Well, volunteering at Dearest Son's school didn't quite work out as planned. Yesterday, when I dropped off the bandanna ‘bag of bags' and a medical form I'd been requested to complete, office lady ‘Kelly' asked if I'd be back today to help count folders, they had stuff ready to go, if so. I responded that I would, it was ‘my week', and already on my calendar, so I was looking forward to it.

So, I got there and... it'd all already been done. Evidently a group of folks swept in at 8am and did it all, then left. I can't even get anyone to answer the phone at his school at that hour. Well, shoot. Guess I should have called anyway, even though I'd talked to Kelly about sixteen hours prior. So I left, and did a bit of shopping, and it was fun, but...

I'm actually a bit miffed. I filled out the ‘hey, we need YOU to volunteer for stuff !' form twice, and no one ever contacted me. Now I don't know if they need me or not, for any of it. I'm trying to not be soured over volunteering, but if this is how they treat the folks they know are already gonna show up - I asked for the third Wednesday on the form, twice ! - I can understand why it's so hard to get anyone. I'm still wheezing, and walking from the south-40 parking lot was a bit of a stretch, but I was glad to do it... now, I don't feel needed. I confess to pouting a bit as I walked to the car...

One good thing, though. I got to see Dearest out on the playground. He was having a great time with some other kids, I think they were playing ‘Pirate Ship' on the equipment. Evidently, it was a group version of ‘king of the hill'. If you knew how much Beloved Hubby and I kvetch over his social skills and worry about his having friends, you'd know exactly how relieved and happy I was at that moment. Nothing bad without some good, I always say.

Since I was out and about already, I hit Community Thrift. Scored a tin DPrincess box, and a Barbie eyeglasses case. It's Barbie pink, and you can see inside, including the mirror and the sticker, in today's image. The top just has the ‘Barbie' signature raised slightly on it. I also got a star-shaped wire basket. I've been wanting one of those for years. It normally has some gift pack assortment of bathing potions and emollients inside, and they sell a ton of ‘em at Mal-Wart every Christmas for about $15. Kinda high, when all you want is the basket. Lucky me, I got what I wanted !

 I also found several doll patterns, but unfortunately, they were all for a kid-size doll and one outfit. Either too small for the My Size Barbie girls, or too big. And thanks to three decades of Doll World back issues, I already have hundreds of soft doll patterns ! Luck was with me still, and I scored a vintage complete Holly Hobby stuffed doll and clothes pattern, Simplicity 6066, dated 1973.  While I'm not a huge HH fan, when I checked the pattern for pieces, she looked to be about the same size as the LDPs ! And you know I can't resist some 70s stuff, just on sheer appearance.

Amazingly, that whole haul was a whoppin' big $2.28 ! I know for a fact that the DP tin is $5. by itself at Hobby Lobby. I'm hoping to have some time to get the pattern scanned later today. Isn't that always the way - soon as you do a backup, you find a new (or new-to-you), irresistible pattern !

I also stopped in to Dollar General. Looks like they got the last of the My Scene dolls. I haven't seen them anywhere else. The one I was in had ‘Club Disco' and ‘Street Sweet' dolls, all the different girls. If I remember correctly, the just-a-doll-inna-box "CD" girls were $8., and the prop-heavy "SS" girls were $12., but I'm not quite sure.

‘CD Chelsea' had a gorgeous star-print blouse, and those cowboy boots have to be seen to be believed. Most of the fabrics used are color-coded-by-doll metallic. ‘SS' dolls came with miniature desserts, with rings still attached for double use as kid jewelry. They had simple candy-hued dresses with cute little jackets. Chelsea again had my attention, with her tiny green jacket. I mean, it was a tiny jacket. The kind of jacket you have to wonder why somebody's bothering to even wear. The look was cute, though. Amazon.com has images, if you're interested. I'm kind of on a doll moratorium right now...although I confess that Chelsea's tiny jacket is still sending out its siren call to me...

