Favourite dolls: Fond of blonde.

Actually, I'm not very fond of blonde dolls and there are just a few that made it to my favourites list. But there she is: Monsieur Z Beach Babes Sizzle.
 

I gave her a loose and comfy sweater for a lazy sunday morning.
I was astonished by the level of her details and quality. Her jewellery is made of metal, her shoes - of tiniest ribbons and elastics with plastic sole and silver fabric insole. Sadly, the shoes are slightly too big. The bikini is cool, despite being a pain to close at the back.
She's got pretty nails. And nail polish. French manicure actually!

Her hair is beautiful, thick, with a slight bluish sheen. The quality is great and I can't resist stroking it.

Her facepaint is simple, cartoonish and very accurate with Monsieur Z's illustrations. I think, it is very dificult to translate a 2D picture into a 3D shape, but no matter from what angle you look at MZ, she remains alike to the graphics. Her eyes are made of plain lines and patches of colour, but seem very expressive.

Seductive looks...

I really appreciate the simplicity of her face.

I wasn't absolutely convinced when I bought her, though she was on the wish list for a long time, but now I'm totally convinced. Enough, that another MZ is flying to me, though I really shouldn't have... and even more models are slipping onto the wish list...

The impossible task

As I spoke with some collectors, I found out that most of us share one fear:

What if I'm to keep only one or just a few dolls?

In case of fire, which of my dolls I'd try to save first (after family and live stock, of course)?

I could never answer these questions. Could you?

I always have "current favourites", dolls I play with, dress or sew for them most often. With time I get bored with them, some of them grow a personality and remain my favourites, although less played with, others fall into oblivion (and sometimes I discover them for the second time). I also have a significant group of old, often childhood dolls, which will always be special. Some have a "feels like home" aura, they are companions for times of sadness.

Luckily, my choices for now aren't that grave. I just have to choose a doll or dolls that will go with me to live abroad (Crete, Cyprus or both) for three months, be a companion, comforter and a model for sewing and photographing. Yup, quite demanding for - preferably - a single doll. Especially, that I like to sew and crochet for different sizes and shapes and get easily bored with just one. And I have a strictly limited luggage capacity.

1. B&B Tyler - my first 16", long time crush and a "feels like home" doll. Cons: not travel-friendly size.

 

As you can see, Tyler already is a traveller.

2. Cami 1st ed. - doll of ultimate grace and photo-compatibility. I love her poseability. Cons: again, size.

3. Mulan - my favourite Disney character. The problem is, I have so many Mulan dolls, it's sooo difficult to choose my favourite!

Classical Red used to be my absolute favourite for a long time and a feels-like-home, but I haven't played with her for a long time and I'm not sure if she still has that effect on me. Tragic hair. Blossom Beauty is so pale and noble, but her hair is a mess when trying on clothes, so she's a fail as a sewing model. I gave away the Secret Hero in good condition, because the shaved-and-heavily-played-with one grew on me so much, that I preferred her (f-l-h again). She's a great sewing model and good for carrying in the backpack, poor photo model. However, I don't like sewing for TNT body any more. I have two Disney Store Mulans, one has nicer face, the other (no photo) - articulated hands.

4. Enchantress - a true beauty (actually, which of them isn't?), and a romantic heroine of a story I made up about longing for a distant home and family. However, she's one of the display, not play dolls. Maybe I would establish a new relation with her? TNT body again.

5. Kida - a true feels-like-home girl, very unusual, slightly sad and melancholic, good listener, fair model, bad swimmer due to batteries in her back. A representative of ancient civilisation - nicely fits into the picture.

6. Tarina Tarantino - a girl with personality, photo-tastic, despite the model muse body, one of the feels-like-home bunch. She grabs attention, which is good and bad. Her curls and bangs don't like to be played with.

Long story behind a nice photo. :)

7. Monsieur Z - I don't know why, but this girl is a candidate to f-l-h group. Too new to know yet, but there's definitely something about her.

8. Aria - she wasn't supposed to appear on this list, but every time I pass her, there's that tingling sensation.

9. Frankie - small, poseable, fun and friendly, good for sewing and a pretty model. And she carries around a rat, which is an additional positive trait.

She was a perfect candidate until...

10. Lagoona - a water creature in a white lab coat with a frog in a jar. Absolutely perfect, no matter the details. ;) Mad science squared!

There were many, many other dolls that wanted to jump onto the list at worst, or into the suitcase at best. And I've been just going through the photos. I'm afraid to look at the shelves or into the cupboard not to stumble upon another doll I'd really, really like to take with me.

Meet Lagoona

This is Lagoona Blue. Although Frankie came first to live with me, Lagoona is number 1 from the start for many reasons. She was simply a little harder to get. I will probably come back to all the reasons of her supremacy, for now, lets say, we instatnly made friends, so I decided, that she'll accompany me in my first trip to Crete.

She proved to be a good, however demanding companion. She brought her original clothes, but she quickly demanded a dress suitable for the warm mediterranean spring. I didn't have time for sewing before we left, so she made me take all supplies with me. Lucky I didn't need much clothes for me this time.
I actually made her two dresses, but she refused to change on the beach.

Preview: MLT*

* My Little Toadie :)

I've been away for some time and it's gonna continue, I'm afraid. I just want to quickly share my new fascination. She's keeping me company. She doesn't seem to mind... ;)