My favorite season!

Nooooo, not Tornado Season.  I'm not THAT nuts...not yet, anyway.  Probably if I were a chaser I would be that nuts.  But no, IT'S SPRING, and here in the Bootheel it has been for a couple'a weeks now.  Uncle Man-Child is mooning around like it's the end of the world (damn fool hates spring), but I couldn't be happier.  I never outgrew my childhood mentality, in which spring meant that the school year was winding down and that everyone could relax a little.  A little, mind y'all!  We still had a full quarter to go, but the end was in sight!  I love the way things smell and sound too; in the Bootheel things are always a little (or a lot) dusty, so the air smells of dirt, cut grass, growing flowers, and often rain.  In the ditches the spring peepers and the crickets start calling, the farm equipment starts puttering around in the fields, and of course, the birds have a field day.  Sometimes you can also hear foxes yarking in the fields; Daddy always said they bark in pairs.  There's also the crop dusters, who fly too low and too fast, but so far we haven't had any calamities.

My springtime children this year are largely going to be Cabbage Patch Kids, with a few other random dolls thrown in.  I'll start with the little ones and work my way up in size.  First, here are my bean-butt girls, Ingrid Jessica (right) and Sandy Eden, in little dresses that Mama supplied.  Alexandria Florida's bare legs are also visible. 

Indeed, the dresses prompted me to buy Sandy and Ingrid, as the only bean-butt I had beforehand was a boy.  Unfortunately it's not easy to find springtime clothes for bean-butt boys, or else I'd have included Esmond Brant.

Up a couple'a sizes we go now, to sixteen inches.  Alexandria Florida has been wearing this since I got her in February...and for that matter, y'all saw this last Sunday when the weather got bad.  A gift wearing a gift.

I'm fond of redheads in purple for some reason.  Case in point.

Oh, it's been a long time since I bought a new Fashion Avenue outfit, but Amy is worth it.  I love how retro this looks!  It's a smidge tight on Amy's Shani-sized body, though.

Back to Cabbage Patch Kids now, Joyita Emilia is rocking the Care Bears. 

One eighties trend meets another, LOL!  As y'all might remember I'm fond of the Care Bears, and thus I was pleased as punch to see this dress.

Just as I like redheads in purple, I love brunettes in yellow.  I promised Christa that Beryl June would make an appearance as things warmed up.

Another gift from Mama, LOL.  In truth it's a smidge short for Beryl June, which surprised me since she's one of my smaller full-sized Cabbies.  But she looks okay.  I'll scrounge up some shoes and socks and she won't look as leggy.

Happy spring, y'all!  So far ours has been...oh, I'll say moderately stormy, and this weekend it's supposed to be hot!  We're talking mid-eighties hot, which is insane for March.  I hope that doesn't mean we're in for a scorcher of a summer.  And OMG, Barb and Tam, I forgot to ask y'all about the meteor!  Sounds like that was pretty wild!  I freaking love meteors, but my feelings would probably be different if one blew up right over my head.

Spring love,
RagingMoon1987

St. Pat's Day, 2026

Erin go Bragh...or like Mama likes to joke, Erin go braless!  Sounds good to me, LOL.  When I was a little girl St. Patrick's Day was nothing special.  We didn't decorate the house like we did for just about every other holiday, and of course we didn't exchange gifts.  Indeed, I kinda hated the day growing up, because I always forgot to wear green and my classmates insisted on pinching me.  Eventually I grew to like the holiday, because green and because spring, that's why!

I thought pickings would be slim this year, but as y'all will see, I had plenty to work with.  The dress River Song is wearing is one that Mama saw on Etsy and just had to have.

In the interim between taking that first picture and today, I got River Song some shoes to wear...and they're Irish dancing shoes.  Poodle socks and all.

Apparently a few years ago there was supposed to be a rule in Irish dancing that forbade dancers aged 18 and over to wear poodle socks.  The rule got shot down, but it wouldn't have applied to River Song anyway.  Being a doll, Riv is ageless.