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:22 PM CDT

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I was thinking today about what I said yesterday - about being poor. According to some government guidelines, we probably are. But it's hard to feel poor when you have a Wii Fit in the living room, plenty of food in the kitchen, and lots of clean clothes to wear, thanks to marathon laundry today. I've indulged darn near every little whim of mine this summer. I even got the ‘dress form' rubber stamp when it went on sale. I'd been wanting that silly thing for more than a year ! I've been able to be generous when funds were available, and help out when the call came, and I'm surrounded by roughly two parsecs of fabric, the curtain of my dreams over the window, dolls of every description around, and everything I'll ever need to make anything I'll ever want, pretty much. And it's all in a room that's entirely mine.

I have trouble finding space for all the DVDs we've amassed, about half from the $5. bins or second-hand venues, and while we only have one working VCR, there's plenty of tapes for it, too. The Wii has eight games, most of which we've never finished. We've eaten out several times over the weekend, and even the leftovers got gone quick.

In short, if this is ‘poor', I have to wonder how the other half lives ! Sure, we worry about bills, and part of why I got so sick last week was because we don't have health care, and this latest ER visit will cost us big. Groceries and gas are getting ridiculous, but all I can do is make the most of what we do have to spend.

The rest of the day was mostly laundry. I had a short mountain of it to put away. At least now, everyone has socks and shirts where they belong, not in the laundry room in piles !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:22 PM CDT

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Read a news story today – how shocking ! – that American consumers weren’t spending like the resilient little money-tossers we’re known to be. Spending pretty much dried up as soon as the signature on the last $300. incentive check was inked, and the ‘back to school’ wave isn’t expected to hit, but to miss entirely.

Um, a good chunk of the country’s dealing with water where it shouldn’t be. Or houses that aren’t where they were a few days ago. During my little trip to the ER last week, the staff said they’d been besieged by respiratory aliments and worse over the last two weeks, during what’s normally a quiet period for them. So if the news writer didn’t hear about hurricanes, illness, or everything else going on besides Wal-Mart not quite posting the numbers it did last year, there’s not much I can do for ‘em. Yeah, I know the reports they’re feeding from were done last month, before all this bad news, but still…

Besides, I did my part. I spent like a madwoman this summer ! I bet I went to at least 50 yard sales, and hit the thrifts every week ! I probably spent $30. on fabric alone, both new and ‘used’. Not to mention all these cool new-to-me dolls ! So I’m spending all I can, that’s for sure. If anybody wants me to spend more money, I’ll be glad to. They just have to give me whatever they’d like for me to spend !

Why, just today, Dearest Son got to wear his brand-new jacket. Bought it last year on clearance, in a size up from his then-current one. There’s a whole section of his closet, fulla stuff bought on clearance or from yard sales in a size bigger than he takes now. And he’s also well-set from last year, when I did the same thing. Now, I’m not a clever woman. But if I’m doing this, I’m sure others are, too. So there’s your back-to-school spending – it just got done in yard sales and at the clearance racks ! That reminds me, next time I hit the thrifts, I’ve got a bagload of dolls and outgrown Dearest clothes in good shape to donate…

Yeah, things are a bit scary and I’m wryly joking my way out of them. But seriously. I’m considered poor (not how I see things, but…), so I can’t spend what I ain’t got. Actually, we already have spent what we ain’t got, we just can’t do it anymore ! So the economy’s gonna have to chug along without us. Besides, half of what I buy during the summer gets put into various stashes for winter, so we don’t have to go anywhere or buy anything. Problem is, with the fabric, I can never use all of what I already have stashed before I end up bringing more home !

Since Dearest has an after-school activity tomorrow, I got some stuff done today, so I can drop it off at the same time. His teacher needed a bag for the grocery sacks that every classroom uses, so I made her one. Simple tube, elastic at both ends, with the opening bigger on top, and a ribbon to hang it from. Takes about 20 minutes to make one, if you have to cut fabric and change machine thread. Her classroom theme is ‘pirates’, but I didn’t have any swashbuckling material. I found some blue bandanna print fabric, and figured that’d do. Hope she likes it.

