Barbie Fashionishta 3 [sic]

Barbie Fashionista 105

Amazon has fashionista misspelled in this doll's title and her number is incorrect.  She is catalogued on Amazon as Fashionishta Doll 3.  This doll is actually Fashionista 105, but you won't find her on Amazon as such.

Incorrect spelling and number aside, she is available at this time to order with free US shipping* even if you are not a Prime member.  Choose the free shipping option at checkout for an expected shipping date of December 11, 2018.

Here is the link to the buy page.

*Free shipping at Amazon is available on this doll and other available items marked "free shipping" only for a limited,  unspecified time.

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Josephine Baker Paper Doll Book

Josephine Baker Paper Dolls by Bruce Patrick Jones

Published in 2011 and desired by me since then, this paper doll book, The Toast of Jazz Age Paris, contains three Josephine Baker paper dolls (one on the front cover and two on the back cover), and 21 costumes designed by Jamaican paper doll artist, Bruce Patrick Jones.  The paper doll book was published by Paper Studio Press.

Six elaborate costumes for the paper doll are shown above.

Three additional costumes, two Josephine Baker faces, and a wig are included.

The back inside cover of the paper doll book includes a biography of Josephine Baker written by David Wolfe.

Two Josephine Baker paper dolls to be cut out are on the back cover of the paper doll book.

I found this paper doll book on eBay in September, placed it in my watch without bidding.  The auction ended unsold.  After it was relisted for three dollars less, I placed an early bid.  There were no other bidders.  Until recently, it was my last eBay doll or doll-related purchase of any kind.

Read about the artist, Bruce Patrick Jones, here.

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The Fresh Squad!

Fresh Squad Anthony, Malik, and Daniel

The Fresh Squad guys Anthony, Malik, and Daniel were preordered in March of this year directly from the Fresh Dolls website.  My dolls arrived this past Saturday.  The dolls were shipped in a packet which was not sturdy enough to protect the boxes.  Some areas of the cellophane are scratched, creased, or otherwise dinged.  This is not a huge issue for me, but for those who desire perfect boxes, it might be.

Box Issues

In this close-up of Anthony's face, the scratched cellophane is noticeable.

Creases are visible on Malik's box in the close-up photo taken of his extra black jacket.  Box issues aside, the dolls are fabulous.

Features
As indicated on the box liner, each guy has 13 points of articulation.  If he has hair (Anthony is bald), the hair is rooted -- not a molded, plastic representation of hair.  Each box is personalized with the doll's name.  Sold as Deluxe Sets, a laptop with working cover, cell phone, and eyeglasses are included with each.  Both Malik and Daniel's jackets are attached to the box liner.  Although they share the same head sculpt, their complexions differ.

Photos

Anthony is bald with a five o'clock shadow. Of the three guys, he has the deepest complexion.  He wears a black knit shirt with a red jacket and black slacks.  His accessories, as indicated above, include an open laptop, sunglasses, and a cell phone.

Malik has a medium complexion.  He has multiple black microbraids, the top portion of which is pulled up and held with a rubber band.  He has painted-on facial hair of mustache and goatee.   He is dressed in a white shirt worn underneath a red and black check shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers.  Malik has an extra black Members-Only-style jacket.  As shown in the next image, his laptop is closed.

Malik's electronic accessories and sunglasses are shown in this close-up photo.

Light-complected Daniel's brown hair is styled in a tapered curly fade.   The fade is painted; the curls are rooted. He has a goatee.  His off-white Henley, Army green pants, and brown boots coordinate well with his green camouflage jacket.  Like Malik, his laptop is also closed.

The images used on the back of the Fresh Squad dolls' boxes are the same.   Most of the dolls shown are from Wave 2.  They are Daniel, Aria, Malik,  Tamra (Wave 1), Froggy Fresh, Anthony, Mia, Lynette, Jacqueline from Wave 1 in "Red Carpet Royalty" fashion,  Victoria (not yet released) in "Ring My Bell" Sleeve Cocktail Dress, Aleyna, and Indigo in "Lovely Lavender" jumpsuit.

