Current Mood : buoyant

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

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

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Current Mood : Tired but happy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

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

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I'm back !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

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

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Current Mood : Tired and overdrawn at the everything bank.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 6:58 PM CST

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

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Current Mood : Digitally creative ! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

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

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Current Mood : Mixed

Spent on dolls and videotape today : $4.31 

Have ya ever bought anything, then wondered if you were happy about it, or sort of unsettled ? Happened to me today, and I realized that, any time you can say, "Remember when...", you have a connection, even if it's not one you like or want.

Now that the cryptic part of today's meanderings are done, I can try to explain m'self. Got my housework done sort of early - hey, that laundry out on the clothesline isn't gonna dry any faster with me here ! - so I contemplated the day. Simply too wired to sit still and sew. And it was such a lovely day, too, and my beloved Molly has a sunroof...

Ten minutes later, I was on my way to the junk shop. It's a bit of driving, so I only go every few months, but it's usually worth it. Today was no exception. I found a lovely Black Barbie - the first one, too, from 1980 ! Her short hair was so pretty, and I loved her Steffie face...but her chin had a gouge out of it, and her legs looked to be chewed by a possessive Rottweiler. And it's rare to find that skin tone for a replacement body, so reluctantly, she got returned to one of the three doll-filled boxes. A SuperStar Barbie floated to the top, notable because of her apparel. One, she had some. Two, it was a Best Buy fashion of an orange knit tube top matched with an orange gingham skirt. Three, she wore the ‘Fashion Photo' fuchsia/orange/yellow tulle skirt around her neck as a scarf. She even had a yellow plastic ring with a red center, and soft vinyl red ‘SuperStar' shoes.

Well, for $1., I certainly wanted that Best Buy ! And I'd always been intrigued about the 1978 Fashion Photo doll. Owners would pretend to take pictures with a plastic camera that housed pre-made images, and as the shutter clicked, the doll would ‘pose' - shifting her head and torso. Now it looked like I had one, minus most of the props.

Two versions of the wrap-around skirt from ‘Growing Up Skipper' swirled within sight and touch. I'd had so much fun with that skirt as a kid. Barbie could wear it, so could Leia (but that bold red houndstooth didn't look good on her), as could several of my stuffed animals. I once ‘spaced out' staring at it for a while. Good times. I was the only girl who had that particular doll (I also owned the only Ken in the whole subdivision for two years), and she always got passed around and shifted into teendom while a hand almost casually lingered where the bust would pop out shortly. In an effort to save her modesty - although I did it myself, pretty frequently - she never came out of that red bodysuit she came in. You'd think a doll that makes such a big deal about breasts would come with a bra instead of Lycra.

Snagged one, and reached for the other - to find it was still attached. To a Growing Up Skipper ! Now this was interesting. Despite having GU and Quick Curl Skippers as a kid, I never really liked either. In my play, Skipper tattled, got others in trouble, tagged along when her presence wasn't welcome, and was basically a priss - one of the worst things you could call another little girl when I was one. ‘Stuck up' was also frequently levied her way as a character assessment. Always a catalyst, but never a good one, that was Skipper in my youth.

And if there was money for doll clothes back in the day, it went to Barbie - even Ken got new clothes before Skipper did, so she was constantly in the Barbies' closet. And here I held one I clearly remember playing with, along with a Malibu Skipper with a chewed nose. The price tag read the same as the FP Barbie, $1. Do I want her or not ?

I must've stood there like an idiot for five minutes, holding a doll I never particularly liked, but flashing through a short eternity of ‘Remember when...' anyway. I realized that I had a bond with this doll, even if I didn't like it or her. After a while, I sighed, and rotated her right arm. I laughed - if she didn't work, there's no way I'd buy her ! She remained young. Then I remembered. It was her left arm that triggered her immaculate puberty. The shifting plate didn't engage for the first two spins, but it did on the third. Perfectly. A small gouge barely visible under surface dirt was the only mar to the still-perfect rubbery vinyl. She went back to preteen just as easily. I used to make mine jump rope - I was kind of mean back in the day.

She and FP Barbie, a second GU skirt and a fuzzy yellow vintage Skipper coat toured the rest of the store with me. Found some plastic sunglasses pins that had hinges at the temples that should be the right size for the Disney Princesses - five in a baggie for another buck. Nothing but porcelain in the Collectable Dolls nook, located half a store length's away from the bargain Barbie bins, but I found a like-new VHS copy of Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Realized that I'd only seen it once, so it went up to the register, too.

Skipper got cleaned up while we waited for Dearest Son's bus. Aside from the slight chest gouge and a single missing hair plug in the very front, she's darn near perfect. Wish me luck finding shoes for her, though. On her, this Fashion Fever blouse is a short dress, so it shouldn't be too hard to dress her. One day soon, I'll pop her head off again and reroot that missing plug. I remember mine as more of a strawberry blonde, but that could just be an interpretation. Always wondered why she had such a stumpy neck when her sis' was like a swan's, and why her scalp was painted brown when she's a blonde. I doubt this one will solve those mysteries, but it's nice to have her again. And also sort of unsettling.

Maybe it's because now, I'm meeting her anew as I'm approaching the other end of a ‘certain stage of life', and part of me is still thrilled with her version of it - and a bit jealous. But to my eyes now, GU Skipper looks older and more tired than your average tween.  Then again, she was that before the term entered popular useage, so if anyone has reason to be wiped out, it's her. Switching roles constantly at someone else's whim has to be exhausting !

