Christmas Cards!

Over the past week, I've been receiving holiday cards from members of the MLPArena. I'm quite impressed with the creativity that went into them. I managed to get my stack finished today and I'm quite happy with the way they turned out. They'll be mailed out on Monday to their recipients and I'm relieved that I'll be able to check them off my to-do list. For those of you not on my Christmas card list, I've included a picture so you can get the basic idea.

While I love the Christmas season, I always feel that by the time I'm ready to enjoy it, it is already over. For the past several years, I've gotten wrapped up in projects that monopolize my spare time and even when I do find a spare moment, I can't enjoy it because things are still waiting for me to finish them. Enough of my ranting... back to editing and cropping pictures.

Happy Black Friday!

I missed out on the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday. Instead, I will wish you Happy Black Friday. May you all enjoy the commercialization of the Christmas season to the fullest!

As promised...Hasbro Q and A Part 2

I managed to upload the second part of Hasbro's Michelle Paolino's question and answer session from the My Little Pony Fair. I ask that you please refrain from posting it elsewhere on the web, but are welcome to download it to your personal computer. If you enjoy the video, please leave a comment! I plan on posting additional video soon.
-S

To Keep Me Organized continued...

To Keep Me Organized

I'm a bit behind on purchasing the newest G3s since I'm swamped and it is getting a little difficult to keep track. This post is mostly for my own personal reference.

Hasbro Q and A at the MLP Fair 2007

I was able to take this video at the MLP Fair in Memphis. I hope you enjoy the video. I ask if you want to share this video with others, please direct them to this blog. I don't mind if you download this video to your computer, but please do not post this video elsewhere on the web. I have a quite a bit more footage that I plan to put up in the future...

Hasbro's Michelle Paolino discusses "25 Ponies for 25 Years" MLP project and what's in store for the future of My Little Pony. Other topics addressed in this segment include Hasbro's committment to collectors, the boy pony debate, Retro pony sets and other ponies aimed specifically at collectors, and My Little Pony movies on the big screen.

Ponyville goes to the Movies and New Ponyville Pegasus!

Goldenclopper on the TP posted that this set was found in Singapore. It comes with the first Ponyville pegasus pony. Cute!

You can read more about this set on the MLPTP here.

New Re-released Ponies Spotted!

Just wanted to quickly update that Starbeam, Amberlocks, Blossomforth, and Sweetsong have been spotted on Ebay in new poses and single packaging similar to that of Pepperberry and the Family Dollar/discount ponies. Satin Slipper posted these images from Ebay on the TP. At this time, it is unclear where they are being sold. You can read more about them this thread at the MLPTP: http://www.mlptp.net/forums/showthread.php?t=37642

Or this thread at the MLPArena: http://www.mlparena.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=132380.html

Straw Curls for Dummies

I've been busy photographing ponies lately and while it is tedious task, I don't mind it terribly. I get to take the ponies off the shelves and give them a quick dusting and brushing (something I rarely have the time or motivation to do). Most ponies cooperate nicely. Their hair doesn't stick up and they stand on their own. Yet, every so often I will pull a pony off the shelf that needs more than dusting and I quickly add it to a separate rubbermaid tote. It is very much like the island of misfit toys, if the island was comprised solely of My Little Ponies with unruly hair and surface dirt... or something along those lines. I know that they will take minimal effort to style, re-pink, and clean, but I dread doing it. The Candy Cane Ponies and Rainbow Curl Ponies are currently awaiting new curls, and because of this: http://www.mlparena.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=88983/highlight=jupiterlilly+tutorial.html

I think it can be done. Major props to jupiterlilly for an awesome step by step pictorial straw curl tutorial. While I haven't yet attempted using her straw method yet, the results she posted look great.

Updated: It works with awesome results! Doesn't my Candy Cane look lovely?

New Ponyville on the Way!

I decided to take a break from editing photos to post pictures of the newest Ponyville Ponies. I think the tiny fridge is terrific. I'll try to post pictures of new releases as they become available. I find myself reading about new ponies being released on threads on the MLPTP and Arena, but when I go back to see them the thread has been buried.

It's already October? How did this happen?

Is it wrong that this pony weirds me out a bit? I played with her in demo mode at Toys R Us the other day with the intention of buying her, but the way her mouth moves is just a little creepy. I adore Teddy Ruxpin, so I know it isn't because she's a talking toy. I realize that I will end up buying her at some point, but it is hard to pay $50 for something your not that excited about. Hasbro does have a 25% and free shipping code going on right now, so I suppose that is the best way to buy her.

