Since I've Been Gone...

Well, I've certainly let this slide, haven't I? I had never intended to take so long of a break, but I definitely needed to step back for awhile. Even though I started this blog as a creative outlet during a time when I was in a pretty rough place and needed it as a distraction, I let it become something that was stressing me out! I was bringing home new dolls and feeling like I couldn't open them until I had good lighting to do a video or take photos, and even then, unless I had the time to take all the review photos, I couldn't put the dolls on display...That certainly wasn't the point of this endeavour! Even after I decided to take a break for a while, I still felt guilty every time I opened a doll without doing a review first, which is beyond silly. This is something that I started doing for me, and I want to get back to that, and stop worrying so much about the details.

All that said, I decided to sit down today and take a few quick photos of some of the dolls I've picked up in the last few months, and it felt good to be back behind the camera! I think going forward, I just need to relax a little bit. Maybe more posts showing off dolls and some of their details, without being quite as in depth as I can sometimes get. Celebrate what it is I love about this hobby, without stressing myself out again! I'd also love to do some more creative photo shoots like I've done in the past, taking dolls on road trips and outside, once the weather is better, and I think those would be fun additions!

Here's hoping I find some new energy for this place, because I certainly haven't lost my love of dolls! If anything, it's stronger than ever, and there are new things on the horizon I am very excited about! But for now, click through and have a look at some of the things I've gotten while I've been away!

#MerSquadgoals: Kala Me'rri and Peri and Pearl Serpentine!

First of all, I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! I can't lie, 2015 was a really rough year for me, emotionally and mentally, so here's hoping 2016 is a bit better, or at least not worse!

In an attempt to get things started off on a good note, I'm digging into some of my Christmas loot, and reviewing some of the most exciting dolls (in my opinion) to come out of Monster High in a little while. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's hard to deny the innovation on display in the Great Scarrier Reef line. Just before Christmas, I bought myself Kala Me'rri, and was happy to find Peri and Pearl Serpentine under the tree from my mom! There's one more new character in this line, Posea Reef, who I don't have yet, but I decided to review Kala and Peri and Pearl together anyways, because hey, why not?

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!

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!

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?

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!

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!