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Dorrie's Doll Diaries
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Hannah Montana and Bratz, oddly enough.
Now Playing: "That's All", Genesis, local radio

 

Current Mood : Wistful

 

Celebrated Dearest Son's return to school - and my return to my self-centered ways while he's away ! - by doing about what I've done every year since his Kindergarten. That is, I went grocery shopping, then came home and took a long nap. My breathing's still not the steadiest, and most exertions, even minor ones, make me gasp for a few minutes. It's still better than yesterday, though.

 

In any case, asthma's always worst at night, when yer body's already slowing down. So I haven't been sleeping much. And Dearest's ‘you gotta know all about this toy car/ Lego/ movie-based scenario I'm imagining, Right NOW !!' enthusiasm doesn't give me much ‘catch up' napping during the day. Still, I got up on time today, and we began to establish the new evening schedule last night, so he was in bed early, and slept well. And he bounced out of bed ready to go. Even his bus was on time, which is always notable on the first day back.

 

While I was out, even though I did oversleep my nap and was kinda time-crunched (I'd told his new teacher I'd deliver today's snacks around 10am, and it was 9 before I even left the house !) , I looked at the toy aisles. Barbies are under Bratz signage, My Little Ponies are beneath Disney Princess banners, and the former ‘misc. toys that aren't gender-specific, or heavily advertised' aisle is gone, replaced with more Disney dolls and such. Hannah Montana darn near has her own section (more later on her) now, and there's gaping spots that have shelf-talkers but no toys yet. So, clearly, this Mal-Wart is gearing up for holidays.

 

Oh, and a correction. There is one Millennium Falcon remaining. Corner of the box has been bashed in, pretty badly. There's probably several cruising fans hoping it'll get marked down, but I know M-W better than that. If it doesn't sell at full price to someone who's willing to take the chance (or is desperate) in the next month or so, they'll send it back for credit. Only time M-W marks down toys is when they have too many, and they're gearing up for, or winding down from, holidays. As one toy store manager candidly told me, ‘Discounting for damage only encourages more damage', and it's hard to argue that point.

 

Anyway. Hannah Montana is a Disney Channel live-action show, kinda Jem-like in plot, but with a teen actress instead of an adult lead character. Half the plot evidently revolves around everyday brunette Miley being caught or recognized as blonde-wigged rock-star Hannah. Most of the toys are from PlayAlong, and my previous experience with them is that they make good quality flash-in-the-pan celebrity dolls. I have some of their A*Teens and the Cheetah Girl Dorinda dolls, both bought on heavy markdown. The faces are different enough from the Barbies that they're welcome additions, especially the guys. Evidently she's so popular, she has a holiday doll out this year - dressed in silver and red. Hmmm...silver. Holiday. Hmmm.... now what does that remind me of...

 

What kind of tanks is that PlayAlong has made a fantastic dollhouse for the HM dolls. Seriously. It's nice. TRU exclusive, too. I'd have to cover the few HM logos, but that wouldn't be difficult. According to toysrus.com, most of the wall décor are stickers that are user-applied to begin with. It's a great house, with lovely detail. What is difficult is the $160. price tag.

 

http://www.toysrus.com/product/prodpop.jsp?LargeImageURL=http%3A//TRUS.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-4683796dt.jpg&displayTab=enh&productId=3084804&totCount=0

 

For the more budget-minded, they have the one-person porch swing as a sold-separately item at M-W. I think when I first saw it, it was $20., but the slot it was in today had a shelf talker of $25. Tempting, but I have the pink ‘egg chair' sold for Bratz a few years back, and I haven't even used it yet !

 

Speaking of Bratz, they're really copying Mattel and vice versa these days. For the last two years or so, Mattel's had ‘My House', a kind of modular play area for sale. It allows for max customization of space, since there's no floor, and walls are easily changed and flipped. Of course, bedroom furniture and dining room tables are sold separately. Guess who now has a similar playset ? Dubbed the Bratz World House, it too is actually quite nice. In some ways, it's better than the Mattel one. The bathroom is more detailed, as is the kitchen, and the front door is impressively large. For some reason, Bratz exteriors are heavily Spanish-inspired...the big dollhouse they had out a couple years ago had a similar design. It's shallow - ha-ha - but I'm betting the Barbie house doesn't have much more shelf depth either.

