Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH. I don't even know how to start writing this because I'm still so excited and it's been weeks now. But okay. Let me try to tell you about the day our very first Pocketlings doll arrived from the warehouse. Because it was THE BEST DAY.
When the Box Arrived
Me and my mum have been working on Pocketlings for ages. Like AGES. We designed the dolls together, chose the names together, picked the fabrics and the hair textures and everything. But it's one thing to see designs on a screen and talk about what the dolls will look like. It's a completely different thing to hold one in your actual hands.
So the box arrived. My mum brought it into the kitchen and just put it on the table and looked at me. We both knew what was inside. I think my hands were actually shaking? My mum said "go on then" and I could tell she was trying not to cry already and we hadn't even opened it yet.
Meeting Olabisi for the First Time
I opened it SO carefully. Everything inside was wrapped beautifully in tissue paper and ribbon — exactly how we designed the packaging. And then I lifted her out.
Olabisi. The very first one. The very first real, actual, you-can-hold-her Pocketlings doll.
I just — I held her up and looked at her and she was so beautiful. Her skin was brown and warm and gorgeous. Her hair was in these beautiful braids, just like we designed. Her eyes had this look like she was curious about the world. And I thought: we actually did this. We actually made her real.
I started crying. My mum started crying. We were just standing in the kitchen holding this doll and crying and laughing at the same time. Because we'd been dreaming about this moment for so long and now she was HERE. Olabisi — "honour brings many joys" — and she really was bringing us so much joy.
She Was Even Better Than We Imagined
The thing about designing something is you have this picture in your head of what it will be. But the real thing was even better. The detail on her outfit, the texture of her hair, the way she felt when you held her. I kept turning her over in my hands going "Mum, LOOK at this bit" and "Mum, they got this PERFECT."
My mum said something that really stuck with me. She said: "This is what happens when you put love into something. It comes back to you." And I think that's exactly right. We put so much love into designing these dolls and now here was Olabisi, sending all that love right back.
What This Means to Me
Some people might think it's just a doll. But it's not just a doll. It's proof that two people — a mum and her daughter — can dream something up and make it real. It's proof that when you believe kids deserve to see themselves represented, you can actually DO something about it.
Every time I look at Olabisi, I remember that moment in the kitchen. The tissue paper. The tears. The feeling of holding something you helped create for the very first time.
If you're reading this and you're thinking about getting a Pocketlings doll: please do it. Not just because they're beautiful (they are SO beautiful) but because it matters to see yourself. It matters to hold something that says "you exist and you are wonderful."
We made these dolls for you. And I promise you, they were made with SO much love.