Hendrix is on her way back from the Melly Kay Spa

I can never even bring myself to mention when I've sent any of the MK girls back to her for face work. Eve, Hamsa and Hendrix are the three girls of mine she has worked on and I adore them to pieces but Hendrix holds a special place in my heart because she was a gift from Melly Kay herself and I treasure her so much. She's a magical little thing and although I had noticed for some time now that she had a few scratched and paint on her lips that were coming off, I just didn't know if I could deal with sending her off and not having her around. But I had to. I didn't want her changed too much, just some patching up and sealing.

As always, Melly did an amazing job on her. I mean she looks fresh as a peach and still with that curious and playful look in her eyes that I adore. She should be home again by the end of the week.
YAAY!!

Monster High Releases and Curly Blue Babe

Is it just me or does Mattel officially put out more releases of Monster High than I can keep up with? Every time I look around there's a new one. I bought Catrine De Mew Scaremester months ago and have barely had time to look at her because then I had to get a couple of "Create a Monster" dolls and most recently, Freaky Fusion Clawvenus! I had to! It's true I can blame it on amazing flickr doll photographers who make the new releases look even more amazing and tempting than they do on the shelves of Toys R Us but to be honest Mattel has been cranking out so many beautifully beastie releases of Monster High Dolls that there are some I had never even been aware of. "Student Disembody" a new release of "I love Fashion" and now they have these brilliant "Inner Monster" add on sets. Who can keep up? I already have at least four girls and maybe one more guy on my wishlist. It's kind of crazy in the bedroom right now. I had no idea I liked Monster High so much. But I do. They just keep getting more diverse, funky and creative and I'm all about that. 

I'm still trying to get rid of my "Picture Day" Abbey Abominable though. Never really gelled with her very well. I also sold off my Roller Skate Lagoona about a year ago. So I do have some discipline. LOL!

Now onto matters of Blythe.

"Curly Blue Babe"

It's not like I'm flipping out over "Curly Blue Babe" for any other reason than the fact that she is translucent. I've never had a translucent girl before and I just adore them so I hope I will get a chance to get her. When I heard about her on CCToys FB page, international pre-orders were already sold out! But she's not due for release until October. I hope this means U.S. gets a chance. Her hairs looks fun too but for me her selling point is the trans mold. So I guess We'll see.

It's been ages...

Wow! So much has happened since I got married in June. I became busier than I have ever been in my life and had no time for Dolly Blogging or time for Dolly activities in general for a while. I did have a wonderful honeymoon though and of course I took Blythes with me. I took Hendrix, Eve and Hamsa and Shannon my favorite Licca. My husband and I enjoyed 10 blissful days on a Caribbean island just having the best time being beach bums and Rum heads. I love the Caribbean oceans so much. For me it is the epitome of relaxation to be able to swim and float in a crystal clear blue jewel for hours on end. Ah!! Just thinking about it makes me breath deeper.

Just drop dead amazing

Our tiny apartment is filled with wedding gifts and although I really should be focusing on saving to move into a bigger space, I found myself recently in love with the new Integrity Doll releases of Poppy Parker. I don't remember how or when I saw them but I was just struck down with an intense longing for a few days. Of course Poppy Parker has been on my wishlist for a long time and since I've been away I've been out of the release date loop. I can't believe she was only $120.00 when she came out! Okay, let me stop torturing myself. Let me just stop talking about her altogether.

To be honest, I keep feeling like I need to put an end date on my dolly collecting madness. I know that sounds sad and finite but literally I could run of of space. It's not practical. I might want children. LOL!  But that feeling never goes away, that feeling of scouting out a new, ridiculously expensive doll.

I've also been looking at Factory Blythes on ebay. It's crazy how affordable they are and how amazing their hair is! Takara Tomy has never released a Blythe with such exciting hair colors and hair color mixtures! Now if only they could produce a Black Blythe or Blythes of various colors. That would be amazing. But until then I might have to create another custom Black Blythe using Factory Blythe parts. I have the bug. It will take my mind off of Poppy for a bit.

