Do it again

<sings>  And we're back where we started/here we go 'round again!  Tornado warning is in effect for Malden.

Mia got a new dress a few hours ago, and so she joins Candela Laura and Rita Cheryl.

Mother of God, I'm so sick of this crap!

Yours prayerfully, 

RagingMoon1987 

Level five

I've got the Severe Squad with me again.  Candela Laura in her new spring clothes, Rita Cheryl in her Boston T-shirt and her TARDIS leggings.  They're sitting.  Waiting.

The severe level has been steadily increasing since I last posted, and early this morning it hit level five, the highest it can get.  My area is smack-dab in the middle of it all.

Now buckle up, because I'm about to use some meteorological jargon.  Picture the atmosphere above you as a slice of layer cake, a cake with at least three layers.  The plate the cake is resting on is equivalent to the ground where we stand, and each layer of cake is one mile of atmosphere.  Now suppose that here on the ground, the wind is blowing from the west.  One mile/cake layer up, the wind is blowing from the southwest.  Two miles/layers up, the wind is coming straight out of the south.  Three miles, the wind is coming from the southeast.  When the wind blows from different directions at different levels, it makes the atmosphere around it rotate, and that (in a very, VERY simplified form) gives tornadoes their get-up-and-go.  This atmospheric rotation is called helicity, and our local meteorologist said that the helicity in my neck of the woods is similar to the helicity on March 14th and 15th, when we had tornadoes coming out our ears.

Several of the local schools are either letting out early or have called off entirely, just as most of Alabama did in 2011.  Dunklin County's storm shelters are open...and look where citizens of Clarkton get to hide.

The high school gym.  Without going into too much detail, a gymnasium is one of the worst places to hide in a tornado.  I pray that nothing hits Clarkton High School, both because their shelter sucks and because I like Clarkton.  The people there are rural farm owners and blue-collar workers, much like the citizens of Malden, and I have a lot of respect for them.  

As to the rest of y'all...I don't know where this storm system is headed after it hits us!  I've got friends in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Alabama who are reading, so I'd advise that all of y'all keep a sharp lookout and do what you can to protect yourselves and your loved ones.  God willing, I'll be around to update y'all tomorrow.

Love,
RagingMoon1987

Big box

I knew Setsu-P had something en route to me from Alabama, but I wasn't expecting to receive it late on a Saturday.  Long story short, this package sat on my porch all night Saturday in rain and...well, a little wind, nothing like we got later!  In her letter Setsu-P told me that she's doing a gig at Goodwill and sees a lot of nice stuff thrifted, and that's pretty much what my box is.  On the very top were these cute little baby dresses, one with a long skirt and the other with bunny rabbits.

I'm hoping that Poppy Elizabeth will be able to wear that green number.  She's been wearing her pumpkin onesie since last fall.  Maybe one of my My Twinns can wear the rainbow dress.

Now to the meat and potatoes of the box.  The first doll I pulled was this one, with cotton candy hair and a very distinctive face.

I've seen that face before, but I'm drawing a complete blank ATM.  Here's her neck mark, which will be a tremendous help in identification. 

She's very well-made, so she's gotta have a name.  She smells like Heaven so I'd have guessed she was a Paola Reina doll's, but she's not.  A quick Google search revealed that her name is Mia, and Etsy has outfits available so clothes are on the way!

The next little doll reminds me of one Tam sent me a few summers ago.  He's a really cute little Mattel baby. 

The rest of the dolls are either Cabbage Patch Kids or Cabbie clones.  The only honest-to-God Kid in the bunch is this mermaid.  A quick Google search revealed her name to be Shelly Mermaid.  She's a Cutie, like Sammy Sloth, and according to the checklist she dates from 2021.

Shelly is my first green-eyed doll from the Jazwares/Wicked Cool Toys era, so I was surprised at how pretty her eyes are.  There's a little gold in there.

I really, really like this next doll, whom y'all got a glimpse of on Monday.  His tag says "Kuddle Love Kids" and he's super-cute.  He's got nice big feet and unique eyes.

I'm tentatively naming this little guy Clive Elliot.  Since both Clive and Mia turned up nekkid I jokingly called them my resident nudists.

