Merry Christmas!

I know I haven't been posting much lately, but I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and I hope you all have a wonderful new year! 

As you can see from the photo below...I should have some things to review in the next little while, whenever I can chisel out a little time for it!

Did any of you get anything exciting from Santa this year?

Watch out, Finnegan Wake is rolling into town!

Well, the Christmas season is in full swing around here, and I'm using that as my excuse for why it's been so long between posts! I'm working around 6 days a week on average right now, and blogging is definitely falling farther down the list of priorities than I'd like it to. Of course, I'm still buying the dolls and even taking photos and filming videos, but editing and getting these posts together takes more time than I have sometimes!

But I have some time today, and I'm back with a pretty exciting thing to review! Remember way back a few months ago when Mattel asked us to vote on who would get made into a doll, and Finnegan Wake won? Well, he finally hits shelves, and I scooped him up immediately! In the US, he's exclusive to the Mattel online store, but thankfully up here in Canada, he's a Toys R Us exclusive, so I was able to buy him in person without worrying about paying shipping or exchange. Interestingly enough, he was $29.99, which is considerably more reasonable than I would have expected based on recent doll prices. I know I rant about prices a lot, but I'm going to do it again, just briefly, I promise!

Remember how the Boo York dolls like Nefera and Catty are $35, and Luna, Elle and Mousecedes are $40 (which I why I still don't own those three...)? Well, the new Great Scarrier Reef dolls are starting to hit shelves up here, and Peri and Pearl (and I believe Kala and Posea as well, though I've only seen Peri and Pearl in person) are going for only $26.99! Yes, that's more than they'll be in the States, but considering the amount of detail they have and the fact that they all have new, incredibly varied and different body molds, that price is kind of amazing. Hopefully things even out a little bit when it comes to pricing, and maybe, just maybe, Scarnival Skelita will go on sale for less than $27...

ANYWAYS. All that to say, I think Finnegan's price is incredibly fair, considering everything about his mold is brand spanking new, and he comes with the wheelchair, which is a pretty substantial accessory. I was really excited about getting my hands on Finnegan for a lot of reasons, so without further ado, let's have a look at him!

Watch the Queen Conquer: A Boo York, Boo York Nefera De Nile two-for-one!

Well, I mentioned buying this doll a really long time ago, and for some reason, I've just kept pushing off her review...I'm not really sure why, because I really love her and I'm glad to have her! Sometimes I just take so long to review things that I figure everyone has already made up their minds anyways, but then I remember that I really just run this blog for myself, so hey, who cares if newer things are flooding the shelves? Nefera deserves a review! 

I actually missed out on the original Nefera doll, because I'm kind of an idiot, in retrospect. I remember seeing her on shelves, and she even shelf-warmed around here, going on clearance when Zeller's (a former Canadian department store chain) was going out of business to make way for Target (which then also closed...). She was everywhere, she was cheap...and for some reason, I wasn't excited about her. Of course, now I wish I'd scooped up a dozen basic Nefera's, but we all have the one that got away, right? Thankfully, Mattel has finally given us a second Nefera doll, and while she's really different, and I would still love to have the original one, my collection feels a bit more complete with any Nefera at all in it!

But enough about me...Let's look at the queen of Boo York herself!

Happy Halloween!

I'm a little late in getting this up because I worked all day, but I wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween! I decided to use Gooliope as my model, and made her a quick witch costume (including dress and broom...but I bought the hat!), took some photos, and played around with some effects...and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out!

From a galaxy far, far away...Astranova!

Long time, no real review! I've been working a lot, so I'm getting kind of backed up on my reviews...I have photos taken for at least four other dolls that I haven't had time to sit down and review yet! So of course, I'm choosing to review the newest thing in my collection purchased only a week ago...Makes sense, right? The others will still be there!