 

Comparing the two, Barbie's My House has a front door, but it's so narrow, I wouldn't be surprised if Babs herself has to enter sideways. And her, uh, attributes occasionally get stuck. It has great windows, and bigger doors that open to the patio, if you like.  Or back yard, it's up to you ! There's maybe a $5. difference in price between ‘em. Like Mattel, there's Bratz World dolls with accessories sold separately, but they're worth looking at - almost Silkstone-like vanities and armories, with a floor lamp. $25. is a bit much, but if the furniture's within scale, it may be worth it. Cheaper than Silkstone stuff, and it's not pink ! Cream/gold and white/blue are the colors here, and they look very elegant. Plus, you can always donate the doll.

 

Here's the link to the Bratz house, and the dolls are clickable on the right. Hmm....

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9605747

 

And here I was, thinking there wasn't anything left to want !


Posted by dorriebelle at 10:41 PM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:41 PM CDT
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
All this rain's really messing with my asthma...
Now Playing: me wheezing.

 

Current Mood :   Too busy sucking air to have one.

Current Image : Napping kittens !

 

Taking a break today, cause I can barely take a breath. Back tomorrow. Hopefully breathing.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:40 PM CDT
Monday, 18 August 2008
Stuff gets better...
Now Playing: more rain...

 

Current Mood : Improving

 

Just realized - I forgot to mention that, when I was in Target a few weeks ago, they had a ‘Fancy Nancy' endcap doll display. Evidently, it's a popular girls' book about a kid who really likes the glamorous life - feather boas, two or three crowns, glitter, and bold colors in wild patterns. Saw her before when I volunteered for Book Fair last spring, but it seemed a bit over the top for my interests. If the book cover was this gaudy...  I'd read that the FN doll dresses were very nice, and would fit just about any doll from American Girl clone to 15-inch dolls, like the LDPs.

 

She must be very popular, as the display was nearly cleaned out. Most of what was there was a few packaged doll dresses, a couple of really gaudy girls' costumes - if there was ever a kid Mardi Gras, these'd fit right in -  and a large foamcore ‘Fancy Nancy' logo. The display had moved when I was there Friday, to the end of the Disney Princess aisle, and it was still just kid costumes, two doll outfits, some feathery crown accessory sets, and the foamcore. I've yet to see the actual doll ! Tonner has a FN line, too - but I can't figure out if his doll has brown or dark fuchsia hair. Madame Alexander also has versions in both plastic and cloth. While I doubt FN is a Target exclusive, it does seem to be the only store who had them.

 

Anyway, I picked up one of the dresses. Cute, but it was all simple design in ultra-bright fabrics. I think even Superstar Barbie would have to turn away from some of this stuff. And it was waaay too big for any of my dolls, except maybe Baby Chrissy, and it was probably too small for her. Imagine my shock when I found the price - $20. ! For a single dress and a pair of shoes. No doll. No play accessories, those are sold separately. Wow. Even the Battat AG clones, who do have outfits not much less expensive than that, include some miniatures and a book !

 

Tonight was ‘Back To School' night, where you mostly meet your kid's teacher and drop off their supplies, so they don't have to drag heavy bags in on Wednesday. You also get to volunteer for stuff - I'm helping with the Halloween party and bringing snacks Wednesday, but there's no way I'm gonna be Homeroom Parent this year. I deserve a rest !

 

Dearest Son's teacher this year is very nice, and we got his bus assignment straightened out. We'd been told two different things earlier, one of which involved a half-mile drive every morning and afternoon. We only live three miles from the school, and they're the ones insisting on the bus ! Hit McD's for dinner, and Dearest was delighted to learn that the current promotion is for the Clone Wars movie. Ordinarily, I'd care - it's Star Wars ! - but it's like all my fangirl tendencies towards the franchise have been bled out over the last ten years or so. I still have some memories, and I prefer them to what's out there now.

 

That said, the new $160.  Millennium Falcon has completely sold out at both Mal-Warts here. And I'd still like a good, articulated Leia figure...

