Current Mood : Fabric and sewing machine dazed.

Current Image Notes : I bought the dressed bear on the left for $2. at a flea market about two weekends ago, hoping the pink sweater and maybe the shoes would fit Timey and Dottie. As you can see, everything fit ! Didn't have to alter a thing, just wash the socks. The shoes are rather big on her, but it's barely noticeable. Not bad- a whole outfit from undies to crinoline to scarf for $2. - and I get to donate the still-ponytailed bear ! 

Rushed and did grocery shopping early, to avoid the ice and snow storm headed our way. The ‘storm' lasted about two hours, and then the roads were clear and dry. (sigh) I could have taken my time...hit a thrift store or something...

At least I took the time to look at dolls for a bit. The Mal-Wart markdown section had a Pearl Birthstone Barbie for an amazing $9. price...and her dress really is lovely. Brunette, too. But I still don't really like her. And now that I can do lace overlay myself, I can't justify paying even $9. for her clothes. Back in January, I'd have given spending the cash serious thought ! And here's the real truth : Words can't express how hard my teeth grind every time I see the tiara'd purse-size dog that comes with that line. I can forgive a doll for lookin' like Paris Hilton. I can't forgive a doll for livin' like her. So, no sale.

Ours also has several ‘Top Model Barbie' dolls for a mere $13., but again, there's not enough there for me. I can make most of her outfit, and the doll just isn't ‘me' enough to justify trying to find space for one more girl on the shelves. Besides, I've been on a bit of a buying spree already, I need to slow down. As you can probably imagine, I'm runnin' out of space in the Lab already !

Especially with that box of fabric and other goodies I bought this weekend ! Sat down to cheap-serge it - it's been in storage a while, so it all needs a good washing - and I'm still not done, two hours later. At least it's down to two big pieces now. Most of the pieces are stretchy knits, and I noticed, to my surprise, that the edges I'd just ‘serged' weren't ruffling. You know, that ‘lettuce edging' that was so popular a few centuries ago ? It comes from pulling and stretching the fabric as it's being sewn. You could see it a lot on sweatshirt cuffs, way back when sweatshirts were so over-decorated, they were almost formal wear. I've tried like heck to not do that when I'm sewing knits, but sometimes it just happens. Well, I guess I've finally developed the touch for it, because only one piece ruffled, and that's because there was so much of the stuff, it pooled in my lap, and the weight pulled it a bit. Guess there's something to be said for doing a big project all at once !

I got about a yard and a half of emerald-green costume satin - stiff and scratchy, but beautiful. Also some super-thin brown lining material, several sheer pieces, and about four bits of ‘illusion fabric' - the stuff that looks nude on costumes and things. It's super-stretchy, like swimsuit fabric. Some of the pieces have huge patterns, but that's why there's My Size Barbies here ! Heck, that really big floral one would look OK on Crissy, if I used a simple design pattern.

Well, I'm gonna cheap serge that last piece and head for bed. How was your day ?

Posted by dorriebelle at 10:11 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:41 PM CDT

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Current Mood : A tired kind of satisfied

Current Image Notes : This photo shows the final sage-green wall color the best. It was taken to show how a thrift store bear's outfit fit Timey perfectly. You get that photo tomorrow ! I also have an official 'Walk Of Fame' star, thanks to my BFF's 1989 birthday gift, and a silver cardboard star box top spray-painted.

Not really a ‘big day', just a satisfying one with lots of puttering. I got to spend most of it in my Lab, emptying the random bags of stuff, finding places for things in cabinets and cubbyholes that are already pretty packed, and sorting the rest. There's still some drifts of odd miscellany, but it's not much, and I'll have to clean it before I can sew. So that won't be there much longer !

Tomorrow, I get to cheap-serge all the fabric in the yard sale box, get it ready for the ever-present laundry. It'll feel sooo good to sew something, even if it is just zig-zagging. Cleaned up the yard sale plunder from the living room. The porcelain doll who bravely sacrificed her wig for Leia's twin sister also saw her dress get fitted to Growing Up Skipper. It was a bit short on the Teen Skipper body doll I have. Just have to attach snaps, probably while I'm waiting for Dearest Son's bus tomorrow afternoon. Friday I got so bored waiting for him that I cleaned up the yard !