Bonnie Bardot: My First Factory Blythe

Bonnie Bardot: Factory Girl

BB arrived yesterday in my standard slot mailbox at my apartment! She came from China so I was sure I would be getting one of those slips that I would have to take to my hellish neighborhood Post Office to pick up but no. She was just chilling in a narrow cardboard box, wrapped in plastic and lovely.

She's my first Factory Blythe and I've seen and held a few but here's the thing. She looks like a regular Blythe to me. I mean I guess Factory Blythe are like unknown mutt doll parts thrown together but she's a Blythe. It was just kind of messing with my head last night while I was inspecting her. It's not every day I purchase Blythe and don't find myself broke for a month. LOL! The body she came with was trash though. I just switched it out for a spare Takara that I had on a licca head.

Her hair is insanely silky and smooth and hangs just perfectly no matter what. I think it's a kind of silk saran maybe. It's virtually unmessable. I love it.

I'm not into blondes really but I was watching "Bonnie & Clyde" in film class a week ago and I love Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker. She's like a sexy fake blonde beast. LOL!
When I start studying a film, it's very similar to when I'm reading a book I love. It starts to take over my mind and it's all I see. When I saw this girl I was seeing in Bonnie vision.

Barbie Fashionista Dresses

, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

While wandering the toy section at Target this weekend in Palisades, I found three lovely Barbie Fashionista dresses and decided to grab them. I never find anything for my Barbie or FR girls when I'm looking.

This fluffy pink dress is one of my favorites. I love it so much! It reminds me of something that would look fabulous on Lupita N'yongo at the Award Shows.

I've never been a huge fan of pink but it's really starting to grow on my as a Spring favorite and maybe even a personal one.

Eve doesn't trust this weather one bit

Eve doesn't trust this weather one bit, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

This weekend was blissful but strange. Going from frigid to balmy in a matter of days cannot be good. I was hoping this meant that Spring was well on it's way but it looks like the cold and snow are back again this week. I am not amused.

I am so sick of all the dirty city snow. I want to shed my layer and feel the sun on my face. But It was nice to get a small window of warmer weather this weekend. It was certainly a more welcome temperature for running some quick errands downtown.

Now betcha I run this

Now betcha I run this, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

I rarely post photos of my dolls on my primary Facebook page. I'm pretty strict about keeping my dolly life and my Facebook life separate. I guess it I'm honest I'm also self conscious about people in my network who don't know about my dolly kingdom being judgmental and weird about it. But the thing that's happened most whenever I do share a doll photo there is that people respond with support or good humor.. They're interested. They're curious. But still I can't have the plastic people taking over my FB the way they took over my flickr account years ago. LOL!

Anyway, there's a point here. This weekend I posted the photo above on my FB with the Beyonce line from "Grown Woman" on "Beyonce" and album that I love. One of my friends sent me a message about how much she loved it and wants to channel this attitude in a future photo shoot. I shot back that working with dolls is so easy and she responded by agreeing and saying "You give them life and they hold it for you." As these words settled in my mind, they suddenly struck me as profound.

I know that this whole act of photographing dolls can come off as weird to some. I know it does to my friends who are not doll collectors or "artists." It's hard to explain exactly what the draw is. And honestly, I've been so busy lately and just going through a few things that I haven't even really been that prolific with the doll pics the way I used to. There are times when I wonder to myself if I might be close to done with this. I'm not sure. The jury is still out.

But my friends' comment made me think a bit about dolls holding the life you give them and the act of child's play or play in general and the way in which the spirit of play lends life to inanimate objects in the process of make believe and using your imagination. In that respect, this part of me which as a child was very active just never went away. I played secretly with my Barbies well into my early 20s. I started taking photos of them long before I had my first digital camera, before flickr, instagram and the whole "sharing" epidemic took over. I just did it for myself. I experimented. I messed around for the heck of it. I played.