Gesture of Thanks
Included with my Fresh Squad order was a thank you note from Dr. Lisa.  Attached to the outside of the envelope was a gold-tone hair ornament.  A sheet of one-sixth playscale-sized cutouts was also sent as a gesture of thanks.

Thank you note from Dr. Lisa and gold-tone hair ornament

The note reads:  From my heart to your home, I hope this package brings a little bit of joy to your life.  Have a Fresh and Positively Perfect day!

This printout includes several playscale-sized items to cut out and/or to cut out and fold to create an array of Fresh-Doll-themed items such as covers for a magazine and textbook, passport, posters, clock, student ID, TV, and a corkboard message board.

It's very reFreshing to have male dolls on the market with multiple points of articulation and rooted hair!

Here is the link to the Fresh Shop where there are links to several categories of shopping.

Update:  I just watched Ms. Tee's Doll Room deboxing video of the Fresh Squad dolls (1/9/2019) and wanted to add it here for your viewing pleasure.


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News From Beautiful Blessings

Beautiful Blessings Deborah and Mary

Beautiful Blessings Deborah and Mary have stopped by to share some good news with the readers of this blog.

Deborah:  Yes, Debbie is right; we do have good news to share.  Limited edition fashions designed expressly for Beautiful Blessings dolls will be added to the Beautiful Blessings website during the week of Thanksgiving!

Mary:  We are so excited and are eager to give you a sneak peek at the pink polka dot shorts set.  It is just one of the fashions that will be added to our line.  See us as we model it in the next two photos.

Beautiful Blessings Deborah models the soon-to-be-released pink polka dot shorts fashion which includes pink and white pumps.

Mary models the fashion here (worn with white pumps); however, the fashion, as indicated, will include pink and white pumps and (not shown) a fashionable pink purse, all designed by their talented creator, Ms. Raveen James.

Deborah:  We won't ask who wears it best, because we both believe we look awesome wearing this new fashion that Ms. Raveen James designed for us.

Mary:  I hope you agree with Deborah's assessment of how we look in our new fashion.  Please remember to visit our website during Thanksgiving week when this and other fashions will be available to buy.  Please also note that other limited edition fashions will continue to be rolled out, so bookmark our website and visit us often.

Deborah and Mary (in unison):  Thank you for stopping by!

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As the ladies indicated, new fashion packs will be available to buy at the Beautiful Blessings website during the week of Thanksgiving.  If you already own the dolls, you're ahead of the game.  If not, visit the website now and add one or both of these lovely, reasonably priced 12-1/2-inch curvaceously built ladies to your collection.  For those interested in Virtuous Lady, that doll will be available sometime next year (2019).  If you have not already read it or as a refresher, please read my review of Deborah here.

Learn more about the company and its mission to inspire girls and women to love their bodies in the following well-written article that appeared in a recent issue of Independent Retailer.

This article, published in Independent Retailer, is courtesy of a photograph by Ms. Denise's I-Candy Boutique.  Her shop is located in Harker Heights, Texas where Beautiful Blessings dolls are also sold.

Update 12/18/2018:  Follow this buy link to all available dolls, fashions, and accessories where currently (as of this update) shipping is free.  

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Thank you for following, commenting, and sharing. If this post has been helpful, please consider supporting the cause by making a Paypal donation in any US dollar amount here.

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Baby Mine Follow-up

After recently updating my post from April 11, 2012, Baby Mine or Black Baby Bumps (see link at the end of this post), I thought it best to do a separate followup post for those who might need to identify their doll as either made by Horsman (Baby Bumps) or by Ideal (Baby Mine).

In 2015, I was contacted by a woman who owns a doll that is almost identical to my doll; however, the romper her doll wears is made from different material.  After our communication, I concluded that our dolls are Baby Mine and not Baby Bumps as I had originally documented in 2012.  After updating the original post to reassign my doll's manufacturer to Ideal instead of Horsman, I contacted J. Saurenman to inquire if she still had pictures of her doll.  She reshared pictures and granted me permission to post those here.

