Fashion Dolls 101

 They aren't exactly dolls but I am going to lump them in with the plush dolls, because these Harry Potter squishmallows at Michael’s are just too cute… and they are ON SALE! Regularly $14.99, these Harry Potter squishmallows are now just $8.99 at Michael’s! Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry’s owl  Hedwig  have never looked so cute… or been so huggable. The set of 4 plush Harry Potter characters is available for $8.99 while supplies last. 

  It’s hard being small. Barbie mini has discovered it is difficult to find a man her size to go out with. It doesn’t help that so far they haven’t made a Ken mini. She finally found two candidates but isn’t sure if either is dressed appropriately to go home for the big neighborhood bar-b-cue or to go meet the family at church.  She ran into both of them at the park and they both immediately started fighting over her. Apparently Harry and Clark have found it equally difficult to meet tiny women.  Dark Barbie is waiting in the wings by the fountain. She said she would be happy to take whichever hero Barbie doesn’t pick. I think it’s a happy ending in the making   Find all the Barbie minis at Dollar Tree for $1.25 each   Which hero do you prefer for Mini Barbie? Let me know in the comments below  

 I almost missed these little cuties, but Walgreens has a selection of 4th of July gnomes, and they have just gone on sale! Regularly $5, they are now on sale for $3.79.  Smaller than the gnomes available at Michael’s and Dollar Tree, these cute little fellows look adorable mixed in with the bigger Summer Gnomes .  The Walgreens gnome, left, pictured next to the Michael’s gnome in the middle and the Dollar Tree gnome on the right There were only four gnomes left at my local Walgreens and I left with one of them. Grab yours before they are gone.  Related: Michael’s: 4th of July & Pumpkins!  Patriotic Gnomes Celebrate July 4 with Groovy Girls Vanessa   Summer Gnomes Barbie Minis Prepare for the Semiquincentennial Looking Ahead to America’s 250th Birthday 4th of July 2025: Events, Articles, Poems & More

  The Barbie minis are not just getting ready for the 4th of July, they are getting the word out about America’s 250th Birthday —our nation’s  Semiquincentennial !  While the minis are using an AI-generated logo for their party, the official l ogo has been unveiled  and will soon be appearing on America250 merchandise.  So enjoy your normal, traditional 4th of July festivities this year, because the next July 4 celebration in 2026 will be a doozy!  Related: Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4   4th of July 2025: Events, Articles, Poems & More Logo Unveiled for America’s 250th Birthday Looking Ahead to America’s 250th Birthda y Michael’s: 4th of July & Pumpkins! 4th of July 2025: Events, Articles, Poems & More Faith of Our Fathers: Quotes from America’s Founding Fathers 

~ Because nothing says 4th of July like pumpkins!! ~ I commented recently on Michael’s May ad for the Lemax Halloween Village a few weeks ago, but nothing prepared me for a recent visit to the store where pumpkins sat next to 4th of July merchandise!  Maybe that mischievous patriotic gnome had something to do with it! Or maybe it’s because some of the pumpkins are white… for red, white and blue! In any case, the summer stuff and July 4 decorations are moving on out while pumpkins and fall have moved in at Michael’s.  Related: Michael’s May Halloween Ad Summer Gnomes 

  The little patriotic gnomes from Dollar Tree picked up some July 4 buckets there and some small 4th of July flags at Michael’s and went on an adventure to find some holiday treasure  They ran into Groovy Girls Vanessa along the way and sat down to share some holiday cheer.  After their visit, the gnomes realized that while they hadn’t filled their buckets with treasure, they had made a new friend— a very great treasure indeed.   Happy 4th of July from the Dollar Tree gnomes and Groovy Girls Vanessa!  Related: Michael’s: 4th of July & Pumpkins!    Summer Gnomes

Michael’s is the new place to pickup Barbie balloons for parties or just for fun! The craft store has picked up a wide assortment of birthday, holiday, special occasion and general purpose balloons and created a versatile balloon aisle.  Mixed in next to the Disney Princess balloons are  Barbie balloons ranging from $6 to $25 depending upon the size/style! There is a generic Barbie logo balloon, a Barbie roller skate and a five-balloon assortment pack.  So check out your local Michael’s store for all things balloon… including Barbie balloons! Related: Bellevue Examiner June 2025: New Day Church, Big Benefit Yard Sale, Michael’s Balloons, Bellevue Farmer’s Market, Walmart, More!   s! 

