Happy 2010 !

 

Current Mood : Excited !

Current Image Notes : Here's what I sewed yesterday ! Yes, her top is a former sleeve, mostly just hemmed and stitched into a tube. I'm gonna add straps soon, since it looks so low. But hey, I sewed ! 

 

Today's sole goal was taking down the Christmas tree. It's silly and I know it, but I still hold to that old ‘bad luck to take down the tree until New Year's Day' superstition. Oddly, I don't do the ‘eat black eyed peas the first day of the year for luck and money' one - maybe that's why we're broke every winter ! I keep forgetting to buy them.

 

Had to fix a string of lights that went out after the dogs knocked the tree over earlier. I was amazed I found the spares - checked in three different locations, but I got ‘em. Now the whole string works, and the spares are now stored in the first place I looked ! Yeah, tree light strings are dirt cheap - especially right now ! - but ya'll know me, I'd rather try a simple fix first, and if that works, it beats buying more, even if it does only cost pocket change for new. Heck, our tree is older than Dearest Son. Thanks to moving and various apartment paint jobs Beloved Hubby did years ago, at one point, we had four trees, all left behind from previous tenants. We chose the best one, and that was back in '99. It was stored in the IL's garage when we were on the East Coast, and it was ours again in '02. It's now nearly traditional !

 

So that's done, I just have to move it all back into the garage. I secretly sort of relish breaking down the tree every year, since it can't help but be in the way for a couple weeks. Still, storing it reminds me that the holiday is over, and it's time to put up new calendars for a New Year. I got a small ‘seascapes' one for the Lab - no Disney Princess, for the first time ever ! -  from the Target dollar section, and two freebies from chain stores. Never did find a car-themed one for Dearest, but he never really cared for calendars anyway.

 

Hope your celebration was fun. We mostly ate chips and watched TV. And I sewed !

It's a special joy, to clean up the Lab after getting it good and messy from sewing. Embroidery tends to make other rooms messy, especially if I have to iron fabric or stabilizer, and saving all the thread bits for that ornament keeps that picked up. Not so regular sewing - I got bits of scrap flannel everywhere, and threads all over the place. I still love my new desk. Hope to embroider something tonight, so I can say both machines work great on it. Call it an unspoken goal.

 

I was taping Ion channel's She's Crafty, but after watching several, I'm gonna let it go. While she uses occasional power tools, she acts half-afraid of them, and she doesn't grip them confidently - like she's scared to mess up a manicure. And most of the ‘crafts' are along the lines of ‘glue junk to a magnet. Cool new fridge magnet !'. Today's included ‘buy a small throw pillow, remove stuffing, paint a design on the fabric, replace stuffing, sew shut'. Oookay...

 

Aside from channel surfing and chip scarfing, I tidied the Lab back up, and stored some jewelry findings that've been sitting around outside the box, waiting. Reclaimed a Barbie vanity stool that was in the ‘donations' bag, since I can't find the one that goes with Shinobu's piano.

 

Yeah, I've pretty much decided to donate it all, doll props, too. Well, I'll keep the dolls, though. Even though there's a Flea Market this very weekend, I know Brenda won't want a sack of small props like these. And I like the idea of making someone happy by donating ‘em. I may go over tomorrow, see if Brenda has any new dolls I wanna trade for, but mostly just to get out of the house by m'self for a while. I'll get a photo of the culled pile, though - since I also hope to do some donating afterwards.

 

Then, I can come home to my clean, all-remnants-of-the-cleanout-gone Lab and play for the rest of the day !

 

I'm sewing again !

 

Current Mood : Hopeful

 

I admit it, I am addicted to my glorious Lab floor now, and want to see all of it all the time. Even DC is in on it, and he loves to curl his long white tail along the Little Disney Princesses while he naps. So the donations that are going but aren't gone yet just had to go ! Bagged up the lot, and offered the red mailbox to Dearest Son.

 

Ah, the red mailbox. I found it at a Big Lots in '02, and actually agonized over spending $6. for it for weeks. When it got marked down to $4., I pounced on it like it was wounded prey and I was a starving lioness on the Serengeti. It's just a knockoff miniature mail drop off box, much like the ones outside any post office, but made without any distinguishing marks or licensing from USPS. It's actually a bit outsized for Barbie-scale, but I really wanted it. Looks just like this ->

 

http://www.7gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/f_audiocubes_mailbank.jpg

 

It was so cool, at a corner of the Dream House (the orange and yellow one), that I felt completely validated. Unfortunately, then-nearly-three Dearest Son‘s imagination was captured as well. Can't remember how many times I picked it out of one of his piles of toys - then had to hunt for the hinged door that always fell off. Dearest mastered the use of keys fairly early. I ended up hiding it, and convinced that I'd never find another, tucked it into the sole box of doll stuff that made The Big Move later that year.

