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Monday, March 18, 2024

What Mattel did to Tyco

Well, maybe things will be quiet around here and maybe they won't.  True, I won't be reviewing stuff left and right like I did, but that makes room for more "just for the helluvit" posts.  This post concerns a random picture I recently took, of these three.

From left, Marta Angela, Shelley Fred, and Olivia Reese.  These three are staying at Casa del Luna unless I say different, and as far as I know they're disinfected and ready to move to Rent House.  Disinfecting consisted of dumping rubbing alcohol on both Marta and Olivia, and as a result they're still damp to the touch and slightly smelling of chemicals, but then I happen to like the smell of rubbing alcohol.  I don't know dousing my dolls with it will keep mold from spreading or even if these two were moldy; the mold in my house is pretty fickle.  It only wants...IT ONLY WANTS MY VINTAGE DOLLS, DAMMIT!!!  Why, why, WHYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem, where was I?  Oh yeah, the bulk of this post will concern the unusual relationship (or lack thereof) between the Cabbage Patch Kids and Cuddle On Delivery, but Mel Birnkrant-designed dolls are like Christmas lights.  One one goes out they all go out.  Photo op!

Dammit, Moon Girl, get to the point!  Ardent followers of this blog probably know a little history of the Cabbage Patch Kids by now.  Initially produced by Coleco, became ridiculously popular in 1983, stayed popular throughout the eighties, Coleco went under in 1988, Hasbro took over production of the Cabbies, all that jazz.  I'd estimate that about half of my Patch is from the Coleco era, largely because they're the easiest to find at a reasonable price!  LOL, people were killing each other to get just ONE of these dolls in 1983, and now they're pretty much everywhere.  Shelley Fred, Cara Raelean, and Hugo Jack are just three of mine!

Hmmm...there's them three, then there's Idalia Gale, Andrea Doria, Valencia Rose, and Stella Rae.  Seven Coleco Kids, in a Patch that will soon number twenty-one.  So a third of my Cabbies are Coleco, not half.  As I've said before, I'm not particularly qqqqq with my Cabbies.  I will admit though that I prefer the ones with yarn hair...or with short hair, like Leslie Emily and Kory Aryan have.  Short hair is easy to maintain, as is yarn hair.  Just ask Olivia Reese.

Not that I hate Cornsilk Kids, of course!  They're just a little higher maintenance. 

Back on topic, Cuddle On Delivery didn't pop out of their magic mailboxes until 1997.  <pauses to think>  I think I was in third grade by then, but I don't s'pose that matters much, LOL.  Anyway, Tyco was the toymaker who took on the Cuddle On Delivery gang.  They had a lot of similarities to the Cabbage Patch Kids, being soft dolls with vinyl heads that came from some magical, far-off venue, but they weren't dead ringers.  See?  It's easy to tell them apart.

Expression is kinda a big deal for me, so I'll note that both Cabbies and C.O.D.s had plenty of that.  I think Marta's brothers and sisters had...eleven or twelve different heads.  I counted twelve, but two of the heads are the same, and two of the heads were prototypes so I guess technically there were ten heads.  And I don't know how many heads Mattel had for the Cabbies, but they also varied a lot.  None of them were ever sad, though.  Some Cuddle On Delivery dolls had sad little pouts.  Or they lolled their tongues out like Idalia Gale does, OR they have their first tooth, like Hugo Jack does.  Marta Olivia is one of those last ones.  

Like Cabbies, Cuddle On Delivery had codes assigned to their varying head molds, though they utilized letters instead of numbers.  Hugo Jack has a #4 head, while Marta's head is Cuddles Mold A.  PrillyCharmin says this mold is called So Innocent, though I think she may have done that to tie Cuddle On Delivery in with their Baby Face cousins.

The Cuddle On Delivery dolls were ridiculously popular.  As far as I know parents weren't getting into fights in stores over these, but they WERE good sellers.  Mattel didn't like that.  By 1997 they had the rights to the Cabbage Patch Kids, and while people weren't fighting each other in the isles for Cabbies by then the chipmunk-cheeked poppets were still pretty darn popular.  But mystery names and genders were unheard of for Cabbies; indeed, it would be another twelve years before dolls like Taniyah Yasmin popped out of Mother Cabbage.  Cuddle On Delivery dolls, on the other hand...their gender was a secret when they were in their box, and so was their name.  If you reread my review of Marta Angela, then you will know that the stamps on C.O.D.s' diapers were what determined gender.  Blue was for boys, and pink was for girls.