The fabric of the romper worn by J. Saurenman's Baby Mine is blue and white check; my doll's romper is blue and white plaid.  This doll's romper has three pearlized buttons on the placket.  My doll's romper is buttonless.

The two dolls' rompers are tagged at the waist "Ideal Baby Mine."  My doll's tagged romper and the different fabric used for it are illustrated on the left. 

The composition of Saurenman's doll has crazed similar to the way mine was crazed before my doll was restored.  My original post documents my doll's prior crazing.  Her photos document her doll's:

The head and face are crazed (composition has lifted or cracked) in several areas.

The extent of Saurenman's doll's crazing is further illustrated in these photos.  Her doll and my doll bear the same mark:  WAP or perhaps reverse letters that spell PAW.  (Why a doll by Ideal would be marked this way, is unknown.  Many early manufacturers used molds sculpted by others and perhaps this is the case with Baby Mine.)

The above photo illustrates my doll's head mark which is identical to J. Saurenman's doll's mark.

As indicated in my original Baby Mine or Baby Bumps post, Horsman owned the trademark to the Baby Bumps sculpt.  After Horsman's doll was on the market, several copycat dolls were made forcing Horsman to warn other dollmakers of their trademark ownership.  Horsman's Baby Bumps was introduced in 1910 and Baby Mine reportedly was introduced in 1911.  Was Ideal's doll a copycat?  Did they cease producing the doll using this head sculpt after Horsman issued the warning?

One last photo from Saurenman shows the inside of her doll's composition head.   The following side-by-side photo of my doll and her doll is shared for a final comparison.

My Baby Mine is the doll on the left.  J. Saurenman's doll is on the right

In my original Baby Mine or Baby Bumps post, the next image of a little girl is shared.

Scanned photo from the book, Black Dolls From the Collection of Deborah Neff illustrates a girl with two dolls, one of which appears to be Ideal's Baby Mine.

One of the two dolls in the above photo appears to wear a romper that is similar to my doll's and Saurenman's.  In this Pinterest pin, the doll identified as Baby Mine by Ideal, 1911, wears a romper that appears to be the same as the one worn by the doll in the above photo.

Thank you again, J. Saurenman for initially contacting me in 2015, for sharing the story of your doll, for resharing the doll's photos, and for allowing me to publish them.  It has helped me confirm the identity of my doll and perhaps will help others do the same.


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Thank you for following, commenting, and sharing. If this post has been helpful, please consider supporting the cause by making a Paypal donation in any US dollar amount here.

Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black
View the Doll Events page for updates. Check out my eBay listings here.
Thank you for your continued support

Life-Size 2 Premieres 12.2.18

Life-Size 2 will premiere on the Freeform network on Sunday, 12/2/18 at 8/9 CST/EST during the network's 25 days of Christmas. 

As first shared at the end of this post, "Life-Size 2 is a 2018 American fantasy-comedy television film directed by Steven Tsuchida and starring Tyra Banks and Francia Raisa. It is the sequel to Life-Size starring Banks and Lindsay Lohan, which originally premiered in 2000 on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney." Wikipedia.

In the first movie, the doll Eve was an original Janay doll by Integrity Toys.   In Life-Size 2, the doll appears to be a portrait of Banks. 

A one-minute clip of Life-size 2 is included below:


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Show Reminders

There will be two doll shows featuring black dolls on Saturday November 10, 2018, in two US cities: Oakland, California and Detroit, Michigan.  Show times and additional details are included on the show flyers below:

In Oakland, CA

The doll shown will be raffled off at the American Black Beauty Doll Artists Festival of Black Dolls Show and Sale.

In Detroit, Michigan


For more information, visit

here and the link below:

Detroit Doll Show.


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Thank you for following this blog, for reading the posts, and for your comments. If you are not already a subscriber, go to the homepage. If the right sidebar is not visible, scroll to the bottom and click "desktop view," locate and click "subscribe to posts." Optionally, also subscribe to comments. There is also an email subscription box for those who would like to receive posts by email.

Follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black
View the Doll Events page for updates. Check out my eBay listings here.