Tuesday, June 25, 2013

American Girl Goodies, Ever After High Update, Meet Alice, and More Randomness...

Hey guys!  Wow, this past week really got away from me...sorry you haven't heard from me in a bit.  I've been letting Tess, Maggie, Emma and Belle take over the computer for a while. ;)  Especially Belle.  She's been desperately trying to catch up to the present day.  Blogging regularly has been rather difficult for her since she became a mother. :}  I think she has one more post to do and she'll be all caught up...for now. ;)

I wanted to give you guys a few updates.  First off, my American Girl order came today!!  Hurrah!! :D  I've taken a whole mess of pictures for you, but for now, here's a couple to tide you over:

Intrigued? ;)  I'll do my best to not keep you waiting too long. :)

I also wanted to let those of you interested in the upcoming "Ever After High" line that the Ever After High Facebook page has started sharing pics of the dolls.  It looks like they're revealing at least one doll per day for a while (it started yesterday, but I just found out today).  So far, they've shown full pictures of Apple White and Raven Queen.  It looks like Briar Beauty and Madeline Hatter should be revealed soon.  You can get to the Ever After High Facebook page HERE.

So far, my favorite doll is Raven Queen.  I'm rather disappointed that Raven and Apple appear to have almost the exact same face, expression and all, aside from a few makeup differences.  I pictured Apple as having a more sweet, ditzy look, I guess. ;)  I'm hoping that the other dolls will have more unique faces.

Along the same lines, I found a YouTube video that shows the new My Little Pony Equestria Girls dolls that go along with the new show.  I thought some of you might want to check it out.  You can see the review HERE.  There's also a review of just Fluttershy HERE and Pinkie Pie HERE.

In other news, those of you who follow or read Tess and Maggie's blog will know that there have been two new additions to the doll family.  First off, Ella has returned! :)  I found another Gotz Precious Day Elisabeth for a very good price and decided to reinstate Ella as one of Beast'sbelle's gals. ;)

Sweet little Ella, about to be reunited with her sisters.  

If you'd like to read the whole story, you can check out Tess's post about it HERE.  

The other new addition is a doll that might look familiar to you:

Meet Alice Ellison, twin sister of Piper.

Some of you may remember that over a year ago (I don't remember the exact point in time), Piper went to live with Mimi, my aunt.  At that time, Mimi didn't have any actual American Girl dolls, and I knew she and Piper would be happy together.

However, I've always had a soft spot for #25 and her beautiful coloring.  So a couple of months ago, when I came across an eBay "Buy it Now" listing that included Alice and three AG outfits, I decided that I could have another #25 in my collection (thanks to Mom for helping fund the transaction). ;)  I'd always loved the idea of having twin dolls, but didn't feel I could justify having two of the same doll in the house when my space is so limited.  So this is the perfect solution! :)

One of the AG outfits included in the lot was one that I've wanted for a long time, the Scarlet and Snow Just Like You outfit from 2008.  Another outfit was the Ready for Fun JLY Meet Outfit from 2004.  My mom and I already had that one, but Mimi didn't, so she bought it from me, helping me recover some of the cost of the transaction.  The last outfit was the Petals and Plaid Outfit from...I can't remember which year. :}

Here's what she looked like when she arrived:

It was amazing to get the dress, the hat, the shoes, the tights, and even the original book that came with the Scarlet and Snow outfit! :)

And as you can see, it looks great on Alice. :)

And another pic, just because. ;)

So I've had Alice for a while, but was waiting for the right moment to debut her.  I also wanted to make sure she was going to stay before I introduced her to the blogs.  It took me a while to figure out how she fit into the scheme of things and what her character was.  

