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Monday, June 30, 2025

So random, May-June '25

May and June were both kinda slim.  Since I use a walker to get around now I can't carry my dolls here and there like I used to.  Im brainstorming a solution for that.  So I merged May and June this year, and we begin on May 3rd.  My Sasha family grew to three.

The black baby's name is Cara, according to multiple sources.  I would've thought she was Cora sized down, just as Sasha Baby is Sasha sized down, but she's not.  Cara is an entity all her own.  These Sasha babies could prove addictive, by the way, as they fit nicely into my hands and are just as high-quality as the big dolls, AND they have the same neutral expressions.  With my hip being sore and the number of loonies rising in my town, I've worn the same expression on my face lately, one that is blank but can convey irritation, ennui, impatience, frustration, or full-tilt outrage.  But then on the opposite end of the coin, it can also mask amusement.  What can I say, I have a resting bitch face, and to a certain extent, so do Sasha dolls.

May 5th.  I had a mondo backache and wanted nothing more than to lie down, but alas, I had to wait for FedEx to come (they needed my friggin' signature for something).  George and Anna kept me company. 
I think Anna was as tired of waiting as I was at that point.  Nothing bothers George.  The package did come, by the way, and the contents were...very special, shall we say!  As for these two, these two are the type that I'd like to take outside and photograph in a tree, in the grass, ANYWHERE, but right now I can't.  George and Anna give great hugs, though!

May 7th.  Macy arrived in the mail, as did Bubblecut Dawn's head, worn atop the body that Treesa sent.

Dawn was a little miffed that I photographed her without clothes, but I promised her she'd have something nice to wear soon, and in the time that's elapsed "soon" has come.

Etsy shop is LoriPalekDolls.

May 11th, memory from 2021.  I described her as Barbie on acid in the Failbook post.

I did buy this doll, by the way.  I named her Tano and intended to review her, but...well, you see one Barbie doll and you've pretty much seen 'em all.

May 18th.  The Binky Buddies.

From left, Ayla, Candela Laura, and Solana Sunburst.  I've said it before but I'll say it again:  I love it when a doll can take a pacifier.  I loved Cabbies with the #4 head before I was even a fan of the dolls themselves; a brief notice ran in an issue of Doll Reader showing a full-sized Kid in a diaper and booties, plus a pacifier.  The caption noted, "Although she wears a diaper and booties, she is a Kid."  She predated Preemies and was thus a full sixteen inches, but oh, was she cute!  She had blonde hair, just like Candela Laura does.

May 19th.  Candela Laura strikes a pose with another baby doll, Mary/Baby All Gone.  Mary probably could take a pacifier too, but Baby All Gone didn't have one.

This was the same night that Fayetteville got hit, by the way.  These two helped me keep my mind settled.

Same evening.  Not a doll, but something for one.
These belong to my new doll with the long legs and the watermelon outfit, the one that came on May 5th.  The green hat and the red hat are made of yarn that glows in the dark, and they glow very well.

May 22nd.  One of my Failbook groups asked for double pony Cabbage Patch Kids, so I acquiesced with these three.  From left, Valencia Rose, Valencia's Playmate Titania Rosalind, and Elisabeth Clara. 
I always will wonder why Cabbie fans call this 'do double ponies instead of pigtails or dog ears.  I've always heard dog ears from the older generation and pigtails from my own generation.  But Cabbie fans call these double ponies, and double ponies is what I'll go with.  

May 23rd.  Ernest John got something new in the mail. 
I love the elephant onesies!  And yes, those are my battleship hips he's sitting on, though Christa from Newfoundland pointed out that there's only room on each hip for one Cabbie.  She has a point, as at one time two could've fit on each hip.  Diets suck, but they're worth it in the end.  On this particular evening Mary was content to sit by me rather than on me, though she also spent part of the evening on my lap.  In addition to cuddling my dolls when life's a drag, I also cuddle 'em when life's good or just for the heckuvit.
I freaking love this doll, Treesa.  I don't know what it is about her, but I love her.

May 25th, dark and rainy with a fair amount of thunder.  We were half-expecting it to get violent again, but it didn't, thank God.  Even so, Ernest John and So Surprised Suzie got cozy.
Ernest John is my eternal ladies' man.  Girl dolls love him.  Suzie in turn loves baby dolls that are close to her in size or smaller, though she treats everyone she meets with a fair amount of enthusiasm.

