What in the world is a grown woman doing collecting Barbie dolls, let alone blogging about it? It mean, really?! What is the world coming to? LOL I've heard those sentiments so many times and guess what? I don't care. I love my Barbies!
The name of this blog came from my brother. He would look at the Barbies in my bedroom and the dolls that came in when I ordered, shake his head and say "Vanessa, Don't just play Barbie, be Barbie!" Thus the title of this blog. If he had any idea that he would contribute to this I'm sure he would have kept that comment to himself.
Anyhoo, I'm just doing this to have fun and relieve a bit of stress. I'm also incorporating my love for fashion and accessories into this blog. Stay tuned and feel free to join in. :)
ONE OF THE jurors in the Barbie v Bratz trial, in which the toy giant Mattel has scored a big victory over its rival MGA Entertainment, was removed on Friday for making an ethnic slur about Isaac Larian, the chief executive of MGA, who was born in Iran.
The remark came during jury deliberations in the first phase of the trial, which ended on July 18. The jury found that MGA, and specifically Mr Larian, had helped the creator of Bratz, Carter Bryant, who at the time was working as a Mattel designer on the toy giant's Barbie line, breach his contract.
The trial is in the damages phase, during which Mattel is expected to ask for more than $US1billion ($1.04 billion). [More]
Some readers have asked about the Barbie dolls with dreadlocks. Those are dolls whose hair has been re-rooted. The fabulous doll artist is a woman named Loanne Hizo Ostlie of Tabloach Productions. Check out her site to see more of her work. Her creations are also available on eBay.
Here's a small sample of a few of my favorite creations by her.
Randall Craig will soon offer two versions of an adorable poodle accessory Barbie-sized fashion dolls. These pooches are way better than the plastic dogs sold with many fashion dolls.
Note to Mattel: This is the type of dog that should have accompanied the Kimora Lee Simmons doll. The pooch can be purchased soon at My Favourite Doll.
Well, I will have to wait to get the Alpha Kappa Alpha Barbie. The small number of dolls on hand went very quickly at the price of $49.95 each. A portion of the sales of the doll will go the organization to continue its legacy of wonderful international programming and service.
If you're not familiar with Alpha Kappa Alpha, do check the website at http://www.aka1908.org/.
A little trivia, Michelle Obama has accepted honorary membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. When her husband, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, becomes President of the United States, she will become the second Alpha Kappa Alpha woman to represent this country as First Lady. Eleanor Roosevelt is the first AKA to serve as First Lady.
I am still meeting very cool people through Barbie collecting and this blog. I am honored that this blog is now being syndicated over at ToyCollector.com. Check out the site and let me know what you think; it's a site for all toy collectors.
I am so excited to post this photo of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Barbie doll. I tuned into The Early Show this morning to watch my sorority sisters spread the word about AKA and share the history of international gathering in Washington, DC.
I did not expect my sorority's spokesperson to unveil the AKA Barbie doll on television; what a bonus! I can't explain how it felt to see our organization's shield and beautiful colors --- salmon pink and apple green on a Barbie.
The doll looked like the one pictured above except I think the hair was a tad lighter. There were several boxes on the display table and one out of the box. You know I wanted to jump through the screen to get one.
Anyhoo, one of my sisters (Thanks, Soror Shawna) will get one for me and you know I will order more. This was a smart move on Mattel's behalf because they will make a mint from the sorority members, family and friends who will purchase the doll as gifts and others who just love the doll.
For any of my family, friends and kind strangers that may read this; I can never have too many of this doll.
It goes without saying that I will write about the doll when I actually receive her. She'll be availalble at BarbieCollector.com in mid-August.
Carter Bryant, designer and former employee of Mattel, is at the heart of the Barbie-Bratz lawsuit you may have heard about in recent weeks. In dispute is whether he was a Mattel employee when he came up with the Bratz concept and shopped it to MGA Entertainment, Inc. If that is the case, Mattel would claim ownership of Bratz and the gazillion dollars they rake in.
This Fall, Mattel is slated to release a Barbie doll to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The doll will be designed by artistic director Judith Jamison and is said to be based on the classic Ailey performance piece, 'Revelations'.
Modern dance enthusiasts will assure fabulous sales of this doll. I can already picture a doll based on the same mold as Princess of South Africa Barbie in that awesome white dress with the umbrella. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.
Principal dancer Renee Robinson is an awesome and performances the piece with brilliance but Judith Jamison will always be THE dancer that represents Alvin Ailey and his dreams. The Company used to perform in South Florida every year but I haven't seen them in ages.
Congratulations on 50 years of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and here's to many more!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge in California has cleared the way for Barbie doll maker Mattel Inc (MAT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to go forward with its lawsuit against ex-employee and Bratz dolls inventor Carter Bryant.
Mattel, the world's largest toy maker, had claimed it owns MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls because Bryant conceived the big-headed, pouty-lipped toys while he worked as a Barbie designer.
In a ruling issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson said "the undisputed facts establish that Bryant breached his fiduciary duty to communicate his inventions to Mattel when, rather than doing so, he secretly entered into a contract with Mattel's competitor, while still employed by Mattel."
Sales of Barbie dolls have waned in recent years amid fierce competition from Bratz dolls, which burst onto the market in 2001. Mattel said this month the Bratz litigation was a factor in its $46.6 million first-quarter loss.
"The facts are on our side and we are confident we will prevail at trial," MGA Chief Executive Isaac Larian said in a statement. " MGA ... built Bratz -- and no one else."
(Reporting by Justin Grant, with additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; editing by Carol Bishopric and Braden Reddall)
NOTE: I do not represent all of these photos as my own; these are photos of Barbie and other dolls that I find to be fabulous! If you are the actual photographer and would like to be credited, send me an e-mail.
Barbie Fans
Barbie History
Barbie was named for a real young lady from California named Barbara Handler. Barbie, the teen fashion doll that debuted in 1959 was created by Barbara's mom, Ruth Handler, who named the doll after her daughter and the rest is doll history.
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If you're not familiar with Alpha Kappa Alpha, do check the website at 