But most of my day was spent catching up on all the neglected housework that sat around while I was, being sick. At least the kitchen doesn’t smell anymore, and everyone’s got clean clothes for the next few days. And you can get through the living room without kicking anything. Tomorrow’s a full-on Laundry Day, and I’m hoping that on Wednesday, I can get to the bathrooms. After that, I can sew something more than a tube !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:21 PM CDT

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Gave the scrap fabric box another coat of yellow paint today, and let it dry in the sun. Came out pretty nice. And ya can’t beat the price !

Those darn antibiotics irritate my stomach even when I take ‘em with food. I’ve taken them just before eating and while eating, and I still get a tummy-twister. Tomorrow, I’ll take Beloved’s advice and take one after I’ve polished off breakfast, see if that helps. As it is, I now have 25 more opportunities for body-benders, darn it all.

Right now, I’m resting a bit after pounding down a Happy Meal. They’ve moved on from Star Wars bobbleheads to Batman Lego and Wizard of Oz Madame Alexander toys. Poor counter guy, after showing me the available new dolls, was surprised to see me go for the Flying Monkey, not Dorothy or the Good Witch. I may go back for Dorothy, she has short hair this time ! I was thinking I’d keep an eye out for the Winkie Guard and maybe another Wicked Witch, but I pretty much got the one I really wanted already, so the pressure’s off !

Plus, after driving myself nuts with queries from one restaurant to another in search for last year’s WWitch, only to find it in about every fourth yard sale since, I refuse to do that again. So I’m not gonna go insane this time. Just don’t be surprised when ya see ‘em here ! And they’re just about the right scale for Princess Dorrie and the other LDPs to have ‘em as toys, too.

Read the new Hobby Lobby and Hancock Fabrics ads online today. Evidently the new sale price for Simplicity patterns is $1.99, up from the previous usual 99c. I can only assume those Project Runway licenses don’t come cheap ! No, last month, I kvetched about buying several Simplicity patterns at HF’s $1.99 sale, or waiting for a 99c sale, either later from HF or from HLobby. Well, today’s HLobby ad has a sale on Simplicity, for – you guessed it - $1.99. So does HF, later this month. (sigh) Guess there’s no escaping it, just timing it. Do I want ‘em this week (HLobby) or at month’s end (Hancock Fabrics) ? Decisions, decisions.

Of course, McCalls and Butterick patterns are still on 99c sales at both places…

Beautiful full moon tonight…

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:21 PM CDT

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It kinda wasn't my day today. The yard sale I wanted to go to is actually next week, the newspaper had the dates wrong. Arrrgh. Luckily, they also put a note up on Craigslist. My blasted prescriptions were over $50., even though both were on the ‘$4. Generics' list. My exact prescription strength wasn't available as the cheapie. How annoying. But I'm taking my antibiotics like a good patient, and the new inhaler is...well, to put it succinctly, ‘the good stuff'. It's on par with the Advair ($200.+) for $32., so I can't whine too much.

Beloved Hubby made me promise to take another easy day, so I did. Got groceries when I got prescriptions, and had fun doing so. There were a few other yard sales today, but it's been raining off and on and it's a game day, so I just wasn't inspired enough to go hunt ‘em down. Or go anywhere but Mal-Wart. Got m'self the $3. one-pound bag of cardstock, and that's been a load of inspiration ! I made a couple more of those little origami boxes from it, and filled the orange one with candy and punched-out stars from another piece. It's waiting on Beloved's desk.

Saw an adorable DPrincess storage box, but it was $23. and filled with diapers. Too expensive for decorated cardboard. Sure, I could donate the diapers - or have the ultimate accessory for Baby Chrissy ! - but it still seems pricey to me. So I decided to make my own box. After scanning the last of the doll magazines (more later) and getting them back where they belong, I had an empty shelf in the Lab wire rack. I'd already decided to use it for fabric scraps, but the wire wouldn't hold the tiniest bits.