Anyways, that newest thing is Astranova and her Floatation Station from Boo York, Boo York! This is something that was pretty far down on my list of things to purchase, mainly because of the price. I thought Astranova herself looked pretty amazing, but up here in Canada her set costs nearly $70, which is kind of bonkers, and way too rich for my blood. Now, I could've waited a year and get it half price if I really wanted to (and maybe I should, because by then the desire would probably have died down and moved on to something else!) however, thanks to some stacking of sales and coupons, I was able to get her for a really good deal at Wal-Mart! The other reason I decided to take the plunge and pick her up now rather than waiting, is that a variant of Astranova has emerged, and seems to be replacing the first one to hit the shelves. I greatly prefer the original indigo coloured one that is featured in this post, but already, out of 8 Astranova's at the store, she was the only one. The others were the new lavender Astranova, which is definitely still cool, but I prefer the darker skin colour for a lot of reasons. It's totally a personal preference, but I'm glad I was able to get the original one while she's still around!

But enough chatter, let's just get into it and check out Astranova and her Floatation Station!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, from Pilgrim Barbie!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians! Hope you're having a relaxing long weekend with lots of turkey and other delicious things!

As a little tie-in, I decided to take some pictures of a doll I've had in my possession for a few months now, but hadn't yet opened. Back in June for my birthday, my friend Maggie gifted me a few of her own Barbie's from the 90s, and one was Pilgrim Barbie, from the American Stories Collection. Now...this doesn't totally fit in with Canadian Thanksgiving for obvious reasons, but hey, close enough, right?

In addition to my usual review photos, Barbie came with me to Thanksgiving dinner and posed in a few places around my aunt's gorgeous house. So let's get to it!

Love's Not Dead: Ghoulia Yelp and Sloman "Slo Mo" Mortavich

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Ghoulia Yelps? I think maybe I have... :P Ghoulia is definitely my favourite Monster High character, and whenever she gets a new doll I feel the need to celebrate it, since well...I feel like she often gets a bit forgotten. However, all of her dolls are pretty great, in my opinion, and so I was super excited to see that she and Slo Mo were going to get a two pack together! I've really loved the previous couples two packs that Toys R Us has done, the Picnic Casket set with Frankie and Jackson, and the Love in Scaris set with Rochelle and Garrott, and this one with Ghoulia and Slo Mo is no exception!

So let's put on our best outfits and get ready to go to prom at Monster High!

The finale of my Freak du Chic reviews (for now...): Frankie Stein

Well, here we are, the final Freak du Chic review! (For now, anyways...I may have something up my sleeve for a little bit later!)

I saved Frankie for last not for any particular reason, but originally I had thought that if I was going to skip any doll in this line...Well, sorry Frankie, but it'd be you. Turns out she has a lot more going on that I'd anticipated, and I definitely think she's a great addition to the line, and even a stand out in some ways!

There's not much else I can say at this point that I haven't already said in my other Freak du Chic reviews, so let's just get right to it!

Freak du Chic Jinafire Long

I hope no one is sick of Freak du Chic yet, because I've got two more reviews to do for this line! I might take a break after Jinafire and switch it up before I finish off with Frankie...but we'll see! I still have Geek Shriek Ghoulia to review, as well as Boo York Nefera (who I just purchased today!), so if there's something you want to see next, let me know in the comments! 

But let's get onto today's business, which is reviewing Freak du Chic Jinafire! I've always loved Jinafire's dolls, ever since I actually had to go out of my way to order her original Scaris doll from someone online since I was unable to find her around here at all. I'm so glad I put in the work to get that doll back then, because today, Jinafire had become one of my favourites. I always look forward to seeing what they're going to do with her, and this Freak du Chic doll definitely isn't a disappointment!

Let's have a closer look, shall we?

Freak Du Chic Toralei Stripe

A few weeks ago, Toys R Us had the Freak du Chic dolls on sale for $22.47, down from $29.99. Of course, my Toys R Us didn't have any when I went in, so after getting a price adjustment for the Honey I'd purchased just a few days prior, I asked about getting a rain check. They told me the dolls were available online, but the catch was I'd have to get all three in order to get free shipping...Long story short, a few days later, a huge box from Toys R Us arrived on my doorstep containing Freak du Chic Toralei, Frankie and Jinafire! Luckily, all looked to be in pretty good shape and had good faces, because that is always a concern when ordering Monster High dolls online. 

I decided to review Toralei first, because I think she's my favourite of the ones I got in that order, although it's honestly really hard to choose. Pulling them all out of the box one after another was pretty exciting, I've never gotten so many dolls in the mail before! I will admit to having a bit of a freak out after I'd ordered them, because even on sale it was more money that I like to spend on dolls in one go...but I don't regret it now that I have them, and I am glad I got them on sale!

