The Most Popular Girls In School

Hey peeps! So let me get this straight out there, if you are not a fan of cursing or raunchiness in any way, this post is not for you and I will see you in the next one. Those of you who don't mind a little sick humor, continue to read. :-)

So while looking on BuzzFeed yesterday, I found myself on an article about this Youtube web-series called "The Most Popular Girls In School". The article had some gifs depicting some of the funnier lines of the show, like this one.

 

This is actually the tamer of the gifs in the article, but one of the running jokes in the series. It's actually pretty funny once you watch the series.

When I first learned about this series, I thought it was a bunch of kids doing some dirty jokes with dolls. At first I wasn't going to look at it, but then I decided to give it a try, and now I am hooked. Like I said, this show is not for the faint of heart, not for kids, and not safe for work. There is cursing and some of the things said in the series is just terrible, but in a way that it's so bad it's good. LOL! They completed their first season last year and have gained a nice following, which hopefully means there will be a season two.

Ok, so what is this show about? Well it's your basic "mean girls" teen drama. Two groups of popular girls, the cheerleaders and the rich girls, are out for each other's blood. Why the rift? Because back in third, serious stuff went down in third grade guys, besties Shay and Mackenzie were going for their third grade cheerleading team, knowing that whomever became captain of the team would be captain for "life".  Shay winning was a sure thing because she was part of a long line of cheerleading captains in her family. Even with her hair cut off due to lice, everyone still believe she'd win. That is, until a tragic hackey-sack accident that caused her to lose hearing in her right ear. She lost the captain title to Mackenzie and from then on the two became sworn enemies. This plotline alone makes for a fun story, but add in the many sidelines and you've got yourself a small burst of entertainment for 2-9 minutes per episode. Love it.

Another reason why I love this little series is the fact of the work they put into it. Yes, the sets are just basic, but still they are detailed. You know what everything is and they put some thought into and made things to scale. I love seeing behind-the-scenes pictures showing how people set up their sets and dioramas. It just adds to their genius in my eyes. So like I said, these sets aren't "the best" but they do have details and help tell the story.

And as with every series, you have to have your favorite character or characters. I do have some characters I love, but if I had to pick one person out that I loved the most it would have to be Bridget Tice.

One of the characters in the series said it best, she's like a mixture of Daria and Miranda from "Sex And The City". She's got a twisted story while remaining almost apathetic from it all. Add on to this that she has a crazy younger sister fueled with anger and vengeance due to something that happened back in the third grade, told you guys stuff went down in the third grade, and her sister's best friend whom I believe has a crush on Bridget. But through it all Bridget keeps cool and not a damn is given by her what goes down. Gotta love that "I don't really care." kind of attitude. LOL! But like I said, along with Bridget there are several other characters that make the show for me, and if you have a sick sense of humor, they will make the show for you also. Take a look at episode 1 to see what I mean.

This is just a short glimpse into the chaotic world of  "The Most Popular Girls In School". Be sure to check out their channel, and enjoy the rest of season one. You won't regret it. And if you do regret it, I point you to my initial warning up there ^. :-D

And now I am off. I need to finish an article before midnight, but I had to share this find with you guys. I know I am late to the party on this one, but hey, better late than never, right? Right. :-) And I will talk to you lovely people later. Bye for now.

Wishing now that she could play instead of having to write,
Michelle

 Pictures 1,3, and 4 from the "Most Popular Girls In High School" Facebook fanpage.
Picture 2 is from the BuzzFeed website.
Picture 5 is from the "Most Popular Girls In High School" wiki website.

I Miss...

I have several posts to upload to the blog, but just haven't had the time or energy to. In some posts I'll explain what's up with the lack of energy, that I've yet to start working on. But even though I have been writing posts, it doesn't satisfy me having them sit on my computer and not published for reading. I miss not blogging more often. I think I need to figure out how to get back into the swing of things. So I have decided to blog every day in February to try to get back into the swing of it. 28 days shouldn't be that hard to blog every day...right?