May 27th.  Chatty Cathy got a clean bill of health after a long battle with mold.  To celebrate I put her in a dress she's never worn before. 
Those shoes look ridiculous IRL.  I need to find a Minnie Mouse costume for them.  Otherwise Cathy looks...well, about as good as a Chatty Cathy doll can.  I'm glad I didn't have to send her to a professional dolly doctor, though I may in the future anyway.  Her face is terribly pale, but I've read that that's kinda normal for these dolls.  Will you play with me???  LOL

May 28th.  Yet another new Cabbie came in the mail.  Malinda Irisa is her name, and November 1st is her birthday.  She is a neon Preemie. 
Neon Preemies have bodies that are a more vivid shade of pink than that of the average Cabbie.  I was actually looking for a Preemie with green eyes and the body didn't matter much, but Malinda had green eyes, the neon body, AND all her papers for fifty bucks.  Can't beat that with a stick!  

May 30th.  Someone online asked for a comparison between a neon Preemie and the regular one, so I obliged. 
Ernest John is your regular...actually, he's a little darker than your average Preemie, but his body is more or less the standard tan.  Malinda Irisa is very, very pink, pinker than your average Preemie.  That's all a neon Preemie is, but like Cabbies with popcorn hair some collectors go ga-ga over them.  For me the neon bit was just a nice bonus, as I was after a Caucasian #3 Preemie to complete the eye color triad.  Remember:  Caucasian Preemies with the #1 head have blue eyes, dolls with the #3 head have green eyes, and dolls with the #4 head have brown eyes.  Afro-American Preemies are brown-eyed, full stop, and no Preemie that I'm aware of used the #2 head.

June 3rd, as I was getting ready for work and humming "Ode to Billy Joe."  I noticed how cute my dolls looked all jumbled together, so here are some of my Cabbies and one American Girl. 
Back row, from left: Karen Sheila, Rowena Skylar, Gavin Andrew, and Julie. Front row from left: Alice Helene, Ernest John, Tabitha Renee, and Malinda Irisa.  Allie Kathleen's left arm can be seen sticking between Alice Helene and Karen Sheila.  Tabitha Renee looks like a TB patient, she's so pale, and Christa from Newfoundland thinks she looks high as well...which she kinda does!  I'm also noticing that FOUR of these dolls are redheads.  I love redheads, but I did NOT deliberately cluster them together.  It just kinda worked out that way.

Also pale is my new-to-me girl.
This is McGuffey Ana (pet name will be simply "Ana"), and she's a big girl!  She's about nineteen inches in height and is fully composition.  Heavens, it's been forever since I talked about compo on the blog!  The eBay seller suspects that Ana had some restoration work done, and indeed her composition is a little too perfect, and I found a repaired crack on her cheek.  But she's still wicked awesome, and that restoration work will add a few years to her life.  I've never owned a composition Madame Alexander doll before, by the way, and McGuffey Ana dates from the late thirties to early forties, so she's my oldest MA.  More information on McGuffey Ana can be found here.

June 5th.  I decided that I wanted to ID the cute baby doll that Setsu-P sent me last spring, so I brought him to work with me. 
Here he's peeping out of one of the pockets I have in the bag I hang on my walker.  The doll is a Little Mommy Mini, by the way; these are still in production and have cute little faces.

At the opposite end of the emotional spectrum is Chou Chou.  I'd worked on her review that evening and Chou had had about enuff.
Chou Chou reminds me of Tardar Sauce, even more so than Anita does.  She's not always this miserable though, even though she looks the part.  She's leaning against the box where my Dawn dolls live, by the way.  I've got quite a few of 'em now.

June 7th, 2018.  This was in my Failbook memories.
G1 Catty Noir, clad in a getup that probably belongs to Lagoona Blue. 

June 8th.  My resident sleepyheads, Hedda Get Bedda and Bedsie Beans.
I don't know why I leave Hedda's sleeping face out all the time, but I like her the best that way.

June 8th was the first nice day we'd had in almost a week, so Mama and I went out to eat.  I took a couple'a friends along.
That sun was BRIGHT that day!

Same day.  I was working on the Amooooore Doll review and got this candid of Xue. 
Xue could see Chou Chou, just out of the frame to the left, and Chou was in one of her moods.  Xue was afraid to approach her.

June 9th.  A familiar face steps out of the ether.
Alistair was tired after making the move from Casa Luna to Casa Pizarro, but he felt well enuff to wave to the crowd.  His state of dress gives y'all an idea about how long it's been since I played with him.

Twist 'n' Style Tiffany arrived in the mail that day, and I promptly posed her with Alexis/Pretty Crazy Curls.
Tiffany is a short little gal!  Alexis is about the size of a Wellie Wisher, and Tiffany is a couple'a inches shorter.