Let's just get right into it, shall we?

Once Upon a Zombie – Win A Once Upon a Zombie Alice Doll!

If you've been reading here for a long time, you might remember almost two years ago when I reviewed some doll from the Once Upon a Zombie line. I really loved those dolls, and guess what? They're back and they're better than ever!

As a long term lover of both zombies AND dolls (even better if the dolls ARE zombies, like these princesses or my beloved Ghoulia Yelps), I was really excited when the folks behind the new upcoming line of Once Upon a Zombie dolls, set to be released this October, reached out to me to ask if I could share the announcement of the new doll line with my awesome blog readers.  The dolls are based off of the zombie-filled world of the upcoming novel series Once Upon a Zombie (authored by Billy Phillips and Jenny Nissenson).

Each Zombie Princess doll is highly detailed and fully articulated, featuring beautifully rooted hair and mesmerizing glass eyes. The doll line is complete with all of your favorite princesses including: Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Alice, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Rapunzel.

If that wasn’t enough, the Once Upon a Zombie dolls and novels are being accompanied by the Once Upon a Zombie – Zombie Squad Sweepstakes. You can sign up to join here:

Win a Once Upon a Zombie prize!

Once you join, you’ll have the opportunity to share your excitement for Once Upon a Zombie for a chance to win great Once Upon a Zombie prizes including autographed copies of Once Upon a Zombie books and Once Upon a Zombie merchandise (Like an official Once Upon a Zombie Alice doll!).

 *This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. I received compensation in exchange for promoting this campaign.

Freak du Chic Honey Swamp and my 100th post!

So, today's post is pretty cool and exciting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's my first of four upcoming Freak du Chic reviews, since in the last few weeks I've been able to get my hands on all four of the main ghouls in that line. I hope you're as excited about Freak du Chic as I am, because that's all that's coming your way for the next little while! And secondly, this post marks my 100th post on Christina Articulates! What's even cooler about that is that way back when, when this blog was brand new, my very first review was of Honey's first doll, and here we are 100 posts and almost two years later with my second Honey Swamp review! It feels like a pretty cool coincidence, honestly, and let me tell you, she is a really worthy doll of the honour of getting both my first post AND my 100th.

Want to see what make this Honey so exciting? Click through to find out!

'Haunted' Kiyomi Haunterly

I'm back with another review, and the one that will finish off my Haunted collection! I have some newer stuff to review next (Geek Shriek Ghoulia and Freak du Chic Honey Swamp!) but I thought it made sense to review the final new character released along with the Haunted movie, even though she's kind of old news.

Being an "older" doll doesn't make her any less cool though, and the "her" I'm talking about today is Kiyomi Haunterly, the daughter of the Noppera-bo.  Even though she was the last Haunted doll I picked up, I'm really glad I finally got her, because she is really well done, with a lot of great details. As I mentioned in my Porter review, I did get these dolls on sale for 40% off which made them a really great price, but I actually think the Haunted dolls are basically worth the original $30 price tag up here in Canada. Some of the upcoming dolls are definitely priced way higher than I think they're worth, thanks (mostly) to the currently terrible exchange on our dollar. But I'm pretty sure I've ranted about prices here pretty recently, and I don't want to complain too much so...let's get on with the show!

Come on through this portal into the ghost world, and check out Kiyomi Haunterly!

'Haunted' Porter "Paintergeist" Geiss

I know that this may not be the most exciting review, since this isn't exactly the newest doll, but he's new to me, and I thought it would still be worth reviewing! There's no video to go with this review, because I actually got stung in the eyelid by a hornet the other night (I'm fine!) but I certainly was in no shape to be on film for a few days!

Anyways, the doll that I'm reviewing today is Porter Geiss from the Haunted line, and I actually wasn't sure if I was ever going to pick him up. When the dolls came out before I'd seen the movie, I though Porter was cool, and I liked the doll quite a bit, but I just wasn't sure. I kind of wanted to make sure I liked the character before picking up the doll, since all too often new Monster High characters (especially male characters...) turn out to be kind of bland. That might not matter to everybody, but it can make a big difference to me, and this time, it did! Turns out, Porter was pretty funny in the movie, and a really unique male character, and I decided he needed to eventually join my collection. 

