On birthdays and doll collecting

Doll Chateau Queena - on her way from Denver Doll, who happened to have one in stock

My 40th birthday was on January 10, and I have a few resolutions to share with you all. I have read recently--and also seen from Shuga-Shug's Facebook posts over the last year--that when you share your resolutions with others, even in Social Media platforms, you will have a higher likelihood of success. (Congratulations, Shuga! You look just amazing!)

So... I have several resolutions planned.

First, your typical exercise-oriented one: I'm walking everyday. My aim is more for health and fitness (though wouldn't we all love to loose just an extra 10 pounds throughout the year). My [wonderful nerd] husband bought me a little naggy device called a FitBit. It is basically a pedometer, and it measures altitude as well. My goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps daily and 10 flights of stairs.

You can follow your progress with, say, your competitive older brother (and your über-competitive children, should they also require nerd devices) on a smart phone app, and track your weight, water intake, sleep, what you eat, and more, if you so desire. The regular FitBit runs about $100 or $69 for the FitBit Zip version, which is what our kids have.

The kids we have lean toward sedentary, and with these little naggy things attached to them, I can hardly turn around and have someone asking, "Hey Mom, let's go for a walk and get more steps than so-and-so!" I figure, if I had built in walking 10,000 steps everyday when I was a kid, I think it's probably worthwhile.

Second, refocusing my doll collection. I have been ruthlessly going through my collection and trying to decide what it is truly about, and I have come up with several themes:

• Peak's Woods BJDs - they are my favorite ball-jointed dolls of all. Plus, did you know Denver Doll Emporium is carrying them again?
• Strange BJDs - including the girl show in the photo above, Queena by Doll Chateau. I also own a DC Erica, and I'd love to also add Bella.
• Steffie-faced Barbie - I'm writing Volume II (and well into it) of Steffie: Out of the Box: An inside peek at a fan's eclectic collection (Volume 1), and have been collecting several dolls to feature in this book. I am trying to let go of the dolls in Volume I, unless I really love them. (Oh yes--and I plan to finish the writing part of the book by May.)
• New Tonner Dolls - I admit it, I love what's new and different. I am willing to pay a premium for those dolls, too. Probably, it's what's killing my budget--well, that and the BJDs, and the fact that I can't/won't narrow down my collection. I need to plan on rotating my collection, however--and planning on some loss when I do so
• 1970s era Barbie - From mod to superstar, I have a few I just adore.

My current collection likes, but I'm not sure where they stand.

• Vintage Barbie - These girls have kind of been on the back burner for a while. They are delicate, and that makes it difficult for me to play with them. They are "just sit there" dolls. If the current vintage market were a little better, I might part with a few, but for now, I think they will stay the way they are.
• Fashion Royalty - Again, suffering from my whatever-is-new fever, I feel like these girls are simply amazing. I will always have a few of these girls, but I wonder if it wouldn't do me some good to really rotate my collection.
• Poppy Parker - I just adore this girl. I would really, really love to own Reluctant Debutante, and I wonder if I couldn't get her with a trade from the above Fashion Royalty collection. But again... is it because they are new, or because I like them? Also, the clothing and accessories aren't as easy for me to manipulate as some of my larger girls.
• Resin fashion dolls - I own some gorgeous repainted resin fashion BJDs, and I love to style and photograph them, but bonding is an issue. One in particular has a gorgeous face-up, but I can't stand how she poses. She's heavy, and her stringing is loose. I could probably fix it, but I'm hesitant because of her original cost. Ugh!

Third, re-styling the house (and my photo background). We are having the painter start this morning, and this afternoon, the flooring specialist is coming with samples. Ideally, I'd love to have laminate throughout the house--we have lots of cats, and I think this would be easier to clean. 

Also, I'm hoping that I'll be able to host one of the doll meets again. I have one super-social kitty (Chanel, our ocicat), who simply panics if there are guests over and she can't come visit. She has pooped in one of the bedrooms the past three doll meets I've hosted (we have one attendee who is really allergic to cats, and Chanel would be deadly--she just rubs all over everyone). Not that I'm thinking she will stop panicking--but perhaps hard floor would discourage her from ruining the carpet. (I'm such a dreamer!)

What about you? Do you have aims for your collection and life this year?

Dreaming of dolls

In my book, Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners, I mention that dreaming about your first BJD is completely normal and to be expected. I have had many doll-related dreams in the past years, and I notice that with stress, my dreams about dolls seem to increase.

Last night, I had this very strange dream about Tonner Doll's Intriguing. I had a dream I took down her beautiful blue hair, which I threatened to do (much to Carolyn's dismay and horror) at our local doll meet. However, in my dream, when I took down her hair, only the front of Precarious' hair was blue--like it was painted somehow--and the rest was brunette. It was very strange.