 

And these meals included the boxes - always a bonus. On the box bottom is usually a ‘heads up' on the next promotion. In a couple weeks, Clones go bye-bye, and we get Lego Batman - a burgeoning passion of Dearest's, thanks to ads on the Lego Indiana Jones and Star Wars games. I think it's rather clever. This way, they can promo Batman while an adult-themed bat-film is out, but the upcoming Lego game ensures a parent-pleasing G-rated effort. You may remember the ruckus the HM toys of Jurassic Park caused... mostly because JP was rated PG-13 for violence. Promoting a film that most interested kids couldn't see via toys hit some folks as A Very Bad Idea. I kinda saw it as ‘kids like dinosaurs' and ‘it's up to you if Lemonjello and Brytianney see the film, you're the parent'.

 

We'll also get Madame Alexander's Wizard of Oz dolls. Um...why ? And of what ? All the major characters - and a few minor ones - were done in 2007. I remember trying to find a Wicked Witch doll for Elphie, and being sooo happy when the McD's I hit for lunch had one. I've since found a few dozen in yard sales. So I wonder what they're gonna do for this one. Can always use another WW, if this one is a different design


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:40 PM CDT
Sunday, 17 August 2008
OK, so now I'm getting into the heart of the matter, so I can get out of it.
Now Playing: another idjit skidding through the traffic light...

 

Current Mood : Scrappy

 

Decided to get some neglected housework done. Cleaned out a cabinet and decided to store the lightbox in there, just as soon as I got a couple things done with it. Mostly what I wanted to do was alter Denise Devoto's  ‘To Have and To Hold' lace overlay pattern, featured in the Autumn '07 Barbie Collector. I worked it up as a lace minidress on my site, but the bodice was designed for the smaller-bodied ‘bellybutton' doll. It just didn't have enough fabric to overlap close in the back. So I used hooks and eyes.

 

Funny, how Mattel finally answered the since-1959 critics of Barbie's big bust by making the entire chest smaller, not just the bustline. If you believe Mattel encourages eating disorders on purpose, you could probably add the bellybutton body to your evidence pile - proportionately, Bab's bust is probably just as big as before, if not bigger. But her chest is smaller....

 

Anyway, I couldn't find the pattern I used, so I printed out another one. And altered it. Didn't need the lightbox, just a ruler. Once done - I just added a half inch to the back bodice piece - I re-scanned it, and saved it as the ‘1966 body' version. Then I put the lightbox away.

 

Cleaning our main bathroom was exhausting, so I relaxed in the Lab a bit. Found a place for the wire rack I got from Friday's yard sales, and filled it full of misc. stuff. The kittens barely left it alone for me to do so - if I ever find another, I need to buy it just for them !

 

Tidied up a bit in there, too. Got all the Baby Ariel and Raggedy Ann doll's clothes together - they wear about the same size - and stored them in the plastic backpack the Disney little-girl doll came in. I need to sew a bit more for both Baby Chrissy's Raggedy Ann and Baby Ariel. They got next to nothin' !

 

Cleaned up the mess on the sewing machine table left from Saturday's efforts. At least I don't feel like crying over it anymore. May sew tomorrow - I keep saying tomorrow, don't I ? I was all set to sew this weekend, but my mind keeps returning to Thursday night, and my interest in trying out the long-delayed Jasmine outfit just dries right up.

 

Well, I may as well get it over with and say it. Back on Thursday, Beloved Hubby said the LDP dolls creeped him out. He didn't have a problem with the Barbies, Elphie, and even the My Size and Baby Chrissy dolls didn't bug him. But he was worried that the LDPs signaled my wish to return to childhood, and it worried him about my mental state.

 

(sigh) And yes, that hurt. I'm sitting in a flippin' room fulla dolls, but only one subset indicates a childlike tendency ? There's not a doll in here who wasn't designed for kids - except maybe Elphie and Fiyero - but the ones I've felt the most interest and confidence in customizing are the ones he doesn't like ? I mean, of all the dolls in here, those are the ones that signal a psychological break with reality ? Yes, my sudden interest in them has been a bit odd for me, but if I was enjoying it, and it wasn't hurting anyone, what was the problem ? It's not like I went out and bought rhumba panties and patent leather shoes and tried to sew fluffy pink square-dance dresses and put my hair in beribboned pigtails. I wasn't sucking my thumb, OK ?

 

He also had some comments about how the Princess dolls reflected the princess status I had with my father. Um, I hardly ever saw him as a kid, he was as eager to escape his wife's barbs as I was to escape my mother's (you know, same person and all ) and I certainly didn't have a ‘your wish is our command' childhood. If anything, all these dolls and recent princess preoccupation is me trying to erase and write over my real childhood with something that doesn't hurt as much. Only now am I comfortable enough to allow this.

