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

First snow of the season

The big storm that probably caused problems for some of y'all clipped us.  Malden got enuff snow to make the ground look pretty, but not enuff to cause widespread traffic issues.  

Brrrr, how I hate winter!  Indeed, it's been "winter" since about November 27th, but y'know.  Nonetheless winter is a fact of life, and while I may hate it I'm ready for it.  My pets are safely at Casa Pizarro, they have ample food and warm clothes (the dogs wear sweaters), and my own sweaters are shaken and free of spiders and dust.  Billie and Camille are ready too.  Billie's getup is Casually Cozy, and Camille is wearing an Etsy find.

Snow can be a pain in the posterior, but it's infinitely better than a tornado; remember that a few years ago parts of the Midwest got hit hard.  My blog posts on that incident are here and here.  Yeah, as much as I hate the cold it's at least normal for this time of year.  Seventy-two degrees and EF4 tornadoes are not.  But tornadoes are not in the cards today, not for the Bootheel, anyway.  It's thirty degrees and the air feels pretty dry now that the front has passed.

Bundle up when y'all go out!  The wind isn't strong, but it IS sharp.

Warm wishes,
RagingMoon1987

Birthday box

As I said on Saturday my birthday has come and gone.  I'm 38, one year closer to 40.  I get Mondays off so I slept most of the day with my dogs by my side, and oh man, did that feel good!  Uncle Man-Child moaned about wanting to take us out to eat, but Mama is on a cane and had just gotten off work, and I'm on a walker and hadn't yet showered, so we shut that nonsense down PDQ.  Mama and I ate leftover chicken and German chocolate cake and chilled out.  When you get to be my age just being remembered and thought of counts for a lot, though I'll ALWAYS want a cake, LOL!

On the ninth my birthday box came; Treesa always sends me something for my birthday.  First off was this teddy bear, Hal (short for Halloween).  He's one of Treesa's personal teddy bears, one with a decorated nose like Raina and Summer Daisy. 

My Newborn Nancy, from Tyco and Treesa's sister A.

Nancy runs on batteries, and she's a thumb sucker, just like I like. 

She also could suck on her bottle or pacifier, and she could be burped.  Pretty cute!  Treesa insinuated that she still works, so I need to get some batteries and try her out.

Y'all have met this next one.  She's a Wellie Wisher with bobbed hair and a sweet face.  I've chosen to rename her "Billie."

Mama insinuated that she'd like to complete the Wellie Wisher set, and that may mean another Willa since Mama likes her original outfit.  We'll see!

Now this...THIS is something I had never heard of before.  She is a Grandma's Marshmallow Baby, and she's from Playskool.  Ghost of the Doll has a forum discussion about these, but no official page.

Treesa says that this doll belonged to her, but she didn't really bond with her.  She named the doll "Marshmallow," and I think that's as good a name as any since she's soft like a marshmallow.  Here's a better look at her face.

It's kinda hard to tell in that image, but Marshmallow is a pale lilac color.  Some of the other dolls like her are blue, pink, or yellow.  Marshmallow may get a closer look in the future, just like Primrose Jessalyn and Violet did.

From the Cabbage Patch Magic Meadows, this is Sundance.

Sundance is a Crimp 'n' Curl Pony, which pleases me greatly.  I loved the Pretty Crimp 'n' Curl Cabbies, so having this throwback is fun.  Sundance will also fit in nicely with a herd of My Little Ponies.

Also fresh-picked from the Cabbage Patch is this little boy, from a Beachtime Twins playset.

He's a cute little boy, with auburn hair, green eyes, and a nice tan.

Both doll and pony are from the Hasbro era, and they're semi-in scale with one another. 

About that time Lily wanted to get in on the action.  She pouted when I made her stay off the couch.

Lily is a good girl, though.  I love having my cats in the house again!

Back on track, this one's a Sea Wee.

Kinda hard to see her cute little face, but she's got a big smile.  I think she's Seabrina, from one of the TropiGals sets.

Fun fact about me:  I've started gravitating towards tiny dolls like this, not just for dollhouse reasons, but because I can carry them in my pocket or my hand, even when I'm using my walker.

With MS being a possibility that walker may be my companion for life now.  Anyway, severe weather is back in the cards; remember that the Midwest and the South get a second tornado season in the fall.  With the Sea Wee being little she may ride in my pocket on Saturday. 

Speaking of dollhouses, this next item gave me a laugh.  See what Treesa wrote?

Y'all remember pretty well what I say!  Inside that parcel was a tiny DIY dollhouse kit, complete with house and furniture.  The pictures I took of the furniture didn't come out, but they're teeny-weeny.  The dolls themselves were tucked into this pretty little drawstring bag. 

Ooo, ooo, I bet the dolls are worry dolls!

Yeah, there are six of 'em!  I love worry dolls!  Y'know, if I ever do have room for a large dollhouse, this will make a fine plaything for the residents. 

Then there were these.  I freaking LOVE Pound Puppies!

I used to have a small collection of these.  I loved how soft they were, and how different they all were.  There were dogs AND cats, both equally adorable. 