I'm finding myself frustrated that very few people are offering answers to my accessory questions on the pony boards. I know there are collectors out there that have the items in question carded or boxed. I also know these will be the first people to complain when a ribbon color is omitted. I want accurate information. I'm just having great difficulty finding it. With that said, I'd like to thank Wysteria for all of her help!

Also, I finally got a new Adobe Photoshop disk on Wednesday as my old disk was corrupted and would not load. I'm forced to run everything off my laptop for the time being since the HP (which was supposedly fixed) crashed again. I have such a love-hate relationship with technology.

Pony Tours, Book Updates, and Halloween Ponies- Oh My!

Last week, my husband and I had a cast party for a musical production in which we are performing. It is always awkward when I give a tour of our house to new visitors because I’m not one to discuss my collecting in casual conversation so most are totally blindsided by a room filled with floor to ceiling My Little Ponies. Apparently, it was a big hit as later in the evening I found people gathered in the room taking video and pictures and sending them to friends on their cells and chatting about ponies and I wasn’t even involved.

In book news, The My Little Pony G3 Collector’s Inventory was listed as number 4 in the toy animal collector book category on Amazon.com last week. If you haven’t bought your copy, head on over to Amazon and order a copy today! If you’d prefer a signed copy email me at summer@purplepajamapress.com for details. For those of you who have already purchased a copy I encourage you to write a review to let others know what you think about the book. I really appreciate all of the positive reviews that have been written so far. Thanks so much for all of your kind words! It makes all the hard work worth while.

For those of you who have been messaging me asking why I haven’t been blogging lately, rest assured knowing I plan to blog more frequently as soon as our run starts and I’m not living at work and the theater.

Did I mention that I am in love with the two new Halloween ponies? I can’t wait to get my hands on them!

Currently MIA from "Ponyland"

I've been out of the pony loop! For the past three weeks I've been attempting to catch up on all the work that was lost when my computer crashed (which is still not fixed despite multiple appointments with the HP guy). It is a slow process since I'm also adjusting to getting back to work after summer break and attending nightly rehearsals for a musical production of Children of Eden.

While I would love to be blogging about Rainbow Dash's Rainbow House at length (adorable!), I'm strapped for time. Here is a nice discussion thread on the MLPTP.net for those of you that may want to read further comments on this playset.

Pow! Zoom! My Little Pony Power!

The 2007 Comic Con Exclusive I traded for finally arrived yesterday afternoon. She's even better than I thought she'd be. Kudos to the Hasbro design team on this one for totally thinking outside the pink box. She's such a bright and unique pony. Not to mention I adore her little lace-up super pony boots and mask. I'm really impressed with the amount of creativity that was put into this pony. Great job Hasbro!

Wanted!

You would think that I've had my fill of MLP after the Fair, and in a way I have. Still, as I'm organizing accessories I've made a huge list of everything I'm still missing from my collection. In addition to stalking Ebay, I recently posted on the Arena's Wanted to Buy board so feel free to check it out if you have anything, and I mean ANYTHING from that list please let me know. I do still have an extra Fair exclusive to trade off as well...

Oh, in case you were wondering, the computer files were not able to be rescued. Basically this means I'm about 3 weeks behind where I wanted to be and I have to retake and enhance close to 200 pictures. :(

2007 Fair Aquistions!

I snapped a few group shots of all the new pony items I brought home with me from the Memphis Fair. Included are UK Plush Honeycomb, a complete set of Mint on Card TAF Ponies, Licensing Show Rarity, Dream Beauties, Petites, Fair Exclusives, and a slew of accessories. I should be working today, but the new laptop I bought doesn't have Word loaded and my search for my Microsoft disks have proved unsuccessful thus far. Hopefully, my files will be recovered by the weekend and I'll be able to get Word and Adobe Photoshop up and running again.

I'm back and exhausted!

I finally returned home from my extended vacation and I am beyond tired! In addition to traveling to Memphis for the My Little Pony Fair, we also traveled to New York and Washington D.C. It was a great trip, but it will take a day or two to fully recover. On top of my exhaustion, I'm also dealing with the fact that my primary computer decided to crash the night before we left for Tennessee. This would be the computer that housed all my pony-related files. Luckily, I backed up all but the last 3 weeks worth, so I'm not starting over from scratch if we are unable to recover them. Still, it is a HUGE inconvenience.

