - not that they're worth it either.
This is my other favorite this year. Not only is the doll and gown beautiful but the photograph is superb. I love the setting. It's so well done. She is the 10th Anniversary Silkstone (Tribute Barbie) and will be sold for $145. when she hits the stores in November of this year.
9/03/2010
New Michelle Obama Doll "Sophisticated Style" from Ashton-Drake Galleries
It looks like Ashton-Drake may have a winner here. After the debacle of the Danbury Mint Michelle Obama doll that looked nothing like the First Lady and had multitudes of unhappy buyers, collectors may be pleased to know that A-D has produced a doll that looks more like the first lady (hopefully.) The 16" tall vinyl doll has 14 points of articulation and comes with a story card with information about her ensemble.
I can't tell if this is an artist's rendering of the doll or a touched-up photograph of the doll. You will remember that the Danbury Mint advertisement was a complete sham that used a photograph of Michelle's face in lieu of the actual doll. It's only recently that they added a disclaimer to the promotional image.
If I were going to order the doll, I'd call and ask about that. This picture makes me wonder because it looks like a painting rather than a photo of a real doll.
This is the first doll in a series of additional Michelle Obama dolls to come. It looks really lovely.
If anyone out there has her already, I'd like a review from you. If you have photos of the actual doll, I'd be happy to post them for my other readers.
The price of the doll is $129.99 with a shipping and handling charge of an additional $14.99 for a total of $144.98. You can also choose to pay in 5 installments of $26. each.
The Ashton-Drake Galleries
I can't tell if this is an artist's rendering of the doll or a touched-up photograph of the doll. You will remember that the Danbury Mint advertisement was a complete sham that used a photograph of Michelle's face in lieu of the actual doll. It's only recently that they added a disclaimer to the promotional image.
If I were going to order the doll, I'd call and ask about that. This picture makes me wonder because it looks like a painting rather than a photo of a real doll.
This is the first doll in a series of additional Michelle Obama dolls to come. It looks really lovely.
If anyone out there has her already, I'd like a review from you. If you have photos of the actual doll, I'd be happy to post them for my other readers.
The price of the doll is $129.99 with a shipping and handling charge of an additional $14.99 for a total of $144.98. You can also choose to pay in 5 installments of $26. each.
The Ashton-Drake Galleries
Tyler Wentworth Ready-To-Wear Boutique Collection is Back
I have always admired the fact that the Tonner Doll Company provides plenty of wardrobe options separately from the dolls. I don't think there is a single other company that produces such a quantity and variety of outfits. Yes, one comes upon an ill-fitting or poorly finished piece occasionally but for the most part, the clothes are excellent, attractive and long wearing. The separates hold their resale value longer than the dressed dolls and their outfits.
My favorites for 2010 are right here in this photo provided on the Tonner site. 
Left
Frayed Denim Jacket $49.99
Sequined Denim Bustier $29.99
Frayed Denim Skirt $39.99
Center
Ruffled Evening Top $44.99
Lace Evening Skirt $59.99
Seated
Distressed Skinny Jeans $34.99
Classic Lace Blouse $39.99
Ruffled Cotton Coat $49.99
That's not all! There are three packs of shoes at $39.99 for each pack of two or three pair:
two dresses and a sweater:
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| Uptown Dress $59.99 |
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| Soho Dress $69.99 |
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| Impressionist Sweater $ 39 |
an adorable black "swirled skirt" @ ($44.99),
several sparkly, metallic jackets:
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| The Love Jacket $54.99 |
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| The Downtown Jacket $49.99 |
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| The Chelsea Hoodie $59.99 |
See more of Tonner's 2010 Tyler line by clicking here.
9/02/2010
Reunited and It Feels So Good
Those who attended the Nashville convention know that I lost my precious iPhone at Creekwood on Thursday night. Unfortunately it could not be found and I ordered a new one which was delivered today.
Easy, right? Wrong.
I plugged my new phone into my computer to sync it with iTunes and I was informed that I needed the latest OS software installed on my Mac. As if having missed this information wasn't embarrassing enough, I've actually had the new software in its little package since December (2009) and just kept procrastinating installing it. UGH.
I hate installing a new operating system. It takes so long and one never knows if the old programs will work. It took more than 4 hours to get everything set up. My old programs do work but it sure would be a good idea to upgrade some of them.
