Current Mood : nostalgic surprise

Spent on dolls and crafts today : $2.

Beloved Hubby arranged work for his Shop this morning, so I could keep my promise to read to Dearest's class today. How sweet !

However, I took slight advantage of it and hit a yard sale on the way home. What can I say - I just can't resist !

Not much there, really - but I still scored a real find. A small hand-cranked knitting machine, just like the ‘Knit Magic' I had as a kid ! Except the box for this one was covered in a certain shade of pink, with dolls all around. This was ‘Barbie's Knit Hits', and it's clear purple with lime green accents, but otherwise nearly identical to my original yellow and orange one. Had one not too long ago, about 2001, but I donated it when we moved. I'd always rather liked it, and while I've seen ‘em at Hobby Lobby, it just wasn't $20. worth of nostalgia, ya know ?

But here was one for $2. It spun easily, and what the heck. No directions, but I remembered enough from years of pink and red tube dresses to use it. And yes, back in the 70s, I thought pink and red looked great together. Well, remember, I'm using a yellow and orange machine...

This one had a Mattel logo lever with a P on one side and a T on the other. That was new. Engaging the P seemed to stop it from completing the circuit. Hmm. Less than a minute later, I had saved a PDF file of the directions to this exact machine to my Patterns folder. Goss, I love the internet !

Seems the P stands for ‘panels', as this version makes flat pieces, not just tubes. Interesting...

Too bad I didn't have much time to play. I cut and bundled the last of the new cut pieces from Molly's trunk just as Dearest Son arrived home. Beloved was home about ten minutes later. It wasn't long before Dearest left for his grandparents', and Beloved wanted to shop a bit. After a lovely dinner out, I got the latest Doll Reader, mostly for the lovely photos of the latest Tonner Oz witches. Wow. Elphie's ‘Witchcraft' gown is gorgeous, but waaay beyond my meager means. I like having a great photo of it, though. Just wish they'd used the big photo on that, instead of another big-azz fluffy blue ballgown on Glinda. (growlmutter)

I'm still not sure what to make of the ballerina witches. Yup, there's ballet-themed dolls of Elphie, Glinda, and Dorothy. Dorothy, frankly, looks kinda silly in a gingham tutu with sparkly red toe shoes. Glinda, naturally, has a flowing romantic pink tutu that drapes to the floor. Elphie's is short, slightly bristling, and black. She strongly resembles Princess Krahe. I wonder if someone over at Tonner is a Princess Tutu fan...

There's also a cute dress pattern for a 10-inch doll in this issue. I may increase it for the LDPs. Gotta scan it first, though.

And this issue further proves my theory that no general doll magazine can go an entire issue without devoting at least one page to Shirley Temple and her dolls. I know interest in her is always high, but speaking as someone free of the enchantment, it gets pretty tiresome to always find an article about her and her dolls in every. Single. Issue. Of . Every. Single. Doll. Magazine.

Hoping to find playtime with the Knit Hits device tomorrow. It's lucky for me that it came with some yarn, even though it's an amazingly garish Christmas skein. What little yarn I had around here got used up in fabric bundling and kitten play !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:27 PM CDT

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Current Mood : Overwhelmed !

Beloved Hubby was home early, and he could tell I was restless. So at his urging, I got to pay a visit to Community Thrift.

Not much new - scored a couple replacement Happy Meal Cars toys for Dearest Son. Most of his are shot from heavy play. There were bundles of doll clothes in with the Barbie bins this week, but they were wedged and crammed into snack-size baggies, nearly impossible to tell what was in there, much less what shape it was in. I already got a boxload of doll clothes to repair, don't need to shell out $2. for more !

I went over the also-small bags of shoes and accessories, though. One set tempted, as I know that Fashion Fever shoe style fits some of my flatter-feet dolls, but I didn't much care for the pinky-purple color. I have a bag of shoes to paint around here somewhere...

No new dolls either. Mostly blondes I've seen there for a while. There is a Hasbro Jem, possibly first season, from the pink metallic dress and shiny waffle-weave hosiery. Unfortunately, her bright pink and white blonde hair completely obscured her face, and the other two dolls squashed in there with her were also wedged up tightly. Plus, I already have a Jem doll, bought from a DAV thrift waaaay back in 1999. Even thinking about her makes my mind play her theme song...