A few highlights from the 2007 Memphis Pony Fair with hopes to add some photos as soon as this computer business gets sorted out:

Hasbro brought original backcard concept art and original line art to show and I had the opportunity to chat with the Hasbro girls about the MLP line. They were so sweet and informative!

I sold all copies of The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory that I took with me to the event. I got to meet lots of terrific collectors as I signed their books. There were even a few international collectors who flew in for the event.

I managed to film Michelle Paolino's speech about the direction of the MLP line.

I was invited to play Pony Jeopardy and I won!

The plush ponies I made won ribbons in the art competitions including: First Place (Music Themed), People's Choice First (Music Themed), Second Place (Hasbro Art), People's Choice Second (Hasbro Art), and Honorable Mention (Hasbro Art).

There was lots of fun had on Bealle Street involving frozen drinks, Medley, and Photo Hunt pictures.

MLP Scrapbook

I spent Saturday afternoon packing all of the items I'm bringing to the Fair. It was like My Little Pony exploded on my dining room table. I also put the pictures from the San Francisco Pony Fair and the Pony Live pictures in my MLP scrapbook. I ordered some more prints this morning so I can finish the MLPC section. I'm planning on bringing the scrapbook to the Fair for others to check out. There are so many collectors in it, they are bound to find themselves or at least someone they know. Here's a sneak peak:

MLP Fair Exclusive News: Price and Limits Set

The Fair Staff announced today that the My Little Pony Fair Exclusive Pony will be sold at the event for $25. Each ticket holder will be limited to purchasing 4. I'm willing to pick up some extras for fellow collectors at cost (plus shipping). Please comment on this post with your email if you'd like one . Update: All spots are filled. I'm emailing the first 3 to respond now. :) I wish I could help everyone. If you have left an email, I will get back to you either way.

To find out more about this great event for collectors go to www.mlpfair.com

The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory Now available at Barnes and Noble

Here's the information Priced Nostalgia Press posted on their website:

In reply to those who have been asking when the book will be available in Barnes and Noble, the answer is, right now!
The book is currently available at a 20% discount from their online store and automatic free shipping in the USA.
Prefer to do your shopping offline or maybe you just have some in-store credit that you want to use? You can also get it at your local Barnes and Nobel store. First, call your local BN and ask them if they have the book in stock. You will likely need to give them the ISBN, which is 9780978606350. If they do not currently have a copy in stock, ask them to order one for you. They will then call you when it is there and you can go pick the book up. Easy as pie!

To read more about the happenings at Priced Nostalgia Press go to www.pricednostalgiapress.com

Plastic and Plush Mentions G3 Collector's Inventory!

PlasticandPlush.com wrote up a little article about The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory. Go check out Plastic and Plush! Here's the link:

http://www.plasticandplush.com/plasticandplush/2007/07/read-up-on-your.html

The Onion: More Hasbro products begging for the Michael Bay Movie Treatment

I saw this a few days ago and am just now getting around to posting about it. I figure most have already read it, but just in case someone missed it:

More Hasbro products begging for the Michael Bay movie treatment by Tasha Robinson,

The Onion AV Club

July 10th, 2007

Transformers is inevitably dominating the American box office, and a sequel is already in the works. By combining '80s nostalgia, massive military-adventure violence, and lowbrow adolescent humor, director Michael Bay has tapped into a vast and eager market that unites modern teens looking for mindless action with adult viewers eagerly awaiting more $175 million big-screen updates of their childhood toyboxes. Here are a few more possible ways to satisfy that market:Hasbro property: My Little PonyPossible storyline: Bored to tears after decades of makeover parties and frolicking pointlessly in the sunshine, the Dream Valley ponies band together to annex the nearby Friendship Garden, planning to convert it to an anarcho-syndicalist commune. When the Garden ponies respond by assassinating Dream Valley visionary leader Pinkie Pie, internecine warfare breaks out, leading to carpet bombing of the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe and the Poof 'N Puff Perfume Palace.Key scenes: Unicorn leader Sky Flier uses her "winking" power to teleport a cadre of specially trained Napalm Nuzzles ponies behind enemy lines for the explosive climax, filmed in alternating slow motion and a flurry of spastic quick-cuts of flying pony bodies. Meanwhile, in a bombed-out barn in Ponyville, Buttons comes of age in an awkward but touching liaison with Lickety-Split.

