Shadow High Natasha Zima -- It's Been a While!

I'm going to put the whole story about everything that's been going on with me at the bottom of this post. Short story: photography frustration, illness, broken furnace, mild depression. Yay!

Two years ago I introduced you to my Shadow High Shanelle Onyx. Her hair, skin color, and clothes are mostly black, with a bit of white. Natasha Zima is her opposite. She is mostly white, with some silver/gray tones.

The dress she came in is an interesting choice for a play doll dress. Those "feathers" look like they are going to fall off at any minute. My daughter's first words upon seeing this doll were "Don't let that near my cat!" Daughter has since moved out, with her cat, so I worry a lot less about little fiddly pieces getting everywhere. Poor Natasha's bow and the front gem on it are crooked, but could be fixed.

This is actually my second Natasha. I got my first one in 2023, and I've owned this one less than a year. I've always planned on getting a second one of this doll, because of her awesome restyle potential. She could be a ghost, a Snow Queen, the White Queen, lots of different looks. I've already seen one woman swap Natasha's blue eyes out for something more pale, to turn her into a ghost. One tip: apparently these dolls' eyes can be swapped out in the front by manipulating the eye socket, but I don't know the technique. I'm sure there are lots of videos out there detailing it. The restyler I watched cut Natasha's scalp open at the back in order to get to her eyes, which is not an uncommon thing to do. That being said, restyle at your own risk, whatever you choose to do!

Besides her dress, Natasha comes wearing a faux bead bracelet, slip on heels in white and silver, and earrings. The earrings feature a letter, one S and one H, for Shadow High. I must admit I got a little tired of having everything be RH or SH or Rainbow or Sparkle.

Here is my first Natasha doll, wearing Natasha's second outfit. I thought it would be really awesome to photography Natasha with a solid black background, and I do like the effect, but many of the pictures came out blurry. It's been a real struggle for me lately.

In addition to the beaded top and skirt, the second outfit also includes a faux fur coat and boots with glitter that unfortunately sheds. I do appreciate the boots having a stiff toe cap, so the doll's foot can fit firmly. That seems to be a common theme with Rainbow High boots. The coat has some pretty trim.

I like Natasha for herself, and for her restyling potential. She's from the first Shadow High line, back when the dolls were still fairly high quality. The first line with all of the monotone looks is my favorite of the Shadow High lines. It was a very unique direction, that MGA managed to pull off. I never thought I'd like a doll like Nicole Steel, for example, who is all shades of gray including gray skin, but I really do. However, I haven't bought many of the newer Rainbow High dolls, and I don't plan on buying any more than I have now, unless MGA ups their game again, and they probably won't. Toy companies seem to prefer to let doll lines slowly die off, and introduce a new concept. Still, I'm happy with the Rainbow High collection that I have now, and that's what matters.

Total dolls: 91

Soooooo, back in October, I was trying to take pictures for some more posts. I kept having problems with a lot of my pictures coming out blurry. I think the main problem is my hands. I've always had hand tremors, but it's gotten worse in the last several months. I misplaced one of my camera stands, and the one I tried using wasn't the best for the job. I ended up getting really discouraged and the thought of trying doll photography again felt like a dreaded chore. We got through the Thanksgiving holiday, and then I got interested in preparing for Christmas. My family had a lovely Christmas Day together, but the next day I came down with something. It was kind of like a cold, but without a lot of nasal issues. It was mostly body aches and fatigue. Mr. BTEG also came down with the same symptoms in January. I had that crud for three weeks, and during that time, our furnace broke down. It took four days to get it running again, and for pretty much the entire month of January here in Northeast Ohio, the temperature was well below freezing every day. We made do with electric heaters, but being sick in an under heated house is something I never want to do again. After I got better, I went through about a week and a half without any interest in the things I usually enjoy doing. I suppose it was just a bit of post-sickness depression, but I felt a little like I'd never get better. I'm finally getting back to normal life. I still have to improve my stamina. Mostly lying around for a month does not help one's physical fitness. I've also gotten past the feeling of overwhelm with all the housework that just wasn't done for about a month. I'm hoping this post will help me get back into a regular posting routine. I also used my phone to take these pictures, instead of my digital camera. I still had some issues with blurriness, but not nearly as much. I also think I know where my other camera stand is. I'm so glad and relieved to be back.

