Mood:  bright

Having a little more trouble connecting to the Blog Builder - nothing like earlier this week, but it's still a bit of a pain. So let me get this done quick, before there's more problems !

Tried the Fiyero (Matt O'Neill) polo/golf shirt pattern today. I completely messed up the collar and the extentions all by myself. Not the pattern's fault, and I know where I bit it. Here's the proof -

Shirt body itself fits great. Sleeves are good, and the shirt goes together well. I didn't do the collar right - I misunderstood some directions, and by the time I understood, and resewed it, the fabric had torn and become unstable. I also didn't quite have the front opening extensions right when I sewed 'em, so that's something else to work on !

Luckily, I got lotsa fabric, even if it looks like Fiyero here's short on patience ! This particular bit was from a box of rags. One of the joys of my hubby's job - he gets these rag boxes on occasion, and I plow through all twelve pounds within, looking for the occasional treasure. They're mostly ripped t-shirts, but I often find lace, elastic, designer labels, and nice material.  This wasn't as nice, but it was polo/golf shirt fabric, so I decided to give it a go.

My fledgling PaintShopPro skills are hiding a bit of an oil spot on the front I didn't see during cutting. But it's not like I'm gonna keep this one - it's not even hemmed. I'll work it again tomorrow, and once I get it right, I'll be glad to share the creator's name - since the error on this one is mine, not hers, I don't want to put her good name on my bad sewing.  

I like this pattern. And I can't wait to get it right !  Wish me luck tomorrow !

Posted by dorriebelle at 8:20 PM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 9:41 AM CDT

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Mood:  happy

It's still kind of funny to me. Spent the last two weeks, if not all of August, getting ready for Dearest Son's return to school. It's already over, and I'm the one wandering around wondering what to do next !

Well, today, I sewed. But in order to do that, I had to organize and store all the patterns I've used - I knew I already had a Leia Pants pattern, but darn if I could find it. So I popped in an old MST3K tape (Castle of Fu Manchu) and got everything sorted and stored. That's a job I've put off for weeks. It's a lot more fun to print and sew and go - not much fun sorting all of it out ! 

I also got to use the tiny brads I bought from Dollar Tree. Those worked out great ! May go buy 'em out tomorrow, Leia's outfit used six and I only had 25 black ones ! Finished photo's on the Barbie page, but here's a close-up of the blouse...

Not too bad. Wanted to try a new 'Dr. Girlfriend' costume for Elphie, one that looked a bit closer to the real thing. Was playing with the lapels in Leia's size, and printed it out for reference. Out of boredom Tuesday, I went ahead and worked it up. Skipped the collar, and it's too short for a dress, but it's darn cute as a blouse, especially with matching slacks.

The brads were so much fun. I put one in at the top corner, then measured Leia's hand with a sliding ruler. Rounded it off, then measured down from the first one, marked it with a pin, made a small hole with the seam ripper, and treated it with Fray-Check - this fabric frays easily.

Once dry, I just inserted the brads, clipped the long ends, and folded 'em closed. Done. Since the blouse is supposed to have a lapel, the brad edges don't get near Leia's chest - there's two layers of fabric (the other side facing) between brad and...well, bust. Two hidden snaps keep it modestly closed.

Sure, it's not much like the costume. But I like the design anyway. It looks sort of futuristic !

I'm thinking of trying Fiyero's golf shirt tomorrow. Wish me luck !  

Posted by dorriebelle at 4:05 PM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 9:41 AM CDT

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Mood:  don't ask

Sorry again - this time it ain't my fault ! I've been trying since Sunday night to get in to write ! All the stuff I wrote in Word to transfer in here is so out of date, I won't waste your time with it.

But here's the rundown - Dearest Son started school. After wrestling with school admin and lunchboxes, everything went just fine. He's adjusting well, and the much-ballyhooed Cars lunchbox arrived today. Parking and pick-up/drop-off is a freak-out fest, but I'm getting acclimated. Long as I have a book and my $25. MP3 player, I'm fine. Why spend big bucks on an iPod ?

Printed out a pattern just for giggles - I mean, I had no intentions of actually *sewing* my Leia doll a Dr. Girlfriend costume. I was mostly playing with the lapels, so when I make Elphie's lavender one, I'd know a bit more how to get those right.

