I was a huge fan of the X-files! Back in the day we had to be in front of the TV when an episode aired – unless you could set the video player to record at the right time.
Strong, beautiful Agent Dana Scully who was the voice of reason for Agent Fox Mulder who regularly threw caution to the wind. It was simply the best show on TV.
Now, 25 years later, the duo has been honoured with their very own Barbie® The X-Files™ Agent Fox Mulder Doll and Barbie® The X-Files™ Agent Dana Scully Doll.
The dress that started it all… I love this dress! I love the cut, the print…
Quick, give me this baby doll shirt in the front!
An outfit that is absolutely beautiful from pink and white to yellow!
This shift dress gives me the feels 🙂
You can call me old fashioned, but I love this!
Yes to everything!
Girl, those earrings!
If you missed out on Barbie Fashion I loved in July…
Can you believe that The Muppets graced our screens 30 years ago for the first time? The glamorous Miss Piggy and dry Kermit the Frog was favourites while we were growing up. We didn’t care that it was an Emmy® Award-winning series, we just loved the characters!
The hilarious playroom antics of a young Kermit the Frog, Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and Animal – plus a brand new Muppet Baby, Summer Penguin under the watchful eye of Miss Nanny will once again entertain.
The all-new CG-animated “Muppet Babies”, based on the original series, is geared towards kids 2-7 and their families, with each episode featuring two 11-minute stories.
Set in the vibrant playroom of an urban brownstone with an expansive backyard, the Muppet Babies have everything they need at their fingertips to lead them on their fantastical adventures. The backyard alone is home to Kermit’s bouncy “pond,” Piggy’s dressing room, Summer’s art table, Gonzo’s chicken coop, Fozzie’s stage and a communal treehouse. In every episode, through a rainbow transition, the Muppet Babies use their imaginations to transport them into a fantasy sequence, each with a distinct style ranging from collage, comic book and classic cartoons to live-action footage.
The unique look of the series is accentuated by the style and design of the Muppet Babies characters, which were created to look like the original Muppet Babies puppet characters from “The Muppets Take Manhattan.” The creative team conducted hours of research, including studying the movements of the original Muppet Babies puppets and developed a digital simulation technique called “Jiggle Tech” which allows the animated Muppet Babies to move just like their puppet character counterparts.
Music also plays an important role in the series, with almost every episode featuring original songs ranging in different musical styles from 70s disco to contemporary. The series’ iconic theme song has also been reimagined for a new generation by the acclaimed songwriting team of Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty (“Doc McStuffins”) and is performed by Tony Award®-winner Renée Elise Goldsberry (Broadway’s “Hamilton”).
“Muppet Babies” is a co-production between Disney Junior, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media’s (DCPI) Publishing and Digital Media Group, and The Muppets Studio. Tom Warburton (Disney’s “The 7D”) is executive producer and Emmy Awardwinner Eric Shaw (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) is story editor and co-producer. Andy Bean (“Puppy Dog Pals”) serves as the series’ songwriter/composer and Keith Horn (Disney’s “The 7D”) is co-composer.
“Friends are the best thing in the world.”
Back in 1968 Barbie, Christie (in tangerine) and Stacey (in the 2 piece) became friends. 50 years later we have Mattel brought the 3 together again as a boxed Barbie Mod Friends set.
Don’t these just bring back memories from an iconic fashion era?
Prima Baby proudly announces the launch of VTech Baby, one of the world’s leading developmental tech toys for babies and toddlers (0-24 months).
VTech Baby makes playtime fun for little ones with a beautifully crafted, cleverly engineered collection of baby toys. The collection of products includes cuddly plush toys, teethers, nighttime projectors, bath toys and much more. Playful animals, whimsical music and flashing lights engage your baby and help your child reach developmental milestones in their early years.
Check out the full range on our website at www.primababy.co.za
As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month this August, Barbie and Blue Horizon Licensing (Blue Horizon) invite women – and girls – across the country to recognise the “sheroes” who inspire them.