You know how sometimes just finding the right outfit solidifies the character for you?  That's what happened when I dressed her in this:

You can also see all of her goodies that she's collected. :)

So, breaking it down, her shirt is from the short-lived "Play Wonder" line through Madame Alexander at Target (you can see my review of the full outfit HERE).  Her over shirt you might recognize from my recent review of the "My Life As" Hiking Outfit set.  The skirt is just a random off-brand skirt that I purchased secondhand somewhere. :} 

Alice is my sci fi geek, so her necklace charms are from the TV miniseries "Tin Man" and "Alice", which are sci fi retellings of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland".  Although both are considered "family shows", I would not recommend them for younger viewers as they are both pretty intense.  "Alice" also has some drug references (and also some things that are just plain odd or disturbing...much like the original, I suppose).  But the Hatter character in "Alice" is amazing.  In fact, Alice got her name from this particular version of the story (which is funny, because I've never really been a fan of the original story). ;)  

Alice's scrabble tile pendants were custom made for me by the Etsy shop Knotty Sisters. (Thanks, gals!) :)

Even though Alice is like me and does not especially care for the original Alice story, I decided she should have one Alice in Wonderland doll, especially since this one is so cute. ;)

I also decided that Alice would be my Doctor Who fan.  It fits with the whole sci fi thing, after all. ;)

So first off, we have Alice's bag with her Doctor Who pins:

The purse was a Goodwill find on one of their half off sale days.  I think it cost me $1.

Alice's pins were purchased at Hot Topic in our local mall.  I'm not a 100% fan of Hot Topic because of the "music" (I've never considered screaming angrily into the microphone to be particularly melodious) and some of the stuff they carry from TV shows I'm not a fan of.  However, it is pretty much the only place to find Doctor Who and My Little Pony collectibles locally, so every once in a while I go in there...without the girls. :}

I also found this really cool mini TARDIS set from drugstore.com for around $20.  The set included the TARDIS, the Eleventh Doctor, and Amy Pond.  River Song was in a blind bag, also purchased at Hot Topic.

The little TARDIS is the perfect size for a collectible toy for Alice.

She loves her Eleventh Doctor and other figures, too, although she's informed me that Ten is her favorite and she'd like a Tenth Doctor, too.  You and me both, Alice. ;)

And of course, the Doctor needs an alien to fight.  This Dalek was another blind bag purchase from Hot Topic.

You probably noticed her shoes in the background of the last picture and how similar they look to a Doctor we all know and love.  Yes, that was a deliberate decision on my part. ;)

I'm super impressed with these shoes.  I got them from eBay seller simplethings4now  for a very reasonable price.  She doesn't have any of her converse shoes for sale currently, but if you like these, you might consider saving her as a seller.  They were very well made and look great on Alice. :)  I'm thinking of eventually getting Alice a few more pairs and making the converse style shoes her trademark footwear, sort of like Charlie's boots. ;)

Finally, Alice has her two pet fish, Donna and Martha.  Extra points go to anyone who knows how the fish got their names. ;)

You can read the whole story of Alice's arrival on Tess and Maggie's blog HERE.  I'm looking forward to getting to know this newest arrival even more, as well as finding a little more depth in Ella's character this time around.  I hope you are, too. ;)

So I guess that's about it for now.  I've been doing a lot of typing today, and my wrists are tired! ;)  Talk to you guys again soon. :)

22 comments:

Aileen said...

She just needs one more fish named Rose. ;)

Nina said...

Cool! I love Alice! I have that little Alice and Wonderland McDonald's toy, too! I got her free at a doll sale. (Tip: Bring a doll and a little one with you when you go. The ladies there always love seeing little girls with their dolls!)

I LOVE Doctor Who, too! Did you know that Matt Smith won't be the Doctor next season? I'm kind of sad about that
:(

My Saige and Alice would be friends. Saige is my science fiction geek doll;) She's into Star Wars and Doctor Who. I even found a mini C3-PO at a garage sale for her. No luck with Doctor Who stuff yet, but thanks for the suggestions!

Anonymous said...

Donna and Martha are two of the Doctor's other companions! I think...

anya said...

Alice is my kind of gal! I only wish I have a friend in real life who is as crazy about Doctor Who and Sci-Fi stuff as I am! :)

jordan sky said...