Well, today I sewed Leia a kelly-green Dr. Girlfriend outfit. What can I say, I love green, so there's tons of green fabric around here. It's a bit short, right at her hinder without the hem I haven't sewn yet, so it'll end up as a blouse. But it looks good, fits well, and I think she looks gorgeous. Still have to finish it up - hem, brads, snaps -  but that'll complete it, so I'll post a photo then.

Fact is, I'm still adjusting to Dearest Son being gone all day. Although we got on each other's nerves sometimes during the summer, it's awful quiet with him at school. I can barely get motivated to do much beyond watch old MST3K tapes, so sewing Leia's Dr. G costume today was a welcome change. I was thinking I might start back up with my old service project, dressing dolls for charities, but there doesn't seem to be much call for it now.

I'd go back to work, but since Beloved Hubby's started advertising his new business, and Son's in school, I'm on phone and chauffer duty. Guess that's work ! 

So's that kitchen, and it hasn't cleaned itself yet. Guess I'd better get on it. I'm so happy I finally got to Blog !! Missed you !

Posted by dorriebelle at 5:05 PM CDT

Updated: Tuesday, 22 August 2006 5:13 PM CDT

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Mood:  incredulous

I mean, it's beyond ! OK, so last night, Dearest Son's favorite ball merges with the infinite, and I promise to take him to replace it today. Off we go to the Mart. And...there it is. The elusive, impossible to find Cars lunch kit. The *exact* same one we ordered yesterday, the very one he wants ! What the heck, we'll have a spare ! It's the only one, too. 

So, joyfully, we get the ball and take the stuff to the scanner. Lunchbag won't scan. OK. So I take it to the CSM counter, and she checks it. And tells me that, yeah, it's only $5.88, but she can't sell it to me.

WHAT ?! What in the freaking - why not ? She doesn't know, just repeats that it can't be sold. I take it to the service desk, and get the same crap. Not one amongst 'em knows why, but there's a box of 'em in the back, and they can't sell a one.  Please remember, I've been trying to find lunch boxes for over a month, and aside from some dusty Superman ones, this is the first child-themed one I've seen. I've ordered the same exact one online not twelve hours prior - so what's wrong with it ?

If it can't be sold, then why is it on the sales floor ? And what's so horribly wrong with it that, if I buy it, something dire will happen ? If I put an egg salad sandwich in there, will the freakin' thing explode ? Or are there hidden lasers in the headlights, or tarantulas in the lining ? If something's been recalled, there's gotta be a reason !  Is it a threat to the Republic ? It is a mystery...

So, after dealing with an upset Son, we buy the stuff we're allowed to, and leave. I called back for the manufacturer's name - of course, they took it away as soon as they decided it was in my best interest that I not have the mysteriously dangerous thing - and call them directly. Of course, Zak Designs (www.zak.com) has no recalls. Their products are lead-free, always have been, and have been subject to numerous safety tests for the last 20 years. During the 2005 lunch-bag lead recalls, Zak's were consistently found to be safe and usable, and their products weren't amongst the ones cited by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

I call the nice lady at the online company I ordered from. First she's heard of it, too, and her son's carrying the same lunchbag ! My order had already shipped, and she was down to her last few. So she calls her rep - who told her that, for some reason, the Mart decided not to carry any PVC lunchbags. So they have all these highly in demand lunch-carriers in the back, where no one can buy them, and nobody knows when or even if the Mart's gonna return them so they can be sold elsewhere.

Now, a quick aside. We DID buy a PVC lunch kit, at the Mart ! Had to have something until his Cars order arrived. It's made of the exact same stuff as the Cars one, and it's also bearing a 'Lead Safe' hangtag. The sales rep hypothesized that the Mart had some sort of whizzing contest over Zak Designs, and refused to sell their products, instead deciding to hold them until no one would buy 'em. I mean, how many lunch boxes does anyone buy in October ?

The Zak kits are also 'Lead Safe', and I believe Zak and my seller. It is ridiculous, but that's the Mart for you. I'm seriously considering shopping elsewhere from now on. I mean, we're poor, but why support a company who can keep product off the shelves just to make a rather random point ? If they're not gonna sell soft-sided PVC lined lunch kits, fine - but don't sell any of 'em ! It's bad enough they don't pay employees crap and expect distributers to starve so their stock goes up 2c this quarter - but refusing to sell things that are in stock, that people need, for no dangerous reason is beyond expectation. Maybe they should stop selling eggs - what if that horrible sharp shell gets into my eye when I'm making breakfast ? OMG !!!!!

