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Dorrie's Doll Diaries
Friday, 22 June 2007
Repair box Friday
Mood:
 a-ok
Now Playing: "Amarillo By Morning", George Strait, from the MP3 player.
Not much 'doll' stuff today. Dug into the 'repair' box today for a short project. Not enough time to sew today. Fixed the table Beloved Hubby made Elphie (it's pictured on her page). One leg broke during the move. At least it was a clean break, just needed glue and some pressure to set for a few minutes. It's as good as new now. Doesn't even wobble. I may use it for a photo soon, but I still seem to be dragging my rear. Not that there's much time. Hubby's still sick and needs me, and the house went to total h#ll when I was ill. Spent two hours today cleaning the living room, and I can tell you, it was desperation time in there. Same for the dishes and laundry - those always pile up fast. I'm hoping that, once I get the home & hearth whipped back into shape, I can do some 'me' stuff again. Of course, the only thing stopping me from doing the fun stuff is that, when we have to step over drifting piles of laundry and iceberg-like formations of dirty dishes to get to the Studio, I feel vaguely guilty. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get the rest of the kitchen and the floors done. Then I can settle back into everyday housework - and that leaves me some time to have fun. If I don't squander it all on the computer !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 12:01 AM CDT
Thursday, 21 June 2007
Shopping and sorting Thursday
Mood:
 chillin'
Now Playing: XM 80s- 'I Can't Wait', Nu Shooz
Beloved Hubby, while improving by the day, runs out of cough surpressants tomorrow. So, while Dearest Son was in school, I got to make a supply run. Just an hour prior, I'd gotten the latest Hancock Fabrics flyer by e-mail, so I hit them, too. I love their $1. pattern sales. I have waaaay too many patterns because of it. I should be shot for even looking at more, but there I was, at butterickpatterns.com, seeing if there was anything I wanted because they were so cheap. Heck, where else can you get $34. worth of anything for $2. ? I also scored a 'trim grab bag' (leftover ribbon) for 25c, down from their usual (outrageous, IMhO !) $2. I don't often mess with their grab-bags anymore. They used to put 'em in shopping sacks you could at least see partway through, but our local one now uses completely solid ones, so you really have no clue what you're getting. Now, for 25c, I'll take a flier on one, but for $2., it's too expensive. I mean, for $2., I can usually get something I've picked out that I like. The $1. fabric remnant ones have just about vanished. A buck for five or ten bits of material I could go for ! But it's not like I need either fabric or trim anymore. That said, the grab-bag I bought has two nice jacquard ribbons that'll make elegant obis for kimonos. I've been meaning to remake those for both the Barbie-size and Crissy ones I've made. They're both white, one has a rose design, another has a diamond grid one. There was also a length of white with gold seam binding, a super-stiff 1" wide grossgrain, and a green wired ribbon with purple flowers printed on it. I've been known to de-wire ribbon when I need to... So, for a quarter, it was a pretty good deal. For $2., I'd feel rather ripped off. I bought two patterns, but they were both 'me' patterns. I either have or don't want any of their doll patterns. Heck, 90% of doll patterns out there now are for American Girl and clone dolls. There's a 99c Simplicity pattern sale coming up, but I've already hit simplicity.com, and there's no doll or 'me' patterns I want there either. So I won't have to go next week ! Unless I get bored...Hopefully, we won't have money enough for me to get bored ! Also got the household supplies we needed - including a Lunchables for Son (I think he wants the cheesy Transformer toy more than the pepperoni pizza - or at least, it's a dead heat between 'em), and a package of my long-wanted rice crackers. Yup, the grocery next to Hancock's had 'em, and I've already consumed the whole package. Aaaaahhhhhh... I also (sigh) bought a fabric remnant. Just an 8" wide strip that I think will make a nice Fiyero (Matt O'Neill, Tonner) shirt. It was only 69c ! If it gets me off my butt and into the studio, it's cheap at thrice the price. I need to make something, bad and soon. I'm starting to linger at the Barbie aisle lately...And while I don't make Fashion Fever cutting-edge clothes, I do like what I make, and at least I'll finish my edges (most of the time) ! Especially now that Aylene (Susie) has enough shoes for a while, it's time for me to switch back from 'consumer' to 'creator' !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 8:57 PM CDT
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Doll Shop Deluxe arises triumphantly from the grave of Vista !
