My favorite mouseling, Angelina Ballerina, was recently the focus of the paparazzi when she was spotted swapping clothes with Suri Cruise – the daughter of celebrities Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes – who also happens to be a major dolly girl.

The Dance with Me Angelina Ballerina that Suri was toting before gymnastics class is from Madame Alexander and is 36″ tall.

Madame Alexander sent us this famous mouse to review and little did I know the my girls, ages 13 and 10, would go crazy for their long lost childhood companion. From about 2000 until 2006, Angelina’s TV show (on PBS) and the DVDs were watched daily. The girls danced around to her songs, I read her books to them regularly and they had an Angelina matching game that got lots of play time too.

Megan got her bid in early and quickly swept Angelina away, up to her room and next thing you know, Angelina was logging in to her laptop.

Next Angelina thought she might want to paint her fingernails – but then she remembered, she doesn’t have any – she’s a plush doll.

Angelina spotted a balance ball in the room and thought maybe she would do some exercises to tone her fluffy middle. You can see the elastic straps under her feet – those are so you can hook them over your shoes and dance with Angelina on your feet.

Exhausted for her workout she ventured to Natalie’s room and found a nice comfy striped pillow and more plush friends to hang out with. Nap time for Angelina!

Angelina is a classic in our house and the Dance with Me Angelina Ballerina would make a great gift for girls of all ages. You are never too old for Angelina.

Madame Alexander dolls are considered to be a true American Classic – they have been in business since the 1920s and continue to be one of the most recognizable names when it comes to dolls. In addition to their collectible doll line, their baby dolls and plush characters line, Madame Alexander has their own line of 18″ vinyl play dolls called Favorite Friends. As a matter of fact, you may recognize their faces because Madame Alexander also makes 18″ dolls for companies like Target (their PlayWonder line), Costco and others. We were sent an Favorite Friends doll and some clothes to review – let me introduce you to McKayla and I’ll give you more details as we go.

Meet McKayla (Natalie named her) – she is the “Spring Fling Dance” Favorite Friend. She has long, curly strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. She is 18″ tall and made of vinyl with a partial soft body which means she can wear strappy dresses and swimsuits without looking odd but she is still huggable. She is wearing her springy floral dress with turquoise cardigan and white sandals.

McKayla was relaxing on the trundle bed when Kit stopped in to say hello! Kit saw McKayla’s “Downtown Cool” outfit on the bed and commented on how neat the ruffled layers in the top were. McKayla told Kit she could try on the outfit – because that’s one of the best things about friends – sharing your wardrobe.

As you can see, Kit LOVES this outfit! The “Downtown Cool” outfit consists of the black and white boat neck top with ruffled layers, the purple skirt, black leggings (which are lined with a sheer layer to prevent staining of the doll’s legs – smart!!), the high top tennis shoes and the reversible vest. The whole thing fits Kit perfectly which means the Favorite Friends outfits should look great on any of the 18″ dolls you have.

Kit and McKayla spent the next hour talking about their hobbies, what they want to be when they grow up, and of course, clothes. McKayla told Kit she had to go get ready for ballet practice and that she looked forward to meet the rest of the girls later on.

McKayla is ready for ballet class in her “Tutu Cute” outfit. It comes with a leotard, tutu skirt, tights, ballet shoes, leg warmers and a headband. I like how she looks without bangs too – pulling them back with the headband.

Here is the Tutu Cute outfit from a different angle where you can see all the pieces better. And if you look closely, you can see the line in her torso that separates the vinyl part and her soft body middle.

And I loved this photo of the Favorite Friends doll from the back practicing her ballet. Her long curls are just beautiful. Her hair is rooted (not a wig sewn on like American Girl dolls) and very soft.

While McKayla was at ballet class Nicole and Chrissa decided to check out her shoes! The white sandals Chrissa is wearing go with the Spring Fling Dance outfit, but the other three pair come in the Steppin’ Out shoe pack. The Favorite Friends shoes are different from what you may be used to. They are thick plastic and super easy to put on. I think they will hold up to play very well and I have to say the pink sandals are the cutest!

