Mood:  cool

Not much going on today - I did buy the second Fashion Fever set, again for the shoes for Aylene. Still, it's a cute set. Hopefully I'll have some time for photos this weekend. Gosh knows I can't spend any more money !

It's really bad. I have all this stuff sitting around waiting for me. There's a floor to make (adhesive tile and foamcore from Dollar Tree), Elphie's bed to redo (foam square from Hancock's on 60% off sale - in March !), and patterns to scan. Too bad I haven't even reinstalled the printer that Brother so graciously traded out for us yet !

The thing is, I'm still rather sick. All this coughing hurts, and I'm so far behind in housework, I'm surprised our kitchen hasn't been condemned. I'd hoped to catch up by Friday, but it ain't happening. All I want to do is sleep, since I'm waking up a few times a night coughing. I should just bite it and see a doctor or at least a 'doc in a box' clinic. There's too much for me to do to still be sick !

The nice seller who sent me the Barbie case with the Midge one I won won't take any extra funds - heck, shipping alone is almost what I paid for the whole thing ! Since they're active duty, I'm going to donate $15. to the Air Force Aid Society as my way of saying 'thanks' for both the case and their service. It's the only way my bookkeeping (WindowsKarmaXP) will be satisfied, and I can enjoy it all.

Still not sure how I'm gonna hang 'em. Don't wanna use pushpins or nails. Or hang them, most doll cases like these are already stressed at the handle - and let's face it, these are over 40 years old, I don't need to push it. I'll probably get some small hooks or clips and balance the bottom on two and the handle on a third.

Right now, all the new acquisitions are piled up. Heck, I just today got the sewing books all in one place ! Gotta do that for the doll books too, they're scattered all over the house right now...

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  incredulous

Few weeks ago, I won a blue 'Midge' doll case. I've wanted one for years. Just didn't know what I'd do with one when I had it, and there was always something else to spend $15. - $20. on. Maybe it was that offhand remark in 'Elegy For My Mother', written by M.G. Lord. It's included in just about every adult-themed Barbie compilation book, from The Barbie Chronicles to Forever Barbie (which was edited by M.G.Lord). I think it was even in Mondo Barbie, but I'm not sure, and my copy's vanished.

Anyway, the author mentions her much-loved Midge doll was laid out spartanly in her original box, because, as a mere side-kick, she didn't have a fancy case. Now, you know I love Midge. The single most expensive doll I own is a brunette Midge. And the first time I read 'Elegy', way back when I was first into dolls, emphatically not vintage or really even Barbie, I knew Midge had her own case. I know, I know, Ms. Lord was merely stating she didn't have one, not that it wasn't ever made. But that little turn of phrase made me really want a Midge case, even before I had my Midge.

And the art was so pretty. All those early Ponytail Barbie cases had such pretty drawings - not over-the-top glamour. The simple lines suggested fun and friends next door. They even came in different colors - I've seen blue, red, and black -  but I really liked the robin's egg blue. And the first Midge case. She looks so happy and carefree.

I had a case when I was a kid. Too young for the 'mod' era, almost too old for the 'Superstar' one, I was firmly a Malibu girl. The case was Pepto-bismol pink, with a floral border and 'World of Barbie Doll Case' on the front. I really liked the blue one better, but the pink one featured a brunette in a blue dress...and you also know how I am about brunette anything. Yup. Was the same way as a kid, too.

It was just a single doll case, nothin' special inside. Learned to spell 'accessories' from the pull-out cardboard drawer. Could never get any doll clothes to stay hung up in there, either, but it came in handy to take a few outfits and a doll or three to where the girls of the neighborhood were playing. I more often took the FriendShip airplane instead - more room inside - but it was nice to have a case that advertised what I was doing that day. If I find another during my yard-sale jaunts, I'll buy it in a blink. Just not worth an extended eBay search and $12. shipping.