So I grabbed an empty box from Dearest's ‘Little Hug' drinks and measured it off. Long enough for the shelf, but too wide. So I cut the box down, retaped it to fit, ran tape along the raw edges for a smooth look, then took it to the Shop for a spray paint bath. We had some yellow I didn't use on the cubby boxes, so I decided to go with it. Thought about covering it in fabric, but I never have any luck when I try that. It always comes off, or wrinkles, or something. Spray painting's just easier and faster. Needs about two more coats to cover the blue and red inks of the box's logos, but then it'll be done. I may decorate it a bit more...I just have to resist using the DP stickers I have around here !

One of Dearest's more recent homework assignments was to make a personal collage. Thank Everything we had plenty of printer ink ! It left a lot of paper bits in the Lab, too. So I got those cut up for notepaper. Now the cutting table's free again, and I have no real reason to not sew...except it's bedtime !

Oh, and the patterns. Finally, I got all my magazines scanned and stored, and even got all the Crissy ones downloaded again (for free !) from Beth's site (http://www.crissyandbeth.com/ , look for ‘Sewing for Crissy and Her Friends' on the first drop-down menu on the ‘main' page ). I was ready for a backup.

Unfortunately, my computer wasn't. Locked up for two hours. The CD-R wouldn't even eject. Task Manager was no help. Heck, the on/off switch wasn't working either ! Finally, after two hours of fussing and trying everything short of unplugging it, I unplugged it. Working fine now, and burned a perfect copy of all my patterns.

For it not really being my day, it wasn't a bad one. I'm hoping next Saturday is a bit more fun, though !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:21 PM CDT

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Sorry I had to skip a day, but I was in the hospital. About noon, my breathing darn near shut off, the inhalers weren't doing squat, and I knew if I valued Life as much as I say I do, I'd best do something about preserving mine and fast. Luckily, Beloved Hubby came home for lunch, took one look at me, and half-carried me to the truck. Twenty minutes later - we live less than a mile from the ER - I was tucked away into Room 34, a breathing treatment pipette in my mouth and the sheer joy of breathing beaming on my face. Whoo. That was close.

With my medical record, though, there were a lot of things they had to test me for. I had fluid in my lungs, which is NOT an asthma symptom. It could indicate that my heart is failing again, which is darn scary. They had to review my prescriptions, which I'd luckily thought to grab on the way out, and look up some records. So we were there over six hours, waiting for tests and Xrays to come back. I didn't care - I was joyously, luxuriously, easily breathing ! And we got to see two episodes of Law and Order, most of Baby Boom, part of The Most Dangerous Catch, and another movie. I can't remember what it was, because I fell asleep. I must've been exhausted. I had an arm-breaker of a blood pressure cuff on my arm, inflating every 20 minutes, an oxygen tube in my nose, a buncha stuff beeping, and the usual bustle of a good-sized ER swirling around the always-open door. And I slept through it all.

The lovely nurse, Karen, hated to wake me, but she needed another blood sample and I was getting a second breathing treatment. All the tests came back negative for further heart damage, but positive for a lung infection. Otherwise, I'd responded very well to treatment, and with a round of antibiotics, I'd be back to as normal as I ever am ! Whew ! I was free to go. I could have flown !

I'd had a cuppa coffee that morning - heat and caffeine are good for asthma people ! Seriously. - and a kids' lunch size packet of potato chips. That was all I'd consumed all day. So Beloved, who'd stayed with me the entire time, took me across the street for a tasty Subway sandwich. The Sonic drive-in was just as close, but I was not in a mood for anything fried, and I was sooo hungry ! Ate about ¾ of a regular ham and turkey, and I was stuffed. No chips or anything, just sandwich and Dr. Pepper. My hands and arms were shaking, which is weird. Between all the speed I inhaled - and that's what's in the breathing treatments and inhalers, make no mistake - the lack of food, and worry and exhaustion, I shouldn't have been surprised. But I found myself watching the tremors with amazement, over and over.