I also miss reading blogs. It seems with me being tired a lot of the time I just can't devour a blog like I used to. I am still working through the one blog I said I'd try to catch up on this month, and honestly beforehand I could have had that done in a day. So I don't know what my problem is. I'm not giving up, just wish I could stay focused more. I know why I'm having some issues, but I'll save that for the post written about it.

I also miss being more active on forums. It just seems like I don't have enough time to visit them as much as I want to. It's not like I am any busier, it just seems my time is more limited with being tired most of the time. I have slowly started getting involved in some, but not to the level I used to. I guess over time I can schedule more time to pop in on them.

I also miss working on my website. Years ago I was always changing the layouts and working on my website. It has changed locations several times, and it's yet to have it's own domain, I might change that this year. Right now it just sits not really updated and in need of some TLC. It's not a project I want to take on now because once I start I won't want to stop. I kind of want to get an html book to catch up on new coding and maybe even a javascript book. I love coding, so it will be nice to get back into that again. But for now it sits alone on the interwebs. Hopefully my new stories this year will breathe life back into it.

And that's all I really wanted to vent about today. Like I said, I have posts coming to the blog, some should show up this week, and I'd like to have those posted before February 1st so I can start with a clean slate. I'll let you know when new posts are posted. I hope everyone is doing well and having fun playing. I am eager to get playing again too. I am trying to rope my mom into doing doll stuff with me as well for relaxation and just to spend time with her. She's agreed to if I agree to draw with her. I can't draw worth anything, but it's not about the quality of the art I draw, it's about the quality of the time I spend with her. Ok, did I just write out the equivalent of a Hallmark card? *eye roll* Lame Chelle is lame today. LOL! Ok my lovely peeps, I am off. Just wanted to pop on and say I miss you guys and to let you know I will be back soon. Promise. Take care and by for now. :-)

Feeling sleepy but happy she wrote a post finally,
Michelle

Image From Free Digital Photos

Youtube Doll Peeps

So if you didn't know, there is a slowly thriving doll community on Youtube. Doll folks like you and me are making videos sharing their new purchases, doll plans, doll woes, and just their lives in general. I'm slowly growing my collection of must watch people on there. There are so many great people who have a variety of dolls to share. So I thought I'd share some of the fun doll peeps I follow on Youtube. For this entry I'd like to introduce you to Malvagitabella. She's a lover of many dolls, but her main love is for ball-joint dolls. She is slowly growing her collection of beautiful dolls. She shares with us about how she is growing her crew, her work on her face-ups, her attempts at sewing, and more. She's a super sweet gal and fun to watch. Her laugh is infectious and she's fun to watch. Take a look at her most recent video here. And be sure to subscribe to get new doll hobby updates from her. 

I hope you found a new person to add to your Youtube subscriptions. I'll be bringing you another fun dollie peep to meet soon. Bye for now. :-)

Michelle

Blythe Dresses On Etsy

Image From Free Digital Photos

So one of the things I want to start doing this year is promoting other doll peeps who I find interesting. I kind of feel like I am walking into mucky waters with this one because while I want to give notice to those people who I find interesting, I don't want to insult others by not mentioning them first, third, or even at all. So I will just put down the “cone of safety” on each of these posts. LOL! These posts are in no way to insult anyone, they are made to encourage purchasing of awesome dollie items I find and possibly help a handmade artist in the meanwhile. :-) And now that the cone of safety is on * insert cone of safety sliding sound here * let the awesomeness commence.

Gentle River Blythe

Image By Stacy Z

So my most coveted Blythe doll has to be Gentle River. She's a limited edition Blythe that I have no chance of getting, but seeing pictures of her again today reminded me of how much I loved her. I'm not sure what exactly it was that attracted me towards here. I think the one thing that caught my attention was her hair. I loved the blend of deep red hair with what looks like bits of dark burgundy and a lighter reddish-brown color. I love that mix of hair for some reason. I love red-headed dolls so she just really appealed to me. Next were her shocking red lips. Just so bold and eye-catching, but it all matched perfectly with her little outfit. Very cute. She was just so unique and different from the other dolls I've seen. I've loved her since she was released and have coveted her ever since. Her price is sadly to high for me now, but I can at least enjoy her through owners pictures. Take a look at her introduction video and these great pics. 