Nothing Like a New Outfit

Mr. BTEG and I had to go to Wal-Mart a couple of months ago to pick up something he needed. I of course hung out in the doll aisle while he was shopping, and I found two outfits and an accessories pack that I had to bring home.

Rainbow High fans have been begging MGA for years for separate outfits (for that matter, most doll collectors want these.) What we got, however, was not the same fashionable, detailed looks that Rainbow High was known for, but simple sets that looked one step up from dollar store quality. To my mind, the pajamas set is the pick of the bunch. Meet my model, Priscilla.

 

Are these slippers cute, or nightmare fuel?

 

I got Priscilla for Christmas, but I've been terrible about blogging about my new dolls. I'll talk about what she came dressed in on another post. For now, she's warm and cozy and ready to hit the sack. The set also came with four barrettes, and a hair straightener and curling brush.

The pajamas are adorable, and we don't often see nightwear made for our dolls, so they're nice to have, anyway.

Next is an accessory set for Barbie, that mostly centers around sweets. Barbie chose this sleeveless plaid dress to model. What's up with the shoes, though? They look like you'd wear them with another type of outfit. I was worried Barbie might be as messy with ice cream cones as I am, but she's Barbie. She doesn't get messy. And her hair bow coordinates nicely with her outfit.

Next is a blue Popsicle, with heart-shaped glasses and an ice-cream shaped purse. That's a lot of sweets there, Barbie.

I don't gain weight, either.

The watch looks nice in this picture, but as gravity will have it, the heaviest part of this watch (the face) will slide around to the underside of Barbie's wrist unless she's posed just right.

Lastly is this all-purple beverage, a pink tote with a faux fluffball key chain and a faux cupcake key chain, and a strawberry-shaped wristlet.

 

It's a cute accessories pack, and everything in it is useful except for the watch. I guess the ice cream purse is a bit weird too. It doesn't look like something that you could carry anything in.

A new doll line has been produced, by a company named Far Out Toys. As you might be able to read on the box, the doll line is named LUV, which stands for Limitless Unique Vibrant. I'm guessing that the VP Sharon Zuckerman is probably the same one who used to design for Mattel, so that's interesting. However, the name of the line reminds me way too much of the late lamented LIV doll line. If someone produces a group of dolls named LAF, I'm going to riot.

There are four core dolls, and each also has a separate outfit made for her. At least they have the separate outfits thing going for them. Problem is, despite wanting to go with a fashion forward concept, and having a fashion show where human models showcased all of the outfits in human sizes, some of the concepts are a bit dated and don't always make a cohesive look, in my opinion. My favorite outfit is the one that I bought that was made for the doll named Autumn. I was hoping that my Pullip could pull this outfit off, but instead, the only doll body type I own that can fit into this is Ever After High. Ashlynn Ella is a great model, since she has the same basic coloring as Autumn.

This outfit has a boho feel, which makes sense, since Autumn is "the boho one." It also gives me images of strolling through Rome; perhaps some of that is because of the bag that this outfit came with, and the rose neck accessory. The shoes that were included do not fit Ashlynn, so I tried a couple of EAH shoes with her look.

Bon giorno. Il mio nome è Ashlynn. Mi piacciono le tue scarpe.

I'm impressed by the tulip sleeve in such a tiny blouse, but the (faux) pockets on the boho skirt feel a bit odd.

Her bag looks like a smaller version of a market bag. It's cute, even though her arm has to be posed rather high to keep it from falling off.

The shoes that came with this outfit do fit Barbie, even though they are a bit big for her.  I don't know how I would like them with the other pieces in this look. What do you think?

Do you have a favorite from my three new sets? I'm happy with all of them, even if I don't find every piece useful. Isn't that always the way? I'd like to get some sewing for dolls done this year and create my own things. The hottest days of around 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32C) this summer have really been tiring me out. Thank goodness for air conditioning, and that the temps haven't been even higher.