But where toys are concerned, there is a life you give to ojects that they hold on to. My mom always used to tell me that objects such as books or toys or anything are only as important as you treat them. She's the one who sort of taught me that playing with dolls essentially meant that you are sensitive to their inner life. So because of her, I never really see toys or dolls as just objects. I always think, oh that stuffed toy has a back story. I was like the little girl in the book "Corduroy." I just knew when a toy wanted to come home with me to live. LOL!

Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of times when I'm in my room surrounded by dolls when I'm like, oh my God, I'm surrounded. But for me they all have special meaning just like any collectors objects have special meaning. Shoes, clothes, cars, handbags. If they mean something to you they are imbued with a sort of life that sets them apart from other completely identical objects. Why?

It's not so much they are actually special. It's because of the fact they have special meaning to you and that life comes from you. And occasionally this transfers over in away that allows others to see this specialness in your presentation of these objects. You give them life. They hold it for you. That's why art is so important. It's a transportation device. That's why play is so important. It leads to creation.

My First Draculaura

I won't get into how many MH dolls I now own. It's a collection that sort of got ahead of me without really noticing. I did sell one once and I still have a nude Abbey Abominable I'm trying to get rid of but the ones I have that I'm keeping, well there's a significant number and it's increasing by one core member.

I've never been crazy about Draculaura. For whatever reason, for me, the earlier releases of Draculaura always gave me the impression that she was the bitch of the group. I wasn't into her pouty pink faced pedigree. But "Sweet Screams" (Lets not get into that collection release name) Draculaura is something different. I saw her on IG last week and just WOW. I mean she's Draculaura on candy acid. I think the elaborate dark lashes around her eyes give her a deeper personality. That wispy bang is everything. And her stock outfit is insane.

I was going to swing by my local Target to check for her today but I had errands to run in the city and I wasn't up to doing that much travel today. So I checked on target.com and found that she was retailing for only $24.99. People are charging way more for her on ebay. So I ordered her right away. YAAAY!!  New toy! And the completion of my core group collection since this will be my first Draculaura. I had my eye on Viperine and Catrine De Mew this week but "Sweet Screams" Draculaura pushed passed all of them the second I saw her.

Her stock photos don't do her justice. They're okay but she is really really much lovelier than than this. The detail of crazy long lashed painted around her eyes is just incredible. I'm really excited to see her in person. 

It was all so good

It was all so good, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

Happy 2014 you all!

Hope yours started off with a bang or with a centered peacefulness gearing you up for a focused and purposeful new year.

Ellington came back from the Mydeliciousbliss Spa with Kyi Lynn in time for Christmas and she looks better than ever! Plus I got a tiny lot of three new Blythe Petites from ebay recently as well as my second custom Petite Flocker on her way any day now from Luxielou! I can't wait to see her in person! More soon!

XXX

Petra Disco

Petra Disco, a photo by DivaLuvv on Flickr.

I would still kill for just one Fashion Doll Agency Doll. Either Petra or Manon. They're my faves.

Katniss' Holiday

Katniss' Holiday, a photo by china-lilly *no FMs* on Flickr.

This is definitely my fave Blythe Photo of the day over at Flickr. She is giving full on Safari!

Dolly Interrupted

Eve over the Holiday Weekend

I knew a lady on flickr once, a Blythe collector of course, whose photos I really looked forward to seeing a lot. And she was pretty prolific, took photos every week if not every day. And then things started to slow down and I saw less and less of my favorite of her dolly faces. It turns out, she got married.

Then photos started to pop up in her stream again. And then some time later they stopped completely. She had a baby.

Well, I'm planning a wedding y'all. Yes! For me! I am getting married to my fiancee next year. We'll be together nine years this December! YAAAY!!! And so my dolly output has definitely taken a hit and now I can see how real it is when life takes over. Wedding planning is no joke. As much as I already do with work and school and photography, and the occasional knitting and crochet project, squeezing in Blythe and other dolls is always extra but these days, they've kind of been taking a back seat.