You will see more of McKayla as she gets to know the rest of the doll family here!

Where to buy: The Favorite Friends are around $50 each and their clothes are about $25 per outfit, too. You can buy Favorite Friends dolls and their accessories at MadameAlexander.com, selected doll stores and Amazon.com.

Yesterday while we were at Target we took another look at the Play Wonder line of 18″ dolls and clothes. I know they have been out since last fall so I was wondering, has anyone bought anything from the Play Wonder line? Do the outfits work well on other 18″ dolls? At $16.99-ish for an outfit that has quite a few pieces, it seems to be a good value – especially when you consider the mix and match possibilities – I’m just curious about the fit.

This is all our Target had yesterday and based on the thinly stocked shelves, they must be getting ready to start stocking some of the new items I saw from various companies at Toy Fair.

If you have photos of your dolls wearing any of the Play Wonder outfits leave me a link to the photos or email them in to me at share@dolldiaries.com – I’d love to see the photos and to get your insight on this line. How is the quality? How about the fit? That kind of stuff!

UPDATE - Here is a photo that Madelon sent in of her daughter’s Play Wonder doll next to American Girl Julie for comparison sake:

The Play Wonder doll’s head is much taller and her body is a little slimmer – plus it looks like her feet are made to wear flip flops.

One of the most recognizable names in dolls of all time has to be the legendary Madame Alexander. Founded in 1923, Madame Alexander dolls have become a part of American history – being one of the first companies to do licensed versions of dolls based on famous stories or characters, being one of the first to introduce sleep eyes, and created the first dolls made of hard plastic. While at Toy Fair I was happy to visit the Madame Alexander showroom and see the full range of offerings they have for this year. Madame Alexander has something for everyone! From the doll collector to the girls who want dolls they can play with to the little bitties who love their plush, Madame Alexander has a line for it.

Hands down one of my favorites from the show is the Madame Alexander 16″ Alex in her Pan Am glory! Madame Alexander has made a 10″ doll version and the 16″ doll version licensed with  the Pan Am airline and based on the uniforms of its crew in the 1960s. I think the 16″ doll is just stunning!!

Madame Alexander is the US distributor of the Sonja Hartmann Kidz ‘n Cats line of poseable dolls. If you remember a few weeks ago, we purchased Galina (the second from the left on the bottom row in a polka dot jacket) and based on the feedback I have gotten from our readers, I figured you all wanted to see more from the collection.

The Kidz ‘n Cats Laura doll – in the yellow dress – was one of the DOTY 2012 Industry Award winning dolls this year. She will not be out until later this spring, but I just love those curls! While the Kidz ‘n Cats doll really is playable, they are labeled for ages 14 and up, meaning they are really more for the junior collector who takes good care of her dolls.

The Kidz ‘n Cats dolls are 18″ tall but have slimmer bodies than American Girl dolls. Their feet are about the same size though (slightly bigger but can share shoes). I like the Kidz ‘n Cats faces that have smiles that show their teeth – like the girl second from the left in the picture above. Her face is basically the same as the Galina doll we already have.

Madame Alexander also has its own line of 18″ play dolls that are very similar in size to American Girl and other 18″ play dolls. The outfit in the back row that is the hot pink dress with the black jacket is one that has been designed by child fashion prodigy Cecilia Cassini.

If you are a Disney Princess fan or have one in the house, I think these Madame Alexander 18″ play versions of Ariel, Tinkerbell and Belle are just too cute. They are much cuter than some of the other versions I have seen at Toys R Us and Target.

Madame Alexander does a lot with creating licensed products from our favorite stories, tv shows, movies and characters. This display of Strawberry Shortcake plush characters was one of many they had including an anniversary Puff the Magic Dragon collection, Wizard of Ox, Snoopy, and so many moe.

Meet Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch) and her sister Glinda from the musical WICKED. These two are 16″ articulated collector editions from Madame Alexander. Like I said, there really is a Madame Alexander doll for everyone and every occasion! From the little 8″ holiday themed collectibles to the play dolls to the plush to the 16″ dolls – Madame Alexander’s dolls really are a classic!