Luckily, all the stores around me still have a lot of Haunted dolls, so I wasn't worried about being able to find him, and I decided to wait and see if they went on sale. At regular price, these Haunted dolls are about $30 up here in Canada, and I'm starting to get to the point with my collection that I really am happier waiting to get some dolls a little bit later for a better price, rather than rushing out and buying everything at full price. So, this is all basically a very long story to tell you that finally, all $29.99 Monster High dolls were on sale for 40% off at Toys R Us this last week, and with the last of my birthday money in hand (thanks Aunt Gail!) off I went to pick up Porter! I also picked up Kiyomi, so look forward to that review coming soon too!

But this post is about Porter, and I think I've rambled on long enough, so let's get to it!

Let's talk about Monster High at Comic-Con!

As you might know, this past weekend was San Diego Comic Con! From the comfort of my home, I was following the reveals from Monster High, and I thought I'd gather them all together here with my thoughts. None of the photos are mine, but all are credited to who they belong to.

Let's start with a bit of a preview photo from the man himself, Garrett Sander, the creator of Monster High!

What a tease! Let's get into it!

The Attack of the 17 Inch Doll! Meet Gooliope Jellington!

You guys, I am so excited to be doing this review that I'm almost nervous! I've been putting it off a bit because I'm afraid I won't be able to do this doll justice, but...here it is!

It's no secret that Freak du Chic is the Monster High line I'm most looking forward to, but the doll within that line I was most wanting? Gooliope Jellington! I've never had a doll anywhere near 17 inches tall before, and to top it all off, she looked amazingly detailed too. I have no real interest in the other Monster High 17 inch dolls of Frankie, Clawdeen and Draculaura, but this doll right here? Oh man, is she cool.

For the last few weeks, as Gooliope started turning up in the States, I was waiting very impatiently for her to arrive in Canada. I was so impatient in fact that my husband got me a gift card for my birthday last week with the intent of spending on Gooliope, because he knew how badly I wanted her. So, when someone in the local Monster High Facebook group posted that she was at our local TRU, we literally jumped in the car and drive nearly 40 minutes to pick her up! Here in Canada she was $44.99, which...is a price I have conflicting feelings about. After playing with her, I can say that she's probably worth that much, but it's also a $15 difference from her US price. Hopefully she'll be less than that at stores other than TRU, but I'm not that optimistic about that. As a side note on prices, TRU also had Nefera and Catty from the Boo York line, and they were $34.99! That is an ASTONISHINGLY high price for those dolls, and I outright REFUSE to pay it...Unfortunately, with the way the Canadian dollar is right now, I expect a lot of the new dolls are going to be coming in with really high prices, so...waiting it out for sales is how it's going to be, I think!

Aaaaanyways, that was a rant I didn't intend on going on in this post! Let's move on to talking about the main even, shall we?

Ladies and gentleman, ghouls and mansters, I present to you...Gooliope Jellington!

Build Monster High Megabloks "Frankie's Electrifying Room" with me!

So, the other day while on a toy hunt, I was super surprised to see some of the Monster High Megabloks sets at Toys R Us! I immediately grabbed Frankie's room, as well as a Ghoulia mini figure, and I decided to try filming myself building the set for your guys. Hope you like it!

Geek Shriek Howleen Wolf

Geek Shriek is one of those lines that I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to see up here in the Great White North. Those lines that go to smaller stores rarely make it to Canada, but finally, some of them have started turning up at the Real Canadian Superstore, and I couldn't be happier! I maybe squeaked a little when I saw these adorably geeky dolls peeking out at me from the shelves, and I brought Howleen home in an instant! I'm considering going back for Abbey as well, but I'm not sure about Frankie...she's cute, but not quite as themed as the other two. I can't wait for wave two though, because Ghoulia is in it, and we all know how much I love her!

But this post is about Howleen, and this Howleen is just too cute! I'm always a sucker for a doll with glasses anyways, and I think Mattel really hit on a great idea with this line. Yes, the idea that wearing glasses automatically makes you a geek might not be the best thing, but I like that they took it beyond the ghouls just wearing glasses, and gave them each a theme. Abbey's is chemistry, Frankie's is electricity/magnetism, and Howleen's here is math. Again, just liking or being good at these subjects doesn't make you a geek, but I still think it's a great thing to promote girls being interested in math and science, so I'm all for it!