Who'd have thought that a d@mn lunchbox would be such a difficult purchase ?  Or I'd have to play internet detective over such a darn mundane thing ? I mean, crap, I used to be a reporter, but this is stupid. What, is it Mart's policy to not tell their employees anything, so they can't be debated or answer questions ? It's just a *&%$ lunch bag ! 

Things to consider... 

Posted by dorriebelle at 3:59 PM CDT

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Mood:  irritated

Ever have one of those days - when the best thing you did all day was go into a room where no one could see you ? I swear, there's times...

The room thing was part of Dearest Son's therapy.  There's a two-way mirror between his therapy room and where I was, so I could observe without being seen. And, as expected, he did much better without me there. He wasn't as distracted, and didn't claim tiredness or that his finger hurt. He did as asked, and did very well. I'm proud of him, but sometimes it bothers you, as a parent, when your kid does a lot better without you... 

I may have touched on how hard it's been to find Son a darn lunch box (lunch bag, lunch kit, lunch whatever)  - geeze, all we had was hard plastic containers, all identical save for the laminated picture on the outside and the screen-printed matching Thermos on the inside.  Tonight, we surrendered and bought one from an online dealer. And the store we normally shop never had any lunch-whatevers in stock. I mean, none. I found two hard-box Superman ones, but that was all. 

Anyway, we finally ordered it, and it'll be here the day after school starts. Oh, sure we could have overnighted it - for $38. additional ! Forget it ! I couldn't help but wonder where all the 'kid' lunch-thingies were. All I could find were generic ones that teens or adults would carry. I couldn't find so much as a darn Dora one.

And I wondered if there was an eBay factor at work. One Mart worker said she knew a woman who came in and bought 36 soft-side Superman ones, saying they were for a birthday party. Wow. Lotta cash for goodie bags ! Kinda sucks if speculators cleaned out this whole darn town of lunch-totes just to make a few bucks.

I mean, there's tons of lunch-gizmos on eBay. Why aren't there any on store shelves ? Is this what we've come to - you have to buy everyday things from sellers halfway across the country because some yo-yo pirate wannabe bought all the ones in your local stores ? Yet another reason to avoid eBay, if that's what it's coming to ! 

And yes, after chasing around half of yesterday and part of today trying to find a lousy &%$#@ lunchbox, I haven't gone near the sewing machine.  It's hard to make it worse...but the person we were told would be Son's teacher, isn't. So this new woman is, and she didn't have time for us to discuss his issues with her, she was too concerned with chatting to talk to us. Every year, I come so (*%$#@ing close to home-schooling... but from what I saw myself in therapy, I know I'd be crappy at it.

But there's times I freakin' wonder - would I be any worse than the school system has already shown itself to be ?  

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  accident prone

(sigh) Mondays. This morning, as Beloved Hubby vacated the terminal to get ready for work, the monitor suddenly lurched off the stand and hit the keyboard. The $70. Microsoft Natural keyboard. Sheared the little easel stands on the back of it right off - of the four pins, no two of them broke the same way. Nothing really damaged, though. Monitor's back on, more securely this time, and the keyboard is still usable, if flat. In short, a typical Monday morning in Chez Insanity.

Posted the 'bra cup' jacket photo on the Barbie page, with Leia modeling. I'm seriously considering doing the 'Barbie and the Bra' page now. Just gotta find another bra to take apart on camera.

Hit another inertia bubble, and opted to trawl eBay instead of sew. I think I'm getting a little apprehensive, now that school's gonna start up soon. You gotta wonder about me, I spent most of summer wishing it'd hurry up already ! I worry about our Dearest Son, and what school will be like for him this year. I confess, I don't remember much of my younger years, which is probably a blessing. High school was only mildly kind to me - all us 'nerd girls' banded together after the misery that was Junior High. We weren't popular, but at least the hazing was at a minimum, as there were so many of us.  

Anyway, eBay. Hit one of my favorite auctions. The one where the doll is coyly posed with only arm showing, with the seller confiding that he or she knows 'next to nothing' about Barbie dolls. He or she does know, however, which type of Midge doll this is, that her swimsuit is the wrong color for her hair, that the toenail polish is mostly a memory, and that there's no  chews, missing hair plugs, green ear, or neck splits. And he/she's priced Midge at exactly what the current pricebook says she's worth. Wow. Imagine if the seller actually *knew* what he or she was selling !