 

Hell, I wasn't even allowed to play princess as a kid. If I was swanning around, Mother Dear would soon notice, and toss out a few comments that cut me back down to invisible cipher, where I belonged. I never owned a toy tiara, and the closest thing I had to a wand was a plastic cat head on a black stick. It was a prop for that year's hand-me-down Halloween witch costume, and I bought it myself. How I longed to be something beautiful and fragile one year - a ballerina, a princess, a fairy. Never happened. If plastic crowns and things were available in the late 70s, it never occurred to me to buy one. I'd just open myself up to more cut-quick comments. Secretly, though, I've wanted a tiara since I was six. It was fortunate for me that Leia never wore one, or my self-esteem would probably be even worse. I could pretend to be her safely - because no one could tell.

 

I actually feel that, for the first time in my life, I can do what I want, and I'm aware of it. And I trust the world enough to be myself, and I trust myself to recognize and indulge some simple and stupid things I was previously denied. If it wasn't somehow important to me, I wouldn't be upset about it, I'd have let it go decades ago. Stuff you hold on to  =  stuff you can't let go. But now, with beloved's words, I was seriously considering either destroying or selling everything in here. Because now, my little refuge hurt.

 

I'm still not sure what's next. Not sure how to articulate all this without hurting anyone else. I want Beloved to feel like he can talk to me, but I didn't appreciate the rather painful freelance analysis. Even if I really needed it, I never got the chance to return the ‘favor'. Well, I'm sure it'll come up - I can never hide how I feel.

 

And I may start closing the Lab door when I'm not in it.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:40 PM CDT
Saturday, 16 August 2008
With all due respect to Dorothy Parker and several major religions, H#ll is this planet...
Now Playing: my crappy mood.

 

Current Mood : Seeing if there's still light out from under my rock

Current Image : Wanna see the underside of a rock ?

 

I feel a little bit better about myself, but it may be a while before I'm confident and happy enough to venture forth. I'm kind of hovering between my usual ‘Eff off, world.' attitude and the not-unfamiliar and rather whiny ‘Do I have to deal with people today ?' one. On the whole, I prefer the ‘eff' one.

 

Didn't help that Beloved was home and suggested going for walks, or signing me up for a gym or martial arts classes. If I wanted any of it, I'd do it, but with him kind of not allowing me to relax and finish my thought process, I felt that he was pushing and poking at me, and told him so. It's sweet and thoughtful, true, but it also makes me feel like he thinks I'm not doing enough, or I'm not good enough. Or, even worse, I'm not thin enough. I came into this relationship with food issues, I don't need more of ‘em.

 

So I cleaned and tried to get some house stuff done. Went to hem his Aikido pants, and ended up not even being able to sew right. This was a bigger blow today than it would have been last week. Even the stuff I could do, I suddenly couldn't, and that hurt. It was going fine until the thick outer seam broke the needle. All of a sudden, the machine skipped stitches and wouldn't pick up the bobbin thread, no matter how I cleaned it, oiled it, swapped out thread top and bottom, futzed with the tension, and tried two other new needles, it kept screwing up. Beloved actually pushed me aside to look at the machine, which kinda stung, too - he's never sewn a stitch on this machine, but suddenly he was the bigger expert on it.

 

While he futzed with it, I looked up ‘sewing machine repairs', about the time he decided we'd just have to buy a new one, I must've broken something when the needle broke. Turns out the needle was in backwards. Machine's fine. I'm fine, but I still feel like crying when I look at it. At least the cleaning did her some good.

 

We did end up going out, to Hastings. Beloved found a Judo book and Dearest Son located a Love Bug Herbie movie he didn't already have, but all I found interesting was a scrap-craft book that was waaaay too expensive for what it detailed. So we got it for less than half price from Amazon, and to get the free shipping, Beloved got another martial arts book. Not sure why he's so suddenly into this, but it seems to be making him happier than I am lately.

 

And I have something to look forward to in the mail ! I guess I can add ‘purses, boxes, socks, and earrings' to stuff I can buy or make when I don't feel like confronting a mirror's reflection.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:39 PM CDT
Friday, 15 August 2008
Confused and upset and angry and hurt and lost and cheezed and...moody.
Now Playing: oh, like I care...I don't deserve entertainment, I'm fat.