Anyways, with that out of the way, let's crack our books and get to it!

Barbie Fashionistas!

Barbie is really doing a lot of amazing things lately! Sure, there's still lots of the classic Barbie pink on the shelves, with standards like fairies and mermaids and princesses, but amongst that, there is a lot of interesting stuff to be excited about. One of those things is the new line of Fashionistas, Barbie's lower priced priced line of more "realistic" fashion dolls. These are the dolls that are dressed more like regular people, in clothes you might see in magazines or in the mall, and this new range that's hitting the shelves now? They are exceptionally gorgeous!

Remember this promo photo? I feel like it's been circulating for AGES, and I was so glad when the dolls finally started hitting shelves. This is an incredibly diverse range of dolls, with a lot of races and styles represented, and I love it! I haven't seen all of them on shelves yet, but I did pick up two this past weekend, so click through to see which two I brought home!

Monster Exchange Lagoona Blue

Today I'm finally reviewing the last doll in wave one of the Monster Exchange line, Lagoona Blue! I've had her for quite awhile, but I've been trying to space out my reviews a bit to make up for the fact that I'm not buying dolls very often right now. Anyways, I got her on a fabulous sale, which is always good, and I was very excited to finally bring her home. I think the whole Monster Exchange line was really good, with two unique new characters, Marisol and Lorna, and really stand-out looks for old characters, Draculaura and Lagoona here. It really makes me look forward to wave two, which I already know features some ghouls that are must haves for me (Kjersti Trollson and Isi Dawndancer) and is rumoured to be the line where Finnegan Wake, the merman in the wheelchair, makes his debut! Can't wait!

But that's a conversation for another time, and this post is meant to be about Lagoona. Click through to follow Lagoona on her trip to Madread!

Ghoulia Yelps does Free Comic Book Day!

So yesterday was the annual Free Comic Book Day, and of course, we had to go to a few different comic book stores and check it out! And maybe I brought Ghoulia along with me, who was hoping to find some cool Deadfast merch!

This post is a bit different, but it's just for fun, so click through for some of Ghoulia's adventures in Mostly Comics!

Freaky Field Trip Clawdeen Wolf

Wow, long time, no blog, huh? I was pretty busy with volunteering (I run a drama program for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities and our big show was last weekend!) and then my Internet went down for the better part of a week, but I'm back with a new doll to review

Remember when I reviewed Freaky Field Trip Gigi and Toralei, and I left Clawdeen behind but said I might go back for her? Well, I went back for her! I actually got her on sale for half price, so she was $9.99 which is a hard deal to pass up! This Freaky Field Trip line ended up being one of my favourite budget lines, I think, and I really love how all three of them look together, so I'm definitely glad I picked her up.

Without further ado, let's have a closer look at this simple but beautiful Clawdeen Wolf!

Gloom and Bloom Jinafire Long

The doll that I am reviewing today is one that I am incredibly glad to have gotten my hands on! A few weeks back, I reviewed Gloom and Bloom Cleo, and I think I mentioned that when I went back in hopes of getting Jinafire, the shelves were just full of more Cleo's. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge concern, but considering that these dolls are (apparently) Target exclusives, and all of the Target's in my area are now officially closed, time was definitely of the essence! Luckily, at a more recent trip to Target, they had restocked, and I was able to grab myself a gorgeous Jinafire.

Honestly, I can't believe I successfully walked away from her the first time, just look at her! As gorgeous as Cleo is, there's something incredibly arresting about this particular Jinafire, and she's just stunning.

So, I guess my general feelings are out of the bag on this one, but click through to get a better look at all her beautiful details!

Ever After High's Duchess Swan (complete with mini-makeover!)

So, I know I said I was thinking I might be done with Ever After High...well, turns out they aren't done with me yet! Recently, the newer wave of basic has started appearing at my local stores, including Duchess Swan, Kitty Chesire and the re-released Lizzie Hearts. I actually thought I'd end up getting Lizzie, because I'd been wanting her, but I am unimpressed by the release, so I passed on her for now. Kitty is very cute though, and is definitely on my list, but the real star for me was Duchess Swan! It's odd, because I hadn't even really considered getting her, but then I kept picking her up in Wal-Mart every time we were there, kind of mesmerized by her pretty face, and then there was a 50% off sale at Toys R Us that I could price match at Wal-Mart...and well, you know how I am about sales! Duchess came home with me last weekend, and as soon as I took her out of the box I was in love with her, but I also knew I was going to be giving her a bit of a makeover.

