Gemma Stone Review 💎

I’ve wanted Gemma Stone ever since I found out about her. She has gorgeous layered hair, pearly makeup, and is gemstone themed (fun fact: I absolutely love crystals). And guess what? I finally got her. Did this sparkling shoppie celebrity live up to my expectations? Or could she have used a glow-up? Find out below.

Gemma Stone taking a “selfie” with her fans.

The Unboxing Process

Unboxing Gemma Stone was very difficult, especially considering that I wanted to keep some of the illustrations on the box intact (the sides were metallic and highly reflective, and the back had a bunch of information on Gemma and her shopkin pals). I liked the crystal-like packaging itself.

Front and back of the box (can you read what the shopkins’ names are?)

You absolutely couldn’t get Gemma’s card without ripping the back. Card? That’s right, like most shoppies, she came with a “credit card” inscribed with info you can enter into the Shopkins World app to get rewards. She also came with a stand and a plastic purple handbag. (See image below.)

Gemma Stone, still packaged. Check out that rainbow reflection!

Quality check!

Just like any other shoppie, she wasn’t perfect. Her dress had some loose strings, her bangs were slightly uneven, and some of the paint on her purple fingerless gloves got messed up. I know she didn’t originally sell for over 100 dollars, so the quality is ok for a 30-40 dollar buy. I’m not disappointed.

Final Thoughts

Gemma Stone is still my favourite shoppie; in fact, even more so. I can’t guarantee the quality of your doll if you decide to buy her, or that you’ll think she’s worth the high collector’s price, but she was absolutely worth it to me. Also, her shopkin gems look like candies. I want to eat them.

Top left: Rosie Ruby. Top right: Allira Amethyst. Bottom left: Emma Emerald. Bottom right: Diana Diamond.

That’s all for now, cowboys. Shine on! ✨

Sastrugi, my Furby Baby!

Howdy, guys and gals. It’s been kind of a while since I’ve written an article. But today is my birthday, and I got some absolutely delightful toys I would love to review and look at. One of them is my unopened, 1999, beautiful powder blue Furby baby!

Sastrugi is tiny, specifically 11 cm tall. I’ll admit, I knew they were small, but I didn’t know the Furby babies were that small. He has pastel blue fur with a white belly and soft white feet. His eyes are green, which makes for a stark contrast between his pastel pink ears and hair. Like all the Furby babies, his eyelashes are white.

Unfortunately, he didn’t work at first, but after some internal poking around he was operating perfectly.

Functionality

The pentagonal box came with a Furbish-to-English dictionary and an Instructional Manual. I won’t write everything that I’ve read, but I’ll give some general information and fun facts.

Furby baby has an internal sensor, stomach sensor, back sensor, and special forehead sensor that can detect darkness and other furbies. You use the sensors in patterns to interact and help your furby. For example, three claps, a back rub, and a belly squeeze should make the furby go into deep sleep move. If your furby is constipated, a hug might help, and if it’s full you can burp it by stroking the back.

Yes, I put a fake flower crown on my Furby. No, I don’t need help.

The hardest part is getting your furby to sleep. Even though there’s many ways, none of them work especially well. For example, my furby gets nauseous instead of sleepy when getting rocked, and darkness does nothing. The best way I’ve found so far is to rub your furby’s back until they start snoring, singing a lullaby, or saying “way-loh” (sleep) multiple times.

There are hidden games you can play with your furby: Today we played hide and seek. Around 2 minutes into hiding, Sastrugi started complaining about not being found, and when my sister discovered him from under a pillow, he went, “You win! Woohoo!”. Only 3 games are written in the manual, and the other ones you must discover yourself.

Last thing I’ll talk about is their ability to learn English. Within a day, Sastrugi was saying “happy”, “cake,” and “tummy hurt!”. It was pretty impressive. One of the selling points of the furby babies are that they pick up on English quicker, but I wasn’t expecting them to be such fast learners.

On the second day of this journey, he learned more English phrases, and even said, “I love you, mama! Muah!” Needless to say, I love him too.