It is often said that ‘You cannot be what you cannot see’. This phrase encapsulates the importance of positive role models, especially for young girls – because today’s girls are tomorrow’s women. And if we truly believe that the future is female, we must inspire today’s girls to be strong, to stand up and be counted, to dream big fat audacious dreams, to become anything that they want to be, and do anything that they want to do.
It is in this spirit, this Women’s Month, that Blue Horizon invites South African women and girls to join the conversation #MoreRoleModels, by nominating three women who have inspired them, and asking those women to do the same, in this way starting a movement that recognises and acknowledges the women across our country who have contributed, and continue to contribute, to shaping a world in which anything is possible.
“Although we at Blue Horizon Licensing believe that every day is Women’s Day, the official calendar month being August provides us with the perfect opportunity to celebrate women across South Africa, for who they are, how much they have achieved, and how they continue to contribute to the growth and development of this country,” says Lezelle Britz, Managing Director at Blue Horizon.
“It also provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the challenges that women continue to face, and how each of us can contribute to the development of a more inclusive and less discriminatory world.”
With women in the spotlight this month, the Barbie brand seeks to inspire the next generation of South African women as it is a firm believer that ‘You Can Be Anything’.
“Over the past 60 years, Barbie has had over 180 careers, showing girls that they truly can be anything they want to be – from a fashion model to a fashion editor, an aerobics instructor, a ballerina, or a career gal, an Olympic athlete, a Marine Corps sergeant, firefighter or airline pilot, an astronaut and even president!” says Britz.
In March this year, the brand honoured a host of female role models who have broken boundaries in their fields and have been an inspiration to the next generation of girls with a one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness. Global honorees included British boxer Nicola Adams, Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin, Italian soccer player Sara Gama, Polish journalist Martyna Wojciechowska, and French chef Helene Darroze.
On the local front, Blue Horizon is proud to announce a new partnership with kidswear and tween brand, SODA Bloc, which is kicking off in September with some strong female-focused messaging, where SODA Bloc and Blue Horizon will be enabling girls across South Africa to wear Barbie pink with pride.
In addition, bookstores across the country will be stocking up on the Barbie “You can be anything” series, while Toy Kingdom and Takealot are offering the Barbie STEM kit – an innovative science kit where girls can build 7 experiments and be guided by an accompanying book that shows them just how to build them.
“Barbie has helped shape the dreams of little girls for over half a century, showing them that anything is possible – if you can dream it, you can do it. We are proud to represent a brand that is shaping the future women of South Africa,” says Britz.
Wish you knew of someone that came from nothing to make it in the fashion world? Meet Kerry Sharper from Kandidly Kerry! Kerry is a fashion merchandiser who landed her job without any qualifications or experience, had the passion and some Twitter luck – and this is her story.
“…your circumstances don’t define you” – Kerry Sharper
Asked about her fondest memories from her childhood she remembered all the fun times with her mom – even if it was with a shoestring purse. They managed to make every trip to the shops into a “gigglingly” good time; played ring the doorbell and disappear – and who wouldn’t want to play that with mom; She also had big adventures with her Barbies and dolls.
However, it wasn’t all giggles and fun play times for Kerry coming from a poor family. Her dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour and her mom suffered with bipolar disorder and she was teased at school about all the things she had no control over.
Kerry admits that it was really hard on her and to this day she is still affected by it, but thanks her lucky stars every single day for the mom who did everything in her power to make sure she was as happy as could be, who made sure she had everything she needed and showered her with love.
And the rest of the interview is in her own words…
I have always loved clothes and fashion and I was very fortunate to get my job without any qualifications or experience. It happened through Twitter – I had followed my boss’ blog for a few years and saw that there was a vacancy and applied. I think that she could see my passion and decided to give me a chance. I have grown so much since then and am still grateful for the way things worked out.
That your circumstances don’t define you and that you must use those circumstances to better yourself. Let them make you stronger and fight for what you want and never give up hope.
“I am not what has happened to me, I am what I choose to become”. I actually have this tattooed on me because it rings so true for me and is something that I remind myself about often.