Just a few more Toy Fair reports to go! I hope you are enjoying them!!

Over the weekend we visited The Toy Shoppe (see our recap here) and of course, we did not come home empty-handed. We added another doll to our collection – a Sonja Hartmann Kidz ‘ n Cats 18″ slim body doll named Galina. The Kidz ‘n Cats dolls come in a wide variety of faces, hair color, and personalities – and there are even boys (the Doll Wardrobe have two on the way). There were some I really did not care for, but Natalie and I just loved Galina – primarily because of her toothy grin. We like happy dolls. The other one I really like is Laura, but she is not available until March.

Galina has long auburn hair that is a side part with peek-a-boo bangs. She has the most amazing eye lashes but her eyes do not open and close. She comes with a cat – we named him Franco – who has a semi-matching denim outfit with white furry collar and a sassy little beret.

This is a better picture of those amazing eyes!

Galina’s hair is very long and smooth which makes it easy to work with. Her meet outfit includes her undies & cami, t-shirt, shorts, tights, boots, a belt (not shown), headband (also not shown) and her furry jacket. Honestly, I am not overwhelmed by her clothes – they are not the quality of fabric and ease of dressing that we have become accustomed to with American Girl, Maplelea, Carpatina and other brands.

The good news is that Galina and our Carpatina Slim Body 18″ doll Erin are very similar in size! The big difference is that the Kidz ‘n Cats dolls are articulated which means they bend at the wrists, elbows and knees as well as the hips, shoulders and head like the Carpatina dolls do. The Kidz ‘n Cats feet are also bigger than the Carpatina feet. Anyhow, Erin was so happy that Galina brought her this super cute ballet set. The set was on sale for $29 and included two ballet outfits, one pair of tights, leg warmers, and two pairs of shoes. The leotard fits Erin, but it is every so slightly short in the torso on her, so she borrowed the purply wrap from the retired American Girl ice skating outfit and it looks perfect!

Erin was so happy to finally get to practice her ballet moves. It’s a good thing McKenna’s bar works well as a ballet barre, too!

Erin and Galina are great friends already and as a thank you for bringing her the new ballet clothes, Erin offered to let Galina wear her Carpatina Afternoon Stroll outfit.

Erin thinks that Galina looks MUCH better now and I have to agree. The only thing is that Galina’s feet are pretty big so she couldn’t wear the Carpatina shoes, but Chrissa’s shoes  fit just fine and match the outfit, too. Galina wanted to go for a little ride on the scooter while Erin went back to ballet class.

On her scooter ride, Galina came across Kit who was happy to welcome her to the doll room.

Galina introduced Kit to her crazy cat Franco. And off they went to introduce Franco to the rest of the pets.

So, what do you think of our new girl? I think she will fit in just fine and will have plenty of adventure with her new friends.

You can get Kidz ‘n Cats dolls in the US through stores like The Toy Shoppe, other Madame Alexander retailers and even Amazon.

I am really loving that Natalie’s swim meets have been in fun places recently and have given us the opportunity to take in some extra doll goodness along with her swim. If you remember, a few weeks ago we ended up at the American Girl store at Tysons after one of her meets and Saturday we realized that The Toy Shoppe was only 15 minutes from the pool she was at.  The Toy Shoppe is a unique store that is owned by award winning doll retailers Danny and Barrie Shapiro and their family since 1975. Their store has collectible dolls and bears for every age and price range – from less than $50 to well into the thousands of dollars. However, that is not what makes The Toy Shoppe special – it is the incredible collection of dolls they select for their customers that is what sets them apart. They don’t work with just any doll maker or artist – they are very selective.

When we arrived at The Toy Shoppe we were greeted by Kathy who welcomed us and instantly made us feel at home. She gave us the basic overview of the store and showed us the Gallery. The dolls in the gallery are so special and so expensive that I know for a fact I will never own one, but they were simply amazing to look at. Some were very life-like and others somewhat artistic and abstract, some you wanted to just scoop up and others Natalie thought were a little creepy, but that is the thing about dolls – their appeal is so individualized and there is something for everyone.