Beloved called his parents and arranged for them to be there waiting for Dearest Son's bus. And he let the school know. DFIL picked him up and they went to their house, and Dearest welcomed the change in routine. We thanked them effusively when we picked him up. He was happy to see that Mommy was breathing and calm. He gets so tense when he knows I'm at the hospital, we didn't even tell the school what was going on, just that his grandfather was the contact that day. No sense upsetting him during class time, he'd probably be would up and disruptive for the rest of the day. His teacher sent a sweet ‘get well' card home today - awwww !

And really, that's about where my day ended. Beloved tucked me into bed, and I slept straight through the night. I barely rolled over. It's been a long time since I slept that well ! I woke up about half an hour before I normally do, and just lay there, DC on my hip and Jack behind my knees, one hand on my tummy, feeling my breathing and hearing Beloved's soft snores. Glorious.

It was a wonderful morning, to not be so short with Dearest because I barely have the breath and energy to tell him things more than once. Got my new prescriptions, and talked to some interesting folks waiting for their prescriptions. I'd been waiting quite a while for the pharmacy to open, but the later-arriving lady who still had on her hospital bracelet looked really green around the gills and was in a lot of pain. I traded ‘now serving' numbers with her. After all, I was pretty healthy, I could afford to wait a few more minutes. Didn't find a single yard sale.

Community Thrift was devoid of much of interest, but I did find the very recent Anakin Skywalker bobblehead Happy Meal toy. He didn't have that one. Boba Fett one we got a few weeks ago is still in the Office bathroom. Oh, I forgot, they did have one of the newer Jasmine dolls. If she hadn't have been $4., and the other doll with her in the bag wasn't one I donated, I'd have bought her, just for comparison. The new one has a much larger head. I mean, it's noticeable. And her toothy smile just doesn't suit her character. Like the Jem dolls, the teeth seem to make her seem...well, insipid. Maybe even less intelligent. I'm glad I lucked into this one.

Dearest made me promise to take it easy today, so I helped make our lunch - chicken pasta salad - and not much else. Scanned about half the patterns in the doll magazines that've been sitting around for a couple months, and I may do the rest tonight. That'll free up a second shelf in the wire rack. I think that's where I'll begin storing fabric scraps. It'll be close to the sewing machine, and I want to use that Fabric Leftovers book on some projects soon.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:20 PM CDT

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Another day of unholy humidity around here. Beloved Hubby's being amazingly patient with my extended stillness. But then again, he can hear me cough and wheeze, so he's probably worried. It's driving me crazy, though. I'm very lucky we're nowhere near the hurricanes, I can't imagine having to evacuate when I can barely move around without my ‘warning' needles pegging in the red.

Got a bit done today. It was Dearest Son's turn for snack at school. Ice cream ! Because it takes a bit from the time I put the treats in his backpack to the time someone gets ‘em in the school freezer, I usually take ‘em in myself, just to be safe. While I was out, I recycled the soda cans. $5.50 this time, yaaay ! Big Lots didn't have much, but yard sales are approaching... maybe. We're expecting rain this weekend, so, who knows ? I really should stay in this weekend in any case.

I also finally got all the doll clothes put away. Doesn't sound like much, but most of ‘em have been sitting around in one place, pile, or bag since May, at least. You'd think with that great cubby system Beloved made me, I'd have it all organized and stored as soon as it hit the doorframe, but I'm lazy. That clears that shelf of the wire rack over by the printer, so I put one of my origami boxes there, for the doll clothes I wanna donate.  At least I finally got that done. Since scanning the old doll magazines doesn't require much motion, that's probably next.