We're up and running and all is well.
Peaches and Herb: Reunited
Easy, right? Wrong.
I plugged my new phone into my computer to sync it with iTunes and I was informed that I needed the latest OS software installed on my Mac. As if having missed this information wasn't embarrassing enough, I've actually had the new software in its little package since December (2009) and just kept procrastinating installing it. UGH.
I hate installing a new operating system. It takes so long and one never knows if the old programs will work. It took more than 4 hours to get everything set up. My old programs do work but it sure would be a good idea to upgrade some of them.
We're up and running and all is well.
Peaches and Herb: Reunited
Facet's Annual Doll Barbeque September 19, 2010
No, we do not barbeque dolls at this event. We talk dolls, look at dolls, buy and sell dolls, eat and run around a loooong table filled with free stuff. We also get to see one of the most impressive doll collections ever - Marcia Friend's.
If you're traveling down the NYS Thruway and want to meet up at the Kingston exit, let me know.
Here is the info from Marcia which contains all the facts and contact details you will need. I hope to see you there.
I hope you can make it to the party - it's a day of great fun, great dolls and great people :-) Email me to RSVP or ask questions. When you email me, I would appreciate it if you could put "BBQ" somewhere in the subject so I can sort out those emails.
If you're traveling down the NYS Thruway and want to meet up at the Kingston exit, let me know.
Here is the info from Marcia which contains all the facts and contact details you will need. I hope to see you there.
I can't believe it's September already!
I wanted to remind you that my 8th Annual Summer Doll BBQ and Party is coming up in less than 3 weeks - Sunday September 19th, starting around noon. It's at my house in Matawan, NJ and I've already started cleaning... trying to get an early start!
Matawan is in central NJ, near exit 117a of the Garden State Parkway. It is easily accessible by NJ Transit trains from NYC or Newark. We will have a train station pickup and drop off for those who need it, so let me know if you do so we can make sure we have enough cars available for that.
It will be like the previous BBQ's with lots of people, food, dolls, sales, and more! I'll provide all of the food, and there is a cover charge of $12 per person. You may PayPal this in advance or pay when you get here. However, if you're going to do PayPal, I'd appreciate your waiting until a week or two before the BBQ so I have less chance of losing track of it :-)
It will be like the previous BBQ's with lots of people, food, dolls, sales, and more! I'll provide all of the food, and there is a cover charge of $12 per person. You may PayPal this in advance or pay when you get here. However, if you're going to do PayPal, I'd appreciate your waiting until a week or two before the BBQ so I have less chance of losing track of it :-)
I'll have a sales area set up in my basement - space is on a first come basis. Facets will be open, of course (and hopefully a little more cleaned up than in the past - LOL!) :-) We'll have door prizes, the infamous "free table", and lots of dolls to look at.
The "free table" is a table of doll related items that are extras, slightly used, unwanted, etc... It's a good way to get rid of those items that you think someone might want and you don't feel like putting on EBay. If you have some things you'd like to put in, bring them. However, if no one takes them, you have to take them back or throw them out - they can't stay here! If you want to mail donations, LMK and I'll give you the address. I have already gotten some fantastic donations mailed in.
Feel free to bring a doll for display. I don't have a theme - bring a favorite, a new acquisition, something you want to show off, whatever.
Contributions to the door prizes are appreciated.
If you need a place to stay in this area, I recommend the Woodbridge Hilton. It's about 20 minutes north of here and is more reasonably priced and nicer than the few hotels in the immediate area. If you are looking for travel mates or roommates, LMK and I'll try to help.
I hope you can make it to the party - it's a day of great fun, great dolls and great people :-) Email me to RSVP or ask questions. When you email me, I would appreciate it if you could put "BBQ" somewhere in the subject so I can sort out those emails.
Hope to see you on the 19th!
Marcia
P.S. If you know someone who might like to come to the BBQ and that hasn't gotten an invitation, please let me know and I'll invite them.
Superdoll Chalk White
Dearest Patrons, Collectors and Fans….
Well, as we reach the very end of our marvellous S/S 2010 season and wave a fond farewell to an awesome summer here in London, it is with great pleasure that we extend a welcoming invitation to YOU!
The A/W 2010 Salon season will be launching with the introduction of Ventriloquet_003 (a darkly kept secret), Salon exclusive outfits and more delectability than should be legal!