 

Of course, it was bound to happen that I found a much more realistic one - in the right shade of blue, with authentic USPS markings - in a thrift store a year or two later. It was even in scale ! I thought maybe it was part of a Mattel playset, but it's actually a licensed collector's item. Who knew there were post office memorabilia collectors ? By then, the red one was deep in the big box o' props, and the new one soon joined it. I had a wash of nostalgia when I found it this week... and then it went to Dearest, who still loves it. As happy as I am about all the space in the Lab now, I got much more than that from this clean-out.

 

And, I actually sewed today ! Of course, it took me half an hour to find and get to KJ's  power outlet - I'd shoved the cutting table over it, and the new desk just didn't have any ‘give' to wiggle with. So I moved things as little as possible and gave it several really good stretching efforts, and eventually got a small power strip plugged in. Even wrapped the foot pedal around the back of the desk, so KJ's wires were tucked away. The power outlet for Brody is much easier to get to, but I think I'll install another small power strip on the other outlet. According to his manual, Brody needs his own direct outlet, and should be unplugged when not in use. So I comply.

 

First I tried the slipper pattern I got online, in junk fabric just for size, but evidently I didn't replicate the squares-only pattern correctly. It came out awful ! But I wasn't too discouraged - I decided to sew something else. Doll clothes ! While I was rearranging the LDPs, I noticed that Princess Dorrie was still in the white and gold gown from the ‘salvage a doll as doll clothes' directions, and that was written up over a year ago. I thought she might be more comfy in some pajamas, so I pulled out a pattern for loose pants. One of several I printed from Doll Shop Deluxe, from several different measurement sets for the same dolls. DSD is such a PITA. Printed these ‘loose pants with waistband' sheets back in Aug. 08, but never used ‘em. No time like the present !

 

They went together well, but I had the usual difficult time with the inseam. DSD loves to print out different crotch lengths, say a short one in front and a longer one in back. The programs says it's to allow for fitting, but I say it's just a pain getting it to match. I can make simple ‘two front, two back, one waistband' pants in less than a half hour if I don't have to futz with matching the inseam. It took some playing around, but I finally got it, and they fit just fine. Look pretty good, too. Since the fabric is so dark, I wanted a simple, light fabric for the blouse, so I used a scrap sleeve I pulled aside for donated Barbie clothes. Yeah, I kinda cheated on it, but together, it looks good, and I'm proud of me. You'll get a photo tomorrow.

 

But again, the reward is more than just getting new doll clothes. I did it ! The desk worked beautifully, having the cutting table at my elbow was great, and I had the room I need to enjoy it all.

 

I think 2010 is gonna be great !

 

PS- Michelle, please pass my condolences to your friend. It's heartbreaking, I know, but I always see it as the finest, truest act of love, to let them go when they're suffering. And, "Hi " to Smidge-chan !  

 

Hard to believe there's a whole new year starting in two days !

 

Current Mood : Crappy

 

Hi, Michelle and Smidgey ! Thanks for the applause, I can use it right now. I was toying with the idea of getting a shot of the pile o' culls and posting it, so now, I think I will. I'm also idly tossing around shooting streaming video of the 'new' Lab, and posting it, too. Hey, I got the tech - might as well use it. And it'll keep my mind off...stuff. 

 

(sigh) We had to make a tough decision today, and as a result, the whole house is depressed. I barely touched the Dollhouse, although what I did impressed heck out of Dearest Son. He thought it was great fun to move the furniture around, and pretend one of his small stuffed dogs lived there.

 

We gave it over a week, but ‘Briscoe' is just not working out. He's marking territory two minutes after coming inside from a walk - and since we fixed the fence, he can ‘go' outside whenever he wants. He still chases DC, and refuses to take direction or listen to any of us. Not to mention how he shreds trash, and even trash cans. None of our family members will be able to house him, so we'll have to take him back to the shelter. We all hate it, he is a good dog, but between the puddles and the cat-terrorizing, none of us enjoy our own home anymore, and it's too cold to expect him to be an outdoor-only dog. DC and puppy Friday get along OK, they even touched noses this afternoon when Briscoe was outside, so Friday is staying...it breaks my heart to send Briscoe back, but he just can't stay here. He'll be moving on tomorrow.