This is a Paddington Bear by R. John Wright that was made in 2000. He is 15″ tall and fully poseable. I have loved Paddington ever since I was a child and this has to be one of the most divine Paddington Bear’s I have seen yet. Most of R. John Wright’s creations are inspired by popular children’s books, illustrations and stories. They are licensed and R. John Wright goes to extreme lengths to capture every last detail in his work.

The Toy Shoppe carries quite a bit of Madame Alexander – from the play doll line up to the most collectible items. I just had to take a picture of the Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz dolls as Natalie just got the miniature versions of these from Aunt Kay last week.

Some of the Madame Alexander Cissy dolls including A Dark Dream Cissy, Envy Cissy and Simply Irresistible Cissy – and of course, an 18″ Favorite Friends doll, too. While Natalie and I were checking out the Madame Alexander’s and the Steiff bears, we met Dana. Dana manages The Toy Shoppe Facebook page and I had left her a note the day before saying we would be down to visit. She was so much fun to talk to and so knowledgeable as well.

We continued to make our way around the store – completely overwhelmed by the diversity of dolls, bears and plush animals – as well as the incredible talent that went into making so many of the dolls. This photo shows that diversity.

Barrie, one of the stores owners, also came out to talk with us and show us around the store. This is a photo of a small piece of Barrie’s desk. Her entire office was DOLLS, DOLL, BEARS, DOLLS, and more, you guessed it, DOLLS. I’m not sure I could work in there – I’d want to play all day, but it did actually inspire me to look at my own desk and how I can rearrange things to showcase more of my own growing collection and have all those sweet little faces keeping me company all day.

Barrie introduced me to the dolls of Helen Kish. This is High Flying Raven, a 14″ ball jointed doll with 13 points of articulation. I just fell in love with this doll – especially her face, but Helen’s version of the aviator outfit on her is just adorable. High Flying Raven is $340, which is a bit out of my price range for the time being, but it is nice to know that The Toy Shoppe can do payment plans in case there is a doll you just have to add to your collection.

Barrie showed us more of the R. John Wright collection and they are truly lifelike renditions of the original – possibly even better. This is Alice in Wonderland. She is not the Disney-fied cartoony version, rather more like the original artist drawings. Every detail – down to the stripes in her socks – are created with care. Isn’t she something?

I forgot to get the name of this lifesize cutie – but she is just another example of what I mean by there is something for everyone at The Toy Shoppe.

The Toy Shoppe carries play dolls too – from the Adora 4 Ever Friends line to the jr. collector line by Sonja Hartmann called Kidz’nCats. This is Tinka from the Kidz’nCats line. They are 18″ slim body dolls very similar to the Carpatina slim body line. They have gorgeous facial features, including the longest eyelashes ever. The Carpatina slim body dolls can move their heads as well as their arms and legs, but the Kidz’nCats dolls are articulated so they can bend in many more places. We fell in love with one of Tinka’s friends – Galina – and brought her home. We will be doing a post just on Galina with some great side by sides of the other 18″ dolls, too.

You can see more photos from our visit on the DollDiaries Facebook page.

I would like to thank Barrie, Danny, Dana and especially Kathy (as she and Natalie did quite a bit of doll talk on their own) for such a warm welcome and tour of their gem of a store! I look forward to our next visit!

I love surprises, don’t you?

Yesterday when the mail came there was box…

I was not expecting any packages, so when I read the return label I started doing the happy dance. Remember my visit with Natalie to Aunt Kay’s – the one with the huge Barbie collection? Well out of the blue, Kay had sent us a box!

Kay is a grandmother and her husband passed away a few years ago. Kay was so touched by our visit and seeing the joy that Natalie found in the dolls that she spent the next 10 days rearranging her doll cabinets and displays – 24 of the 28 displays to be exact!! Every doll was removed, looked at and some new ones came out and others found new groupings to be with. She had been re-energized.