Mama also supplied this getup for Wellie Wishers, and since Billie is a redhead she gets it.  Camille does have a St. Pat's outfit too...somewhere...

I don't often get Jaylin involved in my holiday soirees, but this year I found a shamrock dress for her and she looks adorable.  When I order Blythe clothes it usually takes a month for them to get here.

Speaking of Blythe, I looked up Kenner Blythe on eBay to see what prices were like...and they are beyond ridiculous.  LOL, if you can afford to shell out a grand for a Kenner doll then the more power to you, but I love my Jaylin.  Not gonna lie, I've been sizing up Little Big Eyes too.  I like knockoff dolls, and Little Big Eyes is/was a budget Blythe knockoff that was...I think KB Toys carried her.  Shucks, if I'd known that when I was a kid I'd have wanted one!  I didn't know Blythe's name when I was young, but I liked her goofy aesthetic, and I LOVED KB Toys.

Jaylin's friend Copperhead Susie wanted to get into the fray too.  Her dress isn't new, but she hasn't worn it in forever...nor has she been in the blog in forever.

Susie and Jaylin can share some clothes, so Susie's dress was mixed in with Jaylin's stuff.

Susie:  So YOU had it all along!
Jaylin:  Blame Moon.  She stored it in my box.

Gee, thanks, Jaylin, you little stoolie.  She's right though, LOL.  Jaylin also ended up with a new pair of shoes before this post went up.

Back to Cabbage Patch Kids now, Alexandra Claire is a TRU Cabbie and is thus bigger than usual, so finding stuff for her isn't the easiest thing to do.  But as usual, Mama came through.

Rebecca Madeleine hasn't gotten a new outfit since her arrival last summer.  This one is one of my own finds, and it makes Rebecca's eyes pop.

One of Rebecca's shoes fell off and going back to get it was too much of a hassle.  So she goes like my son John, with one shoe off and one shoe on.

I don't know why I always insist on dressing my green-eyed Cabbies in green.  I mean yeah, green brings out their eyes and looks nice, but lots of other colors look cute too.  That said...Malinda Irisa is my only green-eyed Preemie, so she gets the new Preemie dress (this one was another Mama find).

Neon Preemies always rock bright colors, LOL.

Finally, since ladybugs are considered lucky, here's Lady, my new Cry Baby.

Lady is different from Ayla, possessing a stuffed body and no batteries, but she is still a Cry Baby and I love the snot out of Cry Babies.  Indeed, these soft ones like Lady are easier to cuddle than the battery-operated dolls.

And that, ladies and germs, is my St. Patrick's Day crew!  I will not be indulging in beer as some of it makes me sick, but to anyone who chooses to imbibe today, I'm with you in spirit!  Just don't drink and drive.

Happy St. Patrick's Day,
RagingMoon1987

It's comin'!!!

Tornado Season 2026 is off to a strong start.  So far the worst of it has been to our west and way north, but tonight it's the Bootheel's turn.  Here's what we're facing, without the warning boxes and with.

The tornado-warned storm will probably go just to our south, just like it did exactly one year ago tonight.

Now, because I always grab at least one doll, here's my severe crew.  I've gone with a different tack this year.

In the black bag is The Doll Who Must Not Be Named.  Then from left, a very sleepy Martina, Alexandria Florida, and Mia.  All gifts ( I consider Martina a gift, Tam), all favorites of mine.  Even Alex's dress is a gift.

Y'all batten down the hatches!  This storm system stretches from Chicago to Louisiana, so you'll all likely get at least some rain.  And with that, our sirens are going off.  We are now under a tornado warning. 

Love,

RagingMoon1987 

Buried Secrets waves 3 and 4

When Mattel started packaging budget Monster High dolls in blind boxes I made it my mission to collect one from each wave.  Just one, to avoid duplicates.  So far there have been five waves, and I've got...two dolls.  Draculaura is from Wave 1/Cozy Creepover, and Frankie Stein is from Wave 2/Scare-master Style.