When I bought my Jem, I'd thought to piece together her ensemble, much the way I did the Fashion Plates. A find here, a bit there, a staggering avalanche of amazingly good luck suddenly one day. My Jem wore her hosiery under a Barbie dress, but I soon had her ‘Jerrica' striped one and her ‘Jem' pink dress from yard sales. I'd found the ‘Winning is Everything' and ‘Sophisticated Lady' outfits still on their cards in a junk shop, and bought them in hopes Lisa Hayes (Robotech) could wear her shoes. Nope. Waaaaaay too big for Lisa ! But it meant that my '99 Jem would have a wardrobe available since 1990 !

I'd kinda lost track of getting all'a Jem's stuff. Never really got past the dresses, and since I had pairs of pink and blue shoes from the outfits, even if the weren't the right pink and blue shoes, they were fine by me. Later I found her and Synergy strappy sandals on eBay, and discovered that clearanced ‘Beauty Cutie' boots fit and looked great, too. Plus, Jem accessories like shoes and clothes, tend to go for much more than the doll ! So I contented m'self for sewing Jem, Rio, and Synergy new stuff, and making new finds.

Anyway, it hit me on my final store circuit. I hadn't checked any of the baggies for Jem stuff. Worth a shot, at least. Since they had the doll... A quick dig didn't find anything. Rats. But since I was down there, maybe this Jem's dress was better than my Jem's dress...

And I bought her bag on the spot. A closer look showed that she not only had the pink dress and stockings, but she also came with the Jerrica dress and hat ! And both the metallic pink and turquoise shoes ! Those alone were sooo worth the $3.99 on the bag !

Once home, I also found myself the proud owner of her hair pick, her bracelet (complete with pink stone), and a doll with the ‘starcap' earrings ! I'd never seen one of those before ! My Jem just had the red-bulb earrings. How cool !!

I also found out why they'd gone to such trouble to obscure her face. Her hair was amazingly vivid. Her hands were near-perfect, and her arm and leg joints clicked like a new doll. Her clothes and shoes were also near-box bright. But her pretty close-mouthed face bore several purple marks, on her cheek, the tip of her nose, her upper lip, and her chin. Also a chunk of her bottom lip paint was gone.

Well, shoot. That was a shame. But I already have zit cream ! I got her cleaned up and started treatment. Here's hoping !

And no, my Jem is not now homeless. With her fair hair, she's Jerrica ! Now all I need is the belt, the sunglasses, the stand, the cassette, the box...

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:27 PM CDT

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Welcome to October ! Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I've gone and caught cold. I think. It's hard to tell, since I've had that ‘gunk in my lungs' feeling for nearly a month already.

Beloved Hubby ordered truck parts today. Hopefully we'll have his diesel up and running this weekend. He hasn't had the time to look at Molly yet, but I'm sure he will soon. I know he hates it when I nag.

On a whim - and to avoid actual housework - I decided to sort out a box of fabric I haven't touched in months. And there went two hours of today. But I gained some more space for the fabric bundles, because the box was fulla people clothes ‘finds' from last year's various second-hand venues ! (sigh) Just when I was finishing up with this year's, too...

But it wasn't so bad. About half were already cut up, and of the remaining untouched half, I donated most of it. Cut some up for rags. In the end, Community Thrift will gain a sack of clothes (some of which came from there in the first place !), my rag box increased a bit, the fabric box is better organized, and today, just as I completed cutting the last garment from Molly's trunk, I added eight more. (heavier sigh) But at least I knew not to cut up any more dark blue velvet !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:27 PM CDT

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Finishing up laundry day. Got the two new fabrics washed, along with the ‘flags' and ‘lavender gingham' print ones washed, dried, and bundled. At this point, I'm not only really tired of fabric and tearing garments apart, I'm about ready for yard sale season to end, so more of the same doesn't follow me home anymore !

Seriously, my Lab is a mess again, since I don't know where to put all this stuff. Yet I so enjoy going out and looking for more. It makes no sense. I'm down to the last three items in the ‘tear people clothes apart for fabric and fun' box, and the thought of being done with it by week's end fills me with glee. Glee, I tell you, glee !

Yeah, I've been in a mood all day. Sorry. At least everything save what we're wearing has been washed. I probably won't do laundry again until Friday, or Monday. By then, I'll have this put away, and we'll have generated another seven or eight loads...