Final Thoughts

Why did furbies ever lose popularity? Soft, cute, entertaining, and even educational, I’m incredibly glad to have gotten my hands on one of these babies.

Until next time, cowboys, and remember to may-may (love) your furbies!

Lil Vs. Regular Shoppies

Popsi Blue edition.

Are you a parent, unsure of what to get their Shopkin-obsessed child? A collector, perhaps, only here for the review of Popsi Blue and her mini counterpart? Or maybe a lost soul who has somehow wound up on this article at 3 AM? No worries. As one of my friends would say; “I got chu”.

Big Shoppies

~ Big/regular Shoppies are 14 cm tall on average.

~ They come with stands, hair accessories (held on by elastics), removable skirts/shorts, and typically removable shoes.

~ Their hair is extremely big and vibrant in colour and makes all the dolls with longer hair top-heavy.

~ They retail for $13-20 (CA), although some of the rarer dolls (Mystabella, Gemma Stone, etc.) are very expensive and you can only get through collectors after their promotional event has expired.

~ You can move their heads 360 degrees, spin their arms in their sockets, and make them kick forwards and backwards. Only certain dolls can move their elbows.

~ Regular Shoppies usually come with a brush, a codebook, and a Shopkin partner as well.

~ All in all, they are beautiful and manoeuvrable, but their hair can get tangled easily and their awful balance might not be the best for play.

Lil’ Shoppies

credit credit credit: The Dolly Dreamer (on FB)

~ Are 7.5 cm tall on average (like half of a big shoppie, it’s adorable).

~ Also come with stands and surprise accessories like hairpieces and bags.

~ They have rubber hair that makes their (already large) heads even heavier.

~ Although their outfits are removable in theory, the hair gets in the way. The shoes and undergarments are painted on.

~ They can shake “no” but they can’t nod or go all the way around, if you were wondering. Their arms and legs go up and down.

~ I’ve found them listed from $8-12 on Amazon (again, in Canadian money).

~ They make fun travel size buddies, but if you prefer more customizable dolls, go with the bigger option here.

The Blues

Although I love Popsi Blue’s popsicle inspired design, and her straight pastel blue hair is marvellous, the sailor hat is questionable. It just doesn’t stay on, and when it does, it makes the whole doll topple over in 0.5 seconds! Also, regular Popsi Blue comes with a translucent yellow swimming ring, which also has a hard time staying on properly. But in the end, I’ll give the character a 9/10 and the litlle version of her an 8/10, design wise.

Summer has come, folks! So go out there, get yourself a tasty popsicle, and sashay down to the beach, for who can feel blue when the world’s so bright?

Later, cowboys.

My Opinion On…Bones?

This might be a bit heavier or more morbid than usual, but it’s an interesting topic I wanted to cover.

Moose bone hair sticks from **Forevergreenflora** on Etsy.

In this article, I’ll discuss taxidermy, vulture culture, animal accessories, and show some examples. If you are triggered by skeletons or dead animals, your discretion is advised.

Definitions

Vulture Culture is an internet community of people who find animal corpses, clean them, and repurpose them. They do not kill animals themselves; that’s where the “vulture” part comes in. People in this community typically collect bones and occasionaly make crafts and jewelry out of them. Taxidermy is related to Vulture Culture because, well, wouldn’t you want to stuff a badger corpse you found if the fur was relatively nice?

Taxidermy is “the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect” (the dictionary definition).

You’ve probably heard of it or seen it at some point. They’ll often sell stuffed quails or other birds at antique stores, and who can forget those creepy “trophy” heads hunters display on their wall?

Anyways, it’s time to get into what I think about all this.

What I Think

There is nothing inherently wrong in being interested in animal anatomies. I think skeletons and skins are cool! But the problem comes from killing the animal just to “rebirth” it. In my opinion, hunting for sport is disgusting, and if you’re only killing tigers so you can have a cool tiger head decoration you’re scum.

Except many of these people don’t do that. They either take remains from an animal killed for food (ex: wild rabbits or geese) or come across the corpses naturally. On top of that, I know a large portion of individuals respect the passing of the animal and honour its life with art. That I can get behind.

