Under the cabbage leaf: watch your fingers!

I love our mail system sometimes.  This package made it to St. Louis, then got to Cape Girardeau, then got sent back to STL, then got shipped straight to Malden, then got sent back to Sikeston, then BACK TO FRIGGIN' ST. LOUIS before finally making it to Malden on St. Pat's (with one final stopover in Cape Girardeau).  For those unfamiliar with the layout of Missouri, St. Louis is farthest north of the cities listed and is farthest from Malden.  Cape Girardeau is closer (I went to school there), and Sikeston is closer still (a couple'a my doctors are stationed there).  So that trajectory makes ZERO sense, but I finally got my box so it's all good.  Treesa has sent me a Cabbage Patch Kid, one that has been on my wish list for quite some time.  Every so often I update this list, and as of 2024 it was thus.  Red is for the ones I've managed to check off.

*A popcorn:  I own three popcorns now, Idalia Gale, Beryl June, and Rebecca Madeleine.
*A fuzzy red boy:  Any fuzzy boy will do me now.  I think the fuzzy boys are so cute!
*A Tri-Ang Pedigree gaudy yellow:  I'm not betting money on ever finding one of these, but one can still have fun looking, right?  I do have a Tri-Ang that does NOT have gaudy yellow hair; his name is Kitrick Randolph Fergus.
*A Jesmar.  I have two of these, Candela Laura and Joyita Emilia.
*A bean-butt baby:  I own three of these, Esmond Brant, Sandy Eden, and Ingrid Jessica.
*A Snacktime Kid.
*A Twinkle Toes Kid.  Iris Evangeline is my Twinkle Toes Kid.
*An Oriental:  I've since learned that "Oriental" is politically incorrect, so my Asian Kids are Leslie Emily, Margot Madeline, and Sabrina Jane.
*A #30 head.  These are hard to find, but I love a challenge.

Now I can put the Snacktime Kid in red too, because that's what Treesa sent.  Meet Hannah Valerie, y'all!  She weathered the ridiculous journey up and down the Mississippi River, the horrendous weather on March 15th, and the cold on the 16th and 17th, and now she's here!

And a redhead, no less!  I'm very happy to have this young lady in my Patch, as eBay has ZERO listings for a Snacktime Kid at the moment.  Already I love what a ham this poppet is!

Snacktime Kids were made during the Mattel era, and as a result Hannah Valerie is smaller than her Jesmar and Hasbro friends (Joyita Emilia and Rosanna Claire, respectively).  I had yet to put Hannie's hair back at this point, but she doesn't act like she cares.

Jesmar dolls vary widely in size, so maybe comparing Hannie to Alexandria Florida would be better.  Alex and Hannie were delighted to see each other again, by the way; they're both members of the Pennsylvania Club.

Treesa and everyone and their dog knows that I love red hair, and Hannie pairs that with green eyes, a common combo for Cabbage Patch Kids.  These are a lovely, vibrant green, kinda like what I've grown to expect from Mattel Cabbies.

Mattel Cabbies tend to have very pretty eyes...and for that matter, so do Hasbro Kids.

Regarding specs, Hannie and her Snacktime Kid brothers and sisters have their eating mechanism in their head, and as a result these dolls are heavier than your ordinary Cabbie.  If I don't brace Hannie just right, she'll fall over.

No biggie, Geneva is like that too...but Geneva can't break.  Thus I keep Hannie either in my arms or securely on the couch where she can't hit the ground.  Also due to her mechanism (and I didn't even think about this) Hannie's clothes are permanently attached!  This is due to her backpack being permanently attached.

Good thing her clothes are cute!  I did read that that backpack can detach if pulled hard enuff; indeed, it was the only way some parents could get their child's Snacktime Kid to quit (literally) running its mouth!  I don't think Hannie will be biting or chewing on anything since I don't plan on poking crap into her maw, but just the same I keep my hair away from her face.  The stories of little girls being full-tilt scalped by their Snacktime Kids are urban legends, but it's true that some kids DID get their hair caught in their dolls' mouths.  But Hannah Valerie is really cute, regardless of all that.  I had no idea she'd be such a character, but as y'all will see in the coming weeks, she's a spotlight stealer!  I'm gonna tie up her hair too, since she's got thin roots in the back.