Mood:
 celebratory
Now Playing: "Stuart Little" - Beloved Hubby bought the DVD set. Lucky me...
Before I forget - Lindsay, there's a reply to your message below. Darn, but I didn't know she'd removed the pattern. I never got a chance to try it out ! Oh, well. I wish her luck with eBay ! Things are going better at Chez Insanity. I'm on my third (of five) loads of neglected laundry washing, and Beloved Hubby slept about six hours last night. It's the most rest he's had in over a week, closer to two. I got a decent night's rest, too, and was so energetic, I decided to try LivingSoft's advice about getting Doll Shop Deluxe to work. They wrote me over two weeks ago, but I've barely checked my mail since Hubby got sick - I knew the message was there, just didn't have time to do anything with it. And you know how your mind fuzzes and won't make sense of words sometimes, when you're tired ? That, too. Turns out that my Install Shield had a quirk, and that's what was halting the DSD install. A quick fix was enclosed, and now DSD works better than ever. I was really impressed and happy they'd researched the problem for me - let's face it, I didn't, and it really wasn't their problem ! - and solved it. I kinda feel bad about being such a brat about it. I should have researched it myself, but I just *knew* it was their issue. This is me, feeling very, very small... Now I just have to reload about 12 dolls' measurements. Luckily I print 'em off when I get a good fit, so it's not like I have to do all those measurements again. It takes over an hour to measure a doll, and that doesn't include fittings, remeasurings, and adjustments. But I really need to get sewing again, before I get all nervous about it. Gosh knows I got plenty of everything sitting around waiting for me ! But right now, it's the laundry that has priority. It's embarassing how long some of it's been waiting to be washed. At least it isn't as bad as the dishes were !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 12:42 PM CDT
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Summer at Chez Insanity...
Mood:
 lucky
Now Playing: "Caddyshack" - for laughs.
Ready for some irony in your diet ? Finally got out for some 'me' time today, while Dearest Son was attending Summer School (more like 'happy fun time school' to him !) and Beloved Hubby was resting. He's doing much better ! :) Anyway, here's yer daily dose of irony. Ever since I got out of the hospital, I've craved rice crackers. Albertson's has 'em in their 'Oriental' section (no joke, that's the way the aisle reads) and they are so tasty. But Alb's kind of out-of-the-way for us, so if I wanted rice crackers, it'd be up to me to get 'em. Well, today was the day ! And - wait for it ! - they were completely sold out. At both stores. All that was there both times were shelf pricing labels mocking me, saying 'If we had 'em, they'd be right there.' I did find other rice crackers, for twice as much, so I bought 'em. They taste like crap. About the only good thing about 'em is that I can probably get a few cute joke photos of some dolls remarking how large the sushi is. So stay tuned. It's been a while since I went 'me' shopping. So I thought that maybe the places I hit - Dollar Tree, Dollar General, a thrift store or two - might have new stuff in since the first of May. Nope. It was like time and stock stood still everywhere. Only rice crackers have sold. The Goodwill has managed to get junky *and* expensive at the same time, and their store's so packed fulla crap, it's difficult to walk around in there. No dolls of any type, of course. They did have a Barbie-size doll house for $20., but it was in sad shape. It looked sort of like this -> http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_11/602-6061645-7465437?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000AQD69G , but had a broken curved plastic roof, and some structural pieces were lying around on the various 'floors', couldn't really tell where they were supposed to go. Maybe it had an elevator, but I still think that one metal pole in the bedroom wasn't there for transportation. Possibly entertainment, but not movement beyond that. I gave it a close look, but it was too damaged and confusing for me to buy. Decor colors were rather garish for me, too. I already have a Mattel castle to repaint that I only paid $5. for - I don't need to shell out $20. for another project right now. So I came home and put my few grocery purchases away, and started picking elastic off a yard-sale bra while waiting for Dearest Son's bus. Maybe this weekend I'll jaunt to that junk shop - I still want a Malibu Barbie to reroot as a brunette - and prowl amidst their scattered, but plentiful, offerings. Since there isn't much else going on, I think I'll poke around the patterns, maybe reinstall my backed-up ones, or rescan the three that were lost when the computer bit it in March. It's 90 degrees out in 89% humidity, so as long as I don't have to do it outside, it doesn't matter much what I do ! Man, I am soooo spoiled...
