So much I don't wanna think about...until I have to, at least.

Current Mood : More tired than I should be. 

Current Image Notes : An out-of-box view of the German MH knockoffs, Wild Girlz. If Mattel actually released a doll with devil horns in the US, their corporate building wouldn't survive the night ! 

Got a call first thing this morning, from my VA cardiologist - they wanna do some more tests that sound painful and invasive, and I need to lose weight, because a potential heart transplant is still on my horizon. Talk about a bucket of cold water over yer head ! I thought I was doing pretty well maintaining my weight since I got out of the hospital - back to my usual settings, with the abundance of available, tasty junk to eat, it's surprising I've not gained any. But here we are. (sigh) I've had to fight feeling morose and helpless all day. So I did dishes, as planned. That'll help you feel like you've accomplished something ! 

It helped a bit that today was so glorious and warm, we went outside this morning, the three of us, so that Dearest Son could play with his Christmas gift Razor scooter, and Beloved Hubby and I could get some much-needed sunlight therapy before he had to leave for work. I reflected that I haven't felt so good in years, how can I be this ill that I need transplant surgery ?

Ah, well. There are good things, too. Yesterday, Beloved Hubby hung a hook for  my much-loved disco ball ! It's been in Starlight's trunk since the move, and with summer coming... let's just say heat isn't kind to anything with mirrors glued to it. In fact, several had already fallen off, but luckily, it was in a laundry basket, so I had the missing ones. They've been glued back on, and I now have my mirror ball back ! Next time I watch Thank God It's Friday, it'll be in style !

I also reset my Monster High shelf. Whoo. Remember all that stompin' around about not wanting more dolls right now ? I honestly, truly, honor-bright don't have space for any more ! Seriously. They're almost two deep on the shelf already. And that's with the 'gonna trade 'em' dolls moved to the higher one. Yeah, I think any new acquisitions this year will have to be carefully considered. And most gently refused. So I'm super-glad I got the new Clawd and Gil ! I don't know what I'm gonna do if Mattel actually does bust out and make Slow-Moe. Ghoulia may have to sit in his lap ! Hmmm....

Tightening up the last loose tails of 2011...

Current Mood : Relaxed

Current Image Notes : Here are the 'Wild Girlz', a set of knockoff MH ghouls from Germany. You'll get an image of one out-of-box tomorrow. Kind of a 'Monster Junior High'-Bratz mashup. 

We had a lovely New Year's Day - hope yours was fun, too ! I wasn't sure if the Deadpool .gif was gonna work, so it was great to learn that it did. I may do that every so often, when I find a fun one !

Did you make any resolutions ? Mine are pretty bad - I promised to start keeping the food diary I should have been doing since November, and to try at least one new thing a week. I've already discovered that, when I hafta write it down, I actually measure food, and eat less of it, and that I can post .gifs. We brought in the new year, all three of us, watching Cars 2  on our bed, snacking and talking. I was also doing a bit of sewing, as I planned. Here's hoping I do a lot more sewing in 2012 !

Oh, and I forgot to tell you. You may remember that TRU was running a promotion - ten percent back on any purchase between November and Christmas eve. I was kind of excited, since we made early holiday purchases for Dearest Son and me, and had ten bucks coming back. Got 'em today. (sigh) And TRU wonders, between their jacked-up prices and ploys like this, why they're having trouble keeping customers. You ready ? Yeah, I got my ten bucks...in the form of a $5. off coupon good 'til Jan 13th, and another good from the 14th to the 28th. What's even more fun is that those 'TRU Bucks' represent purchases made from November to Dec. 12th. Purchases made from the 12th to the 24th will be sent on Jan. 13th...even though the Terms and Conditions I saw didn't mention a split of days like that. So chintzy. So my ten bucks will probably go down the hole, but I should be grateful that they 'gave' me anything. At least that's what someone always says when I whine about anything.

Kinda makes me glad there's not much in the upcoming Monster High lines that I want. I'm curious about the 'guy' Create A Monster sets, but much depends on what they look like. Dearest wants DracuLaura's car, but I still think $31. is rather expensive for an only slightly hopped-up free-wheel Barbie car. Fans are finding the next wave of fashions for Frankie, Cleo, Toralei, and Spectra at Mal-Wart, but again, I'm not interested. I don't know why one of the designers seems to think flame red and turquoise are a great color pairing, they make my eyes hurt when they're close together. I'd probably get Frankie's outfit, but what isn't turquoise and red is black or white...and it makes the red and turquoise stand out more. And I think I finally have enough MH shoes to not wanna spend $8. on an outfit for footwear I'll have to spray-paint. I like Toralei's set, but it's quite a simple outfit to duplicate on my own, and I'm one of those folks who just don't see the sense in open-toed, fold-over ankle boots. Call me fashion backward.

