My Blue Usaggie

Dear Readers,

Usaggie Nº 036 was released by Petworks Doll Division this year.  She is pastel blue and her cheeks are dusted with a slight pink blush.  A very cute bunny that has now joined my collection of Usaggie dolls.  

I starting buying  hair bands and bows for her ears (^_^)

She is wearing a Middie Blythe dress.

They all have the same body type so it's easy for the Usaggie and Kumabolo to share clothes and shoes.  The shoes are from Petworks and they fit all the following dolls: Odeco-chan, Nikki, Usaggie, Kumabolo, Jossie, Hitsujii (also called Hitszie).

I found some more clothes for them in the past few months.  Mostly Madeleine doll clothes from Eden and clothes for Middie Blythe on Etsy.  Not all clothes for Middie Blythe will fit though because the Middie have thinner arms so you can't buy tops with long sleeves.

They are wearing Madeleine clothes from Eden.

I have two more dolls from Petworks coming next month and I can't wait to show them to you!

I wish you all a great weekend!

2015 ADAW 3/52

Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for your kind comments on my previous ADAW picture.  I really appreciate your words of encouragements!  I am not a good photographer and I have so much to learn in this field.  Sometimes it's depressing to look at my photos but I am looking forward to learn new ways to improve so it gives me hope when I read your response to my blog posts ^_^

Today's picture features Dal Cinnamoroll 10th Anniversary!  I wanted to do a shot of boredom and this Dal doll was the perfect model because her eyes are somehow a little sad.  She is looking outside her house, her elbow against the window sill.

"Mélancholie quand tu nous tiens."

(Melancholy when it holds us.)

I don't know why the picture posted on my blog is so dark.  The one I have on my computer and Flickr is much better!  If you want to see the difference, here is the link to my photo on Flick. 

The dollhouse is the Barbie Totally Real Dollhouse which is quite a versatile house because of all the different walls for each room.

You have probably noticed that my ADAW photos are mostly of Dal dolls.  It's because I have decided to showcase them in this photo project so people can see how beautiful they are.

I am afraid that Groove, the company that produces Dal dolls as well as the better known Pullip dolls, will stop making Dal dolls, There have been only 2 Dal releases last year.  Groove had already discontinued their collection of Ai-dolls and J-dolls so it is a real concern to see the Dal production dwindle down to only two in 2014.

I will maybe let my other dolls into the ADAW project from time to time but for now, Dal takes the spotlight.

I hope your Saturday was less boring than it has been for Dal Cinnamoroll!  Enjoy your weekend :)

2015 ADAW 2/52

Dear Readers,

How are you?  Have you kept your resolutions so far?  I have been very busy at the office so it wasn't an easy schedule. But finally it's Friday and I have some free time at last.

I am one week behind on my weekly photo project "A Doll a Week 2015" (ADAW) so I'll post two pictures this week.

The first one is Little Dal Lady Vixy on a Picco Neemo body.  I gave her a new wig and I think she looks much better with long hair.  

The picture on Flickr is better than this one.  For some reason, my picture look so dark on blogger! 

The horse and riding clothes are borrowed from Barbie Chelsea (who came in the same playset as the horse).

The background is a quick watercolor painting I did in a few minutes.  It was fun to paint again so I'll probably do some more for my future backgrounds.

I plan to take another picture tomorrow to post it on time.  I really hate being behind on my projects so hopefully it can be done :)

I hope you will all have a lovely weekend!

Happy New Year 2015!!!

Wishing you all a fantastic New Year!

♥ ♥ ♥ HUGS ♥ ♥ ♥

Looking forward to 2015!

Dear Readers,

Months ago I had started planning many blog posts for December. I had so many projects in mind and I contemplated a myriad of ideas about miniature scenes to display... but I soon realized that none of my plans would become possible.

My bedrooms had to be renovated and this could not wait any further. All the furniture were moved into the living and dining rooms. I could not access my photo studio anymore.  My dolls and miniature remained sadly in their boxed prisons and concealed neatly inside my cabinets.

And then I dropped my phone and it broke, so I no longer could take photos either and had to wait for its replacement.  To top it off, my mood was spiraling downward because of my strict diet and sugar withdrawal symptoms.