Donna and Martha were both David Tennants companions I believe. I love your Alice! Awesome post!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Aileen, I absolutely agree. ;)

Thanks for the tip, Nina. ;) I've found that to be true at yard sales, too...my girls always end up with free stuff (some of which I would rather NOT add to our collection). :}

It does sound like Alice and your Saige would be friends. :) How fun that you found a little C3PO. :) Glad to help you with Doctor Who ideas. By the way, have you seen the Star Wars Fighter pods? They are perfect little Star Wars miniatures for the dolls. :)

You're right, Anonymous and Jordy! :) Alice named her fish after two of the Tenth Doctor's companions.

Hi Spicemuffin! I hope another Sci-Fi fan comes your way...it's tough when you don't have a fellow nut to obsess with. ;) My aunt and I like to nerd out together. ;)

Thanks, Jordy! :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Whoops, Nina...forgot to mention that I DID know that Matt Smith is moving on. It's going to be so sad to see him go...he really grew on me and has become my second favorite Doctor. I'm super curious to see who the next Doctor will be.

It's also exciting for me because I've never been a "current" fan, so this is the first time I get to go through a Doctor regeneration as it happens. :) Exciting, but sad, too. I know I'll be bawling my eyes out when he goes. I already got all weepy when he said goodbye to River at the season finale of Season 7. :}

Lisa @ Once Upon A Doll Collection said...

Alice is adorable! The way you have her dressed really shows her personality! Love the shoes and her necklace! I have one of the mini Alice dolls too. I have picked up several mini dolls from the Madame Alexander McDonalds line at thrift stores and garage sales lately. I love how the mini Tardis building set looks with her. I saw that at Books A Million when I got my Tardis cookie jar a couple weeks ago. Now I have to go back and pick up the building set too, since I see how cute it looks with the dolls now. Perfect size. I've been looking for doll sized accessories everywhere.
Lisa
http://onceuponadollcollection.blogspot.com/

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Lisa. :) I love giving my dolls interests that I share...it gives me an excuse to collect more of the things that I love. ;) Finding them in doll scale keeps my stuff from overrunning my house, too, so it's a win/win situation. ;)

I hope you're able to get your own doll-sized TARDIS. I'm super pleased with the set. :)

Annilee said...

I love the new header!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks! :) I figured it was about time for a change. ;)

Julianna said...

Hmm... do you think Maggie might like Harry Potter? I love the Chronicles of Narnia, and I really liked it! The books are way better. Especially Chamber of Secrets- do NOT watch that movie if you are terrified of spiders. Start with the first one or you will be totally confused. Sorry for the long rant!
<3 Julianna (a doll)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Julianna. :) We're actually not Harry Potter fans over here. I read the first book and watched the first movie, and I've seen clips of some of the other movies on TV. The thing I disliked the most was the way Harry and his friends were constantly deciding to disobey the rules and most of the time it ended up being a good thing that they did. I don't think that's a good example for the kids who read the books and watch the movies. I also found some of the creatures and other things rather creepy (to be fair, I also felt this way about many of the aliens on Doctor Who), and I wasn't comfortable with all of the casting of spells and emphasis on wizardry.

The book was well-written, and I can understand why many people find it appealing. But overall, it was just a bit too dark for me. As a result, I decided that my dolls didn't need to read the books or watch the movies. I know I'm in the definite minority here, and I realize many of my readers are Harry Potter fans. I don't think the less of any of you for being so. :)

Bella said...

Oh she's so cute! Love her clothes, shoes and Doctor Who pin!!! Yes, she definitely needs one more fish named Rose :)

-Belle

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Belle. :) I'm super pleased with the way she turned out.

It will be pretty hard to fit another fish in there, but maybe I can find her a pet or a toy to name after Rose. ;)

Ruby Danderfluff said...

Ah!! I had this weird idea that I was watching the Ever After High sites carefully; apparently not, since I completely missed these pictures. Can't wait to learn more about these guys. We've heard a lot about the interesting directions the Monster High lines are going, but have been struggling with many of the same reservations you have. Hopefully the Ever After High lines will have much of the same creativity and.. well.. muchness. =)

I'm not sure what to think of those Equestria Girls. Are they some sort of pony-human hybrid? Interesting to see that they're smaller than 12" though, not what I would have expected. Definitely cute though!

