So random, October '24

It's easier to do these random posts by the month, so that's exactly what I'll do.  That said, glorious October has come and gone.  October, as I've stated countless times before, is my favorite month.  It's Skye Kitty's favorite month too; her birthday is tomorrow.

I promise this one won't be solely for the Cabbies, though they WILL be in this post.  So I'll start on...actually, I took this picture on September 30th.  Hallie was settling into her new home.

Hallie is a Hopscotch Hill School doll, just like Logan.  Spoiler alert, I own all four of these dolls and plan on reviewing them in the semi-distant future.  More spoilers, these dolls are looser than a hooker's legs, thus why Hallie is sitting.

That same evening Morgan and Beryl June decided to hang out for awhile. 

I think they're discussing their hair.  They both have dark, curly pigtails, and they both like wearing satin bows.  Piddling little stuff, but that's how friendships grow.  Morgan was also impatient to meet Vincent...and she'd end up having to wait another twenty-five hours.

October 1st.  Since October is breast cancer awareness month, I tried to gather my dolls in pink for a group picture.  It didn't go too well, so I broke the group up for separate pictures.  Here's my big girls, Alana (Mattel Saucy), Sabine (Saucy Walker clone), and Rose (Mattel Baby Won't Let Go).

The middle-sized group consists of Talia and Baby Needs-A-Name standing in the back, and Cara Raelean, Elsie, and Alice Helene seated in the front.

Carol Kasey, Whimzee,  Tallulah, and Bailey represent the little girls.

Whew, that was a lot more work than I expected!

Also, four of my Cabbies have birthdays on October 1st.  Yep, four.  From left, the birthday Kids were Cleopatra Chantale, Hugo Jack, Nathan Hunter, and Shelley Fred. 

As I've probably said before, the first days of September, October, and November are all common birthdays for Cabbage Patch Kids, especially these older ones.  Oddly, I don't own a Kid with a September 1st birthday. 

October 2nd.  Amanda Jane wanted to hang out by my tablet, but she was a little shy about having her picture taken.

October 4th.  Luna Macy wasn't about to let Amanda Jane show her up, and she has no reservations about being photographed.

Peek-a-boo!

October 7th.  Monday's theme was double day, referring to Cabbies who have pigtails or braids.  The yarnies are these four, Valencia Rose, Titania Rosalind, Alexandra Claire, and Elisabeth Clara.  

Leslie Emily, Beryl June, and Margot Madeline also have pigtails, but they're a little different from the above trio.  Leslie and Margot are Cornsilk Kids, and Beryl is an obvious popcorn.

October 7th was also the day that Isolde and Marlo arrived in the mail.  Margot Madeline wasted no time getting acquainted. 

If y'all reread my mishmash box post then you'll have know that Margot's size freaked Marlo out a bit.  Margot didn't let that slow her down!

October 9th.  Hurricane Milton was assaulting Florida and my leg was spider-bit.  I was readying Danica and River Song for their fall clothes, and they both took a shine to Ernest John. 

I kinda wondered if I'd missed the mark with River Song, as she's not exactly a dead ringer for her namesake.  But according to my friend from Newfoundland I did just fine.  I'm only now noticing that these three all have different eye colors, by the way.  Usually I end up with at least one duplicate.

October 10th.  I took this one as I was stumbling around, getting ready for work.  I was semi-in a hurry and didn't think to straighten everyone's hair bows.

Lulu, Marta Angela, and Lola.  I like to call these the tiny tufties, because they've got tufts of hair but they're smaller than Ernest John, Alice Helene, and Lina.  Marta didn't know it at the time, but I was shopping for an adoptive brother or sister for her.  Every so often I go shopping for those Cuddle On Delivery dolls...just for the heckuvit.  They have a LOT of personality, just like Cabbage Patch Kids and the later Magic Nursery dolls.

October 12th.  I was working on two different blog posts (this one and a future one), and I threw the three I had with me together.  

As usual Ernest John is surrounded by girls.  This time in addition to River Song he's got Gillian Ida by his side.

October 14th's Monday theme was crew cuts and other boy haircuts.  Stuff that ISN'T the standard loopy 'do that most old Cabbies have.  The only original ones I can name are Gavin Andrew (who has a flat-top) and Kory Aryan, whose hair is slicked back.

All my other boys are loopy or bald.  Kory would make an adorable pirate for Halloween, by the way!  It just kinda hit me.

Also on the 14th, I paired two of Mattel's soft dolls from the eighties.

Vincent is a My Child doll, and Chelsea is a Hot Looks doll.  They don't have much in common, and indeed the two occupied different niches in the dolly world.  Vincent was a Cabbage Patch competitor, and Chelsea was a fashion doll. 