Not only that, but I had totally ruined the style by taking it down. Since her hair was painted in front, there was no way to get it back in the original style--at least not by me.

It was a rather silly and unnerving dream.

About a doll.

I think I need more and better sleep.

Nico and Dolls

Nico and Dolls, a photo by alington on Flickr.

One of my more terrifying doll photos--and in case I ever wonder where those runs in my doll photos come from... this is Nico, with Goldie and Alice.

Don't the dolls look nervous?

I can't believe I took this photo. It makes me feel like taking a Xanax.

Why I had to put my doll boxes away

Why I had to put my doll boxes away, a photo by alington on Flickr.

While I'm posting doll/cat photos, here is an older photo of Chanel, our really expensive ocicat.

Really, really expensive now, since she ate a lily leaf--and those are poisonous to cats. Now, we never have anything but mint and catnip in the house, unless it's silk or plastic. Aye!

Did you know they can do blood transfusions between cats these days? OMG. But we just love this girl. She greets people who come to the door.

In this photo, she is lying in a box of doll clothing, which I don't leave out anymore.

Lily Pea, helping, helping, helping

Lily Pea, helping, helping, helping, a photo by alington on Flickr.

"Generally, cats stay away from my dolls." Unless I get out the camera.

This is Lily, helping herself to a Rement latte. Which reminds me... It's 3:11 PM in California. Is it too early for a martini? If so, maybe I should start with a latte.

I should just add here--I've heard from several friends who have lost a lot of weight lately, just from cutting out calorie-laden drinks. I must say, KUDOS to you! I don't think I would stand a chance at that diet. I can do "lite" drinks, a.k.a., "skinny" drinks, but not water.

Sure, water in addition to what I'm already having. But I'd do much better on a liquids-only diet.

A BEARel of Laughs - An interview with Jude

You have probably already seen the auction - for a BEARly used Tyler Wentworth doll.

The debut of Barney the Bear's OOAK artistry was a rousing success

I don’t know about anyone else, but I was laughing so hard that I could BEARly breathe by the time I finished reading it. The auction was for a Tyler Wentworth doll by the Tonner Doll Company, who had had an up close and personal encounter with Barney, a black bear in Colorado. Jude, a regular poster on Prego, posted her photos of Tyler and Barney, and eventually sold Tyler on eBay.

I love the wit that went into this auction posting:

For sale a poor pathetic older unknown Tyler BEARLY USED PLEASE EXCUSE THE STRAY HAIRS
I have used her for a wig model
Mint except for:
Hair has been cut off
Thumb missing on one hand
Fingers missing on the other hand
Slightly played with by bears
Bite marks on head and body
Smells like Bears
Hairspray on Face
She is kind of dirty but could be cleaned up with a magic sponge or NOT
No original box

Comes from a smoke free and BIG pet friendly area
Questions please email.
Emergency sale

Will be shipped in a padded envelope as more damage won't hurt her anyway

On Sep-04-12 at 15:59:52 PDT, seller added the following information:
Sorry the bear is not included in the auction. It would cost an enormous amount to ship and he doesn't want to leave the mountain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Sep-05-12 at 06:49:19 PDT, seller added the following information:
COA included with doll and signed photos from Barney. He has sacrificed his beloved doll for auction and hopes the winner will be delighted with her. With a little TLC she might look better or maybe not. Barney is thinking of offering another one of his dolls from his private collection for auction at a later date.

BEARing this in mind, it seemed like a BEAR Necessity to interview Jude, and have her tell our readers a little about herself, and her big, hairy, artist neighbor, Barney the Bear.

Who you calling big and hairy?

Jude, how long have you lived in Colorado?

All my life

How have you adjusted to living with neighbors such as Barney? How did Barney introduce himself?

I have lived here on the mountain for 21 years and there are a lot of bears here. We have learned to adjust to them. We are just very careful. The photo opportunites are amazing.

I admire your bravery, I am a coward when it comes to bears. The closest encounter I ever had was while camping at Mt. Rainier when I was about 5 years old, and a bear made my dad teleport about 15 feet!

Barney at work on his first OOAK project, a Tyler Wentworth doll

Was this particular Tyler Wentworth doll, whom you used as a wig model, a favorite?

I have had this Tyler for about 7 years. She had a mishap with my dog when she was a puppy and has issues since. I thought she would be a great candidate for “Bearly played with” for Barney.

Hey, no photos until I'm done! 

Tell us something about your doll collection - what dolls do you have in your collection? Are there any Grails that you are still seeking?

I collect Numina dolls by Paul Pham, Sybarites and a few bjds and Tonners. No Grails at this time.