I know, it's a ploy. Fully half the dolls up for new homes on any self-auction site are sold by completely ignorant folks who somehow manage to include the parlance of the collectable and offer it not at a yard-sale bargain-bin price, but what the going values are. That way, when someone buys it and finds that the doll lacks a left arm, the seller can say, "Honestly, I didn't know it didn't come like that from the factory. It's up to you to notice the arm's not there in the picture ! I don't know nothin' 'bout no Barbie dolls !" and try to get away with it.

Vocabulary word of the day : Baka. Japanese, means idiot. Baaa-kaaa, two syllables. It has a very satisfying bite in it when spoken. Baka baka baka.  

Got the grocery shopping done early today - still have to find DSon a lunchbox. I found what was probably the last Herbie: Fully Loaded toy in the county, a wide-body soft Herbie with plastic tires that revs and screeches  when the top is pressed. I wrestled with it a bit - yeah, Son would love it, but it was noisy, and do I really need to feed his Herbie addiction ? I sighed again, and into the cart it went. After all, I didn't need to feed my fabric addiction Saturday, but I did. Of course, he loves it, and has thanked us a few dozen times for 'new Herbie'. Yep. Worth it.

Not a lot else going on. I may do a new 'portrait Barbie' for Son's speech therapist. Long time ago, I gave him a Hasbro Maxie doll, but he's not interested. It kind of resembles her, I'd just have to cut her hair and make a custom t-shirt bearing the center's logo. Simple enough, scan the brochure we have, use some of the iron-on transfer sheets we have. It's a thought.  

I'm thinking of making something, now that dinner's over and evening approaches. Gonna start getting Son adjusted to school hours, not that he's been sleeping in much these last months. To get him to class on time, he'll have to be up at 6:30am, though. This is gonna be fun...

Sleep tight tonight.  

Posted by dorriebelle at 6:52 PM CDT

Updated: Monday, 14 August 2006 6:54 PM CDT

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Mood:  a-ok

Sorry this one's late. Beloved  Hubby came home, got on the terminal, and stayed there ! Let's pretend it's still Sunday for a few minutes...

Kind of a busy day. Decided to get Leia's 'Poncho' pattern from the toysrgus.com site, line and bleach it for a new one. Went straight to 200% increase - it worked, was simple, and came out right, long as I studied the photo for seams. But the finished item was...not good. Looks like they used a stiffer felt for a reason. My cotton blend looks like something worn in those horrible Guantanamo Bay photos...and for everything that's holy, don't make it in white ! That hood is...evocative. Yikes.  

So, next time I'm out, I hope to score some felt. Needed some anyway, for the Monarch costume I want to make Fiyero (Venture Bros.). Hancock Fabrics sells it by the yard, although I'm hoping to avoid going over there for another week or two. 

After that, I was cleaning. Ugh. But cleaning the 'studio' is kinda fun, and this time it paid off a bit. Usually when I rend a yard-sale bra down to component elements, I toss the cups. There's not much fabric, and even when it's pretty, that particular area usually shows frequent wear and has pilled. During last month's 'Bra Fest', I took apart one lacy, odd-shade-of-fuschia brassiere - and for some reason, the cups didn't get tossed like normal. They ended up alongside the 'Scrap' bin. Played with one a bit, and before long, I made a cute lace jacket from one !

*Very* easy. Took me longer to wind a bobbin than it did to make the jacket.  Even had thread to match. It was from a cheap "20 Tiny Spools for $1." assortment that I got on sale for 69c (99c store going out of business), but that ten yards was more than enough. After re-sewing the hem (removed earlier to get at the elastic), I simply sewed a straight line two inches up from the bottom edge and an inch or so over. Done ! Leia's modeling on the Barbie page, if you wanna see front and back views. It fits a Barbie better, but I just can't refuse Leia these days !  

Just wish I knew what size that bra was. I imagine that a smaller size wouldn't work for a Barbie doll. One day, I really will have to do that 'Barbie & The Bra' page. Just for kicks. Did you know that Ruth Handler, the debatable inventor of the American Barbie, also created and marketed breast prostheses for mastectomy patients ? She would joke in interviews, when the reporters wanted to talk Babs, that breasts seemed to always be in the center of her life. Her products and designs, called 'Nearly Me', are still in production today.

And, after that, I leafed through an old Doll Reader magazine. I'd bought a good-size lot of 'em off eBay a while back. Found a subscription card with a color DR cover, so I made Elphie her own magazine. Cut the back - card wasn't big enough - from a doll ad response card. Looks pretty good, and the shiny tape gave the cover a glossy look. 

