Nothing but hauls

My sister gave me an etsy gift card for my birthday, which was both awesome and not so awesome. Awesome because I love Etsy and shopping for doll things. Not so awesome because oddly enough, most of the stores I love only accept paypal (boo). 

I purchased the following on eBay and Etsy:

None of these photos are mine (taken from the sales listings). Clockwise from the upper left hand corner:

• Petite Creayations dress (purchased from eBay)
• Dress from Whimsies on the Moon
• Shirt and suspended set from Ronmiel Shop
• Azone pure neemo dress (purchased used on Facebook)
• Dress from Rememberdesign (I also got a white shirt)

Very exciting.

I guess I like dressing my girls in tailored clothes or clothes that look like shrunken down human clothes (I have a hard time with shapeless or odd proportions). 

I redressed a few of my dolls. I hope to redress the remainder of my girls tomorrow. I’m pretty happy with how Marina looks wearing white, with her hair in her signature braid (it even forks at the end like a tail!). I think if the weather is nice this weekend, I’ll take two of my dolls out. But it’s only Monday, so who knows how I’ll feel on Friday >_<.

Shopping (temporarily) soothes the soul

So remember that thing I did? :< My Mandarake order came in today, as well as one of my crystals from eBay, and a 2nd hand checkered blouse I scored off of Facebook from a friend ^^. 

To be completely honest, I made the order with the intention of getting a licca chan for customization, and I wanted to add another Licca to make the international shipping worth it. Nadeshiko Japan (the soccer player Licca) was fairly cheap and the one I will be sending off for a repaint. Her stock is really nice (not sure when my dolls will want to dress as soccer players though) – the material is sturdy and overall well made. Her face though 😦 her factory painted lips are kind of off center. Good thing I’m sending her away ^^. 

The Licca Bijou series is so FANCY. I picked this particular girl from the series because of her stock and short, dark hair. She has a pretty nice leather jacket, some nice squishy black boots, and sunnies! 

I’m not sure what I’ll name her yet… I think I need to redress her to figure it out because right now, my brain is just like “name her Bijou. Or Ribbon.”

Too cool for school. 

Her stock is also really well made! The Bijou series is a bit more expensive than the basic Licca, and she feels more expensive too. I do worry about her feet and arms though, since she didn’t come with socks and her knitted top is sleeveless (staining oh noes). 

>_< I’ve lost track of what I’m waiting on. And I’m running out of shelf space D: .

Because Dolls > (Almost) Everything

I came into a little bit of money this Christmas, I decided to spend it (and then some) on doll related things. Yay fun things! Boo practicality (but seriously though… I need clothes. My dolls have a better wardrobe and shoes than I do). 

I’m not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post, but I decided to spend a gift card on some Sleepforever duds:

Both are not my photos (they’re the seller’s photos), and they link back to the listed item on Etsy. 

I have two dresses in the same pattern, and I really love how they fit on Licca chan (even my 2nd Gen Repro!). I know collars and sleeves take more time to add to a dress, and since they’re so tiny, I would never have the patience to add them to a handmade piece of clothing (not even when i crochet or knit really…). I once tried sewing a dress with collars and proceeded to nope myself out of it and rage quit. 

I also did a thing… I made my first Mandarake order for these two Licca dolls >_<. I really like the stock and the hair style of the girl in the first photo, and the 2nd Licca chan I will be sending away to be repainted (another thing I don’t really have the patience or satisfactory skill for). Mandarake is dangerous… I’ve added to my wishlist a Petworks Usagii, Petworks Hitzie, and a Cu-poche figurine (help). 

Other than the above, I’m also waiting for some more mundane things (some quartz crystals I scored for cheap on eBay, kitten kibble, a board game, and an electric razor for my kitten’s butt… because she has not mastered the skill of not getting poop on her long hair).

Hopefully this stuff comes in soon, and I can share my haul!

Trekking along

A month in, and I still feel a bit displaced. I’m considering starting a new blog, kind of hiding it away in the interwebs amongst the thousands of other blogs where people vent and brood… Only because even I’m starting to bum myself out!

