Madrid Premiere Beauty and the Madrid Fashion Doll Show Charity Auction

I wanted to share the beautiful Madrid Premiere Beauty the Convention Doll for the Madrid Fashion Doll Show held in Madrid last month.  I was fortunate enough to be offered this doll.  As a Steffie fan I was thrilled of course!  I will share more detailed pictures of her and my review and impressions in a post later this week.

As with most Barbie and Fashion Doll Conventions, the Madrid Fashion Doll Show has selected a charity to donate the proceeds of their convention funds.  That charity is the Cruz Roja España, or the Spanish Red Cross.  The Spanish Red Cross helps the most vulnerable parts of society in many ways, all of them very important. With the current financial crisis and the difficulties that many Spanish families have to face, The Spanish Red Cross helps with many different programs; one of them is collecting toys and donations for the Christmas campaign "No child without a toy."

If you like the Steffie doll, one auction I want to bring to your attention.  This is the OOAK doll "Madrid Premier Beauty Winner." She is a variation of the convention doll created by designers "MonLew."  Also known as Luis Manuel Gómez (Lewis) and Mónica Núñez.  Their dolls are "Made with the finest materials and quality fabrics... and "love is included in each of their creations."

Please take a look at all the other amazing dolls on auction that will support the charity.  They are all currently on ebay and ending very soon.   There is a gorgeous Steffie, a GaGa doll by Ovaz, a beautiful creation from The Black Swan Doll Company, an amazing OOAK from Arists Creations, a Magia Showgirl from Magia 2000, and a sketch by Linda Kyaw.  There are all types of dolls in all price ranges, please consider supporting the Spanish Red Cross and the Madrid Fashion Doll Show.

Dolly Tally 001: Tarina Tarantino by Designs by Robin Studio

Tarina by Designs by Robin Studio, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Many of you know that the Steffie mold is my favorite mold. When the Tarina Tarantino Barbie came out in 2008 I was just floored by her beauty. This doll is an OOAK Tarina Tarantino I purchased at the 2010 Barbie Convention at the sales table of Designs by Robin Studio. I was immediately drawn to this doll. Shockingly I did not buy her right away. I think I came back later or the next day and was so happy she was still there. It was so funny because earlier that year I had purchased another OOAK Steffie doll (Barbie Basics, Collection 1.5, Model No 3.) from Robin on Ebay. Since that time I have bought many dolls from Robin and recommend her work. She is also on Ebay, Pinterest and Facebook. Check out her work and enjoy dolly number 001 in my Dolly Tally Project.

News: The Doll Cafe Lives!

LOL, no, I wasn't dead but you'd think I was.  I'm shocked that my last post was April 28, 2012.  It seems like this time of year my doll collecting passion is re-awakened.  Well, maybe it's more of my my pre-Barbie Convention panic mode!

Convention this year will be held in New Orleans!  Wow, that's so exciting.  Being the homebody that I am, I have never traveled to that area of the country so I'm seeing the World with Barbie once again this year!!  I'm excited to report that my daughter Steff will be joining me for the second year in a row.  Her first Barbie Convention last year was a blast!  Here is an amazing picture of the beautiful dolls we both received as gifts from our generous table hostess last year Jen M.  Do you see some Steffies and Basics in there?  Boy aren't we lucky!!??!!

I hope that you have been following our Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr, or Instagram posts.  Did you know we also have a Tumbler?  Just choose your favorite online platform and join us for the dolly fun.  Also, be sure to check out our Facebook Group and the Model Muse and Steffie pages online.


For future blogging I will be tagging posts with useful titles with labels and will try to post daily (ok, you've heard that before).  Most of our news will be posted on Facebook and Twitter so I will use this blog to feature pictures from our collection, doll news, and in a continuing attempt to count our dolls we will also be featuring a post on each doll in our collection so we can keep a handle on it all.

Thanks for all your support, comments and suggestions.  Keep reading for more dolly centered fun.

-The Doll Cafe

My Tarina Obsession

Tarina Tarantino in Kari Michell, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

I hope you all had a fabulous Easter. Spring is finally here and warmer weather greets us. Actually it's raining here today but no matter. My Tarina is ready for spring fun in her Kari Michell dress. Please check my Flickr for my continuing month of Daily Tarina pics in the 2012 Dolly Daily. I took so many pics at the end of March that I decided to make a month dedicated to Tarina. As soon as I'm done posting this set of pics I have a new set ready for publication. Enjoy your dolly days ahead!

Mattel will Produce a Bald Barbie

Tarina Tarantino Bald, a photo by The Doll Cafe on Flickr.

Mattel will indeed be producing the "Bald Barbie!" This statement appeared on their Facebook page on Tuesday!