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:26 PM CDT

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Urgh. It's laundry day, and also ‘we're down to one working vehicle' day. Lemme tell ya, there's a huge difference in deciding not to go anywhere and not being able to go anywhere.

Got six pieces of clothing cut down to useable bits while waiting outside. Not just for Dearest Son's bus, but also spotting for Beloved Hubby as he worked on his truck. It makes me nervous when he's under two-plus tons of steel, supported by what looks like a couple soda bottles and a metal accordion. So when he's working on vehicles, I'm normally out there with him, cell phone at the ready, just in case.

During today's adventures, a local tire consortium was set to do an alignment on Beloved's diesel. They refused, saying the ball joint would have to be replaced first. A repair that'd cost over $400., including a single $130. part. Beloved came home. The part, from the dealer, is less than $60., and they deliver. Beloved's a fairly good shade-tree mechanic - he's taken care of my brakes numerous times, and is good with fuel pumps and radiators - so he decided to take on the repair himself.

We got the part, but found out that two seals were beyond repair. Since the consortium never removed the tire, they didn't know, so the repair probably would have gone over $600., as the seals are $50. each. And, you know, they have to charge twice that for parts, minimum. We have to order the seals, so his truck is down. And my Molly still is. She needs a new clutch. At least we have a working truck for work, but it means grocery shopping's gonna be late this week.

While the big diesel was down, he had a look at Molly and the grey truck. Grey truck also needed a new part, so he got that taken care of, and as a test drive, we got milkshakes. Dinner was rather late for us (I'd fed Dearest earlier), so we just had soup.  I'll be so happy when Molly's back up. I really miss her ! And the box in her trunk has about six pieces of clothing left. Somebody slap me if I ever buy any more people clothes for doll clothes fabric again !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:26 PM CDT

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After yesterday being 100% amazing, today couldn't possibly match it. So I just kinda loafed around, got the donation ready for pick-up (three bags and still going), and redid the Lab a bit. The cat hide-a-way cube I got from a yard sale weekend ago is now in here, so DC and Jack occasionally rework what's on the floor for me. I made sure to get all the ribbon and trims stored, and got out the spare thread box. The grab-bag of thread I got yesterday darn near filled it ! Glad I bought it when I saw it at GoodWill. I've been kinda kicking myself for it, thinking I'd never again buy thread, so I wouldn't need it - but I couldn't resist paying 50c for a duplicate of something I paid nearly $6. for already.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:25 PM CDT

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The original plan for today was to scan the Holly Hobby pattern I got last week, and finally getting down to sew Jasmine's harem outfit, since I can't ever seem to ‘win' the right to buy one on eBay. But that was before Beloved Hubby asked if I wanted to travel with him to a distant specialty store - and we'd stop wherever I wanted to ! Who could refuse ?

As it turned out, the store was located in a town where Beloved Hubby did one of his earliest ‘working for himself' jobs, before branching out on his own full-time. The lady of the home had the same form of heart disease I do - peripartum cardiomyopathy - but she'd taken the risk of having a second child, and her heart had seriously deteriorated. She had a sweet son Dearest's age, and a teenager, and her husband contracted for the military. Frankly, he seemed kind of a jerk, but I really got on great with ‘S'.

We did a lot of work for them, and Dearest and S's little boy got to play together frequently. I even baby-sat for them when S was hospitalized, which was a bit of a drive for her husband. Buy then, as things happen sometimes, we lost contact, stuff and family got in the way, and one day when we tried to call, the phone was disconnected. I feared the worst, and driving by their house about a year later, we noted that it seemed almost abandoned. I was deeply saddened. S was a truly sweet and wonderful woman, and I missed her like crazy.

Well, neither Beloved nor I ever forgot her, and since we were in the area, decided to drive by again. Just as we pulled up, so too did the phone company, and the front door opened. It was her ! S !!! She was fine, and looked fantastic ! I almost cried. S looked at me curiously, and then her eyes lit up. She remembered us, too ! She barely had time to tell the phone guy what was wrong with the inside lines before sweeping us up in a big hug and urging us inside.

