Welcome!

I've been wanting to do something like this for a while. 

I'm Dmitry, and among other things, I'm a lifelong toy collector. Even as a child, I had a special fascination for toys and toy design, and I treasured many things I owned then. Lots of toys in my collection today have been there since I was very little. I've also developed quite the analytical mind as a creative person and fan of storytelling, and have a fascination for diving deep into media and visual art and providing reviews and criticism. I've long admired some toy blogs, particularly the excellent work of Emily, the Toy Box Philosopher, which helped me learn about more kinds of toys and how to review them. I made some nervous attempts at creating blogs before, but I quickly dropped off (and probably made them when I was too young, anyway). This is it for real, now. A committed blog. In the grand year of 2023--I know. But I'm an old-fashioned young man and I need a better outlet for me to discuss one area of fascination that I've long written reviews about for nobody to see. Well, now I'm letting people see because now I feel more like it's worth sharing. 

The name of this blog comes from the fact that I tend to relax and read and write about things during the afternoon with a cup of tea, and the fact that when I analyze something, I find myself diving into many side currents to consider a pretty wide picture. Be prepared for that! Get ready to be surprised by just how much trivia and how many ruminations a single toy can dredge up!  Make two cups of tea if you'll need them!

I may do some quicker reviews occasionally, and I don't intend to review every toy I acquire--only things where I think I can contribute something meaningful by showcasing them, or toys that gave me a surprising experience.

I am also nowhere near a professional photographer and I fight with Blogger about image resolution until it wins, so my photos may be a little messy from time to time until you click them for a full view. Regardless, I aim to illustrate what matters in my analysis. 

My toy collections have included several brands, but since I'm most attracted to interesting characters, they're usually toys of monsters and people. I have many older pieces from Folkmanis Puppets, large collections of LEGO and Playmobil, several modern Mego figures, and a large Monster High collection in the (re)making, as well as many miscellaneous toys. My favorite Monster High characters, and the most-represented in my collection, are Twyla Boogeyman for her personality and visual theming, and Frankie Stein for the sheer number of her and their doll designs that I've loved.

 I hope any readers I manage to find here will enjoy some teatimes and tangents while I put a toy on the table to talk about. Thank you for visiting.

You get bonus points if you can name the two toys here!