At Beloved Hubby's insistence, I completed the Wall of Awards - basically, I hung up some old diplomas and stuff on a short bare wall in the Lab. I know I should be more proud of my few accomplishments, but frankly, I worked harder to pay off my college degree than I did earning it. The ‘Best Wishes' plaque from my old Army unit has more of a place of honor, along with a honor society parchment, mostly because I darn near worshipped its faculty advisor, Mr. Tuck.

The still-bare wall over the computer will eventually house some artworks various artists have done for me. There's a sketch Hubby did for our first anniversary, a drawing of Shinobu from Steven Bennett - who actually worked on the Urusei Yatsura anime in Japan. I got to know 'Unca Steve' very well in my anime convention days. A nice sketch from a comic artist a friend knew I'd like, and a sketch a co-worker gave me round out my art collection. I gotta wait until the computer desk is moved before I hang 'em.

Also hung up an old, old photo of Shinobu, wearing ‘Suburban Shopper'. Image is so old, it was taken with a fixed-focus 35mm film camera. That meant I had to be 3 feet away from her for the picture to be in focus, so any detail is lost. She's sitting in a tree, with the sky as blue as her dress, her limp buckram hat at a slightly windblown angle on her head. About a month after the photos were printed, we bought our first digital camera - an Olympus, with a then-amazing resolution of 1.8 megapixels. Dearest Son still uses it, although a tumble from the kitchen counter knocked something that obscures about a third of the left side of the shot. But he feels like a big guy, having his own camera, and not a Fisher-Price toy, either !

Anyway, it's been a nice, non-stressful day. I'm still amazed at how well the paint job on the barbecue looks, and it's really rare for me to be this happy over one of my own efforts ! Hope your day was really nice, too.

PS to Michelle - I've been known to apply masking tape over stickers, but in a weird way. I apply it non-sticky side down over the stickers, then cover over that with a strip with the adhesive facing down. In other words, it's sticker -dry side of tape 1-sticky side of tape 1- sticky side of tape 2 - dry side of tape 2. It's kind of hard to explain. Lemme work something up and add it to the page. Pictures often explain things better than words !

Posted by dorriebelle at 9:43 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:41 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Joyful

Current Image Notes : Beloved didn't wanna be in the photo, so you just get his hand. But isn't that green just gorgeous ?  I've got a photo showing it off ready to go tomorrow - from the computer desk that's also now in the Lab, at least temporarily.

What a great day ! I got to go to two yard sales, painted the patio furniture, paid off my car loan, and found my favorite dip somewhere besides the 7-11 across the street !

First things first - I've always promised you'll see the new stuff here first. So today, I took photos while painting the ‘Barbie Barbecue' and made up a web page. Can you guess what color it is now ? It sure ain't pink anymore ! Here's the direct link -> https://dorriebelle.tripod.com/id42.html . Basically, I took it apart as much as possible, taped off the silver part of the grill, spray painted it, let it dry for an hour, then took the final photo. Michelle, it's really easy, you just have to develop your touch when you're just starting out. Don't even have to sand anything, if you're using Fusion, just a quick wipe-down with paint thinner/mineral spirits. If I can do it, so can you ! But try painting some stuff that you don't care much about first. I wrecked a few pieces and had to scrub paint off ‘em before I got the hang of it.

Yard sales were kind of hit and miss. No Barbie stuff at all, unless you count the porcelain doll who sacrificed her pageboy wig for a bald Leia (from a long-ago thrift store, not my childhood one !), her shoes for Princess Fiona, and her dress for Teen Skipper. Not bad for a buck ! I also got a bag of trim and ribbon for another dollar, and a small box of fabric - including some stretch velvet ! - for another buck. Baby Chrissy got a blue velvet dress and Beloved Hubby got a nice orange sweater, too. The other sale was a total bust, and the one advertised nearby just wasn't there. Oh, well. It's not like I needed more stuff to put away !

Lightning Molly is mine, all mine - but I have to wait for papers and such ‘til Monday. But I'm so very  happy. She's the finest car I've ever driven, and knowing she's mine now is a joy.

