Coffee, Tea or Silicone?

Choosing a website to review is often more difficult than writing the reviews. There are so many great sites out there...and of course some not so great. So I have been surfing the web for weeks before finally dropping anchor.

I've been so busy lately I haven't even had time for a coffee break. So, to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, I decided to cater to my Java craving AND do a review. This month's review is a friendly place called “The Doll Coffee Shop”

The Doll Coffee Shop's owner/operator is one of the most recognized envoys of the doll community. He has appeared internationally in numerous articles and documentaries. He lives in the UK and is known as Everhard.

For those of you that are in the habit of judging a book by it's cover, don't be too quick to hit the BACK button. Sure, it seems a bit drab and unexciting - more like a table of contents. I felt like I'd just laid my eyes on an open book. Websites should all have a simple and attractive splash page to let you know you've arrived. It's like that big sign at the burger joint or department store. One glance and you know where you are and what to expect..

However, as I have learned over the years, first impressions are not always accurate. I read of a man who bought a doll he thought was stunning and sexy, only to be sadly disappointed in what he later described as nothing less than the Bride of Frankenstein. On the other hand, he then purchased a very drab,damaged movie doll that turned out to be absolutely stunning once she was cleaned up and repaired. She even graced the Cover of CoverDoll's 100th issue. Whereas beauty is in the eye of the beholder, website excellence lies in design and content. If I had to chose between the two, I'd take content over design. Let's face it, you only look at the front page for a few minutes, but often can spend hours on the inside.
So I decided to take a closer look at the cluttered HOME page and spend
some time exploring this site.I have to say, I'm glad I did. I really
like it! The Doll Coffee Shop is mostly a visual experience. there are
few articles. However a convenient "What's new" section for returning
visitors and a links section to other related sites of interest once
you're done browsing his, let's you know he is puts community over self
and is not fighting for bandwidth with his fellow 'dollers'

The site is well organized and easy to find things. There first
section, called “We live in Modern Times”, is a pictorial account of
women during what appears to be the World War II era in Britain. It a
great display of vintage clothing and dolls portrayed in a feminine and
sexy chic way of the time. Personally, I love the way he uses his dolls
to present the female form in an alluring and gentle way. It is very
honest and very sexy in my opinion. This is not to be missed and one
should sit back and just observe and study the photographs as there is
a story being told. It’s wonderful!

Next on Everhard’s website is a brief list of his lovely dolls listed chronologically in the order they came into his life along with some basic specs. 6 are RealDolls and the one is a 4Woods for a total of seven Wow, this guy could be the UK equivalent of Hugh Hefner...at least in the silicone world. He lists his dolls as Rebecca, Caroline, Louise, Virginia, Lina (my personal favourite), and followed by Laura whom is a 4 Woods Neo J and is simply delightful to look at, and then Joanna. Each name is hyper-linked to that particular doll’s photographs. Most are absolutely stunning, actually, and I found myself linking back to a few when I was done my brief tour of his site.

Another photo set listed under "Various" called: “Art Imitating Art” is by no means imitation in my book, I love the Black and White photographs. Rebecca looks stunning and very natural. Everhard’s talent for photography really shows up here, but then again, I am a huge fan of black and white photographs. Good job Everhard!!! I especially liked the B&W face closeup of Rebecca. With a little help from one of Everard's community members - Perry - the photo is good enough to fool most anyone. If he'd told me it was his cousin, I'd have been bugging him for her address. It delights me to see life breathed into inanimate objects. Well indeed!

Simplicity is what I like most about this site. It is like an out of
the way restaurant you might have stepped into to get clear of the
rain. You take time for a cup of tea and to dry off. Then you discover
that you have stepped through the looking glass into a wonderland of
dolls. It's an amazing little place that has a warm and welcoming
atmosphere and one feels very much at home.

This is how the Doll Coffee Shop is! Truly a gem amongst all the
glitz and glamour of other doll sites. Everhard has captured a romantic
time in history with his beloved dolls and through his devotion to his
dolls, the doll community and of course, his wonderful photographs, he
shares his a part of his Wonder Land of Dolls. ! The Doll Coffee Shop
is a must for your next coffee break. Relax and escape the hectic and
confusing world of the 21st century - even if for a moment. You'll be
glad you did. And in one well know famous actor and Governor's
words...."I'll be back!"

So surf on over to dollcoffeeshop.com and enjoy Everhard’s ladies
and his wonder photographic stories of a bygone era and relax. Be sure
you drop him a line and let him know how much you appreciate the time
and effort he's put into sharing his beautiful silicone ladies with us
and for his contribution to the doll community!

WebEd