So, busy day. Still lots of cleaning for me to do tomorrow. Think I'll treat m'self to some Goldfish crackers... 

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  lazy

Sorry if I made anyone worry. Not sure what it was, but after the Flight Suit Challenge - which isn't quite over yet, I wanna make another one in *good* fabric - and finishing the 'Leia Red' fabric, I hit such a wall of inertia. I didn't wanna do anything. And I succeded admirably. BTW, inertia feels like Jell-o. A mostly-solid, quivering wall of Jell-o. In case you weren't acquainted, I feel you should know of this. 

Now, usually when I go on these little breaks, I catch up on housework or family stuff. Nope. Didn't do that, either. My only major accomplishment between Wednesday and Friday was that I ate an entire bag of Goldfish crackers. By myself.  I got dishes and doll stuff everywhere. Enjoyed the #ell out of those Goldfish, too.

And what did I do today ? Went out and blew $5. in fabric ! (sigh) I guess it had to be done to get me off my rumpus room. When I went to the last Hancock Fabrics' "half-off the wall" sale, I fell in love with this fat quarter. Striped, would make good male doll clothes. Didn't get it, as I'd already burned through $10. in buttons, snap fasteners, and Fray-Check. But I thought about it. (and, guess what, HF has another 'half off the notions wall' sale next month. (sigh))

Since that's one sign I truly want something, I made plans to buy it today. After errands. Found a lovely green/blue striped fabric bolt at W-Mart (had to return some school supplies bought in error when I grabbed the wrong list...but it's not too bright to have a school with the same name as the county, guys !), and got half a yard for a buck. Off to Hancock's.

They were having a massive one-day sale, and were busy. They still had the fat quarter...but on closer examination, I really didn't like it. My mind thought the stripes were sharper, and these were varigated. Not what I wanted after all. Looked around some and found some gorgeous corduroy - half off. Snagged half a yard. Then I found some delightful 'space age' material...probably too big for dolls. But since when does that matter to me ? I usually 'test' prints by wrapping them around two fingers (Barbie size skirt), three fingers (Elphie skirt), or four fingers curved in a bit (front half of a Fiyero shirt). It'd be great for Fiyero, and possibly cute as a Leia skirt, I thought...so that came along, too - half-price is my buddy !

Well, I got it home and found I didn't get the discount on the space fabric. Not worth the buck to drive all the way back to get it fixed. I'll just have to remember to double-check the cutting table receipt next time. Got it cheap-serged and in the (also neglected) laundry.

Found out something interesting. If you take your fresh-from-the washer fabric and iron it dry, it's as crisp and nice as if you hosed it with spray starch.  I'm sure this won't work with all fabrics - the two I did were cotton or cotton blends - but it came out nice on both. You can see the space fabric on the Barbie page, made into a yoke-bodice dress for Leia. The lavender behind her will soon be used as Elphie's second 'Dr. Girlfriend' (The Venture Bros.) costume. 

I also tweaked the 'Barbie' page a bit. No new images besides Leia's, but some are in better focus, others are combined now. I really need to get some better photos up there - shoot, half the dolls pictured, I don't have anymore !  

Not sure what I'm doing tomorrow. Besides the kitchen ! Scanned in an old Doll Reader pattern for a 14-inch Mary Hoyer doll that might work for Elphie. Been meaning to try that one. I'd like to make the 'space age' shirt for Fiyero, and try his polo shirt pattern - I've had it for several days now, and haven't touched it to even scan it yet. There's also this tie-front blouse that fits Elphie - it came in a Barbie lot, not sure why I kept it - I want to take it apart and make a pattern from it, so I can post it on the main site.  I really should write all these projects down and get with 'em...

But, if you listen real close, you can hear the Jell-o, calling to me. It knows I'm tired, and I can hear its siren song. It knows I liked inertia. And that I'm too weary to go get Goldfish crackers. So eventually, I'll surrender... any new doll clothes around here are only a temporary victory over the lazy that is the Jell-o wall...and now I smell the 'red' flavor...

Kinda sucks that inertia doesn't come with whipped cream. 

Posted by dorriebelle at 9:46 PM CDT

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Mood:  bright

...the red fabric I've been using for Leia clothes is completely used up. Decided, on a whim, to make her matching shoes. I easily found enough for one shoe. Really had to play with the bits and pieces to find enough for the other. Just barely did.