Film tagline: "They aren't your little ponies any more."

Life Inside the Bubble..AKA the MOC Nightmare

If I have to squint at another MOC picture today I think I’ll go insane. Matching up accessories to MOC and MIB ponies and then comparing what I think I see to what other collectors think they see is exhausting. I’ve been working on my computer all day and I think it is time to take a break.

Special thanks to BrickHeaven for answering my second release Moondancer accessory question I posted earlier on the boards.

In addition to organizing brushes, ribbons, combs, and the myriad of other tiny pieces that seem to taunt me, I’m in the middle of putting together an insanely detailed list of every tiny item I’m missing. My hope is that I get it finished before I leave for Memphis.

I’m starting to see the ridiculousness in all of this. I mean seriously, who spends their summer vacation photographing and documenting toy ponies. Um yeah…that would be me.

More New Ponies On the Way!

Start saving your pennies. Redb on http://www.mlparena.com/ reported that The Big Bad Toy Store located online at http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/ recently posted pictures and and listed names of new ponies and Ponyville sets! Included are a new Star Catcher with molded wings among others. Also, US collectors who did not import the Rainbow Princess Castle that was packaged with short hair Rarity may be in luck as it looks like she will finally be available stateside! In addition, three new Ponyville sets were listed: "Birthday Afternoon", "Bumper Car", and "Rain Or Shine Pack." Hopefully pictures will pop up soon. The Big Bad Toy Shop also lists Sodafloat, Paradise Island, and Chocolate Chipper as soon to be available.

I just recently tracked down the new scented ponies, collector editions, and Ponyville sets. After a a long new pony drought, we seem to be flooded with them once again.

The MLPTP Launches New MarketPlace!

The My Little Pony Trading Post just launched its brand new Market Place featuring new features and classified ads. In addition to being able to place ads to sell, buy, and trade, there is also a trader feedback system available for member use. Their new member profile system looks terrific! My favorite feature is being able to upload pictures for ads straight from your computer in seconds. I think Satin Slipper and the Mod Squad deserve to give themselves a pat on the back for this one! If you aren't familiar with the Trading Post check it out: www.mlptp.net

A My Little Puppy

I saw this picture and decided this little guy would fit in quite nicely with the My Little Pony collection. He has his own symbol!

Here's the article:

"A long-coated male chihuahua named "Heart-kun" with a heart-shaped pattern on his coat sleeps at Pucchin Dog's shop in Odate in northern Japan July 10, 2007. The one-and-a-half-month-old chihuahua was born on May 18, 2007 as one of a litter. The shop owner Emiko Sakurada said that this is the first time a puppy with these marks has been born out of a 1,000 that she has bred. She also said that she has no plans to sell the puppy." REUTERS/Issei Kato (JAPAN).

Now on Amazon!

The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory is currently available for sale on Amazon for $21.77. If you are thinking about purchasing a copy, I recommend you take Amazon up on this awesome deal. The book retails at $32.99 and it is a mystery to the publisher and myself how they can discount it so much, but I'm not complaining! Books-A-Million have the title listed at $36, and I've seen it listed from anywhere from $35 to $46 on other sites. It is yet to be available on Barnes & Nobel although it is listed and I've been told the publisher is looking into the delay.

Amazon has also added a "Look Inside" feature so visitors can preview select portions of the book before they buy. So check it out!

The Countdown Begins!

The MLP Fair will take place in Memphis Tennessee on July 28th and July 29th at the Cooke Convention Center. Pony Collectors will flock to this event for a weekend full of My Little Pony. While this is the fourth year for the event, this will be the first time Hasbro representative, Michelle Paolino, will be in attendance. I'm excited at the possibility of meeting her since we exchanged email messages last summer when my first book was released. She was very encouraging and complementary of my work and I'm obviously a fan of her work! If this wasn't enough to convince me that I had to attend the event, The Fair Staff recently announced that an exclusive Hasbro produced pony will be available for purchase at the event. So, I'll be there with bells on and hope to meet my share of fun and interesting collectors!

Visit www.MLPFair.com for more information on this event!

It starts...

Blog is now up and running. Look forward to plenty of posts discussing the MLP line and updates on my many pony related projects, rants, and reviews.