A piece of my childhood...

This blog has a finished version of the dollhouse I had as a child, the "Van Buren" by Greenleaf.

robincarey.blogspot.com/2008/11/van-buren-dollhouse.html

My parents bought the kit and built it for me for Christmas when I was seven. We never got around to finishing it like the one in this blog- it was STOLEN when we moved from New York.

Greenleaf discontinued the kit years ago. They do make a miniature version- half the size of the original!

shop.greenleafdollhouses.com/Half-Scale-Van-Buren-Dollhouse-Kit.html

I'll settle for the mini. I don't have room for the big one!

I loved that dollhouse so much. I cried when I found out it had been stolen! The moving company reimbursed us, and Dad got me a new house...but it was totally different. I would love to have this one again, even in miniature form.

*le sigh*

I don't know why I keep forgetting to update this blog. :( It's been almost a year!


Sad news for American Girl fans- Felicity and Elizabeth are being retired. :( Samantha, Nellie, and Kirsten are long gone. Who's next, and what era will replace Felicity? If I had the money, I would buy everything in the collection I don't already have. I at least want to get Felicity's tea set and Elizabeth's tea gown.


I love the newest doll from last year, Rebecca, though her clothes really aren't much different than Samantha's. Her stories are set in 1914, and she's the first historical Jewish American Girl.

I have the mini Rebecca and the mini Julie. I bought them at the AG Place in New York, here they are surrounded by my other souvenirs from my trip last fall:



The AG minis have changed a bit since they first appeared- they're much more like the big dolls.

And again I've forgotten to update...

Picked this up at Tuesday Morning yesterday. They had a ton of older Madame Alexander dolls- this is "At the Hop" Cissette, a doll convention exclusive from 2007. I'm always looking for dolls like these.



My mom won this doll for me at an auction. I've never heard of the maker, Laureen's Collectibles. But she's a very well made doll, almost all porcelain, 24 inches tall.

I need to stop neglecting this blog.

I got some great birthday presents! A replica of the Barbie I had in first grade:

I have very fond memories of my dolls, and this is one I wish I'd kept. I have no idea what happened to her. Probably got lost during a move. :( This one is staying in the box for now, but I may eventually take her out and display her next to my LOTR and Star Trek Barbies. 

Now they just need to come up with Dr. Who and Torchwood Barbie/Ken dolls...

And Star Trek Scrabble!

My mom has the Star Trek Scene It! game. We haven't played either game yet. There is also a Star Trek Monopoly, but everyone in the family has at least one version (I have Lord of the Rings), so I don't think I'll bother with it.

My newest duckies!

For Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter!

Wow!

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/torchwood.htm

Torchwood and Doctor Who dolls by Robert Tonner! No pictures yet, but Tonner dolls are always awesome. So far, the only characters that will be available are the Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, and Gwen Cooper. They'll cost $200 each. Yikes. These are for serious collectors. I'm sure they'll be snatched up quickly.

I used to sell Tonner dolls (the now-defunct Mary Englebreit collection). They are worth every penny.

Some other Christmas stuff...

Toy-themed ornaments and a plush Christmas cat!

The Star Trek communicator:



A cat designed by Amy LaCombe:

I love her kitty figurines, ornaments, and pins.



A piece of my childhood- an ornament based on the original Pac-Man game. It lights up and plays the music and game sounds!



Two Madame Alexander ornaments from past Christmases. I didn't get this year's- if I see it on sale, I might still pick it up.


A minature "Little Souls" doll ornament. I used to sell these. They were an affordable alternative to the real dolls, which go for $300-$400 per doll! The little doll in the background is based on a Mary Englebreit drawing.



Finally, I think this is my favorite new ornament: Beauty and the Beast. It winds up, and the figures "dance" to the movie's title song. I love it!



This year, I was only interested in getting accessories for my new "toy"- my brand new laptop. But I did buy myself one Bratz doll, and I might use some Christmas gift money to buy a new dress for my Felicity doll! I still want to get some Doctor Who/Torchwood action figures...maybe for my birthday!

I didn't dress up my American Girls for Christmas like I usually do. I ran out of time. I did display Felicity and Elizabeth with the Spode tea set as usual, but that's it.