If you know me on Flickr or Facebook, you'll know that a huge chunk of my life has been dedicated to Lalaloopsy dolls for the past two months. I originally discovered them last year when they were first released by MGA Entertainment, but I didn't get serious about them until January of this year. What attracted me to them? Easy. It was their bright hair, cute styles and unique similarity to Neil Gaiman's Coraline (one of my favorite books).
While some people are scared of Lalaloopsys because they slightly resemble the evil characters in Coraline (like the Other Mother) I'm drawn to the dolls because of the fact. The button eyes set them apart from every other type of doll out there and they greatly show off the fun story behind Lalaloopsys, which is shared on all of the dolls' boxes:
"Lalaloopsys were once rag dolls who magically came to life when their very last stitch was sewn. Each doll has her own charming personality from the fabric used to make her. "
Putting initial aesthetic attraction aside, Lalaloopsys are uniquely special in another way. Basically, you get the product that's described to you: a rag doll. Upon taking a Lalaloopsy out of her box, you'll notice that she's extremely floppy and loose. I've heard some people express concern over the floppiness of the bodies, as if they believed their dolls were broken, but there's no need to worry! MGA was true to its word and created a rag doll for kids and adults alike. Only, this doll isn't made of soft fabric; it's made of a heavy, durable plastic. Personally, the heaviness is something that I immediately loved about the dolls. I feel that the dolls are sturdy and can handle being tossed around by younger children, the product's target audience.
The first series of Lalaloopsy dolls was made up of eight dolls: Crumbs Sugar Cookie, Spot Splatter Splash, Pillow Featherbed, Peanut Big Top, Mittens Fluff 'N' Stuff, Jewel Sparkles, Dot Starlight and Bea Spells-A-Lot. All the dolls have their own unique, fun and bright personalities, qualities that people of all ages can relate to!
The first Lalaloopsy doll that I bought for myself was Blossom Flowerpot. I had originally been attracted to a doll in the first series, Crumbs Sugar Cookie, because I loved her bright pink hair, but I didn't like that the pink leaned more towards magenta rather than a true HOT pink. (Magenta is purplish-pink and is my biggest pink pet peeve!) I held off and waited for a different release. MGA then released two new dolls during the holiday 2010 season: Blossom Flowerpot and Tippy Tumblelina. As soon as I saw Blossom, I knew she was the one for me. That bubblegum pink hair was a perfect shade of pink and her light brown skin set her apart from all of my pale skinned Blythes and BJDs. (It's close to my own skin tone, yay.) She looked like candy to me! Unfortunately, because she was so new in December, all online sellers hiked up her sales prices. The waiting began.
Finally, in early January of this year, I found one Blossom sitting on a shelf at my local Target. I immediately snatched her up and took her home with me. After deboxing Blossom, I realized that I wasn't completely happy with her style. The whole flower theme was a bit too spring and not enough dessert for me. That's when I decided to give my new doll a brand new look. I'm still learning to sew and my capabilities are nowhere near where I need them to be in order to create a frilly (and rather complicated) dress for a Lalaloopsy. I decided to raid my Blythes' clothes. Out of the hundreds of items I own, only two dresses kind of fit the Lalaloopsy body.
So here's a warning for anyone who is wondering about clothes that fit Lalaloopsys: Lalaloopsys have VERY large waists compared to other dolls (like Blythes) so it's very unlikely that other doll clothes will fit Lalaloopsys. I would check measurements on garments and comparing them to your Lalaloopsy's measurements before purchasing any clothes online! I would hate to see you waste your money on clothes that won't fit the dolls.
The two dresses I found didn't even fit my doll very well; they refused to close in the back. Still, the pink and brown dessert dress that kind of fit her was a perfect match for my doll's theme. That's when I decided to name her Pocky, a Japanese sweet treat composed of a biscuit that's partly covered in chocolate. My favorite type of Pocky is strawberry, which happened to be the color of my doll's hair, so I knew the name was a perfect fit!