On the doll's wrist is a...well, it's kinda like a hospital bracelet, but I don't remember any of mine having that long of a tag.  Either way the name had opaque tape on it, and one had to peel the tape off to reveal the doll's name.

The name "Marta Angela" pleased me greatly, by the way.  I have a good friend named Marta, and I once had a good friend named Angela.  I don't know where the hell Angela is now, but I certainly wish her the best.  We were both about twenty when we saw each other last.  ANYWAY, the doll also came with a little baby book that could be decorated with stickers, and I don't know if the stickers varied from character to character, but it was still a cute touch.  

So that was all stuff that Cuddle On Delivery had and the Cabbage Patch didn't, and Mattel didn't like that.  Not one little bit.  Soooooo, 1997 rolls around, Mel Birnkrant and Tyco have some awesome things planned for Cuddle On Delivery...and then Mattel took Tyco over.  They bought Tyco, laid off a good portion of Tyco's original employees, and put an end to the Cuddle On Delivery bunch.  Keep in mind that Tyco was the third largest toy company in the U.S. at the time!  They were by no means crashing and burning, the way ValuJet (literally) was when they merged.  Oh, they still exist...as a branch of Mattel.  But Cuddle On Delivery can only be found on the secondary market now.  In-box examples aren't too hard to find, as my review of Marta showed.  Suddenly those Cabbie eyes look kinda sinister...

Or not.  LOL, I don't think Cabbie eyes can ever look sinister.  But yeah, the hypothesis is that Mattel dropped the axe on Cuddle On Delivery because they HAD outsold the Cabbage Patch Kids.  I don't know if that's true or not, but the timing is kinda convenient.  We all know that Mattel just HAS to be on top, after all!  If they're not they find some way to make trouble, as they did with MGA Entertainment and the Bratz.

Alright, alright, I'm positive that Cuddle On Delivery's success wasn't the only reason why Mattel bought out Tyco.  Oh nooooo, far from it!  I suspect that Tickle Me Elmo might've also been a factor.  Tickle Me Elmo was THE TOY for Christmas of 1996, just as Cabbage Patch Kids were for Christmas of '83.  Guess who produced Tickle Me Elmo?  Tyco.  Tickle Me Elmo DID survive to see the 1997 Christmas season, and...yeah.  I remember Daddy laughing that year because the stores were full of Tickle Me Elmos, but the hype had died down.  Neither my sister nor I ever wanted a stinkin' Tickle Me Elmo, by the way.  That was the year that Daddy moved Heaven and Earth to find my sister a stuffed Wishbone.  It took him the better part of the Christmas season, but by jove, my sister got that Wishbone!

Interestingly, Play Along found room in their roster for both the Cabbage Patch Kids AND the Play Along Club!  The Play Along Club didn't sell anywhere near as well as Cuddle On Delivery did, but the coexistence of the two lines shows what Mattel COULD have done.

Seriously, if Mattel had let Cuddle On Delivery survive they could've made a killing.  But nooooo, I guess they were expecting to make a killing with just the Cabbies.  I don't really no if Mattel DID make a killing with the Cabbies, but they had the license for 'em for a good chunk of time.  Regardless, the world of dolls and toys can be a bizarre and fickle place.  

Love,
RagingMoon1987 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Blythe buttons?