So it's been a busy day ! FIL says he's treating us to sub sandwiches, so there's something to look forward to. Leia looks so cute in her wig, and I really like my not-pink barbecue now. I just hope I can stay awake for dinner !

Posted by dorriebelle at 6:14 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:41 PM CDT

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Current Mood : buoyant

Current Image Notes : Here's the texturing phase of the Lab repaint. Beloved got a box of 'mud' (joint compound), mixed it to the consistency he wanted, then applied it to the walls in swoops and slides. It adds a lot of visual interest to the walls - he's done it before, lots of times, and I always enjoy 'seeing' things in random spots, like cloud-watching. The Lab was a goshawful mess, and it drove me crazy...but for what I was getting, I'd just have to try my best to be patient !

You know, I wasn't even aware that this was a leap year until last week ! Then again, Daylight Savings always sneaks up on me, and my birthday does, too...

Mostly did housework today, but the decks are clear tomorrow. I have two yard sales to hit, and I'm definitely gonna paint. I'll be sure to take pictures and add ‘em to the site.

I'm hoping to sew soon, too, but I tire out fast. Right now, I'm about to nod off again. Beloved had a really nice day, so we went out for Chinese and a bit of shopping. Dearest Son is now into Indiana Jones Lego, so he got the third of the four sets on the market right now. Fourth one is huge, and $60. I'm sure he'll finagle it out of us sooner or later - he just has to wait ‘til we have money again !

About all I found of interest was a fabric remnant. I gotta quit buying ‘em, but any time I see one for less than 50c, it ends up coming home with me !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:40 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Tired but happy

Current Image Notes : Here's the beginning. All the stuff either removed to other rooms or pushed into the middle. What a mess ! Beloved took down the iris wallpaper border which, ordinarily would have been pretty, but here clashed with the shiny blue walls. Tomorrow's photo shows the texturing ! I know you can't wait for that ! (grin)

Unfortunately, I never got to painting the Barbie Barbecue. We have 30mph winds today, along with high humidity and strong pollen. While it's an otherwise beautiful day, the wind and my allergies don't encourage me to be outside for long. Plus, I have to find some paint thinner - Beloved has gallons of the stuff, I only have to find it in his Shop - since the Fusion directions call for a quick wipedown of new, unweathered surfaces before spray-painting.

And Michelle, you know I don't mind questions - I just feel bad that I didn't get that done today ! Having spray-painted a few doll things, I still don't know much. But I know Fusion is designed for plastic, works great, and costs about $4. to $5. a can. Pricey for spray paint, but you can't beat it on plastics. I've tried the cheaper stuff, only to watch it flake off or never quite dry. A can covers a lot, and it even comes in textures now. Just gotta read the whole set of directions and follow ‘em closely.

I have trouble staying the recommended 8 to 12 inches away from what I'm painting, I always wanna get in close. So I measured off a string or some yarn, tied it to the can's spray stem, and made sure it was within the 8 to 12 inch distance. If the string touches the surface I'm painting on, or the item, I know to back off. Smell isn't too bad, but you want maximum ventilation. It'll probably take several thin coats - always better than one thick coat that takes an eternity to dry - so you have to allow yourself time. Fusion wants you to apply coats within 24 hours of each other, or you have to wait a week.

What I was thinking is, it might be a good idea to document painting the Barbie-cue as a web page. Heck, I have the space now. Might help those of us who need encouragement - and encourage m'self to get off my butt and get it done ! I mostly caught up on housework - dishes are done and laundry is started - but I need some recreation ! I barely got any time in my wonderful Lab today, which is almost a crime !

Beloved got one of his projects complete today. Homeowner he's working for got rid of a huge mirror - about four feet wide and three feet tall ! Beloved routered a frame and faux windowpanes for it, painted and weathered the whole thing, and hung it up on one wall of our dining area. It is magnificent ! Opens up that whole area, makes it seem much larger, and effectively doubles any light source over there. To think, Homeowner was gonna toss it out. So proud of him for reclaiming it, and making us something wonderful. I try not to look at it - my reflection isn't as kind to me as my mental self-image is ! - but it really is beautiful.

Well, I'm starting to nod off. It's aggravating when doing dishes tires me out, but at least I had the energy to get ‘em done ! I can deal with a slow recovery, long as I don't get sick again.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:40 PM CDT

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Still improving, if slowly. I guess I can't whine too much, nearly everyone I know is sick or recovering. It feels so good to not cough til it hurts !