December was a month full of frustration for me as the renovation took much longer than anticipated due to factors out of my control so I could not do anything but wait.  But at last, the wait is now over.  The bedrooms have been redone, the furniture are back into their original spot and I can finally be reunited with my hobbies!  

In addition to my mini photo studio, I now have a proper desk to paint and store my craft supplies!  I really look forward to the new possibilities for 2015!

Today, I took a few photos that I really have been wanting to stage since last Christmas.  The Snow Queen is one of my favorite fairy tale and when I saw DAL Dotori, I instantly fell in love with her because she reminded me of Gerda!

"Please take me to the Snow Queen!"

En route to save Kai!

I wish you all a wonderful New Year!  Cheers to 2015!

Dal Cinnamoroll 10th Anniversary

Dear Readers,

I would like to show you the latest addition to my doll collection: DAL Cinnamoroll 10th Anniversary!  She was released by Groove (which also makes Pullip dolls) on September 2012 to celebrate Cinnamoroll 10th year anniversary!

Per Wikipedia:

Cinnamoroll (シナモロール, Shinamorōru?) is a character series created by Sanrio in 2001, with character designs from Miyuki Okumura. The main character, Cinnamon, is a white puppy with long ears, blue eyes, pink cheeks, and a plump and curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll. He starred in his own manga series, an anime movie and various animation shorts.

This is not the first time Groove had made a Dal Cinnamoroll though.  There was a first Cinnamoroll produced in 2008 and she was quickly sold out.  This re-release has a few differences in the faceup and accessories.  The new version has notably pink eyelids instead of green.

I have been eying this doll on Amazon for months now.  My finger kept hovering over the "BUY IT NOW" button but I was trying to be good after a month of high spending!  But then I saw her price suddenly drop to $50 (no tax, no shipping fee) and I didn't want to miss out on that chance so I bought her.

She is much cuter in person than in pictures!  And her Cinnamoroll suit is super soft and beautiful!  The lining of the suit is made of a soft fabric in blue with white polka dot.  I had to hide her right away because my baby wanted to squish her in her arms!  You would too if you saw her :)

Her accessories are:

• Cinnamoroll suit (with detachable mittens and boots)
• Black dress and bloomers
• Black top hat
• Teacup-shaped purse
• Moustache Necklace
• Black cane with a charm
• Chocola plushie
• Blue stand   
• Collector card

I like her dress and bloomers very much.  They feel silky and fit her perfectly.  But despite the high number of accessories, there are no shoes for the doll.  The white boots are very tight and it's nearly impossible to put her feet in them!

It's too bad I don't have enough space in my house to keep the box because it is a work of art in itself.  All the Pullip/Dal/Isul/Taeyang dolls produced by Groove actually come in box with an elaborate design!

I like how her doll stand matches her hair color and the inside lining of her suit!  And the moustache, cane and Chocola plushie all include a charm and a chain of some sort which I guess are useful if you want to attach it to your cell phone or handbag/backpack!

All in all I am very happy with this doll.  She is very pretty and has very nice accessories.  I would prefer the 2008 Cinnamoroll because of the accessories (white bag + plushie and a cup!), but that version is usually priced over $200 nowadays so I'll settle for this 2nd version.  And  I think I actually like this doll version better because of her blushing face and pink eyelids!

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid or received gifts to write this or mention any stores or website. You may find a better store in your area.

Dalicious - Challenge 1

Dear Readers,

The theme for the first challenge of the Dalicious Photo Contest was MAGIC!  It took me a few days to figure out what I wanted to do and then I had to wait until I got the time to set up a photoshoot.

As you know from my last blog entries, I was stressed out because of my mom's death anniversary and my son's birthday so I didn't work on the photoshoot until Sunday which was the last day to submit the picture!

The most difficult task was to occupy baby so I could work in peace.  It was not easy.   My daughter is very attached to me because I work all day long so when I come home (or during weekends), she sticks to me like a magnet on a fridge!

So whether I try to cook or do the laundry, or read with my boy, she will want to be with me.  My husband tricks her away by taking her out on her tricycle or letting her watch Peppa Pig.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and she would sit there and cry until I pick her up. 

Well last Sunday was one of those days when it would not work.  She kept running back to me while I was setting up the background for my photo and it was really difficult to focus amidst her screams and tears but I had to do it or I would be eliminated from the contest.

