Christmas 2025 Doll Gifts

I enjoyed another great Christmas that included new dolls, one of which I purchased for myself as an early present during Mattel Creations' sale that ends on December 31st. Using the code LASTCHANCE30 at checkout, the sale includes an extra 30% off, even on reduced price items, and free shipping for purchases of $35 or more. 

 @BarbieStyle Brooklyn has a Made to Move body, long black double-strand twisted hair, brown painted eyes, and a sprinkling of freckles across the upper cheeks and nose.

@BarbieStyle Brooklyn had interested me when she was introduced on October 30, 2025, but after seeing photos of the produced doll, the dress appeared flimsy, so I passed. The current sale reduced the retail price from $55 to $38. The 30% off coupon reduced the price even further to $26.95, before applicable taxes. Shipping was free because my order included another item, which raised the total order above $35. I couldn't resist buying Brooklyn at this price, and I am not disappointed, as illustrated by the doll's photos. 

@BarbieStyle Brooklyn's boho chic ensemble was voted on and selected by Barbie Club 59 members.

 Brooklyn wears a blush-colored crepe dress with off-white thigh-high vinyl boots, and she holds an off-white vinyl handbag.

A lovely headshot and a full-length photo of Brooklyn with a separate photo illustrating her fashion and accessories are included on the back of the box.

My husband gave me an assortment of doll footwear.

In addition to other gifts, I received an assortment of 18-inch doll footwear (socks, shoes, and a pair of boots) from my husband. (He thinks all my dolls are 18 inches tall.) These will come in handy, however.

This is an enhanced photo that UPS took after the top package was left at my back door.

UPS left a huge shipping box at my back door on December 17, 2025. It contained an assortment of beautifully wrapped gifts from my friend, Debra R. I forgot to take a photo of the box (which is why I am using UPS's photo). I also neglected to photograph the wrapped presents, but trust me, the paper was beautiful, featuring biblical scriptures for children and adults and images of African American characters. The wonderful doll gifts she sent are shown in the next group and individual photos.

Naturalistas Dayna, the 2025 Hallmark Keepsake Holiday Barbie ornament, and Disney Once Upon a Whimsy Collection Tiana are some of the doll gifts from Debra.

Dayna is from the third wave of  Naturalistas dolls. She wears a pretty white dress and white vinyl knee-high boots. I had planned to buy at least one doll from this wave, but I was told that the one I wanted was sold only at Target stores.

Dayna has a slight wardrobe malfunction, but is otherwise perfect. 

Dayna and the other dolls in the 2025 Naturalistas collection are illustrated on the back of the box along with Dayna's bio. Her motto is, "Be proud of your crown." Her bio indicates that she is the owner of Naturalistas ICON Salon, has 3C-textured hair, and is known by her clients as the "coil whisperer."

The 2025 Hallmark Keepsake Holiday Barbie Ornament wears a gold brocade-patterned fabric dress (not the usual molded-on plastic dress as in previous years). This year, Mattel used the Brooklyn sculpt for the ornament and the full-sized doll.

Disney's Princess Tiana is a duplicate of a doll I recently purchased. (Debra said she forgot to tell me she purchased this doll when it was released earlier this year.) 

When I was asked, "What's on your wish list?", I answered, "The 80th Anniversary Barbie." Santa Debra delivered. :-) 

This doll also uses the Brooklyn head sculpt (one of my favorites) and has Brooklyn's signature freckles.

The back of the anniversary doll's box features a full-length image of this doll, along with Mattel's brief history and a description of the doll.

These are three Christmas sweater wine bottle covers and a Snoop Dog-themed sweater ornament that Debra sent. The wine bottle covers fit 14- to 16-inch dolls. The sweater ornament should fit an 11-1/2-inch fashion doll.

I placed these gifts under my pop-up pencil tree on December 27, 2025.

By the afternoon of December 26, 2025, the previously gift-covered Christmas tree skirt was bare after the family gift exchange that began on the 25th and ended on the 26th. However, additional carefully wrapped gifts arrived for me on the 28th from another doll friend. I placed these last gifts under the Christmas tree and snapped the above final photo of the tree for this year. Like Debra's gift box, these last gifts from doll-friend Telisa included more than dolls, but I am only sharing the dolls and doll-related items in this post. 

Telisa rerooted Barbie Basics Doll #3 (a former redhead) and redressed her in this elaborate gown.

This is a close-up of the doll's new fabulous 'do. 

Here is a view from the back. Rerooting this doll required a lot of time and effort. I am so grateful for both the time and initiative involved.

Monster High Wednesday - Bianca Barclay

This is my first new Monster High doll. 

A journal entry by Bianca Barclay is on the back of the box, along with a photo of this lovely doll.

I am debating whether to remove Bianca from the box and display her with my other Monster High dolls, which were thrift store finds several years ago. But if I know myself, Bianca will remain untouched. She's too gorgeous to manipulate, and she outshines my original three.