Rainbow High Emi Vanda

This doll was my Mother's Day gift from the Dancer. I don't have many pictures of her. The lighting was weird, and honestly I'm not quite feeling this doll. She needs a lip repaint (I hate lips lined in a different color from the lip color.) She also has some body stains from her black top, and a pink stain on her leg, which is a little more of a mystery. I like her eyes, and I like her hair, so maybe with new lips and re-dressed, she will really grow on me.

She stands quite well in those boots on a regular surface. On the cardboard this room box is made out of, it was a bit more of a chore. There are still some of those little stupid plastic ties on her top, but I didn't bother to cut them off, since I took this top off of her immediately after the pictures.

And her skirt hangs kind of funny because... there's a mistake where the yoke is stitched to the pleated skirt. In this picture, she's wearing a crop top that came with her second outfit.

Here she is wearing the crop top and skirt of her second outfit. She's barefoot, because her second pair of shoes is awkward to put on, so I just skipped it. The shoes came with socks, which is just weird, but there are several cases in Rainbow High dolls where high heels come with socks. Maybe it's the latest style for teens? I also notice many of the RH jackets have a slit or cut out area on the arms. I really like her second skirt. Maybe because it has a sort of 80s vibe?

Her other shoe has an R as the heel, of course.

She came with a short sleeved hoodie to wear over the crop top, and two hangers, which was a feature with newer dolls. I tried to put the hoodie on over her top, but, remember when you were a little girl and your mom was putting your coat on over a long sleeved top, and you held your sleeves down with your fingers so the sleeves didn't ride up? Yeah, only Emi can't hold her sleeves for me. And I knew she wasn't going to wear the outfit for long, since she needs to have her stains treated. I also have a poor Kurhn head on a Liv body that needs to have her time on this blog, who still has a stain that needs more treatment. Time to get out the Clearasil and get serious.

 

Total dolls: 86

I should add that Emi was one of the dolls on my wish list, so I did want her. I still like her; she just needs a little more work than the other Rainbow High dolls I have.

And Then There Were Two

Yes, I picked up another Rainbow High doll. Well, technically this doll is part of the Shadow High line. Shadow High is Rainbow High's rival school, and the first dolls in this series varied in skin tones and clothing from mostly all white to mostly all black, with shades of gray in between. Shanelle Onyx is the doll who is mostly all black, except for a white streak in her hair, and she's the doll we're looking at today.

This is the way she came, fresh out of the box. I like her outfit for the most part. Her lace socks and strappy heels with black fur looked cool in the YouTube show, but they look a little odd in real life.

Fortunately, she comes with a change of clothes and shoes. I like her second outfit too. There is no slit or clasp on either of her pairs of shoes, so they have to be worked on and off. I don't like that her clothes mostly fit *very* tightly, meaning you have to really pull the sides together so the Velcro can meet. With the black belt that comes with Shanelle's dress, I feel like I'm not getting it closed all the way; I can't get all the Velcro covered by the other end of the belt. At least her hands can come off, similar to the way Monster High/Ever After High dolls' hands could. It makes it a lot easier to put on things like the jacket with ruffled sleeves in the second picture below.

I like her makeup. Her hair is silky soft, with only a little crunch on the end of some of her hair at the bottom of her ponytail.

Her body has some marks and scratches, but those don't bother me for some reason. Also, these dolls have an "unrealistic" knee hinge, which again, doesn't bother me, but I thought I'd show those of you who don't have one of these dolls. 

These dolls have their own names, with personalities and story lines you get to see in the show on YouTube, but the dolls seem mainly designed to display the clothes. As with Mila's dress, for example, Shanelle can't sit down in the black and silver houndstooth skirt. Of course, lots of kids just hold their dolls in the air and make them "talk." This also reminds me that the dolls do come with color-coordinated stands, and a comb. I talked with Dana about whether these clothes would fit curvy Barbies, and the answer is: no. I have a picture of a curvy Barbie/Shadow High doll under the fold.