Never fear, Clive!  You too will be getting clothes if I can find them.  He's about the size of a bean-butt Cabbie, give or take.

These last two made me LOL.  They're handmade and I presume that they're brother and sister.

Look at the boy's eyes!  I love green eyes.  

I think I'll name them George and Anna, after a brother/sister pair of teachers that died in a tornado in Iowa over a hundred years back.  I always wondered how the parents must've felt, receiving news that both their kids were miles apart and were killed in the same storm.

Mercy, if I get any more dolls Casa Pizarro is going to explode!  Or Mama's gonna kill me, one or the other.  Just the same this box was great fun.  I'm particularly happy with Clive and Mia and I'm looking forward to dressing them up, and I may redress George too while I'm at it.  His clothes are pretty big on him.  Anyway, thank you, Setsu-P, for sending this stuff!  They gave me something soft to hug when the weather got bad on Sunday, and they'll likely serve the same purpose tomorrow.  Our local meteorologist says that the wind field aloft is a lot more like the one we had on March 14th, so tornadoes are more likely.  Just fantastic.  Just because tornadoes fascinate me doesn't mean I wanna be IN one!

Love,

RagingMoon1987 

So random, March '25

March 2nd.  I was puttering around with a future post that tangentially involves Orange Blossom. 

I'd only then learned that the brim of Orange's hat was supposed to be curled back.  I had been leaving the brim uncurled; it threw shadows like mad, but I thought it was supposed to be that way.  I stand corrected, though I don't guess it matters too terribly.

March 2nd.  I was gearing up for Bae Day Monday and caught Valencia Rose and Candela Laura together. 

I love the #4 head!

March 3rd, Bae Day Monday asked for green-eyed and/or red-haired Cabbie girls.  I've got several with one or the other, but for simplicity's sake I'm only doing my sole girl with both attributes.  That one is Valencia Rose, as seen above. 

She's still wearing her gummy bear overalls from last fall, but that'll be a good ensemble for Easter so I'm leaving her be.

March 6th.  Andra strikes a pose.

I love this doll.  In the short time that she's lived at Casa Pizarro Andra has become one of my favorites.

March 7th, 2025.  The new meets the old.

Ever the ladies' man, Ernest John cuddles with Princess Pipp Petals, one of my Baby Alive dolls.

March 9th.  It was a beautiful, mild day (with some wind, since it's March).  My spring fever was high, as was someone else's. 

This is Megan Byte, a Jaggets doll by Famosa.  I discovered the Jaggets about ten years back and thought they were cute, and before I put myself on this infernal budget I bought my own Jaggets.  Megan will get her review in late May, hopefully. 

Talky Velvet also decided to pop in.

I forget just how cute Velvet is!  I have her braids pulled a smidge tight, but oh well.  Their purpose is to prevent tangles.

March 10th, another Bae Day Monday, for green-eyed and/or red-haired Cabbie boys.  Again, I have one boy that ticks both boxes, Gavin Andrew. 

I think he's just as happy about the beginning of spring as Megan Byte is...and I owe poor Kory Aryan an apology, as he also is green-eyed and red-headed.  His hair is usually covered by a hood, so I forget!

March 13th.  Candela Laura was my companion that day, and the flowers at Casa del Luna were out in full force. 

I wish I knew what kinda bush that was, because I love the leaves.

March 16th.  Buried Secrets Draculaura strikes a pose.  These stiff budget dolls can still look freaky fabulous if given enuff time.

I found out a few weeks ago that there's gonna be another wave of these, and I'm excited for that.  Looks like Toralei Stripe and Clawdeen Wolf are gonna be in on it, along with Frankie Stein and Draculaura.  They have simple little outfits like my Draculaura does, and they have specialized makeup.  I'm looking forward to those; I don't have any of those characters in G3 form except Draculaura, and even she's cute.

March 17th.  It goes without saying that Cabbie Love (my Failbook group) wanted Kids in green that day.  Candela Laura makes another appearance, but this time she's joined by Primrose Jessalyn and Kory Aryan.

That same day I snapped a picture of Matthew Tommie and Kitrick Randolph Fergus together. 