I'm not trolling ebay anymore for stuff I really shouldn't be looking at. No more checking CCToys for the latest releases. I just can't fit all that in. I barely check etsy any longer! I know!!! I think the only link I maintain to dolly land is through flickr and IG. And fortunately I have some great dolly friends on my FB so I get to see all the wonderful little clothing and design updates.

But yeah, it's just going to keep getting busier as the months roll in. *sigh* But I will always try to squeeze in some dolls and doll craft somewhere. And when I do, I will try to keep you all posted.

HOPE YOUR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS WERE RESTFUL, FUN AND YUMMY!

who wants ice cream?

who wants ice cream?, a photo by Suedehead on Flickr.

It's nice to see Suedehead's adorable Kozy Kape Blythe wearing one of my Ice Cream hats. It was great meeting her briefly at BlytheCon and getting an adorable tiny sweater from her table. She came all the way from Argentina!

Post BlytheCon 2013

Blythecon 2013

BlytheCon NYC my first Blythecon ever has come and gone and I have not posted anything here about it until now! There's just been so much going on with work and school and life. But I just wanted to quickly say how much fun I had both at the pre meet and at the actual event space at 404 NYC. It was such a great space, very well organized and well attended by some of the coolest people you will ever meet. And I can't say how wonderful it was and how inspiring to see so many talented designers, artists local and international and customizers all under one roof. It was a cherished opportunity

I had the good fortune to attend one of three workshops given`that day by Kate "Moofers" on Blythe Doll Scalp re-rooting. Kate is not only a really nice lady, who is easy to talk with, but she also loves what she does and gave a very comprehensive talk describing all the different fibers (she brought samples) used for re-rooting, the best way to care for natural fiber, the best tools and techniques to use to re-root as well as what scalps work best on which Blythe Dolls. That being said, I cannot wait to work on my next re-root! I feel so much more prepared.

Traveling Blythe and BytheCon NYC

Verne the Traveling Blythe finally arrived last week! I had so much going on that I didn't have the opportunity to post about it until now. She is a custom designed by Kassandra's Box and her presentation is absolutely amazing. Kassandra does everything from customizing the doll to the box she's in to the tiniest details of her clothes, accessories and plush toys. The details of her traveling box, her Teddy Bear Plushie and her felted mushroom are just incredible. I've had the pleasure not only of  taking her around the city while she's been here but also the honor of taking her along with me to stuff goodie bags at Erica's this weekend! There were hundreds of bags and goodies everywhere and it was great fun to help, even when we were overwhelmed. Erica has given so much of herself to making sure the details of this event goes over smoothly. I think we are all indebted to her for her tireless effort in spite of the unfortunate but brief upset that occurred.

It looks like I may be be handing her to Linda at BCON which is almost a week away. I'm so happy to be taking her to my first BlytheCon ever. I have a list of Vendor tables I can't wait to shop at and a meager but sensible budget to stick to. I'm so excited for this I've actually taken the preceding Friday off and just made it a nice long weekend. I can't say enough about how much I admire the fortitude displayed by the amazing community of Blythe lovers who have managed to keep this show going. I think it's says a lot about the strength of community itself and the love of Blythe. The unifying and positive energy behind this event is something I am very proud and honored to be a part of.

Whitney Re-loaded (and possibly renamed)

Before and After Spray Matting

Once upon a time I had an HB Blythe I named Whitney. I thought she was adorable but like all things I find adorable, particularly Blythe, I get bored and want to customize and take apart. The first thing I did was spray matte her face plate which was lovely because then she looked like the stock FAO Schwartz release of Hollywood Blythe. Then I got bored again and decided I wanted a new scalp for her since the HB scalp hair is notoriously crazy. So I sold it, dyed a Cool Cat scalp and then hit a rut when I couldn't find a sufficient was to create holes in the scalp for hair plugs. so I paused on that part of her customization.