Play is vital for children, especially during difficult times. We are pleased to share with our community that next year we will be producing a fashion doll, that will be a friend of Barbie, which will include wigs, hats, scarves and other fashion accessories to provide girls with a traditional fashion play experience. For those girls who choose, the wigs and head coverings can be interchanged or completely removed. We will work with our longstanding partner, the Children’s Hospital Association, to donate and distribute the dolls exclusively to children’s hospitals directly reaching girls who are most affected by hair loss. A limited number of dolls and monetary donations will also be made to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Through a thoughtful approach, we made the decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores, but rather get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience, demonstrating Mattel’s ongoing commitment to encourage play as a respite for children in the hospital and to bring joy to children who need it most. We appreciate the conversation around this issue, and are interested to hear what you think!

Mattel is definitely doing the right thing, but don't worry if you won't be able to buy one. You can create your own by removing a Barbie's hair and using Mattel wigs that have been produced for other dolls. I purchased this Tarina Tarantino Barbie bald from someone who was going to re-root her. I like her this way. She also has wigs for when she'd like to sport a new look. Spa Retreat Silkstone is bald and the Fashion Queen Barbie and repro are bald. Be creative and have fun, that's always been what Barbie is about and I'm glad to hear that little girls going through hair loss will have a Barbie that looks like them.

Read more news here.

Can you Believe the Tokidoki Barbie Firestorm?

Tokidoki Barbie, a photo by ShellyS on Flickr.

Wow, who could predict that Miss Tokidoki Barbie would cause such a firestorm! I'm sure you've read the articles and may have even seen the news reports on CNN and other outlets. I loved this doll from the moment I saw her pictures from Toy Fair. There is no way this is a child's Barbie doll and I'm not buying into all the articles and new stories that the media has picked up on. Now that Barbie Collector announced on 10/21/11 that this Barbie is really sold out she seems to have gone up in price considerably!  A few weeks ago I was able to meet the designer Simone Legno in Santa Monica, California. I hope you enjoy the pics!

She Said Yes!

Model No. 3, Model No. 16
Originally uploaded by The Doll Cafe

After splitting on Valentine's Day 2004, Barbie and Ken announced today that Valentine's 2011 is the day they found love again! Ken's campaign has been nothing short of amazing! From the fabu Magnolia cupcakes to the billboard campaign to declaring his love in Times Square for all to see, how could Barbie say no?!? Of course she couldn't. These two were meant to be. I always knew they never stopped loving each other! To celebrate, Ken was on hand New York and in Los Angeles at the Grove to let Barbie and Ken fans pose with Ken and make it an all around happy day! Click here to watch a cute vid summarizing how they got back together! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

New Barbies Announced

BarbieToyfair2011_MG_3387a
Originally uploaded by mawphoto.com

Toy Fair always brings amazing new Barbies to behold! Check out this amazing Tokioki Barbie. She uses the beloved Steffie mold and check out her amazing tattoo! Earlier this week Barbie Collector also posted pictures of the Barbie Basics 2.5. There is no Steffie doll, but that's ok. With this pink haired beauty I'll forgive whoever made the decision to leave Ms. Steffie out of Collection 2.5. I know I will be getting more than one of these beauties. Take a look at the amazing pictures. Her toe nails are black and look at those glittery peek toe pumps! Bravo! Take a look at the new Farrah packaging.  Other new collections include Barbie Art Collection, 2011 Holiday Dolls, and a new Couture Angel! Check out all the pics posted by MAW photo.  I see an amazing likeness of Rock Hudson and what looks like a Barbie Loves Elvis and Frank Sinatra set.  Enjoy!

Still Having Fun with Basics Collection 2.0

Barbie Basics Collection 2
Originally uploaded by The Doll Cafe

I just recently went "Pro" on my Flickr account and have had tons of fun posting pictures of the Barbie Basics Collection 2. I was lucky enough to find all of them at Walmart and Target a few weeks ago and I just completed my collection with the Louboutin Model No. 14. This collection has something for everyone. With the variety of facemolds and the addition of the Ken Basics this collection is a real winner. Barbie Designer Bill Greening posted on the Barbie Collector board that there will be a collection 2.5 and this collection will have some articulation! The dolls in the collection have not yet been revealed. It seems like this will be a mini collection until there is another full collection! Exciting!

Barbie Friendships

Holiday Harmony Close-up
Originally uploaded by mo1160

Today I was reflecting on all the fantastic friendships I have made through my Barbie collecting hobby. I never cease to be amazed at the beautiful hearts that Barbie Collectors have. Not only that, so many of my Barbie friends are extremely talented! There is something about this little vinyl doll that brings a lot of warm feelings to my heart. Who knew the doll I played with as a child would continue to bring me such joy and such friendship! On that note, this is Holiday Harmony. A beautiful OOAK Birthstone Steffie I received from my friend Helen from Christmas in 2008. Helen, also known as @dollsaga is a talented doll artist, blogger and all around great lady. I encourage you to visit her blog and her ebay auctions. You never know what will pop up there. In the coming weeks I will feature more beautiful OOAK dolls I have received from Helen.

Happy New Year From the Doll Cafe

The Sun Set™ malibu® P.J.® ©1972 - as identified by Jordan ;-)
Originally uploaded by robincua©

Sorry for the lack of updates! I hope you are reading our forum and following our Twitter for the quickest updates! The Barbie Basics Collection 2.0 have been released, new So in Style dolls are out and new Barbie Collector Dolls are out and more are on the horizon. I'd love to keep in touch here more regularly. I guess the easiest and quickest way is to bring you a Doll Cafe Picture of the day!