Making easy slip-ons is fun. I use the directions - loosely - from this site : http://www.snsdolls.com/pattarch/dollshoe/shoemain.htm . I play with the fabric, make a paper version of the basic shape, then cut out four 'uppers'. Two uppers for each shoe get sewn together on the inside, and at the back. It's usually pretty tiny, so I hand-sew the cut edges of the back down, and Fray-Check the outside raw edges.

 After that, I trace the doll foot onto some fun foam, with a little extra for seam allowance. Cut two sets of 'em. Once the F-C is dry, I hand-sew the uppers to one set of fun foam soles, frequently fitting it to the doll, trying to get the gathers at the toe right. Then glue the other fun foam soles on, sandwiching the uppers between foam soles. I like to clamp 'em down while the glue dries with clothespins, but you can also find fun foam with adhesive on the back. 

Right now, I'm waiting for the Fray-check to dry. I may add a bit of heel to these, just another half-sole layer of fun foam. I'll be sure to add a photo once these are done. You can see an early effort using the same procedure on Crissy - the navy blue shoes she wears on her page.  

Oh, and while Hancock's was having its half-off sale, I saw something interesting - a cutting board cleaner. It looked like an abrasive disc with a handle. Supposedly it sands and evens out rotary cutting mats, but at $13., I gave it a pass. I only paid $10. for the Fiskars matt I use nearly every day ! 

But it did get me to thinking - is there something similar around here ? Not really, most of the stuff Beloved Hubby uses is pretty abrasive. I did find out though, that a simple, cheap gum eraser can lift out some of the imbedded fabric bits. And that some of the spots on my board aren't fabric - I've completely cut into and removed some of the board surface ! Guess 'self healing' can only go so far in the last four years.  I may 'color in' those spots, so I can avoid 'em. They make the rotary blade skip. 

Well, wish me luck on the shoes !  

Posted by dorriebelle at 4:07 PM CDT

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Mood:  irritated

Quiet day, coming down off an I-Did-It ! buzz that lasted until I fell asleep. I'm still kinda jazzed about the whole Flight Suit thing. But it's not as wild a high as it was last night. Whew ! Don't think I could have sustained it much longer anyway. 

It felt odd, throwing out Prototypes 1-3.1 this morning. Really, there's nothing I can do with them, nothing I can salvage that I'd want. Unless I want to memorialize my failed attempts (and the website's home page is already doing an admirable job of that), it doesn't make much sense to keep 'em. But the pattern's been stored in the computer and I'll soon make more of them. With some good fabric !

For today, though, I took it easy. At least with the doll stuff ! Had a ton of dishes and laundry that needed my attention, just like I do every other Monday. Used up the last of that red fabric to make Leia a gathered skirt, and finished my test run of that altered Fashion Doll Fun blouse. It looks cute as a jacket over the skirt, too ! Maybe I'll add the photo later.

Also bought two packages of scrapbooking 'brads' - remember those usually brass-colored 'buttons' with prongs that fastened papers together ? Well, they make those tiny these days, for crafts. I thought, what if I cut a tiny slit in a doll outfit, treated it carefully with Fray-Check, then inserted the brads as buttons or decor ? If I cut the prong length and either use it with fabric covering it or where there's a facing between prong and doll, there wouldn't be a risk of scratching, and they'd make great buttons ! Cheap, too - the ones I got were at Dollar Tree, 25 to a package. I got the classic black and white sets, but I'll be going back for the other colors. The Fray-Check works fine, and if the prongs are covered, it shouldn't damage the doll. Prongs clip easily, too.

These brads are so tiny - I think they're about the same size as the 1/8" buttons I bought. Darn buttons were half-off, and I still paid $1.20 for only ten of 'em.  So 25 for a buck is great. I think you'll be seeing some brads in action soon. And I'll look around the scrabooking sections more often !

Got the last of Dearest Son's school supply list - made W-Mart price match a Target ad and saved us a quick $7. I still don't get why one school's list is fifteen items and $20. while others are ten and $8. , when both schools are in the same county and system administration. I was lucky this year, his was one of the less-extensive ones, and we had half of it already.

Pre-registration for school was such a pain - we never received a document the admin dept. was supposed to have sent us for it. Not that we knew we were supposed to have said document...(sigh) So I get to chase around with this again tomorrow. I swear, they must lie awake at night and figure out how to make this a torture every year. I'm not even gonna get into what happened last year. All I know is, all the cash, supplies, and help I volunteer every year has about been bled out of me.

I think I need to go back and play with Leia some more... 

Posted by dorriebelle at 9:27 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 7 August 2006 8:28 PM CDT

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