BIANCA

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Size: 14"

Year: 2016

Edition Size: 2830

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $69

Thoughts: When you see an unusual face, it's gotta be an Alison Mills. (Except Gary.) I saw some glorious sad Biancas in the Facebook CB groups and I really wanted one, so I decided to take a gamble and hope I got a sad one from QVC. And I'm not disappointed. She can look pretty sad, but also very grumpy, depending on how her fur lays. I like her a lot.

BLAISE (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Size: 17"

Year: 2015

Edition Size: 1800

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $35

Thoughts: Blaise is growing on me. His striped fur is more like Fawsley's with more of a quality feel. I didn't initially like him much though. then I squished his face around and positioned his muzzle in a better spot. I do love his ears! And he has knees like the others. I find it funny that the 2015 Bearhouse I initially almost did not order, Fawsley, is actually the one I ended up liking the most. No regrets checking any of these out and I'd lose a bunch sending them back, so I'm keeping them, but the difference in quality is really obvious.

TATTON (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Size: 17"

Year: 2015

Edition Size: 1500

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $38

Thoughts: Tatton is another 2015 Bearhouse. He's more like Greystoke in that his fur is just regular plush, but he's got more detail, so he cost a smidge more. He's cute, but nothing really makes him stand out from other plush tigers.

GREYSTOKE (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Size: 18"

Year: 2015

Edition Size: 1200

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $34

Thoughts: Greystoke almost doesn't look like he belongs on these pages, does he? Of all the 2015 Bearhouse characters I purchased from QVC, he's the one who most looks like a regular plush toy. Don't get me wrong, he's super cute. This photo doesn't show his adorable open mouth so he looks like he's smiling all the time. But the fur is just regular plush, nothing special like Fawsley's. I do like the detail on the feet and of course, the knees.

CABOODLE

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Size: 16.5"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1150

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: Free! (Regular $86.95)

Thoughts: Grover was my 10th bear purchased on my current rewards card, which meant that I earned my rewards dollars! Since Botticelli was one of the ten, I had quite a bit of bear bucks and that meant Caboodle came home for free. This bear is STUNNING. I'm a big fan of MishMash, who's the same design in black and shades of gray, but Caboodle is perfect for autumn. His warm tones are just glorious. I think he's going to be another underrated bear!

MERLIN (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Rehomed: 12/31/21

Size: 20"

Year: 2011

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $65.21 (25% off regular $86.95)

Thoughts: Merlin has been on my low-key want list for ages. Probably well over a year. He's a big guy at 20", but he's not particularly hefty. His main feature is his long, scraggly fur that makes him look like the bear that lives under your bed. I've got mine seated next to Curly, being the two boys with the most unusual fur in my collection.

GROVER

Arrival Date: 11/30/18

Size: 13.5"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1500

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Features: Plumo

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $81.95

Thoughts: Grover was one of two bears I had on layaway before the hurricane and he's finally home. He's a delightful little guy and photos don't capture how amazing the colors are in the red part of his fur. There's such a blend! I love his big mane furstyle and the markings around his eyes. He's underappreciated I think because some people don't like his longer muzzle, but I do!

GARY

Arrival Date: 11/29/18

Size: 13"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1600

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: Gift!

Thoughts: One of my friends surprised me with an early Christmas gift. I've had my eye on Gary and he was on my to-buy list for after I get all my pre-orders taken care of. I'm so glad I get to see him in person early, because he is SO SOFT. His head and paws are stuffed more, so he's really heavy for a small bear, but his fur is just so soft all over and his tummy is nice and squishy. Gary isn't a very popular bear, likely because he has a rather starey expression. He's not a cute as others, but I love him for that.

KINGDOM (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/29/18

Size: 17"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 970

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $54

Thoughts: Like Safari, Kingdom is from the 2017 Bearhouse collection. He's heavy like Safari and Paignton. His fur is super lush and amazing. I wasn't sure I was going to like the staring golden eyes, but I do, especially since after taking all these photos, the three felines got their whiskers removed! (I hate string whiskers.)