Ugh! The stupid brushes always fall just out of reach of my paws!

What Grails, if any, do you think Barney has?

Barney loves dolls. He seems to bearly think of anything else. He has a special love for Bearallina dolls. (ballerina)

That would be an interesting OOAK to see next - maybe a Night On Bald Mountain would be an appropriate theme to play to inspire Barney while he works.

A closeup of Barney's painstaking work

What inspired your eBay auction?

I was just thinking it would be cute to put a doll outside and see what the bears would do. Barney showed up first and was BEARy intrigued with her. I took the photos and got to laughing so hard and decided to post them on Prego. Someone on Prego suggested I should put it on Ebay. From there it was 3 days of constant laughter. The questions and answers were hilarious. Animal lovers came out in force and the auction turned out incredible.

I'll say - from a $.99 opening bid to a $430 close - that's pretty impressive for an OOAK debut, especially by an artist of a completely different species!

Not quite mint, but not bad, either!

How did you and Barney come to the decision to sell his OOAK work?

Barney loves art and wanted to share it with all the doll and bear lovers. He is so thoughtful.

One thing's for sure, Jude, the two of you make a winning OOAK team. With his artistry, and your genius for publicity, the only limits are affording the dolls for Barney to work on.

Better start running, I want to look my best for the auction!

How did you feel when you found out that Robert Tonner, the owner of Tonner Doll Company (Tyler’s manufacturer) knew about your auction?

It was amazing!!!!! I was afraid he might be offended because Barney loved the doll so much.

I seem to recall telling you to send an email to Mr. Tonner, telling him you had photographic proof that his dolls are beloved by all species!

Did anyone at Tonner Doll contact you?

Yes, they did and said they loved the auction and would be bidding on it.

What is Barney’s next OOAK project, after this stunning debut?

Barney is working on 2 different bearalinna dolls. The next one will go on auction tomorrow. He is finishing up a makeover of a Miss Piggy. They try to dance. Barney picked a special song just for her  ”Swine Lake”

Jude and Barney's second auction - a Miss Piggy doll by Tonner

Does Barney have anything to add? I’m sure our regular readers would love a quote from him!

Barney is so touched about all the caring posts and bids on his auction. He wants to tell everyone how BEARy touched he is with all of this!

I don’t want to pry into anyone’s privacy, but a fellow Prego member is said to have won the auction, and thus, Barney’s first efforts at OOAK. Please tell the winner to take pictures of his or her new doll, and post them. I’m sure we would ALL like to see that Tyler has adjusted well to her new life as a piece of One of A Kind art.

The questions asked on this auction were pretty funny, and it seems that the potential buyers understood the humor Jude and Barney intended. Here are some of the highlights:

Q:  You mentioned in your listing that were a few stray hairs and this Tyler was used as a wig model. What size wig does she take. I suppose the stray hairs are what I see on her face. Since you said "Mint Condition" I assume they can just simply be brushed off and she is pretty well cleaned up. Or (reading between the lines) is the damage to her face so bad that she has filed for workmen's (women's) compensation and her face needs extensive plastic surgery if she wishes to appear normal in public again.

A:   She wears a 5-6 wig as you can also find in my store. Barney is taking wig styling so Mr. Barney may have some great creations on the horizon. Yes, she has been a model for about 6 years and that hair is embedded with hairspray. You might be able to clean it off with a power sander. That is a thought. She should file for some kind of compensation. She is bearly able to have any spa treatment at the time. Sad isn't it?

Q:  You mention that this OOAK Tyler is in Mint condition except for a few minor defects which you list-mostly to the hands. I was interested in possibly using her as a shoe model, but you don't show her feet in any of the photos. Does she even have feet? or have these modified in the artistic process? Thank you.

A:   Thank you for your question. I bearly remembered to take the other photos. Sorry. Yes she does have feet and one has a tooth mark on the bottom and the other has some mystery brown stuff? on it. Not sure what it is???? I'm sure she could be a great shoe model. The bite is on the bottom and bearly noticable. Thanks so much for your interest in Barney's creation.

Q:  Can you please take my pre order for Barney's next offering. I believe its to be a ballerina called " She Who Dances With Bears." Will you require a deposit. Do you have an anticipated price and ship date. Thanks so much.

A:   Barney will be working on edition #2 shortly. As a STARVING artist he is going to be working like a bear to get it done quickly. Please save him in your favorites so you can be first to see his new creation! He really thanks you for all your interest! Bear Hugs, Barney

Q:  Hi,does she come wearing any clothes or does she come bear ?,sorry I mean bare ! :)

A:   Thank you for writing. She comes Bare but I can cover her bits so she is bearly bare if that would help. Thanks for your interest. Barnmey thanks you!