The eighteen-inch contingent was not forgotten, and this little item came from Treesa's personal collection.  Forgive Seabrina; she wanted to have a little fun.

Treesa said that this could be used by the historical dolls, but Justine-Marie can use this too for her horse.

Then there are these bedroom items, which I think Airy might like.  I love the little nail polish bottle!

Then there's this kick-a$$ rag doll.  She's sized for American Girls, but they may not get her.  She's awesome!

The last item is something practical for me.  The picture didn't come out well, but it's a Monster High lanyard.

That's good.  I like rotating my lanyards with the seasons and with my moods.

As is often the case with gifts, I've had either Billie or Nancy or Marshmallow by my side for the better part of the weekend.  Nancy even shared my lunch on the fourteenth...while Mama took forever to come home and Uncle Man-Child asked nonstop questions. 

I guess he gets some sick pleasure out of hearing me say "yes" and "no."  I refuse to say more than that!  Anyway, the box was another hit, but unfortunately it made me want a vintage Pound Puppy.  LOL, Mama's gonna kill me!  But thanks once again, Treesa, and thank you to your sister too for her personal doll.

Cheers and joy,
RagingMoon1987

They love you and they dump you

Another birthday has come and gone.  I'm 38 now, turned 38 on October 6th.  For gifts I received a set of I Survived... books, an anthology of Ray Bradbury stories, a birthday box of stuff, and the news that the twelve-year EF5 drought has been broken.  Tim Marshall and the other big guns utilized forensic methods to determine that this tornado was indeed at the top tier of strength, meaning that the tornado at Enderlin is

A)  The U.S.'s first EF5 since 2013, when Moore, Oklahoma got hit the third time, and
B)  North Dakota's first F5/EF5 since 1957, when Fargo got hit.

The past few days since have been...well, I won't say they were hell, but they've been about fifty shades of crazy.  Some of the people I meet are crazier than sh!thouse rats.  Nice, but incredibly crazy.  I don't want to go into more detail than that, but take my word, it's been nuts.  And then...oh, dare I say it!  John Lodge, the bassist for the Moody Blues and my favorite member of the Moodies, died.  I mean, the guy was 82 and had had at least one stroke in the past couple'a years, but it was still quite a shock.  I told Mama (semi-joking) that I needed to put on my ashes and sackcloth.  So John, if you can hear me, thank you very, very much for the music.  You wrote some of my favorite Moody Blues songs, and I look forward to the day I can thank you in person.  Nineteen people also died in a factory explosion over in Tennessee, and a kid in Fayetteville, Arkansas turned up with whooping cough, a disease that can be controlled with vaccinations.  If you're pro-vax, better get a booster if you haven't done so.  Hopefully my sister will.

So yeah, it's been an interesting week.  On the eighth the aforementioned birthday box from Treesa turned up in the mail, and I'm working on an extensive post about that, but today I want to focus on just one item.  It's this little girl.

That, kids, is a Wellie Wisher.  I have Camille, and now I have this Willa, who has a serious chop to her locks.  I would say that this was a salvation haircut, done because Willa's hair was irreparably mangled (kids can do that), but it's incredibly even all the way around.

Kinda reminds me of Crissy's foundation hair.  Anyway, I got strong Homeward Bound vibes looking at Willa, particularly that scene where Chance accuses humans of being untrustworthy.  "They love you and they dump you," were his exact words, which sadly rings true for many pets.  In Willa's case I got the same vibe; someone bothered to cut her hair and make her look nice, and yet she ended up dumped at a secondhand store.  My gain, though!  Despite the lock chop and abandonment Willa smiles, and dang, do I love these Wellie Wisher faces!

Treesa correctly assumed that since I love red hair and freckles I'd love this doll.  Indeed, the only reason why I initially chose Camille over Willa was because I liked Camille's blue and green meet outfit better.  Camille, of course, is delighted to see her friend.

I think I got two that share a head!

Now...with her haircut Willa looks pretty different than she normally would, more grown up.  So I ask y'all:  should I keep the name "Willa," or should I change it to something else?  Since her haircut sets her apart from other Willa dolls I think this little gal might need a special new name or nickname.  But at the same time I like "Willa."  So I turn it over to y'all.

And now I'm going on a Moody Blues bender; "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" is calling my name!  John Lodge let it all hang out for that one.

All of my love,
RagingMoon1987

All that glitters...

...is often made of vinyl and comes in a cardboard box!  I got bitten by the glitzy toddler doll bug, LOL.

Yeah, glitzy toddler dolls, the ones that dominated the early part of the nineties and then vanished into thin air.  I admit that I like these dolls a lot, though I might feel differently if I were a mama (just like with the Bratz).  I'd say that the biggest beef I have with these dolls is that they're ALL.  BLONDE.  AND BLUE-EYED.  And all in pink!  Sort of, anyway; Alexis/Pretty Crazy Curls has lilac eyes that I love.