My home situation surely matched my scene because Scout (DAL Tweety) was dressed as Cinderella crying on her Fairy Godmother's knees.  The Fairy holds a magic wand and is about to transform one of the little mice who are hiding behind a pumpkin.  Do you recognize the mice?  They are the Sylvanian Families Norwood Mice children :)

The pumpkins are real by the way.   I bought them at the grocery store so we can use them as home decorations and for carving Halloween pumpkins later.  The broom is a Madeline toy from Eden.

The wand was made with a Q-Tip covered with glitter.  I had glued the glitter a day in advance so it would have time to dry but tons of glitter kept coming off during the photo shoot anyway.  It landed everywhere: hair, dress, grass.  I constantly had to blow them away or pick them out of the picture scene.

The two dresses actually belong to a Snow White Disney doll.  I had the Cinderella dresses as well but they looked way too big on my DAL doll.  The Snow White's poor dress was however smaller and simple enough to look like a common rag dress.  The Fairy Godmother is wearing a Snow White Winter Gown.

I took about 20 pictures with my camera and they turned out all blurry >.<  I then took 10 pictures with my Samsung Cell Phone and I ended up using one of those photos.  I don't have Photoshop so I could not edit or change anything to my picture.  I wished I could have photoshopped some tears on her cheeks.  But to be honest, I was already so relieved at least ONE photo came out clear enough!!! 

I then had a mild panic moment when I realized my photo was not the proper size requested for the contest.  Good thing that Chloe from Moonrabbit_Ly's Miniature World had told me about iPiccy a few days ago.  I used that program to resize my photo to the correct dimensions!  Thanks Chloe!!!

The next day the contestant's photos are posted on the Dolly Market Forum.  You can view them on the discussion thread of the forum.

I must say I was floored to see the quality and creativity shown in those photos!  I knew I was nowhere near as good.  I really have to work harder on my setup and my photography skills!  But it was a fantastic experience and I am really looking forward to the next challenge.  I certainly "played" with my dolls more than I did on a regular basis and I had to think about using objects I have at home as props in my scene.  I didn't want to go buy extra material (there was no time for that either) so it was great to look into my existing stack of toys!     

I heard some websites can help photoshop but I really don't have much free time to explore!  I will try my best with unedited photos at first and then look into photoshopping if I have time left!  Wish me luck!

Licca Castle Small Shop in Tokyo

Dear Readers,

Did you know that Licca Castle has opened a store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo!  It's called LICCA CASTLE SMALL SHOP and it will sell Licca Castle and Jenny dolls, shoes and outfits!  And they apparently sell rare dolls and dresses that are exclusive to that store!

Photo from Licca Castle Website

The shop has recently opened on August 1st, 2014 and I only saw a very few photos of the store so far.  But the most memorable pictures are from this fantastic Japanese blogger Kokeshi Diary !  She has an incredible collection of Licca dolls, Blythe dolls and Azone Pure Nemo dolls!  Her blog is such a pleasure to follow because of her super beautiful pictures!  It's thanks to Chloe Liu from MoonRabbit_Ly's Miniature World that I found out about the blog!

The photos I am posting here are however from the Licca Castle Official Website and are not that blogger's personal photos.  I wished I could ask Kokeshi Diary for her permission to repost her pictures here but her blog is in Japanese and I don't know how to navigate around to ask her nor can I write in Japanese :/

Photo from Licca Castle Website

So you must take a look at the Licca Small Shop on her blog entry!  Can you imagine rows and rows of dreamy doll's dresses and shoes?  It's a Licca Heaven!  

Photo from Licca Castle Website

The dolls themselves are super kawaii cute and for the fist time I am considering buying a boy Licca doll (they do exist!).  I think the pictures are showing Charles (Licca's cousin from France who has blonde hair).  I didn't know boy's outfits could interest me this much but they look fabulous on these dolls!  I found a close up photo of the boys in this other blog entry (scroll all the way down).  I am also in love with the sailor suit and dress shown on that post.  Aren't they amazing?

Oh to go to Tokyo and buy all these goodies!  One can dream.  What is your dream shop?

