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

Throwback Thursday review: Susie Sad-Eyes

Ladies and germs, Halloween is upon us!  Every year around this time I try to do something kinda freaky, and...well, I'm not sure how freaky she is, but some folks are really creeped out by this doll.  Susie Sad-Eyes sort of made her photographic debut here TWO Octobers ago, but y'all know how I'm the queen of procrastination.  Usually she is known as Susie Sad-Eyes, Sad Susie, or plain old Sad Eyes Doll. Some of Susie's sisters came in rain gear and were called "Susie Slicker," while her Afro-American self was called "Soul Sister."  Mine, however, is straight-up Susie Sad-Eyes.  This one is Susie with an "s" in the middle, by the way; So Surprised Suzie has a "z," and Suzy Cute has both a "z" and a "y."

Killecrankie, who on Earth thought this one up???  These little goobers remind me of the Biggers that Miss Emily reviewed (here and here), only nowhere near as happy.  According to multiple websites Susie is/was a cheaply-made mass-produced doll dating from the sixties and seventies, and her big, solemn eyes were based on...ewww, on Margaret Keane paintings.  Several companies made these dolls, with one name standing out:  S. Rosenburg Co., Incorporated, the company that produced my Cherry Fizz doll (zowwee, that post was a long time ago).  The oldest Susie dolls are older than the original Blythe, but apparently not as old as Little Miss No-Name.  I don't own a Little Miss No-Name (yet), but for reference sake here's Susie with Jaylin, my factory Blythe.  Pity that Jaylin can't tip her head to look at her companion, because these two always look a little or a lot put-out by something.

Okay, they usually look put-out, though Jaylin is also capable of looking incredibly smug.  As y'all can see, Susie is quite a bit smaller than Jaylin, though they do have torsos of a similar size.  This would likely mean that Susie can also share dresses with Licca-chan and Elly-chan, though they too are a bit taller than Susie.

On the other hand, Ayame (It's a Small World Japan) and Whimzee are considerably smaller than Susie, and I highly doubt that she can wear their clothes. 

For a final size comparison, here's how Susie measures up to Fluff (vintage Skipper friend) and Joie (Creatable World.

Pity I can't get at my Stacie dolls, because they're of similar size to Susie...or they are if my memory serves me right.  90's-era Stacie dolls were pretty little.  Anyway, as I noted in that post about Technicolor bell-bottoms, there's a photography book dedicated to Susie Sad-Eyes, one entitled Susie Says, by the one and only Gina Garan.  Ms. Garan is credited with giving Blythe new life with her first book, so I figured I'd grab Susie before she becomes super-popular again.  Granted, Susie is already popular on Flickr, and she has a few groups on Failbook too.  Plus, Susie Says has been out for TEN YEARS, so I'm a little late to the party.  Oh well, better late than never!  My Susie is a little better-looking than some, but none of these dolls will ever win any beauty contests.  I've seen brown-haired Susie dolls, a handful of blondes, and one or two redheads (one of them was a reroot).  I was fortunate enuff to find a redhead of my own.

I also have a brunette Susie Sad-Eyes somewhere in the mix, but she looks more narked off than sad, AND her legs are frozen.  So y'all get the coppertop.  Her hair is supposed to be straight, but it developed a kink somewhere along the line that hasn't yet relaxed out.  The fibers are fairly stiff and hold kinks like mad.  Regarding the style, she's got a center part and bangs up front, like so.

The rooting is...so-so.  It looks fine when Susie's hair is down or pulled into a low ponytail, but a parted style is OUT!!!

Regarding the face, Susie has several different names, varying hair and eye colors, and widely differing bodies, but she always has this face.

Eye color varied as much as hair color did with these dolls.  My brunette Susie has aqua eyes, while Copperhead's are amber.  Like all good Susie Sad-Eyes dolls her lids are dark and heavy, and the lower lid is ringed with shadow.

Some of these dolls have green circles painted under their eyes, making them look ill as well as sad.  I don't like this effect and I'm glad that neither of my Susie dolls have this paint.  Right now my only surviving picture of Raven Susie is this one from the technicolor bell-bottoms post, and it'll give y'all an idea of what her eye paint looks like.  Both Raven and Copperhead have flubs in their right eyes, LOL.

See Copperhead's flub?  These dolls were very cheaply produced, so I'm surprised these mistakes are the only paint errors.

Susie's sullen little mouth has only a touch of blush-colored paint.  Some of these dolls have rosier lips, but mine does not.

Susie's ears are simple little affairs with no piercings...and a little dust.

A simple, average head, and with a simple, average head goes a simple, average body.  The arms are vinyl, and the rest is hard, hollow plastic.  I presume that Susie is supposed to be a child, because she's got a child's build.