Our 2010 Autumn Winter collection entitled: Inner Society™ will be shown and sold from our London Salon.
The Chalk White collection PREVIEW & SALE commences on 09 October 2010 at 18h00 with a champagne reception.
This exhibition is open to all who would like to witness, view and experience the gloriousness of a Chalk White collection in it’s entirety. All we request is that you RSVP in a timely manner enough for us to prepare for your company!
Please see flyer attached for further details or do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone if you have any queries.
http://www.superfrock.com/dmg/
(please paste this above link into your browser)
Our very best from everyone here at SDHQ London….
Till later
C&D
Well, as we reach the very end of our marvellous S/S 2010 season and wave a fond farewell to an awesome summer here in London, it is with great pleasure that we extend a welcoming invitation to YOU!
The A/W 2010 Salon season will be launching with the introduction of Ventriloquet_003 (a darkly kept secret), Salon exclusive outfits and more delectability than should be legal!
Our 2010 Autumn Winter collection entitled: Inner Society™ will be shown and sold from our London Salon.
The Chalk White collection PREVIEW & SALE commences on 09 October 2010 at 18h00 with a champagne reception.
This exhibition is open to all who would like to witness, view and experience the gloriousness of a Chalk White collection in it’s entirety. All we request is that you RSVP in a timely manner enough for us to prepare for your company!
Please see flyer attached for further details or do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone if you have any queries.
http://www.superfrock.com/dmg/
(please paste this above link into your browser)
Our very best from everyone here at SDHQ London….
Till later
C&D
9/01/2010
Links to all My Nashville Event Photos
Will be slightly updated during the next few days.
Sandra's Prototype Doll Fashions
Scenes of Downtown Nashville
Table - Centerpiece Dolls
Formal Centerpiece Photo Shoot
These links were posted in my first Nashville blog post on 8/31/2010
Crawford Manor Tea
Manuel the Rhinestone Cowboy
Sandra Stillwell's Display Dolls
Cheekwood
Ryman Auditorium
Country Music Hall of Fame
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Original post describing the Golden Age of Couture Event
Sandra's Prototype Doll Fashions
Scenes of Downtown Nashville
Table - Centerpiece Dolls
Formal Centerpiece Photo Shoot
These links were posted in my first Nashville blog post on 8/31/2010
Crawford Manor Tea
Manuel the Rhinestone Cowboy
Sandra Stillwell's Display Dolls
Cheekwood
Ryman Auditorium
Country Music Hall of Fame
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Original post describing the Golden Age of Couture Event
Fashion Royalty Convention Packet Released
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| Internet Photo |
The line is entitled FR2 and pronounced FR Squared. I think I'll always call it FR Two (I hated math.) When something is squared you multiply the original by itself and you get more of the original. The title can lead to a great deal of speculation as evidenced by the 3 page thread on the W Club board.
Note: An email from the W Club just arrived. It says:"...spin off brand called FR2... This new line will have a brand new body, new characters and a renewed couture style by Jason Wu. "
Haute couture (French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking"; pronounced [ot kutyʁ] OHT-koo-TOOR) refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture is a common abbreviation of Haute Couture, which refers to the same thing in spirit.[1]The term couture style is being misused.
It originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century.[2] In modern France, haute couture is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as Milan, London, New York, Tokyo and Madrid.
 |
| Integrity Toys' Logo |
The 30 page long layout is very artistic thanks to Alain's design skills. Spooky castles and dark patterns infuse the package with a sense of Halloween and scariness.
The forms are interactive - there's nothing to print out and mail or fax. It's very tree friendly.
The Workshops
All except one of the workshops is being held on Friday. It's all very organized. I am registered for the first four workshops below. The hubster will have to amuse himself.
- Poppy Ponies Up! - Rob “Uriah” Redden
- Thinking Out of the Box - Vaughn Sawyers
- Mini-Masterpieces - Steven Fraser
- Baby Light-Up my Fire! - Alain Tremblay
- FR Do’s, FR Don’ts - Francisco Garcia
- Recycle Those Doll Boxes - Ava Plummer
The Convention Collection
- “Always Polished” Dasha FR2 Dressed Doll (New Character!)
- “Night Vision” Count Adrian Von Lamberg™ Figure (New Character!)