 

In an effort to keep my mind off it, I've been sniping at Clean House ‘winners' all afternoon, since the DVR recorded twenty episodes in four days. It's gotten so, as soon as I see either a baby-in-arms or a pregnant woman on the show, I just delete it. Whining that ‘the baby deserves to crawl / learn to walk in a not-cluttered-with-endless-crap house' when momma-and-daddy-to-be are too lazy /useless / selfish/ clingy to set up (or in at least one episode, even buy) a crib, much less improve their living situation before the poor kid arrives... well, it just doesn't cut it with me. The few people who get all the good things handed to ‘em rarely appreciate it, and the entitlement that waves off of most of these folks in particular just fries my spine.

 

I guess I'm just losing my fascination with the show after seeing one lazy family after another get endless rewards for being too self-centered to take out the blasted trash. At least Hoarders is a bit more real - and the folks get more therapy besides Niecy Nash cooing that all their endless shopping is filling a void in the homeowner's life. Ya think ? I wanna see the ones where they deal with all the women who keep babies and two-year-olds in the master bedroom, even though there's space for the kids to have their own rooms, but Momma cluttered that up with discount clothes and piles of plastic toys. Wanna delve into the psych of that, guys ?

 

I guess having done it myself, I have less sympathy than I should. But I freely admit I'm lazy and self-centered, but even I can roll my big butt into the middle of my mess and ditch half or more of it. Without promises of free furniture or media coverage.

 

Well, since this whole entry today is useless and depressing, let me at least give you a heads-up on a TRU sale - all Barbie, Moxie Girls, Liv Girls, and Best Friends Club doll clothes are buy-two-get-one-free, both in stores and online. Sale runs through Saturday. Not a lot of choice online, and shipping's about $4 - $5. extra, but it might be worth it if you have a store nearby or the site has one you can't find locally.

 

Well, tomorrow's gonna be tough. I'll be glad to have the day over with. Hope yours goes well, but I don't see us celebrating much.  

The Dollhouse has furniture ! And I have a clutter-pile of culled props.

 

Current Mood : Very sleepy. But not getting sucked into Backdraft tonight !

Current Image Notes : Here's one part of the '50th Anniversary' print used on my scarf, the 'Generations of Dreams' doll's skirt, and in her packaging, among tons of other licensed items. Two more parts to follow ! 

 

Got sucked into late-night movies, and didn't hit the hay until 4am this morning. I hate it when I let that happen ! I can kind of understand watching Expired, an uncomfortable indie film (hmf. Isn't that redundant ?) , but I have no idea why I stuck around for a good chunk of Penitentiary. Sure, it ‘s a 70s blaxsploitation classic, but it was simply too raw for me. I didn't make it past the first fight scene, it looked incredibly painful.

 

So, when I woke up at 8, four hours later, I was still groggy and half out of it, but I had some energy - time to sort props ! Finally. This morning, there was a 106qt lidded plastic box, two square recycled Priority Mail boxes, a Dumpster recovered file box, and a large laundry basket, all crammed and stacked up on the closet shelf, each one overflowing with doll props. An hour later, there was the big plastic box and one of the 12gal lidded crates we got for $3. at Lowe's on Black Friday. Crate's only half full, so I hope to get it all in the big plastic box when I'm done with the Dollhouse.

 

I have no idea why they do that with various storage devices. This plastic box can store ‘106 quarts', according to the label. This smaller one is 12 gallons. That one is simply a ‘plastic shoebox, with lid', without any further measurements. So you end up buying what you hope works, knowing full well that if it doesn't, you'll probably keep it anyway, because ya always need a bigger or smaller plastic box. Or, if funds are scarce, hope like heck it doesn't crack before you can return it. There's very little actual Rubbermaid around here. Heck, some of our storage boxes make Sterilite look like the high-quality stuff. And we're still using them.

