#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 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?

'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!

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!

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!

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!

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!