In the midst of her rearranging, Kay found some duplicates of her Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz Happy Meal dolls. She knew that Natalie loved the little Kelly size Barbies and thought these little gems would go well with the nine Kelly dolls she gave Natalie when we visited last month. There was a 2007 set and a 2008 set – the one’s Natalie got are from both sets.

Here’s the whole group of the Madame Alexander Oz minis.

The Wicked Witch of the West, the Wicked Witch of the East, Glinda the Good Witch and the Winged Monkey.

The Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Dorothy (and Toto in the basket), and the Tin Man.

Cowardly Lion, Dorothy (and Toto in the basket), Tin Man, Lullaby Munchkin and Lollipop Munchkin

Also in the box were some full size Barbies and two MyScene dolls.

In the box were five more dolls. From left to right – Corduroy Cool Teresa from 1999, an unknown Barbie with Polly-Pocket like rubber clothes, MyScene Barbie and her boyfriend River, and the Spot Scene Barbie from 2001.

I am not a fan of the My Scene Barbie line at all, but the other dolls are neat. I especially like Teresa and Kay remembered that when we were there last month I just kept coming back to this Teresa doll – we were trying to figure out which one she was and when we left, I still didn’t know. Teresa was packed in the box with her stand and I happened to notice writing on the bottom of the stand. Smart Kay! She had written the name of the doll and the year on the bottom of the stand! So she is from the Corduroy Cool Barbie set from 1999. She’s not a high-end Barbie, by any means, but I go back to what Kay and Sandi Holder from the Doll Attic have said more than once – “collect the dolls YOU like and the ones that make YOU happy.” This Teresa does just that!

Kay says Teresa reminds her of me. Teresa is going to be a cherished part of my collection for years to come!!

Thank you so much Kay and I can not wait to visit you again!

I just finished reading a really interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, Attack of the Tall Dolls – Toy Companies Make Them Bigger to Keep Girls Playing With Them Longer, that talks about how the various toy companies are making dolls taller in attempt to help girls see their dolls more as companions and therefore play with them longer. As a phenomenon called “age compression” continues to occur with our society, what were activities generally enjoyed by 9-11 year olds are now the hits among 7-9 year olds. Girls are giving up baby dolls sooner – often by 7 – and hair styles, fashion and dolls with common interests are winning out with the 7-11 set.

So, what are the hot 18″ doll lines for girls ages 6-11 this Christmas?

	American Girl continues to lead the pack when it comes to “companion” dolls with its line of 18″ dolls that are meant to be a girls’ best friend. Their line of historical dolls and books are also popular with girls and Moms, alike. At $95 each, they are definitely pricey, but the dolls are high quality and can easily become keepsakes. American Girl released its online world, InnerstarU this summer as another way to keep today’s plugged in girls interested in their dolls a little longer. American Girl dolls are only available at AmericanGirl.com or at one of the nine American Girl stores.
	Best Friends Club, Ink dolls were introduced last fall, were a huge seller for Christmas 2009 and I fully expect the line to be a big seller again this holiday season! The BFC, Ink dolls are 18″ tall, have realistic eyes, bendable knees, wear contemporary clothes and come with a journal and a second outfit – all for a very affordable $40 (approx.) price tag. You can find the Best Friends Club dolls at major retailers such as Walmart and Target, but Amazon seems to have the most complete selection of the dolls and their accessories. (click for complete BFC collection at Amazon)
	Journey Girls, a new line of 18″ dolls from Toys R Us, features four different dolls each with different talents who like to do different things. Callie, Meredith, Alana and Taryn are the four different soft-bodied dolls. There is a line of clothes and accessories that is available for each doll as well.
	Disney’s attempt to keep doll fans playing with its products longer is its new line of Princess and Me 18″ dolls featuring its five most popular princesses – Tiana, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Belle. Each doll retails for about $50 and comes with an exclusive Disney Princess and Me magazine filled with a full-color photos, princess tips, princess quiz and royal ideas and an honorary princess certificate, plus additional accessories. The dolls are available through the Disney Store and you can purchase the Disney Princess and Me dolls through Amazon, too.
	The Kahn Lancaster Lucas group has introduced a line of 18″ dolls along with a line of doll and matching girl sized outfits. The dolls are manufactured by the legendary Alexander Co. and the dolls look very similar to the Favorite Friend line they had last year. The Dollie & Me dolls can be purchased at Sears.com (or in stores) and the line of matching doll and girl dresses can be found at Kohls and Amazon.
	Maplelea Girls are a line of 18″ dolls inspired by the girls of Canada. The collection of five dolls representing the girls from the various Canadian regions are high quality, 18? vinyl play dolls. Taryn, Brianne, Alexi, Jenna and Léonie. Maplelea dolls also have a complete line of furniture, clothes and accessories that go with the girls. You can read our complete review of the Maplelea Girl dolls here.