Yep, you read that right.  Blythe buttons.  I'm not sure if Jaylin's smile shows mild delight or mild contempt.
Etsy shop is dollface, and the proprietor gave all three of the pictured dolls names.  This blonde girl with Amy Winehouse makeup is named Trixie Mattel, possibly because she's Barbie pink...or just for the helluvit.  Update:  Tam informed me that Trixie Mattel is a real-life drag queen!  With that doll's makeup, I ought to have known.  Most of the drag queens I've known (yes, I've known a few) liked to put the makeup on heavy.  Thanks, Tam!  I had no idea.
This one is fittingly named Vega the Martian.  She certainly doesn't look like the Martians that Ray Bradbury envisioned, but...oh well!  She plays the part well in my eyes.
The most normal-looking one of the trio is Midori.  "Midori" means "green" in Japanese, and long, long ago I reviewed a doll named Midori.
Blythe is trippy enuff without a lot of paint or bright wigs, but these are SUPER trippy!  Right up my alley, in other words, as I like my accessories a little or a lot off-beat.

dollface specializes in Blythe-themed items like stickers, ribbon, and my pins, and she also offers eye chips and a few clothing items for Blythe herself.  So if you own and/or love Blythe the shop is worth a looksie.  I already promised Jaylin I'd get her a shirt from there.

Butterfly kisses,
RagingMoon1987 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

A late night out

I just got home from a shindig at the public school, and boy are my feet killing me!  For some reason the school librarian wanted someone from the public library to be there, so I went and we had a great turnout.  One little girl had a drop-dead gorgeous baby doll, and (with permission, of course) I took her picture. 
I thought it was a little boy doll, but when asked the doll's name the child said "Abigail!"  The doll was marked "Berenguer" on her neck.  LOL, I know Berenguer dolls aren't for everyone, but I think they're great!

Now to batten down the hatches for a line of thunderstorms!  The weather has been icky all day, and now the storms are moving in.  There have been tornadoes north and south of here, and mondo hail, but it looks like we're just gonna get wind and rain.  Jeez, I hope that's all we get!

Best wishes,
RagingMoon1987 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Disney clothes for the Cabbage Patch

I'm gonna start this post with some news, something that we're trying to keep under wraps here in Malden, but nothing shameful or anything like that.  Mama and I are paying utilities on four houses:  hers, mine, Uncle Man-Child's, and the house that we lived in when I was a kid.  We call that one the "rent house" now because Grandma rented it out for awhile after we left it.  One set of renters did a number on the house, but I digress.  This past month the utilities on two of the houses were outrageous, so Mama and I came to the decision to move back to the rent house after renovating our own houses.  True, we're paying for renovations and all that, but after we get rid of 'em we don't have to make house payments!  The rent house is long paid off.  Truth be told, I never really wanted to leave it in the first place.  But we've still gotta get our current houses renovated so that we can sell/rent them, and we need to get my new shed moved, and a new fence built around the rent place...oh my, there's A LOT to do.  Things are gonna get crazy, and they're gonna STAY crazy for a long time.  

Since the rent house is a lot smaller than my current one, and since I'll be sharing the space with my mother, her pets (three dogs and two cats), and my own pets (two birds, two dogs, and...sigh, eight cats), I'll have to get rid of some of my dolls.  I'm sending Molly and Samantha to my sister's sister-in-law for her two oldest girls, and I plan on giving Nancy to a friend's little girl, and Julie's going...gee, do any of y'all want a beat-up Julie Albright doll???  It'll be awhile before everything is ready, but if any of y'all want Julie, you can have her (first come, first serve).  I don't plan on asking for much for her (shipping and handling, most likely), and I'll include that Lilly Pulitzer dress that she modelled.  But anyway, since the rest of my life is going to be so nutty, things may slow down a bit here on the blog.  I'm just not gonna have the time.  

Now...that said, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and Treesa sent my Cabbage Patch Kids these!

Treesa asked me if I had any preference of character, and I didn't and still don't (LOL).  So Treesa made a theme of it, with Belle and Tinkerbelle.  Leslie Emily will be my guinea pig today, for she is small-bodied and loves pink.

Leslie's presence in Uncle Man-Child's front room provided an opportunity for him to be obnoxious, of course.  I make a point of speaking to him as little as possible, but he just HAD to know everything about Leslie.  Like he cares; he'll have forgotten it all tomorrow.  Geez, the sooner Mama and I get outta here the better.  ANYWAY, these little Disney sets consist of a little blouse and a diaper.  They thus would make good outerwear OR good undergarments.  Here's how Leslie looks in these sets; they both fit her well and look cute on her.

