If you are a Frida freak like I am, you'll looooove this Frida Kahlo mix n' match magnetic dress-up doll. Stick Frida to your frig, white board, filing cabinet -- whatever -- and dress her up in her dresses and shawls, pants or denim shorts and a t-shirt. I put my set on the door of my dishwasher and my daughter totally loves playing with it. Good thing, especially when I'm cooking or washing dishes. My daughter loves this Frida dress-up so much that she even plays with her as a stand-up doll. This is the perfect Latino gift.
Diego Rivera's Industry Murals: Cards for Kids to Color
By Cynthia Garza
on January 16, 2012
With 0 comments
Diego Rivera, love him or loathe him (Team Frida Kahlo), but the man painted some damned good murals. This set of 10 assorted cards and envelopes feature the ready-to-color works of the Mexican artist. The cards are taken from Rivera's Detroit Industry, murals which he painted between 1932 and 1933, and which he considered the most successful of his career. The cards depict workers in Detroit's auto industry, along with several other industries in the city at the time.
I've always admired this mural and hope to see it one day in person. Like all art, I'm sure it's just stunning when seen en vivo. Each of the five designs included in this packet has a short description of the work, and pose a question to get children thinking about the art. Perfect for elementary and middle school-age children.
Each card is a Z-fold format, and unfolds to 7" x 15" for three times the coloring fun. Also comes with a four-pack of crayons, which to me, makes this perfect to take-along on a long airplane ride. I'm all for anything that keeps my kid from kicking, screaming or being bored on airplanes.
Pedro Infante Paper Dolls
By Cynthia Garza
on January 15, 2012
With 0 comments
My mother always tells me stories of her and her sisters as girls, playing for hours on end with their paper dolls. She says they used to scrimp and save their allowance, and when they'd make the trek with their parents to the Woolworth or Kress in downtown Laredo, they'd rush to the paper dolls to buy a new booklet. I also had a few sets of paper dolls as a girl and I can actually still imagine what they looked like, which is remarkable because that was aaaaaages ago. Fond memories, sniff.
Playing with paper dolls is nearly a lost tradition, which is a shame. There's stiff competition for a kids' attention nowadays: the Nintendo DC, the iPad and 24-7 kids' shows on-demand (which are sometimes a God-send, but I digress). But I have to say, I've let my little girl play with paper dolls (okay, the magnetic Frida dolls, but she doesn't keep them on the frig) and she spent nearly two hours playing make-believe with them. Seriously, she loved them. I could not drag her away.
The first time I saw these Pedro Infante dolls I knew we had to have them at Dos Borreguitas. Now, I definitely didn't grow up watching **heartbreaker** Pedro Infante because he pre-dates me and even my mom, but his name is just one of those you grew up knowing, like Zapata, Villa, Cantinflas, etc. This book of paper dolls is written in Spanish, and is an awesome re-cap of the Mexican film star's career -- so it's a great way to learn about his legendary career. Next to each outfit is a summary of a movie he starred in. I love the silver-studded charro outfits the best. Makes me wanna throw a grito!
Frida Kahlo Paper Dolls
By Cynthia Garza
on December 16, 2011
With 0 comments
I bought these beautiful Frida Kahlo paper dolls in a little boutique in New York City earlier this week. Stocking stuffer for the kiddo. I don't think she's old enough to appreciate paper dolls, especially if given the chose between these and an iPad, but in a few years I think she'll get their appeal.
These paper dolls -- which you actually have to cut out yourself -- make you feel as if you're peering into Frida Kahlo's closet. Next to each dress is a description of when she wore the dress and at what point in her life. The booklet describes how Frida carefully cultivated her image. Whether it was pants and short hair, or regional dresses with ruffles and lace, a shawl and braided hair, her selection of clothing spoke volumes about the woman she was. I'm scared to think what the clothes I wear say about me!
Anyway, I would love to have these clothes hanging in my closet.
Diego Rivera, her husband and brilliant artist (and mujeriego) in his own right, is also included, although there are only four changes of clothing for him, including the denim overalls he often used while working.
I loved playing with paper dolls as a little girl, and my mother always talks about how she and her sisters used to save their money to buy them at the Woolworth in downtown Laredo. She says they used to even cut furniture out of the Sears catalog. My daughter is starting to get into role-playing with her dolls, and it's always the everyday activities she knows: sleeping, eating, playing, singing and dancing. I can imagine role-playing with the Frida and Diego paper dolls. Oof, complicated!