Photos of Mattel's 2009 Collector line are out. You can see ‘em at ‘My Favorite Doll', or just use this link - http://dollattic.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/current_dolls.htm - since that seems to be where Sandi Holder got most of her photos, too. Some interesting ideas, but unlike most of the Barbie fans, I'm not worried about my budget. It's nice to have another repro of Malibu... but if I remember correctly, the first repro didn't sell well, because there's still tons of the original, real 70s Malibu. And a lot of us who began Barbie life with Malibu kept her - there wasn't a massive trade-in promo or anything. I got mine for a buck each at a flea market. It's nice to see a Superstar repro, but again, I have to wonder. Wasn't the Superstar face the one everyone was just ‘soooo tired' of not long ago ?

And seriously. Why spend $44. on a doll you can find easily and in great shape at most thrift stores ? In yeat another fluffy pink dress ? At one point, I had four of those SS dresses - I wonder if the adult collectable versions are still gonna be made of cheap polyester ? I don't know what my problem is - it's not like I own stock in Mattel. But their decisions often confuse and frustrate me !

I wanna get excited about Playline again. I mean, heck, without Playline, what's Mattel really got ? I'm sure the Collector lines rake in big bucks, but if Barbie doesn't excite the current generation, they're sure not gonna want to rebuy their childhoods the way most of us are right now ! But I don't see any of that on any website. For all I know, it's another year of fluffy pink princesses and almost-but-not-quite Bratz Ho Look. Well, I'm not really being fair there. Since they seem to have jettisoned My Scene, a lot of their questionable clothes designs, like the ‘scarf on elastic = blouse' on Bling Bling Barbie, seem to have gone with them. It's a shame such pretty dolls got so many ‘rap star girlfriend' accoutrements.

I was hoping they were going in a good direction with the ‘My House' line, but I don't know if that's continuing or not.

It's times like these, I'm so happy I sew and buy second-hand ! It's something I can still find thrills and excitement in, even during ‘bleh' years from doll companies !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:20 PM CDT

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Beloved Hubby's feeling better, but Dearest Son woke up with a headache, and coughing and sniffling. At 100% humidity today, I wasn't feeling much better m'self. But we all struggle through...

ID'd the two ‘painfully generic' redressed Barbie dolls I bought last week to get the hacked-up 70s peasant dress. One was 1995's "Dance Moves" Barbie, which I kinda already knew. I had the DM Teresa for a while - my mother'd found her in a parking lot. Her ‘dance' action and big silver earrings were major clues. The 1987 Rocker Barbie also had the same ‘Real Dancing Action', but the Gymnast body had six years to go before it met the buying public. Plus, her earrings and hair were different.

The other had my curiosity. The front hairline part of her dull, floss-like blonde hair was pulled back over her head like a cap, pony-tailed to fall over the rest. She lacked earring holes, and a slightly curved slot in her back held a lever which made her hybrid-Gymnanst body's arms wave right to left and back. What did she do with that motion ? Hula dance ? Play Guitar ? Rock a baby ? Sweep floors ?

Well, Barbie never cleans, so there went that idea. The Hula Hair doll would have been easy to ID, with her bright pink, orange, and yellow hair, with bangs, plus a full Gymnast body. She didn't look anything like the one guitar ‘playing' doll I knew of, the doll from The Barbie Diaries, and her arms' motion wasn't really a guitar playing one. I found a set from 2000 with Barbie and a baby Krissy, called ‘Bedtime Baby', and in that one, Barbie rocks her infant sister to sleep. But that one had glossy, shiny blonde hair in twin Sailor Moon-style ponytails, with white stud earrings. Face was nearly identical, though, so I knew we were in the right time frame.

A little more poking around...oh. Well, when I said these dolls were painfully generic, I had no idea... What I had was a 2000 "Barbie Loves N'Sync" doll. (yawn) Her arms waved to hold a "home-made" fan sign, thoughtfully professionally printed by Mattel and included in her package. Without the sign, her packaging said her arms' motion was her dancing to the beat. Um...yeah. I always stand straight and wave my arms from left to right and back again in front of my thighs repeatedly when I'm a slave to the rhythm. I'm surprised that wild move isn't busted all over the ‘Aerobics' section of Wii Fit.