We stayed nearly three hours, catching up and telling tales. She's divorced now, and while I wouldn't say it in front of their son, I was glad. Her ex always seemed to need such control over her and the boys that the house always seemed...dark to me when he was there. Not the case anymore ! She has a cardiac implant that helps, so she's looking so much healthier than before. Her teenager is this tall, intelligent, curly haired romantic hero type now, and her little boy ain't small either ! He and Dearest are gonna get along fine, I think ! She's coming over to visit us next week, and we're already invited to a Halloween party. I'm not sure about this ‘social life' thing, but I'll give it a try !

I was all happy all day. I got her new phone number and she has ours, and I hope to never lose contact again. She's too special !

On the way back - Beloved found what he needed at the specialty shop showroom, and we even got a thick catalog ! - I spied a thrift store, so we pulled in. They had a few bags of dolls, but nothing of interest. I'd covered most of the toy section, and was about to go down the back of the aisle for a second look. I usually do that, as sometimes, things look different from the other side, and I've found interesting things that way. I was actually second-guessing myself, but decided to do it anyway.

Am I ever glad I did ! (sigh) Settle in for ‘I Remember' Story Theater time, kids. Get a drink, too. Anyway. One of the last toys I really remember from having when I actually was a kid was Tomy's Fashion Plates. Heavily advertised, this toy announced that YOU could  be a Fashion Plates Fashion Designer by lining up the embossed plastic plates in the included tray, rubbing a black crayon over it, then using the textures on the other sides of the plates with the included colored pencils to create your own look ! I loved this thing.

Oh, I got into trouble over it -  nearly all my long-ago toys have some ‘tragic' tale associated with ‘em. I vividly remember going nearly hysterical when my mother tossed out my Star Wars board game because I'd left it in the living room, when she'd never threatened to do that before or since. I'd left it because I had to take out trash right that minute, and when I finished, there she was, tossing my game in, box and all. I loved that useless game. Anyway. I was telling my visiting cousin that Dad had probably forgotten to get it for me again and he overheard me, while he was holding the darn thing. Well, at that time, the only toys I got were what my allowance bought, I'd saved up for a month for it, we were so far out into the sticks, I went months without coming anywhere close to a store, and yes, I was a brat. He basically heaved the box at me and refused my apology or to even speak to me at all for a week. While my cousin was there, they fawned over her and completely ignored me. That always hurt. It was their preferred method of punishment, next to their remarkably accurate pitch of an undeniable insult that brilliantly highlighted their disapproval of my most recent failing. Or a failing from ten years prior, those were also valid targets.

So I couldn't bring myself to touch the toy for at least two weeks, until I was sure Dad tolerated my presence in his life again. I made sure to play with it quietly, and to never leave any pieces of it out. Used the backs of papers I found in the trash when the included supply ran out. I liked how, in the commercial, the ‘designers' pinned their creations to a bulletin board, along with fabric swatches, and that was about the only evidence that I even had that toy, my bulletin board. Not having fabric swatches, I hung up a few Barbie outfits that sort of resembled the pictures. I'd also dimly thought this would cheer my mother, because at last I would be showing interest in clothes instead of dolls. So I tried very hard to turn out perfect rubbings and colorings to show her. This turned out to be a major miscalculation on my part, she was far beyond ‘not interested' in these efforts, which also kinda hurt, but I was used to it, so the fallout was miniscule.

About the last time I remember playing with it was one of our family trips to the beach. I'd have dozens of cousins to play with, but the drive up was eternal. Luckily, we had the camper shell on the truck that year, so I could play with it in the camper during the drive, where I could barely be seen, and never heard. This was maybe two years after a maternal cousin broke my favorite Barbie, so I learned to put my toys away when others were around, and I was most careful storing this one. Even though all the cousins I had on my paternal side were older than me, and could care less about stupid things like toys, I just couldn't take the risk ! I think it vanished with the rest of my stored toys when I joined the Army. I wish to this day I'd rented a storage unit and not depended....ah, heck. Not like it would have mattered...