 

Still, I didn't get rid of any Barbie props I truly loved, and there's about three boxes of stuff I know I'll never use, ready to move on to another space. Plus another of stuff I'll put in the Dollhouse later tonight. I repacked a lot of the smaller pieces I know I'll want later, but at least it's a lot easier to get to now. There's a lot on the Lab floor, waiting for me, and I didn't want to leave bags of props lying around for long. Plus, I'll probably ditch more once I have all I want for the Dollhouse. Oh, sure, I'll keep some props that don't go to a house, especially the ‘skating rink' and ‘café' ones, but I already know how limited my doll time is. I really don't see m'self playing with much more than I'm keeping.

 

Dearest Son liked my sorting - he got a plastic mountain that I think I used for a background prop for one photo. Turns out, it's perfectly scaled for Lego Minifigs ! Another thrift store find, price of 59c still on it, but I'm glad he could use it. He got a couple other small bits, but I learned long ago that anything I give him from my pulled pile, I just end up picking up a few hundred times before I toss it out of sheer frustration.

 

That just leaves the question of where the doll stuff's going. The fabric and big props get donated - but I have a couple outlets for Barbie stuff. Should I give Brenda at the flea market first crack at all this ? She hasn't had anything I've wanted in months. I can run it by the junk shop where I bought some of it, but since I don't want more, it'll be kind of a wasted trip. Or should I just donate and be done with it ?  It may depend on when the next Flea is, but the fairgrounds website hasn't updated since early December.

 

However the stuff goes, it feels good to get it done, and ‘thin out the herds' so decisively. And I got a bonus this time, simply by using the stepstool toolbox. Since I could actually see the shelf this time, I found a Sacagawea golden dollar coin waaay in the back corner. I wonder how long it's been there.

 

So, while I still have the small props to sort, I can do that anytime. I also need to go through all that lace again, since the plastic drawer set it's in is over-packed, but that can wait for a rainy day. Since today marks a week of getting rid of Lab stuff, I think I'll let it sit a bit. And imagine how huge the room will look with all that floor space, once the latest round of stuff's gone.

 

Next stop, Dollhouse !

Lazy Monday, too.

 

Current Mood : Satisfied

 

Today, I was even more tired than yesterday, which is hard to believe. Any five minute span I wasn't actively doing something, I fell asleep ! And when I managed to stir in my stirrups, it was only for short bursts. At least I got all the Lab culls bagged up and out of the hallway and bathroom - except for the cabinet going into Dearest Son's room - and into the garage. Soon as the snow melts, I'll haul the whole lot over to the nearest available donation drop. It probably won't be until Saturday, since we're expecting more snow this week. But at least it's all out of the way - you could hardly walk down the hall without twisting sideways around something.

 

My old desk/sewing surface found a new home. Beloved Hubby set it up as a laptop station, since Dearest Son's desk is perpetually too cluttered for it now. It's in the corner of the dining area, between the kitchen and the table, and Beloved hopes that it'll help keep the table clean. I think anything short of barbed wire wouldn't keep our dining table cleared for long, since everything ends up there within three days of entering the house. It's like a clutter magnet !

 

It's astounding to see all the stuff I'm ditching bagged up and in one spot. There's six Mal-Wart bags of misc., two 13gal. bags, and the huge fabric one. And I'm not done with Props yet. More accurately, I haven't started the Barbie props. I'm not digging in my heels or avoiding it, I simply don't have the energy today. Gonna have to tomorrow.

 

I'm actually glad things worked out this way, since I was free to go out with Beloved Hubby for a while. Stopped by Hastings and picked up Dearest Son's birthday present for next month - I am sooo happy to have that done ! The gift card we got for turning in all those books paid for all but seven bucks of the Wii Nerf Strike Elite game he's been wanting. Sixty bucks ! But it comes with a really clever Nerf gun. It works like a regular Nerf projectile weapon, foam ‘bullets' and all, but to use it in-game with the Wii, you have to remove the firing mechanism and replace it with the Wii remote. No in-game projectile firing at the TV ! Very nice.

 

The marketing's clever, too. Put a couple playable scenes on a kid-based website for free - just make sure to repeat the name of the game frequently, so the kids can get it right for the parentals. Anyway. It just really makes me happy to have it already. Some years, his birthday's a bit thin and last-minute, but not this time !

 

After that, I rode along while he picked up supplies for work and finished a patch job. It was nice to have some quiet alone time, with no TV. We talked about stuff silly and weighty, and I loved every minute.