My Dream Craft Room

Picture By Just Claire

What would your dream craft room be like? I've often stopped to think about this, and have come to some conclusions about my dream craft room. First of all, it would have to have either laminated, tiled, or wood flooring. Hell, even cement flooring would be fine. I don't like carpet flooring, and I hate it even more in a craft area. Crafting is a messy job and I want to be able to clean up quickly and not have to pull out the vacuum cleaner, or get on my hands and knees to pick up threads or paper that have fallen onto the floor. I think I would prefer a wooden floor the most, in a light sandy stain.

Now with these lightly stained floors I would want white walls or pastel painted walls. I want something pale and calming because crafting can be stressful so I need something relaxing surrounding me. Crafting is my “me time”, so I want to be as relaxed as I possibly can be. I'd also like to have on the walls some unique pictures I've collected over the years, maybe some vintage prints, some crafts I have done or will do, and an inspiration board that is part white board or chalkboard and part magnetic to attach inspiring things to it with magnets, that I of course made.

Next I would focus on storage. That is my main problem, no storage, so my craft area can look chaotic at times. I'd love bookcases for fabric and supplies, displays for things like ribbons and scissors, maybe a craft table that has storage in it as well. And perhaps some things to make organized storage in the closet.

Once storage is taken care of, I would then focus on filling the space with crafty yumminess like colorful paints and ribbons, folded and color-coordinated stacks of fabric, odds and ends of various degrees, a space for my computer and a tv and radio, and a comfy chair or even a daybed to relax on to do handcrafts or sketch or relax after a stressful craft failure or read up on my new crafting adventure.

I think this would all be the perfect makings for my perfect craft room. I don't need much, just a place for everything, a place to sit and craft, and a calming atmosphere. Now I ask you, is that too much to ask for? :-) So tell me, what's your craft room dream? Tell me in the comments below.

Michelle

Puchi Collective

Puchi Collective

So I must have the worst luck when it comes to patterns, because I can never get them to print right or I can't figure out how to use them. So when I printed the Blythe Empiredress from Puchi Collective, I was bummed all my attempts to make one just didn't turn out.

Empire Dress Tutorial

It wasn't until I found Cris Shida's blog that I finally understood what I was doing wrong. It was the bodice and lining that was throwing me off, and once I sorted that out I was able to whip up several dresses with ease. Now that I am returning to sewing again, and Empire dresses are in my near future for sure, I will be falling back on Cris' tutorial. If you are having issues with the pattern, try looking at Cris' walk-through, I'm sure it will be that missing link you need.

Party Dress Tutorial

Now fair warning, the site is in Spanish I believe, there is another tutorial in English on “Oh StrumpetsAnd Blythe Too”, that is for the Party Dress pattern but it's the same concept, and I just found it recently but wanted to give notice to the person who actually taught me. However, if you prefer an English tutorial you can find it here and here, but Cris has put many pictures that show you clearly how to do it. So let me know if these tutorials helped you any. I know that I am very glad I can across Cris Shida's blog and now know how to successfully make that dress. :-)

Michelle

Mad For Mod!

If you didn't know, I'm mad about Mod. No, seriously I am. There is just something about Mod everything that appeals to me. The shape, the color, the look, the now vintage feel. I wonder if I was born back in the time Mod was current if I would like it as much as I do now? Or would I have loved Victorian instead? LOL!

Now when it comes to my main love Mod, it's Mod fashion I am mostly crazy about. But I have since found a new love, Mod furniture. :-) Mod furniture was just so space-age and colorful. A lot of furniture now tries to replicate it, and that's pretty cool, but it just isn't the same like having actual vintage Mod.

So why am I bringing up this lovely vintage style? Because I was surfing around the web and found some funky pieces of 1/6^th Mod furniture I would love to own myself for my own bratty crew here. I was born after the time Mattel went Mod, so I didn't have the privilege to play with any of those furniture sets nor have any sitting around now from childhood. I've seen some photostories with some nice doll pieces, some I am not sure is Mattel, and I can't help but feel envious. LOL! But now I see I have the option to have some very nice replicas when the funds are better for me. Take a look at these fun finds.