Q:  But if she encounters further damage, my pristine Bear Art is ruined!! and the COA becomes invalid.......

A:   Oh dear. That is a grizzly thought! I bearly thought of additional damage. I can certainly send her in a box. Barney will wrap her carefully so that she will arrive in the pristine mint condition as shown in the photos! lol

Q:  Do you think that if we ask him nicely he can sign her butt? also I would like to know if she had a given name and if a COA would be provided, thanks. I hope this is just the first of many pieces, Barney is for sure a promising artist!

A:   Thank you! Yes, Barney would be glad to sign her butt! I believe he named her Mauledeen. Yes, there is a COA included . Barney plans on doing a ballerina next called " She Who Dances With Bears. Please put Barney on your favorites list so you will know when his next ooak comes up for auction. Since this all started he has bearly had time to rest. Thanks for writing! Big Bear Hugs

Q:  Free shipping is really great~thanks. Does this include tracking and insurance for the winner Thank you.

A:   Thank you for writing and your interest in the Bearly played with doll. Yes insurance and tracking is included. Not sure what to insure her for tho as she has so much damage . Bear Art is hard to insure accurately. I am sending her in a padded envelope because more damage can't hurt her anyway. lol Thank you. Jude

Q:  Hi,I was wondering if Barney does commissions? I have a doll that resembles my X Husband's Girlfriend that needs a Makeover and I think Barney could help with that? What would he charge for the body enhancements? She wears a lot of Cheap Perfume, has Breast Implants, Facial upgrades and long hair so I think he would like this work. Price with photos please??

A:   Barney may start doing commissions. He is already going to do a ballerina called "Doll That Dances With Bears". If you add Barney to your favorites list you can be informed of his next offering. I'm sure he would love to do a cheap doll. He loves cheap and cheap perfume. lol He can bearly stand it!

Q:  Is this doll sold "as is"?

A:   yes, I'm afraid it is sold as is. As you can see she has some minor issues. Please ask any questions before you bid as I want to keep my good feedback and stars! Please look at the photos carefully. I have tried very hard to describe her as well as I can. As you can see she may require some "PLASTC Surgery". I am not an expert so hopefully this has answered your question???????? Feel free to contact me if you have other questions. I'm not sure what the true definition of "AS IS" really is. lol

Barney has left the building!

And that wraps up this edition of Fashion Doll Review. I would like to thank Jude and Barney for their gracious consent and use of their valuable time to be interviewed. All photos are by Jude, and starring Barney the Bear and Tyler Wentworth. All auction text is by Jude.

The dolly photo bomb.

Kisha, a photo by alington on Flickr.

Does this happen to you?

You're trying to take semi-serious doll photos and boom! Someone uninvited shows up in your background.

It seems like every photo session I have an eager "helper."

Kisha is the doll shown above--a Peak's Woods BJD dressed in Val Zeitler and Leekeworld wig. Bear is on the coffee table, and Chanel is walking in front of her.

Notes on various eBay posts...

Yesterday was my birthday, and I spent a lot of the day wasting it online. I was browsing eBay--you know, research--and I came across some eBay auctions that were interesting to me as a collector and enthusiast.

• Probably the best deal ever, listed at just $109 for a starting bid: 

  10 CLASH OF THE TITANS BY ROBERT TONNER, NEW, NEVER BEEN REMOVED FROM BOX

  The photo, however is for a single doll. I believe her name might be Io.
• Interesting information about this lovely In Bloom nude Antoinette, and not so funny, which is that she has a stain around her ankles from her blue pantyhose. I haven't had a doll with dark hose stain for at least a year. Is it because I'm in a desert climate? Any other experience with this doll?
• Fun stuff with new real-life photos of the lovely Allure Antoinette--I loved her promos, but wow! She is gorgeous!
• The new In The City Dynamite Girls are showing up on eBay... keeping in mind these girls retail for $60, here is You Sexy Thing Jasper starting at $125, Mighty Real Reese at $80 (she's adorable!), and Good Times Dayle starting at $80. As of this post, Hot Stuff Cruz is at $109.49.
• You'll be able to see fashion shots of Poppy on FDR soon, but if you can't wait, here's Foto Fab and Perfectly Purple. Hit Single Darla Daley is an adorable surprise as well.
• OMG--It's Ready, Steady, Go Poppy Parker! 11 hours left and still $175!

A Very Merry UN-Birthday to our own Alison!

A Very Merry UN-Birthday to you, Alison Wonderland!

Yes, I deserve a swift kick for missing Alison's birthday yesterday. I was somewhat distracted - which sounds a lot more dignified than, "I had a Senior Moment."