Sorry. I shouldn't be so snarky about it. I just thought this doll was a tacky tie-in when she came out - with her two similarly boyband obsessed friends - and even without a shred of N'Sux anywhere on her, I find myself eager to donate her, like right now. I laughed out loud when she piled up on her initial release, not selling, and kept on not selling, even when marked down to $5. at the discount outlets. She's a perfectly acceptable doll, if ya don't mind the huge lever sticking out of her back, and the weird waving motion, but I still think she's too generic to keep and knowing she's a has-been tie-in makes me really wanta dump her. Usually the abandoned status would encourage her stay, but not this time ! Bye Bye Bye ! (yes, I had to look that up to know it was their song)

It was much easier to ID the Jasmine I got from the junk shop Saturday. Water Jewel Magic seems to be the only one ever made with purple earrings. I remember the whole Aladdin line from my TRU employee days, and if the first dolls to come out within a few years of the film can be called vintage, I knew she was just that. The newer ones have a slightly wider face, more innocent and younger looking, with a toothy grin missing that mysterious little smile she had in her heyday, and I've always loved those 90s big anime eyes.

Really, though, of all the head molds for Disney Princesses in Barbie scale, to me, it looks like Jasmine's has changed the least. Looks like her earrings are her ears still - goss, that drove (drives !) me crazy ! - and her eyes are still large and exotic. For a girl who never got out of the palace, Jasmine always struck me as one of the most cosmopolitan, sophisticated women of the DP Pantheon. I'd gladly get her an Aladdin companion, if I could find one without that blasted molded-in fez ! Even the latest ones have it, and it's too big to paint and pretend it's hair. Arrrfgh !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:20 PM CDT

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It was kind of funny - the Craft section is close to the entrance, but the glues and other adhesive section is in with Paint. In Crafts, all the glues were name-brand, including the Super Glues, in several varieties. Kinds that don't bond skin instantly, some that require a longer set-time, different gels and nozzles. Over with the Paint, you got the cheap stuff as well as the main Super Glues. Not as much affectation that close to Hardware.

Glue sticks we always need. I got lulled out of buying a bunch at the back-to-school sales because it was the first year they weren't on the supplies list. No matter, they were the same price then as now. They always come in handy for homework and various projects.

Looked at thick packages of cardstock pieces in varying sizes and colors. May pick one up next week. For $3., I could have a lot of fun-colored origami boxes !

Got to hit the Community Thrift, too. Luckily, there wasn't anything new there, as I only had $2. left from the weekend ! Still scored a doll pattern - for toddler dolls in three sizes, I forgot I already had it ! - and an issue of Sewing Today's Vogue Patterns magazine, which was fun to look at. Didn't come with patterns, of course, just wanted to draw attention to a few. That I could never fit into. (sigh) A couple articles looked interesting, but I mostly liked going through the ads. For being just a couple years old ( it was an '05 issue), it's still amazing how much and how little has changed. Most of the patterns pictured are still for sale right now. Some of the stores have closed. Looked through the whole magazine rack, no other craft-type magazines.

I'll probably keep the magazine around a bit longer, see if there's anything else I can glean out of it. The pattern is also gonna stick around - with a spare, I can use an actual tissue paper for fitting estimates !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:19 PM CDT

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Relaxing Sunday. Beloved Hubby bagged work for the day and we kind of sat around. I got bored and started looking around Craftster.org for a while. Lots of communities and forums I'd never visited before. About ten minutes later, I was tearing up some back issues of Real Simple magazine I'd yard saled for the bathroom library, to make more origami boxes. BTW, Real Simple should be named something closer to ‘Semi-Plausible Reasons To Buy More Stuff'. Not a lot of voluntary simplicity, cutting back, living better (unless it's through shopping), or enjoying simple things in there. It's like a bridal magazine for the bored housewife with a very healthy checking account. Tons of ads, some reviews, and the same articles in new formats every few issues. At least they came in handy today !

Anyway, a poster on Craftster showed the cute origami boxes her family keeps around, for snacks and food bits like orange peels and nut shells. Fold up one of these boxes, and you can toss it when it's empty of chips or you're done with the fruit, the whole thing's disposable !