June 10th.  I got a second-wave Buried Secrets doll, and lemme tell y'all, the lids on that wave are pink.  I saw those and thought "Dang it, I got ANOTHER Draculaura."  But this isn't Draculaura, not by a long shot.
I didn't mind Cozy Creepover Draculaura's stiff body, but poor Frankie looks like they're terribly uncomfortable.  Their upper body looks like some spinal disorder, like scoliosis or worse.  I like Frankie's pink prosthetic leg, but the rest of this body...yucko, not a fan.  I understand now why fans hate polypropelene hair too, as Frankie's hair is stiff and difficult to control.  Look at Frankie's paint, though!
They've got a lovely face.  I was having trouble picking a G3 Frankie Stein, and then one just lands in my lap and they're...well, they've got a lovely face.  I wish these Buried Secrets bodies were jointed though, especially since G1 budget dolls were jointed.  Nevertheless I've become a fan of the Buried Secrets bunch, and I'm already excited for the third wave.  It looks like it's gonna be a masquerade theme.

That same evening I posed Stella Rae and Candela Laura together.
Stella Rae was still in a Christmas dress (in June!), so I...well, I fixed that!

June 13th.  My friend Donna presented me with this.
Her name is Emily, and she came from Kmart.
According to her tags she plays "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy."

June 16th.
Different eyes, different hair, different dolls.  From left, my usual Candela Laura, Martina, one of my equally-loved Furga dolls, and Vincent, one of my My Child dolls.

Same day, different doll.  Elisabeth Clara got a new dress.
Bumblebees?  Gnomes?  POLKA DOTS???  Yes, please!

June 20th, the first truly hot day of the year.  In past years we might've already had a few scorchers.  I wasn't sure where else in the blog to fit Li'l Imp, so she goes here.
Li'l Imp is from Vogue, like Ginny and like Brikette.  ATM I have neither the room nor the money for her sister Brikette, but Li'l Imp will suffice. 
I must say, Vogue didn't do red hair or green eyes half-cocked!

June 21st.  I took Li'l Imp to work with me and she was bushed.  
I think Imp and Vincent are both contenders for the title of "ultimate ginger."

June 26th.  We go from the ultimate ginger to sour apple green.
I warned y'all (and myself) that Mia could be hazardous to my wallet!  I have three now, and I'm sizing up the one with short blue and black hair too since she's a bit edgier than the others.

Well!  Combining two months proved to be a bigger job than I predicted!  I may have to do the same thing at the end of August, as I'm unsure what the next two months will bring.  I have an MRI scheduled for July 2nd, and until then I won't really know what my future will hold.  Hip surgery is inevitable at this point, but I still have no clue when it'll be.  Just gotta go about my routine until then!

Much love, 
RagingMoon1987 

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Sweet summertime

Just like the Bob Seger song I love.  Daddy always said that "Night Moves" made him think of Mama, because the girl in the song was "a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes."  That's about all their relationship had in common with the song, however, as Seger's amorous couple were nothing more than friends with benefits.  Anyway, I love that song, and even during the hottest months I often refer to summer as sweet summertime.

This summer is not quite to the level of Barbie Summer, back in 2023, but some of the dolls up for release are pretty darn awesome.  By coincidence, the three that I'm talking about today are also either themed or named after something good and fattening.  These first two are variations of the same doll, an American Girl dressed like Peaches 'n' Cream Barbie.  This first one reminds me a lot of my Doremi.
The other one has eyeshadow that's a little heavy-handed, but she's still pretty.
Now...for the uninitiated, Peaches 'n' Cream Barbie was released in 1984, and she looked like this.
I'm a product of late 1987 so this doll wasn't one of my childhood friends, but I love that soft, peachy-pink dress.  I think the AG doll captures the overall look very well.

The other doll is also Mattel and also candy-themed, but that's where the similarities end.  She's Twyla Boogeyman, and she's this year's ComicCon exclusive


I won't be going to a ComicCon anytime soon for a number of reasons, but I can still ogle from afar!  Now ComicCon has had a number of exclusive Monster High dolls through the years, but this particular doll caught my eye because she's an extension of the Sweet Screams line.  I freaking loved the Sweet Screams line, with its garish colors and candy theme.  I desperately wanted to complete the set, but alas, I only have Draculaura...somewhere.  But hey, I have Draculaura from that set!  Some folks wanted her and didn't get her.  Draculaura and Frankie Stein were the first two, and I actually saw these at Target (that was when I obtained Draculaura).  Frankie appears to be hard candy-themed, while Draculaura looks like she's wearing...ewwww, licorice!
The next wave, which I DIDN'T see in person, had Abbey Bominable and Ghoulia Yelps, both characters that I love.
Ghoulia went pretty heavy on the gummy candy, it appears.  I love gummy candy.  Mama hates the stuff, but I love it.  Abbey's theme is ice cream, fitting for a yeti who always has to be cold.  Longtime fans of Monster High may remember that G1 Abbey wore a crystal around her neck that kept her body cold.  Either way the revival of the Sweet Screams line has me excited.  I hope that maybe there'll be a revival of this line for the G3 bunch.