My hobbies have been something of a lifesaver as of late. I’ve been kind of in a crafting overdrive- mostly because I feel like I need to keep busy so I don’t feel so alone. I miss my cat and my family D: . 

I redressed Remy. She’s wearing a plastic fashion dress, and shoes, socks, headband, and necklace from a Daiso Ely chan fashion pack (so worth the $1.50 and tax). These shoes fit Remy really well, so I’m definitely going to pick up some more. 

I also picked up a coloring book, color pencils, and cotton yarn (crocheted into a blanket). I really shouldn’t be spending money, but I tend to fall victim to retail therapy. I actually kind of fell of the wagon, and made a big purchase (nooOoooOo). … Yup. I have a new girl. 

XD I’m actually having Marina and Finley shipped to me next week. I’m hoping my room will be more homey, and less lonely with my Blythes hanging out. I also decided to adopt a second hand Blythe from a Facebook group. I have big plans for this girl! And she’s to be my gift to myself – for hanging in there, for doing the best I can, and her sunny hair makes me happy. 

Not my photo (from blythedoll.com).

I saw her on a doll adoption group, and I have been keeping an eye out for a stock girl to send away for customization in the future. I even have an idea for a name and character for her! ^^

Hopefully, I’ll start posting more often. 

Anyway, stay positive and happy Monday!

Shopaholic

I went on a bit of a clothing shopping spree for my girls, partially because I kept running into a “you guys have nothing to wear!” situation, and I tend to make small feel-good purchases when I’m having off-days. I’m still waiting for one more order I made on etsy, but I did get two packages in this week.

Yep. Another Plastic Fashion dress. This one is in an adorable unicorn print with hearts and gingham. I really covet my Plastic Fashion dresses, as they look great both on a doll, or even just stacked together. 

I also bought 2 second hand dresses from Facebook, and the seller was super nice and included some adorable extras ^^. I purchased the two brown and blue checkered dresses (both I recognized as by the etsy seller Sleepforever), and the smock type top, the floral skirt, and the tiny rubber chicken were delightful surprises :3. I couldn’t wait to get my new clothes on my girls, and I thought it would be cute if Marina and Reese matched, since their hair color is very similar.

Reese needs some kind of accessory, but I’ll figure it out later. Marina looks fly XD.

As for knitting, I’ve made quite a bit of progress on my sock! 

I’m actually a little further along with the sock since I took this photo. I’ve learned that for next time… It would probably be a good idea if I kept track of the number of rows I make, that way I can make an identical second sock (oops!).

Happy Friday everyone!!

Yarn, yarn, and some more yarn

My Knitpicks order came! I ordered quite a bit more than I expected too in order to reach the $50 free shipping. 

By far, way nicer yarn than I have used in a while. Everything in my stash before this haul was purchased from Michaels, and either cotton or acrylic. For my Knitpicks order, I ordered two Bare skeins for dyeing, 6 skeins of sock yarn (stroll I think), 1 skein of lace weight mohair, and 1 skein of alpaca yarn if I remember correctly (I might be wrong XD). I already dyed one of the bare yarns yesterday, along with the other half of the practice yarn I purchased from Michaels. Behold!

By the way, winding the pink/yellow skein was a nightmare. I literally stood over a table for three hours trying to wind the yarn into a ball without ending up with a tangled mess. I’m quite pleased with my results for this round of dyeing! This time I used food coloring and kool aid powder. I found that the kool aid powder is especially good for getting a speckle effect. 

The blue/green practice yarn has become a part of a pair of slippers and a merit badge. ^^ The slippers are kind of ugly but soooo comfortable and easy to make. The merit badge is quite cute! I have it hanging as a charm on one of my purses.

(don’t mind my feet plz D:)

I’m really happy with how the blue/green skein came out! For my other bare yarn skein, I might try to recreate the effect. I was a bit reserved with my pink/yellow skein because I was worried I’d end up with a rainbow tiedye skein again. 

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

New things!

I got my two etsy orders in the mail ^^, and I decided to redress my dolls today.