Rainbow High Iris Bow has a unique concept.

Rainbow High Iris Bow and other dolls in the Rainbow Shimmers series are featured on the back of the box.

Iris Bow has removable legs that can be filled with slime and glitter to produce the look illustrated on the back of the box. Four glitter palettes and one slime palette are included. She has mounds of multicolored curly hair, which matches the glitter colors. 

An insulated Barbie tumbler was also a gift from Telisa.

Last, but certainly not least, was an insulated Barbie tumbler from Telisa. 

Debra and Telisa, I am deeply grateful for these beautiful gifts, even more for the love and thoughtfulness behind them. This level of kindness truly touched my heart. Thank you for thinking of me, for your generosity, and for being such a special part of my life. I feel very blessed to have family and friends like you, and I appreciate you more than words can say. (My thank you to my husband goes without saying... I show him how much I appreciate him daily.)

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, go to the About page (visible in the web view mode); find and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Ruby Red Siblies Fan Doll Kyra

Kyra was a special Ruby Red Toys preorder in May 2025 before production of the doll commenced. Kyra arrived in her decorative box in July 2025, but I kept this blog post of her unpublished for several months because I purchased two dolls. One was a gift for a dear friend who now has her doll. So, I can share Kyra here now.

Kyra has a removable wig. Her extra joints are at the elbows and knees.

She arrived wearing only her removable wig and her white undies.

She has such a sweet face.

This lovely 12-inch vinyl doll is a Ruby Red Siblies Fan Edition, designed by a Ruby Red Siblies fan. She has nine movable joints, a removable black wig, and an anti-slip wig band to help hold the wig in place. She arrived wearing only her wig and panties, ready to be dressed. 

Each clothing item and accessory was wrapped in plastic or tissue paper. A story card, three postcards, and care instructions were included in the packaging.

Except for her straw hat, Kyra is fully dressed and holds her doll.

Fully dressed, Kyra wears her straw hat, her strawberry dangle earrings, and white fabric daisy-accented ponytail holders.

An image of a doll is lithographed onto the front and back of stuffed fabric.

One final close-up illustrates Kyra's adorable face.

Kyra's Story card reads:

Kyra’s Story

Kyra loved dolls, and one of her favorites was a little knit doll dressed in red and pink, her two favorite colors. It was extra special because her grandma had made it just for her. Kyra's best friend seemed to like dolls almost as much as Kyra did, and had a bedroom full of fancy dolls, just like the ones Kyra would see in doll magazines. Her friend even had kid-sized outfits to match some of her dolls. Kyra wished she could have a doll like that too, but she knew her family couldn't afford it, and she still loved the dolls she already had.

Kyra's friend decided to throw a birthday party where everyone could dress up like their dolls. Kyra loved the idea, and when she told her grandma, she was just as excited about the idea as Kyra was. Grandma was great at sewing and made Kyra a brand new skirt and sweater. She even made flowers for her hair and bonnet. Now Kyra looked just like her favorite doll and was ready for the party.

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

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Merry Christmas

May the spirit of the Christmas season

Lift you up and deliver you blessings,

Now and forevermore!

Merry Christmas!

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, go to the About page (visible in the web view mode); find and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Only Three Dolls

Redressed for Christmas 2025

I usually dress at least five dolls for Christmas. This year, I only dressed three, and I scaled back my Christmas decorations to the bare minimum. It's always a chore to put things back in their place and to redress dolls in their usual clothing after the holiday. This year, that chore, which usually occurs by January 15th of the following year, if not sooner, will be less taxing.

Circa 1940s composition and hard plastic Shirley Temple-type transitional mama doll

My circa 1940s Shirley Temple-type transitional mama doll is usually the first doll that I redress for Christmas. I maintained that tradition this year. This 29-inch doll holds a paper doll ornament inspired by Gladys MacDowell's 1950s wax doll, Tuesday. The Tuesday paper doll was made in 2018 by Victoria Christopherson as a souvenir for the Gladys MacDowell Doll Study Club's 50th Anniversary.

This is the Tuesday paper doll ornament that the transitional mama doll holds. The paper doll's dress is made of fabric.

This 2025 pink box Barbie, which uses the Shani head sculpt, wears a Santa T-shirt designed by Nise's Designs.

I dressed my most recent pink box Barbie in a Santa T-shirt, black Spandex Capris, and black high-heeled shoes. She holds a wrapped Christmas present ornament.

The waving Santa image is better visible in this close-up.

I used AI to add a Christmas border to Shani's photo.

Global Girl Dolls Amahle is the third and final doll I redressed.

Used to enhance my dining room table decorations, Global Girl Dolls Amahle wears American Girl Addy's Christmas dress with lace-up black boots. She holds a wooden and cloth ornament like the ones that decorate a tabletop Christmas tree.

I've made less after-Christmas work for myself while managing to create enough festive decor.