Matt predicted that he and Kit would grow close as time passed, and he turned out to be right.  Lucey Dena is always close by too; she's just out of frame to my left/Matt's right.

March 20th.  The sky was clear, the wind was high, and I had Gwenda Cecile with me.

Posin' Kids have stiff arms due to their internal frames, and Gwenda looks to me like she's reaching out for a hug.

March 21st.  Margot Madeline got a new outfit!

Thank you, Mama!  I love the outfits you pick for my dolls!

Same evening, different doll.  Solana Sunburst tries to wave, but her arms are a mite stubby for that.

Solana is the Glitter Babyz that I referred to yesterday, by the way.  As I promised, a review is in the making, though it'll be awhile yet.

March 23rd.  ColorSilk Kids came up on a Failbook group, so I let Kory Aryan show off.

Kory's such a little ham!  The weather was poopy again that day, hence the indoor picture with the pillow, but Kory didn't let it bug him.

For some reason this image popped up in my memories on March 23rd, but it was taken on October 28th, 2021.  It's Kailey in a sweater set.

The colors do flatter her, I must say.

March 24th, Bae Day Monday.  The theme was yellow, and the weather that day was perfect for such a happy, sunshiney color.  Cleopatra Chantale is the doll in question. 

I ended up having to do two takes, the sun was so bright.  These lawn chairs are as old as Cleopatra Chantale is, by the way, and both chair and Cabbie are a only a couple'a years younger than me.  I was two when Mama and Daddy bought those chairs for Grandma, and they've been put to good use. 

Same day, different dolls.  These dolls are Peggy Pumpkin (left) and a Cry Baby, Ayla, both fresh out of their packaging.  Oh yeah, and Draculaura is photobombing.

I solemnly swear that I did not deliberately put Peggy's hand on Ayla's.  I just put her where my Barbie box meets the couch cushion, and her hand slipped over Ayla's.  Pretty cute.

March 29th.  My Cabbage Patch group calls mail related to the Kids as Cabbie mail, and for me it's usually a cute little outfit (usually bought by Mama).  This was the case on the 29th.

Candela Laura slipped out of her shamrock dress and into a romper that she can wear clean through to fall.  Unless I want to put her in her elephant outfit, that is.  I love that set.

March 30th.  There was a confirmed tornado in the Neelyville area and another severe storm angled to our south.  These two were helping me stay calm (some hot and heavy praying helped too).

In addition to Candela Laura, I've got one of the dolls that Setsu-P sent me.  An in-depth discussion of that stuff is coming.  As to the storms, Malden got a lot of rain and a lot of wind, but again, we came through it fine.  

And that brings a very stormy March to a close.  Doesn't look like the first week of April is gonna be any better.  Our eyes turn now to Wednesday...

God bless,
RagingMoon1987 

What became of Shopkins' Shoppies (plus another bad forecast)

This is super-old news, but what can I say, I live with my head under a rock and had no idea what Moose Toys was up to aside from #FailFix dolls.  Now...for awhile I was a fairly ardent fan of the Shopkins.  The little toys made superb props for Barbie and smaller ball-jointed dolls, and I liked how each little piece had their own personality.  That linked post is ten years old, by the way!  Ahhh, those were the days of jointed Fashionistas, separately packaged clothing items, two-outfit packs for Barbie...I took it all for granted, as people often do when they have something nice.  Anyway, the Shopkins were ubiquitous for awhile, and then they just...disappeared.  Or rather, they segued into the Mini Brands, which I also like because some of the pieces make good props for Barbie and other like-sized fashion dolls, or for a dollhouse like I'm still puttering around with.  Some pieces are too large or too small for such a shenanigan, but I make it work.  When you're working with a doll with a big noggin and a small body, something like Blythe, Bratz, or Rainbow High and Shadow High, scale isn't much of an issue anyway.  That said, I don't have a huge collection of Real Littles (I have around thirty Shopkins somewhere), because they don't have half the personality of the original Shopkins.

Now...when you have something in miniature, sometimes a doll line follows with it.  That eventually happened with MiWorld, and it happened with the Shopkins.  Shoppies were...kinda psychotic-looking, but I have three of them hiding in my room at Casa del Luna.  To my surprise, the only pictures I could find of my Peppa Mint doll were both size comparisons, one from a Hairdorables review...