 

Once home, we walked doggies - Briscoe is still having trouble with DC, so we may need to find him a new home - and settled down to dinner and a movie. Halfway through some Rambo or another, I got obsessed with identifying the Kira doll I keep starting to donate, but never do. It's kind of hard to find a Kira these days, and I liked her...but never really bonded.

 

Hours later, after searching every Kira, Lea, Artic, Peruvian, Korean, Polynesian, Native American, Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese Barbie Mattel every made, I'd about given up. She has the 1980 Oriental head mold, on a 1999 bellybutton body, no earrings, no ring, separated fingers, and a no-bangs-side-part-twin-ponytails hairstyle - and if a Kira had one, she didn't have the others. I thought she might have been foreign-market Picture Pockets Marina, but she lacks any eye shadow at all, and has unusually small eyes for a female doll. But, as it turned out, I wasn't far off, as the Picture Pockets Kira did not have the green eye shadow Marina did. Whew ! It also explained the slight kink in a section of her hair - it used to be a ponytail. Kind of like the useless pulled-straight-back ponytails that are routine for Kelly dolls.

 

I can't really confirm it for sure, since there's very few photos of PPKira, and all of them are small and in-box. I can't tell if the boxed ones have the ponytails part, since it looks loose in them. But the length seems right, and comparing PPBarbie's eyes to Kira's, they're nearly identical, save for color, and Barbie's are a bit bigger. And neither of them have eye shadow or jewelry either. So, I'm gonna declare this mystery solved - and Kira's home for good !

Dorrie's Desk presents : "Hat Trick" !

 

Current Mood : Content and chocolate-filled

Another nice day - ice on the roads melted, but snow on the ground remained, so when the sun hit it, it was such a bright day, your mood was lifted whether you wanted it raised or not !

 

I was more tired today than I expected, so I more or less took it easy. Piled up the loose props so they're ready for tomorrow's planned dig through and sort-out, and put away doll clothes. I've pulled the ten dolls that will be moving on as soon as I get them redressed, and added the miniature Disney Princesses. I already know they're not something I'll play with anymore. Stored some papers and craft misc.

 

Then I tackled the scrap fabric box. It really irritated me every time I saw it. I sincerely thought I was done with the material part of this week of Lab work, so having to go through more really ticked me off. It just seemed endless. Cleared a small drawer in the pattern cabinet and put only the pieces I really liked in there, then saved some especially stretchy pieces for tube dresses, in case the donated dolls need ‘em, then pitched the rest into a Mal-Wart sack inside the fabric bag. I almost pity the next bit of fabric that floats my way...

 

Watched a movie with Beloved Hubby - One Hot Summer - and almost absent-mindedly cleaned off my desk. Fashionista Ken's hat had fallen off and was lying a few inches away, beside Claire. Thirty-two photos and three sets of dialog later, I had today's photo. The flash looked terrible, so I had to keep a steady hand to get the shot without it. I'm getting better ! I also learned that his name is - don't laugh ! - Kendall.

 

Poked around a bit until the phone rang. Dearest Son's grandparents asked if they could have him over tonight and tomorrow, and if we could drop him off. No problem. He merrily packed up nearly all his Christmas gifts, to show them off, and was eager to unwrap one or two more from them ! Beloved reminded me to get the Wii game rental (a day overdue !) and print out my Ship-to-Store order, so we could pick up my SuperStar repro on the way home.

 

And, oh, she's wonderful. I can't believe I got her so inexpensively ! It's taking darn near everything I got to not debox her. It's a mild irony, because of the ten dolls I decided not to keep, two use the SuperStar head mold. No, this one, like the Malibu, I'm ‘keeping nice' - sort of a set of doll bookends from my childhood. A version of the Barbie who started it all, and one of the Barbie I wanted but never got...until I was old enough to buy her myself !

 

I also snagged a half-off box of holiday-themed chocolates, Beloved got a snack he wanted, and we were home in time for half of Blues Brothers and all of the new 3:10 to Yuma. Tomorrow, I got a ton of work - dishes, prop sorting, moving the cabinet into Dearest's room while he's gone. So tonight, I'm gonna eat chocolates and savor a cup of Ramen.

 

Hope your day was restful, too !

"More Floor ! " - the latest Lab clean-out campaign name !