Posted by dorriebelle
at 1:29 PM CDT
Monday, 18 June 2007
Monday ends...thank Everything !
Mood:
 smelly
Now Playing: "Shrek" - again, Well, some stuff doesn't change, ever.
Beloved Hubby's still not well, but he saw a doctor and has new prescriptions. Hopefully, these new ones will work better for him. He's been able to sleep a bit already, so my fingers are crossed. It feels so weird to be the *healthy* one around here... Unfortunately, that's been the highlight of the day. I did get to prowl the Barbie aisle, but there's not much there. Have you see the new Birthstone dolls ? They use the classic - and my favorite - Steffie mold, and they're quite pretty in pictures. I'm hoping to see a 'live' one in the harsh light of retail soon. While it's definitely the Steffie head, it looks sort of 'My Scene/Bratz' style to me. So I really need to see one close-up before I decide to buy. Too bad I've only seen 'em on doll store and eBay pages so far. Oh, and I did get the Midge and Barbie cases hung up. Two hooks support the bottom, and a cup-holder-type hook holds the handle. This way, they're supported without stress on any one area. I really like the way it looks. Still saving for that white version of the Pepto-pink 1968 case I had as a kid. After that, I'll probably have enough Studio 'decor' to last me for a while ! Maybe eventually I'll actually go in there and *sew* something !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 12:01 AM CDT
Sunday, 17 June 2007
Happy Father's Day ! (especially if you're a Dad !)
Mood:
 lazy
Now Playing: XM 71 - Watercolors, some light jazzy stuff that's putting me to zzzzzzz.....
I have to admit, the Dad of our house, Beloved Hubby, wasn't well today. Still, he pushed himself through some work today, and is hopefully asleep. I'd join him, but one of my prescripts requires me to be upright for 30min after taking it. It was a quiet Father's Day 'round here. Much as Mother's Day kinda got neglected because I was sick, so too was Dad's Day. I mostly cleaned the beyond unhealthy kitchen while he worked and got the piles of neglected dishes washed. Found out that, when I selected that 10lb bag of potatoes, I somehow got Pirates of the Caribbean spuds. Yup, there was a cartoon image of Capt. Jack Sparrow on the bag, along with a lame recipe featuring Goofy, and a food pyramid illustration with Mickey Mouse. Never heard of 'Disney Garden' vegetables, but clearly, they exist. At least the tubers didn't taste like Mouse...although I might not have minded a buttered, cheesy bite of Depp... Looked around for some more freebie patterns, but didn't find any. Gonna have to roll up my sleeves later this week and dig. There are still some Vogue and McCall's patterns in print out there, and if you live near a Hancock Fabrics or Joanne's, or any other pattern-bearing craft store, it's a good idea to get on their mailing lists. It's how most of my $18. patterns only cost $4.75 or 99c. Also, most crafters know about the 99c sales. So those $20. McCall's rarely get above $3. plus shipping on eBay. All pattern companies have online catalogs, so you can see if there's anything you like before hunting in earnest for the best price. All that said, I'm still gonna see what freebies I can find again. I swear, our old computer got taken out three months ago, and I still stumble over a loss from it every few days. Still haven't gotten Doll Shop Deluxe to even load on the new Vista-based computer, although Livingsoft says it should. (sigh) Even after I told them precisely what problem I'm having, and their own site doesn't mention Vista at all... Well, I'm getting sleepy - warm ham on sourdough toast sandwich will do that to a girl ! - so I'm out. Hope your day was warm and wonderful !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 9:36 PM CDT
Saturday, 16 June 2007
Nearly a month (and a few more trips to the ER later)...
