Roxanne Rocks in Ryan's Mind - Ankle Foot Discovery!

"Yay, Roxanne!" he shouted. "That gal rules!"

That was my Ryan Whitaker's response after a hot tub immersion and the discovery that, yes, Roxanne - readers all over - Ryan Whitaker does have ankles and feet in his boots. See the discovery unfold in photos below:

Note: to the prurient, Ryan is not naked. He wears flesh colored underpants. Ta!

Ryan in a hot tub

Side bolts that attached his pants to his legs.

See the tip of Ryan's peg foot.

Emerging foot from the boot.

Ta da! He has a foot free!

Although his body has different shades of complexion, I am glad that I did not have to find a set of ankle-feet for him. He is much happier now. I just have to find that other boot-foot to give him back his left foot. Yay, Roxanne, for sharing your discovery and pushing for the unveiling of Ryan's feet.

Tanned Merida and Disney Confession

I saw this - new to me - Merida the other day. No, I don't memorize all of the Disney Princess dolls. I haven't yet seen the movie Brave yet, but I recognized - just - Merida. She is one of the recent Disney Princesses. She has the shorter Disney body, a Twilight Barbie pale complexion, and lots of bright red curly hair. Her original coloring reminds me of a younger Amy Pond from Dr. Who. Spunky, blunt, and straightforward. But this Merida has a light suntan. Uh oh. Oh my. Merida, what happened?

Now I won't go as far as one article that complains that Merida looks just like the other Disney Princesses: she does not. In spite of the wavy rather than curly hair, I could differentiate her from the others. Her head shape remains round. But that light golden tan does smack of Barbie-fication. And the way she is drawn in the box illustration, she does look "tarted up." Like Merida's slutty aunt sauntered across the movie set. Of course, I have not seen the movie yet. Maybe Merida grows up to love make up and form-fitting velvet gowns.

Speaking of seeing Disney movies, I have a confession to make. I had thought  Disney movies were too saccharine for me. Thought? No, I damned them as being too mushy. Well, I recant. What? Yes, I, Dana Cooper, being in a relatively sane mind, do confess that I have recently enjoyed a Disney movie. I watched it THREE times in one week.

Which Disney movie? The Princess and the Frog. Guess what? Yes, you have it - I LOVED the movie.The soundtrack didn't completely win me over, but I loved the story of hard-working, dream-focused Tiana. I liked her loud but lovable friend Charlotte, party playboy Naveen, the evil Dr. Facilier, Mama Odie, and even ... gulp ... Ray. I've taken your advice and now I'll follow this movie up with Brave and The Little Mermaid - the former, because I like spunky heroines and the latter because I want to see how the Ariel character appears.

So if you have been longing for a suntanned Merida, she's ahem available. 

Techie Query: GIMP2 Book References, Anyone?

My latest Tech Photo Challenge: Using GIMP2

Have I mentioned that I use Pinterest? Ha, ha. Of course. Countless times, you will remind me - you with an exasperated eye roll. Sigh. Well, someone might have missed the Pinterest mentions I have sprinkled throughout recent posts.

Sometimes, I have not been able to pin an image to Pinterest. Oh no, you think. Oh, yes, I reply. Or maybe the image is not what I would like it to be. Like when my Amazon review pin shows the Amazon shopping cart. Audio: sound of teeth grinding. Sigh again. The default pin mechanism does not produce the desired result.

What's a blogger to do?

Research and find a way around the problem.

So I've copied and pasted a PrintScreen image into a Microsoft Paint file. Saved that image on my computer then cropped that image using Microsoft Office Picture Manager to remove the website title, tabs, other non-relevant details. Then I save that edited image. Close the Picture Manager program. Open GIMP2 program and export the image as a jpeg - change the extension to ".jpg" and choose JPEG as the file type. Then I save that image. Close that image to my computer and close GIMP2 program. Open Pinterest and upload that last version of the image onto the board of my choice. Add the original website to the Pinterest pin description.  Several steps but mission accomplished. Yay me!

So what is my problem? Sometimes, I cannot save the extension to a jpeg file. So I would like to see an official - or unofficial - manual on GIMP2. Not the "help" file that came with the program. Something created or ahem processed for end-users without computer programming backgrounds. Any suggestions on a book preferably so that I can read it while I am in transit, etc.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Spooky September Sextet: Kid Connections' Scary Dolls

I wanted to check another Walmart to see if that one had the Fashion Madness guys T.J. and Dwayne. Alas, they did not. However, I did find an interesting sextet of  inexpensive fashion dolls by Kid Connection: Scary Dolls.