However, thanks to your love and knowledge of Alice In Wonderland lore, I hope that we can at least celebrate one of your 365 UN-Birthdays - yes, 365, since this is, after all, a leap year.

Here is hoping that you get many dollies without breaking the bank - good luck on that, right? - and that you, your family and your cats all celebrate with love, fun, and laughter, which are the best things ever.

The rarest and most desired tree of all...

If you happen to find the seeds to a tree like this, a simulacrum made by Mabel and Bobbi, two of the talented gals in my doll club,  please let me know. My own birthday is coming up next month, and like you, I have a miles-long Grail list!

Large and Largess?

I love playing with scale in my doll collection, and I'm always struck when similar dolls and styles come out with from prior collections from doll manufacturers. 

Two fabulous examples were released in Tonner's latest release.

Above, the gorgeous 1920s styled Platinum Luxury American Model. She is the large(ss) version.

Below, the amazing grail, Classic Elegance Sydney. People, I will trade my brand new, mint condition Blue Alice for this Syndey. Why, you may ask? I have, what the laywomen refer to, a keeper. 

I was having a difficult day yesterday. Jokingly (and in a rather bitchy manner, if I admit it), I forwarded a photo  of the new American Model to my husband via email, when he asked what he could do to make my day better. "Buy me this doll." And to my utter surprise, he did! (From Dreamcastle!) With the caveat that I not complain about various Christmas parties or do anything embarrassing there. (People who know me, please--no comments about work parties.) I am delighted!

Now, I'd like to add the smaller version to my collection as well. (I'd hate to press my luck by having another bad day--so a trade perhaps?) Wouldn't they look wonderful together?

The other set can be seen below:

From the Gowns by Anne Harper collection, Anna Karenina is close to selling out. It's still available from Toni's Collectibles. The outfit is designed for wigged 16" dolls such as Tyler Wentworth.

For a larger scale, there is the beautiful Anna Karenina American Model, still available for purchase. The two displayed together would be simply stunning in your collection!

The latest (yawn) Barbie scandal - Tokidoki's tattoos

It never ceases to amaze me how here, in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, how many people there are who don’t seem to appreciate precious freedoms. I am not talking about immigrants still learning our history, culture and customs, I am talking about people who were born and raised, here in the USA, who have,  presumably, been through our education system, read the constitution, and understand the rights that were earned by the Founding Fathers via the American Revolution.

Or do they?

Perhaps I have a different perspective, since I grew up with my father as a role model. He was originally from Czechoslovakia, a small country in Eastern Europe to which history has been most unkind. Dad barely managed to survive two brutal, absolute dictatorships, first Hitler, then Stalin. When he arrived in the US in the 1950s, well, let’s just say my dad discovered “Freedom of Speech” and made it all his own. He was a very opinionated soul, and was, perhaps by definition, what one could call highly conservative.

Except in one instance.

Maybe it was due to the regimes he lived under, but my dad had an absolute loathing of censorship. What really surprised him, coming from the background he did, to a country where freedom was the rule and not the exception, was finding so many people who wanted to take away the freedom of others to choose, because the naysayers found something offensive. To best sum up how my dad felt about this, I’ll even use his own words:

If that book or magazine offends you, don’t read it. If you don’t like that song or TV Show, either change the channel or turn off the player. If you don’t like the movie, don’t buy tickets to it. No one is holding a gun to your head!

Yes, I am aware this is a blog about dolls, and yes, I do have a point. Today’s target is the latest (yawn) controversy over a Barbie doll, specifically the Tokidoki Barbie, which  Fashion Doll Review's own Alison reviewed only a few posts ago.

What amuses me the most about the scandals that keep coming up about Barbie – which, sadly, don’t seem to be slowing down in the slightest – is how hysterical some of the alleged consumers get to be, as if there actually was a gun, held up to their heads, forcing them to fork over their hard earned money for these dolls.

The scandal specifically focuses on Tokidoki’s tattoos. Hand wringing, hair pulling  adults, this time led by a woman named Marianne Szymanski, founder of Toy Tips, an independent toy researcher, who was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor, which can be found here.

I am not belittling the Ms. Szymanski for being concerned about the toys her children and other children play with – though I am not a parent, I know I would be concerned with how age-appropriate a toy would be, and even more importantly, how safe the object would be for a young child. There are legitimate concerns – small pieces a child could choke on, lead paint, toxic materials, age appropriateness, and so forth.

But Ms. Szymanski is defeating her own self-appointed mission, namely the protection of her own and other children and risks making herself a laughing stock by her own words. She notes that Mattel points out that this doll is meant for adult collectors only, not children, which is stated on Mattel’s website, and is sold, not in brick and mortar stores that are easily accessible to children, but online, at select retailers who cater to adult collectors. Tokidoki is not available to collectors at the regular Mattel site which is frequented by children, but rather at Barbiecollector.com, which is geared for adults.