Kind of weak, though. So I'm doing small things, to build my strength back up. Got the Barbie cases hung up, and they look nice, all in a row on the wall together, instead of scattered around like before. I'll hafta get ya'll a photo. It's funny how collections start. I really only wanted a Midge case, because the author/editor of Barbie Forever said her Midge didn't have one. I got one of what I thought was the only Midge case made. I've since found a second design. Yes, I want that one, too.

Anyway, next thing I know, I have six of ‘em ! Half bought local, half from eBay. Found a pink SuperStar case at a thrift store for 50c this week and bought it, just so I could hang it up. Got vintage, got 70s, got 90s. I'm prowling for a real nice case to represent the 80s now. Believe it or not, I had one, back in my college days, but I gave it away, darn it all. Oh, and I have to find one from the ‘00s, if they even still make them these days. Just have to find them in a yard sale or thrift store. But if I find a nice modern one at TRU, it's mine. Doesn't even have to be Mattel - just a Barbie-size case. Wish me luck while on the hunt !

I'm glad too that it's nearly yard sale season again. I didn't find much last year, but I still love getting out there and looking ! Of course, after I've driven around for a few weeks and not found much, I'll be complaining about that, but just now, I wanna hit some yard sales !

I'm so very thrilled with my ‘new' Lab. I took some photos while Beloved Hubby was working on it - let me know if ya'll wanna see the ‘in progress' images.

For now, though, there's the ‘My House Barbie and Barbecue' Set Beloved got me last week. Shinobu, Inaba, and Michio are enjoying snacks and drinks thanks to the patio heater (a light-up toy) and the included silver ‘iPod' and docking speakers. The sink's faucets move, and it even lifts out for extra storage.  I have some dark green Fusion paint, so I'm considering painting the pink parts of the grill and table and chairs. The chair and table legs detach, so those will paint easily. I'll most likely mask off the silver parts of the grill with painter's tape. Maybe I'll get to that Thursday.

I'm gonna relax a bit in the Lab. Gosh, I love it in here now !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:39 PM CDT

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I'm back !

Man, sometimes a girl just can't buy a break ! I thought I was well on my way to recovering from that d@mn flu when I got sick again ! I was so exhausted and worn that nothing's been done, not housework or doll stuff. That Fashion Photo Barbie I bought earlier this month is still sitting here, just as dirty as the day I pulled her out of the junk shop box. I've gotten to play with her a bit, and decided she'll be redressed and donated. The ‘poses for photos' gimmick is OK, but it makes her head swivel unexpectedly, which is unnerving. She sat there on my nightstand, and every so often, her head moved on its own. When it's not swiveling around, her head spends most of its time looking at her back. It's like having a Linda Blair doll.

At the risk of getting too much into ‘The PILs are still driving me nutz !' again, there was another incident that set me off like a rocket with anger and frustration, and nowhere for it to go, because I could barely move. Beloved Hubby brought home that Barbie and Barbecue set I mentioned, to cheer me up. It's so sweet, and fun to play with. I can't wait to repaint it ! I took a picture of it and posted it on a website after reading a request, so I'll post it here tomorrow.

The big news - besides being sick again - is that Beloved also went to town on my Lab. He got bored last weekend and retextured the walls, then gave them two coats of paint. And I love it ! I redid the limited decorating, and it looks so much better now. And guess who was right about the color ? LOL. It's a lovely sage green, not too dark, not too light, just perfect. I hated the shiny blue walls with the ugly iris wallpaper border, but felt so lucky to have a Lab, I never really said anything. Now I feel like it's all mine.

Well, mostly mine. Since the PILs moved in, we moved our computer to the bedroom. It was driving Beloved nuts, so I saved a wall in the Lab and moved the computer - desk and all - in there yesterday. That really wore me out ! Slept like a brick. So did Beloved, now that the computer's not in there ! Once the PILs move out (hopefully by the end of March), he'll retexture and paint the office, and the computer will go back in there. The Lab's a bit crowded right now, but it's much easier to scan stuff !

