Flutterby

Flutterby

Baby Stella and Groovy Girls

Baby Stella and Groovy Girls are another new toy/doll for this American baby boomer. Baby Stella reminds me a little of the Cabbage Patch Kids. Groovy Girls are aptly named. Both of these dolls are manufactured by a company called Manhattan Dolls and they are not headquartered in NY - they are headquartered out of a cold Midwestern town called Minneapolis, MN.


Baby Alive

Baby Stella

Classic Cabbage Patch Kid

Barbie Bratz and Disney

Let's start off on the right foot here - I grew up with Barbie - yes, I AM that old! The Disney dolls and the Bratz have eluded me. I admit at first I was repulsed by Bratz but Bratz has won me over. I like the long hair, I love the rich clothing textures and the funky stockings and the thick boots. The big lips remain a little bit over the top for me but overall I have grown to love the exuberance of the Bratz dolls. Yes, I know the exuberance is hard to initially see - trust me the Bratz girls will grow on you - give it a chance.

 

And then of course, there is the classic Barbie that I grew up with - who can hold a candle to this gem?

Moving on to Disney - here are two classic beauties that will take anyone to a wonderful dreamland:

Dr. Seuss Dolls

Dr. Seuss was a children's book and to my limited knowledge, never had a doll to offer. I have always admired the philosphy of fun and frolic combined with a quick brilliant insights into life. Dr. Seuss celebrated life with Green Eggs and Ham and with being different. His writings bring to life even the little child in old, grumpy adults. Who can possibly not smile at his quick quirps. One of my all time favorites is  

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

And yet, until today I never knew - honestly that there was a line of dolls dedicated to Dr. Seuss. And the best surprise is the dolls are in my opinion - stunning in design in perfect form and color. The color palette but of course is primary colors - yellow, bright blues, and loads of vibrant red almost orange. The striped stocking are reminiscent to me of Pippy Longstocking - happy and can only be worn by a child with straight legs - no curves allowed in these non-figure flattering horizontal socks!

What started all this fuss to locate 21st century dolls, you might ask? My quest to see where the revenues and the profits are in the world.

The big surprise here is not just the fact that these dolls exist and are absolutely exquisite, to my surprise, the manufacture of the Dr. Seuss dolls reside in our neighboring country - Canada!

Who was this innovator we call Dr. Seuss? He was born as Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He has written over 44 books and get this one - a distribution of 200 million books!

What is fascinating is Ted's connection to political illustration and Oxford University. It therefore comes as no surprise that Dr. Seuss promoted creativity and his creation of the Cat in the Hat will forever live in the hearts of young and old alike.

  Somehow this iconic American attending Oxford I find contrary and then to find out the doll that supports this imaginary land is produced in Canada. So you see, the world is truly universal in the world of Dr. Seuss - from the Eastern coast of the United States to the continent of Great Britain and back again to North America to Canada. 

The world is global and it is this global existence that we as global citizens must see, learn and assimilate.

What do I love about this dolls? Let me count the ways:

1. Their hair is bright, luminescent blond or orange or blue (this is what we would expect of a Dr. Seuss doll!)
2. Their eyes are big, bright and have a dreamy look as if they know what the real world really is!
3. Their outfits are out of this world with blue fur, yellow boots, red and white striped floppy top hats and then the crowning piece for me is the mermaid skirt - such fun!
4. Their tights are either striped or deeply textured.
5. Their earrings all match their outfits.
6. But where oh where is the purse! I have a handbag fetish and this leave me wanting (oh, I know I can simply imagine fantastic hand bags! and believe I will!)
7. Their eyes have no definite ethic origin - they are a little bit Asian in the curve but not really, a little bit European in their roundness and a lot mysterious!

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