I like the Belle-themed set best on Leslie Emily, but they're both super cute and will serve her well when it's hot again.  When I root Taniyah Yasmin out of Storage Hell she can have the Tinkerbelle set, because that green will look adorable with her cabbage swaddle.  Remember that those Surprise Newborns came wrapped in those.

Also tucked in behind the diapers are these surprise charms that remind me a little of the Lalaloopsy Diaper Surprise charms.  Notice that good ol' Lumiere is one of the charms.

These are...I think they're meant to be for the little girls who own the doll wearing the outfit, but those rings are too little for even the tiniest human wrist.  Leslie reminded me that her hands and wrists squish, so I managed to get one of the rings on her.

Kinda cute, and that heart matches Leslie's meet dress.  Yeah, it's still kinda chilly here in the Bootheel at times, so Leslie's wearing her dress over her new undergarments, but when summer does come these'll be great.

Oh yeah, Treesa also sent me a Bratz paper doll (good ol' Cloe) and a Flavas jacket, which I forgot to photograph but love.  P. Bo has been hoping for some new threads.  Flavas don't share a body with your everyday Barbie, so they're kinda hard to dress.  

Recently I befriended a fellow Cabbie fan (she calls us Cabbie fans "cabbage heads"), and she spoke of having to "make do" when she started collecting her dolls.  She utilized Build-a-Bear clothes, which came in handy for her dolls' slumber parties, or football games, or for cosplay sessions (one of her dolls is the Twelfth Doctor, LOL).  To that I say, do what works!  If you find something that fits your Cabbie, who cares who it belongs to!  Now truth be told, I've never dressed my Cabbies in Build-a-Bear garb, but it's nice to know I could.  As for these Jakks Pacific sets, I freaking love them and I'm gonna look for the other two sets now (I think the other sets were Ariel and Snow White).  Thank you once again, Treesa!  You always go above and beyond for me and I appreciate it.

Now to find out if Poppy Elizabeth can wear clothes sized for TRU Cabbies.  For some reason, the TRU dolls are HUGE.

Love,
RagingMoon1987

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Another grab bag for Jaylin

Huzzahs for me, as my plan last summer worked:  I put Jaylin and her new wardrobe in a box and DID NOT lose said box.  Jaylin is alive and kickin', still clad in her Max Headroom shirt and her stripey bell bottoms.
Shootie, I keep forgetting how pale Jaylin is!  Of course a fair amount of time has passed since last June, and OneSixthFauxLife, the Etsy shop where I found Jaylin's shirt, appears to have gone the way of Flight 19 and disappeared.  I hate it when that happens, but it does make Jaylin's wardrobe that much more unique.  I don't know of too many people that have (or would want) a Max Headroom shirt for their doll.  But then again I don't know of too many people that have a Blythe doll.  Anyway, I got another grab bag for my blue-haired, bug-eyed poppet.  This one came from another Etsy shop, AnnSmithStore.  Behold!
In June I noted how grab bags like this can potentially be a good way to flesh out a doll's wardrobe, but I've also noticed how they can be a crap shoot.  Sometimes mystery bags like this contain garbage, but this particular bag did not disappoint.  The first thing I found were this white undershirt and two pairs of panties.  Jaylin has a pair of panties already, but extras can't hurt.  The tank top will lend itself well to the next pair of items.
Yes, the next pair.  A springy-looking pair of pants combined with a more wintery cardigan.  Of course no one SAID these items had to be worn together, but I'll try it anyway.  There was a time when I'd have worn pants like this myself, back when my thighs were smaller than thunder.  I'd STILL wear the cardigan if it came in my size.
There was also this little bow headband that'll look nice with the cardigan...or with anything, since it' off-white.  Since Jaylin wears a bob with bangs a headband is greatly appreciated.
I layered the tank top under the cardigan and had Jaylin strut her stuff with the cardigan and without.  Apologies for the cruddy background; I took these pictures on the evening of February 26th, and it was too windy to take pictures outside.  Indeed, the pictures I took of Alana that day were a challenge.  Anyway, here's how Jaylin looks.  The cardigan is a bit too big for her, but all the better to cover her hands on cold winter days.  The headband also serves its purpose well, and I freaking love the pants.  They look loose and airy, perfect for spring.
Lastly, the ballgown, made of slinky, ruched and tiered fabric.  It looks like a hot mess when it's not on the doll...
...but when I dressed Jaylin up the dress bore passing resemblance to a Dollheart fer...without the coat, that is.  Dollheart's fers always come with a coat.  Here's Jaylin all dolled up.
I never envisioned Jaylin as the ballgown type, but she looks amazing in this.  The bodice is unfortunately tight, enuff so that the Velcro doesn't close all the way.  It turns out that the shop's model has a slender Azone body, thus why the dress fits her better than it does Jaylin.  But...y'all wouldn't know that Velcro isn't closed unless I told y'all! 