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: XM 80s- 'I Feel For You', Chaka Khan
Ya'll must get really tired of me vanishing after a week or two. I keep meaning to write every day, but sometimes intentions and life just hit head on without helmets. You may remember that I recently had surgery to remove a big ovarian cyst. Then I had to have surgery again when the suture opened back up. The first go-round, I was found to have some reduction in my heart's ejection factor - it's a problem I've had since Dearest Son's birth - so I was put back on several prescriptions, most of which I'd had before. It cleared up most of my breathing and what I thought were asthma issues, so when my staples were removed that first time, I was so glowingly healthy, I nearly danced to the car. Then the suture split open that night, and I was back in the hospital via ambulance to have it closed up. I know psychologically I was unprepared for such a reversal - and it was scary as all h#ll to see my stomach opened up like that !! - so I thought at first that my moping around after I was discharged was mental. And temporary. Then I started feeling exhausted all the time, and unfocused. Then I started coughing, all the time. Sometimes so hard, I'd either throw up or have to race to the bathroom. I coudn't eat much, for fear I'd choke or aspirate, or barf. Between the coughing, the pain of staples *and* stitches on the second go-round, and the not-eating, all I wanted to do was sleep. And even that hurt. Finally found a doctor taking new patients. I'm bad, I know it, I didn't have a regular doctor because I didn't need one. Dearest Son had one, of course, but... Anyway, he delivered the shocking news that one of my heart medicines was the culprit ! About all we could do was substitute a new med for the bad one, and wait for the old one to dissipate from my system on its own. But, slowly and surely, I was coughing less, focusing more, and sleeping only at night. About Monday of this week, I felt almost normal. Wednesday, my staples and stitches were removed, and I could drive without pain. What a relief - and I was feeling pretty darn good ! :) Luckily, it was just in time. Beloved Hubby came home Tuesday with more than a touch of heat exhaustion, and we found out that it was on top of bronchitis ! And yes, it did feel weird driving him to the hospital, instead of him driving me. He's resting, and hopefully, he'll feel better by early next week. Honestly, I was darn scared for him Thursday. Getting him to a doctor is almost impossible ! I still creep in on him while he's resting, to make sure he's breathing. Dearest Son, of course, is wonderfully healthy, and is home on Summer Vacation. So you can see, I haven't been *near* my dolls or the studio ! Maybe next week ! I'd love to hit a few of my doll haunts, but we're too broke from med bills, so I'll enjoy what I have for a while longer. Speaking of enjoying the less-expensive things - Lindsay, there's a link to a free Tyler pattern on Elphie's page. I made the white with green dotted-swiss sundress from it. Here's the link - http://donnernblitzen.tripod.com/ There's free patterns for Gene, Barbie, and Tyler, too, and she's a great person. If you sew one of hers, be sure to drop her a note - she loves seeing what we do with her patterns ! Here's Elphie's page for reference - https://dorriebelle.tripod.com/id28.html (modestly) There's also some tips on pattern-free peasant blouses and sock shirts on the main site - linkies !! Peasant Blouse - including a photo of Elphie's - https://dorriebelle.tripod.com/id30.html Shirts you can make from socks ! - https://dorriebelle.tripod.com/id30.html I lost some links for other patterns and ideas when the old computer got taken out by lightning a few months ago - so I'll try to find some of those for ya. I think I remember some, and I can probably find the others ! I do love a challenge ! Well, Hubby's awake and folks want food. See ya later - if it kills me ! Just kidding....
Posted by dorriebelle
at 7:08 PM CDT
Updated: Saturday, 16 June 2007 7:33 PM CDT
Friday, 25 May 2007
Quiet Friday
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: XM 71 - Watercolors
Not much going on, as usual. Figured out why it hurt so much to drive when it doesn't hurt to sit, say, at a computer. Can't really do much about it - if I sit the painless way in the car, I can't work the clutch - but at least I can adjust the seat while I'm waiting for Dearest Son. Only a few more days of school left ! Read doll magazines and thought about the weekend. Doubt I'll be driving anywhere, so I'm thinking of staying home and working in the Studio. Beloved Hubby says I can order the next case I want for decor in there - a white version of the 1968 Pepto pink case I had as a kid - but I feel bad about it, as I haven't hung the Midge and Barbie ones I got a few weeks ago. There's also piles of new acquisitions sitting around that haven't been stored or used yet, so I think I'll play with those. But once those are hung, I'm getting that other case ! :)
Posted by dorriebelle
at 12:01 AM CDT
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Beloved Hubby said something really interesting today...
