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.
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| @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.
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| @BarbieStyle Brooklyn's boho chic ensemble was voted on and selected by Barbie Club 59 members. |
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| Brooklyn wears a blush-colored crepe dress with off-white thigh-high vinyl boots, and she holds an off-white vinyl handbag. |
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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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.
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_Watermarked.jpg) | 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."
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| 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. |
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| 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.) |
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| When I was asked, "What's on your wish list?", I answered, "The 80th Anniversary Barbie." Santa Debra delivered. :-) |
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| This doll also uses the Brooklyn head sculpt (one of my favorites) and has Brooklyn's signature freckles. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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.
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| Telisa rerooted Barbie Basics Doll #3 (a former redhead) and redressed her in this elaborate gown. |
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| This is a close-up of the doll's new fabulous 'do. |
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| 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. |
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| Monster High Wednesday - Bianca Barclay |
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| This is my first new Monster High doll. |
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| 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.
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| Rainbow High Iris Bow has a unique concept. |
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| 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.
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| 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.)
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