Thursday, April 26, 2012

When I Win The Lotto...

... I'm going to buy every Justin Bieber doll there is.  I'm not a fan of the real dude, or his dolls, but the clothes, man, the clothes.


I was running low on my Lays Dill Pickle Chips (yum) so I stopped by Walmart tonight.  Naturally, I went to the toy section and they had these new dolls.  I think Bieber clothes are the best made male playline clothes there are.  So much variety... well, the tops have variety.  The shoes and pants are the same thing in different colors, but still.

I just wish they were not so expensive! $19 - $27 is just too much and I have never caught them on sale at any of the major retailers.  I really hope that Big Lots gets their $7 versions of some of his dolls during the next Christmas season because I will definitely stock up.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Moxie Wear For Other Dolls

This will probably be my last specifically related Moxie post... unless I buy a new one, lol.  But I wanted to show how Moxie Teenz apparel fits Barbie/Liv bodies and Monster heads.


Images via MoxieTeenz.Com

The image above is the entirety of my Moxie stuff.  I got the two accessory packs when they were on clearance at Walmart last year for $3.00 each.


The top is one big piece, practically a dress, and the jacket is separate.  The outfit is not overly loose on either of them and the belt and jacket fit okay too.  My Monster has a small head, but Moxie hats should fit any regular size Monster/Liv head, even with ears.  Those boots are ridiculously large even on the Moxie doll.


The waist of the jacket is a snug fit on both dolls.  If their legs weren't spread apart that belt would just fall off.  The shirt underneath is about the length of a normal Barbie mini dress.


Pants on a Liv are out of the question as the waist is too wide.  Barbie might get away with it if you fold the bottom pant leg over her foot and tuck it into a boot.


She's wearing Barbie pants, but everything else is Moxie.  This was the top under the black jacket.  The belt fits her waist but it's a little loose on a Liv.  By using black rubber bands around the tops of the boots you can make them tighter and in photos they just look like part of the boot design.

I will admit to preferring my doll's clothes be loose and comfy.  If you like skin tight fashions these are probably not for your dollies.  I hope this helps anyone interested in getting some of the Moxie fashion packs. ^_^

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Liv Sophie


This box does not have a line name such as, "Spa Makeover," "Moonlight Dance," Schools Out," etc. because apparently it's the 1st release version of the Liv dolls that came out in 2009.  Kmart only had this single one.  In fact it was the only Liv they had.  I remember seeing a Katie version of this box last December at a Walmart I rarely frequent for $18.99.  I didn't get it because, hello, $18.99.  I thought the line would be coming out at other stores as usual and I'd get them eventually on the cheap.  However, until my recent toy run, I never saw another one, not even at any other Walmarts.  After researching this Sophie I now realize why I never saw any more.


Kmart had this priced for $19.00 and on sale for $15.00.  For all the stuff you get, I think it's worth it.  I went to a second Kmart but no luck on finding ANY Liv items.  I notice they have since changed Sophie's eyes in later versions.  The striations in her eyes are lighter here which make her eye color look light as well.


My only disappointment is this blurb on the back of the box.  Even though I don't feature them or use their heads, Sophie is my favorite Liv BECAUSE she wears glasses.  I wear glasses.  I have since I was a kid.  So, I thought it was real cool that a Liv girl wore them and could make other little girls feel good about it.  But no, she hates them.  Heck she could still be hating them on all the other boxes released since and I just never noticed.  Oh well, at least my Monster's love her glasses because I give all of Sophie's to them, ^_^.

Image via Spin Master

I found this Spin Master image on the web of the original launch dolls.  Man, Alexis looks amazing!  Too bad I missed out on finding the rest of these.  I'm sure I could find them for sale on line, but I'm very particular about the dolls I buy and I have to inspect them in person.  It takes me like 10 minutes to choose between the copies of a doll in the store.  I will look through every. single. one.  It's really quite annoying, lol.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

The Operation Was A Success

I was putting my extra Moxie body into the spare parts box when I glanced at the headless Ken body laying there.  I thought, "Hmmmm," and then I stroked my chin the way mad scientists do when we get a scathingly brilliant idea.  Dremel: check.  Goggles: check. To the operating theatre!!!