 

Current Mood : Self Indulgent

Current Image Notes : I just felt like DPrincesses, since half of today's culls were DP-related

 

Today started off with a roar - namely Beloved Hubby's. We had no water ! After a flurry of checking fuses and the well pump, still nothin'. So we had to call our absentee landlord who really tried to pin whatever blame there could be on us somehow, but still called a well service company. Hal the well guy was here two hours later, and ten minutes after he arrived, I heard an odd noise in Beloved's Studio. Water ! We hardly ever use that sink, but had left it dripping since we heard about the snow forecast.

 

Turned out the well roof bent in from the weight of the snow, which pressed down on the already damaged switch that we knew nothing about. Hal replaced the switch and reinforced it. We'll make a new well roof soon. I tell ya, running water is magical when you lose it and get it back !

 

We also found out that Hal dug that well, forty years ago. And it's 400 feet deep ! Beloved enjoyed talking to him - my lazy butt was inside flipping breakers and faucets, and reclaiming the living room from Christmas. Called the landlord, so she'd know we were good to go now - and now she wanted to blame the issue on the horses. (sigh)

 

In the lull after the storm, I actually got a bit bored. So I opened up the ‘Generations of Dreams' Barbie, and found several surprises. First off, she was double-boxed. In order to include the necklace, the doll's original box was placed inside a second larger box that included the necklace display, and a second Certificate of Authenticity. Seriously, the doll's original box had its own UPC and item code, both different from the new box information. I also noticed that the printing on the second box wasn't as sharp. 

 

The necklace's chain is actually long enough to fit my thick neck, and I'm wearing it now. The front image is enameled over what feels like tin - or whatever they make fashion dog tags from - and the back is flat silver, with the Barbie signature in pink, and Mattel © 2009 under it in black. I love it.

 

The doll has the ModelMuse body, and includes a plain white platform stand that probably won't work with any other doll body. It's at an odd angle. The dress is actually two pieces, and both snaps on and is sewn on - removable, but you have to cut a couple threads. The skirt has built-in panties, and a full crinoline. The ‘Red Flare' patch on the skirt's front is actually sewn to the package platform, and a lock of hair is sewn to the bodice. Keep good scissors handy if you decide to debox one of these !

 

Her left thumb, on her bent arm, was pinched a bit from her packaging, and for some reason, her hands look rather large. Maybe it's the dusky pink nail polish. Let's see...Nope, I just compared hers to Claire's, and Generations has much larger hands. The bodice was taped to her with double-sided sticky. On both sides and both...well, her bust. It came off the doll much easier than it came off the bodice lining. Light pink strappy sandals completed her outfit. And her silver dot earrings are held in with those safety barbs, so I left them in. Once the ice and snow melts enough for me to get out of the driveway - right now, Molly has snow up to her axles - I'll probably give her away on ITP.

 

The second box also repeats some of the ‘50^th Anniversary' fabric design on the cardboard, so you know I'll be salvaging that ! Possibly also the black with pink pinstripe platform the doll stood on, but I don't see me saving an illustration of the doll I don't want to keep.

 

Plus, in my current clean-out mode, it's far easier to not cling on to everything. Went through the Elphie-and-larger sized doll furniture, and got rid of four benches and a chair. Since I still have three benches and six chairs, I think I can let those go. Eliminating all the furniture cleared off a whole bookcase shelf, so I moved the standing Little Disney Princess dolls there, and... more floor !

 

It also left me with a bit of a problem. The Barbie vehicle fleet used to sort of hide the large doll furniture storage, but I didn't want to hide the LDPs. Relocating the cars in front of the fabric towers didn't look good either. And they stuck out too far. So, I slid the slab closer to the door, moved a box of fabric scraps I forgot about, made sure the door could still swing freely, and moved the cars to the newly opened space. They look a lot more natural next to the castle - it's like a little parking lot over there. Only problem now is, there's another blasted box of fabric to deal with. (sigh)

 

I also started to cull through the dolls and separated out eight that need ‘to go' clothes.

So far, the goal is ten, and from now on, one comes in, two go out - and I have to have an idea of which two before buying the newest one. I finally ran a quick census. 115 Barbie-scale dolls remain, and there's 32 other dolls, from Elphie to the MSBs and Baby Crissy. Much as I'd love to get the count down to under a hundred total, I just don't see it happening right now. I like having several versions of Midge - vintage, Happy Family, Florida, Bedtime, California Dream...I love seeing them all together. Sure, I have three Malibu Barbies, but one's going brunette, and the other two have different bodies. I can rationalize keeping every one of them, so letting ten go is OK for now.