So. Long story short (too late !), I had the original 1978 Tomy Fashion Plates, and despite a rocky start with them, loved them utterly. I found a partial set on eBay, when I was looking for Barbie things, and figured the plates could be used with the Little Mermaid Fashion Plates clone that was also part of the lot, so I bid and won cheap since no one else was interested. Turned out, the Mermaid set (by Rose Art) was just a bit smaller than the original Tomy (later Hasbro) sets, so they were incompatible. Oh, well. Later this year, I found several Tomy plates in a yard sale box, and darn near tore that sale apart looking for more plates and the frame. Didn't find ‘em, but they pretty much gave me the plates... When I'd bought the Mermaid lot, it was inching close to Christmas, so I watched as full sets slowly went up, from $15. for no-box, ‘mostly complete' sets to $50. for mint ones. Too pricey for me - I'd wait until after the holidays to search. And I did, off and on, but the prices never seemed to go down.

And now, what all this has to do with today's thrift store adventure. On the other side of the shelf, I spied the corner of a not-vintage but very familiar fashion plates-type frame. I grabbed the bag, and...wow ! There was a vintage Fashion Plates frame in there, along with fistfuls of plates and several other frames ! There's a Barbie one, and a very small one, and even what looked like pieces from More Fashion Plates, a set of additional pieces to be used with the '78 frame, that I'd only seen on eBay.

I could hardly wait to pay and head out to the car with my bag o' treasure. I'd had to contain myself to pay the $3.19, I was that excited. Wow. I could hardly wait to get home and see what I had. I must've bounced all the way home, happy for seeing S, and happy for having my old Fashion Plates back.

And...yes, I now have a complete set. I have the pencils, all the plates (even some doubles), and the frame, and the More set was complete, too. I also gained another Barbie set, and a Hasbro ‘travel' version of various dancers. These compliment the talking Barbie set I got at a yard sale this year, and an early Barbie set I found a couple years ago, plus the Little Mermaid one, and the one that started it all, a cheap knockoff set I found at a thrift store for a buck. Seeing them all arrayed on the bed, Beloved commented that I really should document the collection online, for others who also loved this toy. So I probably will.

I'm still researching why the original ones are by Tomy, and identical sets (with updated plates) from the late 80s on are from Hasbro. At first, I figured it was another buyout, but Tomy is still a viable company - Takara owns them, and still uses their name. I swear sometimes, the lack of documentation in the toy industry is just shocking !

I had an amazing day ! I hope yours was incredible, too !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:25 PM CDT

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Spent on sewing supplies : $4.50

After yesterday's wild spending spree, I really shoulda stayed home today. But I didn't ! Today's first yard sale yielded a set of DPrincess iron-ons that are just adorable. See, what'cha think ? You can stick ‘em on, and they'll wash off, but if you want permanent, just iron ‘em on. Not bad for a buck. I also found a set of psychiatry study flash cards (‘Describe how taste aversions develop') with the answers on the back, and a small booklet entitled Cheese Recipes for Wartime Meals * How To Make Your Cheese Go Further. Yes, this Kraft booklet was published in 1943, when food rationing was in full swing. It's fascinating - and of course, there's ads for Kraft foods like Parkay, Velveeta, rind-free American cheese, and the still-new Kraft Dinner (we know it as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese), and how they're easy on ration points and full of good nutrition in these challenging times. Amazing what you can find for a dime in someone else's garage.

The next two sales yielded nothing, save an idea on how to get rid of leftover building and renovation supplies that Home Despot won't take back. The fairgrounds flea market was in full swing, and I bought a grab-bag of thread, mostly for the included copper metallic spool,  a still-in-package Olfa Technic Knife (great for cutting points in fabric !), and a Magic Fit Styling Curve Ruler. The ruler, knife, and thread cost a whoppin' big $3. total. That ruler usually goes for $20.+ on its own, and is mostly used for adapting patterns.

They also had Olfa rotary blades, and I could use some, but I didn't want to take the chance on buying the wrong size - again ! - even for a just a dollar. Turned out I was right, those were the too-big ones that I already have a collection of, blast it.

Another sale on the way home netted a good ole-fashioned egg beater - the kind with the crank. I'd been kinda wanting one. I also scored three document protector binders. These are thin plastic binders with twelve document protector pockets bound in them, and a cover that's also a display pocket. Not sure how I'll use them  yet, but they're so cool, and at 25c each, I couldn't resist ! So I got the egg beater and the binders for a buck, and they tossed in a light switch plate, in white ! So I may go after decorating the other one in the Lab now...

