Update on the Consuelo Giveaway

Hey everyone.  I added an update to the original Conseulo Giveaway post, but I thought I'd add this new post to give everyone a fair chance.

One of my followers mentioned that she put something about the giveaway on Pinterest, and was wondering if that would count towards an entry.  I haven't delved in to the worlds of Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter, so I don't always think about them. ;)  I just wanted to let everyone know that if you post something about the giveaway on any social media like the ones I mentioned (or others), just comment about it on the original post or this post, and I'll give you one extra entry for each site you post on. :)  Why not make things a little bit crazier? ;)

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment or email. :)

Hearts 4 Hearts Consuelo Giveaway! :D

Hey everyone!!  I'm super excited to offer a fun giveaway, just in time for Christmas. :)  I'm so thankful to finally reach 160 followers (and even topping that with 161!).  So this is a thank you to all of my readers and followers out there. :)

And here's the prize:

A brand new, unopened Hearts 4 Hearts Consuelo doll! :D

Here she is, waiting for her new home!

Consuelo is lovely and does not have purple eye.  

So, here's how the giveaway is going to work:

1.  To enter, please comment on this post with your name or username and email address.  Comment moderation is on, so no one will see your information but me.  

2.  If you are under age 18, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter.  I will have to get your mailing address to send Consuelo to you, and I need to make sure your parent or guardian is okay with that.

3.  The giveaway will be open to entries until SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH.  On Monday, November 12th, I will put all of the entrants' names in a hat and select one winner (without peeking, of course!). ;)  

4.  I will notify the winner via email on that same day.  The winner will have 1 week to respond to the email with their mailing address.  If I have not heard from the winner by Monday, November 19th, a new winner will be selected.

5.  I'm sorry, but I cannot do International shipping at this time, so this contest is only open to those in the United States.

I'd like to try something new this time around to give everyone an opportunity to have more than one entry.  If it ends up being totally crazy, I may never do it again, but I thought it was worth a shot at least once. ;)  So, here goes.  For extra entries you may:

1.  Follow this blog or my other two blogs (Jane Austen and Unicorns and Belle's Bulletins).  If you're already a follower of my blogs and are entering the giveaway, please let me know in a comment.  Current followers can get extra entries, too. :)  Just be sure you let me know in the comments...with 161 followers, I might miss your extra entry if you don't let me know. ;)  (one entry per follow...so if you follow all 3 of my blogs, you get 3 extra entries).

2.  Do a post about my giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. (two entries for a post)

3.  Add my Consuelo Giveaway blog button to your blog (you'll find it at the very top of my sidebar shortly after this post is published). (one entry)

4.  Comment on this post and tell me what you enjoy the most about this blog or what you would like to see me change or add (nicely, please!). ;)  I'd like to get some feedback from all of you.  One of these comments per person, please.  (1 entry)

UPDATE (10/31/12):  I will also give an extra entry for a shout out on any other social media, such as Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever...just let me know in the comments.  I'm not a part of any of those, so I didn't think about it. :}

If you follow my blogs, do a post, or add my button for extra entries, please comment on this post and let me know so I'm sure to get all of your extra entries in! :)

I hope all that was clear.  If you have any questions, feel free to comment and ask them, or contact me via email at nevergrowup.beastsbelle@gmail.com.  

Have fun entering, everyone!! I can't wait to see who wins. :D

Free Shipping at Disneystore.com Today Only

Hey guys!  Just a quick post to let you know that Disneystore.com is doing a free shipping promotion today only. :)  You apply the code FREESHIP at checkout.  You can start your shopping HERE. :)

I have several posts in the works and should have something published by later today. :)  Talk to all of you again soon!

P.S.  If you haven't already, be sure to stop by Belle's Bulletins for her 1 Year Blogoversary Giveaway. :)

Disney Animator's Collection (DAC) Belle Doll Review

One of the dolls I've been wanting to review for a while is Belle from the Disney Animator's Collection line at the Disney Store.  Another of my purchases from my recent trip, this doll is a total cutie and a great addition to my Beauty and the Beast collection.

Here she is in her box (I took her boxed pics in the hotel so I could open her on my trip!). ;)

Side view

Back of the box.