A beautiful example of taxidermy (credit: **luxtaxidermy** on Instagram)

Fashion

Credit to lonelybonesjewelry on Instagram (the headband was made out of scrapped ears from bunnies killed for food).

What about wearing animals as accessories? I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, it’s extremely cool. Imagine a bird skull pendant or teeth rings! On the other hand, way too many animals are killed to make fur coats and scaly shoes, and using actual death as a fashion statement gives me weird vibes. However, it comes down once again to sustainability and humanity. Should animals be killed for clothes? No. But is it alright to make animals into clothes (or accesories) if they die naturally? Yes.

Conclusion 🙂

Taxidermy is cool, and most definitely an art. As long as the animal isn’t killed just for the project and its spirit is respected, I’m totally fine with it! Feel free to share your own opinions below. And as always cowboys, hope you enjoyed!

Mini LPS (Series 2) Review

Littlest Pet Shop was my favourite toy brand from 3-7 years old. I had tons of them, and I still have two big playsets to this day. Unfortunately, when I immigrated, they quickly lost my interest and I moved on to other toys (such as Shopkins). But LPS has recently come out with a new series of tiny pets, so I decided to crack at them one more time for nostalgia’s sake. Let’s get into it.

Quality

Mini LPS next to an Lol doll, for scale.

Considering how small these are, the quality is great. Out of the two creatures that I got, I found only one bit of plastic sticking out and maybe one scratch of paint. The quality does however vary set to set; the firefly was perfect and the kitten had the small flaws. The toys could rotate their heads (just like regular LPS), which was quite amazing.

What I liked 🙂

I bought these both for $5 at my local drug store, which I think is fair.

The way you open the…erm…playset? Is by “unlocking” it with the key, which I though was really cool. The keys are pretty nice too.

It seems like a sturdy enough toy that you could attach to your bag and not have to worry about it falling off.

Finally, the colour schemes are pleasing to the eyes (I’ve always liked that LPS mostly avoided neon).

What I disliked 😦

Though the shapes of the… lockets… were nice, the interior for both of them was just one solid colour. What’s fun about that?

Also, they didn’t have names, rarities, or anything like that. Like, ok, cool, I got 2-B41. So what? Moj-Moj does this too, and I think we all know how I feel about Moj-Moj.

Conclusion

These toys are relatively cheap and cute. Would I get more? Yes. Are they my favourite? Not really. At least the packaging isn’t the worst, and you can use them as toys for bigger toys or as dollhouse decorations. LPS doesn’t seem to have changed much, but I can’t help but feel distaste towards it, although I doubt that it’s the company’s fault. I’ve just grown up and became bitter. But hey, that’s life.

LPS minis get a thumbs up from me, and see you next time, cowboys.

Mechanical Friends

Animatronics is the use of cable-pulled devices or motors to animate a replica of a human or an animal, or bring lifelike characteristics to an otherwise inanimate object.
Wikipedia

Chuck E. Cheese, the classic grooving animatronic mascot

An automaton is a self-operating machine, or a machine or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a predetermined sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.
Wikipedia

Queen Mary Antionette Automaton by David Roentgen

A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer— capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically.
Wikipedia

Why does it matter, some of you ask in disdain. It has circuits and wires. It is nothing more than a machine! And that may be true. But there’s still a distinction between the three terms I mentioned, and I think it’s time someone talked about it.

Machine replicas are cool. So when I saw Queen Mary Antionette funking out on her hammered dulcimer, I thought, “Wow. We need more royal robots like her.” But to my surprise, she wasn’t a robot, but instead an automaton. I dove into research.

Distinction

Robots do not have to look like living things, while animatronics do. Automatons can look like living beings, but it’s not a necessity. I’ve seen an old secretary’s cabinet be classified as an automaton because of it’s self opening nature. They are all pretty similar; for example, a robot can resemble an animal. But basically:

Creepy as hell robot dog that can open doors.

