Rainbow High Dream and Design Fashion Studio Playset

Since MC mentioned playsets, I decided to review the Rainbow High playset that I got for Christmas, which included a Skyler Bradshaw doll. This set is not exactly 1:6 scale, but then the Rainbow High dolls aren't either. I still think it's a nice addition to my doll displays.

This set obliviously includes items for sewing play, but first Skyler has to create a design. For this, she has some paints, brushes and a palette, what I think is a pencil, and what I think are oil pastels. She also has a large portfolio, with pictures that will appear when treated with water. She can use these on her worktable, which can be flat or tilted. Her work stool is not that sturdy. I didn't think of it until now, but I wonder how it would work for Barbie. She also has a potted orchid to give her a touch of nature.

When she's got a design she likes, it's time to start draping fabric and sewing her creation. She has a sewing machine, cutting mat, two pairs of scissors, an iron that sits kind of oddly, a rainbow shaped pincushion, a measuring tape, and a cup of coffee to keep her going. There's also some fabric included in rainbow colors. The tailor's dummy is a little odd. It's made for pretend draping, which makes sense since it's for kids, so there are no real pins, just these oversized pins that go into holes in the dummy. I think the ruler-like piece that has a circle on the top, sitting to Skyler's left in the second picture, is supposed to help insert the fabric into the slits in the dummy, especially some narrow ones in the back. I do like the fact that two pair of scissors were included. Anyone who sews will find out quickly that fabric should be cut with different scissors than pattern pieces or thread.

Since Rainbow High has a storyline for the dolls that takes place at an exclusive high school for fashion design and related studies, it makes sense that this playset is about designing clothes. It actually comes from a short series of episodes where Skyler wins a Project Runway type competition that included students from Rainbow and Shadow High. The stool can be used in many displays, and the work table could go from sewing to a computer table, a crafting table, or even a table for your doll to take pictures of her doll displays. :) The main item that I'm not sure I like from this playset is Skyler herself. To me, her head doesn't work with her body. Of course all Rainbow High dolls have oversized heads, but this one looks off to me as the other dolls I have don't. On the other hand, I hate to get rid of her, since blue is my favorite color. I'm going to try re-dressing her, and maybe a lip repaint. I'm going to include her in my collection count, since if I sell this one, I will probably buy a Skyler from another line that I like the look of more. What theme would you like to see for a playset?

Total dolls: 88

I'm Not In Kansas

But we still had a tornado! We had two tornadoes, to be precise, on Tuesday, August 6th, but only one started in the town that we live in. Fortunately, it must have started a bit to our east, and it was only an EF1. Still, winds got up to 110 mph, or 68 kmph. Another EF1 touched down to our southeast. As far as I have seen, it is nowhere near the devastation you can see in news reports of huge tornadoes. There are lots of large branches down, and damage to houses and cars, but nothing like a really bad tornado where homes just disapppear. The big thing is that over 300,000 people in the Greater Cleveland area do not have power, including us. Fortunately, Mr. BTEG bought a generator the last time we had a long-term power outage. It can't power our whole house, but it's keeping our fridge and freezer going, and both my computer and Mr. BTEG's are also running off of the generator. For internet, I'm using my cell phone as a wi-fi hotspot, since the cell towers are working. As of today, Thursday, August 8th, we are over 48 hours without power. Trucks from other power companies a bit further out are pouring in to assist, as is common when a big weather event hits and knocks out the electricity. 

We did receive a tornado warning on Tuesday, meaning a tornado had been spotted on the ground, so take cover immediately. I went into the downstairs bathroom in the middle of our condo, which has no windows. Mr. BTEG was at a doctor's office, and they hustled him out of the lobby with glass windows, and into an exam room. Neither of us saw or heard any major winds, so it wasn't until looking at the news that I read about the tornadoes. I'm thankful that I have not seen any fatalities reported, and that the tornadoes we did get were not more powerful. I'm praying we get electricity back sooner rather than later!

Update August 9th, 5:23 PM

More information is coming out in the news. I found out exactly where the tornado here started, and it did start to the east of us, but only a few miles away. One house got its side completely taken off, around where the tornado began. I'm thankful that I still haven't seen anything about fatalities. I also found out that there were two more EF1 tornadoes, significantly to the south and to the east of where we were, making four in total.

We still don't have power, but we are definitely not alone. Power company trucks are everywhere, and it seems they're coming from places as far away as Alabama. There are also lots of trucks out dealing with all of the large fallen branches. Neighbors and businesses are pulling together, offering phone charging, snacks and coffee, and time in A/C if needed. Tornadoes are not so common here, but bad storms certainly are, so most of us know the drill.

Final Update August 10th, 4:25 PM

Power came on at 3:16 PM! We went approximately four days without electricity. Linemen showed up from seventeen other states to help get us back up, and I recognize all of the hard work it took to restore power.