Well, it got mailed late and the seller felt bad about it. So she included a bonus - a matching Barbie case ! Same color and everything. Features Barbie wearing Enchanted Evening and Friday Night Date - it really is nice. I was stunned. I never thought I'd have the Barbie one, it was enough to finally have my Midge case ! Eventually, they'll be wall decor in the Studio, but for now, I just keep looking at them. They're both so beautiful...

but I prefer my Midge one.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  celebratory

Got to do a bit of 'me' shopping today. I'm still trying to find shoes that fit Aylene, a Susie doll, so I gave closer attention to some Fashion Fever sets from Mattel. I do have to say it, Mattel's doing clothes in the FF line pretty well. Shirts and skirts are available for just a buck, dresses (without shoes and accessories) for $2., and more pulled together ensembles for $5. and sets of coordinates for $10. There's a nice variety - princess gowns are still out there, but so are cute skirts and tops. Many have a sort of almost-too-short kind of vibe going on, but at least it's not out-and-out (coughBratz) ho-wear.

Some of the other lines, like My Scene, do feature clothes that, frankly, I wouldn't put on my dolls because I don't have slutty ones. Yeah, I still think of 'Bling Bling' when I think of Barbie ho-wear, hope you don't mind. That 'scarf + elastic = blouse' formula really barked my shins. But if you're looking for something new, check out the Fashion Fever stuff. I was pleasantly surprised. Some are 'punk/disco' glam, with lots of glitter and silver, others are soft pastels, others are bold colors of wardrobe basics. Lots of variety, and that's always a treat to see.

I bought this set, called the Sweet Fashion Set (turquoise), mostly for the shoes. Aylene's feet are flat, but they can be angled, so if a doll shoe's kinda flat inside, I can use it. Or if it's really flexible. As it turned out, Aylene could wear all three pairs that came with it ! While the image linked above shows blue sandals, mine were brown. Here, she's wearing the pink pair of shoes...completely unsupported. Yup. She's not leaning on anything, braced against anything, or propped up. She's actually standing, unassisted, in these Barbie shoes.

The set itself is quite nice. There's some bobbles - seams that don't quite match, stripes that aren't straight, loose threads, raw edges - that make me think the quality issues are still alive and well. But the one 'disco' blouse is fully lined, and the 'bubble' skirt shown here is very well made, so I'm not sure. Also a purse pictured on the backs of several sets isn't in any of 'em, which is always kinda fun to see.

Blouses and dresses fit Aylene quite well, but pants seem a bit short in the crotch and big in the waist on her. Well, maybe the pants are supposed to be 'low riders'. Skirts tend to ride low on her hips. Nothing I can't fix with an extra bit of Velcro, so clothes can fit both doll styles, but I thought you should know. Hmm. I really should try some of this stuff on a standard-body Barbie, too. I never did satisfy that 'does it fit older dolls or not ?' question, did I ?

Anyway. The set's well worth the $10. it retails for at Mal-Wart, the clothes are nice and well-made for the most part. Tacky plastic purses can always be ditched or donated...but it's often the shoes which sell a set or not. And that's kind of where I don't know whether to roll my eyes or praise Mattel.

While most of the FF sets come with spike-heel boots, at least two come with lower, more casual shoes. I'll probably buy the other set later this week. I'm so enthused that other dolls can wear Barbie shoes that I wonder if it's part of their marketing plan. I even looked at FF doll feet - they're not like the rather sharp-angled Barbie feet I'm familiar with. But they're not the undefined flippers that Skipper has, either. There's some definition, it's just not as...demanding ? as before.

So, I'm wondering. Did Mattel look at the competition in sixth-scale and work with it, instead of against it like they usually do ? I mean, sure, what if Mrs. Gaidley only buys Fashion Royalty dolls ? If she finds out that some cute new styles of Barbie shoes can fit her dolls, there's a good chance she'll buy some doll clothes to get 'em ! They don't get the doll sale - but at least they sold clothes. And maybe Mrs. G hasn't been in the Pink Aisle in a while. Who knows what she might find if she's there to pick out $5. worth of shoes for her $159. doll ?

Or it could be just luck. Since I'm not into FR dolls, I honestly don't know if they fit these new shoes or not. And we won't get into my thoughts on those Sybarite dolls - heck, I don't even know what scale they are, they put me off so much ! I just don't know whether or not to claim Mattel's genius is coming back, or if it's a fluke.

