And I'm back!

Well, the move that never was never happened, and I've recovered from my "dolly burnout".

I actually went an entire year without buying any dolls, and I went through a lot of my things and decided to get rid of them. Since most of them came from the thrift store, this was no hardship.

So much has changed in this last year - LIV dolls are no more except for a few really ugly dolls that I'm never going to buy. I was never really a fan of the dolls, but I loved their accessory packs! I'm still kicking myself for not buying that Union Jack outfit when it was around. (Maybe I'll find it on Ebay, and hopefully it won't cost the earth.)

So what tempted me out of my dolly malaise? Well, it was a LIV doll I found at the thrift store. She was missing her wig, but she still had her outfit and her boots, and I actually think she's prettier with her short, painted on hair. I found her, and two of the three Wee Three Friends dolls (the Hispanic one and the redhead), and she immediately became the mom to the Hispanic dolly.

I wish I could take pictures, but I need a new camera. I had to get a new computer last year, and my old camera doens't work with Windows 7 (damn you, Microsoft!)

Well from there, the floodgates were opened. I went and bought the Stardoll Barbie I'd been eyeing like FOREVER (the dark haired one with the vaguely Bettie Page haircut.) Last paycheck I went and bought the Monster High Coffin Bean cafe set with the only Clawdeen Wolf doll I've ever wanted! I have the first wave dolls of Frankie and the Deuce and Cleo set dolls. I had the pajama Ghoulia (missed the first wave of her doll with Sir Hoots A Lot - curses!) But this was the only Clawdeen I've ever wanted, and I love the cute little cafe set!

(I heard that Costco exclusive of this set also comes with Draculaura - meh. She's my least favorite of all the dolls because all of her things are so PINK. Bleh!)

Today I bought Skulltimate Roller Maze Operetta, who has the coolest red/green/black streaked hair ever seen on a Mattel doll. I also bought two of the Design Lab add-on packs, so Operetta is sporting some kicking new purple heels (from the "Three Eyed Ghoul" pack).

I'm going to buy the Create a Monster sets - esp. the boy one. You can never have too many boy dolls, esp since the Monster High line usually has the boy dolls as limited editions instead of including them in the regular line. Deuce likes the ladies, but he is missing having some testosterone around the diorama! And since I missed Clawd and Jackson last year,  the Vampire and Gargoyle boys will have to do.

Of Mattel's other dolls, I'm only interested in the Stardolls,  in the  Tim Gunn Barbie and in the 3.0 Barbie Basics line. Which I hear is supposed to be the last Barbie Basics line. I'm not surprised. When you have one or two black or Asian dolls and shitload of blonde dolls - well, it's called MATTEL NEVER LEARNS.

Which might explain why Monster High is so insanely popular. I've seen black mothers and their daughters at TRU and Target and Wal-Mart eagerly discussing which Monster High dolls they already have and which ones they want. Maybe they don't feel weird letting their daughters play with the dolls because the dolls can be enjoyed by everyone.

The black and Asian and Hispanic Barbie Basics were the fastest selling ones in my neck of the woods, followed by the dark haired Caucasian and the Redhead Caucasian Barbie Basics. The blonde ones are still hanging around. And my neck of the woods ISN'T predominately black or Hispanic.

Thank god there is a redheaded Tim Gunn Barbie for me to buy. I'm just saying.

Open your eyes, Mattel.