I'm still not sure why I got so sick. It was like I re-caught the flu. Still tired and a bit achy, but I'm also restless and eager to get stuff done. I have to hang the Barbie cases yet, and put away a bunch of stuff that got bagged up while Beloved painted. Not to mention the mountain of laundry and dishes awaiting me. But I'm so glad to feel even a little better, I wanna shout !

Aurora's wearing the pink sunglasses pin I bought from the junk shop. There were five in various colors and styles in a baggie for a buck, and they fit the Disney Princesses perfectly. Just had to pry the pin-back off 'em. Temples are hinged and everything. Lucky me !

If you haven't seen Manda's incredible videos, go treat yourself and see ‘em all ! I really liked "Alex The Incredible" - great use of set ! - and The Photographer. Lots of hot guys, me like ! Here's the link to Alex, and from there, you can always click her YouTube name to find the rest, including Havillands ! Wow. I was thinking of doing some doll videos, but I see I have a high benchmark waiting for me ! Music mixing and everything. Fantastic work, Manda !

Go see ‘em - >  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7DuG4ojLnvg  - this is Alex.

Well, hopefully I'll be healthy for a few days in a row this time !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:39 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Slow, but steadily improving (which is aggravating !)

Current Image Notes : This funny little computer wallpaper was waiting for me when I got home from errands. Beloved knocked it together for me while I was gone. Isn't he sweet !  

Thanks, everyone, for your get-well wishes. It's a long, slow crawl back. I actually had to sit down during the weekly grocery grab at Mal-Wart today. I felt ancient, but at least it was the smart ancient that possesses sense enough to listen to what her body's telling her. My poor body. I put it through so much, and it just keeps chugging along. I know I'm supposed to treat it better, but it likes meat and sweets, too !

Well, as promised, the Toy Fair stuff. Normally, I go with the thorough and detail-obsessed coverage humbly offered by ASM Magazine. They did fantastically on Star Wars stuff from Hasbro and Lego, not to mention all the smaller distributors like Diamond and Wild Republic. But this year, they didn't get Mattel's invitation to cover the dolls beyond what would appeal to your average comic-book fan (read : a Fashion Fever Barbie in a SuperGirl costume), so their coverage of collector and Playline Barbie is darn near non-existent.

I'd be more upset about it, but what I saw from others who did attend their booth and take photos, most of what Mattel had up for display is the same stuff I've been seeing at Mal-Wart for the last month. Fashion Fever, ‘My House' sets, the generic ballerina and princess dolls, and a few $10. dolls in $15 designer outfits, with an MSRP of $120. It was all I could do to stay awake. Even the semi-interesting Midge and Allen repro set simply made me glad I'd already bought originals - they...just weren't good. And my Allen came from a flea market ! Now, it's true I bought a near-Ultimate Midge...it took me a long time to find one so beautiful. And I really overpaid for her. But I paid only slightly more for my vintage pair than Mattel's askin' for their repro set !

New lines coming out include ‘Barbie and the Crystal Castle', looking very much like ‘Twelve Dancing Princesses' - there's six ‘younger' dolls representing Muses, two Princess dolls (Barbie and Teresa) with transforming gowns, and one busy prince. You can see it here - http://toyfair08.asmzine.com/gallery/mattel/barbie%20press-kit/barbie-and-the-diamond-castle/index.html Castle's actually rather nice, provided the semi-transparent walls aren't too glittery.

‘Candy Glam' looks sort of like a My Scene theme recycled. And yes, there are no My Scenes anywhere. http://toyfair08.asmzine.com/gallery/mattel/barbie%20press-kit/barbie-candy-glam/index.html It's nice to see so few Capri pants this year !

You can see the new Grease dolls at http://toyfair08.asmzine.com/gallery/mattel/barbie%20press-kit/barbie-grease/index.html - nice, but not what I'm looking for. There's also a photo of the Speed Racer set, but it's the same press kit photo that's been out a while. The push is still on for Barbie Girls, their online world venture, and it's now joined with bracelet-accessory figures, Unlockets. Again, not much I'm interested in, even if they're not in ‘mall packs'.