 

I'm considering dumping the six-inch Musical Disney Princess dolls, too. It's another scale I don't need, and while it's been fun to play with them, I doubt I will much longer. So I may put them aside, and when it's time to talk trade with Brenda at the Flea Market, give it one last think-over. But I pretty much already know.

 

That leaves Props, and another look at Barbies, for tomorrow or Monday. I finally figured out what the holdup was on furnishing the Dollhouse. Y'see, I've been hoarding doll props since...well, let's just say much of the collection survived The Big Move of ‘02, and they've been joined by a metric ton more over the years. While I've done occasional thin-outs, the herd has only grown. Once I drag everything out and down, and when the Dollhouse is fully furnished, I have little reason to keep what wasn't used. I didn't want to know how much I've hung on to for so long - or give it away. And I wasn't ready in November. I think I'm ready now.

 

That, and I still don't know how I wanna do the floors and walls, but heck, once there's furniture, what's there is fine. I'll get to play, and that's the point. Right now, I have too much to play with, odd as that sounds.

 

Plenty to write about, though...

Yaaay ! We survived another Christmas !

 

Current Mood : Lazy and indulged

Current Image Notes : Here's my 'Generations of Dreams' Christmas present ! Don't want the doll - but can't wait to tear into the dress and necklace ! 

 

I hope ya'll didn't mind that I just went with a single, lovely image and wish yesterday. I really felt at peace yesterday, and I couldn't put it in words. So the angel Barbie I bought for her dress from the local thrift a few weeks ago said it for me. Ironically, I got her backdrop from the same thrift a few weeks before Halloween !

 

We got about six inches of snow yesterday, and it's absolutely beautiful out there. Since Aunt lives a bit in the boonies, Christmas dinner was cancelled, and we had all day to loaf, relax, and enjoy. Dearest Son had a very nice haul of gifts - I gave him the remote control Barbie car from my dolls' garage that he's always liked, but he's still campaigning for my garish but wonderful ‘ Jem Rockin' Roadster'. Good luck with getting that one away from me, kid. I've wanted it longer than you've been alive ! (grin)

 

He also got another toy I wanted back in the day, got second-hand as an adult, enjoyed, but knew it was time to pass it along - a standing Garfield. I was a HUGE Garfield fan in the 80s, and while I amassed a large collection, I had very few of the thousands of stuffed animals. Just the one $10. sitting Garfield, a small Pookie, a discount Odie, a gift Arlene, and a splurge Nermal, that was all. The one that stood up was about $35., too pricey for my after-school-job budget. But I always wanted it, so when I found one for a quarter a couple years ago, I snapped him up.

 

And, aside from a few weeks of play and restoration, he's stood around ever since. About two weeks ago, I noticed that Dearest had programmed the DVR to record the French CGI Garfield Show, and really enjoyed it. So it was natural to pass the grinning kitty along. He's been tucked under Dearest's arm all day. When he's not running Battle Force Five cars from the TRU-exclusive set along the also TRU-only Hot Wheels Track Pack, loading the Nerf Vulcan, fixing the ‘U-Repair' Wall-e action figure, or ignoring a couple other toys. The Clone Wars pajamas were a big hit, too. But he knew that his Garfield used to be mine, and I think he might actually love it a bit more for that.

 

Well, I can wish for peace on earth, but the battle between DC and the dogs continues. When Brisco sees DC, he gives chase, and we pretty much start from ground zero again. Right now, the hall door remains closed, but DC comes out more often...just never far from an escape route.

 

My Lab's not yet safe from ongoing sort-and-toss either. Today I went through ‘backdrops'. Year or two ago, I went through this insane ‘collect anything useful for doll photos' binge, and I haunted Dollar Tree and the Home Décor Frame-Ready Art section of Mal-Wart for any posters that might somehow work with Barbie scale. And I bought quite a few, all a buck or three at a time. And I used about a can and a half of Krylon matte finish spray (also available at Mal-Wart), so camera flash wouldn't bounce. Any poster, any doll box, any scrapbook paper, any paper doll playset, any calendar image that could work, I wanted.