The weeks following Pocky's arrival were incredibly fun. I started making some very minor customizations to her. She received new hair decorations. I first removed the original Blossom stock flowers that were attached to her head. Then I attached some desserts (a cupcake and macaron) in place of the flowers. (I had picked up the desserts at a fair a while back and had been saving them for a special project.) Some brown ribbons tied into bows completed the new hair look.
I had very much disliked Blossom's original bright orange shoes so I bought one of the new Lalaloopsy Fashion Packs and used the black pair of Mary Janes on Pocky instead.
One of the last touches I made to Pocky was adding her pink bear friend, Yan Yan. (Like Pocky, Yan Yan is a Japanese treat composed of a biscuit and icing. The only difference is that the icing is not on the biscuit; it's in a separate container and is used for dipping.) Now that Pocky has a little pink friend, I feel like her customizations are complete! I'll eventually make Pocky a new dress. I just need to perfect my sewing skills.
Since Pocky's arrival, I've been slowly picking up new Lalaloopsy products. While the big Lalaloopsy dolls are my favorite products in the toy line, I don't plan to collect all of them. (They take up so much space! My hobby room is already overflowing with toys and dolls...) Other items, like the ButtonTails plushies (seen above) and the mini Lalaloopsys are fun friends to get for Pocky. She currently has three mini friends and a ButtonTails mouse friend named Shortbread. I think all of my Lalaloopsy products will end up revolving around Pocky in one way or another. ^__~
Recently, I've been searching for the newest Lalaloopsy release, the very first boy doll! His name is Patch Treasurechest and he has a pirate theme. When I eventually get him, I'll be de-pirating him and customizing him to a special theme I have in mind.
I'm ecstatic over all the new Lalaloopsy releases planned by MGA over the next few months. To help contain my excitement, I'm often "talking Lalaloopsy" with other fans over at the official Lalaloopsy Facebook page and on my Twitter.
Gaah, I haven't bought mine yet. I'm just waiting for all my school expenses to cool down a bit and then maybe after that. What's special about Lalaloopsys for me are their birthdays, that's why I'm also attracted to Spot, because she's also an artist like me; though I'm not very thrilled about her look. Maybe when I see them again, the day that I'll finally buy one, I'll hold them both and see whom my heart beats for faster. HAHA.
Posted by: Virna | March 15, 2011 at 07:10 PM
Virna - If you're not very drawn to Spot's look, I'd recommend buying a Lala you ARE attracted to and customizing her to look like an artist. ^__^ That's what I did with Pocky. I loved Crumbs' sweet theme, but I wasn't fond of her magenta hair (I wish it was more hot pink)... so I bought Blossom instead. Then I customized her in a way that matched a theme that was more ME! Making a Lala look like an artist should be pretty fun and easy to do, too. ^u^ I also like your plan to wait and see which doll "speaks" to you!
Oh, and just so you know: MGA finally admitted that some Lalaloopsy dolls will be retired as new ones are released. Spot is already the most difficult Lala to find (which has made her price skyrocket), so make sure to keep that in mind as you think about getting a Lala of your own. <3 I'm pretty sure she'll be one of the first girls to be retired. I still can't wait to hear which one you pick!
Posted by: Lauren Musni | March 15, 2011 at 07:17 PM
Loved this post!! :)
Posted by: Denise | March 28, 2011 at 03:35 PM
Where did you get her bear? :)
Posted by: Sera | July 11, 2011 at 12:17 AM
How did you remove the original flowers that were on the doll's head?
Thank You!
Posted by: Kendall | July 27, 2011 at 09:07 PM
Lalaloopsy dolls have the cutest hairstyles on dolls ever!!
Hopefully you can find the Patch Treasurechest.Not so easy to find.