Those Doctor Who figures are so darling!

We saw "Alice" a few months back ourselves (Loved the hatter), and really enjoyed a lot of the threads of thought on reality and the danger in constantly getting a "fix" of enjoyment or pleasure (and even how others manipulate us with it). Lots of interesting themes running throughout.

I'm terribly curious now. Which fish is Donna, and which one is Martha? :P

Jen said...

Great find on your new girl! I love that denim skirt she's wearing.

I have to say, I don't really see much that's appealing to me in Ever After High OR Equestria Girls right now, which is weird because I like both things' source material. I guess my fondness for Monster High comes with the clever ways they find to turn the grotesque and ugly into cute fashion dolls, and EAH just doesn't have that "clever" aspect to it. As for Equestria Girls...I just don't think they're cute, and the lack of articulation in most of the dolls is off-putting. Articulation is fast becoming my make-or-break point on fashion dolls!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Ruby! Glad I got you all caught up with the Ever After High line. ;) I'm hoping this line will be something I can endorse, since I'm enjoying the webisodes so far. My daughters have also all the sudden shown an interest in Monster High, and I'm really not comfortable with them getting into that...it would be nice to have a better alternative for them. But I want to find out a lot more about it before I give my kiddos the okay.

Yes, I think the Equestria Girls are some sort of hybrid. They start out more human, but it looks like by the end of the movie they have their pony ears, tails, and wings.

I was not interested in the Equestria Girls idea AT ALL at first. Now that I've seen the trailer and how the two series are connected, it makes a little more sense and doesn't bother me as much. I linked to the trailer in an earlier post, if you didn't get the chance to see it: http://nevergrowupdollguide.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-toy.html

(You'll have to copy and paste the link and scroll down quite a bit in the post.) ;)

I'm thrilled with my Doctor Who figures, too. All I need now is a Tenth Doctor. ;)

While some of "Alice" was pretty dark, I did really enjoy the development of the characters and the creativity of the retelling. I'm glad you liked it to.

Donna is the reddish-blue fish, and Martha is the Nemo fish. ;)

Hi Jen! Thanks, I was really thrilled to find a doll and an outfit I wanted in a lot like that. Gotta love eBay...most of the time. ;) I wish I knew where the skirt came from so I could let everyone know. :}

I can understand what you mean about Monster High as opposed to Ever After High. The appeal for me is to have a less macabre alternative to Monster High, which is cleverly written and has some very fun characters. I realize that the show itself isn't overly gory or scary, but I don't want to get my girls started on monsters. Quite honestly, I've been tempted to add a Lagoona Blue to my collection just because she's so cute, but I know that would pique their interest even more. I'm hoping that Ever After High will be something that at least I could collect for now...we'll just have to see.

I definitely agree with you on the lack of articulation on the Equestria Girls. I'm a huge articulation fan, too. ;) The only one that tempts me at this point is Fluttershy, because she's my favorite pony (well, one of my favorites!) and she and Rainbow Dash have more articulation than the other ponies. However, the hair looked pretty low-quality and the gal in the video seemed to have a hard time getting Fluttershy to stand, which makes me leery about spending the $25 for one. :}

Anonymous said...

I love your doll and I have a #25 doll too, her name is Mirisa Clues and loves to write just like me. She is also a total "I AM NUMBER FOUR" fan.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Anonymous! Thanks for stopping by. #25 is such a lovely doll...I'm so glad I have her. Yours sounds like she's got a fun personality, too. :)

Anonymous said...

What a coincidence! I got a #25 with 3 outfits and a book as well (mine didn't have a hanger)! How much did you get yours for? Just curious! Mine was an eBay auction, and I got it for $81!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

How fun, Anonymous! :) Congrats!

Honestly, it's been long enough now that I can't even remember how much I paid. I want to say it was around $100, but I'm not completely positive on that. ;)