Of the rumored dolls due out next - a basic Jackson Jekyll (with diary), Operetta, Robecca Steam, Rochelle Goyle, and Venus McFlyTrap - I'm beset with, at best,  only mild curiosity. As usual, that may change when the actual dolls hit stores and photos hit the usual channels, but until then, I'm not slavering and restless about it. I think that, by not buying Spectra, I broke the back of the 'Gotta Have 'Em All' compulsion, and it'll be easier to resist again. Plus the simple 'no money' thing will probably follow us for a couple years to come, especially with Beloved Hubby going back to school. I'm so proud of him !

In fact, he wrote this today, and it'll seem fairly familiar to you, if you'd like to read it -  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/02/1050676/-A-Cat,-A-Nurse,-and-The-VA:-how-my-wife-survived-2011?detail=hide  .  You'll also know why I'm so happy he's pursuing his education, and how proud and happy he and Dearest Son make me, every day ! 

Send in the clones !

Current Mood : Frustrated with Flickr - can't access images right now, darn it. 

I was wondering the other day - where are all the Monster High knock-offs ? Anything this popular usually has cheap-jack semi-clone versions out by now. Heck, Sailor Moon was never near this eagerly sought, and there were 'Shirley Moore' and 'Sera Muun' dolls on shelves and in flea markets almost before the no-nose BanDais were first stocked at TRU. 

I've seen some photos of baby doll versions that were hilarious, and I've heard they were even scented - horribly. But aside from a single in-store shot, I've yet to see them anywhere. Well, yesterday, I got my answer. Again, from a LiveJournal member, Kujasangela, we have photographic proof that out there now exist the Gothic Angels. She says she found them in a Roses store - a retail outlet I haven't seen since I left the East coast - but I've seen similar price stickers at other stores with some infamy about selling knock-off toys, so they'll probably show up in Family Dollar or Dollar General soon. 

Much as I'd love to steal her image, I find m'self more reluctant to do that in my old age, so I'll post the link, and describe it a bit to whet your interest. Have a peek : http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r311/Princess_Skylark/junk/image.jpg .

Moving from left to right, you got lame versions of Lagoona Blue and Cleo de Nile in the first package, then DracuLaura and Ghoulia in the second. Kujasangela says there was a third box, with similarly awesome/awful versions of Clawdeen and Frankie, but an employee was giving her ye olde hairy eyeball, so she didn't get a photo. I'm glad I haven't seen 'em. At two of 'em for $5., I'd buy the whole set just for the laugh factor - and probably another Ghoulia-clone to steal her clothes. I'd also love to see the accessories. Can spy Lagoona's jacket, and pink microphones, and what may be wrap-around glasses, but I'd enjoy seeing what else is in those boxes - and the box back. 

Update ! Found a photo I can steal, from the Fingerhut site. There, you can buy the whole set of six for just $19.99 (plus $8. shipping) ! Or you can arrange financing at the low, low price of $5.99 !  Nearly twice as much as Roses' two for $5. dolls, but according to Fingerhut, the dolls are 10.5 inches tall (MH size, although they look more Barbie size in photos) and come with three extra outfits ! Shoot. Now I really wanna see these dolls 'in person' ! 

You can go see them - and zoom in on their shoes ! - here : http://www.fingerhut.com/product/105-Gothic-Angel-Doll-Set/NV636.uts

Other than that, not a lot going on. Snugged up three Barbie skirts and a pair of knee-length shorts to fit the MH girls, and that darn near emptied the box. My last two brief attempts at sewing didn't go well, so I think I'll need to start gently relearning again, it's been so long. Thing is, it hit me today that, when I follow orders to stay off my feet to let one thing heal, it leaves me weak as anything for everything else. Guess I can work on my strength and energy once I'm all healed up, but it's disheartening to know that walking from one end of the house can make me wheeze - not all the time, but most of it. It's not that I'm still having asthma issues, it's that I'm so weak and not exercising. Here's hoping I can get it all back together soon !