October 15th was the first truly cool day of the season, as evidenced by Rita Cheryl's jacket.

It was one of those "cuddle with a pet or a friend" days, and Rita Cheryl chose Ginger.  Rita Cheryl's Boston T-shirt and TARDIS leggings made quite a splash on Failbook, by the way; apparently I have more Boston fans among my friends than I thought.  Don't look back.

Later that same evening Lina joined Rita Cheryl. 

Nothing more to say about them two.  Just a couple'a friends hanging out on a chilly autumn's eve. 

October 20th, 3:05 a.m. local time.  My leg was aching and preventing me from sleeping, so I threw Yes up on YouTube (I selected "Time and a Word") and dragged out two of my shrinking violets.

I'm not sure what Isolde and Lady Doolli bonded over, but they seem to have hit it off.  I usually do not review dolls that I've received as gifts because it feels like looking a gift horse in the mouth, but I may have to eat my words with Lady Doolli.  Her posing is phenomenal, especially for such a small doll.

Speaking of posing, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that Isolde is only my second Made to Move Barbie. 

I also have Cassandra, one of the inaugural Made to Move dolls, but she's in storage.  I need to bust her out and talk a bit more about these bodies in detail.  Made to Move is nothing new by now, but...well, it'll give me something to do on another night when I can't sleep. 

October 21st.  Another Bae Day Monday, this one for single ponies.  For that I've got Candela Laura, Idalia Gale, and Allie Kathleen. 

Single braids were also an option, but that's not a style I own.  I don't own double braids either.

Later that same day my eyes were drawn to Booful Beans and how his coloration matches what Candela Laura is currently wearing. 

I love yellow and white!  I used to say that those would be my colors when I got married, but now I don't think too much about that sort of thing.  Still, I love the combo.

October 23rd.  Skye Kitty was my partner in crime that day.  Before we left the driveway she decided to strike a pose with a friend.

The hippie gnome's wire-rimmed glasses make me think of John Lennon, so I named him John.  He now resides at my workstation, along with the flag of Israel and a gnome that matches the flag.  I haven't named that gnome yet; he'll need a Hebrew name.

October 24th.  I had Ayame with me that day, and she wanted a picture in front of these trees.

Ayame is a doll based off of the figures in Walt Disney World's It's a Small World attraction, only she doesn't sing that stupid song.  She will be getting a review in the semi-distant future.  Oh yeah, and here's the trees.  They're on the nursing home campus, a stone's throw north of the library. 

October 25th.  Bonnie is about five inches tall, and she fancied a loftier vantage point.  She found it.

Why it was on Baby Needs-A-Name's head is anyone's guess. 

October 26th.  Candela Laura and Karen Sheila before preparing for Halloween...

...and after dressing up!

Unsurprisingly, Mama supplied these.  I had been sizing up Karen's witch outfit myself, but ultimately talked myself out of it due to cost.  Mama, however, had no such reservations and I'm very glad.

October 27th.  Chelsea chillaxes.

That evening I was trying to decide whether to add Zizi and Elkie to my Hot Looks mix to round out the three looks.  Chelsea was advertised as looking best in warm tones, Zizi preferred hot shades, and Elkie was all cool tones.  But ultimately I decided against it.  I already have three of these dolls, and they'll look good in anything. 

October 28th.

Woooooo, Bonnie's a ghoooooooost!!!  Bonnie will be popping into the blog a lot in the coming months.

October 29th is a Failbook memory from six years ago.

Mama and I took a trip to Poplar Bluff that day.  I picked up some pastel eye pencils for Freya (and never used them), and then we ate at Colton's.  Those who are familiar with Colton's will know that they keep small buckets of peanuts on their tables, and in this case Freya decided that she wanted to play in them.

Now we're to today, October 30th.  Some of my dolls here at Casa Pizarro are getting ready for Halloween.  Camille and Jettivee will be joining Candela Laura and Karen Sheila for trick-or-treating...

...while Elisabeth Clara and Shelley Fred will be staying in.

Idalia Gale wore Elisabeth Clara's dress last year, but the two bows work better with Elisabeth's simple pigtails.  Remember that Idalia has a single, very thick updo.

It's actually predicted to rain a lot tomorrow, so I doubt there will be much trick-or-treating.  I don't need the sugar anyway...BUT I WANT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!  Rain means it'll be a nice night for a warm drink and a YouTube binge, so I'll do that instead.

Cheers, 
RagingMoon1987

Dolly Dress Discussion: My Child and the Cabbage Patch

As promised, here's my My Child doll, Morgan...

...and here's one of the Preemie outfits she'll be trying on.  It's Cara Raelean's little mint green ensemble, but Cara doesn't mind sharing. 