How does she manage this?

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not for kids. It’s out there.”

“The argument that you’ll get from the toy companies is: ‘Oh, it’s for adults.’ But those companies need to know what parents’ concerns are.”

I really don’t understand this mindset. She has already defeated herself and her concerns. The item is clearly an adult collectible, she, herself says that is Mattel's official statement on the subject. Yet Ms. Szymanski, someone who is allegedly a parent, and the founder of what otherwise seems to be a very helpful organization for fellow parents, sounds incredibly naïve. Is someone holding a gun to Ms. Szymanski’s head, forcing her to purchase this doll? I find that highly doubtful.

There is a pattern at work here, which makes me wonder about a segment of "alleged modern parents." I say alleged, because I don’t want to demean genuinely good mothers and fathers who do their best for their children.

"Alleged modern parents" are people who do not stand up to their little darlings and being a parent,  saying to their little darlings, “No, you can’t have that.”  This variety of "parent" usually caves in to a carefully waged whining and/or tantrum campaign by said little darlings. Most times, they will finally buy the item just to get some peace; or so their children, “Won’t hate me,” or “View me as the bad guy.”

Instead of reflecting on how to actually be the adult in the relationship with their children, these "alleged modern parents" will create an uproar in the media, and/or file lawsuits against a toy company for an inappropriate item, such as a doll that is clearly not for children.

Perhaps the size of Mattel's bank account, real or imagined, is too much temptation for these "alleged modern parents."

I am not in the habit of defending a doll company or other large corporation, because these folks have their own legal departments who can do that for them; as well as publicity departments for handling inquiries from the media and other concerns. But the fact of the matter is, Mattel is clearly aware of "parental concerns," since they are marketing the item for adults only, and not placing these dolls in venues where children will see – and possibly covet them –  such as regular brick and mortar stores, Mattel’s Barbie website which is frequented by children, or online stores where they can be seen and purchased by children.

Perhaps Ms. Szymanski’s energies would be better focused on finding toys she finds appropriate for her children. After all, a $200,000 plus Ferrari, which is also an adult collectible, is inappropriate for children, yet she is not calling for a ban on those, is she?

Dolls to the Wall - a new podcast on budgeting

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Finally, a new Dolls to the Wall podcast is available. My kids have been on fall break the past week and this one, to explain the delay.

This week's podcast is a themed podcast on budgeting. ("What? Are you crazy? What do you know about budgets?") Well, I'm hoping to learn from my mistakes this time. For real.

Enjoy!

Fun with captions!

Most of the people who know me will probably tell you that I am a nightmare to watch TV with, or take to a movie. That’s because, sadly, I am a very opinionated smarty pants, both of whose parents were opinionated smarty pants.

Plus, I spent too much of my attempt at a wild, rebellious youth watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show, wherein there was a phenomenon called “audience participation.” This means that the audience would wait for their cue, and yell things at the movie. Since this is a family friendly blog, I won’t transcribe what we yelled at the screen while watching Rocky Horror, but oh, what good times those were!

This is something you can do at the average horror movie without too much offense, considering some of the cliches the average moviegoer can spot from a mile away:

“Don’t open that door, dummy! The psycho killer isn't dead!”

I got to thinking about this while I was posting on my own blog. In addition to injecting my opinion during TV shows or movies, I also have a tendency to “project” what I think about the subject of photos, too.

For the sake of harmony, however, I will only caption my own photos here, rather than risk any hurt feelings that might occur over what could be an inappropriate comment about someone else’s photos.

First up, what was supposed to be a passionate kiss following a reunion. He has just come home, after being a prisoner of war, and his family arranged it so that the first thing he saw when he came in was his wife, sitting by the fire with their twin baby daughters. Most of the photos from this set came out very nicely. This one, alas...

"Yeah, I'm glad to see you, too. Would you mind? I have fifty bucks riding on this game."

This is my favorite couple to photograph, if you go by the sheer number of pictures I have taken of the two of them. They are both by Tonner - he is Will Turner from Tonner's Pirates of the Caribbean line, and she is Sister Dreary. This is another fail from a set that otherwise came out all right. I was pretty upset with this one, because it took me a while to set it up. It was supposed to be a cute husband and wife game of "Guess who?" Sadly, it looks like she is trying to claw his eyeballs out.

"My eyes! AAAUUGGGHHH!!!"

