GOTY 2021: Kira Bailey

 Are you ready?

I pretty much want Kira, all the outfits, her animals, and perhaps the large pink glam tent, aka the Comfy Platform Tent. What's on your wish list?

RRFF: A New Poppet & The One that Got Away

Un Bonheuer de Coliberi has a new exclusive Ruby Red Fashion Friend poppet available for pre-order! 

Eira will debut in February 2021 and she will have long, light blonde hair pulled back into a braid and she features a striking face up with heavy brow and lashes. Eira also features the premiere of a brand new ice-blue eye color.

Eira means "snow" in Welsh, but it is also a Scandinavian name as well, a variant of Eir, the goddess of healing.

Eira is ready for a stroll out in the snow, wearing soft winter whites and grays and a pair of comfy Ugg-style boots. She has a strong modern Elsa of Frozen vibe and will likely be instant love or a strong pass for many. But with only 150 available some may need to jump in now during the pre-order period to guarantee an Eira poppet.

Eira will make her way from France all the way to home here in California this February (which is also my birthday month!).

But now a moment to appreciate the beauty that got away...

Valentine is a Russian exclusive who went on pre-order sometime in November and debuted in early December. She's all sold out, all 150 Valentine poppets. Did you miss this poppet as well? Love her hair, her outfit, and the whole package.

I would love to see a variant of Valentine, such as a similar girl with the same outfit but in pinks. Or at least that shoe style--Mary Janes with bows--and coordinating socks in that blue and other colors as well--how about ruby red, blue, pink, deep brown, and maybe an orange!

Well, Valentine, it was love at first sight, but it was not meant to be!

RRFF: FAO Schwarz Holiday Exclusive

 Super cute, available now at FAO Schwarz, Sara as Toy Soldier.

RRFF: 2020 Holiday Edition Dolls

Bright holiday red or royal blue! Which is your favorite?

MAYA (extra long wig)

BELLA (red streak in wig)

SARA (brunette version)

STELLA (blonde version)

These limited edition 2020 holiday dolls have been reported sold out from some retail stores but are still available for order/pre-order at the main Ruby Red Fashion Friends site and Happily Ever After Dolls.

RRFF: Another Exclusive! Meet Perihelia

Another adorable exclusive from Ruby Red Fashion Friends. Meet Perihelia, now available for preorder.

Perihelia

The only places I know for pre-order is Happily Ever Dolls and the Ruby Red Fashion Dolls main site. Happily Ever lists her as limited to 150, but unsure if that is store-specific or worldwide.

RRFF: New Outfits for Fall

New outfits for Ruby Red Fashion Friends will debut this fall! Pre-orders to open soon.

Ruffle Love

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Picnic in the Park

Cat's Meow

Bringing the Confetti

Jumping for Joy

Welcome! Ruby Red Fashion Friends

While Poppets & Posies took a very long hiatus, my personal poppet collection continued to grow in new and unexpected ways. One of my new obsessions is the Ruby Red Fashion Friends line of 14.5" tall poppets that debuted in late November 2019.

What strikes me most about the RRFF dolls are their faces, many of which are based on a sculpt by renowned doll artist Dianna Effner. The blonde haired Charlotte, pictured above in a darling black-and-white houndstooth dress, is an Effner sculpt. 

Charlotte is a Limited Edition of just 150 dolls and is currently in pre-sales with an August debut date. I put my order in for Charlotte on day one and eagerly await her arrival. She is not my first RRFF either! More intro posts to come.

The RRFF dolls are jointed, in particular their elbows and knees bend which means they can be posed sitting with knees bent! This is a posing feature I never knew I missed out on during 20+ years of primarily collecting my stiff-kneed American Girl 18" dolls and Wellie Wishers (WW) 14.5" dolls. Now I'm hooked on sitting my new RRFFs here, there and everywhere!

The natural comparison for me as a collector is RRFF poppets versus WW poppets since both are 14.5" in height. My first impression is that overall the RRFFs appear more delicate than the WW because of small details - painted nails, more delicate eyelashes, more details in the faceups, etc. The RRFF doll is sturdy, but it is not pre-school age friendly like the WW doll. Many of the RRFF hairstyles would not survive a day of vigorous play and their outfits are full of tucks and ruffles and buttons that would be better suited for a 10+ year old who understands how to care for a doll.

RRFFs can wear some WW outfits but it is not a perfect fit because RRFFs have slightly longer arms and legs and end up looking like they just outgrew the WW outfit a half season ago. The RRFF feet are also slimmer and longer than WW feet, so only the roomier WW boots or slippers tend to fit so be prepared to go shoe hunting.

In the end, the biggest difference that will drive customers to one line or the other is price. While a Wellie Wisher doll is still a modest investment of $60, a Ruby Red Fashion Friend doll starts at $120-130 on average. Watch for sales and specials through the various dealers! I purchased my first RRFF through FAO Schwarz last Christmas for $100 plus free shipping.

So what's next for Poppets & Posies?

I anticipate still being focused on American Girl dolls and their Wellie Wisher friends. But I also plan to create posts and info pages here for a few other doll lines, especially those in the 14" range -- Ruby Red Fashion Friends, Gorjuss Doll, etc.

Looking forward to sharing more doll days and poppet adventures with you all!