New Elizabeth Taylor Barbie Dolls Immortalize The Legendary Beauty With Violet Eyes.

Mattel has been getting better and better with the likenesses of their celebrity dolls. The latest to join the adult collector stable of Barbie Dolls, are two soon to be released Elizabeth Taylor Dolls. Both the Violet Eyes Barbie Doll and the White Diamonds Barbie Doll have faces whose sketches were approved by the legendary actress before her death.






Both 11.5" dolls bear little red ribbons on their shoulders to signify Elizabeth's dedication to fighting HIV and AIDS. Although, oddly enough, none of the proceeds go to support the fight against HIV /AIDs, which they should. That aside, the dolls were designed by Robert Best and are wearing Silkstone fashions designed especially for them.

Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes Barbie Doll:


The 11.5" tall doll wears a timeless satin dress with matching opera gloves and pumps, rhinestone brooch, bracelet and earrings. Also includes sunglasses and a mini “perfume” bottle. A tiny red ribbon near her shoulder represents her commitment to battling HIV/AIDS.





Due to ship next month, you can pre-order the Violet Eyes Barbie doll here


Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Barbie Doll:


The 11.5" doll models a lovely white dress, inspired by costumes worn by the actress during Hollywood’s Golden Age. An exquisite jewelry suite, starlet accoutrements, and a mini “perfume bottle” are the wonderful accessories.




Due out on September 15th, you can pre-order the Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds doll here.

If you're a fan of Elizabeth Taylor's, you may enjoy a special post I wrote in honor of her passing which includes wonderful photos of the violet-eyed beauty by some of the world's greatest photographers, her men and her jewelry.

Her Men, Her Movies, Her Diamonds, Her Photos. The Legacy Of Elizabeth Taylor.

Scott Campbell Breaks Out Of His Shell. Graphite Illustrated Ostrich Egg Interiors.

It's no secret I've been a fan of Scott Campbell's work for awhile now, having written about him numerous times. The Brooklyn-based tattoo artist has quickly became a celeb favorite and force in the art world. He's inked Marc Jacobs (both Marc and Scott have his "Bros before Hos" tatts), created leather bags for Louis Vuitton (and drew faux tatts on the runway models with a Sharpie marker), cut up currency, burnt tortillas and is now drawing inside broken Ostrich eggs with graphite.


above: It's a skull. It's a woman. It's both. And beautifully rendered on the interior of an Ostrich Egg shell by Scott Campbell.

His untitled eggs feature tattoo-like imagery delicately rendered on the interior of the shells. The eggs illustrate the juxtaposition between birth (the eggs) and death (the morbid skeletal imagery inside them).

















The image used to promote his first west coast show, Noblesse Oblige, at the OH WOW gallery in 2011:

Scott Campbell:

images courtesy of Scott Campbell, OH WOW Gallery and Marc Jancou Contemporary

Inside and Out of Amsterdam's Modern Houseboat, the Watervilla de Omval.

This tautly designed houseboat, Watervilla De Omval, floats in the Amstel river of Amsterdam. The design has, unlike most floating houses, a very contemporary design without losing the characteristic appearance of the typical houseboat.



Living on the water gets more and more popular in Holland. The clients/ owners who come to the office of +31 Architects always love the typical charms and characteristics of living on the water but don’t like the standard “caravan” appearance of the existing houseboats. More and more people want to live on a contemporary houseboat that has been designed for their specific needs, the houseboat at De Omval is an obvious example of this wish.


above: livingroom detail and bathroom


above: fireplace in the livingroom

The clients wanted a boat with an open floor plan where they could enjoy the views to the water and the outdoor space to a maximum. The distinguished curved line of the facade directly derives from this desire and the restriction that the boat couldn’t be more than three meters above the water.




The living area and open kitchen are located on the waterfront, from here one has a panoramic view at the Amstel and you can enter the floating terrace.





Following on from the living area and kitchen the bedroom is located on a split level. The split level introduces an open route to the ground floor of the boat and, at the same time, makes it possible to create a terrace on the south side without exceeding the maximum building height.






To accentuate the round lines of the facade it is carried out in with shiny aluminum. The white plastered walls and ceilings follow the curve of the facade creating a seamless transition from the exterior to the interior.




Floor plans:



+31ARCHITECTS was founded in 2005 by Jasper Suasso de Lima de Prado and Jorrit Houwert. They both graduated at the Technical University of Delft in 2001.

Location: Amsterdam
Architects: J. Suasso de Lima de Prado, J. Houwert
Area: 200m2
Building contractor: Ardesch/Dijkhuis groep
Photographers: Iwan Baan, Colin Morsch/ Gianni Basso

information and images©+31Architects