Mmmm, now I want something nummy to eat, LOL!  I've lost fifty-three pounds since February of '24, so the cake and ice cream will have to be kept to a minimum, but by George, when my birthday comes I'm havin' CAKE!!!  But any way, these dolls are all bright and colorful and I love the snot out of them.  The American girls are unfortunately $275 and some change, and I've got an MRI to pay for in the near future, so these dolls are not coming home with me anytime soon.  But as I said above, I can admire!

Regarding my hip, I do have an MRI scheduled for early on July 2nd, and...that's all I know ATM.  I'll keep y'all posted on that too.

Warm regards, 
RagingMoon1987

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Ground I've not yet covered

Not in detail, anyway.  These three are dolls from companies that I've either never discussed or have only mentioned in passing.  This isn't going to be a lengthy review of any of these, but rather an overview and a quick discussion of the companies in question.

SUN RUBBER COMPANY
LOCATION:  Barberton, Ohio
ACTIVE:  1923-1974
PRODUCTS:  rubber dolls and squeak toys

Good things and good friends come from Ohio!  Anyway, the short-haired girl's name is Tod-L-Dee, and she's about 10.5 inches tall.  She's got molded but unpainted undergarments and shoes.
"Dee," as I call her, is all one piece and squeaks when squeezed.  See her whistle?
As far as I can tell the only painted thing on Dee is her tongue, visible inside her open mouth.  She has brown eyes, which I was specifically on the lookout for, as most of the Sun Rubber dolls I saw were blue-eyed.
Okay, I lied, since Dee's hair has a light coating of brown paint.  Her hair isn't well-painted, but it is molded nicely with waves and loose curls, similar to the hair on a composition doll.
The sole of Dee's right "shoe" has the information I'd need to know if I'd found her in the wild.
Dee's sister dates from 1955, or so the seller thinks.  She too is a one-piece squeaker with molded undergarments and shoes, but her shoes have a little bit of paint.  She is 8.5 inches tall.
Yes, 8.5 inches.  Though this second doll is clearly the older child, Dee is bigger.
The second doll's given name is apparently "Durkee," but I think that's a horrid name so I'll be giving this little one a pet name.  "Karen" was a popular name in 1955, and I've known many lovely women named Karen, so Karen will be this doll's name.  She doesn't even have the Karen haircut.
Here's a better look at Karen's hairstyle.  From the back she looks like she's got pigtails, but from the front it's clear that she's got two little braids tipped with red bows.  The paint is worn, but y'all can see the bow nonetheless.  Everything's better with a hair bow.
Unlike Dee, Karen has blue eyes that have yellowed a smidge with time, and a cherry red smile that needs a gentle cleaning.
Y'all probably noticed in the above pictures that Karen's hair tips up constantly.  That's not great for photography, but she looks cute in person, like she's looking up at someone with cheerful anticipation.

Sun Rubber dolls were intended for very small children, so they often had clothes that were molded, painted, or both.  Karen and Dee have molded undergarments, but from a distance they look nekkid as...well, babies!  On a hunch, I tried this spare Mia out on Dee...
...and it fits her almost perfectly.  I'm hoping that Karen can wear dresses for the smaller Mia dolls, but I don't have any spare clothes in that size (yet) and I don't want to strip my Mia doll.

Lastly, I had conjectured that my Sunflower was a Sun Rubber doll, and I'm still wondering.  I mean, Sunflower isn't marked and Dee and Karen are, but...she's not as pink as Dee and Karen are.
Dee and Karen have kept their coloration nicely, but then again I've seen some Sun Rubber dolls that are yellowed like Sunflower is.  Also of note are Sunflower's fingers.  They're not as detailed as Karen's, but they're not to be sneezed at either. 
Still, Sunflower isn't marked, and I think that if she were a Sun Rubber doll then she'd be marked.

RELIABLE TOY COMPANY
LOCATION:  Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ACTIVE:  1920-1985
PRODUCTS:  a wide array of dolls, most notably Mounties and First Nations folks

If what I read is correct, then Highland Laddie here dates from 1939.  I've chosen to nickname him "Nigel."
He's about a foot tall and comes with his own stand (Dee and Karen can stand on their own).
I'm a sucker for a man or a doll in a kilt!  Since he IS closing in on ninety years old Nigel's clothes are a little threadbare...
...and his compo has some cracks...
...but he's a good little doll.  I love his bonnet!
Mama says he reminds her of a Campbell's soup kid!  I must say, though, for a doll his age and material Nigel is in great shape.  I'll be taking steps to make sure he stays that way, and Karen and Dee too.  Sun Rubber dolls hold up better over time than other rubber dolls do, but they're still rubber.  Rubber will degrade with time if not cared for.

I need to do some snooping on some of y'all's blogs; as extensive as some of y'all's collections are then you too might have a doll like Nigel or Dee or Karen hiding somewhere!

Love,
RagingMoon1987