Mood:
 d'oh
Now Playing: people and traffic and 7-11 sounds
I was whining about my stitches hurting - let's face it, I don't have many other topics of conversation anymore ! - and Beloved Hubby said something I'm still pondering. He told me that one of the reasons I'm having so many problems lately is because I never learned to be gentle and careful with myself. I expect too much too soon, but only out of me, and I don't often let myself rest unless the pain or need is too great to ignore any longer. Well, shoot. Never thought of it that way before. But heck, I wasn't my parents' favorite, and I'm their only child ! I'm used to being last considered, even in my own mind. I thought buying $20. worth of Barbie clothes last month was being nice to me, and it was more than I deserved ! I'm still thinking it over, and we'll see where it goes. That errant owie stitch is still buggin' me, but it's not as bad as it was. At least I didn't need half a pain pill and a three-hour nap as soon as we hit the Chez Insanity doorframe this afternoon. Still not much going on that's doll-related. I can't bear to have anything near my tummy right now, so I haven't been out shopping...plus the bills from all this have begun to roll in. Eeeek. I'm hoping that I can at least hit a yard sale or three - or maybe even see what's at TRU ! - this weekend. Like I told Dearest Son, who was having a rough day today, it helps to have something to look forward to, and focus on that when things are tough. Even if TRU doesn't happen, the idea might just get me off my rump tomorrow ! PS - Happy Star Wars Day tomorrow ! Thirty years ago tomorrow, this low-budget little space-opera movie opened in theaters - with industry folks expecting George to be editing it one last time in the projection booth !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 4:12 PM CDT
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Pain, pain, PAIN, Pain, pain...
Mood:
 don't ask
Now Playing: "Small Soliders" - ancient VHS, again.
Sorry - today's MOTS (More Of The Same). Follow up appointment went well, and as expected, nothing was removed. They said I'm healing well, and there's no sign of infection, which is what everyone's worried about. A reopened suture is a hotbed for that, and it's very dangerous. Finished in time to talk to Billing and get Dearest Son from school...but for some reason, one of the few stitches that never has bothered me is mega-painful now. I darn near exploded when I sat down in the car, and was honestly wondering if they'd tightened the stitches somehow. I know they didn't, but why did it hurt so d@mn bad now, when it didn't an hour prior ? Oh, well - follow-up in two weeks. School will be out by then ! :) And I lost two pounds since the last visit. Toughed it out, though, and came home to the glory that is half a Lor-Tab and a three hour 'nap'. It included several Lego-based reinactments of events chronicled in Small Soldiers from the amazing mind of Son and the memorable soundtrack crash of dozens of multicolored plastic bricks. Yeah, not a lot of rest there. But it was his version of 'Entertain Mommy Theater', and I appreciated it. He even wrote me a 'get better soon' note at school, and you *know* that's going into my memory box ! Who says live theater is dead ? I think it helped - the pain is now in occasional waves, where it was constant when I lay down. Our sweet son... Got the grocery shopping done earlier, and bought a fat-quarter package of several luxe green fabrics - a sheer pale green with gold stripes, a slightly darker green with silver iridescent dots, a medium green stretch velvet, and a slightly darker raw-silk piece. The package said 'six pieces', but as you just read, there were only four. At least I got it on a decent markdown. Looked at the dolls, not much new. I've discovered that 50c/can generic beef broth with spaghetti noodles boiled in it is delicious, so I bought several more cans. Also some angel-hair pasta - it's fun to eat, and cooks faster, too. Son has a Transformer Lunchables for Friday, and he's so excited. He had a balloon - bright orange ! - from the bank tied to his booster seat waiting on him, and he's happy. Well, dinner's needing to be made. Don't worry, Beloved Hubby either does it or we have easy-to-make stuff. He wants me to heal more than he wants meatloaf ! Hope your evening is pain-free !
Posted by dorriebelle
at 9:02 PM CDT
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