Since Susie is cheaply made she has the joints one might expect.  Her head is a ball joint and thus is her best joint.  She can turn and tip her head.

Surprise, surprise, her head comes off easily...but it doesn't go back ON easily so I usually leave it alone.

The rest of Susie's posing is about what you'd expect.  Her arms rotate like so.

Her hands have a lot of flash on the seams, but it's possible to see knuckles and nails in there.  Not all of my dolls have that, and I can always pare away that flash.  Shudder...I hate X-ACTO knives!

Like the shoulders, Susie's hip joints are par for the course.  They're hollow plastic, straight up and down, with an angled joint at the hip.  This means that Susie can stand, sit like a bimbo on Quaaludes, and do front-to-back splits, like so.

Susie's stubby little legs are made of blown plastic like her torso, and...well, they're legs.  She knows how to use them, though.

The seams on Susie's legs are rough, though they're not the worst I've ever seen.  Interestingly, the toes on her right foot are almost nonexistent; her left foot has simple toes.

From the side one can see that...oh, I'd say three millimeters of the right foot are missing.  That's a lot for a doll this size.  

Susie can't stand on her own, and I think the deformed foot may be part of the problem.  It should also be noted that not all Susies have bodies like this; Tam owns one that is made of softer vinyl.  That particular little doll is better quality overall.

Susie Sad-Eyes and her similarly morose cronies weren't the most fashionable poppets to begin with, and my Susie CERTAINLY wasn't fashionable when she arrived (she was nude).  Etsy has plenty of options, but they're usually marked for Blythe or for Licca-chan, with Susie being mentioned in the "also fits" list.  That said, this little dress was made specifically for Susie dolls, and it fits my doll perfectly.  Etsy shop is IDressDolls and they focus largely on undergarments, but there are a few little dresses to be had too.  

Even though that dress was made with Susie in mind, I decided to swap Licca's and Susie's dresses anyway.

Since Licca has longer legs than Susie the green dress proved way too short in the skirt and a bit too short in the sleeves, though it fits perfectly across the shoulders and bust.  In a similar manner Licca's dress is long on Susie, but again it fits across the bust and shoulders with aplomb.  Licca's shoes even fit, though I wouldn't make Susie wear these particular shoes.  They have a slight high heel and Susie's feet are flat, end of story.  Flat shoes for Licca or Blythe may work, though.

Speaking of Blythe, Jaylin has a few things lying around idle.  I'll start with pajamas, since it's almost impossible to go wrong with pajamas.

I forget which Etsy shop these came from, but I think Jaylin has worn them maybe ONCE.  They've got "NY" all over them, giving off sort of a New York vibe.  Since they're pajamas they're big on Susie's small body, but they fit her without too much fuss.  This other outfit came in a blind bag, and I wasn't too sure about the fit of it at first.

Well, we see the results, LOL.  The crocheted top is a little tight around the shoulders, enuff that I had a little trouble fastening the button, but the rest of the outfit fits Susie perfectly.  Even the boots fit, and they help Susie stand on her own.  I won't forget that this outfit is Jaylin's, but she's okay to lend it out for now.  

For a lark I put Susie in Ayame's kimono.

Ayame's obi fastens in the back like a good obi should, and y'all can't tell it, but I couldn't get it fastened.  This whole kimono fits Susie more like a happi coat than a kimono...but it fits pretty well across the shoulders.  Ayame has the same body and measurements as Cherry Merry Muffin, so mayyyybe the occasional CMM piece might fit Susie Sad-Eyes.  But don't bet on it.  That's alright, because some Licca-chan and Blythe pieces do fit, as long as one avoids long skirts and pants.

Before I wrap this up I want to go on a brief tangent, one that applies to my other Susie doll.  That Susie has a "dress me" body with frozen legs and huge shoes, which kinda limits what I can dress her in.  Good ol' Tam presented a lovely idea on her blog that I'm itching to try.  She saddled her "dress me" Susie with a Harry Potter body, and even the tones match!  It's not a perfect fix since the Harry Potter neck knob is smaller than the whole in Susie's head, but Tam makes it work.  So Imma try that and get back to y'all.  

That's a good place to break this off.

BAD
*Overall quality of my particular doll is pretty average.  Some have better bodies and some have worse.
*The hair is stiff and can't be restyled, except for a basic ponytail.
*Mayyyybe my doll's lip paint could be better???  I've seen some of these dolls with pretty lips.
*Some variants have a stiff "dress me" body.  Some folks don't like those, so keep that in mind.
*Some variants are hard to find.  I've NEVER seen Soul Sister for a reasonable price.