I can't believe she's mine

 Then I thought I wanted to give her a face-up but I tried several different things and I just had no clear vision of how I wanted her to look. So before I could screw her up irreversibly I sent her off to Melly Kay. And this is Whitney now after being Mellified at the Melly Magic shop. I can't even believe it's her! I'm so excited to see her in person! Of course her name has to be changed. I still have no clue what I'm doing for her hair although I do have some saran sitting around for the job. I'm not sure it will suit her new look. But I'm happily awaiting her return and hopefully she will be able to tell me what kind of new hair she wants. : )

LBB Updated

LBB Updated, a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

So I whipped up a couple of fun new hats this wek which are now in the Little Brown Blythe Shop. The white one ss super soft and fluffy. I swear it's so hard to put down. I made the other hat from this really fun Bernat Tizzy yarn I found a week ago. It really reminds me a lot of the 70s an era that I am very fond of. Drop in and take a look!

BlytheCon NYC Bust?

I saw this last night for the first time in a contacts photo on IG and I thought it was a joke. I thought it was someone's idea of a bad joke and even after reading 300 plus comments in the BlytheCon facebook thread on which this was posted, I still couldn't believe it. I guess I just didn't want to. I still don't. I just feel like of all the things that could have gone wrong during the planning of this event (and I totally anticipated some bumps) this was not the one I was expecting. Of course this is not exactly a bump, It's more like a bomb. *sigh*. Just a day ago Erica was asking people for help to stuff goody bags at the end of this month and I happily offered and was so excited to be apart of any planning efforts for the first Blythecon I would ever attend in my life.

So now this happens. I don't know what to say. Erica has worked so hard on this, and I think it's such a shame but I also am begining to appreciate all the pressure that a undertaking like this requires and I do not envy it. I am thankful to Erica for everything she has done and I really hope that this can be resolved somehow.

3rd Traveller!

I've been back from a wonderfully restful vacation for over  a week now and the anticipation of BlytheCon NYC is starting to set in. In addition I have also received and email from Sandra aka MinkiDynamite that I will be hosting one in the next set of three Traveling Blythes for the third time!

Verne

Verne, customized and created by Kassandra's Box will arrive in NYC to visit with me in sometime in September which is literally right around the corner. I will be her second host before she heads off to Linda who is also in NYC. It's always a thrill to anticipate a Blythe doll arrival. Traveling Blythes are always so special because they literally go all over the world and become a part of so many interesting memories. Makani who I hosted last year has only just returned from her world travels back to Kate Hardin who customized her.

I'm a little sad that Summer is pretty much over but it helps to have fun stuff like Traveling Blythes and my first BlytheCon ever to look forward to and who knows what other surprises are in store! How many of you will I be running into in October and which dolly friends will you be bringing along?

Wolf girls be like...

Wolf girls be like..., a photo by Mine is clouds... on Flickr.

Did I not mention that Music Festival Clawdeen arrived at my office last week? She is my third Monster High Clawdeen Doll and I'm very pleased with her. Her hair is a bit crazy to comb and it sheds a bit which means I may have to treat it a bit but other that, she's a knock out, a real diva. Hers is the first stock MH outfit that I actually love and I'm in no hurry to take it off. It was one of the things that drew me to her. That and the fact that she's a fierce Clawdeen mold.

There's actually one other Clawdeen from one of the previous lines I've been eyeing on and off for almost a year. That would be Clawdeen from the "Ghouls Rule" Line. Her outfit, haircut, accessories and everything are just so hot.

I would also love to get my hands on Scarah Screams "I Love Fashion." Though it's true she is expensive, this second line of Scarah Screams is finally within a slightly more affordable buying range for my budget than the very first one.

I'm actually really impressed that Mattel continues to put out MH lines that I like.