Morgan and my long-armed Preemie boy Ernest John are of similar size, and that got me to wondering if they could share clothes.  Hence why we're here today.  And please don't mind Morgan's red bows; regardless of whether she can wear Preemie clothes, she's going right back in her sailor dress after this is over.  I love that sailor dress a bit too much.  Now let's see how she looks in that green.

Or mint green with a decidedly blue tinge, rather.  Morgan's torso is egg-shaped (a Cabbie has a rectangular torso), so I was expecting this ensemble to be tight around her waist.  But in truth it's a little roomy all over.  Not ridiculously so, but enuff that Mama noticed when I showed Morgan to her.  The neck is particularly loose, though with this particular outfit it's hard to tell.  The little socks fit fine, and I didn't show this, but Morgan was able to wear her shoes over those.  Remember that My Child dolls can stand on their own if they have their shoes.

But do y'all think that one outfit is enuff for me?  Well in this case, no way.  I dug out two other outfits (also normally worn by Cara Raelean), both of which are yellow.  This one is a romper with a bonnet that was WAAAAY too small for Morgan's head.

As for the rest of the outfit...it LOOKS too big all over, but it's actually very tight across the waist.  Indeed, I almost didn't get the Velcro there fastened.  The rest of the outfit is big, especially around the neck (again).  My Child dolls have skinny necks, especially when compared to Cabbage Patch Kids.  This little outfit had no footwear, and Morgan's stock socks were too long for the legs of the romper.

Now the last outfit.  It's one of those long christening gown-type getups with a little matinee jacket over the top.  Cara Raelean spent most of last winter in this.

Of the three outfits, this one was...well, it was the easiest AND the hardest to put Morgan in.  There's no Velcro at all, but the gown is nice and roomy so it slid over her head fairly well.  Her pigtails were pretty tormented afterwards, but all I have to do is shake Morgan and her hair pops back.  As to the outfit, it is once again big around the neck, so much so that I almost said this one was a no-go.  Luckily the matinee jacket hides this poor fit and even compensates a little bit.  Because this is loose all over it fit Morgan the best, but because it's so long it makes her look a lot younger than the toddler that she presumably is.  Overall I'll say that Cabbage Patch Preemie clothes are okay for a My Child doll in a pinch, but they're better off wearing either their own clothes or Magic Nursery toddler clothes.

And that would've been the end of it...except that it's my birthday in a few days, and I went a little crazy with my purchases.  Meet Vincent.

My woes with the local post office continue!  My friend did have to resign, but that's neither here nor there.  Vincent arrived at the P.O. at 7:08 A.M. October 1st and was on the truck by 7:19.  I didn't receive him until almost nine P.M. last evening.  Twelve hours!!!  That's getting past ridiculous, but calling and complaining won't do an iota of good.

Take a deep breath, Moon Girl.  Obviously I love Morgan to pieces, but I desperately wanted a little boy My Child too.  And in true RagingMoon1987 fashion, I wanted a redhead.  I was expecting a pitched battle since red-haired My Child dolls can go for a nice price, but Vincent has a little bit of wear so he wasn't terribly expensive.  He needs a little color on his lips, but his fabric isn't torn or anything.

Y'all can probably also see that his face is free of wrinkles.  Morgan, as I've said time and time again, did not dodge that bullet.

So that's it!  My My Child collection is up to two, and I'll try to keep it that way unless something really unique comes up.  Afro-American and Hispanic My Child dolls are particularly tricky to find, so they're the ones on my radar now.  But I'm content to bide my time.  Also, it's good to know that these dolls can wear Cabbage Patch Preemie clothes, though the fit is imperfect. 

Love,

RagingMoon1987 

Independence Day has come again!

Independence Day has dawned...somewhat dreary and threatening, actually.  Yesterday afternoon the outlook for rain today was 50%, and it's the same now.  Last night the lightning was so close that it knocked out our internet for a spell.  That said, this is is my thirty-sixth Independence Day, and I've not yet had one 100% rained out.  We DID have a small tornado one year, late in the evening after the city's festivities took place, but even that July Fourth wasn't a complete washout.  So we'll see what the weather does.  

So as usual I've got some of my dolls gussied up in holiday-appropriate garb.  Representing my soft dolls are Nathan Hunter, Lina, Morgan, and Shelley Fred. 

If any of y'all see a patriotic-like outfit for a doll like Lina's big brother Leo, let me know.  I like how Morgan and Lina coordinate, and I'd love it if Leo could join the fun too.  But Nathan Hunter is a good companion too.  That little outfit he's wearing can be for a boy or a girl Preemie, by the way; it has a headband with a box on it, but I wanted my little Preemie boy to wear it.  Shelley Fred's outfit is my favorite, because it looks like something I'd have worn as a little kid:  a bright T-shirt and loose (sometimes rolled up) jeans.