Pretty neat huh? It's funny, I'm not a fan of current Modern furniture design. I don't know why. It's still basically the same concept, but it's kind of harsh in color and some of the shapes are harsh. I love the sleek look of Modern, but where are the oranges and pinks of yesterday? Ok, so maybe that look is a bit dated according to society, but it would be nice to see some color. Mostly I find Modern style to be neutral, which is great if you prefer to bring in the Mod with accessories and paint. I guess a nice blend of past and future and could work. What do you think? Modern past or Modern future, which is best according to you? Let me know in the comments below. :-)

Michelle

Fashion Design For Beginners

I Draw Fashion

So there are two things I've always wanted to do. One is to learn how to draw. I am not interested in going professional with drawing, I just want something that looks like what I was aiming to draw and just want to do it for the fun of it. The second thing is I want to design clothing. I've been interested in clothing design since I was young with my Barbies. I would take time to perfectly match up their clothing and create full outfits. I loved paper dolls due the many fashions that came with them. I just loved fashion. As I got older my love of fashion grew stronger. In my senior year of high school I took a sewing class and would go to school early and stay late working on my projects. I just loved it so much. Man I miss those machines. They were vintage machines inside of tables and they sewed like a charm. Now I have a modern one I am not a fan of. We have some vintage machines here, but they need to be looked at I think. So for now I deal with my cheapo machine. I would like to get a second machine because it's compact and does the job of a large machine. This is the machine.

Doll Dress Forms

Dress Form Pin Cushions

 So a while back I wanted to try making my own doll patterns and took one of my beloved Liv dolls and attempted to do so. I wrapped her up in paper and tape to get a shape that I would alter later once off her body. It was working fine until I tried to take the paper and tape off with scissors. Even though I was gentle, the scissors gouged into her body leaving scratch marks on her. That kind of bummed me out, but I got over it. I wished I had a dress form to work on instead. This has become even more important to me since getting a bjd. I don't want to risk ruining resin accidentally while attempting to make a pattern.

So while I was searching the other day, on Pinterest again, I came across a tutorial on how to make a stuffed dress form pin cushion. Now I am not sure how well this will work for clothes design, but it looks fairly simple to make and I'm sure it can be altered for a preferred size. The size of the one in the tutorial looks like it'd be perfect for a bjd size. You can pick up the pattern here to look over. And here is how to whip this one up.

So like I said, not sure how that would work as an actual dress form, but you can pin fabric to it, and if it's packed firmly enough it should be a perfect stand in for a body. I will have to try this one out and see how it works. Let me know if you try it or have done something similar.

Michelle

Doctor Woes – Part 2

So I usually get some paperwork about my blood test results after I've been to see the doctor. Then if she had to up my dose I would get a random call from Walmart telling me my medicine was ready. I hadn't gotten any paperwork so I was curious if she'd gotten results yet. She got them, because I got the random call from Walmart. I hadn't gotten that call the last time I saw her, but it's been a year since I was last to see her, so it seems things have changed since I was last there. I am not sure if the dose went up or down, but based on how I've been feeling and noticing my eyebrow is getting sparse, my bet is on she upped it. This makes me sad. I've read hypothyroidism can just continue to get worse. I started on 25mcg of my medicine, then went up to 50, then I was stable at 75, and now it seems I may be hitting 100 or higher. I've read about someone who was on 200 and still suffering. Add to that that other health conditions can come due to the hypothyroidism, and well I am just not a happy camper right now. The only bonus is if this dose helps me then I might start losing weight again...might. I'm a little bit sad knowing about the prescription order. I'll find out either today or maybe tomorrow what it is and I'll update you. For now, let's all take a look at this cute kitten.

Trying to cheer up,
Michelle

Image 1 From Free Digital Photos

Image 2 By Moyan Brenn From Flickr

Oz The Great And Powerful Dolls

See, I told you I was so out of the loop. Seems the notice of these dolls have been out since last December. What do you guys think? The Wicked Witch is interesting. I wouldn't mind owning her, but only to keep in her box for decoration. Which witch do you like?

