The 2011 Holiday Monograms

I have a new love. I'd always avoided the FR: Monograms before because I didn't want to start collecting yet another doll line when I already have so many. I'd always liked them, though, and finally succumbed. ...

These girls are "Illumination" (blonde) and "Jubilation" from the 2011 holiday line by Integrity Toys. Total beauties, both of them.  There is a third doll in this series called "Fascination," which I didn't get.  I love these two so much I may save up money to get the third as well.  They've inspired me to start sewing again.

Yes, I took down "Jubilation's" hair.  Although her face paint is exactly like her promo pic, her hair ended up being twice as high as shown in the original promo photo and looked very Bride of Frankenstein.  I hate saying that, because she is such a beauty.  Her sculpt is lovely; her face paint is lovely; and her original clothing is so amazing it's absolutely sublime. (My photos show them redressed.)  I think the factory workers must have gotten carried away with doing her hair.  Anyway, I took her hair down with good results.  There was no bald spot, and her hair was pretty nicely rooted. Sorry I didn't get any pics of her original hairstyle. It was so crazy-high even my 4-year-old thought it looked weird. I couldn't wait to take it down.

"Illumination's" hair is perfect as-is. It's the perfect glam 'do.

Comparison pics

Classic Darla Daley, left, next to new Darla.

I thought I'd do some comparison pictures for everyone, because I always found comparison pics fascinating.  First up are pics showing the new Darla Daley sculpt next to the original sculpt. I noticed the new sculpt's chin juts out more than the old sculpt's. Other than that, they're actually pretty similar.

I also thought I'd show the new 2011 Adele sculpt (with a closed mouth) next to the previously-used open-mouthed Adele sculpt; the two 2011 Fashion Royalty Vanessas together; and the convention Poppy Parker "Simply Simpatico" next to the Poppy she looks the most like: "I Love How You Love Me."  Remember, you can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Old and new Darla Daleys in profile.

The 2011 Vanessas next to each other.

New closed-mouth Adele sculpt, left, next to the previous Adele sculpt.

Simpatico Poppy Parker, left, shown with Love Me Poppy.

Style Counsel

Holy freakin' crap.  I'm not sure whether I want to de-box this set, or build a shrine to it.  I've never had a really amazing two-doll gift set like this before (or ANY two-doll set of any kind).  It comes with the new 2011 Veronique sculpt and the new 2011 Adele sculpt from the Fashion Royalty line.  Scrumptious.  Drool.  Two amazing outfits, and one of them has TWO skirts instead of one.  Tons of jewelry.  Have I sold you on this set yet?  No?  Just wait.  FOUR pairs of shoes (two plastic, two fabric).  A hat like you'd see pictured in a European version of Vogue.  Two necklaces with two really nice earring-and-bracelet sets.  The outfits have separate tops and skirts so they can be mixed-and-matched.  Two pairs of sunglasses, stockings, extra hands and two pairs of panties in fucshia and blue.

I'd choose grumpy over the sickly-sweet Barbie grin you see in the cheapest playline Mattel dolls.  Still, I like a doll that doesn't look angry.  I think if this sculpt were painted differently, then Adele could be saved from looking crabby.  Perhaps it's just the way they painted the eyebrows?  I don't know.  Adele's expression makes me think someone just stepped on her foot. She's freakin' gorgeous, though.  I'll be thrilled to see future incarnations of her using this face sculpt.  I also love the new Veronique sculpt.  It's elegant and beautiful, and manages to have a surprising amount of expression in the face in all her incarnations so far.

My other, nit-picky, minor dislike:  Their fingernails are painted REALLY weirdly.  The nails are "nude" but with tiny dots of red or dark blue on the end of each fingernail.  Adele has red; Vero has blue.  It's really, really ugly and at first I thought it was a factory mistake until I saw that both dolls were painted like that.  I've never been tempted to re-paint doll fingernails before, but am considering it for the first time. Veronique has dark blue toenails. Ack!  I wish they'd just left fingers and toes unpainted.

I've already decided this set can't remain undeboxed for long.

For those who don't know, this was a gift set sold at Integrity Toys' 2011 "Jet Set" convention held two weeks ago. 

 

Convention Poppys!

2011 Workshop Poppy Parker, left, has the same face screening as "Youthquake" Poppy, right.

I was able to get some of the convention Poppy Parkers through a very nice lady who had gone to the Integrity Toys convention this year.  I loves me some Poppys! These are the workshop and table gift Poppy Parkers. I photographed them next to previous Poppys who share the same face screening.  2011 Workshop Poppy (black hair, green eyes) has "Youthquake's" screening, and "In The Air" Poppy (brown hair, purple eyes) has the same screening as the 2010 convention workshop Poppy.  I thought it would be interesting to see these photographed together.

Out of these four, the 2011 Workshop Poppy is my favorite.  I love the green eyes/black hair combo.  I think if I'd been designing her, I would have given her some lower lashes, though. That's OK.  She still rocks my boat.

"In The Air" Poppy, left, poses with the 2010 Workshop Poppy.

2011 Workshop Poppy wonders why SHE wasn't the table centerpiece.