I'm fallin' down on the job, y'all!!!  But there's no need to fear, because I've got Waves 3 and 4 now!  Wave 5 will be released sometime this year and it's apparently gonna have a music theme.  Wave 3 is entitled Haunted Dance and has a masquerade theme.  Cleo de Nile, Twyla Boogeyman, Clawdeen Wolf, and Lagoona Blue are the characters available.

I own a G3 Lagoona Blue already, but she's the only character I do have in this lineup.  Cleo de Nile is my favorite with her bright blue hair, but as the book says, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.  Opening the box...

...I got Cleo de Nile!  I've never gotten my favorite before!

I know I've griped quite a bit about the changes that Mattel made when Seguin from G1 to G3, but with Cleo I have no complaints.  She's got a beautiful face...

...and her hair is every bit as blue as I could've hoped for.  The fibers feel like polypropylene, but Cleo wears her hair up so it's all good.

Since the dance in question is a masquerade, all the characters have masks.  Cleo's is a jackal.  Twyla's is really cute, by the way; it's her dust bunny.

This is a solid attempt by Mattel, especially for a budget doll, but then again I've been wanting a G3 Cleo de Nile for quite some time, so her presence may be clouding my judgment a bit.

Now...put the mummy girl down, Moon.  One other box.  Wave 4 is called Courtside Fang-out and has a tennis theme.  Not as exciting to me as a masked dance, but I won't gripe too much.  There's nothing wrong with tennis.

Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Ghoulia Yelps, and Toralei Stripe are my options this time.

Ghoulia Yelps is my favorite this time, and Frankie Stein is the duplicate character.  If the wiki is to be believed then this is only Ghoulia's third appearance in the G3 era.

It's Toralei.  Not my favorite doll of the four, but still satisfying.  I've never owned a Toralei before, not even during the G1 days.

Hold on, here's a better picture of her face.  She's got glorious eyes.

Y'know, I can see echoes of the Wild Hearts Crew in Toralei.  She looks a little like Jacy Masters in the face, particularly in the mouth.  I love Toralei's hat, by the way. 

I don't know about y'all, but I thought the Wild Hearts Crew was pretty kick-a$$.  Mine are, of course, out of reach at Casa Del Luna, but I'll retrieve them.  I'd managed to complete the set before they were discontinued.  Anyway, aside from theming Toralei is pretty much the same as my other Buried Secrets girls.  Same stiff body with uneven shoulders, though Toralei doesn't look as uncomfortable as Frankie Stein.

Poor Frankie looks like they've got some kind of spinal condition, and the fit of their sleeves don't help much.  On the other hand, Toralei has soft, smooth hair in lovely colors.  Her wiki says it's polypropylene, but it doesn't feel like it.

I wish Mattel would quit their love affair with polypropylene.  Frankie and Draculaura have it, and it looks alright but feels nasty and styles worse.

They're still cute, though.  Plus, I've opened four of these packages and haven't gotten a repeat character yet...hold up, yeah I have, but my two Draculaura dolls are pretty different.  These Buried Secrets dolls are a lovely way to get a Monster High fix for cheap, though.  I hope maybe Venus McFlytrap will make an appearance in a future wave.

Let's just face it, Venus is just awesome.  I'm still waiting for Skelita Calaveras, but Venus is the gem of my G3 collection so far.  Cleo isn't far behind. 

Now that that's all outta the way, what else but a weather report?  I read yesterday morning that temperatures were supposed to bottom out Sunday night and be ridiculously cold for the next couple'a days.  I'd assumed that would come eventually, since the ants aren't out yet.  Fast-forward to 4:30 or so yesterday, and I get this lovely headline.  There's a chance of VERY severe weather on Monday!

