Frightfully tall ghoulfriends

Momma is over the moon with the introduction of the tall, taller, tallest Monster High dolls.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, Momma is Above Average. Nine inches above the U.S. average to be exact. (In case you don't know, 5'6" is the U.S. average!) Her buddy Jen is no slouch either at 6'1".

Being so tall, Momma has always liked height recognition, so she was thrilled to hear Monster High was breaking the 12" doll mold.

(Yes, they've had the Big Sister mold, but now they're using it for contemporary classmates, instead of older sisters or Headless Headmistress Bloodgood.)

First they introduced Marisol Coxi. Then they brought out the 17" Gooliope Jellington - and 17" Clawdeen, Draculaura, and Frankie!

Finally, just when she thought they'd hit the height limits, Walmart introduced their two 28" Gore-geous Ghoul dolls!

Give your Beast Freaky Friend a complete spook-over! She's always got her eye on the newest trends — watch her transform her look and eye color with just a wink. Style your ghoul with plug and play accessories and doodle deadly designs using creepstastic chalk pens.

Monster High Voltageous Ghoul Friend:

• Age Range: 6 years and up
• 28" Gore-geous Ghoul
• Style your ghoul with plug and play accessories
• Includes 23 Freaky Fab pieces: 28" Gore-geous Ghoul, interchangeable mask with carrying jar, headband with ears, glasses, eye mask, 1 pair of earrings, hair extension, 2 sets of hands, 2 wings, 2 leg vines, 2 sets of boot covers, 2 chalk markers, 1 sticker sheet and 1 tattoo sheet
• 2 assorted styles sold separately
• Green or purple

Both are gorgeous, other than their inflexible knees and weird blobby feet. The purple version seems more complete though. She has ribbons lacing up the back of her boot covers (the green ghoul does not) and her colors match better. The green ghoul's hands are a slightly different shade than her body.

What's up with that?

Now we're anxiously awaiting the 17" Maddie Hatter from Ever After High.

I hope she comes with Eat Me cakes!

Tools of the trade

Eek! I am so excited! 

Momma has found me my very own tool-chest and is stocking it with mini tools for me!

The tool-chest is a tin gift card holder from Lowe's, and the mini tools are keychains from Oriental Trading Company:   http://m.orientaltrading.com/tool-key-chains-a2-8_30.fltr

I'm busy stocking it with tiny nails, screws, and hose-clamps. Whee!

Fright-Mare before Christmas

I'm a finely tuned Fright-Mare who's geared to trot like a top. I believe precision makes the world go round and that includes getting my name right. It's P-E-N-E-P-O-L-E! Please pronounce it precisely.

FAVORITE ACTIVITY

I create clockwork pieces that are part functional, part art. All my beasties have received at least one as a gift.

KILLER STYLE

Screampunk! I like to take 19th century fashions, add bits of brass – like gears and maybe some goggles – and make something mane-ificent!

PET PEEVE

Don't mistake my love of all-things-vintage to mean I'm not a forward-galloping ghoul.

FREAKY FLAW

It's a challenge for me to prance-straight through other monsters' dreams where time gets so muddled.

Sentimental journey

Momma has been mourning the death of her one and only aunt.

Aunt Barbara was a childhood doll collector who shared her love with dolls with Momma. She gave Momma one of Momma's most prized dolls, Belinda, and they spent many delightful hours talking about dolls.

Momma and Aunt Barbara loved to peruse the early Pleasant Company catalogues featuring the original trio, Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly.

Aunt Barbara (who was born in 1928) particularly liked Molly. (Heck, she even looked like Molly - down to the braids and glasses!) Each item in Molly's collection could trigger a flood of memories and hours of conversation.

So which American Girl doll was Momma's first?

My Big Sister got Kirsten and Addy for Christmas 2006. It was the first time Momma had actually seen and held an American Girl doll, and she fell in love.

Momma quickly found some online groups dedicated to Pleasant Company/American Girl dolls where several people mentioned finding used dolls at Goodwill. Skeptical, Momma stopped by after work and found a beautiful Pleasant Company Molly for only $9.95! (Her one and only time, I might add.)

Goodwill Molly has become a mini Aunt Barbara over the past eight years. She has her drop-leaf kitchen table like we have, Kit's roll-top desk and typewriter, and other goodies that remind her of Aunt Barbara and other family stories.

RIP, Aunt Barbara. We shall meet again in the giant dollhouse in the sky.

Gore-geous accessories

While poor Momma is mourning the death of her only aunt, I wanted to share that I finally found a Gore-geous Accessories Robecca Steam doll!

Parties, dances, the maul... the li-bury! So many things to do and monsters to see on a busy ghoul's calendar. An on-the-go monsterista knows that the most important accessory in her closet is a gore-geous bag for any occassion!

I love her, but couldn't Mattel spring for new designs? One of her two purses is the same mold (but a different color) as her Meet purse.