My Collection Part Seven: Daphne Dimples by Tonner

As with the Sydney Chase sculpt, the Daphne sculpt turned out to be a very popular one. Daphne was introduced in the Effanbee Brenda Starr line. Brenda Starr was the name of a long-running comic book series that started in the 1940s. Brenda Starr was a newspaper reporter, and Daphne was a rival reporter. The Daphne sculpt was popular enough that a modern Daphne doll was introduced as Daphne's granddaughter. I'm pretty sure that was in the Tonner line.

My black-haired Cannes Opening Daphne wears a Franklin Mint dress, made for the Jacqueline Kennedy doll. The blond doll is Vintage Basic Daphne.

Red-haired Arrival at Port Daphne is wearing a swimsuit from another Basic Tonner doll. The brunette is Ultra Basic Daphne. She came in a basic white swimsuit, which I can't for the life of me find. She's wearing a Tonner top, sold as a separate, and the black skirt from the Signature Style Tyler doll. I got the Adirondack chairs a few months ago at a local store. Miniature Adirondack chairs are currently very stylish for home decor. Even human size chairs are used outside as decoration, and not to sit on (although of course you still can.) Anyway, those chairs are fairly easy to find in different colors and sizes.

Arrival at Cannes

Vintage Basic

Arrival at Port

Ultra Basic

Ultra Basic's face has yellowed, which is disappointing, but I love all four of these dolls. I reviewed Vintage Basic way back in 2014 here.

Total dolls: 32

My Collection Part Five: Tyler Wentworth by Tonner

Since I have many 16" Tonner dolls, with several different face sculpts, I'm going to only share my Tyler Wentworth dolls in this post.

I've never given any of my Tonner dolls names beyond what they'd been given. I enjoy looking at them, and dressing them, but they're not "alive" for me in the way that my Barbies are. They don't seem to have personalities to me. Therefore, I'm calling these Blond, Brunette, Redhead, and Vintage.

Blond was the Tyler sculpt in a wave of four Basic dolls. She's wearing the swimsuit and headband that she came in. That series included interchangeable feet, either flat or high heel. The feet are on pegs that pop in and out of the doll's leg. The flat foot also has some slight bending movement at the ankle.

Brunette was a special Signature Tyler, which I bought nude. Tyler Wentworth was a fashion designer, and her signature office look was a white button down shirt, a black skirt, black nylons, and black pumps. Brunette's signature look was glammed up; the shirt was satin with buttons looking like diamonds, the black skirt was covered with sequins and had a belt with a square buckle with clear stones, and the black heels were T-straps. The doll also came with "diamond" earrings. I presume the earrings came loose in a bag with Brunette, and the seller kept them with the outfit. I vaguely remember having to pierce a doll's ears to put earrings in, although dolls meant to have them used to have a faint hole in the earlobe already started.

 

Brunette is wearing an outfit which came as separates, although maybe the shoes and purse were a set? I took pictures of Brunette without the scarf, and of the shoes and clutch.

I think Redhead was in a wave of different sculpts, all in striped swimsuits, called Superstripes. I sold off the swimsuit, as I didn't care for it. Superstripes is wearing a green teddy from another Tonner doll, which was an exclusive to a specific doll store. The lace on the sides of the teddy is showing its age, and the straps never would stay up nicely on a doll's shoulders.

Vintage was a doll named Hope (the production's name,) who was an edition of 500 sold exclusively at an event at the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Dolls, to benefit a cause called Teen Hope. She came in a 1910s style dress, and she did having earrings in. Again, I bought her nude, and the seller must have kept the earrings. It doesn't bother me, as earrings for dolls this size are easy to buy or make. She's wearing an outfit that I drafted and sewed myself, although it was for a Gene doll.

To coordinate with her original outfit, Vintage has her hair in an up-do. There are several loose hairs; I think trimming them off would be the best way to deal with them.

Total dolls: 24

Xanadu has asked me some questions about the Tonner 16" line of Tyler and assorted, so there is more information below the fold.