BAD NAME ALERT:  Before I move on, I ran into another Cabbie with a rhyming name during one of my eBay binges, an in-box girl named Sabrina Jobina.  Poor Sabrina costs three hundred bucks and doesn't appear to be rare, despite what the seller claims, so I predict she'll be hanging out on eBay for quite some time.  Seriously, the doll is all but a dead ringer for Elisabeth Clara, and Elisabeth has at least four lookalikes on one of my Failbook groups.  Indeed, Elisabeth Clara is a doppelganger herself, of my friend Christa's Sarah Jane.  

Moving on, Hannah Valerie had a reptilian travel buddy, this Build-a-Bear chameleon.

I don't think I've ever said this on the blog, but I freaking love chameleons.  I think their feet are funny; they have toes that act like little grappling hooks that allow them to climb, and my critter has just that.

She reminds me of a pair of Beanie Babies, Iggy the iguana and Rainbow the chameleon.  When Iggy and Rainbow were new in the Beanie circuit their fabric was reversed:  Iggy had the tie-dyed fabric that Rainbow was supposed to have, and Rainbow had Iggy's dark green fabric.  Ty, Inc. eventually corrected the error, but for awhile Rainbow wasn't very rainbow-looking.  As to my chameleon...I need to decide on a name and get back to y'all.  I'm leaning towards "Niji," the Japanese word for "rainbow."

Treesa also included a cute little set, and I love the colors on it!

Treesa advised that this outfit won't fit Niji properly since Niji is a quadruped and the dress is for bipedal Build-a-Bear characters.  She suggested that Summer Daisy wear it, but I think I'll give it to Raina, as Raina does not yet have something just for her.  

Tucked in at the bottom were two sets of patterns.  The first is honest-to-goodness American Girl-branded, and they're versatile little items like skirts, pants, and T-shirts.  With the right fabric these could even be scrubs!

The other pattern set...oh my goodness, look what kind of outfits they are!!!  Dig these, Christa!

Doctor Who for the win, baby!  Again, I'm convinced that Treesa is semi-psychic, because I saw these exact same patterns on Etsy and passed 'em up because I was on a buying fast, and then when I got paid again someone else had bought the patterns!  LOL, anyway, these are sized for American Girls, so now Luciana and Rita Cheryl and River Song can get in on the cosplaying gig...if I ever find my sewing machine, that is.  I like the Dalek dress the best.  By the way...the Doctor Who bunch looks like a group of Journey Girls!  <pauses to look>  Journey Girls and American Girls can share clothes for the most part, so problem solved (I don't own a Journey Girl).

You're the best, Treesa!  These items are right up my alley.  Thank you a bunch for sending these.  Oh, and Treesa said it might be time to give my bucket list a do-over, since I've crossed a lot of them off now.  Here goes.

*I'm keeping a Tri-Ang gaudy yellow on the list, because you never know.  
*I'm also keeping the #30 head on the list, for the same reason.
*I love the exuberant #19 head too.  Sorry, Treesa, that one's got teeth, LOL.
*A Pretty Crimp 'n' Curl.  Treesa sent me one of the pets, and now I want one of the dolls.  Truth be told, I've liked Pretty Crimp 'n' Curl Kids from the word go.  These are easy to find, and I've already got one sized up on Etsy.
*A Tsukuda Kid, because they have butterfly eyes.
*A Lily Ledy Kid, to round the foreign bunch out.  These are the hardest foreign Kids to find, apparently, and they're expensive!!!
*A Teeny Tiny Preemie.  I remember those from childhood and I think they're cute.  Those aren't terribly hard to find.
*Mayyyybe a male Kissin' Kid to be Rowena Skylar's friend, since the boys' hairstyles are so nineties.  They wear rattails and mullets, and I think that's hilarious.  I still say that a well-maintained mullet has its place in the hair world.

If I add any more to my list the house is gonna explode...or Mama is gonna kill me, one or the other.

All my love,
RagingMoon1987

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