I am very passionate about plus size fashion and body positivity. I struggled with my body for years and I have done some extreme things to get my body to a place where I could be happy BUT I never managed to find that place because the kilos would come off but I didn’t get any closer to being completely happy with myself. Last year I realised that life was just too short to spend it poolside while everyone else is in the pool and my life has changed SO much since then.
It would be to help women realise their worth and start showing themselves the love that they deserve. I have always felt like I was going to do something big with my life and I want it to be this. I want to support and encourage woman.
To stop wasting time while waiting to get to the “perfect” weight and to embrace who I am completely.
Barbies were my life! They were my best friends and went everywhere with me. I spoke to them as if they were my friends, I told them about my dreams and fears. Of course I loved dressing them up and styling or cutting their hair (and then crying). I didn’t have a branded Barbie – I had the cheapies.
I love this lady because she is curvy like me, is wearing stripes which are my all-time favourite print and she is a fashion queen, like me (hopefully one day).
Barbie inspires little girls to dream big and reach for the stars. She has had a career as chef, astronaut, teacher, pet groomer and model. With Barbie your little girl can be anything.
Who hasn’t dreamt of owning a Barbie house with all the furniture and a car in the garage? Well, if you have the budget you can now spoil your little girl with Barbie Estate products – and you don’t have to buy it all either :).
The range includes everything from indoor furniture and pets; outdoor furniture to let Barbie soak up the sun with her very own hammocks, tables, chairs, braai, umbrella, cooler box and delicious snacks; A moped (or scooter) in pink and yellow with silver accents and a space for her pet will make her travels so much fun too!
Because Barbie loves hanging out at home, your little girl can help Barbie cook in her very own kitchen with sink, stovetop and all the accessories needed; or watch TV with friends in the livingroom; enjoy a meal around the dining table;
Set your little ones’ imaginations free with Barbie Estate #YouCanBeAnything.
I wanted to start this series of articles quite some time ago, but just haven’t had the time between work, baby stuff and life. However, I took a few minutes to look at the outfits “she Instagrammed” in July – and these are my favourites:
This outfit reminds me of Carrie Bradshaw (Sex in the City). I loved the girly-ness then, and I love it even more now.
This simple shift dress with pockets is everything and paired with those sunglasses she reminds me of Aubrey Hepburn.
Ripped jeans? Hell yes!
When it comes to buying gifts for boys I have been largely left alone… I have nieces. Just to reiterate, all boys toys are suitable for girls too… because if you had ever seen how many cars I had as a kid, you would know…
Still top of the list is Ben 10, a superhero with special powers that he discovered from a young age when his signature Omnitrix device miraculously attached itself to his wrist.
New to the range is Ben 10 Action Projection Omnitrix, the Omni Launcher which includes 2 figurines, the deluxe Transforming figure and the Alien Creation Chamber.
Fans of the animated superhero series can collect and display their favourite characters from Big Hero 6. Toys in the range include Micro Chibi figures, action figures, feature figures, Armoured Up Baymax and Blast Flying Baymax.
Boys who love to hunt for treasure will just love Treasure X, a new toy that engages the senses as children scratch, dig and unearth the lost bounty.
Hidden somewhere inside the Treasure X brick is a collectible skeleton figure and a treasure chest which contains a gold treasure. These children can hunt for using the plastic X-cavator to chisel away at the soft rock of the brick. Even after excavation, the discovery isn’t over as the pieces of the figure need to be snapped together to reveal its themed character.
With 24 figures to collect and the potential for gold in each box, boys will keep wanting to dig for Treasure X.
Remember Stretch Armstrong? The new figures in the “Stretch range” can stretch up to 5 times its original size and will then slowly shape back, ready to be pulled and twisted all over again.
Look out for Mini Stretch X-Ray and Mini Stretch VacMan, Stretch Batman and introducing Disney Pixar Mini Stretch Mrs Incredibles.
Trixx360º is much more than a car that turns 360! Everything is usable in Trixx360! Use the packaging box to build your own circuit! Make as many combinations as you can imagine! All the accessories of the cars are interchangeable, including the wheels and the bodies! Collect the 8 cars with their ramps and make multiple combinations.