Other doll lines that are expected to be popular this holiday season also include:

• Moxie Teenz (14″ dolls)
• Barbie Fashionistas (11″ dolls)
• Karito Kids Giving Girls (21″ dolls)
• My Twinn The Just Like Me Doll: www.mytwinn.com (21″ dolls)

Did you know that the Madame Alexander doll headquarters is still in Harlem, NY and you can take a tour of the 600 doll Heritage Gallery (also referred to as the museum), have a birthday party there , view their design process, and visit the company store??? I wish I would have known about this when we visited New York a few years ago. And, it will definitely be on my itinerary the next time we are in New York.

Just in time for its 87th birthday, the Madame Alexander website has just be re-launched. It is not only a great resource for collectors, but it has an online store and contains all the information you need for booking a tour, birthday party or getting the latest company news.

Some interesting Madame Alexander doll facts:

• Beatrice Alexander Behrman founded the Alexander Doll Co. out of her kitchen in 1923.
• Her father, Maurice, founded what is believed to be America’s first doll hospital on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
• The Madame Alexander doll partnerships with Fifth Avenue toy retailer FAO Schwarz began in 1923  and it’s partnership with Walt Disney started in 1933.
• In 1940s, Madame Alexander dolls were the first dolls with “sleep” eyes that open and close.
• Over 6,500+ Madame Alexander dolls have been produced with only a few different face molds – the dolls originality lies in the various costumes.

Sources: The Making of a Madame Alexander Doll,  MadameAlexander.com, Doll Reference

Some of my favorite Madame Alexander dolls that are available now are:

Madame Alexander Itty Bitty Birthday Girl – Blonde 8-inch Doll My First Baby Flower Doll 12" by Madame Alexander Madame Alexander Fashion Doll With Poodle: Poodle-Licious Madame Alexander My First Christmas With Lenox Doll Madame Alexander Holiday Parade Ballerina 8-inch Doll Madame Alexander On Top Of Spaghetti 8-inch Doll Madame Alexander Fly Me To The Moon 8-inch Doll Madeline with Genevieve 8" by Madame Alexander Madame Alexander Littlest Chef 8-inch Doll Madame Alexander Friends Forever 8-inch Doll Madame Alexander Graduation Day – Redhead 8-inch Doll Madame Alexander Ireland 8-inch Doll

So, we are snowed in which is fine as far as my kids are concerned. My daughter has been playing with her dolls just about all day.

She just came “driving” through my office with Chrissa and her latest addition to the dolly family – Ashley the Madame Alexander Favorite Friends doll in the Build-a-Bear’s little red sports car! (We ordered the Madame Alexander Favorite Friends doll from Emily Rose on the 15th and she arrived Friday – now that was fast!!)

Ashley, her Madame Alexander doll is too cute! She absolutely loves her and has toted her around all weekend. Here is another picture of Ashley and Chrissa.

The Madame Alexander Favorite Friends dolls are supposedly 18″ dolls, but as you can see, Ashley is bigger than Chrissa. The face molds are cute but very different than the American Girl ones. The Favorite Friends dolls have soft bodies but they are different than the American Girl bodies – the harder vinyl portion goes down to about her armpits. They have very brushable hair and the American Girl doll clothes do fit (depending on the outfit).