So yeah, I really like that dress, but I feel like something is missing.  Some bauble around Jaylin's neck, maybe?  At the last minute I remembered that the grab bag I got last summer included this necklace.
At the time I didn't try to put it on Jaylin, but this time I put in the extra effort.  It won't be coming off again for a long time, but Jaylin doesn't seem to mind.  I think it adds a little sparkle, and Jaylin says she feels like a Pullip now.  Pullips are glamorous and Jaylin admires them greatly, so I know she's happy in this dress and the necklace.
Overall this grab bag ended up kinda like the last one.  Both bags contained a formal or semi-formal piece, some casual separates, and some undergarments or accessories.  I'm very pleased with the items I got, especially with that beautiful dress.

As much as I hate to do it, I'm gonna have to get Jaylin out of that glamorous frock and show her non-grab bag items.  Yep, more stuff!  These other items are from HelloCoolCat.  I got a funny-looking shirt and a pair of boots, since Jaylin always needs shoes of some stripe.
HelloCoolCat is based in Taiwan, and I made the mistake of ordering these items during the Taiwanese New Year, when Cat was taking a break.  So it took awhile for these items to arrive.  No biggie, I should've paid more attention.  Anywho, the only thing I don't like about HelloCoolCat is that they don't have blue jeans.  Skirts, tights, overalls, slouchy sweatpants yes, but none of those will work with this shirt.  I have another pair of blue jeans and that goofy pair of stripey bell bottoms, but they've found their favorite shirts.  So this time I turned to EmbroideryDollsGoods for help.  They came through with a pair of white Chucks...but not with the bell bottoms that I also ordered.  I got a refund on those, but the proprietor wrote that the refund had been a mutual decision on my behalf and hers.  That was a lie.  I agreed to no such thing and will not be returning to that store.  I included a link anyway, so y'all can go there if y'all want to, but I don't appreciate her dishonesty.

So that left me short a pair of bell bottoms, but Jaylin still has her cat jeans so it's good.  Tar dar.
Safety pins for the win!  I used to wear safety pins myself, but I took 'em off after they became a symbol of liberalism.  I prefer my Chessie System pins anyway.
Oh, and coming soon to a blouse near y'all:  the flag of Israel and a weeping angel, because if Rick Nielsen can pile on the badges then so can I.  Don't blink, and God bless Israel.

Alrighty, back to Jaylin.  I never knew how dressing a Blythe doll can be dangerous to one's pocketbook!  You order one thing, and then you're ordering ten other things to mix and match!  Of course I didn't HAVE to buy another pair of bell bottoms, and I didn't end up getting them, so I guess God has spoken.  That said, my experiences this February/March and last June make me love grab bags even more.  True, it's a crap shoot as to what you get, but I saw individual items on Etsy that cost more than this particular grab bag did.  It's a great way to add pieces to your dolly's closet.

And suddenly it occurs to me:  as much as I love polka dots, Jaylin has NOTHING with polka dots on it!  But...that'll have to wait, because life and utility bills happened.  The bills for two of our houses were OUTRAGEOUS, so Mama and I are considering moving back to the old house we left in 2011, and selling off the other two that we've got now.  Truth be told, I never wanted to leave the old house in the first place.  I'm sad to be leaving my place behind, but I think Mama and I will be better off together anyway.

Best wishes,
RagingMoon1987

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

So random, part two

My last post of random pics was pretty successful, so here's another one.  I took these pictures for a number of reasons, but they didn't make it to the blog until now for this reason or that.  They might've gone on Failbook, but they're only now finding their way here.