GOOD
*No specific appearance other than the head.  Just about any hair or eye color can be found.
*Semi-easy to find, as long as you're not looking for Soul Sister!
*Hair is low-maintenance, despite being long.  
*Can wear Blythe and Licca-chan clothes as long as the items aren't too long.  Shoes even fit.
*Under the right conditions, Susie can be very photogenic.  I understand now why Gina Garan put Susie Says together.
*Can be customized readily, for those of y'all that are into that.

Whew!  I almost didn't get this one done in time!  That was on me, procrastinating and being lazy as sin; Susie herself is quite simple.  What you see is what you get:  a solemn-faced doll with a vinyl head and a stiff plastic body, who looks good in a wide array of clothes despite being quite different from both Blythe and Licca-chan.  Susie is popular among those who like their dolls a little weird or creepy, and of course, fans of vintage dolls.  And I can see why, since she's lightweight, easy to tote around, and low-maintenance.  If Susie Sad-Eyes lights your fire, beware of "dress me" bodies and know that rebodying is an option, and also know that obtaining clothes is a cinch if you have access to Etsy.  Also...beware of bad lighting.  Susie can look downright sinister in the wrong light.

Happy Halloween, y'all!  True to the forecast it's raining and isn't supposed to stop 'til after midnight, so I'm staying in and keeping the lights off.  If any of y'all do go out, be safe, watch for pets, kids, and drunks, and have fun.

Love,
RagingMoon1987

So random, part three

I don't know how popular posts like these are, but I like them so I'm gonna do them from time to time.  Hey, it's either that or let cute outtakes go to waste!  I'll start on March 30th, with an outtake from this post.

I need to add some color to Olivia Reese's lips; she doesn't photograph well.  Owen Presley, though...LOL, he's always such a little ham!  Case in point.

April 17th was the date that time.  Cara Raelean, Owen Presley and Hugo Jack were the subjects.  One of my Failbook groups started having themed days for the various Cabbage Patch Kids, and...well, this picture didn't fit any of the themes, but I wanted a group shot of my baldies (I didn't have Nathan Hunter or Esmond Brant at the time).  As I noted on April 19th, the bald Cabbies can get away with wearing just about anything.  That said, I'd yet to get Owen Presley anything new at that point.  Etsy has things, so I had no excuse!

This one dates back to April 21st, 2018.  I can't imagine why I didn't throw this in the blog then!

From left, Licca-chan, Michiko, Sachiko, Pepper Parson, and Saltine.  At the time I commented that my girls were ready for the weather to get warm and stay warm.  That spring must've been kinda like this last one:  unseasonably warm one day and chilly the next.

April 21st, 2024.

Rosemary relaxed after her rough day.  Even without eyelashes she looked so sweet and serene.  I just wish that cute wig fit better!

April 25th, 2024.

Lucey Dena was my work companion that day (I'm slowly but surely breaking the habit of carrying a doll to work).  When one habit dies another is born, and I've taken to wearing buttons of multiple sizes to work...oh right, I told y'all that!  I've got Blythe buttons, Chessie System buttons, a couple'a ace pride buttons, one very unusual one that combines the TARDIS with The Starry Night, and this one with two Cabbage Patch Kids on it.  I...shucks, I can't remember where I got this one!  But I wore it the day that I carried Lucey Dena.

Can't remember whether Treesa sent it to me or if it came as a freebie in one of my Etsy packages.  Either option is equally likely, but either way it's welcome now.

This is another one that popped up on my Failbook memories.  Date was May 1st, 2016.  I'd owned Johnny about two months at that point...and this was just the first time that he got upset with me.

This was the first indication I got that Johnny was going to be a problem child.  I had to restring him (it was my first time doing it), and he sulked for the rest of that evening.  So did I; restringing dolls isn't much fun in general, but restringing ball-jointed dolls REALLY isn't fun.  Not without the right tools, anyway.

May 2nd, 2024.  An outtake from this post.

As I've established ad nauseam, Terri Lee and Mary Jane are a study in opposites, but because Mary Jane is a clone of Terri Lee there are a lot of similarities too.  I prefer Terri Lee's dark eyes, but I also prefer Mary Jane's auburn hair.  I love auburn hair.  I just love these two, period, and I REALLY love how Mary Jane is giving Terri Lee the side-eye.  I solemnly swear that I did NOT pose her like that deliberately!

May 4th, 2024.  A box from Treesa had just been delivered, the one that had the Magic Nursery doll in it.  I posed Lina with a very sleepy-looking Sabine.

Sabine is a large plastic walker that I got in a trade about five years ago, and Lina is my little show-stealer, LOL.  I'd just cleaned poor Sabine's eyes and she just wanted to sleep after that, kinda like I do after I've had my eyes dilated.  