 Build your Barbie world with adorable mini Barbie Land figures!  These cute little packages contain a doll and accessories including a miniature vehicle.   I got the red headed mini in the pink swimsuit and sarong that comes with a pink convertible, palm tree and wave, and a pink surf board. So cute!  These minis are substantially smaller than the ones I got at Dollar Tree.  At $5.88, they are also more expensive, probably because of the accessories. I think one of this series will be enough for me… unless they get marked down! Then all beta are off! Related: Barbie Minis at Dollar Tree Barbie Minis Celebrate Veterans Appreciation Month, Flag Day and July 4 2010 Ty L’il Ones Hello Kitty 

  We’ve already discussed how cute the little Barbie Minis are , but with the right accessories, they are downright adorable! Look how cute they are having a patriotic picnic! Is it Flag Day? July 4? Memorial Day? Veteran Appreciation Month? ?? Maybe they are preparing in advance for America’s 250th birthday next year ! Who knows! They are ready for any summer holiday! The little tree is an aquarium decoration and the pastry table with bunting is actually part of the packaging of a piece of bunting from Michael’s. And the figure in the back is actually one of the Monster High minis.  It will be fun to try to find more accessories for the tiny 3” figures!

~ Looking for something cute? Check out Barbie Minis at Dollar Tree for $1.25. ~  OK. Mattel got me. I found these adorable mini Barbies with varying body styles. At first I just got the three Caucasian figures with the more basic body styles. Then I went back for the black one and the chubby one which were the last two on the shelves at my local Dollar Tree.  .For just $1.25 at Dollar Tree, I should have bought them all, because I might have missed one by waiting.  I couldn’t wait to take them out of the package, and I immediately bought them a $1.25 tropical plant to pose with— Money well spent!  Then I ended up at another Dollar Tree 60 miles away a couple of days later, and what did I find? All the minis I said no to before plus some cute Monster High minis   So I grabbed the black one in the yellow dress and one of the Monster Highs and now I am kicking myself for not getting the heavy-set blonde (I thought I already had that one) and the odd one with ...

 It’s May 29 and Michael’s is already advertising Halloween—Lemax Halloween that is. The Halloween ad showed up in an email from the craft store chain today   “Psst … Get exclusive Lemax Spooky Town pieces EARLY” was the headline of the Michael’s advertisement in my e-mail this morning.  Michael’s, I like your stores but MAY is too early to be promoting Halloween!!! Really, just stop it. May is the time to promote spring, summer and patriotic decor. Put the spooky stuff down until fall. That is all. 

  It’s summertime! Do you know where your gnome is? Dollar Tree has summer gnomes in stock  I saw two styles: a teal gnome in a blue striped cap with goggles, flippers, and a silly floatie, and a purple gnome with a blue floral cap with sandals and a surfboard   These gnomes are cheaper-made than the previous holiday gnomes but still kind of cute in a whimsical way. I was able to remove the floatie and flimsy breathing apparatus from the teal gnome and I like him much better now. I plan to make him accessories over time to suit me   It would be nice to be able to display them with the patriotic gnomes for Memorial Day and other patriotic holidays, but to me the new ones look a bit cheaper. However, thethe patriotic gnomes look cheaper than the Christmas gnomes which have knitted caps.   Still, I like the sandals and hippie look of the purple gnome, and I may remove his surfboard and accessorize him myself, too. For $1.25 I can afford to experiment!  Intere...

Our recent article about Hello Kitty’s anniversary reminded me that Ty issued a collection of little girl fashion dolls in 2010 called Li’l Ones, along the line of Mattel’s little Kelly Club dolls. One of those dolls was a Hello Kitty Li’l Ones doll dressed in Kitty’s signature pink with the Hello Kitty logo on her pink sweatshirt and a miniature Hello Kitty figure as the doll’s toy. The doll comes with a pink hair brush, and pink tennis shoes to match her outfit.  Related: Hello Kitty on the Cover of Time Hello Kitty Celebrates 50 Years of Cuteness  Sanrio Introduces New Hello Kitty Products at Toy Fair Hello Kitty -- More than Just Dolls for Valentine's Day 