First stop is a Failbook memory.  I took this picture on January 25th, 2017.
My ball-jointed doll, Johnny Hailey.  I commented at the time that this picture was a tricky one to take, and it was!  Johnny kept wanting to slide out of the tree, and if he hit the ground he wouldn't bounce like a Cabbage Patch Kid.  But I persisted, and I got the picture.  It's been a LONG time since I've monkeyed with Johnny now, sadly.  He'll need a new faceup before he pops into the blog again, but he's still around, quietly observing my comings and goings.

We ride the red time vortex now, to May 28th, 2023.  Same tree, different doll.
This getup is Mad Hatter-themed, and I decided to see how Gabby looked in it.  The response on Failbook was pretty positive, especially about the jacket.  I didn't have the heart to tell my friends that the jacket is just a smidgeon tight, but you'd never be able to tell it.  I do have an Alice costume somewhere, by the way.  Doremi will be my Alice when the time comes.

September 17th, 2023.  This is an old picture that popped up on my Failbook memories.  Since this IS an old one the quality's not great.
The dolls pictured are Sophie, Suika, and Merida, all clad in new/semi-new clothes.  Merida has unusually shaped feet, and I've never been able to find shoes for her.  Not much to say about these three, except that they're Barbie-sized and they're cute.

September 27th, 2023.  I don't remember why I had Rita Cheryl and River Song together, but I did.
I must say, for American Girls these two certainly are different!  Rita Cheryl is dark with wavy hair and light eyes, while River song is light with curly hair and dark eyes.  They do both have right-hand side parts, but that's about all they have in common.

October 2nd, 2023.  Idalia Gale poses with Hugo Jack, then my newest Cabbage Patch Kid.
I touched on Hugo Jack in Kory Aryan's review, but I'll run over it again because I thought I'd never own (or want) a Russian-themed Cabbage Patch Kid.  In the eighties Russia's government was just this side of insane (much as it is now), and with the Cold War still being a thing travelling to Russia was NOT a popular idea.  Doll Reader ran an article about the World Travelers once, and they noted that the Russian Cabbie was a TERRIBLE seller!  Today's flop can become tomorrow's collector's item, and as a result I was never expecting to find an affordable Russian World Traveler.  Nor was I expecting to ever want one.  I like boy Cabbies now, but at the time that I was reading Doll Reader I was all about the girls.  Indeed, I didn't like Cabbies much at all back then!  I respected people who DID like them, but I wasn't a fan.  Well...times change, and to shorten a story that's already too long, I found Hugo for a steal, and he lives here now.  

On October 20th Idalia Gale again served as the welcoming committee, this time for Candela Laura
Unlike Hugo I always knew I wanted a Jesmar, so when this pet all but fell into my lap I scooped her up and never let her go.  Candela has a few snags, but for the most part she's in good shape and I'm tickled pink to have a Jesmar Cabbie in my collection.

December 10th, 2023.  The weather was fittingly bad on this particular day, and despite all that I got in the mood to put Sweet Sue in springlike clothes.
I must say, "sweet" is a good name for this doll.  She is indeed pretty sweet.  I hope that I can find some winter clothes in time for next winter, because while this getup looks good it's hardly suitable for December.

December 20th, 2023.  At this point I had Mar and Imani dressed up for an aborted Christmas post.  Mar's outfit came from LemeshHandmadeToys, and Imani's getup came from Przytullale.
I'd planned to gather some of my girls around a doll-sized Christmas tree that I found on Etsy.  In the end I never set the tree out, nor did I ever put out my own Christmas tree at the library, nor did I do any sort of decorating!  I just wasn't in the mood.  NO ONE that I knew was in the mood!  One of my favorite patrons said all he wanted was a hot dog for lunch on Christmas.  Mmmm, hot dogs...

Also on December 20th I captured Snap 'n' Play Barbie in her box.
I discussed on New Year's Day how Barbie dolls of the era were easy to unbox, but I thought I'd neglected to take pictures.  Surprise!  I found a single one.  Oh, this doll and her fashions take me back!  I didn't pay much attention to the doll in stores, but I remember the commercial and thought it was cute.

