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!