Friday, March 10, 2023

EDGAR

Arrival Date: 3/10/23

Size: 15"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $90.95

Thoughts: Edgar! I loved him from the catalogue and he's super adorable in person. It was tough picking one out because there were two I kept going back and forth between. This guy with the dark patch on his face won. Edgar is a woolly mammoth, though he has no tusks. But then CBs aren't known for accuracy. He's got long, soft fur and he's very cuddly. Well worth waiting for!

Thursday, March 9, 2023

SAN DIEGO

Arrival Date: 3/9/23

Size: 14"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: Free with rewards (Retail $86.95)

Thoughts: San Diego is a kinkajou, though he doesn't look quite like one. The ears they got right, but a kinkajou has much larger eyes and a lighter nose that blends more with the muzzle fur. These are typical CB changes made to real animals to make them "cuter." I was lucky to get him, as my stockist only got this one in. He's still very cute, despite the inaccuracies. I love his curled tail! 

GREG

Arrival Date: 3/9/23

Size: 13.5"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $104.95

Thoughts: Also a silvery tyber plush is little Greg. He's the third in the trio that also includes Zach and Knox. He's just as cuddly and adorable as they are!

QUEST

Arrival Date: 3/9/23

Size: 16.5"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $136.95

Thoughts: The silver fox companion to red fox Journey is finally here. Like Journey, he's luxurious tyber plush, so he's incredibly soft. He's gorgeous. 

STICKY TOFFEE

Arrival Date: 3/9/23

Size: 19"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $132.95

Thoughts: Oh, how beautiful! I was actually prepared for poor Toffee to be my least wow factor from this delivery of four, but I was way wrong. He jumped out instantly. The rich colors of his fur are glorious, and he has the sweetest expression. I'm such a sucker for wide-set eyes and he's got the best pair. He's as cuddly as the others in this style set (Cotton Candy, Soda Pop, Cheese Whizz, and Shoofly Pie). Definitely highly recommend this bear!

Saturday, February 25, 2023

GRIN (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 2/25/23

Size: 14"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $77

Thoughts: Grin was another I liked in the catalogue. That one had this big blue nose. Mine's is pretty big and I like the patterning on his face, so I'm keeping him. He's a skinnier bunny with enormous feet and long, floppy ears. Very cute. And he sits really nicely with my jester mohair Harley, who's a similar pink to Grin's collar and hat. 

MR. TWIST

Arrival Date: 2/25/23

Size: 14"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $67

Thoughts: I liked Mr. Twist (and Artful Dodger, the rabbit in this same fabric) in the catalogue, but I simply had too many preorders in quarter 4. I opted to wait and see if I liked them when they came out. CB Direct had them in, but both of them are extremely varied. Any color of that fabric can end up on the face, so it's red, purple, gold, or the light sandy color. There were definitely some that I saw that I didn't like, so I opted to wait, because CB Direct returns are pretty horrible. Then they popped up on QVC. Mr. Twist was the only tempting one there at first, so I ordered two of him. I'm likely going to do the same with Dodger when I get more money. With QVC's easy returns, it's simple to drop the second one at the post office. He was cute, too, but I prefer the red face to the gold and sand one the second bear had. Mr. Twist is, like many of Charlie's bears, a bit bigger than you assume him to be. You'd think I'd learn by now, but I'm surprised every time that they're so large. He's a really great value for the price, I love the fabric, and he seems quite cuddly.



Monday, January 30, 2023

NEWTON

Arrival Date: 1/30/23

Size: 18.5"

Year: 2022 

Edition Size: 1200

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Features: Plumo

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $175

Thoughts: Ah, Newton. When he first came out, I saw a few and wasn't interested. Then a couple people posted cute ones. Then Valerie got hers in and I kept seeing him when looking through the albums. This guy ended up hitching a ride with Garibaldi and I have no regrets. He's a bigger fellow and chunky but also slim. Definitely a good size for me. I love his poofy mohair-lined ears. It's nice seeing the dark color used for ear lining. I'm not sure I have another plumo that has dark ears. I think he may end up being one of my unexpected faves from 2022.

GARIBALDI

Arrival Date: 1/30/23

Size: 15.5"

Year: 2022 

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $140

Thoughts: Garibaldi is the companion to Battenburg, who looks the same but in pastel shades. She came out much earlier this year and I didn't have her preordered but ended up getting her. I've been waiting for this guy because I knew I'd love him in all his warm browns. He reminds me of my first bear, Howie. I fell for this particular one and was lucky enough to get him! What a face.

Friday, January 27, 2023

PANDER (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 1/27/23

Size: 15"

Year: 2022

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $67

Thoughts: I've been feeling the bear need and decided on Pander from QVC. He reminds me of Phantom, who is an older bear from 2013. I always loved him, but at 26", he's simply too big for my space. Pander is much more reasonable size and he's very cute. I like the green bow. He's a Charlie design, so he's got that little bit more structured feel to him like Peppermint, Cottontail, etc. He's going to hang out with Foster, who's a similar fabric.