Robots can be incredibly intelligent (AI) but can also be used to repeat the same function over and over (like factory robots.) The thing is, automatons are robots, except they have a specific sequence to follow and other robots either act more independently or can go on repeating a procedure until they are turned off. The water does get murky sometimes, and you may be asking, what about that humanoid above? Sophia is a true robot instead of an animatronic because she is eerily intelligent, and can express her thoughts clearly instead of just singing and dancing.

I sincerely hope I explained all this accurately and clearly. I’m not an engineer in any way, but just a kid with a laptop and a burning curiosity. So see you next time, cowboys. Hope you enjoyed. ❤

Get to know me tag?

I might as well do this.

What is your eye colour?

Greenish grey, with specks of brown and an occasional blue hue.

What inspires you?

Rage and cute lil bumblebees.

What is the most important thing in your life?

My life itself.

What has required the most courage of you in your life so far?

Transitioning to high school, AKA every teenager’s living hell.

Who is your favourite celebrity?

Pewdiepie, I guess?

Who is your favourite musician?

If we’re not talking about bands, Suzanne Vega, an angel of the 80s.

Who’s your favourite person in the world?

Don’t have one. It’s impossible to choose, because even the closest people can be cruel.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Playing “Warrior” cats in grade 4. No, really. It was the sunniest and most carefree time in my life.

What is your favourite colour?

All shades of purple, blood red, pastel green and pink, daffodil yellow, robin’s egg blue… I just can’t decide, my man!

What is your favourite drink?

Tea runs through my blood stream, apple cider gives me life in the cold winter months, and lemonade… oh, dear sweet lemonade, otherwise known as God’s piss…

What is your favourite fairytale?

The Bremen Town Musicians give me an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. :’)

What is your favourite food?

Must it always come to this?

What is your favourite holiday destination?

I’ve always wanted to go to Germany or the empty, wild, Great Canadian north!

What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?

Hmmm… Cookies and cream is solid.

What is your favourite music genre?

I’ve always been a sucker for rock, but Caravan Palace got me into electro swing.

What is your favourite physical activity?

Canoeing and kayaking!

What is your favourite quote?

“I will probably don’t die tonight.” – Written during a beautiful Omegle conversation.

What is your favourite snack?

Buttered toast.

Well, that’s all for now pigeons! Hopefully you enjoyed learning about me.

My Toy Wishlist!

My birthday is still 3 months away, but it’s never too late to dream about new toys, is it?

(The list isn’t in any particular order).

10. A Furby

It’s no secret that I love Furbies. My deep, dark obsession with them started around 7 months ago, and it’s been going strong ever since. But the problem is, I don’t actually own a Furb, and the one I did have broke down due to battery corrosion. At this point, even a broken Furby would suffice. The specific type of furby that I want is the original version of the Furby baby (I said original, because I in no way would like a creepy 2005 Furby baby in my proximity). Their pastel colour scemes, improved language learning capabilities, and adorably small size make them my all-time favourite furby.

I suppose a before 2001 Furby would be a good replacement. But gosh, the crystal Furbies are beautiful too. Any Furby is a good Furby. Except the 2005 Furby babies.

9. Calico Critters House

Specifically the Tree House, but the Starry Point Lighthouse is also delightful.

Lighthouse (with real lights!)

Treehouse (the swing!)

8. Toy Barn

If you’ve read my last post, you would know that I want to make a miniature farm. For that, I would need a barn. The Shleich red barn is optimal, but considering the price, the Melissa & Doug latches barn is a cheaper alternative.

It comes with four farm animals as well.

7. Pikmi Pops Doughmis ❤

I love all things Pikmi. Doughnuts are my favourite baked goods. It’s a match made in heaven!

6. Gudetama… Anything

Does anyone have some good egg puns or yolks?

I absolutely stan this lazy egg. He is the best Sanrio character ever, and that is fact. Enough said.

(P.S.: My instagram account is @justanothereggboi, and I just made a post about a new Gudetama squishy I got. Follow if you like eggs or are just a weirdo in general.)