What in flaming purple hell???  The app is AccuWeather, so I popped over to Weather Underground for a second opinion.  They say the severe weather threat is Sunday night, and THEN the cold moves in.

Still not convinced, I consulted NOAA and they're calling for a lot of rain and maybe some thunder.  The SPC outlook suggests that Sunday night has the healthiest chance for bad weather in the Bootheel, but even they don't sound sure!  I can't wait to hear what Ryan Hall says about all this, LOL.

Love and monsters,

RagingMoon1987 

Skittle heads!

Turn away now, Setsu-P, because they're Baby Alive dolls.  Failbook does have a Baby Alive group similar to my favorite Cabbage Patch group, but unlike the Cabbie group it's pretty dead.  Where else is a fat thirtysomething gonna share her dolls but here, LOL!  This first one is Katie Cat.  Hey, I used to know a little girl who called herself Katie Cat!  

A couple'a y'all might remember how I said these dolls had no collecting allure, right?  Any of y'all got a tissue so I can wipe that egg off my face???  LOL, my opinions on Snackin' Sara are the same as ever, but my opinions on this line as a whole have changed quite a bit over the years.  Indeed, if Cabbage Patch Kids didn't exist then my bedroom would likely be dominated by Baby Alive, I've grown to like these dolls that much.  I still owe Lulu Achoo a review, by the way.  She's not even in stores anymore, and I still want to review her.  Then there's Little Maya and Princess Pipp Petals, and now I have Katie Cat.  Katie is a little more deluxe like Lulu and Princess are, but she's not battery-run like Lulu is.  She came with two little outfits and some accessories, all cat-themed.

Two of the accessories (a cape and a mask) have a vague superhero theme.  Katie Cat can be Underdog's sidekick, maybe.

Speed of lightning, roar of thunder!  Fighting all who rob and plunder...ahem, her box says she's a super BFF, so I can live with that.  Katie is also a drink-and-wet doll, and she came with her own bottle and diapers if I choose to go that way.  The bottle has milk and a cookie on it, and a cat face.  So cute!

Y'all may have noticed that Katie is wearing one of her diapers.  This is because she doesn't have anything else covering her butt.  Lulu's pajamas cover her rear, Princess has molded panties, and Maya's clothes are printed onto her torso.  So Katie's diapers are appreciated.  These are legit paper-and-plastic diapers, by the way, meant to be discarded after one use.  I'd always wondered why Wal-Mart carried diapers for these dolls, and now I know.

This second one is Better Now Bella, not to be confused with my dog Bella.  I'm a little miffed that I couldn't find the one with dark brown hair.  I think she's so cute!

The doll I've got looks a lot like Lulu Achoo.  Even their gimmick is similar...no, they don't favor as much as I thought!  Note that Lulu is the younger child, but she's got the bigger head!

I love my Bella's perky ponytail, and her vinyl is prettier than Lulu's.  Better Now Bella is a get-well doll and is accompanied by various doctor's tools (stethoscope, otoscope, thermometer) and some other odds and ends.  Dig this x-ray!

Quick biology lesson for those who don't know:  there are two bones in the lower arm, the radius and the ulna.  To differentiate between the two, hold your arm out in front of you with your wrist straight and your thumb facing up.  The Ulna is Under, LOL!  Bella has broken her right ulna, which I think is kinda a feat, especially if the radius is NOT broken.  Often the ulna gets broken when someone is holding their arms up to ward off an attack, thus why this fracture is often called a nightstick injury.  I've also heard of this injury being inflicted during natural disasters, particularly when someone put up their arms to guard their face from flying debris.  But if the child holds their arm just wrong during a fall then that can also break the ulna, so that's the explanation I'm going with for Bella.  I don't want to pretend my doll is an abuse victim...or a tornado survivor.  Both of those are hellish experiences for kids.  But either way we've got an x-ray of Bella's broken arm.  The inverse side shows the same arm, all healed up.  No overgrown lump of bone or anything.