...and one from a Blume review.

Surprise, surprise, Blume and the Hairdorables aren't around anymore either.  I'm not terribly surprised that Blume failed, but I thought the Hairdorables had staying power.  As for the Shoppies, I liked the little ones; indeed, I had plans to use them in a dollhouse that I had back then, though the idea never got much further than buying two mini Shoppies.  The little Shoppies didn't look as crazed as Peppa Mint and her full-sized sisters do.  My little ones are Coco Cookie and Sunny Meadows, by the way; I picked Coco because she reminded me a little of Mami Tomoe.

Peppa Mint's crazy eyes and molded on clothes didn't impress me much, and I don't guess they did their target audience either, because the Shoppies are no more...or are they?  Ladies and germs, while I was researching Cry Babies and Glitter Babyz, I stumbled across these unusual little poppets, the Kindi Kids.

These two are Rainbow Kate and Marsha Mello.  When I read their names I did a double take and muttered "Those names sound very familiar!"  Then I saw this doll.

That's Peppa Mint!  She's a teensy bit less crazed-looking than her Shoppie self, but she's still very much Peppa Mint.  So even though the Shoppies didn't impress me much I was still pleased to see them be reborn as a new doll.  They've even got accessories that look like the old Shopkins!  Despite my allegiance to Peppa Mint, my favorite Kindis are Rainbow Kate and this doll, Summer Peaches.

I love how Summer's hair looks with her skin/vinyl, but spoilers, her coloration looks highly similar to that of the Glitter Babyz doll I chose.  So if I do go the Kindi Kids route I'll probably choose Rainbow Kate...though her violet hair and freckled face look a bit like ANOTHER doll that I own, Princess Pipp Petals.  I'm hoping that Blossom Apples and Sara Sushi will become Kindi Kids, as they were my favorite Shoppies.  Blossom has unapologetically GREEN HAIR, and y'all know how I love green.  But no Kindi Kid will be coming home with me right now, as I am currently the proud owner of both a Glitter Babyz doll and a Cry Babies doll...and I'm right happy with both of 'em.  Indeed, I haven't put the Cry Baby down since she got here.  Reviews will hopefully be ready by the beginning of June.

Now I'm off to batten down the hatches for ANOTHER round of severe weather.  No, two.  Today is predicted to be violent, and next Wednesday is too.  App is Accuweather, a tremendous help when the meteorological excrement hits the fan.

The headline looks worse than the actual text does, but tornadoes are not out of the question either today or Wednesday. 

I can hear one of our KFVS news anchors trolling our meteorologist.  If he doesn't like a forecast he'll say in a deadpan voice "Boo.  I boo your forecast."  LOL, as was the case two weeks ago, today's system has been in the making for a solid week and the weather folks have really been freaking out.  Plenty of the locals are freaking out too, since we all remember how bad it was two weeks ago!  So y'all keep an eye out for a post from me in the wee hours of the morning, one with Clio Teresa or whoever I can grab sitting on our bathroom counter.

Stormy love,
RagingMoon1987

Insomnia

Having trouble sleeping?  Never fear, for the Patti Playpal horde is here.

Truth be told, I'd sleep just fine.  The issue would be waking up in the middle of the night and stubbing my toe on someone...except for the little one on the bed.  She might be troublesome.  For the uninitiated, that's Vogue Brikette...the same doll that played Talky Tina in The Twilight Zone.  Talky Tina was the brunette variant, but just the same Brikette is not to be trusted.

Maybe Brikette is upset because she saw the lamp full of disembodied doll parts.

That's a real lamp, by the way; I stole that picture off of Facebook.  I see a Bratz head in there, and mayyyybe a My Scene head, and...I think the blonde one with the huge eyes is Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  Poor Sabrina, she doesn't need to be a lamp!  She'd probably be even more of a danger to me than Brikette!

Then again, I could probably do with a lamp like that.  It could go with a vomit clock.

No joke, those are called vomit clocks, and they were all the rage at one time.  I think they're a riot too.  Let's face it, my taste in decor is questionable at best.

Love,
RagingMoon1987