January 7th, 2024.  I was working on the Fidgie Friends review and got this shot of Fairie Garden. 
Speed of lightning, roar of thunder!  I joked at the time that since Underdog was still on Christmas break we'd have to settle for Mushroom Girl.  If we have to rely on this chick then I think we're screwed unless the enemy has a serious anxiety problem and wants to squeeze Fairie's skirt.

January 9th, 2024.  I was getting ready for work and caught this group picture.
From left,  Sweet Sue/American Character, Talky Velvet/Ideal, Simona/Furga Alta Moda, and Cindy Lou Who/Cititoy.  I thought it was funny that Velvet and Cindy Lou looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, while Sue and Simona looked ready to lie back down.  As an aside, look how pretty Cindy Lou's eyes are.
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I freaking love My Life eyes.  Cititoy has stepped up their game with colors; fantasy colors like lavender have started popping up, as has a lovely shade of green.
Mel Birnkrant would be having a stroke at those lilac eyes because they're not natural, but I think they're cute.

January 12th, 2024.  This picture of a Dreamhouse-era Skipper, Minnie, and Norelle popped up in my Failbook memories.  I think this dates back to 2018.
Ice and sleet were hitting the window behind the trio.  I remember commenting on Failbook that that was happening, and that these three, being dolls, were completely oblivious.  I also remember being proud that I got Skipper to look the way she did, even though she has a body like a Fashionista.  I never will understand why Stacie and Skipper didn't get joints like the rest of the Dreamhouse crew did, by the way.  Doesn't seem fair somehow.

I don't remember exactly when these next pictures were taken, but I took those in preparation for an aborted series of Monster High reviews.
These first two are G3 Abbey Bominable and G1 Geek Shriek Abbey Bominable.  My intention was to review G3 Abbey and compare her to her G1 self, but I eventually thought "Why the hell bother?  They're not THAT different from Draculaura, and my MH posts tend to go VERY heavy on tangents."  That said, I always wanted Abbey in my collection, and now I've got two!

This other image, taken around the same time as the above two, shows G3 Lagoona Blue and Bonita Femur discussing what it's like to be a "pinkrifice."  Yep, I finally got Bonita!
In her review of Bonita Purple Monkfish discusses the concept of the "pinkrifice."  In short, a pinkrifice is/was an individual doll in a bigger wave, one that's rendered in pink to appeal to your stereotypical girl.  Bonita Femur and Gigi Grant are the examples Monkfish lists, and I'll add Batsy Claro to that list even though she's so pale it's easy to forget that she's pink.  Now Lagoona Blue is...well, Lagoona PINK, and she and Bonita are commiserating.  It actually turned out to be a good match, since both Bonita and Lagoona have anxiety issues.  Not my fanfiction, by the way; their respective wikis state how they deal with said anxiety.  G3 Lagoona has a squeaky toy that she plays with, while Bonita chews holes in her clothes.  And I...I wrap myself in a ball and stare at the wall while my heart pounds and my mind races.  Anxiety sucks.

The last picture from this time is a closeup of Lagoona Pink's face.
Lagoona doesn't look like the savage predator that she claims to be in the new TV show.  Indeed, she looks kinda like her old self except for the pink part.  

That takes us to January 14th, shortly after I completed Joie's post, and while I was working on Aurora's. 
Snow was in the forecast, and I had Joie properly bundled up.  The snow did eventually fall, just a couple'a inches, but enuff to make the town look like Antarctica for awhile.  Joie didn't get to build a snowman like they wanted, but they had fun anyway.

Now to March 4th.  The sky was blue, the sun was shining, a nice breeze was blowing from the south.  I dragged Leslie Emily outside...or she dragged me, LOL.  Neither of us needed much enticing. 
Lying in the grass with the clover, the violets, and one dandelion.  Thank God for Spring!
Guess what was forecast for the night and for today?  Thunderstorms!!!  It's raining like y'all wouldn't believe, and some of the storms are predicted to be strong/severe.  I can handle the rain, but hail is not something I want for the farmers. 

That wraps this post up!

Love,
RagingMoon1987