Posted by: Double bass pedal | July 31, 2011 at 11:14 PM
I spotted your Pocky on the FB page and i adore her! and her name. You gave her a great new look, she's adorable :D
Posted by: Jennifer | October 03, 2011 at 03:21 PM
Pocky is sooooooo cute! How did you make the clothes for her?
:)
Posted by: Isabella | October 05, 2011 at 03:21 PM
I love her she's so cute how did you put the tiny cakes on her head? I agree I buy them for my daughter Zoe, I
Also think they are gorgeous-I'm still trying to find one for me to collect-----what is your web site are you going to sell them I would love one like yours......Eli advise
Posted by: Eli | October 08, 2011 at 03:47 PM
I read your post . it was amazing.Your thought process is wonderful.The way you tell about things is awesome.
Posted by: Stock News | October 13, 2011 at 03:59 AM
i like the lalaoopsy doll
Posted by: maddy | November 20, 2011 at 10:49 AM
I think your doll is awesome! I was hoping it was one of the collectibles so I could get one for my daughter and myself. Was it hard to take off the flower piece. The photographer is great also too bad you guys aren't in north Texas
Posted by: Jennifer garcia | November 20, 2011 at 04:46 PM
Can anyone tell me what crumbs sugar cookie's mouse's name is?
Posted by: Mimi | November 21, 2011 at 07:24 PM
Hello!
I am the designer lalaloopsy please comment.
Posted by: D | November 27, 2011 at 07:25 AM
you can give me ideas for the following lalaloopsy
and i have no more ideas!
Posted by: D | November 27, 2011 at 07:27 AM
I love lalaloopsy dolls hopefully getting a big one for christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!cross your arms legs fingers and toes for me lol
Posted by: Amelia | December 14, 2011 at 03:17 AM
Thanks so much for sharing. It's really wonderful to know that there are others who share the same loves as I do! :)
What attracted me to LaLaLoopsy dolls are actually their button eyes, and how they are just perfect for each individual. :) I really had a hard time choosing my first doll, and I bought Suzette in the end! I'm currently searching my local shops desperately for Spot and Tippy because they are just so wonderful in the own ways ^^
Once again, thanks so much for your post :)
cheers
Jess
Posted by: Littlettol | December 17, 2011 at 10:17 PM
Wow! Awesome makeover. She was cute before, but this is SO much better. Great job!
Posted by: crfty | December 21, 2011 at 12:52 AM
Hola.... A mi nena le encantan las lalaloopsy pero quiero saber como y donde puedo obtener esta mu?eca que sale en esta pagina llamada Mary Jane y que esta vestida a lo antiguo...???
Posted by: Margangeliz | December 26, 2011 at 11:26 PM
You made a cute doll!! I wish MGA would come out with a Lalaloopsy doll that has multi colored hair. Like a rainbow! They could call her "Rainbow Brighten My Day". I think a multi colored hair doll would go over good! I know id buy her. Well hopefully they will come up with this idea soon. I think they may be getting close tho...they just come out with 'Coral Seashell Murmaid" And shes cute! Her hair changes color from pink to purple, when it gets wet. Coral Seashell is a really cute doll. But i still want one that has rainbow colored hair. I think this rainbow hair idea would also make a really pretty Silly Hair Doll. U know each pigtail a different color. Just a few ideas i had for a new Lalaloopsy doll. I would also love it if they would take your idea and make a Cupcake themed Lala doll. Shes adorable!!!! Sinceraly, Lisa L
Posted by: LISA | January 24, 2012 at 03:16 PM
Is that you in the picture holding pocky? I found the peffect doll for me! but Im so worried I wont be able to find her! Her name is Ember Flicker Flame! Hope to find mine!
Posted by: McKayla Judd | May 07, 2012 at 08:13 PM
I found some great lalaloopsy dolls at http://www.lalaloopsydolls.co.uk last month to start my obession.
Posted by: RUSSELL | May 18, 2012 at 07:20 AM