This next one I took at my foster mom's place. My original intention was to take a picture of the display case, which showcases all of the porcelain dolls mom has made over the years for competition. The pictures I managed to get were so-so. But before I put my camera away, I was sitting in the wing chair, while mom pulled up her little table to take care of some paperwork. I could not resist the following shot as her handy-dandy spellchecker jumped up in the middle to supervise.


"Just making sure she dots all the Ts and crosses all the Is."

I really liked the Will Turner doll Tonner made, and also caved and got hold of an Arrested at the Altar Will Turner. In this picture, I have him dancing with his girlfriend, a Club Jane doll. Alas, my ineptitude at posing is showing.


"Uh, what was that line again? Could you hold that cue card up higher, please?"

There are other, less obvious fails in my collection of my past photos, but these were the cream of the smarty pants captions. But to show you how much fun it can be, here is a photo that I actually enjoy quite a bit. What funny or smarty pants captions can YOU come up with?

Caption me!



A drawing and a comment about drawings

Viyol, by Peak's Woods.

Dear readers, I hope you're enjoying your weekend. By this, I mean, specifically, that you're spending it with your families, relaxing, shopping for or photographing your doll collection, and not spending hours online searching for hard-to-find QR codes, that may very well be the mark of the beast. As you might have noticed, I am still blogging, which means the world didn't actually end this weekend as Mr. Camping predicted.

In honor of this lovely occasion, and my horrible realization that I, a college-educated 38 year-old mother of four, have just spent an embarrassingly quantity of time searching for little code squares online, I've decided to offer my own free drawing. 

The prize: 

A free copy of my upcoming book, Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners, to be released by the end of June. (Now I really do have to finish it!)

To enter, all you have to do is go back through each of the Fashion Doll Review's blog posts, and count how many times I've used the words "Tonner Doll" and email me your answer.

Just kidding!!

No, seriously. To play, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post, here on this post, with some piece of identifying info, like your first name, last initial (or a handle is fine) and your state. If you don't mind checking that no one else has already used your ID, I'd appreciate that.

I will be doing a drawing on Tuesday, May 24, 2011, and will post the winner by noon PST, and contact you (or ask you to contact me). Thanks for playing!

I'm really counting on you, dear readers, to enter this free contest. This way I will have a good reason to finish the damned book. 

And as usual, my contributors aren't permitted to enter. You'll have to suffer through reading the book's proof soon enough, so don't be too disappointed.

Things I didn't do before I collected dolls

Goldie as Alice, originally uploaded by alington.

I haven't posted a top 10 list in a while, and it's time. Here are the top ten things I do (as a doll collector) that I didn't do before I got into the hobby.

1. Dream about dolls
2. Stay up late obsessing about how I am going to get my latest grail
3. Stay up late worrying about how I am going to pay for said grail
4. Stay up late worrying how I am going to explain my doll budget to my adoring husband
5. Run out of room in my doll cabinets
6. Buy special cabinets for the dolls
7. Spend X amount of time online per day, doing research on dolls, where X is an embarrassingly large number
8. Spend the evening redressing my dolls, and actually look forward to the evening redressing my dolls
9. Write a book about dolls
10. Write a blog about dolls

What about you? Have you started doing anything that surprised you? I wouldn't call myself a hoarder, per se, though perhaps some of my relatives might disagree. And my dolls actually do rotate through my collection--they move on to new homes occasionally, much to the chagrin of some other doll-collecting friends of mine.

Tea cup display

Tea cup display, originally uploaded by alington.

How do you display your dolls?

I was looking at my display yesterday, and feeling a little bit overwhelmed. Personally, I like to be able to see all of my dolls--if I can't see them, and get to the easily, I feel like I have too many.

I like to display with themes, so currently, I have my Alice dolls together--well, most of them anyway. I have the IFDC dolls on another shelf, simply because they won't fit. I love how my display looks, however--I just wish I could display them all like this.

The not-fitting problem... well, that has caused me to do a little calculating. I looked at my pre-order list for the entire year, and I realized that I've overdone it--again. I have too many dolls coming for my display space, so I'll have to move some dolls in a major way. Ack!

Maybe it's just been an overwhelming week for me, but I have to find a better way to get my collection back to a manageable size. I didn't take my narrowing-down project into consideration when I was in the pre-ordering mood. So now I'm in for a real treat!

Words of wisdom for the day: Don't pre-order dolls when you're "in the mood"!

Display anxieties and blah, blah, blah

Alice Display, originally uploaded by alington.