The boxes are so detailed and interesting!  I took a few extra pics so you could enjoy the box too. :)

Another side view.

The front label.

Here she is, free from her box. :)

Some of you may be surprised at how long it took me to purchase and review one of these dolls.  They were released around a year ago, so I'm a little late joining the bandwagon.  

Well, to be honest, like some of my other dolls, I didn't really care for this line at first.  I mean they were cute, but not really something I was interested in.  I didn't care for the stock photos, and some of the dolls I didn't like at all. (I'm still not a fan of DAC Aurora or Mulan, just because of the way they did their faces.  I don't think they look like themselves.)  But slowly, they started appealing to me, especially Belle.  This was largely due to the adorable photos taken by Holly of Holly's Dollys.  She has all of the DAC dolls and uploaded tons of adorable pics on Disney Doll Lovers.  So thanks, Holly, for making me realize just how cute these dolls really are! ;)

Speaking of which... ;)

Side view of Belle.

Back view.

And the other side.

A closer look at her cute blue village dress.

Her hair bow.

Lacy socks and black Mary Janes.

She comes with this adorable stuffed Chip.

Belle's head can move up and down and tilt from side to side, so this allows for a lot of expression in her photography:

Her body is all vinyl, and she is 16" tall.

Her arms move out as well as up and down.

She even has cute little dimples in her elbows, just like a toddler would.

When I undressed her, I did notice a bit of faint blue staining around her chest from her dress.  It was so light I couldn't capture it on camera.  I just wanted to mention it in case any of you get one of these for yourself.  I'll probably change her clothes from time to time to avoid worse stains.

Speaking of changing her clothes, one of my readers commented that she wished there were more outfits for the DAC dolls.  As it so happens, the fairly new clothing line released by Jakks Pacific for their Disney Princess toddler dolls also fits the DAC dolls.

I picked this outfit up at Target.  The pajamas were cute enough, but I LOVED the adorable little stuffed Beast that came with them. :) 

I love the way they package these.  When you remove the clothing, you have a cute little Princess "paper" doll to play with (although it's actually made of thin cardboard).

Here is Belle in her new jammies. :)

A closer look at the shirt...

...and pants.

The slippers are made of plastic and stay on really well, even though you can tell that the Jakks Pacific doll feet are a little differently shaped than the DAC dolls.

Here's a view of the back.  

And here's a closer look at the adorable little Beast. :)

There are outfits for almost all of the princesses (although I haven't seen any for Rapunzel yet), and there are dresses as well as pajamas. :)  They retail for around $10 each, if I remember correctly.

If you're looking for other clothing options, keep an eye out on eBay and at thrift stores for the older toddler dolls released from the Disney Store.  My girls and I have two different Belle dresses from these dolls.  I think the doll it came from was called "Little Belle".

This dress has a lot of sparkle!

And here's another version.  I actually prefer this dress because it has more yellow in it.

Less sparkle, but still a lot of detail. :)

The back is just a bit snug, but it works. :)

I thought I'd include some side-by-side pics of my new (to me) Disney Princess and Me Belle doll to see how compatible the lines are.  (And don't worry, I'll have a review of just this doll coming up soonish.) ;)

As you can see, DAC Belle's head is a lot wider and more stylized than DPandM Belle's head.  DPandM Belle also has glass-look eyes, while DAC Belle's are painted on.

Here's a height comparison.

I love how this picture turned out! ;)

I would definitely recommend this doll.  She's pretty affordable for a collectible, especially right now as all DAC dolls are on sale for $20 (and don't forget the free shipping with the purchase of any Disney Parks product that's currently being offered!).  These dolls have sweet, expressive faces and are super fun to pose and photograph. :)

Hope you enjoyed the review!  More to come. :)

UPDATE:  After a reader's question, I realized I didn't do a comparison shot of Belle next to an American Girl doll, which some of you might find helpful or interesting.  So, without further ado, here is a piccy of Belle next to Jenna (fka Rebecca Rubin):

Personally, I probably wouldn't use these as siblings just because they're so different.  Belle is a very stylized doll with an overly-large head, while Jenna's proportions are closer to accurate, and she has a more realistic quality to her.  I tend to be pretty picky about such things, though, so feel free to have a different opinion. ;)  

Hope these pics are helpful! :)