It took me a bit, but I finally got it, then made several ! I even made one from cardstock (magazine subscription card) that came out pretty well, if a bit big for most of my dolls. I'd be perfect for paper clips ! The tutorial on Craftster was a bit hard to read, so another reader posted a really good link - http://greggman.com/japan/origami-bowl/origami-bowl.htm  . After three boxes, I could do it by memory, without the website. Coool ! Something new to do with the inevitable ton of announcements Dearest Son brings home from school besides using the blank sides to print patterns and cut note paper ! It'll also keep the plastic bowls in the cabinet instead of scattered all over the living room and his bedroom.

Hmm. I wonder if I can make them using starched fabric instead of paper...? Anyway, there's my ‘new' Jasmine in the outfit I bought her in, her pretty hair brushed out, with a tiny version of the origami boxes on her lap. Shoot, now I wanna go look at the scrapbook papers at Hobby Lobby again - and at the expensive but oh-so-gorgeous imported Origami papers they carry !

Popped the ‘Jaq' Happy Meal toy off his stand by cutting the peg holding him on it with Beloved's razor knife. Trimmed the stump a bit and now he stands on his own. And LDP Cinderella now has her little friend back. Brand-new, the older versions of this doll came with him and Gus, and maybe a bird or two, but so far, only two of my LDPs have come to me in a box other than one from the Post Office !

And I finally found time to give Beast a good brushing. I always meant to, he still had pieces of horn ‘shed' on his shoulders. The sliver leather-like coating must've flaked off over the years. It's OK with me, he looks fine with white horns, too. I got most of the last remaining bits off, and gave his fur a good all-over brush and fluff. If I remember, I'll pick up some rug shampoo, get a few spots cleaned. Kinda need it for the Snow White rug, too.

I also got the two Mal-Wart sacks of misc. stuff emptied, and most of it put away. So while it was a mostly ‘putter' day, I at least got a little done !

Beloved Hubby had a toothache tonight, so I made him a rice sock. It's a good temporary heating pad when you need one. Basically, I filled one of Dearest's clean solo socks with rice to the heel - generic instant or regular rice, it makes no difference - tied it shut at the top, and tossed it into our microwave for 45 seconds. He's asleep now, still clutching the sock to his cheek. I didn't know this until I started making the occasional rice sock as needed, but when microwaved, even dry instant rice gives off a pleasant scent. I think it helps. I'm probably gonna crash on the sofa, so I don't wake him coming to bed. I know what it's like to find relief only in sleep when a rogue tooth starts sounding off at 9pm on a Sunday.

If you're wondering where the rice sock idea came from, it was a store-bought $20. microwave heating pad a relative had. After much use - she'd declared its usefulness repeatedly to anyone who stood still long enough ! - one day, the thin cotton fabric split to reveal plain, cheap, white short-grain rice. I'd planned on making a nice one, because, ya know, I sew, but one day we needed one and just didn't have time for decorator nice. Almost without thinking, I grabbed a clean sock and had at it. Rice socks are a sort of tradition in the family now. They also work in the freezer.

Today was my tenth straight with the Wii Fit. My WF age has gone up - 47 ! - although my scores at the balance activities improved. Didn't lose any weight today, either. In fact, since we got the thing, I've gained a pound ! I'm hoping it's muscle...  It was funny today, because the program itself advised that I take a day off ! I probably will next weekend, I really had to drag m'self out there for today's session. And by the time I started, I was too geared up to take the program's advice ! Yesterday, it gently admonished Beloved for his two day absence.

I think it'll benefit Dearest Son, too. He's fortunately inherited his father's lean frame and metabolism, but he hates exercise. The WF, however, he thinks is fun, and he listens really carefully to the directions. This is something new ! Getting him to take direction is like filling cavities on hen's teeth. He'd much prefer doing things his own way, but it's gotten better since first grade.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:49 PM CDT

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