As a Steffie fanatic, here is The Sun Set Malibu PJ from 1972 by robincua©. Sheer perfection don't you think?

Tarina Tarantino in a Wig!

I bought a nude Tarina Tarantino doll from one of the members of the forum. She also was ready to re-root so instead I decided to put a brunette wig on her. She is wearing a Fashion Fever outfit from 2008.

Happy 2009

Welcome to 2009 my fellow doll lovers! This year promises to be quite exciting in the doll world. Many new lines will be introduced in a few weeks at the Toy Fair, and Miss Barbie, my favorite doll will be celebrating her 50th birthday! Mattel has set up a website honoring Barbie at 50. Please take some time to check it out!

The 2009 Barbie Convention website has finally gone live. The tickets are already sold out but you can read about the various events and the schedule there in any case.

Keep checking Sephora.com for the new cosmetics by Stila featuring four new Barbie inspired collections. The collection features four Decades of Beauty cans, each $40, with a booklet inside describing the beauty and fashion wardrobes for each doll. The third set inspired by the 80s features the beautiful Steffie faced Black Barbie. Ooh, a must have. well, they all sound great.

Great Deal for Today from Amazon

Did you miss out on Resort Top Model Teresa? She is available now at Amazon for only 7.99! The accessories alone are worth much more! Also the beautiful Summer Steffie doll is only $8.99! Keep checking Amazon, as the 25th approaches there will be many more great deals.

Welcome To Flickr Beauties

100_2920
Originally uploaded by mattelpink

For a new feature, I would like to feature some beautiful pictures from Flickr! Hope you enjoy them. This is the beautiful Malibu P.J. by Mattelpink. There are quite a few different versions of this doll but her features never cease to amaze! Notice the Fashion Fever background!

Tarina is just so fab!

I got to see this doll in person in April (that's another long story) but I just don't remember her being this beautiful. Tarina arrived on Tuesday but I was so busy to open her. She came wrapped beautifully in pink from Pink Ponytail! This was one doll I immediately de-boxed. Usually that's a big chore for me but I couldn't help it. This is one beautiful, classy, and super precious Barbie. I don't think I could buy just one . . .

Amazing Tarina Tarantino Dolls for Charity

I recently read about 6 beautiful Tarina Tarantino one of a kind Barbie dolls that will be auctioned for the charity Clothes Off Our Back. The auctions include a customized Collector Series Tarina Tarantino Barbie Doll, customized Barbie® cars and Tarina Taranino jewelry. You can view all the auctions here. I really love their names. Here is a list: Sparkling Star Barbie, Candy Cameo Barbie, Glam Rock Barbie, Popstar Barbie, Peace, Love, and Sparkle Barbie, and Hippie Princess Barbie. I think my favorite one is the Glam Rock Barbie. Well, it's really hard to pick a favorite! As you can see, each doll has her own distinct hair style and includes differently styled customized jewelry and a cute car or scooter to match! I wish the opening bids weren't so high, but it's for charity so it's worth it. Whoever wins these dolls is going to have a real steffie treasure!

In honor of these beautiful charity dolls, here is my newest Steffie. She is a Canadian hollow body, straight leg doll. She came dressed in varying outfits and is from the late 70s to early 80s. She is dressed here in a Fashion Fever Fashion from a Wave A Barbie.

Hello Kitty!

Today I received my long awaited Hello Kitty Apple Tree doll. She has such a sassy-ness to her. With her bangs and long ponytail she is pure attitude. The deep red lipstick completes her overall look. So far she is still in her box but I will post pictures when I de-box her.

Juicy Couture and Paul Frank

Aren't designer Barbies just the best? I received a phone call from Sandi Holder about my Juicy Couture Barbies! They shipped on Wednesday and should be delivered Monday! I can't wait to see them. I saw some pictures from the Barbie Convention of this set and the dolls are stunning. I will post pictures as soon as they arrive.

Today's close-up is Miss Paul Frank Barbie. I bought her nude and re-bodied her with a Model Muse body. I think I'm going to take down her hair and restyle it but here she is for now.

The 2009 Barbie Convention Registration Forms Are Available!

I was really excited to receive news that the Barbie Convention Registration forms for 2009 are now available. You can download the form at the Yahoo 2009 Barbie Convention Group. Please note that you may have to register for the Convention Yahoo Group to download the form. Today is the first day of the 2008 convention in Kansas City. I can't believe it's been two years since my first and only convention. It was such a wonderful experience especially because it was in Los Angeles and just a short car ride away from me. The 2009 convention will be held in Washington D.C. on July 7th through July 11th. It will be very special and I'm sure a lot of surprises will be in store because of Barbie's 50th Anniversary! I do hope to get together with other members of the forum. It would be just fantastic to have a table with nine other Doll Cafe forum members.

Hope your summers are all starting off great! Here's a little Hello Kitty for your viewing pleasure!