So, to see what Duchess looked like right out of the box, and also for some details about the makeover I gave her, click on through!

'Haunted' River Styxx

Way back at Christmas, I was given Vandala Dubloons as a gift, and then the Haunted dolls kind of disappeared from my area until very recently. Their return happened to coincide with a 50% off sale at Toys R Us, and so I grabbed myself a River Styxx! Of course, she wasn't the only doll I got with such a good sale, but she was the only Haunted doll I picked up.

Speaking of Haunted, I bought the movie on Tuesday, and I really enjoyed it! Now that I've seen it, I need to pick up Kiyomi and possibly Porter as well...and maybe Getting Ghostly Twyla and Rochelle...sigh. Monster High knows how to hook me, I always want all the dolls after I see the movies. What did you guys think, if you're seen it?

But this post is all about River Styxx, the adorably spooky daughter of the Grim Reaper, so let's get to it!

Original Ghouls Cleo DeNile

I still remember, wayyyy back in 2010, wandering through the toy department at my local Wal-Mart while doing groceries, and seeing an end cap full of dolls that stopped me in my tracks. I'm a lover of horror movies, especially classic horror movies, a lover of dolls AND a lover of collecting things in general, and from that first moment I saw Monster High dolls, I was a goner! That day I came home with Draculaura, and soon after, Frankie and Lagoona followed, as did Ghoulia, as soon as she hit shelves. At the time, I didn't pick up Clawdeen, though I got her a few years ago second hand, but until recently, I'd never bothered to get myself a Cleo. Interestingly, despite my love of Ancient Egypt, Cleo was never a doll that grabbed my attention. She's not as "monstrous" as some of the other ghouls, and I think the fact that she originally came in a two-pack hurt her chances of joining my collection. Now I don't blink at buying a two-pack, and I love the boy dolls, but back then, that was more commitment then I was prepared to make!

That's a very long story to get to here...I recently purchased the re-released basic Cleo, and I am very glad to have her join my collection! I've been feeling the gap left by her lately, as I've really grown to love her character. I saw her numerous times in stores before I finally decided to take the plunge and grab her, and she is definitely worth it.

Let's have a closer look at the queen bee of Monster High, shall we?

Love in Scaris Rochelle Goyle and Garrott du Roque

I am basically powerless to resist a good deal (something you'll know if you watched my latest toy hunt!), and that's how I ended up with this set. I went to Toys R Us intending to buy River Styxx, but then I saw the sale sign. Monster High dolls $39.99 and over were 30% off, and they had just gotten in the Ghoulebrities in Londoom three pack AND the Love in the Scaris two pack. With the sale, the two pack was less than $2 more than River by herself...so my plans changed, and Garrott and Rochelle came home with me! Hopefully they'll do another similar sale, because I do want the three pack too...but that can wait for another day!

Today, I've got this gorgeous two pack to review, and I am very excited! I've been wanting this two pack since we saw it way back at SDCC, because the Rochelle is beautiful, and Garrott is a brand new character, which is always fun! I know he's been a highly requested character since Scaris came out a few years back, and I was eager to see if they'd do him justice. I also love the idea of these couple two packs, and I hope they keep doing them! I loved the set with Frankie and Jackson, then this one, and we know there's a Gil and Lagoona set coming up as well as a rumoured Ghoulia and Slo Mo set (!!!)...I'm a sucker for this kind of thing, so keep it coming, Monster High!

But this review is all about Rochelle and Garrott and their Scarisian love affair, so let's get to it!

Freaky Field Trip Gigi Grant and Toralei Stripe

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to Target during their liquidation sales, and I was very pleasantly surprised to see the new Freaky Field Trip line on the shelves! I'd been looking forward to getting the Gigi from this line, so I picked her up for myself, and my husband really loved Toralei, so he grabbed her for me as a Valentine's gift. I love when he gravitates towards a doll, and those ones always join my collection! There is a third doll in this collection, Clawdeen Wolf, but I passed on her for now. She may come home with me eventually, but she didn't grab me nearly as much as these two!