Oz The Great And Powerful

So I am so not up on the latest coming out of Hollywood, but I just found an article on Buzzfeed showing off the movie posters for this movie, Oz The Great And Powerful. I thought I had heard about an Oz movie coming out, but then it slipped my mind until today. These posters are really mesmerizing and beautiful. Take a look.

But here's my question, is it a comedic drama, or a comedy. In watching the trailers, I can truly see how music sets the mood. In the first trailer, you get a very epic Harry Potter-ish feel. You just know this is going to be “the” fight of good vrs. evil. But in the second video, it seems almost like a Beetljuice kind of creepy comedy. Now I truly believe the tone will be more like Alice In Wonderland where it's more of an epic drama with funny bits thrown in, but the last trailer just throws me off the track. Perhaps that is what they want. It seems Disney is trying to hide the fact about who will become the Wicked Witch, so maybe these trailers are to throw you off how the movie will really be, thus making you want to see it to satisfy your curiosity. Just my guess. Take a look at the trailers to see what I mean.

So it seems this will be a story about Oz himself and how he becomes Oz. It also seems to show the background story of the witches and about who becomes the Wicked Witch. Now being a fan of Wicked, this story kinds of throws me off as well. I mean, I thought we knew who was the Wicked Witch. Yes, while Oz is the same world in a lot of stories, I guess it can be a different universe for others to play in. So I get it, but still, throws off everything I've believed up until now. LOL! So it does have me curious about Disney's vision on which witch is which. LOL! So, any of you interested in this new tale of Oz? Do you plan to see the movie? I think this movie will be a "wait for it to come out on DVD" for me, but I am still curious to see it. :-)

I just wanted to share this fun find with you guys. Anyone else seeing Oz dolls in our near future? I wonder what they will look like? Mattel did amazing with Johnny Depp with their Alice In Wonderland dolls and Pirates of the Caribbean dolls, so I'm sure the Oz dolls will be amazing as well. And who knows, maybe new held sculpts? Only time will tell. And on that note I am off peeps. I will talk to you lovely people later. Be good until then. Bye for now.

Wishing to visit the land of Oz,

Michelle

Images From the Oz The Great And Powerful website.

Pick A Side Lady!!!

Image By Ggmossgirl

Warning, this is going to mostly be a sounding board post to get my thoughts out, so please don't mind my mindless chatter. LOL! So I was thinking about my doll collection and the many dolls in my collection, and something hit me. I've got a lot of dolls. LOL! More than when I was a child, which I think is the norm for most doll collectors. But when I look at other doll collectors I see they all have a preference of doll they stay around. If you like fashion dolls, you tend to have a lot of fashion dolls. If you like bjds, you tend to have a lot of bjds. I don't tend to see many people with a ton of different types of dolls in their collection. It's usually one type, or one scale size. Now that's not to say no one has varying dolls, but it just seems to me that most collectors “pick a side”. Me, on the other hand, I just can't seem to “pick one”. I like so many types of dolls and I just want to own as many as I can.

The Love of Blythe

So I don't know when it actually happened, but I've become obsessed with big-headed dolls. I don't know why, honestly, I just like the look of them. They are so odd looking, but so fun to play with. It's almost like their heads are big enough for hats with details and their bodies are small enough to pull of cute. So you mix the two together and you have the perfect odd and funny combination.

Free Fashion Doll Sewing Patterns

So as I am waiting for a good chance to clean my crafting area, I have been spending some time searching for patterns to sew for my dolls. I have decided to start with my 1/6^th fashion dolls. I was on Pinterest the other day looking for some nice patterns, and I got lucky. Here are some fun free sewing patterns for Barbie and dolls of her size.

Doctor Woes

Ok, so I will admit it, when it comes to going to the doctor or the dentist, I am a big scaredy-cat. I mean I am so bad I am already training my boyfriend to be prepared to come with me to my appointments and hold my hand. Honestly once I am at the place and the appointment is set into motion, I calm down some because “it's almost over”, but the days and even weeks leading up to the appointment is pure stress for me. Especially since this appointment was literally a year overdue. I canceled my appointment last January and just never made a new one. I knew there would come a time I'd have to go back, and finally it came through that I couldn't get my thyroid medicine if I didn't go back and see my doctor. Ughhhh!!! * rolls on floor moaning in despair * Whyyyyy??? I don't wanna!!! Yeah, that was me when I learned I had no choice but to go.