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, go to the About page (visible in the web view mode); find and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

AI Doll Images

AI Fashion dolls dressed for a formal event

I have toyed with artificial intelligence programs to create doll images and to change image backgrounds using movie flyers and previously photographed dolls. This post includes some of my artificial intelligence (AI) doll creations, which is a creative way for me to visualize what an imagined doll would look like and a way to beautify existing doll photos. In most cases, AI "understood the assignment."

In the leading photo of this post, I used the prompt, or the command, for AI to generate fashion dolls dressed elegantly for a formal event. 

The Preacher's Wife main cast members as dolls

Courtney B. Vance, Denzel Washington, and Whitney Houston starred in the 1996 movie, The Preacher's Wife, directed by Penny Marshall (of Laverne & Shirley fame).  On the right, in the combined photos above, The Preacher's Wife actors are AI-created dolls. 

Waiting to Exhale

I created AI dolls of the main characters in the movie, Waiting to Exhale: Loretta Devine, Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, and Lela Rochon. The dolls don't look much like the characters, but if you're familiar with the movie, you'll recognize who the dolls represent. 

 

AI-generated "Barbies" in separate boxes.

As the leading photo for a video, I used the prompt, "Please create an image of African American Barbie dolls in individual boxes underneath the caption, Where the Vintage Dolls Are." The above photo resulted.

New backgrounds

For the above photo on the far left, I instructed AI, "Please add a scenic background to this image and do not change the doll's face." Scenic backgrounds were added twice, and the doll's facial appearance changed twice. 

I've learned that AI prompts must be specific; otherwise, the results will not match the request. Occasionally, even though the request is exact, the output is not always correct. AI is mistake-prone. 

Change the background and add shoes.

In the photo of the Heidi Ott dolls on the left above, I asked AI to add a scenic background and to add shoes to the boy's feet. I specified that I did not want the doll's faces changed. These requests were successfully executed.

Amanda Jane dolls in a playground setting

AI was asked to place the Amanda Jane dolls in a playground setting. AI included the pinback Amanda Jane button from the original photo because it was not prompted to remove it. It's still a cute picture.

AI's interpretation of a Request

Women shopping for dolls

In the photo above, the request was, "Please create an image of adult Black and Brown women buying dolls." AI added the caption, "Diverse Dolls for Every Child." With a photo editor app, I changed the caption as illustrated next.

"Diverse Dolls for Everyone" is a better caption for this photo.

AI was asked to place Cecelie by Heidi Plusczok in an outside snowy scene.

Cecelie went from being part of my inside Christmas decor (from a few years ago) to an outside snowy scene courtesy of AI.

Doll Room Photos

I requested AI versions of two photos taken in a corner of my doll room. The original images and the AI versions are next.

AI created a "smiling doll" version of the 1st doll room photo shown below (either AI cropped its version, or I cropped it).

1st doll room corner original image

Using the photo immediately below, AI created laughing dolls.

2nd original doll room photo

An AI-Generated Black Version of a White Doll

1960s Skipper with red hair by Mattel

In answer to the question asked in a Facebook Group, "What's on Your Doll Wishlist?" I wrote about my desire for a 1960s Black Skipper that uses the original Skipper sculpt. I owned the original Skipper as a child and later learned that Mattel did, in fact, create a prototype of a Black Skipper in the 1960s that was never produced. AI created three different Black versions based on my request, which had to be fine-tuned to achieve the desired image. 

I used the photo of the 1960s redheaded Skipper with the prompt, "Change the ethnicity of the doll to African American without changing the facial features. Change the hair color to black. Make the character images on the box African American. Do not change the clothing style or colors."

1st AI-generated African American Skipper

AI changed the doll's ethnicity.

AI didn't follow instructions to change the box graphics to African American characters. I made a second request for that. 

2nd AI-generated African American Skipper Result

African American AI-generated Skipper with an African American doll on the box cover

It took a minute for me to realize that AI followed my instructions, but I failed to ask for brown eyes instead of the original blue eyes for the doll. So my third prompt asked, "Can you make the doll's eyes brown?"

3rd AI-Generated African American Skipper

And here she is: an African American 1960s AI-generated Skipper with an AA doll on the box cover!

I gave another collector permission to use the brown-eyed Skipper's AI photo in an Instagram post where she expressed her shared desire for Mattel to produce this doll. Mattel, MattelCreations, and Barbie were tagged in the IG post, which is embedded below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tina Marshall (@a_thousand_black_dolls)

It will be a wish come true for me (and countless others) if Mattel listens and creates a three-dimensional version of the AI-generated doll. 

These are just a few examples of my AI-generated dolls and images. Artificial intelligence ignites my creativity and can do things in an instant that would take a human hours without the aid of technology. However, AI can also be a curse. False images and videos of people created to sway opinions or otherwise manipulate them, replacing jobs, and compromising privacy are just a few examples of harm that AI poses to humans. Using it as another form of doll play through still images (not animated videos at this time) works for me.

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, go to the About page (visible in the web view mode); find and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com