 

Current Mood : I can't really describe it all right now...

Current Image : Pretty much sums it up, right there...

 

Today was... not really a good day. I'm still working through some stuff. Y'see, Beloved Hubby and I were discussing a few things last night - not a fight or anything, just a chat about some recent actions and events that we hadn't really talked about before, for various reasons. And we touched on some other stuff that's been bugging us. Long story short, we both have some issues to think about, and I'm kind of in a crappy mood because of it. I'm glad he was honest with me, but some of it kinda hurt.

 

Y'see, Beloved Hubby got to say all he wanted to. And he feels so wonderful that we had such meaningful conversation that he wants our heartfelt communication to continue. I don't feel like I had my say, but if I bring my crap up now, I'm not advancing or letting go. So he's bright and chipper and hopeful, and I feel like I have to change nearly everything about myself, that he feels perfectly fine with who and what he is, and the end result is that I want to clip him upside his happy head.

 

I've pretty much gone through my mid-life crisis, and I was happy with me on the other side of it. Beloved, however, has just hit his, and he wants to be young again. Wants me to be younger, too. So the next few weeks are gonna be interesting. I think I'm gonna wait him out, because we always return to what we are, but some of what we talked about I need to hash out for myself.

 

It was kind of a crappy day, really, with or without last night. Yard sales were plentiful, but there was next to nothing out there, even the ones that advertised toys were lousy. And I always love it when the sellers are talking to other browsers, and they say things like, "Oh, you should have been here yesterday, we had sooo much more stuff !" . Yeah, well, too bad your ad said the sale was today, ‘no early birds', ya wanker. Believe it or not, two of the five sales I hit today had the sellers saying something to that effect.

 

I did find two brand new -tags attached - pair of jeans that are just Dearest Son's size. And a wire shelf-rack that's about hip high, with four shelves. It'll come in handy for various misc. in the Lab.

 

Thrift stores were also a washout. Walked around with a Barbie outfit in my hand, but put it back. I was only buying it for the shoes, but I think I have plenty of pink flats already. All told, I spent a big $1.50 on yard sales and thrift stores, which is pretty small for me ! It's a rare weekend that I go out and spend less than $5.

 

Since the sales were so lame, and Kohl's very kindly sent me another ‘$10. off any purchase of anything, markdown, clearance, you name it !' card, I decided to go over. I'd wanted to find something special for Dearest's first day of school next week, and soon located a great Star Wars Lego t-shirt for him. Nothing interesting in the housewares or toys, so I thought I might look at clothes for me for a change. It was loosely related to what we'd discussed yesterday.

 

Now, let me say this right off. I'm big. I mean it, I'm fat and even if/when I'm thin, I'm still ugly. Goss knows my parents and the rest of humanity saw fit to remind me of it often enough throughout my years on this blighted planet. So, surprise surprise, I've never really cared much about clothes or fashion. What was the point, dressing a pig doesn't make it a supermodel, no matter who designed the dress. And truth be told, I buy dolls and toys because I get the thrill of a new or new-to-me acquisition without being painfully reminded that I'm a *&^$ing whale. And I can make a blouse for just about any doll without needing enough fabric to gift-bag a Buick. It's just easier on me and my screwed-up psyche to create for dolls and shop for ‘em than it is to do the same for myself. Last thing I want to do is attract attention - and along with it, more ‘helpful' critiques.

 

I also know that no one is to blame for my size but me. I eat crap because it gives me some pleasure and I don't exercise because it's not fun or I have to do it in a room full of people all of whom are looking at me with, "At least I'm not HER." clear on their faces. A girl gets tired of being everyone else's worst case scenario. I thought the Wii would help motivate me off my butt, but Dearest and Beloved soon figured out how to work the remote without moving their bodies at all, and I always lost when I moved all of me around to play. So it was soon pointless for me.

 

So this, and yesterday's discussion, was in my mind when I made my way to the back of the store where they hide the Women's Department, over behind Maternity, but still within sight of the cute little tiny blouses and designer jeans in Juniors. Gee, don't I feel beautiful. Found my size was about the upper reaches of what they carry, but at least they still had some pretty t-shirts on a good markdown sale. So I wouldn't have to do this again any time soon, I bought four. And waddled out of the packed-together racks, feeling even bigger than I felt when I schlumped over there.