So today was the day finally. I was in and out in roughly an hour and a half, and my doctor is behind me on the gluten-free diet, that I am still on, and suggested some other ways for weight loss. She really feels, like I do, the weight is causing the stress, anxiety, depression, and ill feelings I have. So potentially a lot of this can be reversed. Sadly, not the hypothyroidism, but the other stuff like the hernia I am 99.99% sure I have. I wish the thyroid thing would go away. I know I will always have that illness, but I've read that your thyroid can start working again, but it could always “malfunction” again too so you have to be checked every six months just in case. This of course stresses me out some due to thyroid problems leading to other issues that could potentially affect my life in negative ways. But the new mantra I am taking on is this year is “I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.”, it's been working good so far.

She also told me I need to stop worrying about other people and focus on myself. So much stuff has been going on over the past year alone and while I wish I could help everyone, I realize now I need to just focus on myself. I can't help everyone, sadly, but I can help myself. So that is what this year is going to be about. The year of the Mouse. LOL!

So yeah, I go back to see her in March, I believe on my parent's anniversary actually. She wants to see if the things she is having me do is helping any. I hope they will be working by then. One cool thing, I was 7 pounds less than the last time I was there. Granted it doesn't make me happy because I am back to the weight I always get stuck at, but its cool to know I weighed less than I did last time because hopping on the scale that day stressed me out to no end. But this time I just told myself, “Hey I know my weight is up, they know my weight is up, so why stress over it.”, and would you know this was the first time they checked my blood pressure in the stats room and it was normal. LOL! Usually it is high in the stats room and then is normal once I see the doctor. So hey, progress. :-D Let's hope I keep the “good times” coming. Fingers crossed tight.

Happy to have one major bridge crossed for the year,
Michelle

Image From Free Digital Photos

Thriving To Thrift

So it's been a longggggg time since I've gone to a thrift store. When I first got back into the hobby I at least made it to a thrift store once a month. Now I haven't been to one in about two years or so. * sad face * If I wasn't feeling well then there was something going on with family and there was never a good time go. However, this year I am actively taking steps to take my life back and with that I want to get back all the things I used to do, one big thing being thrifting. :-)

At first when I went to thrift stores it was to purchase dolls. I wanted dolls to practice customizing with, and then when I saw posers there I started to go to collect them. I could also get a few new outfits from thrifting for dolls. After a while I found a small fabric section at one store and then started getting items for their fabric. I stuck to mostly Halloween costumes, since I didn't want to ruin actual clothing. But I have seen dropped that feeling, and now I am ready to go hunt down some clothing for doll clothes.

See I figure that the fabric you can find in clothing is a bit more unique and you can also find period fabrics that you just can't find on regular store shelves. I am looking for certain patterns and fabrics for the clothes I want to sew. Now logically I can get a lot more fabric if I go to a fabric store and buy a yard, but those fabrics won't be as unique. Don't get me wrong, I will use fabric store fabric, but I want to see if I can come up with a unique combination of fabric store and thrift store fabrics. I hope to hit a thrift store in the coming weeks. I'm super excited for my “return to thrifting”. I hope I come across actual vintage fabric, but that's hard to find here, which is why vintage clothing is the next best thing. Something tells me an 80s prom dress is in my future. Which is super funny since I never went to prom, but I'll at least have a prom dress. :-)

Another thing about using fabric from clothing is that the clothes I make will be more limited. I want to have some pieces that can be replicated, but I want a good majority of the stuff I create to be more ooak pieces to make them a little more special. Can't wait to get started. Sadly, I'll have to start slow in the beginning because I have a ton of fabric, fabric store and old clothing fabric, that I need to start using up first. I have some vintage clothes I am able to use for fabric scraps, so that's a good start. One day I will have to pile up all my fabric and take a picture of it to show you guys. I have a big stash, not big by some people's means, but big for me. I remember seeing the fabric stash of a popular doll person who does photostories and sews clothes for all her dolls, and I was impressed. Filled closets, filled bookcases, and there was fabric in another room she didn't take a picture of. Was I jealous? Heck yeah! I hope to be able to have a similar stash some day. Another popular doll person who just sells dolls clothes she makes and makes a living at it, has another impressive fabric stash I admire. She has strictly store bought fabrics and they are all nicely piled in color coordinated stacks. It's like eye candy looking at them. I drool now just thinking about it. ;-)