What I do know is this - I'm looking to spend $20. in Mattel doll clothes. In one week. This is unprecedented. Even when I was in the earliest of my doll years. I'd rather yard-sale or make stuff, even then. And yeah, I didn't really buy the clothes, I bought the shoes that happened to come with clothes. But it's more than I've spent with Mattel in three years. Total. So I really want to credit them with greatness.

And Aylene looks sooo darn cute !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 9:58 AM CDT

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Mood:  irritated

The cheery FedEx guy - same dude who dropped off the new one Brother sent us - was here bright and early at 10:30. So I didn't have to linger 'round the house, and there was tons of stuff I could do at home or out there.

So what'd I do ? Watched a movie, ate some chips, did some laundry, took out trash, did dishes, ate leftovers for lunch and ran a few errands I could on the way to picking Dearest Son up. Basically what I would have done while waiting anyway. I have tomorrow sort of planned - groceries, errands, a nice lunch out, and a little house work - so I left everything the way it was. Didn't do as much housework to day as I should have, but heck with it. I'm still recovering.

Had some rough traffic moments. How could anyone miss a big ugly van, with the lights on and a big harpie like me yelling at 'em ? Because they're too busy fussing with some papers on the passenger seat to notice they just drifted into another lane - where the harpie happens to be ! He waved this sort of 'yeah, yeah' gesture at me - then went back to the passenger papers ! Texas plates, I'm sorry to have noticed.

Then there was the kid who kindly stopped so I could cross the street at the library - and revved his engine just as I reached his hood. It was a nice day, so his window was open. I leaned over and smiled kindly at him. "Thanks ! Tell your Mom I said Hi !".  The solitary upraised car key between my fingers was barely noticeable. Besides, I enjoy acquainting the kiddies  with anticipatory worry...

See how evil I become when I can't sew ? That kid should be grateful I can still at least shop ! :) I could have probably torn a tire off with my teeth !

Got home, and I'd missed one of Son's appointments. So we piled back into the van and tore it across town. Where, of course, I got behind someone who needed better directions, because I saw a left, than a right, then a left signal before they just stomped on their brakes and switched lanes. I let an expletive out. They've been cooped up for weeks !  It's a better idea, I learned in the appointment, to use a word to describe that feeling, rather than a word I might not like Son to use at school.

So next time a harpie in a big ugly van bellows 'FRUSTRATION !', wave. It's probably me !

Posted by dorriebelle at 7:21 PM CDT

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Mood:  a-ok

Well, no one in the extended reaches of Chez Insanity can or will take Tuna. They're sorry I'm sick and all, but... C'est le morte. She's adjusting to nights in the closed garage with fresh chow, and mornings with the garage door opened enough for her to traverse. She deserves better, but right now, it's all we can do. Second Chance is packed, and she's not going to a pound. Until we can do better, she's still our Tuna, and we will care for her.

And now that weather's improving, I can sit outside with her for a few minutes in the morning. I rather enjoyed that today. Watched the sun come up while Dearest Son slept and Beloved Hubby'd already left for another longer-than-full day of bread-winning. Once I purchase a few cans of mosquito repellant - not much chance of forgetting, I &*%$ing itch ! - it'll be even better.

Felt stronger today, so I sorted laundry. There'll be time to put it away tomorrow, I gotta linger 'round the house for the FedEx fella. They're picking up our lightning-speared Brother mulitifunction, and of course, there's no way of telling when they'll be here. And goss knows there's plenty of housework for me to catch up on while I'm waiting ! Got a few small errands to run tomorrow, so I got them ready to go, too.

I'd thought to sew, but before I knew it, the day was over. Still haven't installed the new multifunction, so I couldn't print anything anyway, but it would have been nice. Too much work to catch up on first, though.

Hope your weekend was relaxing and restoring.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  don't ask

...after two months of me being anywhere from 'horribly ill' to 'barely managed sick', we came to the obvious conclusion. It's not the weather, or the humidity, or the dust. I've been sick since we moved, and the only thing that changed was that Tuna became an indoor cat. And I am still allergic to cats. No matter what the climate.