I did try boiling the Ken torso first to see if it would loosen the seams and I could just pull it apart.  Didn't work.  I thought of freezing it and then popping it open.  The possibility of it cracking where I didn't want it to nixed that idea.


I attempted to use the entire upper body.  The hope was to sandwich the chest and back around the Moxie.  Failure.  Then I tried to use just the front so the doll could have a solid ab structure.  I didn't care for it.


By cutting just below the pecs I could keep the pivotal chest movement and not hinder its mobility.  Success!  Mwahaha!


Because Basics Kens and Japan Ken have longer neck stems than a playline version if I had wanted to use one of their heads I would have needed to use one of their bodies.  Playline Ken, specifically, A Mermaid Tale 2 Ken, has a rather effeminate face so he works okay with a thinner body.


I think long or 3/4 sleeves might be the way to go fashion wise.  Board shorts work well on him too.  Those legs are thick enough to be a thin man's or woman's.  I decided against reducing the hips for now.


He can fit into the Mini Cooper!  He can shift gears and steer the wheel at the 6 o'clock position.  However, he can not put his hands at 10 and 2 o'clock.

The patient is recovering nicely and is off to recuperate at an undisclosed location.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Moxie Modifications


These are the Moxie Teenz's I picked up last weekend.  I got the second one at Toys R Us for $1 less than Ross thanks to a comment by Georgia Girl.  Both are the Melrose version.  After opening the guitar version and fiddling around with the doll I really wanted to modify the body.  I was this close to cutting a good inch out of her thighs and lower legs before I decided against it.  My thought was to make her into a "plus sized" doll verses the thin stature of a 1/6 doll.  My reasoning was that if she were shorter, she would look fuller.


However, the more I played with her the more I really liked that she was so tall.  She does not have a pivotal waist or knees.  She has what I would call a single knee joint versus the double knee a Liv.  So, her knees bend 90 degrees compared to the 45 degrees a Liv can achieve.  Her boobies sit lower on her chest (which pivots) than a 1/6 doll.  Her neck knob is also very tight and close to the neck opening so there is limited range of head motion.


Although I saved her legs, her feet however, were another matter.  I have exactly 4 pairs of Moxie Teenz shoes and I'm not about to start hunting more up.  Therefore, surgery was required so that she can wear Liv shoes.  Her original shoes will still actually fit, but now she has more to chose from.


How she compares sitting down.  The oversized play line Barbie heads fit well on a Moxie Teenz body and seem totally in proportion to their larger size.  The neck knob was thick so I cut mine in half horizontally.  Her compatriots have had their heads shrunk.  Middle body is an I Can Be with articulated arms, but just bendable knees.  Last body is a Liv.


Comparison standing next to a Liv and my tallest male.  When I looked at the Toys R Us Moxie's, they had a single male version, Gavin.  Much like Liv's only have Jake, I guess.  Unfortunately, I didn't think he was worth the cost.  If I see him for $7 then maybe I'll get him.  One thing that put me off was that his chest was so freaking enormous that I would have to make all his clothes!  Forget that!


I'm not a Frankenstein for nothing though, so I attempted to turn my other Moxie into a male.  I gave the body a slight chest reduction and rudely spliced a Ken head to make it slender enough to fit the neck.  Unless "he's" going to be wearing an ascot at all times, the smaller neck size makes him look kinda sickly.  Longer hair would give the illusion of a thicker neck though.

I probably wont go through with this operation because to make this work, I would have to reduce the breasts all the way which would leave holes in the torso plate.  I find that rather unappealing.  Sure I can fill the holes, but then the torso wont pivot.  I would also need to reduce the size of his hips for a better fit of male clothing.  I may come back this, but who knows.