SAFARI (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/29/18

Size: 17"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 1000

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QV

Cost: $56

Thoughts: In contrast to Fawsley, here is Safari from the 2017 Bearhouse collection. She's heavy and has detailed paws, unlike Fawsley. I love the shade of her nose and how it matches her ribbon and the little details like the hair in her ears elevates her above your typical plush lion.

FAWSLEY

Arrival Date: 11/29/18

Size: 18"

Year: 2015

Edition Size: 1200

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $38

Thoughts: Fawsley is my first Bearhouse from the earlier years. I think it was in 2017 that the quality on them went up drastically. Fawsley is still made from great quality plush. His fur isn't just one color. It's either white or tan underneath the more dominant golden color. My favorite thing about him is his knees! I love how he sits. His face is also very expressive. Mine seems to have eyes that are closer together than other Fawsleys, based on looking at Google pics. It gives him a more human expression.

FEATHERS (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 11/28/18

Size: 10"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 1348

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $20

Thoughts: Feathers is a little baby stork from the Bearhouse collection. He's only about 10" tall and a lot of that is leg! I loved him because he was unique and jumped on the chance to own him when QVC did 6 Easy Pays over Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

CALLIE

Arrival Date: 11/26/18

Size: 11.5"

Year: 2017 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 2150

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Charlie Bears Direct US

Cost: Gift!

Thoughts: Callie was a gift from an anonymous member of the I Love Charlie Bears North America group on Facebook. She's one I always had on my "want but don't want to import" list, so I was thrilled when she came to the CB Direct US website, but I couldn't order her because I had no address at the time. I was contacted by the group owner, saying that a member wanted to buy me a bear but remain anonymous and I mentioned Callie. So she arrived today and she's just darling! She barely weighs a thing and I love her colors. 

CHEWY

Arrival Date: 11/21/18

Size: Description says 13.5", but he's much bigger! Probably 16-18".

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1165

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $51.95

Thoughts: Chewy was not a pre-order, but once I saw the face of Valerie's last one, I had to reserve him. I'm a sucker for the more unusual animals in the Bearhouse range. (I may get the hedgehog eventually.) Chewy is another heavy, finely-crafted Bearhouse with excellent details and soft fur. I'm off to go cuddle him right now!

DEE DEE

Arrival Date: 11/21/18

Size: 18.5"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 2050

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Features: Plumo

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $80 (Regular $116.95. 3rd layaway payment was skipped as a gift.)

Thoughts: Dee Dee is one of my two layaway bears that was stuck in limbo. I was almost ready to pay them off when the hurricane hit. The always generous Valerie from BAMS offered to give me one of them as a gift to aid in my recovery from all the hurricane trauma, but I couldn't accept until recently, when I finally moved into my new place. Dee Dee was the chosen bear and she arrived today. Dee Dee has surprising bursts of color from more purpley tones to pinky-purples. Her face and inner ears are mohair. She's just lovely overall and I plan to sit her with Botticelli and Elspeth.

RUSKIN

Arrival Date: 11/18/18

Size: 15.5"

Year: 2018 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 585

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Gift!

Cost: Gift!

Thoughts: Ruskin is my first new bear in my new home. He was a generous gift from a fellow member of the I Love Charlie Bears North America Facebook page. Last month, I was a victim of Hurricane Michael and was forced to relocate. We lived in a cheap motel for almost a month before finally getting into our new place, and we started moving in just yesterday. The Facebook group members were concerned about me during the time period when I was unable to communicate online and tell them I was okay. That's continued into wonderful generosity like Ruskin. He was someone else's purchase, but she wanted to send him to me as a Christmas gift when I posted that I was disappointed to have missed him on the new US Charlie Bears Direct page. I still can't believe how awesome my fellow bear collectors are! I've only been collecting for almost 3 years, but I've seen more kindness, love and generosity in that time than in decades of doll collecting.