Holiday Card Program: Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA - Child Life Child Development Services

Holiday Card Program: Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA - Child Life Child Development Services

Order holiday cards with the Generations Barbie on the front, and have your purchase count towards the Child Life/Child Development program. A portion of the $15 early bird price ($20 regularly priced) is even tax deductible, and you will receive a box of 12 5x7 cards with this gorgeous Robert Best print and envelopes. Other designs are also available.

Sugar Daddy Ken - what's in a name?

I'm glad I wasn't the only one with hesitations on the upcoming release Sugar Daddy Ken. According to this article from News.com.au (let's leave it to the Australians!):

And before anyone thinks the "Sugar Daddy" title refers to an older man with a younger lover, Mattel says that there's a much more innocent explanation.

"The little dog's name is actually Sugar," said the Mattel spokeswoman. "That's where the name comes from. He's Sugar's daddy, as a reference to the dog."

Yeah, right. Still, he's hot!

Image courtesy of Mattel.

Trick or treat? Halloween Barbie dolls from 1963 to present (with Barbie Halloween slideshow)

Trick or treat? Halloween Barbie dolls from 1963 to present (with Barbie Halloween slideshow)

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Check out this post -- It includes a list of Halloween dolls that Mattel has produced. Very cool!

New Candy Cane Carnival Dynamite Girl

A new 12" Dynamite Girl is available from your favorite Integrity Toys dealer now -- Eltin in Candy Cane Carnival is available for pre-order now for a mid-November stock date. She's a limited edition of 300 dolls, so don't wait. I think she's adorable, and I don't know how I'll be able to pass her up.

This lovely dark haired girl has blue eyes, and is dressed in a Lolita-inspired faux lace-up mini dress with puffy sleeves and a gathered skirt with white tulle trim. She has red and white striped stockings trimmed with polka-dot bows (which match the dress trimmings and the bow in her hair), a choker, red boots with faux fur trim, plus an additional pair of heels, and arm bands, so she's hip and red for her next holiday party.

I think I'll need at least one, plus possibly an extra as a give-away for the next holiday party, though she'll be my third Eltin doll. She's just such a happy face sculpt.

Images courtesy of Integrity Toys.

Article on Barbie and rivals Moxie and Liv dolls in the Wall Street Journal

Check out this article in the Wall Street Journal by Ann Zimmerman, on the lengths Mattel is going to maintain its Barbie brand for the upcoming holiday season in light of Barbie's new competitors, Moxie and Liv. There is a video, showing some real-life girls playing with the dolls, and an interactive graphic, which highlights the differences between these playline dolls.

As an aside, I'm actually struck by the overall tone of the article. Here is are a few lines to reference tone:

Inside the high-security Mattel design center near its headquarters here in El Segundo, guards check visitors' laptops and briefcases on entrance and exit. Humans who bear an uncanny resemblance to Barbie -- high heels, pony tails, sparkly jewelry -- gathered there late last month in the Pink Room. [...]

"We needed to reconnect Barbie as a fashion icon," says Ms. Cota, who wears a necklace with Barbie's silhouette covered in diamonds.

Maybe it isn't about Barbie or tone at all. Maybe it's just that the author doesn't mention what any of the male toy employees happen to be wearing. Which, if I were to sexualize one party or the other, would be of much more interest to me, quite frankly.

Perhaps the readers of the Wall Street Journal really do care what the employees of Mattel are wearing, so it's relevant to the article. Tell me, dear reader. Do you care what I'm wearing? If I were at home, blogging in the nude, would you want to know? (Liberal media, my ass.)