DALICIOUS Photo Contest 2014

Dear Readers,

I own a few DAL dolls but these type of dolls are usually expensive so I can't afford many of them.  Amazon sometimes offers DAL (as well as PULLIP) dolls for quite a good price but I don't like the models that are on sale right now.  However there is a way to win a free DAL doll at the moment!

I came upon a blog post from Pullip and Junk mentioning  a DAL photo contest!  It's called DALICIOUS and is organized by Dolly Market.

The prize is a free DAL doll!  More specifically, a DAL Jouet 6th Anniversary and DAL Tina (the winner will have first pick and the runner-up will have the other doll). 

Here below is DAL JOUET 6TH ANNIVERSARY

And here is DAL TINA

There are other smaller prizes and if you want to check them out, they are posted on Dolly Market HERE.  The RULES are also posted on Dolly Market and I am a little scared to enter to be honest because I am really not sure I can submit so many pictures.

In case you are wondering why I am saying this, here below are the rules as stated on Dolly Market:

--There will be 6 challenges.
--Each photo will be graded on a 1-10 scale.
--You will have 6 days per challenge to take your photo and submit it.
--There will be 1 day of judging between challenges. You can and will be disqualified if your photo is not in by the due date.
--Each challenge the contestant will get an average score from the six judges. The six scores will then be averaged together at the end of the contest for the overall score of that contestant.
--All files should be 1200x1800 or 1800x1200
--All files should be emailed to Dalicious@dollymarket.net with the name of the challenge and the contestants name in the subject.

If you are interested in participating you have until September 15th to do so!  Pullip and Junk gives the details of what information is needed to enter the contest.

Are you going to take a chance and try it out?  Good Luck to everybody who will participate!!!

Moxie Girlz Jammaz House

Dear Readers,

Are you a fan of Bratz dolls? I must admit I have never been interested in them but I adore their playsets! Maybe it’s a reaction to the eternal Barbie pink. I am usually more inclined to buy a dollhouse or furniture that is NOT pink and Bratz has issued many non-pink items. I personally think the Bratz World House and furniture are among the greatest doll playsets I have ever seen.

Unfortunately for me, I came too late in the dolly world so I wasn’t there when these awesome toys were released. But I was lucky and got a hold of some of them on the secondary market and in some cases, the items were brand new.

The Bratz World House however is usually sold for quite a hefty price and I didn’t want to buy something at such a high cost, especially when I risk getting a damaged house (which happened to me one time too many).

So I was really happy when I saw the Moxie Girlz Jammaz House. It’s basically the same design as the Bratz World House but with slight differences in colors, furniture and accessories. Beware though, the Moxie Girlz Jammaz House was released in two different models: one playset comes with a bed and bathtub, and one does not!

The Moxie Girlz House is a folding dollhouse so it takes very little space! There is an outer shell and two walls that can be flipped over to show a different background. Everything fits perfectly inside the outer shell for easy storage (except the furniture).

Here is what the dollhouse looks like from the front, when it is folded.

Although the house is now released as a Moxie Girlz dollhouse, it still shows the Bratz logo.  Not surprising since MGM Entertainment which produced Bratz, is the also the company that produces Moxie Girlz.  They were just a bit lazy here and re-marketed this dollhouse without making much changes.  Not that I complain!  It's a great dollhouse to re-release!

The back of the house.

The bathroom is by far my favorite wall.  It is so detailed and lush.

Here is Emma for size comparison. The shower door can open.

Here is the bath tub that came with the house. 

The kitchen is my least favorite wall.

It looks pretty but it's super flat!  You can't put much in that oven.

Emma does not care.  I don't think she cooks.

This is the wall that you have seen in my previous post. So versatile!

The flat-screen TV and fireplace mantle.

The bed came with a pillow.  

The closet and vanity you see here did not come with the dollhouse.  They are from a Bratz Furniture Playset, but their color match perfectly with the Moxie Girlz House and the bed.

And lastly, thhe accessories that came with the house. There were also a white hand towel, a pink towel/blanket, and stickers for the TV and Kitchen.

The main difference between the Bratz World House is that the Bratz World House came with a sofa and a dining table and chairs and some kitchen accessories while the Moxie Girlz Jammaz House comes with a bed and bathtub instead. 