A sale down the street from that one was odd - because it was at the same house I'd been to twice already this month. Local laws prohibit one person or one address from having more than two yard sales in a calendar year, so I have no idea how these folks have had three in September. I know that they could use three - all their stuff was nothin' special and rather expensive ! And the one two houses over from the three-peat was also disappointing, but funny to me - they had Game Boy cartridges. But $7. for Tetris was a bit much. When you only pay a buck for the whole set, it kind of colors how much yer willing to pay for accessories.

And that ended my shopping spree. Two hours and $5.20.  Celebrated by getting 14930 on Game Boy Tetris and doing a bit of housework. Polished off leftovers for lunch and got Dearest packed for his grandparents'. What a nice day today was !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:25 PM CDT

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Spent on fabric/sewing : $12.25

Kind of a busy day today, too. There was a rare Thursday yard sale down the street, and the Simplicity patterns went on sale when I had money. So I was off !

The sale advertised toys, but it was mostly boy stuff. Some girl clothes, but no dolls. I still managed to spend $4. there - and we're now the owners of a vintage Game Boy ! Yup, the grey Nintendo brick, first of its kind. It was funny, because I'd been idly thinking about it yesterday...

Back when I was all about animation, I also worked part-time for TRU. While I was never a gamer, there was something oddly compelling about the brand-new, anchored to the center of the universe display model we had. I kept watching it while it demo'ed some sort of fighting game, showing a girl in a cheongsam spinning around, over and over. It hit me after about a week - while I could care less for video games, the animation was both primitive and incredibly advanced. Every tiny pixel had to be exactly in the right place for the image to move so fluidly. Yet the motion was dictated by the player -so you were controlling the animation ! What a concept !  Part of me wanted one, just so I could study it. I still had zero interest in games, I just wanted to see how the characters moved.

Of course, this was the ‘stupid with money' portion of my life, during which I also bought a slightly-on-markdown Animator 2000, from Ohio Arts. I know I shelled nearly $100. for this and a couple memory cartridges. I honestly thought it would teach me how things move in animation, the one thing I never understood, no matter how much of the technical side I studied and did understand. I thought that, if I could program the oversize pixels and achieve motion, I would finally understand.

Suffice to say, I never ‘got it'. Sure, I could roughly animate about a second of a small cluster of dots moving around a bit, but not much beyond. For an incredibly sophisticated toy, it was a PITA to use. Now, bear in mind, I was in my early 20s when Animator 2000 (1988) and Game Boy (1989) came out. Really old enough to know that the toy may say ‘photocopier' on the box, but it's carbon paper underneath the plastic !  Not to mention be a bit wiser with my money !

Well, I guess it was mostly due to my failure with Animator, that I went from ‘one day, I will discover the secret, and I WILL animate my imagination !' to ‘I can always be a fan' before 1990 dawned. Anime premiered just on the horizon, too. By the time the year odometer rolled over to '00, most of my animation books had been either sold or donated. And I'd endured several parental lectures when the dusty Animator 2000 was found under my bed - I was in college at the time - for wasting money. Yeah, I did, but I still think it was necessary in some ways. I might still be obsessed with a secret that really doesn't exist if I hadn't had that colossal, expensive failure to remind me of a few things.

So, anyway. Never bought the Game Boy, but I did get a Sega Genesis, to play Disney games on, until it too got dusty and the darn rabbit ate the cords. Ended up trading SG in at Electronics Boutique for a Star Wars ‘desktop experience' that ate most of Windows 3.11 on my Packard Bell when I tried to install it. And nearly 20 years later, I find a Game Boy, quietly playing Tetris with itself in a yard sale box, with a neon ‘$1' sticker on it. At least I didn't have to ask if it still worked ! Further digging around got me ‘Tetris Attack !' still shrink-wrapped in its box and ‘Dr. Mario' in a plastic case. A buck each. So for $3., I got something a lot more fun than a $10. handheld poker game !

Did a bit of research, and there's a few hundred games for it, and because it's pretty much outmoded, they're cheap ! I may get the Barbie ‘Game Girl' one, just for kicks. Some of the Game Boy Color games can be used on my ‘new' toy, but not all. I'm hoping to find one of the pinball games some day. If you're curious, there's lots of good Game Boy info on Wikipedia - including a photo of a GB that nearly got burned to slag in the Gulf War...but it still works !