It's funny how sometimes, you have to make your peace with your youth - and the dolls that were in it.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:36 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Lazy. 

I don't know what's with me lately. The day seems to pass by and before I know it, it's time for the bus, dinner, homework, and bed. I've let too many days go by without doing anything. Gotta get moving.

At least I've had some doll fun this week ! Restoring the three I got yesterday was a blast. Late last night, I ‘restored' the Dollar Tree Goth Snow White - mostly arranged her hair back the way it was, retied the ribbon, and gave it a quick brush. I'm sure I saw her at either Dollar Tree or Dollar General, she was just a buck. But since she's a bit over eight inches tall, I couldn't use her costume, and her gaze kind of makes me uncomfortable. Kinda cute, though, but I doubt I'll keep her. Some dolls have a destiny that just barely touches yours.

I'm also about to give up on the Dancerina doll. $30. plus $15. shipping for a nude doll that doesn't work seems a bit high to me. Most of her appeal is that she looks like Timey and Dottie, and I already have them ! I'll most likely keep my eyes open and wait for a deal or find. I was this way with ‘Baby First Step' too, and I never got her. Plus, I can't be too spendy - the Speed Racer set comes out next month or April, and I definitely want a look at it.

So, like this week, not a lot going on. I really need to sit down and sew something - like the mini trench coat I bought that pattern download for ! Don't know why I'm so lethargic lately.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:36 PM CDT

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Current Mood :  Slightly aching wrists from lots of hair brushing ! Otherwise, very pleased with me.

Spent on dolls and sewing today :  $5.37

Not quite as busy a day, but I still managed to squander most of it ! Before I knew it, Dearest Son's bus was on the way, and I'd promised to take him shoe shopping. His once much-loved Transformer ones were wearing out fast, and his feet were uncomfortable. For him, six months is about the right life for shoes. He's usually fast on his way to outgrowing ‘em by then, and the lights or other gimmicks don't work well anymore.

The saleslady couldn't have been nicer. She gave me a coupon and Dearest about 30 Lightning McQueen stickers - we got Cars this time. Found a few pairs I liked, too. Maybe later.

For giggles, I decided to hit the thrift about a block away. And that's where I found Aurora. Now, you can get mad at me if you want - I kind of am - but a few months back, I gave away Cinderella, for a toy drive. And now, here I am, dragging another Toddler Princess home...but I just couldn't resist. She was trapped in a baggie with a goth Snow White (photo later) from Dollar Tree and a floppy soft-body Dollar General doll with the worst case of hair frizz I've ever seen. But for some reason, I just had to have Aurora. Maybe it was her Elizabeth Taylor-level violet eyes...

Of course, her hair was a mess, and she was a bit dirty. It always amazes me when the doll's hair is wrecked, but there's still strings from the packaging attached to their clothes. Beloved Hubby commented, ‘You don't want them when they're perfect, ya know." He's right. That was part of her appeal - she needed me to be beautiful again. So after about a half-hour of  brushing and a few minutes of bathing, she was back to her original lovely. It almost seems as though she had two layers of hair - soft and shiny on top, the frizzy stuff beneath. I was lucky that the ‘ribbon' pulling her hair into a ponytail was actually her original headband. And I've pretty much decided to collect ‘em all when I find ‘em second-hand.

It's funny, because I originally only wanted Belle, back when she was listed on eBay as a Park exclusive. But the rest sort of grew on me. I've been subtly eyeing that Tinkerbell one at Mal-Wart over the last two weeks. She was out a couple years back, and I semi-regretted not getting her then. I think the main reason I've been able to resist is because she's new ! Plus, they all have the same head and body molds - only eye color and hair color and style changes. Main difference between Tink, Cindy, and Aurora is costumes - they're all blue-eyed blondes. But Playmates does a good job, they all have different shades of blue and blonde. And I still want ‘em all ! Provided I find ‘em in someone's yard sale or thrift store.

After getting Aurora settled in, I turned my attention to the wild-haired Gi-Go Toys doll. Not a lot of information about them - there's a ‘Gigo Toys', but they seem to be more science-toy than doll oriented. And frankly, she's the doll you've seen a few hundred times at thrift stores - inexpensive vinyl head and limbs, understuffed soft torso, cheap eyes, wild hair. Yet, I felt I needed to clean her up, too.

Her hair was beyond my skills. So I soaked the matted mess in the bathroom sink and used a sample size pouch of conditioner on it. Not recommended - unlike human hair, synthetic locks will never absorb the oil, and it'll dull, could attract bugs, and possibly even eventually destroy the strands. But it was either condition or trash her, and I hate to waste a good doll. She was mostly pristine, except for her hair.

About an hour later, I had a really nice doll ! Her hair was drying, it was smooth and shiny, and I put it up the way the rooting pattern suggested. Beloved couldn't believe it was the same doll. Dearest christened her ‘Baby Leia', and bore her off to sleep next to his baby, who is now named Luke. So the doll no one wanted is now a princess, and I hope she likes it here. At least she'll have plenty of company in the Lab when everyone's gone out for a while. All three dolls were in a bag for $3. Cheeep fun !

And I have something to hunt for, now that yard sale season's coming back ! I also found some tiny lace, maybe about ten yards of it, still on the cardboard bolt, for $2. I can always use tiny, inexpensive gathered lace ! This stuff even had TG&Y price stickers on it - it's been quite some time since I saw a TG&Y, even though my second-hand haunts yield stuff with their stickers frequently.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 2:36 PM CDT

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