Granted, Tiffany and Mary did come in Afro-American versions, and Mary could be a cute little brunette as well, but...well, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.  Mary was a gift so I won't complain, and the black version of Tiffany is apparently hard to find (there weren't any when I looked on eBay the first time).  As for Alexis and Susie...well, if I'd been a bit more patient I could've gotten a black Pretty Crazy Curls doll MIB instead of the beat-up doll that I swiped off of Etsy.  Ghost of the Doll implies that the black variant is hard to find, so if you like her, better get her now.  Sixty bucks is a fair price for a doll like that.  Surprise Hat Susie (bottom right) also came as a black doll, so a little diversity can be had if one looks hard enuff.  It all comes back to that patient thing, and as I've said and heard before, patience is for wimps.

In other news Alexis's glow-up is slow but steady.  I don't know how to fix her mangled bangs without removing her head, but I did add a little piece of frippery to her dress.

That came as a freebie in an Etsy order, so I hooked it to the mesh part of Alexis's dress, kinda like Chloe Charms might've done.  I haven't tried Alexis's curlers on her hair yet, but I did try Twist 'n' Style Tiffany's styling gun on her and it worked...pretty well.  Alexis's hair isn't as slippery as Tiffany's is, but it worked okay.

The star of this post, though, is Flower Magic Mary's "sister," Surprise Hat Susie.  I touched on this doll in this post, since she's one of so many that I know named "Susie."  I wanted a doll that still had her hair concealed, so I got one MIB.

These dolls could have one of four different highlights in their hair, pink, blue, and two shades of purple, and I wanted that to be a surprise, thus why she's still in her box.

The box also shows the doll with twisted little braids like what Twist 'n' Style Tiffany has, but as far as I know Susie doesn't come with a tool that does that.  She can use Tiffany's styling gun, but still...would that count as false advertising???

Since I have Tiffany and her accoutrements with me it's not such a big deal, but keep that in mind if you have Susie and NOT Tiffany.  So here's how Susie looks fresh out of her box.

In order to be a surprise hat doll Susie's hat had to be fastened to her head, and look how Tyco went about it!  A plastic tie!

Yikes, reminds me of the time I lashed myself to my bed with a ball of yarn!  Daddy had to cut me loose with a pocketknife!  I don't know what in flaming purple hell I was thinking, doing that.  Speaking of purple, part of me wonders if the decorations on Susie's clothes don't give some sort of hint to her secret hair color.  The bow on her hat is purple...

...as is the bow around her waist.

Indeed, when I finally took Susie's hat off she had a purple streak hiding amongst the blonde, kinda like Luciana Vega does.

Again, I'd have taken what I'd got and been happy, but I'm VERY happy with the purple.  Glitzy toddler dolls go WAAAAY too heavy on the pink, and pink was an option for this highlight so I'm pleased with purple.  Al-right, hold tight, I'M-YOUR-HIGH-WAY-STARRRRR!!!!!!  LOL, Deep Purple for the win!  Ghost of the Doll implies that there should be two highlights (purple was always paired with a shade of pink), but so far all I see is purple.

It should be noted that while Susie's box shows her hair accessories spilling out of her hat like confetti, the initial box-opening is not that messy.  The items are indeed tucked into Susie's hair, but they're wrapped in little baggies like so.

Susie came with a set of instructions, and they suggest that a mama or a daddy dump all that into Susie's hat, put it back on her head, and then let the child pull off the hat so everything goes scattering everywhere...no thanks, I appreciate the baggies.  She's got beads, some flat sequins, bits of ribbon, and what the package calls a honeycomb headband (the pink sparkly thing).  Oh yes, and hair extensions; those are in the longer package.  Susie's tools include a hairbrush (which I will not be using), a large-eye needle, and a blade thing for curling the ribbon bits.

Like Tiffany's stuff, Susie's hair baubles can be shared among the other dolls, and...well, maybe I'll let 'em share.  Mary doesn't need much more frippery and Tiffany has her own stuff, but Alexis might benefit from some of those beads.

I'm not gonna do a full review of Susie since she's a pretty simple little doll (and I don't like her dress much), but for the say-so of it here she is with fellow Tyco doll Flower Magic Mary.

Notice that their shoes are the same mold, further attesting that they are from the same company.  Indeed, of my four glitzy toddler dolls, only Tiffany has separate shoes.

Other than molded shoes and the blonde hair/blue eyes thing, Mary and Susie don't have a lot in common.  Their faces can be told apart with ease, and Mary has shorter hair that's cut in a winged style that I like.

During my Google searches I got results for both Surprise Hat Susie and So Surprised Suzie, so for the helluvit here my two are together.  They have nothing in common except for...you guessed it!  Blonde hair and blue eyes!

They're cute.  I can get over a glut of platinum hair and blue eyes if they're cute.  And sometimes that combo is the one I like the best.  Case in point.

Camille is my favorite Wellie Wisher, hands down.  All six of 'em are cute, but Camille's my favorite Wellie.  Her short, straight, low-maintenance hairstyle trumped the color...oh, and she was wearing green and blue.  My favorite colors.

Y'know, I think ALL the dolls I shared in this particular post were blonde and blue-eyed!  LOL, thank goodness Dawn's friends weren't stuck in that rut.  I'll have that post put together sometime next week.

Much love,
RagingMoon1987