5. Tiny Squishies

There is a very specific type of tiny squishy which I’m talking about. They are extremely detailed, and come in many different animal varieties. They sell at almost every toy store in my area. Thing is, I have no idea what the brand is. The squishies are rubbery, and not sticky. If you have any idea what these cool collectibles might be called, please help me out! 🙂

4. Gemma Stone Shoppie

Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst and Pearl… Now I’m just listing SU characters!

Gemma Stone is also the name of the world’s most expensive and exclusive shopkin, but I’m talking about the shoppie, which you can buy for only $150-$200. What a steal! She is incredibly beautiful and detailed, to the point that I think she is the most gorgeous shoppie you can get. Mystabella, get out of the way, since the best shoppie is here to stay!

3. Cryptkins

Cryptkins are little vinyl figures of monsters and folklore creatures, all with the same adorable red eyes. Every crate comes with a creature and a card that gives info all about them. I already have the Jersey Devil, and at this point I’m just looking to expand my collection.

2. Lee Tea or Marsha Mellow Shopkins

Lee Tea is a beautiful golden tea bag, and Marsha Mellow is a glammed-out marshmallow. Tea is one of my favourite things in the world, and I already own the shopkin Herb L. Teabag, so if I got Lee they could be friends. Both Marsha and Lee are limited edition, so that’s just the cherry on top of this glittery cake.

1. Persanimals

You know what, I’ll have to write a whole separate post on these.

Thank you for reading, cowboys! New posts every weekend!

Schleich Farm Project

Yeehaw, partners.

The rise of country culture on the internet is undeniable. But I’m truthfully all for it. Sometimes, I’d like nothing more but to move to a lovely little cottage near a grassy field and live a simple life, growing my own food and relishing in the wonderful natural surroundings. And this project, I hope, can combine my love of toys, love of animals, and love of the countryside all into one beautiful model. Here’s the plan.

What I’ll Need ~

A large cardboard box to build the countryside model in.
Schleich or other realistic, well-crafted small toy animals.
Moss, rocks, and twigs.
A toy barn.
Paint (green, blue, yellow, and a bit of white).
A glue gun to atach bits of the terrain and add shine to the river.
Scissors (to cut the cardboard).
Lots of patience and determination.

Model inspo (mine won’t look this good, I promise)

How I’ll Build It ~

This is something that will take a lot of time, and I’ll kind of learn how to do as I go along, adding little shrubs and touchups here and there. The basic idea, however, is that I’ll paint and glue things into a box. Yeah… that may be simplifying it. I also want to create a paper mache hill and a little river, out of paint and glue or maybe something more fancy, like sheet plastic. I’ll make trees out of either dried moss or chenille. It will be a process. It will be an adventure. Mostly, though, it will be fun.

What I Have To Begin With ~

So far, I have a Schleich lamb named May, a pig named Big Bang, some moss and cool rocks, a goose, a chicken, and a little clowder of cats.

I would like to thank:

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com

And:

https://schleichhorsestack.home.blog/

For inspiring me to do this. See you soon, cowboys!

Fugglers; Chilling or Charming?

I’m back with a new series and a real monstrosity for today.

No, what you are seeing are not real human teeth on some stuffed monsters, although the fact that they’re fake doesn’t make it any less disturbing. Fugglers are meant to be disturbing; but they’re also meant to be strange companions that will warm your shriveled black heart. Today, I’ll be looking at the creepy and cute qualities of Fugglers, and deciding if they are indeed chilling or charming.

Imagine seeing these guys in a darkened alley!

Fugglers either have mismatched button eyes, or cold, vacant ones that can pierce your soul. Some have noses: others don’t. And I believe we’ve already discussed the teeth.

On the flip side, they are relatively soft, brightly coloured, and disproportionally silly. I think it all comes down to the specific Fuggler; for example, the Sketchy Squirrel and Lil’ Demon Fugglers are cute, and this pink one is an absolute nightmare being.

I really want to say these are cute, but that would be biased because I really have taken a liking to Fugglers over the past 48 hours. So here is my grand conclusion: