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.

Rainbow High Accessories and Skyler in New Clothes

I mentioned in my last post that I completely forgot to share the accessories that Priscilla came with, in lieu of a second outfit. Since several of those accessories match the ones that came with a rolling makeup case that I bought separately, I decided to put all of that in this post, as well as Skyler in a new outfit made up of separates from other purchases.

Here are Priscilla's accessories. It's ironic that that Rainbow High collectors would have liked hangers, but not in place of a second outfit. It makes sense from a financial standpoint, I imagine. In addition to the two hangers, there is a cellphone with case, a laptop computer open to a designing program, three makeup brushes, an eyeshadow palette, and a tube of lipstick. MGA did a good job making the laptop screen look like an actual illustration program, but it's too bad that the cellphone has the same image cut down.

 

To me, it's odd that the little clip on the case, so that the doll can hold it, means that the doll holds it in her left hand. Right-handed folks out there, what hand do you generally hold your cellphone in when you're checking things out on there? I'm left-handed, but somewhat ambidextrous, as left-handed peeps are often required to be.

Here's Skyler standing next to the makeup cart to demonstrate its proportions next to a doll. Her shirt and shoes came with RH doll Cecilia. Her jeans came from a clothes rack full of clothes that came with an Avery Styles doll. The makeup case came in a Rainbow High gift set. There were three dolls that each came in a different color, dressed for a stage performance, and the makeup cart and makeup, each matching the dolls' dress colors, were included. Thanks to eBay, at least in the US, it is fairly simple to pick up part of a doll set, if you don't want the whole thing.

This makeup case is very nicely made. The handle of the case pulls up so you can roll it like a suitcase. The two doors open to reveal a storage area and a drawer that pulls out. The top of the case flips open (once the handle is down) to two compartments, that can also be hung on the outside of the case.

The case came with a hair dryer, three makeup brushes, an eyeshadow palette, and a tube of lipstick. As you can see, the makeup is exactly the same as Priscilla's, just a different colorway.

 

The eyshadow cases, the lipstick tubes, and the front of the makeup case, all have the same 3D image. To me, it looks like a Greek goddess cameo, sort of a Victorian Greek goddess.

What accessories would you like to see with a doll? I can think of so many things, depending on era and type of doll. I think I would like detailed jewelry the best, because I'm not very good at making small doll jewelry.

Rainbow High Priscilla Perez

There isn't a lot to say about Priscilla, because she didn't come with a lot, compared to other Rainbow High dolls. She's still a beautiful doll. I especially love her eyes, and the way her hair glows almost neon in some lights. Her dress is pretty typical of what teens wear to special events these days, but the boa and the gauntlets are an interesting choice to pair with them. I think some jewelry would have been nice, but the fabric accessories probably appear to be better value for the cost, so that's one possible reason for the choice. Anyway, you've seen Priscilla in pajamas, now you can see her all dolled up in her original outfit.

I love her, and I'm interested to see how she looks in other outfits. We're moving out of the heat of summer and into prime sewing and knitting times for me. As usual, I probably have more plans than I can carry out, but I'll do my best.

I forgot that I didn't add a picture of her in box, and realized that I'd forgotten all of the little accessories that she came with, which I guess is an indicator of how much I was impressed by them. Still, I'll get a photo or two of them up before I post any more dolls. 

Total dolls: 89

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.

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.

Real Littles Hello Kitty Backpacks

I love the brands like Real Littles and Zuru 5 Surprise that are producing mini items. When I saw these two Hello Kitty backpacks at Aldi, I had to buy them. They won't work with Barbie, but I decided that they were just about right for Ann Estelle and her friends. Ann and Dotty are today's models. One of the backpacks features just Hello Kitty, and the other has her and several of her Sanrio friends. 

Here's what came inside each of the backpacks: a notebook with blank pages, a pencil case, a pencil, a ruler, two sheets of stickers, a carabiner (not made for climbing) and an eraser in Hello Kitty's iconic head shape with bow.

Everything in these sets is just so nice and well thought-out. All the zippers and sliders open. The pink backpack doesn't have the zippered pouch in front, but the top part of Hello Kitty's head in the front is open, to allow for more carrying space.

Here Ann thinks about what she wants to write in her new notebook.

And here she is walking off to school with her new backpack. She's so adorable in these pictures, if I do say so myself. :)

And now I think they need at least two school desks! It's not a normal time here to be posting school items, since schools here are almost out for the summer. I just bought these, though, so of course I wanted to share. What minis are your favorites of all the new stuff being made? I think I like all the mini Fisher-Price toys. They're on my wishlist.