If you'd like to see how the ‘08 toes are painted on Silkstones, Haute Doll magazine has their own spread - http://www.mawphoto.exposuremanager.com/g/hautedoll_toyfair2008

. Password is ‘hautedoll'. They have an actual out-of-box Speed Racer pictured, and Trixie's hair is already lookin' kinda flyaway and cheaply done. (sigh) It's still up in the air if it's due out next month or April, but you  know me...I'll be at TRU at the first of each month anyway !

Playmates didn't have much this year - looks like there's not a lot of Disney Princess stuff out for '08, besides a few generic fashion dolls from Mattel. I found a cute little wastebasket at Mal-Wart for $6., and I'm actually thinking about getting it. I have a full-size can now, covered by foamcore for a spare surface, but it's pretty blah. On the other hand, I'm sure that, since I'm the only one who'd ever see it (it's also behind some stuff), I'll find another way to spend that cash !

Find better Toy Fair '08 articles and photos ? PLEASE share ! So far, from what I've seen, I'll be spending more at Dollar Tree than I will be at TRU and Mal-Wart !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:38 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Tired and overdrawn at the everything bank.

I know it drives everyone nuts - m'self included - when I drop out for a few days. I get all tense when I don't blog, believe it or not. But Chez Insanity has spent the past week in slow-time sickness, and we're just now slowly recovered (well, is still recovering). What's knocked us so hard ? House-wide case of flu.

I'm not kidding, I wish I was. Before I write another word, please get a flu shot if you haven't already ! I'm beggin' here. I've just put my poor body through a solid week of h@ll, everyone is still sick and exhausted, each convinced we've got it the worst,  we've gone through gallons of soups and miles of tissues, not to mention a few bottles of ibuprofen (muscle aches), acetaminophen (massive headaches), there's still semi-solid gunk in my lungs, I've nearly drained an asthma inhaler in a week's time, and I'm not even gonna regale you with what'll happen to your digestive system. It ain't pretty to any of the senses.

Don't be the ‘learn the hard way' idiot I've had to be. Get the shot. It's worth it, both in cash and effort, to not miss a solid week of your life wondering if you're gonna die or not - and then wondering which you want.

As you can imagine, this week's gonna be interesting. I hit first, last Monday morning. Woke up with a painful cough, and I could feel my lungs rumble. Beloved hit it Wednesday, and Dearest Son bounced most of it, but is still coughing and sleepy. My PILs just hit it today, so this is gonna probably gonna ride the rest of February. I'm just not sure how, considering PILs got flu shots, but FIL is complaining loudest of all. House is completely trashed - let's face it, if I don't clean it, it don't get cleaned - and I can understand no one wanting to clean house, even when they're not sick. Just wish everyone'd cleaned up their own &^%$ messes instead of just piling their crap on top of the weekend out-of-place s#it.  It's gonna take me the rest of the week just to get things back in order, and I'm still rather wiped out. I can just sit up and talk and type now.

So, as you can imagine, no doll stuff got done. Poor Growing Up Skipper is still wearing her hound's-tooth-print skirt as a dress, and Fashion Photo Barbie still needs a bath. I'm undecided about FP. She looks too much like Charlene to keep, but I like the weird way her body moves. Still, not something I have to decide today.

The pattern I won off eBay a few weeks ago arrived, and the seller had sweetly added a second pattern to it - how nice ! Surprisingly, I didn't already have that one, either ! So I'm looking forward to scanning them both. I also won a 1980 Star Princess and Pluta coloring book a few weeks back, from a seller liquidating the archives of Golden and Western Publishing ! I'm sure you've seen their names a few times in your youth - nearly every coloring book I remember had Western on it somewhere. Most paper doll sets, too.

It arrived (and I forgot about it -shame !) in pristine-perfect shape. I mean, the ones on Mal-Wart shelves right now have more wear on ‘em. If there was ever a coloring book or paper doll you had back in the day, and want again, you should check out seller goldentreasures-nyc. Lots of Barbie and Disney, among other licensed products, from the 30s through the 90s.

I never had Star Princess, but I remember seeing it, and laughing at the bizarre smiling silver robot with the Leia hair. The titular Princess looked more like Electro-Woman (or DynaGirl, your pick) than an interplanetary sovereign, but I sort of liked the idea. Eventually found a scan of the paper doll online - interesting fashion sense, but it reflected more Saturday Night Fever than 2001.