This line is a great example to me of Monster High doing a budget line RIGHT. The details are creative and on-theme from top to bottom, and we even get a bunch of new accessories! I know not every budget line can have as much going on as these dolls do, and that simplified lines definitely have their place, but I appreciate this line so much for reasons that you'll see as we get into this review! As always, you can check out my video review of these two, linked in the sidebar of this blog!

Everybody have your permission slips signed? Then let's head out on our Freaky Field Trip!

Christina Revamps! A new series, starting with Christie!

So, I've decided to try something new over on my YouTube channel! From time to time, I pick up dolls at the thrift store and fix them up, and I decided to try filming a bit of the process and seeinf it was something people might be interested in. My first go was a Christie I found at Value Village for $2.99, who wasn't in bad shape, but definitely needed some love.



Let me know what you think!

Ever After High's Ginger Breadhouse (and some general Ever After High thoughts!)

I've been having a lot of mixed feelings regarding Ever After High lately. Actually, not even really lately! I've never been as in love with the line as I am with Monster High, but that feeling is only growing lately. I've been somewhere between unmoved and disappointed with a lot of Ever After High's new and upcoming releases, between the uninspired character choices, and the stripped down details of characters I had been looking forward to. Add to that the fact that is has been very difficult (to impossible in some cases) to find the new characters in Canada when they are released...and I'm beginning to think that my interest in this franchise has waned enough that I might be done.

That said, there was one doll that when she was revealed, I knew I was going to have to have her, and I knew I didn't want to wait! As soon as Ginger Breadhouse here was available on Amazon and able to be shipped to Canada, I pounced and grabbed one, since who knows when she'll be found on shelves up here. She arrived quickly, and and I couldn't wait to get her out of the box to see if she was as adorable as I'd hoped!

So let's get to it, shall we?

Monster Exchange Draculaura

This review is very overdue! I actually took the photos over a month ago, and I totally thought I HAD posted this review, but...clearly I had not! Even though this doll isn't super new anymore, I still think it's worth posting, because she is just so cool!

And the "she" to which I am referring is Monster Exchange Draculaura! I picked her up just before Christmas (which is why her boxed photo is still taken under my tree...) when Toys R Us was having a sale on these and the Haunted dolls. Just this past week the Exchange dolls have shown up outside of TRU for the first time, so I'm hoping the Haunted dolls follow suit, since we've neither hide nor hair of them since before the holidays!

I already review Lorna McNessie and Marisol Coxi from this same line, so I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of this line, and I have to say, I really love it. Not only does it bring us new characters from new places in the monster world, it gives us the chance to see beloved characters like Draculaura here imagined in new ways, through the lens of a different culture. I love this Draculaura a lot, for reasons we'll get into, and I really love the Lagoona too, and want to get my hands on her too.

Without further ado, let's take a closer look at Draculaura, dressed for her trip to Shibooya!

Gloom and Bloom Cleo DeNile

As I'm sure you've heard, Target is leaving Canada and closing all of its stores. This makes me very sad for a lot of reasons (loss of jobs, etc) but of course, one of those reasons is that it was one more place to look for dolls! And obviously, they have exclusives as well, that will now be considerably harder to get my hands on. I'm actually not sure if this doll is actually a Target exclusive...some are sure she is and some are sure she isn't, but regardless, when I heard Target's were closing, I went out to grab her, because they were the only place I'd seen her.

The doll I'm talking about is, of course, Cleo DeNile from the Gloom and Bloom line. Lots of Cleo over here lately, huh? The Jinafire from this line is also gorgeous, but unfortunately, I missed out on her at my local Target, so I'll have to get my hands on her another way. This entire line is beautiful, actually. I love the Venus, and I think I'll get her, and probably the Catrine as well. Jane Boolittle is really nice too, so who knows, maybe I'll get them all! The only one I'm not really wowed by is the new character, Amanita Nightshade, but I may change my mind when I see her in person, who knows!

But! This review is about the lovely Cleo up there, so let's get on with it, shall we? 

(Also, I've started linking my latest YouTube videos in the sidebar of the blog instead of in my posts, so you can check that out to see what's new!)