Of all my folding dollhouses and playsets, the Moxie Girlz Jammaz House is my favorite. It is just so beautiful! There are so many details on these walls and they are very functional.  You can arrange your house is so many different ways!  It’s just the perfect house to use as background pictures and I can see how it can appeal to children as well just as a regular play house as well.

Licca dolls fit wonderfully in this type of house. They are about the same size as Bratz and Moxie dolls so it’s a perfect fit. I can’t gush enough about how much I love the house. I wish MGA Entertainment will keep on coming up with more great playsets like this and issue more furniture!

Emma's Bedroom

Dear Readers,

I intended to make a long post to show you the dollhouse I have chosen for Emma, my new Licca Castle doll, but it was much too busy yesterday to take pictures of everything so I can only show you a few shots of her bedroom.

I bought the Moxie Girlz Jammaz House many months ago but I didn't want to post about it until I got Emma because she was just perfect for this house.

The Moxie Girlz Jammaz House was released in two different editions:  one with a bed and bath tub (which I bought), and one without those furniture pieces!  Since I don't know exactly what edition is sold on websites, I don't want to link them and confuse people as to what issue they will receive.  In case of doubt, it's always best to ask the seller before buying.

The vanity table is from an old Bratz furniture set (Bratz World Yasmin's House).  The cosmetics are from Re-ment.  I found out about them HERE thanks to Moonrabbit's Miniature World who blogs about Sylvanian Families, Re-ment, Blythe and Miniature in general!  You should check out her blog!  She takes gorgeous pictures and she writes detailed reviews

Now back to Emma in her bedroom.  When I set up the dollhouse on my table, I thought it looked quite pretty; the most elegant dollhouse I have ever seen.  Once I placed Emma in her bedroom, it became so much more!  She was the ONE for this dollhouse.  She just belonged there.

Emma in her dainty bedroom!

The bed came with the dollhouse.

View from the top

Full view of her bedroom.

The dollhouse has a lot more rooms/walls and I can't wait to show them to you!  But I need to have time first.  Baby didn't sleep until 10 pm last night and I was too tired after that to take more photos.  I took the photos while she was awake and it was something I will not attempt again.  She was constantly trying to grab the items from the table.  Although she was too small to reach any of the furniture, her constant hovering around the table made it difficult for me to set up the display.  I gave her another dollhouse to occupy her but she wanted me to play with her, so in the end, I could only take a few shots before putting away everything. 

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid or received gifts to write this or mention any stores or website. You may find a better store in your area.

Licca Castle - Special Toy Box

Dear Readers,

I have been dreaming of getting another Licca Castle doll and it was a difficult decision because there are so many pretty dolls to choose from.  I finally chose: Licca Castle Special Toy Box Doll .

The website describes her as having blonde-white hair with purple/brown eyes and pink lips.

Licca Castle dolls are more expensive than the Licca Playline dolls but they are worth it.  Their face-up is so much more defined and the quality of their hair is totally in another league.  Super smooth and silky.  

Licca Castle collaborated with 20 doll outfit artists and created dolls and outfits for their 20th anniversary special event.   "Special Toy Box" is one of the artists. She mainly makes Momoko's outfits, and they sell out very quickly when she opens her web shop. Below is her website and blog. 

special-toy-box.chu.jp/

specialtoybox.blog71.fc2.com/

Here is how the doll is packaged.

The inside panel slides out easily.
A white dress and white shoes are included.

The doll is held only by two cloth-covered rubber bands.

Yeah for easy unboxing!

Here she is!

Her end curls are a little messy.

She has such a sweet face. A subtle smile and a soft purple shade in her eyes.

With hair swept in the front.

I am so happy with this doll.  She looks so precious and dainty.  I was a little surprised when I first saw her because she didn't look like her stock picture.  But that was because her hair was messy in the box and her bangs were flattened by the plastic holder around her head.  But once I got her out of the box, she looked exactly like her stock photo.  Once noticeable difference though is that the dress she wears in her stock photo is not the same as the dress I received.  That is not a problem for me since I don't mind this dress.  It's well made, it's soft and it fits her nicely.

I need to take better pictures of her though because I took these photos really quickly yesterday.  I feel I am not doing her any justice with my terrible photos!  So hopefully she will get some deserved time in front of the camera soon!  And I think I will name her Emma.  Do you think it suits her?