Anyway. Right now, there's an eBay boycott. You've probably heard about it elsewhere, most doll boards are a-buzz with it. Speak with your heart, your bucks, and your feet, that's what I always think. But I also know that a big corp. like eBay isn't likely to change its tune because some disgruntled users stamp and holler. Fees outrageous ? Move to another venue. Don't like the new terms of service ? Let ‘em know, but prepare to strike the tent. eBay's a business, and they are gonna do whatever they're allowed to do, to generate the biggest profit. There's other auction services out there, and if it's really skitty, Tripod offers free web hosting. It's not like it takes a degree to set up a site - I can barely code italics ! My entire website is cut/paste and pull-down menus provided by Tripod.

And it's not like most doll chat boards aren't already swimming in 50% ‘stuff for sale' or ‘here's my latest teaser, it goes on sale Thursday' waters already. Shoot, Doll Divas requires ya to scroll down a whole page, between the sponsored ads and the ‘preferred designer' crap that's permanently at the top. I'd love to say ‘forget it' to all doll chat boards, but occasionally, I like to feel connected. I just hate the usual BS that goes with ‘em. I've gotten so I can trawl five boards twice a week in less than ten minutes. Unfortunately, that means I know the names of most of the dolls I'm trying to avoid seeing twenty or thirty times...

So anyway. Hope your week was better. Our anniversary and Valentine's day got lost in the misery, but at least my estranged mother remembered to call and add her special touch of angst to the non-existant romance. About all I've done is sleep, and hope I could sleep more. About the only time I've felt good all week is when I was resting almost vertically - if I got too horizontal, my lungs would soon have me coughing in pain and awake.

And, please. Get a flu shot, if you haven't already. I don't want you in this much pain, ever.

Next : Some Toy Fair stuff, if you haven't found it already !

Posted by dorriebelle at 6:58 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:38 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Digitally creative ! 

Rather quiet for a Saturday. Dearest Son performed a pop star-level trashing of his room this morning - resulting in the two of us cleaning and sorting through it all for three hours. His grandparents helped him clean two weeks ago, but it was mostly packing the loose toys on top of the less-played-with toys. I asked them not to do that, because sooner or later, he'd go prospecting for something, and it wouldn't end well, but, well, it didn't end well. It's not like I haven't lived through this exact chain of events before, or know my son at all at this point. (sigh)

 About the only way to clean Dearest's room is to sort, organize, and toss as ya go, that's why it always takes forever. Dumped five full Mal-Wart sacks of broken toys and scavenged two more with outgrown-but-still-good ones to donate. Since we all hate finding junk toys at second-hand venues, you know the stuff I reclaimed is at least fairly decent. Hope someone enjoys all the Winnie the Pooh figurines.

Why the trashing ? Two years ago, amid some yard-sale Lego, I found the three pieces of a die-cast Darth Vader TIE fighter toy. Two years ago, Dearest was unimpressed. Last week, he found two out of three, and the hunt/obsession was on. We found the last piece, a wing, about ten minutes after we started. He wasn't terribly happy about having to continue the clean, but honestly, neither of us could get out of there by then ! It was clean to escape time !

From there, I spent an hour cleaning our bedroom, and three hours washing, drying, sorting, and putting away a mountain of clean clothes. I'm wiped out ! I was lying down, about to sleep, when Beloved told me he'd downloaded the latest Paint Shop Pro, for a 30-day trial. If I liked it, he'd get the upgrade for me for Valentine's.

How sweet ! I'd been whining about our current PSP for weeks. Only problem is, I was up late tonight playing with it. There's a few hundred new filters and effects, and even gradients ! So tonight, you get a simple Ariel coloring page, done in Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 - it's probably PSP 12, a noticeable improvement from PSP 5.03, which is what I've been using. She sort of looks like the old ‘Columbia Pictures' logo - I just can't resist a lens flare. It's on a ‘night' filter, with a dawnlike gradient. Tomorrow night, I'm playin' with transparencies !

About all I did with dolls was peel the pin part of the sunglasses brooches I bought yesterday off - they fit the DPrincesses perfectly ! And wash fabric. I've really got to get to sewin' something already !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:37 PM CDT

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