Shudder, orthopedics is fascinating, but some of those real x-rays make me wanna puke.  Anyway, Bella's injured arm is ensconced in a cast, like so.  It's an above-the-elbow or "long" cast, and it's got a strap that serves as a sling of sorts.

When I broke my ankle I had a tie-dyed cast!  I'm willing to bet that Bella's favorite color is aqua, thus her aqua cast.  Or that's what I'm gonna pretend.  For the record, the Caucasian doll (seen above) has a yellow cast, and the Afro-American doll sports a lavender cast.  Again, I can dig those choices.  I've said this before, but if you've gotta have something to help heal you, may as well have it in a color that cheers you up.  My walker is pink, for example.  Now...in addition to having a broken arm Bella can develop a boo-boo on her other arm.  Bella comes with an ice bag to heal that, and the ice bag is double-sided.

Sounds like Bella is something of a klutz, just like Yours Truly.  Klutz or no, Bella also came with some doctor's tools that anyone needs for a basic checkup. 

The otoscope (left) doesn't do anything but is good for a game of make-believe.  The thermometer (center) is one of those jobs that scans one's forehead, and it doesn't do anything either (Lulu's thermometer beeps when put to her forehead).  As to the stethoscope, it can legit be worn, though I look like a nutcase when I wear it.  While this toy doesn't work as a stethoscope should, it does interact with the doll to a certain extent.  The business end has a heart-shaped button on the back like so...

...and when it's pressed the reverse side changes faces like so.

Based on those icons we can make Bella better over and over again.  These tools can also be used on other Baby Alive dolls.  Lulu's tools are specifically for Lulu and won't interact with any other doll.  Drat, I need to find Lulu's tools so I can get her review done!

Lastly, I wanted a redhead because of course I did, and Dottie Doodles fits that bill perfectly.  The red-haired, blue-eyed combo brings Bea Spells-a-Lot to mind, LOL.

Dottie is the only one in my bunch who wears glasses, and right now she's the only one with plastic hair.  She's also only my second Baby Alive doll who legit "does something."  When one sticks Dottie's pacifier in her mouth her eyes slide shut like so.  She doesn't babble or run on batteries like Lulu does, but she does have a gimmick.  See?

It's hard to see underneath those glasses, but Dottie sports freckles.  She doesn't have as many freckles as Princess does, but they're there!

Dottie is on the Snack 'n' Snuggle accessory pack that Treesa sent, by the way.  See?

These accessories are good for any Baby Alive doll, though.  Again, see?

Mmmm!  

Hey, I just now realized that none of my Baby Alive dolls are blonde!  They're not as motley a bunch as some of my other doll groups, but there's some variation here, and none of them are blonde.

I like this version of Breakfast Time Baby, so she may end up being my first blonde.  Her hair is sandy, like that of some Cabbage Patch Kids. 

Truth be told, I'd like to find a brown-eyed blonde.  Hasbro did make a few, like Magical Mixer...who is almost as slack-jawed as Snackin' Sara.

There's also Magical Styles, who comes with extra outfits like I like.  So that's two.  Two blonde dolls with brown eyes.  What a shame, 'cause I know there are plenty of people out there with that combo.  I also didn't find many with brown hair and blue eyes, and that kinda peeves me since I have brown hair and blue eyes.  Most of the brunettes that I saw are like Katie and Maya (brown-eyed), or like Bella and Lulu (green-eyed), OR they have darker skin (I'm ridiculously pale and can't tan worth a dern).  And do ANY Baby Alive dolls have gray eyes???  The odd Cabbage Patch Kid does, though admittedly gray eyes aren't common on Cabbies, at least not during the Coleco days.  But anyway, my collection is...I'm fairly happy with where it is.  I wouldn't mind owning an Afro-American Baby Alive doll, but I'm willing to bide my time.

Love and Skittles,
RagingMoon1987