Happy February ! I think we're about done with that hat.

Current Mood : Relieved

And we're about to the end of what that poor kids' hat can produce. I may be able to cobble together a scarf or a hat (lol !) but I'm kinda done with it. You'll get to see the sad scraps that remain in a day or three. This is Clarice, a customized Ghoulia formerly known as G2, and another doll I'm on the fence about keeping. I've been up there so long, I should have splinters by now. But every time I look at her and play with her, I fall in love all over again...Darn you, Mattel.

Well. Seems like I promised a 'Bee Girl' review not long ago - so let's have at it. It arrived yesterday, after Amazon.com inexplicably sat on it for four days before shipping it, even though it never once went out of stock. Maybe the Monster High stuff is too far from the breakroom. Ah, well, I got it, and I'm more-or-less happy with it, and do not regret spending $11. for it. Even though I don't get a complete monster with this refill set, it's still worth the bucks.

Yesterday's photo shows why I forked over, knowing in advance I wouldn't end up with a new doll, and I probably couldn't use the arms, legs, or hands on the established characters either ( more later). Check out Clawdeen's shoes. Oh, yeah. Basic black FM pumps - I have wanted a pair for my ghouls since this line started. Oh, there's been some great shoes in the MH world, and I could easily write a paragraph on each, even the ones I don't really like. With each new release, every new photo, though, I've looked for a simple pair of basic black FM pumps. Didn't even care about the thickness of the heel, or even what color they were, since I could easily fix that. I just wanted that little something that's in every girl's closet as soon as she learns to master walking in the things. I have five pair of shoes, and one is basic black FM pumps.

But they simply weren't out there yet. Until Bee Girl, we had bolts for heels, shoes with no real heels, odd straps in weird places, shoes with vertebrae and fangs, knee-high boots and high-heel Converse sneakers, bubble shoes, wedgies with plastic ribbon laces, character-specific sandals, you name it. So it wasn't long before I yearned for the basic, and now I have it. They're a bit big - probably to allow for hosiery, and a squishy sort of vinyl, not rigid like Clawdeen's gold ones from Dawn of the Dance (close, but I wasn't much on the 'zipper' detail). Unlike a lot of MH  shoes, I can't really tell the right from the left, and they seem to fit the same either way. But I am happy. Far as I'm concerned, that was worth the $11. right there.

But wait ! That's not all ! The set includes that gorgeous (if made of cheap materials) dress Gloom Beach Clawdeen wore a few days ago, and it's worth having. And those glasses - totally to die for ! I love 'em. I've put them on nearly every doll I have, and they're hilarious. Especially on the guys, with their serious expressions. On Ghoulia, though, they really look great, since they pair off with her grey tone very well.

I can even use the wings without a "Create A Monster" body. It takes a bit of doing and a clear elastic or rubber band, but if the outfit has a back opening, it can work. I hope I can explain this right. If you look at the wings from the top edge, they have a sort of 'L' shape, with the long part of the L being the wing. Short part is where it presumably clicks into the specialty CAM body. What I did was undress my doll, and run a snug clear elastic around her lower back. I then tucked the wing with the short part of the L against her side, and secured it under the elastic. Did the same thing on the other side. The wings aren't perfectly parallel with each other, but it's off so slightly, even I could barely tell. Hmm. I may need to post a photo of this tomorrow, let ya'll see it, because I never can explain well enough without images.

All else fails, you could cut a pair of slits into a doll outfit and slide the wings in that way, so you could have them higher on her shoulders than my version does. Heck, pierce the wings with a hot needle, and you could sew 'em onto whatever you wanted. You're not limited by Mattel, not a one of us !

Unfortunately, that's about all I could do. None of the pieces - legs, forearms, hands - could fit in a standard MH doll body. You can kinda tell by looking that the new pegs are much bigger, but I tried. No soap. Kinda sad, because the hands are quite soft, like those Disney Princess Ballerinas Jakks Pacific put out a couple years ago. Woulda been nice to have spare hands. (sigh) Also, I actually, actively tried to remove my broken DLaura's lower leg, to see if Bee Girl's would work. I couldn't do it. DLaura's leg is installed in her knee very, very well.

But I plan on using the legs for shoe attempts - yeah, I'm the idiot who hasn't given that one up yet ! - so it's not a total loss. The head I really hate not being able to use. It's so pretty ! The wig is rather cheap, and depends on the hair covering the very visible clear 'skull cap' it's rooted to, but it fits the CAM head. I have no idea if it fits a regular MH head, as none of mine are bald enough to try. Heard a lotta complaints that the LIV dolls and wigs are much better, and also fit. I rather like Bee girl's face and hair, and hope to figure something out for her, even if it means spray-painting a second-hand find.

So, on the whole, I'm quite happy with my $11. purchase, if not with Amazon.com. I got the shoes I've been wanting a long time, a cool outfit, awesome glasses and wings, and some other pieces to play with. Long as you're not expecting a complete monster experience, or hope to swap with your older dolls, I think you'd like it too.