New celebrity dolls at Angelic Dreamz

Angelic Dreamz is now carrying 12" celebrity dolls (just in time for the holidays). A couple worthy of note:

• Lando Calrissian by Sideshow Toys. He's a limited edition of 1500 figures, and he has 30+ points of articulations. His outfit includes a shirt, pants, cape, shoes, belt, imperial blaster, rebel blaster, lobot wrist controller, and two sets of hands. $79.99 available for pre-order for November delivery.
• Also by Sideshow, Michael Jackson Thriller. This incredible likeness is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2010 and retails for $245.99. Edition size is not yet announced. He includes two interchangeable heads (the zombie head is also included), two full costumes (original red jacket and pants, plus the zombie outfit), 2 pairs of white socks and black shoes, five sets of hands, and one additional posing right hand. 

Stands are included as well. My Fashion Royalty dolls are going weak in the knees--especially for Lando.

Images courtesy of Sideshow Toys.

Palm Beach Silkstone Barbies

Several new 2010 Silkstone Barbies have been announced, and you can see their preview photos on your favorite Mattel dealer's website, and preorder them now.

• Dressed in a daring fuchsia and orange bikini with adorable pink shoes, the variegated blonde Palm Beach Swimsuit Barbie retails at $52.95, February 2010.
• I like Palm Beach Caftan Barbie's micro sequin details and beaded earrings, as well as her bright 1960s-inspired eye shadow. $76.95 retail, available March 2010. 
• Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken retails for $74.95 and will ship April 2010. He sports a jacquard-patterned lime green jacket, pink polo shirt and white dress pants. He even includes his own dog.
• Palm Beach Coral Barbie looks ready for an evening out in her long white gown with elegant embroidery and beaded details. $149.95 retail, available May 2010.

What a wonderful way to warm up the late winter with these lovely colors! Though, Sugar Daddy Ken? He even has the silver hair to match. Oh my. (I can see me answering the questions now: "Mommy, what's a sugar daddy?")

Image courtesy of Mattel.

Hand-sewn Barbie dresses

For my first post, I thought I'd share two dresses that my daughters made last week. Lauren, who is five, designed the one modeled by Birthstone Barbie Amethyst. She used fabric from my quilting stash, 100% cotton, in a tiny checkerboard print. My friend and designer/seamstress Jen Eugley, a fashion student, was visiting for the day, and she helped Lauren make a sketch first, then also made the gown from scratch--without a pattern.

Kate, my eight year-old, chose to do a Princess Peach-inspired look. She drew her own sketch and chose the fabrics, also from my quilting stash. Jen helped modify the design, assisted with cutting out the dress (also without a pattern), and then helped Kate with sewing and finishing. The model is a June Birthstone Barbie, Pearl, with a gorgeous new hairdo by Elizabeth. (Kate's original model for Princess Peach was actually March, who is blonde and blue-eyed, but I couldn't find her for this photo shoot.)

I was quite impressed to see both dolls dressed in an afternoon. I don't think an iron was ever turned on, and the majority of the work was done by machine. Most of the work the girls could do by themselves--or at least, Jen was gracious enough to let them think they did it themselves. It was very sweet, and the outfits came out very cute. The girls are so proud of themselves!

Welcome!

Welcome to my brand new blog, the Barbie Queue.

This blog will be my primary spot for reporting new information on 10-12" fashion dolls. If you have a fashion doll-related website, I'd love to exchange links with you. And if I'm not already following your fashion doll blog (and you don't see it listed here), let me know!

I have two other blogs you might find enjoy:

• The Fashion Doll Review now covers taller fashion dolls, such as Tonners, and also includes information on ball jointed dolls. 
• Plus, I'm apparently a Voice of the Industry for Dolls Magazine, and I post to the Doll Addiction blog weekly. This blog is focused on the humorous side of doll collecting, as well as relationship issues.

Follow me on Twitter, and check real life photos on Flickr and many more on my Mobile Me gallery.

I am not affiliated with Barbie, Integrity Toys, Tonner Doll or any other toy company in any way. I am a hobbyist, and will be posting promotional photos only as a fan. The opinions stated on this blog are mine, and mine alone. Also, I may occasionally post a price, release date or rumor that might not be 100% correct--and I apologize in advance!

Also, I won't be selling anything from this website. Feel free to click on my ads, though! Any little bit helps.