 

I'd wanted to look at lingerie, just to feel that something about me was pretty, even if it was only my underwear, but that was a really bad idea. I trust I need not delve further into this part of my thrilling day.

 

What's sad is, I'm not really that big. Oh, yeah, I'm fat, but when I look around, I'm far from the biggest orange on the tree. If I'm having trouble finding clothes, how does the woman who's twenty pounds heavier than me ?

 

So that's kind of where I am now. I just can't bring myself to happy, for various reasons. Ordinarily, I'd make jokes about yard sales drying up into crappiness, just in time for my annual Fall introspection, but you deserve to know both the good and the bad of me. Right now, I feel sorry for myself, and rather angry, but maybe that's what I need. School starts up next week, it's entirely possible I need some motivation after a summer of sitting on my butt.

 

Because, ya know, I can only bi#ch and whine for so long. Then I have to do something - or at least stop with the b-and-w fest.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:39 PM CDT
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Now with 200% more Bleh.
Now Playing: the fan sounds more interesting than the radio

 

Current Mood : OK, just sorta bleh.

Current Image : Spaced ! 

It's raining again. And it's nice enough that we can have all the doors and windows open, so we can air out the house and enjoy the sounds. It's been so long since we last did that.

 

Dearest Son has his last long weekend with his grandparents - they picked him up today after lunch. I had some plans to hit a thrift store or two, but I haven't been sleeping well, and instead took a nap. Beloved Hubby was home for part of the day, and we finished watching our DVD of Spaced - we just loved watching it on YouTube, so it was great to see it without having to find the next part every nine minutes.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:38 PM CDT
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Bleh
Now Playing: some lame local ad
 

Current Mood : Bleh

Current Image : Why I haven't been sewing, either. (Jack version)

 

Kind of a ‘bleh' day again today. Not a lot happening. I'm thinking of using some flannel-backed plastic - it's probably tablecloth fabric - I got in a yard sale box last month to make a cover for Beloved Hubby's table saw. If I get it done before September, I can enter it in Craftster.com's "Cozies with Irony" contest. Won't win, but it'd be fun - a table saw cozy. It'll be ironic in one way - the table platform is cast iron.

 

Haven't gotten Dearest Son's bus assignment yet. While he'll probably be on the same bus, I kinda need to know when to have us out there. For some reason, the school board set school beginning back five minutes, and it doesn't make much sense, but I'd hate to wait 20 minutes for a bus that arrived five minutes before we got out there ! Monday, I'll call Transportation.

 

I guess we all felt a bit ‘bleh', because we did an Un-Birthday party for Dearest tonight. Made a sundae cake, complete with candles, and a card. I traced a coloring-book image of a VW Beetle onto a card, using the lightbox Beloved made me last year. He loved it, and immediately after dinner, colored the card. Hmmm....coloring birthday cards...

 

Anyway, I really should have put the lightbox away, but I still have a few small projects to do with it, so it's still out on the table. Now, I just have to get off my backside and get the projects done !


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:38 PM CDT
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Fall fell early this year...
Now Playing: rain, lovely rain
 

Current Mood : a bit down

Current Image : Why I haven't been in the Lab a lot lately...(DC version)

 

Not much of a day today - slept in a bit, grabbed a shower, and took Dearest Son on the grocery run. Let him pick out the notebooks I forgot - we needed two, according to the supply list - and his new shoes. We're so proud of him. He wanted lace-up, no cartoon character shoes. Like Daddy's. He found a pair he liked and we got the size he needed.

 

It's kind of funny, but his last shoes, a Cars pair from Payless, was the most expensive pair he's ever had at $28. They also wore out the fastest, and the damage is pretty extensive. The $20. ones -  with Cars, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Transformers all lighting up on them - lasted about five months before they really showed wear, and Dearest said they were getting tight. Payless' lasted about three, but they didn't really get tight until this month. Oddly enough, the next size up in his new shoes was too big, and we ended up getting him the same size, but with that ‘finger width' at the toe to grow on. He proudly showed them to Beloved Hubby, then put them back in the box for next Wednesday.

 

He traded in his tickets for a new Tonka police car. I could swear, the thing says ‘no warrant, no warrant' after some ‘police radio' gibberish when one of the buttons is pushed. I got m'self a bit of a treat, too. A pretty sparkle tulle remnant in a luscious lavender that'll look great with the starred purple cotton I bought for Jasmine's costume. A little over a half yard, too. I could swear I've never seen that color there before...