I also got the three Simplicity patterns I wanted while they were ‘on sale' for $1.99 at Hancock Fabrics. Yeah, I'm still mildly bitter that they're not on 99c sales anymore. My list was originally six patterns strong, but I stuck with the ones I wanted most - and two were just too low-necked for me to wear. I also got a pink and gray ‘skull and crossbones' print cotton remnant, and a half yard of ‘ballerina' print lavender flannel - I'm thinking of making Princess Dorrie some pajamas. Fact is, I just couldn't resist that lovely design. Also scarfed up all the $2. packs of 8 ‘Made With Love By' labels they had, while they were 80% off. Maybe around Thanksgiving or so, I'll have 48 more personalized clothing labels ! They still had more, but they were $3., and you know how cheap I am ! Should have ‘em in the mail on Monday.

Both GoodWill and Salvation Army were serious disappointments. GW looks as though they haven't received a donation in months, and SA has always been kinda cheap and expensive at the same time, ya know ? I hardly ever go over there, even though it's in the same strip as Hancock's.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:24 PM CDT

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I have a new lead on a dressed Jasmine LDP, but it'll have to wait until I can get a few more bucks into PayPal. By that time, I probably won't even do it. Seriously, after yesterday, I really have about given up. Tired of finding one, being willing to settle for the blue one - not the purple outfit mine was issued in  - and not having her shoes, much less the other props, then waiting five or six days for the blasted auction to end, and just as it gets close, someone else bids...and I realize that I was about to shell $15. for a fistful of nylon satin and shipping. I really should be grateful that these dolls are in such heavy demand that I haven't been able to overspend, but I'm getting tired of the constant searching. Not to mention always being just thiiiiis close to having the LDP obsession over with.

So, eff it. I'm tired. At this point, I've put thrice as much energy into taking the ‘cheap' way out than it would have taken me to make a prototype and a finished one with all the beads and trimming. I may take tomorrow to finally get off my shopaholic rear and just sew already. I mean, heck, I made a purse and three bag dispensers this week, and they all went fine. Why not take the chance ?

Plus, I found a website that catalogs every outfit Jasmine has ever worn, in movies, the TV series, various licensed paper products, dolls, you name it. So I think I'll have plenty of ideas to sew. Time to put the checkbook down and pick up the thread !

Got to hit Community Thrift today. I very nearly bought a Barbie-scale ‘Hannah Montana' beach club/ tiki bar prop thingie. After thinking about it for a minute, I put it back. I was mostly buying it because it was still on Mal-Wart shelves for $15., yet here was most of it for $2.50. Too bad I didn't really want it, honestly, it was even too tacky for my ‘backyard' diorama. I'm sure someone will enjoy it.

If you're curious, here's a link to it. If the director's chair had been included, I might have bought it anyway, I'm a sucker for those. Oh, and the ‘working lights' on the thing only work while the switch is being held down. How cheap is that ? Plus, it was so flyweight, I don't know how it stood upright on its own.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2864745&siteID=fDklYaGulKY-N6IMKWLQrB5UWajQ.nl7dA

Instead, I bought a beige Barbie china cabinet, with a white counter between hutch and cabinet, and a gingham floral sticker by the legs. Counter part slides right out, so it'll be easy to paint if I decide to. It has a cardboard back printed with images of plates and serving pieces. I love those. They pop right off, and I can leave it open-backed or make my own back, even by just reversing the original one. Dated 1996. Can't beat it for 79c.

Also found some beautiful nylon satin. Royal blue, a half a yard. For 50c, I just couldn't refuse. I already have it serged - like any cheap satin, it was fraying badly - and bundled. The thrift secures their single fabric remnants with tape, bigger lots go in recycled plastic bags. I'm sure it's cheap and easy, and gives a spot for the price, but the last thing I want on any of my material is tape residue.

Once home, I picked apart another little girl's party dress while waiting for the bus. I swear, half the ‘luxe fabric, cheap' bits I buy are used girls' dresses. By coincidence, it was also blue - Midnight blue stretch velvet, with a flower design in iridescent glitter on the front of the bodice. It also yielded some gorgeous wide blue ribbon and some ties for doll belts. There's maybe eight or so more garments in the box in Molly's trunk. Maybe I'll have it empty by month's end !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:24 PM CDT

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