May 9th, 2024.  Lina enjoys some time with Shelley Fred and Morgan.

Yep, I was thinking about Independence Day that far ahead!  Shelley had just gotten that cute outfit in the mail, and since I had these three together I thought it might make a good picture for a July 4th post.  Then Nathan Hunter joined the soft doll family, Mama found him a patriotic outfit, and this image was rendered an outtake. 

May 10th, 2024, about ten p.m. local time.  This time Lina is joined by Valencia Rose and Morgan.

I'd been out chasing the aurora borealis, which was a possibility that night.  In fact, it was a certainty in parts of the Bootheel, and indeed parts of the whole country.  People in southern Louisiana got to see it, for crying out loud!  But I didn't see it, so I came home and monkeyed with these three.  Val was fresh out of the drier that night and smelled softly of Tide.  I guess my timing was just off regarding the aurora.  Several of my friends got some lovely pictures though, and I was glad for them.  

May 11th, 2024.  I moved Stella Rae to Grandma's house.  

The aurora was in the forecast again, so Mama and I went out to the back roads to see what we could see.  We saw fireflies and a few pretty clouds, but the aurora didn't show that time.  So we came home, I pulled Stella out of the drier, and I threw her in Angela's arms.  I was pleased to discover that Preemie Cabbies fit pretty well into My Twinn arms!  As for the aurora...my turn will come.  And I got to see the eclipse!  

May 19th, 2024.  Another "I was getting ready for work and caught this" picture. 

Elsie and Carrie are from the same line of dolls, but that's about where the similarities end.  Elsie is stuffed firmly and can sit up if braced from the back, while Carrie can't even do that!  I usually don't mind that, though.  It makes Carrie more of a character. 

May 28th, 2024.  Kory Aryan got some new clothes to wear.

Mama, being the kind person that she is, chose to indulge one of my dolls with a dinosaur-themed outfit.  When I told her Kory looked the best in green, that was the name she selected for customization.  The Cabbage Patch group that I like on Failbook has themes for some days of the week, and I took this picture in preparation for a Wednesday Wearables segment.  Wednesday Wearables is for new clothes (or for a favorite old outfit), and Kory got a lot of likes.

June 1st, 2024.  Taniyah Yasmin poses for an aborted review of a clothing set.

The clothing set in question is this one.  This layette set dates back to 2006 and was a Target exclusive.

The set includes three little rompers with matching headbands, a bottle, and a binky that won't go into any of my dolls' mouths.  Still, the clothes fit Taniyah like a glove, so I won't complain.  

June 2nd, 2024.  An outtake from Elsie's review.

My Cabbage Patch Kids are extremely easygoing, and Alexandra Claire proved to be a capable babysitter. 

June 9th, 2024.  Lena has a brother.

Leo is his name.  Lina has another brother in the post, but it'll be a day yet before he gets here.

June 10th, 2024.  I was moving more dolls out of Casa del Luna, and River Song was one of the ones I grabbed.  Here she cuddles with Allie Kathleen, arguably the softest of my Cabbies. 

They don't have much in common except for blonde hair.  If I'd chosen Alexandra Claire the story would've been different, since she and River Song share a hair color, an eye color, and a first name.  But Allie Kathleen is who I picked and River Song appears happy with that.

June 11th, 2024.  The season's first fireworks were crackling in the street, and Gabby was strutting her stuff.  I had this Charlie Brown outfit on Cindy Lou Who, but the hat didn't fit over her hair so Gabby is wearing it.  Yellow begs for a dark-skinned doll, but Danica just got a new dress and I owe Gabby.

Gabby had to be my oddball.  I moved Danica, Silver Bird, Jettivee, and River Song over to Grandma's house and none of them had a speck of mold on them.  Then when I picked up Gabby...she was covered in the crap.  It's that powdery white sh!t that grows in vintage Crissy doll eyes, and it was easy to clean off Gabby's skin, but I'm taking no chances.  She's being quarantined right now, just to be safe.  The Velvet that Tam sent me last Christmas remains bright-eyed, and I'm doing everything in my power to keep it that way.  By the way, Tam, Velvet says hello.

June 16th, 2024.  A scorcher with scattered thundershowers.  It was thundering pretty close when I saw Carrie passed out on top of Elmyra.

Unlike some of my little dolls, Carrie is not afraid of storms.  For that matter, neither is Elmyra.  A very strong gust of wind hit the house about fifteen minutes after I took this picture, by the way.  We lost out internet for eighteen hours, and our mail carrier lost two trees.  Thank God that's all it was.

I think that'll do it for now!

Love,
RagingMoon1987