- “Fine Romance” Eugenia Perrin Frost™ Dressed Doll
- “Scarlet Woman” Adèle Makéda® Dressed Doll
- “Out of the Blue” Kyori Sato® Dressed Doll
- “Wild at Heart” Lillith and Eden™ Gift Set
- “Ask Any Girl” Poppy Parker Gift Set
Missing from the above are Agnes, Vanessa, Veronique, Elise Jolie, Dania, Natalia, Jordan, Luchia, Tatyana, Isha, the Hommes, the rest of the Nu.Face characters, the Monogram dolls and the Avantguard dolls.
My guesses for centerpieces are Agnes (that's a given), Veronique, Vanessa and Elise. Perhaps those are my wishes as well.
8/31/2010
Sandra Stillwell's Golden Age of Couture — Nashville, August, 2010
The first thing I want to say is that I will probably go to every event that Sandra organizes in the future. This talented lady wove an amazingly detailed tapestry by combining the best of the location with a fabulous event. She organized visits to top Nashville locations that related to our purpose. Presentations at meals were relevant and interesting. The fashions Sandra had created for the centerpiece dolls and for our event souvenirs are beautiful and so abundant I can hardly believe it.
I shot more than 400 pictures, many of them not so impressive. It takes alot time to go through them and post. Interior shots at Cheekwood and the Frist were not permitted
Cheekwood
The Cheekwood mansion was huge and we were told that just one small family of four lived there in it's day. There was a Chihuly installation out-of-doors. I think if I hadn't seen a mind-blowing Chihuly installation in Pittsburgh a few years ago, I would have been more impressed with this one.
Ryman Auditorium
The history of the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Old Opry is fascinating and I recommend going to their websites to read about it. I do not follow country music but I certainly learned a great deal of interesting facts.
Country Music Hall of Fame
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
The Frist Center is housed in an Art Deco United States Post Office with spectacular marble work, wrought iron gratings, doors and moldings. This is truly an impressive building aside from the exhibit. The Golden Age of Couture exhibit at the Frist Center was very special. I finally got to see four of the Theatre de la Mode mannequins in person. Madame Lachasse was beyond belief. Her teensy leather gloves were handsewn and still in perfect condition. She had tiny silk stockings and a cigarette case with pastel colored cigarettes! The miniatures created to go along with her wardrobe fascinated me.
Display Dolls
Imagine walking into a ballroom filled with nearly 200 Genes, Madras, and assorted other dolls from the Ashton-Drake and Integrity Gene Marshall lines! Impressive, right?
Chez Manuel More about Manuel can be found on the internet. He has a long history of designing bling-y fashions for country western stars and other well-known personalities and performers.
Crawford Manor Cheryl Crawford debuts her Crawford Manor collection of 16" resin dolls.
I shot more than 400 pictures, many of them not so impressive. It takes alot time to go through them and post. Interior shots at Cheekwood and the Frist were not permitted
Cheekwood
The Cheekwood mansion was huge and we were told that just one small family of four lived there in it's day. There was a Chihuly installation out-of-doors. I think if I hadn't seen a mind-blowing Chihuly installation in Pittsburgh a few years ago, I would have been more impressed with this one.
Ryman Auditorium
The history of the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Old Opry is fascinating and I recommend going to their websites to read about it. I do not follow country music but I certainly learned a great deal of interesting facts.
Country Music Hall of Fame
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
The Frist Center is housed in an Art Deco United States Post Office with spectacular marble work, wrought iron gratings, doors and moldings. This is truly an impressive building aside from the exhibit. The Golden Age of Couture exhibit at the Frist Center was very special. I finally got to see four of the Theatre de la Mode mannequins in person. Madame Lachasse was beyond belief. Her teensy leather gloves were handsewn and still in perfect condition. She had tiny silk stockings and a cigarette case with pastel colored cigarettes! The miniatures created to go along with her wardrobe fascinated me.
Display Dolls
Imagine walking into a ballroom filled with nearly 200 Genes, Madras, and assorted other dolls from the Ashton-Drake and Integrity Gene Marshall lines! Impressive, right?
Chez Manuel More about Manuel can be found on the internet. He has a long history of designing bling-y fashions for country western stars and other well-known personalities and performers.
Crawford Manor Cheryl Crawford debuts her Crawford Manor collection of 16" resin dolls.
