"Big Love" Tulabelle True

October 17, 2024

Tulabelle is supposed to be Poppy Parker's granddaughter.

So I hope everyone reading this realizes by now that this isn't one of those frilly, boiled down, every story has a happy ending kinda doll blogs. This is a gritty, reality-based doll blog showing the actual, hard-gripping kind of violence and persecution that dolls go through out here. And sometimes, horrible as it may seem, a doll comes with earrings that just aren't built tough enough for her. Or you, or the world, or something because both of Tulabelle's little heart jewels fell off of her earrings immediately when I was trying to put them in, first time.

And again, here I would like to reiterate that I am just a human woman and not a bear or suffering from any disease that might cause me to become violent or not know my own strength, and I'm actually capable of doing quite finite tasks when called upon. I will admit that I do sometimes question the delicacy of these tiny pieces when compared to the general difficulty of getting one of them into a doll's Fort Knox-like factory fresh brand-new ear, but not to dwell upon that.

With two metal sticks for earrings - here is Tulabelle True! She's supposed to be Poppy Parker's granddaughter I heard, but I can see no resemblance whatsoever. This is the only Tulabelle I own, I wasn't that interested in what was going on with her because most of the characters in previous offerings looked like cartoons, and I'm just not into that. Jasper Jagger looks like she should have bunny ears and be holding an easter basket. It's just too much for me I think I'm gonna lose it.

Not as cutesy

But when "Big Love" came out, (Ok it was a while after she came out that I got around to looking at her) I liked her. I always like thigh high boots for some reason when they are done playfully and not as part of a dominatrix ensemble. When I looked at all the dolls, I really liked Liu Liu too, and they kind of looked like a bunch of troubled teens all hanging out together. That really tugged at my heartstrings because it reminded me of my old gang from high school. So, I broke and I bought the 2 dolls I really liked - Tula and Liu Liu.

My fave in action - THE PUSSYBOW!!!

Hooray for the pussybow here she is again folks! What a flounce for a blouse! I love them I should put one on all my t-shirts! For me the colors on this Tulabelle's blouse are clashing loudly, I mean elbows are dropping, chairs are being broken over heads, it's the WWE here. But I'm going to assume it's that mismatch trend again. I have a theory that people like me who were little children in the 80's were traumatized by the constant flood of neon, pastel, and bad mismatching trend attempts and now we are incapable of understanding certain 80's inspired fashion ideas. However, I'd like to give a nod to the nod to comic book art in the blouse.

This hand, a light green

Now to talk about one of my favorite things about this Tula, if not my favorite - her nails. Well, nails and lipstick. She comes with 2 sets of hands, the grasping hands you see pictured above, with the green manicure.

I want that ring. Where's my embiggenator?

And open hands you see pictured here, with the pink nails. I also had that ring in plastic in the 90's and used to wear it clubbing, but that's got nothing to do with Tulabelle of course, just a sidenote.

I would've worn the flaps offa that orange lipstick in my 20's. And no, I will not explain that!

And finally to top it off with a little orange bow, her orange lipstick. So bold with her other more subdued makeup choices for this evening of hanging out in an alley with some cartoony girls and some cute boys. (According to the promo pictures) And Liu Liu of course who I love and who I'll probably write about next. The color trio of green, pink and orange for nails and lips adds a bit of interest.

Does it hurt Tula's feelings if I cut these strings? Cause they are ridiculous!

Here's where I have a real problem with Tulabelle. These boots were originally part of my sexy girl scarecrow costume for the St. Owasco Friends of Best Friends Theatre Production of the Sexy Wizard of Oz. How they ended up as part of this design I have no idea. Frankly reader, I'm at my wits end about this. I just don't even know who to talk to about it. But my lawyer advises me not to say any more at this time, so for now that's all I'll say...

The WWE blouse is actually beautifully tailored.

The blouse that won't stop shouting at you is actually beautifully tailored, with a ruffled neck and puffy sleeves. It's a very feminine garment and a bodysuit, slightly see-through. It would be top class if it would just shut up for 2 seconds. I love the little lavender corduroy dress as well, with the pleats at the skirt. I would have dressed exactly like this as a teenager if I wasn't busy dressing like a nurse from M.A.S.H. Her outfit is tailored beautifully, and her bag and boots match and are ready to kick some ass. Mostly the boots. She's got a purple fur coat with sparkles in it cause she's super girly, opens once and the zipper breaks immediately (maybe I am a bear?). She's got cute little orange shades (orange, really?) and neon pink hair. What's the haircut?

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Well, it's definitely got the big curl swoop that you see a lot in the East 59th line these days. And then the rest is just cut really short, right under her tough little earbuds. It actually started to look better this second time I took her out of her box to admire her because the gel had loosened up on everything but the big curl, so the rest of her hair was kind of fuller around her face, less uptight.

She runs the streets out here.

I do love this Tulabelle, despite her 80's mismatch weirdness. I love the color trio going on in her nails and lipstick, the oasis of calm that is the corduroy jumper dress, the concept if not the exact execution of a thigh high boot to go with it, the rings are really great, and I would have loved the earrings too if they had held up to installation. I might buy her again if they offer up another interesting one and stay out of cutesytown. There was a REALLY cool one from 2019 on the Reference Site called "Yeti for it" who actually had long dark hair and dressed like a sexy occult catholic schoolgirl if the catholic schools switched their colors to purple and black. She had great shoes.

"I'm going as the leftover genes this Halloween."

For whatever reason it appears to me that since then Tula has taken a turn towards the wholesome, and to that I say, a return to debauchery and wickedness is needed! She's the only doll I wouldn't mind seeing a raven-haired version of right now. A witchy little Tula. Maybe I've just got the Halloween spirit reader, it is coming up fast.