The first order I got today was from Kuloft – I ordered two dresses, a pair of shoes, and a 2 piece outfit that is a skirt and shirt.

Elowyn is wearing the two piece set and the red shoes (which I love!), and Reese is wearing the blue drying dress.

From Tired Mom Knits, I ordered three hand-knitted sweaters and a white and gold dress.

Rory is wearing the pink sweater over a dress by MissFreyaJ, and Marina is wearing the brown sweater and gold dress. I’m blown away by the quality of the sweaters! They’re made of such soft, nice quality yarn, and impeccably knitted.

Seamless segueway to my knitting progress:I’ve made three of those knitted shrugs so far, and I think I’m ready to try a new pattern. I’m pretty happy with my progress, as I thought that anything beyond the simple knit and purl would be beyond me. I will be trying a new pattern next, and hopefully the pattern won’t stump me! Knitting is like a whole new language XD.

Post-Birthday Blues

It’s been a few days since my birthday, which came and went uneventfully. I’m starting to feel that time is passing a lot faster than it used to, which bums me out – gone are the days when I felt I had all the time in the world. I have that feeling where I have so much I need to do and a ton of things I want to do, but I have no clue where would be the best place to start so I choose to do … Nothing. You know what I mean?

Actually, that’s not entirely true. When I get to feeling overwhelmed and under-motivated, I shop, eat, and watch T.V. (Currently watching House M.D.). I also did some damage on etsy >_< (oops). I made two orders in the past week, and I’m really excited for them to come in the mail! The first order is from Kuloft, three dresses and a pair of shoes. I was contemplating getting another flower dress, but I opted to get a couple of the drying dresses. (Photos below from the Kuloft Etsy store)

I’m actually kind of kicking myself right now for not grabbing a Chicken dress.

The second order is from Tired Mom Knits, three cardigans and a dress. I’ve been meaning to order from this store, and there’s currently a 30% off coupon (code: Birthday30) – perfect opportunity :3 . The store also has a ton of stuff for middies! (Photos below from Tired Mom Knits Etsy store)

This week’s goals – relearn how to knit, start Saran reroot attempt #2, konmari my life (a little).

From lukewarm to subzero

It is wicked cold where I am (13 degrees Fahrenheit), which makes me appreciate the weather back in Mexico (75 degrees Fahrenheit). Look how beautiful! It’s good to be back home though, seeing as I had really missed my cat, my dolls, and I had a couple of packages waiting for me ^^.

My Vintage Skipper clothes arrived and so did my Dolly Hair order!I gave the vintage clothes a gentle dunk in some slightly soapy water, so the red coat is wrinkly (will need to iron it). I thought the colors would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, and I have no outerwear for my girls. I put the tutu on Rory! Interestingly, the tutu has a zipper closure, as opposed to snaps or velcro. She is also wearing Licca shoes, mesh tights, and a hair clip that I made. Crochet – the only way I know how to do.I tried the white Skipper flats on Rory, but they don’t fit on her wide Licca feet. I have to try them on standard Blythe feet though! 

I’m feeling particularly lazy this three day weekend (technically an extension of my vacation), so I haven’t done anything but marathon shows and nap. I’m attending a blythe meet on Monday, so hopefully I’ll have a ton of photos to share ^^.

Also, happy early Valentine’s!

It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter

I took Finley out today when meeting my friend, who brought her two girls – a Manuheali’l Paradise Girl and a My Melody.

Her girls are both super gorgeous! And completely different from one another. My friend’s collection of Blythes is so eclectic, now that I think about it (off the top of my head, I believe she also has a custom Simply Vanilla and a Bianca Pearl).

I love being able to bring my Blythes out, and taking photos against varied scenery. I’m also glad that I have a good friend to be able to do these things with, because I would probably be too self-conscious to go about with a doll by myself.

We also made a stop at Michaels (those holiday sales though 😦 ). I purchased two sets of pens/markers and some beads I thought would look perfect on Reese’s pull string. ALSO, my Hobonichi planner came in the mail today!!I’m never sure what to do with the leftover beads… Make myself some fun, eclectic jewelry? Bracelets maybe? I dunno.