This is my favorite discovery about Moxie's.  They can wear a lot of the clothes my mom made!  Yay!  Their hips are way too big and legs too long for the pants, but most of the fitted bodices with flared skirts fit just fine.


My mom's hip hugging clothes don't fit as well, but as long as I don't turn her around to show that her booty is sticking out, it's okay, lol.

Behind the Scene: Front and Back

Not much to this single walled dio.  Not really even a dio.  I taped 3 pieces of scrapbook paper together and tapped them to a metal PC monitor stand.  The light above me is a 200 watt chandelier and next to the dio is my 150 watt desk lamp.  Carpet is a dining matt.

Stuff to Know
  • Moxie Teenz's can wear Bieber pants but only as capris.  They wont fasten in the back if she's sitting.
  • She can wear some of Ken's pants but they are tight in the cootch and don't fasten in the back.
  • She can wear some of the Liv/Barbie stretchy tops but none of the pants.
  • She can wear all of Ken/Bieber tops but add a belt if you want a more fitted look.
  • If you don't cut her feet, she can wear Ken and Bieber shoes.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Ultimate Toy Run

10 different stores in 3.5 hours, and boy are my feet tired!  After finally doing my taxes, I'm going to get a nice refund back.  Since I've been a very good girl (toy wise), I generously decided that I deserved a little spree... within budget, of course.  Here's what I got:


Ross had the MoxieTeenz ($15.99) and two Liv Alexis' ($7.99 & $9.99).  Walmart the Beach Barbie ($5.97) and Karate Fashion Pack ($5.87).  Kmart had the Liv Sophie ($15.00).  All the other stores were a bust.  I did see that Target has their 1st version exclusive Barbie Basic Accessory pack on clearance for $7.86.  I don't have this pack but I still didn't get it.  I'm betting they'll double it down.

I consider this a good haul and I had money left over, so yay!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Wedding Attire

"Going to the chapel..."  *singing*  In preparation for the upcoming wedding of Rod and Danielle at Van's Doll Treasures, I have picked out a doll to represent my blog at the wedding.  Meet Tatiana.


This is my first three wall dio.  Since this is supposed to be a dressing room, I felt it needed the confinement of a third wall or else it would look like Tatiana was rolling in the dough... and she's not.  Three walls annoy me only because it means having to add more lighting and I prefer ambient lighting over a flood fill.


Checking the makeup and deciding on jewelry.

My mom made this ensemble 20 years ago!  All her fashions were original and still hold up in my opinion.  Of course, none of them really fit because Barbies back then had bigger torsos and boobies, but smaller hips.  I've put a little stitch in the back so the bodice doesn't gap open. 0.o


Hat adjustment and getting a hankie for her purse.


"How do I look, Kitty?"


Très Chic!


Behind the Scenes

My third wall is a pull away and is not connected to anything.  I put my desk lamp beside it so it wont topple backwards.  The larger wall is a 24"x48" piece of cardboard folded in half.  I was originally using it as a photo board so it is covered in cloth and has grommets in each corner.  The white twine is to keep it from opening outward due to humidity or gravity since it can be set up for days before I take any photos.

I have a few consumer photo lighting kits and the boom light above is from a set.  I got it from B&H Photo online.  Although I have an umbrella to go with it, I didn't bother diffusing the light.  That's a 150 watt bulb, so it wasn't that harsh.

The Extras
Chair was made by me
Boxes are Bieber
Trunks are Ben Wa Ball holders
Dress form is a plastic Barbie dress insert painted red and taped to a Barbie stand
Armoire is a jewelry box from Target (clearance $10)
Vanity is Bratz DJ booth
Mirror is from Barbie bathtub
Stool is from Dora Explorer set
Cat is from Monster High Clawdeen Wolf
Towel set is Liv
Island is piece of a napkin holder sitting on a decorative box
Rug is a dining place mat.
Other items are an assortment of Liv and Barbie