 

And, as you can see from today's image, I went ahead and got the ‘Galactic Heroes' Leia - only $6. and just sooo cute. She came with a ‘drink server' R2-D2, which made Dearest's eyes light up, so he now has three astromech droids. One came with the Millennium Falcon, one with the X-Wing, and now this one. The little drink tray comes right off, and the ‘spigot' type thingie pulls out of the hole it's in easily.

 

It's easy to tell that Mal-Wart's gearing up for Big Toy Season - i.e., Christmas - already. Shelves that haven't been touched since Valentine's Day now have shelf talkers and plan-o-grams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planogram) attached to ‘em, listing upcoming stuff and placements. Stuff that's been spread out to the point of sprawl is all compressed and lined up like soldiers on the march. I'm not sure where I lost my excitement over this (it's probably under a pile of new-to-me fabric in the Lab !) but it's just not there.

 

I guess I'm kinda getting my annual ‘fall melancholy' out of the way early this year. We had a bad thunderstorm last night that stripped leaves off trees and scattered them everywhere. Even though they're still green, the fallen leaves put me in mind of autumn. Especially when preparing Dearest for school is added in. I guess I'm just a bit sad that the rush of acquisition is over and the time to stay in and enjoy it all is fast approaching. Don't get me wrong, I acquired a ton of stuff this season, and I don't need more... but I always mourn the end of yard sale season, in my own way.

 

As is usual after a weekend - and even more so when Beloved's home on Monday - the house is a complete disaster area. About all else I got done today was several days' backlog of dishes. Oh, and I assembled Dearest's school supplies, and together he and I went over the checklist. He's kind of excited, and I sort of am - but I'll miss the time I squandered, just like I do every year, as summer ends.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:38 PM CDT
Monday, 11 August 2008
Finally got the LDPs remeasured - now to get off the rest of my butt...
Now Playing: "Dead or Alive"- Bon Jovi, local radio, and kind of how I feel...

 

Current Mood : Indolent

Current Image : Soon-to-be Kira, in the shoes (good), panties (not good) and prototype harem blouse (not right) I made. (sigh) Back to the drawing board ! 

 

Finally got off my butt and re-measured the soon-to-be-Kira Aurora doll for Doll Shop Deluxe. Printed out a new version of the ‘harem' costume for Jasmine, but I haven't sewn it yet. Man, some of my measurements were waaaay off. If I remember right, nothing I made those dolls initially fit, and some of the patterns created were... warped or something, it was like some of the numbers were so off, they affected other measurements, so the resulting pattern printed like a Mobius strip, defying dimensional reasoning. I just knew I measured everything correctly, so I tweaked random numbers until things mostly fit. All because of a cruddy tape measure. I'm surprised what I sewed, ill-fitting as it was, turned out as well as it did. Here's hoping the new printouts sew up better !

 

I have to confess here how lazy I've been. I have a really expensive software pattern generator. I have more fabric than yer average Mal-Wart. Especially these days, as many of ‘em are closing their fabric sections. I probably have enough thread to sew the continents back together, and enough needles and pins for an acupuncturist's mobile office. So, what have I been doing with this largesse ? Have I been expanding my skills, and improving my self esteem ? Seeking new solutions to old problems ? Designing something new and original and delightful ?

 

Oh, heck naw. I've been on eBay, trying to find Jasmine's costume, so I can buy it instead of make one. Only reason I'm still gonna make one is because the ones I've found have been too expensive. (sigh) I'm so lazy...

 

While I had Kira-Aurora around, I played a bit with the shoes. I'd just put them on her for fittings before, so her feet weren't really seated in them well. Amazingly, she can stand unassisted in them ! She is, in the picture ! That makes me happy - that my shoes are well-made enough that they don't interfere with the doll's stance. She's as good as barefoot ! I also checked for staining. None yet, but the next pair of black shoes I make, I'm gonna use a white lining, not the same black fabric inside and out !

 

Joined craftster.com yesterday - it's a nice group. Someone had a question about My Size Barbies, so you know I had to weigh in ! Tons of craft patterns and ideas over there - thanks for the heads-up, Michelle ! Hope I see you there sometime.


Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:37 PM CDT

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