If you thought nutcrackers were just for Christmas, Michael’s would disagree! The craft store has a small selection of patriotic nutcrackers out on its shelves just in time for Memorial Day .  Dressed in both camo and formal attire, the formal nutcrackers hold the American flag. They only come on one height, two styles and two skin tones.  Also on display are these cute patriotic cloth animals dressed in their red, white and blue stripes.  Michael’s has other patriotic figures for sale, from gnomes to everything else. So if you need the perfect patriotic figure for Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4, Veterans Day, or our nation’s 250th birthday, you know where to go!  Related: The History of Memorial Day: Sacrifice and Remembrance Faith of Our Fathers: Quotes from America’s Founding Fathers America Indebted (Memorial Day Poem) Patriotic Trivia Fire up the Barbie (doll) for Memorial Day - National Barbie Collecting Examiner

   ~  #TransPotato Responds to Winning Fashion Dolls 101’s Woman of the Year Award for 2025 ~ Here is the follow-up you have all been waiting for— #TransPotato’s response to winning the prestigious  Fashion Dolls 101 Woman of the Year Award for 2025 .  #TransPotato originally responded here : “What an amazing ride this has been! Just think, 41 days ago I was a porn addicted vegetable with male bits and now I am a beautiful biological Woman of the Year! I’m filled with 🏳️‍⚧️ joy! Thank you Fashion Dolls 191!” Then a day later he posted this stunning image of himself posing with a Woman of the Year Award:  I wish we HAD sent him an award, but I am glad he found one that suited him! Congratulations again, #TransPotato, on winning the Fashion Dolls 101 Woman of the Year award.  Born a humble vegetable with male bits, you are not only a stunning and brave biological woman, but you are an inspiration to us all! We will keep our eyes PEELED for your next po...

M any magazines and organizations award women their prestigious Woman of the Year Awards , usually in the spring, to honor females who have broken glass ceilings and contributed significantly to their respective industries, regions, etc.  But a recent trend has been to name MEN as “Woman of the Year,” as long as they wear a dress and call themselves a women.  Males Winning Woman of the Year In 2014, Time awarded their “Woman of the Year” award to Roderick “Laverne” Cox. Glamour Magazine also manawarded their 2014 “Woman of the Year” honors to Cox. Other men who have walked away with Woman of the Year awards include:  Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, Richard/Rachel Levine  ( USA  Today)  and Dylan Mulvaney.   See  “Men Named Woman of the Year”  for more. Fashion Dolls 101 Names 1st  WOMAN OF THE YEAR With all the attention on men stealing women’s awards, we thought it was time we jumped on the bandwagon and started giving out our own “Woman of the Y...

II. Modern Era (2000–2025) The 21st century brought major shifts in culture—and Barbie. With competition from Bratz and later social media influencers, Mattel was forced to adapt quickly, transforming Barbie into a modern, tech-savvy, and socially conscious brand. Part three of a three-part series   Key Characteristics Increased diversity in race, body types, and abilities Digital and cinematic expansion Cultural and political consciousness Most Popular Dolls Barbie Fashionistas (2009–present) A landmark line that introduced dolls of various body types, skin tones, hair textures, and disabilities, including dolls with vitiligo and prosthetic limbs. Presidential Barbie (2016) Featured an all-female presidential ticket in partnership with She Should Run, reflecting growing conversations around women in politics. Barbie Shero Series (2015–present) Honored real-life women such as Misty Copeland, Frida Kahlo, and Rosa Parks. These dolls sparked both praise and...

  The Evolution of Barbie: A Cultural Mirror from 1980 to 2025 Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has reflected and influenced cultural trends, gender norms, fashion, and even political shifts. Between 1980 and 2025, Barbie experienced a dramatic evolution—from a global pop culture icon to a modern, sometimes controversial, symbol of inclusivity and branding brilliance. Let’s explore this journey across two key eras. I. Pop Culture Phenomenon Era (1980–2000) The 1980s and 1990s marked Barbie’s ascension to superstardom. These decades saw her become a fixture in millions of homes worldwide while reflecting the decade’s flashy fashion, corporate branding, and a growing global presence. Key Characteristics Emphasis on glamour, careers, and international diversity Explosive growth in themed and collectible Barbies Strategic licensing and merchandising Most Popular Dolls Black Barbie (1980) The first African-American Barbie with distinct facial features and a bold afro ...