Talking about Alice has gotten me thinking about display issues. See how poor Um of Umbridge is squashed in her display case? She's totally outgrown her display space! I'm currently working on two projects of late that has be dealing with some display problems. Plus, my collecting is in a morphing phase again. Let me explain:

Project #1 - There is no time like the present to announce I am in the editing phase of my first book, dear readers. It's all about how to choose your first ball-jointed doll. I'm writing it as a coffee-table style book, filled with full color photos, hoping it will be beautiful to read. It will be filled with information on BJDs, how to budget for them, how to decide your aesthetic style, how to order them, basic tutorials, and how to get connected to the online and real-life community of BJDs--all in a warm, friendly, conversational way. I hope you like it. I'd love to have it finished by June 1, but we shall see.

Display issue: I have received permission from Peak's Woods to use my photos of their dolls in this book. And I currently have a lot of large 58 cm (23") dolls in my display case. My cats seem overly friendly toward these dolls (much unlike Mr. Winky), so I keep them in a glass case.

Project #2 - I have started on another project involving Steffie-faced dolls. I haven't quite decided all the details of this project yet, but I have been quietly accruing a few Steffie faces of late. Well, if you read my blog, I haven't been all that quiet about it. But since I haven't decided on the project details yet, I won't go into it yet.

Display issue: I've never in my life owned this many Barbies before. And never this many Barbies about whom I've felt quite so sentimental. My goodness! I think I may need to add another display shelf. I can't stand the idea of putting the dolls away in a box. I need organizational help here! Or maybe just a valium.

Collection morphing: I was recently able to acquire a grail doll of mine, Pink Splendor, at an extremely affordable price. She was a very low Buy-It-Now because of her torn box. But she is complete, and I adore her. Now, she has me looking for a few other dolls I thought I'd never be able to attain--just because I thought she'd be too hard to find.

Display issue: Need I mention it? The dress sizes. What am I going to do with these huge gowns? I'm already starting some sales on dolls--and I have to list the others I have for sale. But setting prices and the like is the hard part. What to do?

My theory is to not ever have so many dolls that I can't display them all at once. I know a few of my girls will be hitting the road after some of these projects move forward. In the meantime, I have to get off my butt and start selling. More importantly, maybe if I didn't feel so much anxiety about the dolls, I'd work on my project(s) a little more quickly.

I just wish I felt more like a collector sometimes. Is this normal?

In doing a little more research... I found this post from three years ago. I was a much more confident collector then, it seems. Check it out. There's lots of display ideas in there.

The real reason I collect dolls...

Goldie is home!, originally uploaded by alington.

Is for their fabulous shoes!

These are from the Haute Doll/Val Zeitler collection, manufactured by DollHeart. But can't you just hear, "There's no place like home" deep in your heart?

I'd totally wear these. And let's not even go into a price comparison between the cost of doll shoes and people shoes.

Well, I happen to be a John Fluevog fan, and I say my feet are worth it. But I'm old, and can't afford to have "hurty feet," which is what I call barking dogs.

TonnerDirect sets returns (and bravo for correct math! I'm so proud!)

Shop at TonnerDirect now for even more set fun. In addition to the previous sets, they've added a few more Passion for Fashion sets:

• Anne Harper set - includes Basic Anne Harper and The Angel's Deception outfit $163.99
• Jacqueline Frost set - includes Jacqueline Frost Basic and Frosty Touch outfit $147.99
• Urban Legend Shoe set - includes Day to Night, Fierce and Park Avenue Flats shoe packs $95.99
• Urban Legend Dress set - includes Uptown and SoHo dresses $103.99
• Urban Legend Denim set - includes Distressed Skinny Jeans, Frayed Denim Skirt, Sequined Denim Bustier $83.99
• Urban Legend Romantic set - includes Ruffled Cotton Coat, Ruffled evening Top, Lace Evening Skirt, Swirling Ruffled Skirt $159.99

Use the promo code FASHION (or FASHIONINT) when you check out and save an additional 20% those set prices above and get free continental US shipping (or a $9.95 credit toward shipping costs).

This promotion expires at 11:59 PM EDT on April 22, 2011, and cannot be used with any other offer. It is good on new orders and in-stock items only.

Plus, a note for any of you math buffs, or think I was making a big deal earlier, I am relieved to see the new savings style of these offers. Check this out, from Jacqueline Frost's gift set:

Full Price: $184.99

Set Price:  $147.99

20% Off:  $118.99

That's a total savings of $66.40!

FREE SHIPPING

That's what I'm talking about! Yay for math! It's good for your brain. ;)

My "what NOT to do" tip of the day

Who knew that styrofoam and spray paint don't mix? Apparently not me.

I thought I'd be both thrifty and environmentally conscious and create an armchair for an 11" doll out of a styrofoam Jamba Juice cup. However, once I sprayed on a light coat of enamel spray paint, the styrofoam began to disintegrate until the seat was no more!

Am I the first one to ever discover this? Probably. I imagine that most people just throw out their take out containers: not try to make them into doll furniture. :)