 

I used maybe ten pieces of my ‘collection', over and over, because those did work. The rest sat, often still in the plastic they sold in, until they got jostled or squeezed by the next find. I'm not sure why or even when that obsession stopped - probably this year, because I wasn't sewing much that needed them. I'm just glad it ended before it got worse. Today, the favorites got pulled aside, the images I know won't work got added to the Donations pile, and it all fit in a much smaller space. Freed up so much space, I could fit the Gene doll case between the bookcases, instead of in front of one,  and move the Little Disney Princesses back a bit - more floor !

 

And with that done, there's only two major categories of clean-out left - dolls and doll props. The biggies. I'm planning on furnishing the Dollhouse while I have the prop tote down, and knowing what I can and can't use for it - instead of keeping everything just in case - will help a lot. I'll probably run through props tomorrow, and dolls Sunday or Monday.

 

Otherwise, I goofed off all day. Napped, played a bit in the snow with everyone but DC, watched movies and the Dragon episode of Clean House - wow, what a witch ! - and just enjoyed the day. I hope your Christmas was just what you needed !

 

Merry Christmas, Ya'll.

 

 

 

I did it ! Well... sorta almost...

 

Current Mood : Very, very tired - but again, excited about tomorrow ! Plus, we're supposed to get snow ! 

 

I gotta start off with a 'thanks' - I really appreciate all the encouragement and praise ! I'm not sure who's more pleased with my 'new' Lab, ya'll or me. It's like we're discovering it together ! And also, here's a confession - my asthma's been really bad since yesterday. I mean, wake up every half-hour gasping bad. If I don't move around a lot, I can breathe, but even carrying one of the crates five feet has me gasping. So I've been taking it easy, and taking my time with lots of breaks.

 

But I can't stay out of the Lab for long ! I want sooo much to have it all done. So today, I started with the fabric. And folding it didn't take a lot of energy. Just a long time. And a couple hours later, with a few last-minute donations, it was done. The eight overflowing crates became four...and a half. (sigh) I just couldn't get it down any further, and I was tired of scrapping so much. Seriously, the recycled contractor's-grade lawn and leaf bag I used to hold the fabric-only donations is not only huge, it's stuffed full, and I can't lift it. So I stored the last ‘keeper' bits in an emptied shoe box on top of the crates. I'll just have to use it first ! Oh, and the white plastic basket on the other crate tower is all UltraSuede. Not getting rid of that, no way ! I'd always intended to just replace the basket when I got it all folded and assembled from the get-go.

 

Still, I can't help but be a bit proud of m'self. Two months ago, the very idea of scrapping half (maybe a bit more) of my fabric hoard was ludicrous. I bought and paid good money for every stray strand of all that, and I wanted every bit ! Two weeks ago, I was starting to see how having less fabric would be better than having too much. Yeah, I spent good money on pretty much all of it - but letting it continue to control me would be a greater misuse of a far more limited resource, time. And it's not like I had to ditch everything - just all that came between me and the pieces I really fell in love with.

 

And, as with most clean-outs, I was inspired all over again, just seeing all I had to use. I'm still not sure how I let it get so ridiculous, but I did, one dollar and one yard at a time. Hopefully I'll have learned my lesson this time. It says something that I haven't been to Hancock Fabrics in months, and they've had holiday sale e-mails every day this month. But after two days of sort and store and toss, I still don't find any sense of loss in missing those sales in me. And this weekend, I didn't have time to notice until Monday that I'd totally skipped the Flea Market !

 

Once the fabric was finally dispersed, and after a movie break with Beloved Hubby, Dearest Son, and the brownies my guys made while I toiled away in my Lab, I attacked the cluttery spots. Turns out there's plenty of room under the desk for stabilizers, the craft tote of sewing tools, and a few other storage boxes. Yaaay !

 

Once the Lab clutter was stored, I got the last box of misc. I moved to our bedroom while furniture was swapped around. Most of it's now placed, but there's a clutter-jam of dolls by the Castle and I still have to go through the larger doll furniture storage and the carpet / backdrop storage areas, but for the most part, the Lab is darn near close to finished. I may move the windowsill dress form / sewing machine collection to orbit the crescent moon lamp. The area under holds the Madeira thread Treasure Chest, but I can still use it to stage doll photos, which would be so cool. I even sat at the new desk and mimed sewing ! Oh, it was so nice...

 

I'm hoping to actually sew tomorrow. Since we're having Christmas dinner at Aunt's house - her first holiday without Uncle - I'm hoping to embroider some fleece scarves for everyone. It's a good way to test out my new setup !