Ever After High: Briar Beauty

One of my favourite fairy tales of all time is the story of Sleeping Beauty. I love all versions from the darker Grimm version to the gorgeous Disney movie, to the less common versions like the Old Norse story of Brynhildr. I don't know what it is about the story that I like so much, but I always have. It should be no surprise then that Briar Beauty was one of the dolls on my shortlist when Ever After High started catching my eye.

I'll admit that I started out wanting the doll simply because she was the daughter of Sleeping Beauty. Her very pink outfit was well...VERY pink. However, the more I looked at her every time I saw her in a store, the more I noticed the beautiful details of her outfit, and the more her lovely face captivated me. And it didn't hurt that when I finally decided to take the plunge, I got her for 30% off!

Let's have a closer look before she falls asleep on us!

Life in the Dreamhouse: Midge

Apart from a small collection of character Barbies (Wicked Witch of the West, Batgirl, Katniss, 60's Catwoman), I haven't really paid much attention to the Barbie line since I was a kid. I loved Barbies, and I had tubs full of dolls and clothes, but when I was a teenager, I gave them all to my best friend's little sister. I don't really regret it since my dolls were well played with, and definitely wouldn't be display quality now! I think the only one I'd like to still have is the brunette Totally Hair Barbie, because I remember being so excited to have a Barbie that had the same colour hair as me! Not a Teresa, or another character, but actually Barbie, with brown hair! It's the little things when you're a kid, isn't it?

So what's changed? Well, Life in the Dreamhouse got me. I started seeing the dolls on shelves awhile ago, and I thought they looked really great. Nice outfits, good hair, and I loved their applied eyelashes! Plus, their faces really have a lot of personality, and that's a nice bonus! I was totally happy just looking at the dolls in the store, until a few of the webisodes were added to Netflix and I thought I'd check them out. Famous last words, because they are hilarious and really clever, and I was hooked!

Even before I'd watched the show, I was most excited to see Midge back in the line-up of dolls. I've always had a soft spot for Midge for some reason, and it's no different with this doll. I finally took the plunge and grabbed her when the Life in the Dreamhouse dolls went on clearance at my Wal-Mart, and there was only one Midge left. She was destined to be mine!

Legacy Day Raven Queen

Today, I've got another doll that I bought with a gift card after Christmas, who's been sitting around waiting to get reviewed since then! If you read my year-end favourites lists, you've gotten a sneak peek at her, and it's finally her turn for a full-fledged review.

When I started seeing the Ever After High dolls hitting the shelves, the two that immediately caught my eye were Madeline Hatter and Raven Queen. Maddie is just so cute and exuberant, and Raven is dark and mysterious, and she's purple, which is always a selling point for me. Well, I kept putting off buying Raven for some reason, getting Maddie, Ashlynn and Hunter and Cerise before finally adding Raven to my collection. And then, by the time I was ready to get her, I had to choose between basic Raven, Legacy Day Raven and Getting Fairest Raven!

Leaving behind GF Raven wasn't hard, since pajama lines don't usually grab me, though she is pretty cute. I stood in Toys R Us with basic Raven in one hand and LD Raven in the other for a lot longer than I'd like to admit, because truthfully, I think they're pretty much equally gorgeous. In the end, what made the decision for me was getting the most out of my gift card, and Legacy Day Raven is a few dollars more expensive, so she came home with me! I'm still debating going back for basic Raven, but that's on the back burner for now.

There's a lot to talk about with this doll, so let's get started!

Ghoul Spirit Spectra Vondergeist

Gather round boys and girls and let me tell you a story. The sad, sad story of Ghoul Spirit Spectra.

The Ghoul Spirit line hadn't really been grabbing my attention. I'm desperate to get my hands on a Slo Mo, but that has nothing to do with the line, and everything to do with my Ghoulia's needing their man! The girls in the line are simply designed, which is fine, but just not my bag. However, Spectra's hair is kind of awesome, with the addition of the black streaks, and then I started seeing people who'd curled her hair and it looked amazing...and I was won over.

Now, because I said this is a sad, sad story, I'm sure you can figure out that things went awry at some point...and you'd be right. However, let's start at the beginning, when things were still rosy.

Does she look worried to you? She should maybe be worried...

Black Carpet Cleo De Nile and Lagoona Blue

This is kind of a two-for-one post! I got Black Carpet Cleo way back after Christmas with a gift card, and she's been sitting on my shelf waiting to be reviewed ever since. There was just always something else that I decided to review first, and I'm not really sure why! Well, her time has finally come, and she gets a friend! Toys R Us had 40% off all Monster High dolls this week, and one of my choices was Black Carpet Lagoona. I'd kind of had my eye on her for awhile, but I sometimes have a hard time spending what budget dolls can cost up here in Canada, so this sale was perfect!

I figured since these ladies are budget dolls, and don't have quite as much going on as some other Monster High dolls, that it might be fun to review them together. And honestly, don't they just look cute?

Poor Unfortunate Souls: Disney Signature Collection Ursula

You know how sometimes things come together all at once? Well, that's kind of what happened here. Just a few days ago I saw a post on Tumblr of a new Disney Signature Collection Cinderella, but didn't think too much of it since Cinderella doesn't push my buttons. However, at some point I became aware that there was an Ursula in this collection, and just this morning I was Googling her. 

Well, wouldn't you know, my husband pointed her out to me this afternoon while we were grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, asking me "Hey, did you know about this?" Sometimes things are just meant to be, or so I tell myself so that I can come home with cool dolls :)

I have a bit of an Ursula thing, complete with a (pretty fabulous, if I do say so myself) Ursula costume that has seen me through Halloween and comic conventions, and this version is definitely striking!

Want to see more? Go ahead, make your choice! 

Ready for her close-up: Frights, Camera, Action Operetta (Wal-Mart Exclusive)

Well, this review has been giving me some trouble, but I'm getting it up! I had a heck of a time taking photos of her, and then I had surgery (planned, but knocked me down for a few days!) and couldn't get new ones...and here we are, finally! I'm back on my feet, and Operetta is here serving it up!

This is the Wal-Mart exclusive Operetta as part of the Frights, Camera, Action! line, and I was lucky enough to find her almost as soon as she started being spotted. Operetta is a character I tend to have mixed feelings on, and I'm not entirely sure why. I want to love her, and I love her in theory, but often her dolls fall flat for me. That is so not the case the FCA Operetta though, she is fierce from head to toe!

Isn't she ready for her close-up?