This was more-or-less proven today, when it was so nice out, Tuna spent most of the day in the front yard. And my wheezing and gasping and coughing almost completely cleared up. Now, we're talking a major one this time. Quite frankly, there was a point Thursday night when I wasn't sure if I was gonna see Friday morning. I've coughed so hard, I've thrown up, and tore the hernia from my c-section. That, my friends, is some real pain. I haven't been eating - choking hazard - so I'm pretty weak, still. But for the first time since Tuesday, I can breathe.

Beloved Hubby suspected this, and spoke with his parents Thursday. They agreed that I couldn't go on like that Friday, and would pick Tuna up today. Ultimately, though, they decided that they didn't want to create problems with their older cat, so they didn't. It's not safe for Tuna to be out at night - that's when she got into fights last month, and came home hurt - but my asthma is worst at night, as well. Although it's been explained that Tuna makes Mommy sick, Dearest Son, who occasionally throws small Lego bricks at her, said he'd just keep her in his room. (sigh)

So we did the best we could, and put Tuna in the garage. She sure as anything didn't want to go, and I feel guilty on top of everything else. And I get to find her a new home while I can't let her in the house anymore. I'm trying not to be upset, but I'm kind of at a loss here. I'll probably have to call Second Chance Monday. I'd hoped to find her a better home than that, but I'm running out of options.

I feel like crap for abandoning Tuna, but I can't take another asthma series. I've had maybe a week of sleep since we moved that didn't include waking up at least once, gasping for air. Tuna deserves more than a garage, but I just don't know what else I can do right now.

So, on the whole, it's not been a good day. D@mn 'Midge' case I "won" two weeks ago hasn't shown up yet, either. (sigh)

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  celebratory

Got off the phone with Brother electronics a few minutes ago. You may remember a couple of weeks ago, our house got hit by lightning, and it fried our two-or-three-week-old Brother Fax/Printer/Scanner combo. While the phone co. was mostly at fault, they didn't do a d@mn thing about it, and we had to buy a new modem, they wouldn't even help us out with that.

Well, I decided to get off my round rump today and tried to install our printer. After two hours of spinning wheels and nothing happening, save for having multiple copies of 'Printer Lexmark' on the system, none of which worked, I halted the whole thing and did some research. Yeah, I really should have done that first.

Turns out our X75, which was still being sold on the shelves of stores around the world as recently as a year ago, has drivers that aren't compatible with Vista. And Lexmark has deemed the unit 'too old' to justify new drivers. I even used their 'live help' who basically typed the same thing I read on the site, all 'company policy, check back later, and maybe...' BS. I wrote them, saying how disappointed I was, having to toss out a perfectly good printer that I really liked, just because they didn't want to invest a few minutes in prolonging its life. If I had to go get another d@mn printer, it sure as all &*%$ wasn't gonna be a Lexmark !

Kinda sucked, too, 'cause we don't have the $$$ for a new printer, and I'd just bought a new ink cartridge about three weeks before we moved. I'll clean it up a bit and donate it, it's still functional. Probably leave the ink cart in, just to be nice.

Did some more research, and while the price for the Brother one went down a bit, it still was more than we had. I found their service 1800, and decided, 'What the heck, it's not like I'm gonna be out anything more than I already am' and called. I figured there might be a fuse or reset switch that might help, and with nothing to lose, why not ?

A lovely young lady listened to my tale of woe, and I hated wasting her time, and told her so - it's not like the lightning was their fault. She put me on hold for less than a minute and came back with the startling news that they were sending us a new one ! I couldn't believe it ! She said that, by the serial number, we couldn't have had it more than a few weeks, and they wanted to see us happy with it. Wow.

So, they're FedEx-ing us a brand new one, and we send the old one back in the same box. We don't even pay postage ! I was reeling. After the frantic buck-passing we've had to deal with via the phone company and surge surpressor manufacturer, it was frankly unbelievable that a company took responsibility for anything, much less events that weren't their fault.

So, as today ends, we still don't have a printer, but we will soon, and I know to avoid the you-know-what out of Lexmark - and buy Brother whenever I can ! And I'm either catching cold or I'm having a horrible series of allergies - the only thing keeping me awake is having to blow my nose ever thirty seconds.