Representing hard dolls, I have Rita Cheryl, Terri Lee, and Danica. 

Terri Lee and Morgan ended up bonding over their facial expressions (both look perpetually unhappy about something).

Don't blink, you two.  Truthfully, Terri Lee is often grumpy, so it's good to see she's made a friend.  Note to Tam, Mama doesn't like Terri Lee either!

At the very last minute I got another little dress for Morgan to wear.  Nothing like ordering something two weeks ahead of time and not receiving it until the eleventh hour.

My Child often came in little dresses or suits like this.  Sometimes the skirt and collar were red, and other times they were blue, like what Morgan has on.  I'm not a brand snob by any means, and I'm glad that Morgan and some of the Magic Nursery crew can share clothes, but it's nice to have Morgan back in a dress that was made for her.  I think I know who will be accompanying me to the fireworks show tonight...if we have fireworks.  For those of y'all who will, my usual warning:  have fun and be careful.  Don't drive drunk (or at all if you have to), don't shoot each other with bottle rockets, and use lots of sunblock.

Happy Independence Day,
RagingMoon1987

My Child drops in

It's been awhile since I did anything with my My Child doll, so Morgan decided to pop in and say hello.

Morgan used to be one of my favorite dolls, so shame on me for not doing anything with her in God knows how long.  When Lina showed up I remembered that Morgan was/is wearing a coordinating dress, so I dug her out of my doll room.  They make quite a pair, I must say!

I guess one could say that Morgan and Lina are cousins, as they're both soft-bodied Mattel dolls and some makes can share clothes.  Heck, some Magic Nursery dolls even wear shoes like the ones Morgan's got.

Or the shoes were the same mold, rather.  Miss Emily's Magic Nursery dolls had red and lilac shoes, but as far as I know My Child shoes were always white.  Still, the mold is the same for the girls.  Having never handled either a male My Child doll or a male Magic Nursery doll, I can't say if they shared a mold.

I went back to look at my original post about Morgan, and...sigh, my picture-taking abilities have improved somewhat since 2016, though I'm still no Ansel Adams.  Ansel Adams is like Ken's friend Allan:  there's only one.  At least Morgan is in focus, if a hair overexposed.

Morgan is pale anyway, so it's easy to overexpose her.  These dolls came in four skin tones, and Morgan's is the palest...with the darkest hair and the darkest eyes.  She needs a Snow White costume!

Since 2016 my favorite My Child reference site has gone the way of the dodo, though Kewpie83, Tam, and Barb the Evil Genius do have nice posts of their own about these dolls.  Diana's Patch also briefly discusses My Child, but that site is largely for the Cabbage Patch.  Anyway, while I was browsing Barb's post I discovered that these dolls had paperwork just like Cabbage Patch Kids and Magic Nursery did.  Cabbies have adoption papers and birth certificates, Magic Nursery dolls had activity books, and apparently My Child had a slip one could fill out to send in for a locket.  That's okay on its own, but when I looked more closely at the papers I saw that there was an option for the child to fill in "mother" or "father."  The picture in question can be found HERE.  I make a big note of that because Miss Emily saw similar wording on a Magic Nursery box.  Doll boxes don't say that now, as far as I'm aware, and that's kinda a shame.  Daddies love their babies too, and some little boys like dolls.

Barb mentions that her little doll has saggy face "skin," and my Morgan does too.  When I photograph her without a flash she looks like she just watched her friends get taken by weeping angels. 

Here's the same position with the flash.

Depending on various factors Morgan can look either devastated or furious.  There are ways to fix this, but I haven't tried 'em yet because I don't want to do permanent damage.  Tam's doll looked spectacular in 2019, by the way; some of these dolls get wrinkles and some don't.  How's your pet doing now, Tam?  Still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I hope?

So that's it...no, Hugo Jack wanted a quick photo op with these Cabbie competitors. 

I've got a nice collection of Cabbage Patch Kids, and I plan on amassing a small group of carefully selected Magic Nursery dolls, but for now now Morgan remains my only My Child doll.  My Child is highly collectible, with examples in pristine condition going for two hundred bucks or more.  And these are out-of-box examples we're talking about!  I've seen out-of-box Cabbage Patch Kids go for equal prices, but not often, and out-of-box Magic Nursery dolls don't sell for much at all.  Don't get me wrong, Lina is a fantastic little doll, but collectors seem to value Magic Nursery only for their intact surprises.  Shame, because Lina is great.  Anyway...where am I going with this???  There was a point, I swear.  Oh yeah, My Child is too expensive for me to build a huge collection right now, but that's okay.  I like Morgan just fine on her own.

Cheers, 

RagingMoon1987