The back of their box offers this information:

Set of 6 Gorgeous Dolls Fully Outfitted in Trendy Fashions

Each 11.5 Inch Doll Wears a Fab Outfit With Matching Accessories

Perfect for Imaginative Play and Hairstyling for Endless Fashion Fun


Yes, these are another set of wannabe Monster High dolls. Like last year's Midnight Magic dolls by Lovely Patsy and this year's Scary Fashion doll by Just Kidz. More monster fun for the upcoming Halloween scene.

One doll has brown skin with white lips - I get it, snap! Her scary power is ashy lips. Ha, ha, ha. Another doll has orange skin (flame doll?), another has blue skin (water or ice?), another has dark pink skin (a la Draculaura?), another has bright green skin, and the last has "regular" pinkish skin.

The articulation, however, is limited on these dolls. Head, shoulders, probably hips, definitely knees. No elbow articulation. Still for $19.97 a sextet, that's not bad. The black-white plaid dress looks cute - also the purple-black flouncy dress worn by the orange-skinned doll. Blah accessories, yes. But in spite of the dolls all having the same blank pretty face, Kid Connection did provide variation in the complexions and the hair styles.

So these are on my Maybe list. What do you think about them?

Denise and Kenya Now in Philly!

I checked in a Philly Walmart, and who did I see? Why, the 2013 Kenya and her best female friend Denise. Yes. Good to see them here. Well ....

The Good News

Kenya still comes in 3 complexions - light, medium and dark brown.

Denise might come in more than one complexion, too. I thought that was a nice touch. Denise has a different face mold. Her grin is more toothy than Kenya's; her face looks flatter with a lower hairline.


The Neutral News

The price difference - $10.00 for the smaller boxed dolls and $15.00 for the wider boxed dolls - seems to be based on the outfit. The skimpier fashions are lower priced; the more substantial fashions are higher price. By skimpier fashions I mean rompers and simple dresses; by more substantial fashions, I mean the pullover top and jeans shown on Rock Star Kenya shown below.

The Bad News


I did not see either of the guys or Keyshia in this Walmart store.


I am a little disappointed in the Denise doll. Both dolls' heads look super big. Some of the dolls are wonky-eyed and wild-haired.


Have the new ladies reached your area? What do you think of them?

A Site for Adult Eyes ... Kitbasher's Kitbasher Jimbob

I came across a 2001 Jimbob Wan's review of Get Real Girl Nakia, and I realized: some of the more recent doll enthusiasts among us many not have seen this site. So here is a link to a veteran kitbasher. Please note: he does warn that the site is NOT intended for children or sensitive adults. (And no, the "or" there is not meant to equate sensitive adults to children.) 

Can I be more specific about what I mean by sensitive? Yes, I mean viewers who find bare, realistic doll breasts offensive or comments about human anatomy unsavory. Now I do not hunt down websites showing naked, made-realistic dolls and/or action figures. But if I see a nude doll that has been ... altered to have more human details, I take no offense to it. So you have been warned. May you enjoy the site and get fun ideas.

Where to start? Oh try this review of Obitsu fashion dolls or these instruction tips or this mini essay about collecting philosophy. Lots of reading ... hope some of you have the three day Labor Day weekend.

New Monster High Bed for a Dead Tired Spectra

"If she doesn't rest in peace, Spectra Vondergeist doll (sold separately) can really become a beast!" Quote from ShopMattel online.

Odd. I wouldn't think that having a television attached to your bed was conducive to a good night's rest, but I am not a teenage ghoul. From the recent Dead Tired Monster High dolls - which includes a second Dead Tired Lagoon and a new Dead Tired Robecca, only Dead Tired Spectra Vondergeist gets a bed. And not just any bed, but a "Floating Bed" which does not float. I suppose the floating is in reference to Spectra's ghostly nature? Anyway, the bed has wrought iron styling that I think could be borrowed for non-ghoul dolls. (I'd see about removing the chains though. And maybe some repainting ... )

I saw this bed at a Philadelphia Walmart. My photo shows that the item is available in a store and what it looks like packaged. You cannot see much promise from the box view, but online you can see the bed de-boxed and in greater detail at the MattelShop website or in this Google search for Monster High beds. This bed has potential so I am adding it to my Wish List. Someday ....

Curious about the other Dead Tired Monster High fashion dolls? Visit this Wiki about them. It is a cute slumber party theme line.