Beloved Hubby was quite proud of me, and bought dinner. Thank Everything. I feel absolutely miserable, pretty much beyond cooking anything more involved than microwave hot dogs. Couldn't even eat what he brought, but his effort made me happy.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  a-ok

You'd think posting my laziness publically yesterday would have motivated me off my butt. Nope ! Got all the groceries put away from this morning's safari - three stops to get all the deals ! - and did a load of laundry, but the rest of the day got spent either sleeping or staring at a screen.

Hopefully *this* is enough of a spank to get me going tomorrow !

Posted by dorriebelle at 9:33 PM CDT

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Mood:  chillin'

Today I spent two hours puttering and cleaning the studio. Considering I  haven't *made* anything in nearly a month, you'd think cleaning wouldn't be necessary. But I always vacuum, and my cleaning was mostly putting the new acquisitions - chairs, doll clothes, dolls - away.

I'd also dragged stuff out without putting it away, so that had to be done. I'm still contemplating what to do next with it. I need to just go in there and sew !

I seem to be stuck. Haven't reinstalled the printer, haven't put Doll Shop Deluxe back up, much less fed in all the measurements and rescanned the patterns I did just before the old computer got fried. I'm doing some housework, but not that much. Anything I can start is long and involved and leads to more stuff to do, so I'm reluctant to start any of it. But I can't hang around the computer all day.

At least, when I finally get off my duff, the studio'll be nice and clean !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  energetic

Still on a doll spending spree. Bought four 'Summer Cruzin 66' dolls at Dollar Tree today, among other things. The dolls...well, the best thing I can say about 'em is that at least they're not blow-molded. But they are absolute crap. One I bought has a foot a full 1/4" lower than the other. Somehow, they managed to attach the leg that way.  Another has an eye decal that missed the eye blank by about a half inch. Unique look that doll has.

Their clothes, however, were mostly nice. Of the set of twelve, conveniently pictured on the back of the box - wish Mattel still did that on their clothes - most were nice, summer shorts outfits that were pretty enough to be worth the buck. The remainder were clearly 'kid fantasy' dresses. So, there's something for everyone. The blue floral-print dress was nowhere to be seen, but the same style was there as a white knit with colorful stars - I liked that better ! A white blouse sporting a red print was teamed with a fluttery black asymetrical skirt - it would have been nice, but the skirt was made from the world's cheapest nylon knit. It was fraying in two places before I even finished taking the doll out of the box. I'll probably take it apart to use as a pattern, I can't salvage it.

The other two were blouses with knee shorts. The blouses both had iridescent circles of hologram bits on them, a frequent feature in this line. On Aylene, the shorts fit fine - but had to be undone for her to sit - and the shirt was big. Aylene's chest isn't as...enthusiastic as a Barbie's. Fake fly and pockets were stitched in, fairly well. Maybe two outfits - a denim-look dress and an orange blouse - were too badly sewn to fit well. I could tell from the way the clothes hung in the packaging, and so would you. Check hems and stitches if you decide to buy ! And be prepared to write off the shoes - the're tiny ! I got one pair to fit a standard-body Barbie, but there wasn't enough shoe heel to come over Barbie's heel !

Also scored a three-pack of self-adhesive linoleum, in a small wood-texture print. I'll attach it to a piece of foam core, for a floor. Also found a bamboo placemat that'll also make good flooring. Now that I have plenty of backdrops, I'm working on floors ! Oh, and those chairs I bought three sets of ? I rejected the remaining three, for being scratched and dented. They're gone now ! Somebody bought 'em !

Nothing at the local thrifts. Every year I hear how right after Christmas is a great thrift time, people are looking to clean out space for all the new aquisitions. I haven't seen a doll at the thrifts since I bought Christie, and she'd been there for nearly a month. I actually do better at Dollar Tree and yard sales.

I guess it's funny that my 'big doll spending' yesterday came to $7. and some change ! I just feel wealthy. Last week, at a yard sale, I found a large, pretty clock for $2. Works great, and I removed the drug ad text with nail polish remover today. Drug companies put out some nice stuff. It even has a 'sweep' second hand.  Looks great in the studio, too.

Not a lot else going on. I got a good night's sleep last night - thank you ! - but I could really use a nap !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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