Falling For Dolls

*For the love of dolls. I was rushing to work one Friday and backing my car out of the garage when I saw a package that I was expecting on my front porch. I got out of my car and made a quick decision to put the package in the garage. I picked up the package and spun around a little too quickly and fell off of the porch (I'm okay, the package is okay).

When I got to work, I texted my husband that I had fallen off of the porch. He called me later to make sure that I was okay. Then he asked me what I was doing on the porch. I said "Nuthin'... just chillin'" like Bruh' Man from Martin. He became suspicious due to my evasive response and asked me if a package had come today. I said "Could be, could be not" like Mister from The Color Purple. Later he texted me a photo of the rose bushes planted in front of our home with the message "I see where you fell." I texted him back "I beg your pardon, I did not fall into a rose garden."

Later when I got home from work, I retrieved my package from the garage and came into the house, where my husband was waiting for me. He asked me "Is this the package that you fell for?" He opened my package for me, questioned me about the cost (and I happily told him since I got a good deal), and didn't give me nearly enough sympathy for my bumps and bruises in my humble opinion.

Here are the dolls that I fell for: the Imani and Menelik African Wedding set.

I had never noticed until recently that Olmec's Menelik and Imani came in a couple of different shades. I saw this adorable wedding set with Menelik and Imani with a lighter skin tone than the ones that I currently own. The description read "NIB" so my original plan was to leave this set in the box. When I inspected the box, I saw that the original tape had been cut, so I removed the dolls and I could tell that they had definitely been removed from the box before. However, everything was put back in place, no items are missing, and the dolls are in really good condition, so I'm pleased.

I love their adorable cake and AA couple cake topper.

Also enclosed in the box is a wedding invitation, a booklet explaining the African American custom of jumping the broom, and a decorated cardboard broom.

Inside the box are cardboard cutouts with gifts, wedding bells, rings on a pillow, and a car that is obviously far too small to be an actual vehicle for the newly wedded couple.

 Todd and Stacie were already dressed for the occasion, so they've joined the happy couple here.

 Here are the happily wedded Menelik and Imani on the left, my original Menelik, and my newly purchased Music Video Imani.

Perhaps one of these days, I will throw a lavish wedding ceremony for Menelik and Imani. In the meantime, they have been placed back in their box along with all of their accessories.

*I had previously told the story of me falling off of my porch on Black Doll Enthusiast's We Love Black Dolls Anew Facebook group.

Music Video Imani

My Menelik doll, purchased sometime in the early 90's, was my first African American doll as an adult collector. Recently it occurred to me that I had never purchased his girlfriend/wife Imani. I went searching and found one that I absolutely love for an extremely reasonable price (less than her original retail price).

She was described as NRFB, so prior to her arrival, I had been trying to talk myself into not opening the box. When she arrived, I saw that the original tape on the box had been cut, so I believe that she had been removed from her box previously. That gave me all the incentive that I needed to remove her. She had never been removed from her packaging, though, so she remains secured and in wonderful condition, and I've returned her to her box. I am so tempted to play with this one, though. Her wigs are just too tempting for me. I would love to create a music video starring Imani and Menelik!

Here is a closeup of the lovely Imani. She is wearing a jeweled dress with cut-away shoulders, and she has short cropped hair. This set comes with a hooded cape, a cap with braids and beads, a crimped weave wig, short red bob wig, camcorder, camera, microphone, and hairbrush. She has gold earrings, a ring, and gold shoes. She has a "You Can Be What You Wanna Be" booklet and cut-out cover, a diary, dictionary, and cut-out poster.

She also comes with a cardboard cut-out makeup case, and cardboard cut-out makeup.

Menelik is thrilled to have his beloved Imani with him at long last.

I don't think that Imani will stay secured to her packaging for long. I'll need to think of a song that I... I mean that Imani will sing for her upcoming music video.

I remember reading the Olmec story on the side of Menelik's box all those years ago when I purchased him, and I was touched by it. I remember that I was so happy to see a Black doll on the shelves, especially a male doll. The side of Imani's box has the Olmec story.