I Love Fashion Venus McFlytrap and Cleo DeNile

I've got a bit of a two-for-one review today! Way way back during Boxing Week sales, I picked up both Venus and Cleo's I Love Fashion versions at Toys R Us on an amazing sale. I first saw these months ago and thought they were really gorgeous, but they wanted $39.99 for them. That is just too much for one doll, even taking into account the extra fashions they come with, and so I passed. In fact, I even told my husband I didn't want them for my birthday when he asked, because I didn't want ANYONE paying $40 for them!

Luckily, TRU had them on sale for $19.99 during Boxing Week, and that's the price of a budget doll up here in Canada, so I grabbed them both! I'm kind of wishing I'd have grabbed Wydowna too, but my local TRU is jammed to the gills with her, and not these two, so I think I'll have another chance! 

The I Love Fashion line has always been one of my favourites, with the edgier makeup the ghouls usually get, and all the great outfits, so I was really excited to get these two out of their boxes!

So without further ado, let's get to it!

Equestria Girls Slumber Party Pinkie Pie

Today, I'm reviewing something that I've never reviewed before, and something that I've never owned before! I have a fair number of My Little Pony toys, both from my childhood as well as from the new cartoon, Friendship is Magic. However, when Hasbro launched the Equestria Girls line, I was somewhere between underwhelmed and confused. What makes My Little Pony special, is that they're...well, ponies! Making them into human (or humanoid) characters kind of removes a lot of the magic for me, and to top it off, the original dolls were pretty...poorly made. They had peg legs, no articulation and painted on clothes, a hat trick of things I really dislike about dolls!

However, it does seem that Hasbro has learned from those early dolls and has started making a lot of improvements. The faces look better, the clothing is better, and they have articulation now! What finally pushed me over the edge from occasionally picking one up in a store to actually bringing one home, was the release of the slumber party line that ties into the new Rainbow Rocks movie. The line consists of two character, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, and they both come with their pets. This was the final straw for me. Pinkie Pie is my favourite pony, and I LOVE her pet in the new cartoon, and adorable, kind of dopey alligator named Gummy. Seeing that this Pinkie came with a Gummy figure was all I needed to run out to the store and grab her and bring her home!

Click through to see more about Pinkie Pie and Gummy!

Big Hero 6's Go Go Tamago

A little while ago, I reviewed Honey Lemon from Disney's Big Hero 6, and today, I have another member of that team, Go Go Tamago! Go Go was a Christmas gift from my husband, and I am very glad to have her, especially since they're already getting pretty tricky to find. This move really deserves more merchandise that it's getting I think, especially when taken against Disney's last big movie, Frozen, which is probably over-merchandised.

Anyway, that's a discussion for another time, so let's get onto the doll! I really loved Honey Lemon, so I could hardly wait to get my hands on Go Go!

Monster High Vinyl Figures: Ghoulia Yelps, Cleo De Nile and Clawdeen Wolf

So, it's been a minute! Some things have been going in my life that have made blogging slip down the priority list, and though I'm not going to go into it, I am going to try to make this place more of a priority in the future, since I do really enjoy writing about dolls! I still have a lot of things I got for Christmas ready to review, and even have some of the photos and videos taken and ready to upload...but I'm taking a pause in working on that stuff to bring you something that I just bought last night, because I'm so excited to share them!

Remember back at San Diego Comic Con, when the reveal on the final day was a vinyl figure of Draculaura? Well, they've hit shelves, and I was lucky enough to find them at my local Target! I only grabbed three of the six that are currently available, because they are a bit pricey at $12.99, but I had to have them! They bridge the gap between my doll collection and my beloved collection of Funko POPs and Mystery Minis, and I think they're a really neat addition to the Monster High line.

That's a bit of a spoiler about how I feel about these things, but hey, I don't buy something if I don't love it, right? So let's take a closer look at the three I decided to pick up!

Monster High "Haunted" Vandala Dubloons

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, for those who celebrate, and a wonderful New Years! I know my Christmas was really great, busy, but really good. Of course, I got a few dolls, and the first one I'm sharing with you is Vandala Dubloons, from the new Monster High line 'Haunted'. All of the new characters from this line look really interesting, but Vandala is the first one to come home with me. She was a gift from my mom, so thanks, Mom!

Not much more to say at this point, so let's get into it!