I can't wait to get back to sewing again. It was relaxing and I was in “the zone”. I'd work for hours on one item just to get it right. I hope to speed up with my sewing so I can produce more in a day, but either way I know it will be relaxing to do and possibly help me deal with some stuff going on in life right now. Oh, speaking of sewing, I will be showing some pictures of items I have made already. I believe they are Blythe dresses I made back in 2010 around Thanksgiving-Christmas time. Seeing them years later, I see how they weren't bad for a first serious attempt. I'm eager to make them again, even though I hate sewing them up because they can be tricky to sew with the lining, but you need lining with Blythe dresses because they arms and legs will sap up dye like it is nobody's business. I'll try to get some pictures of those items this weekend. I wasn't proud of them when I first made them, I thought they were crap, but now looking at them with fresh eyes I see that they weren't that bad. Wish I would have stuck with sewing, who knows where I'd be by now. :-) Oh well, I'll get it all back, one day at a time. Until then, I'll start planning out the new fashions I want to sew. Now if I could only get my hands on that prom dress. ;-)

Deciding which thrift store to hit first,
Michelle

Image By Mod As Hell From Flickr

Sticka Till Barbie

If you prefer to make the clothing your dolls wear, and you are handy with two sticks and some yarn, you are going to love the Sticka Till Barbie website. I found this website a good while back and was using it's free patterns to help build my doll wardrobe. You can find knitting patterns for clothing and accessories for Barbie, Ken, Kelly/Shelly, Tommy, Bratz, and 20cm Monchhichi dolls.

The site is in Swedish, but it also has English written after the Swedish all throughout the site. The layout is set up where there is a picture posted of the knitted item made, and then there are links under the picture that when clicked on will allow you to download the pattern. Each pattern is written out in Swedish and English, but the patterns are also being translated into Danish, Dutch, French, German, Norwegian and Spanish. It will say under each pattern which language it has been translated into.

The patterns are simple Word documents that come with the pattern and a picture of the finished product, which I love to see with a pattern. If you don't have Word, you can open the document with Open Office or amother free office software. Each pattern is free for use, and the website owner is fine with you knitting up the items and selling them for profit. However, they have been getting emails asking if people can sell her actual patterns. Ok people, let's get serious here. The patterns are generously offered for free and someone seriously wants to take them and sell them as their own? I can't believe people actually were brave enough to even ask about that. Here's how I feel. If you didn't create the pattern yourself, and the pattern isn't public domain, then you can't claim it as your own and sell it. And no, just because it's online does not make it public domain. Publicdomain are items that are a certain amount of years old that have lost their copyright. There is tons of stuff out there that you can legally snatch up as your own and sell. Look into it. So yeah, that's my little PSA for the day.

Now when it comes to knit items I am very particular about items I will accept as clothing. Only items I would actually wear myself are acceptable for my dolls. I love everything on the Sticka Till Barbie website, and I love how much they represent items made from other fabrics, but in the end there are just some things I can't accept in knit form, unless it's a tight machine knit. For example, I am not an overly big fan of knit pants and shorts. It just doesn't look like it would work in the real world to me. I like knit sweaters, and even dresses because it makes me think of sweater dresses. Some accessories aren't acceptable to me in knit either, but I love how the site owner created them with knitting. I am also not a big fan of complete outfits being made out of all knitted items, but I do love the look of the completed outfits on the website. It just wouldn't fit the look I am going for with my dolls. I know of others who feel the same as I do, but let me know how you feel. Do you like anything knit or do you prefer certain pieces? Is an all knit fashion ok to you? Let me know in the comments section.

Be sure to give Sticka Till Barbie a visit and have a look around. Knitting really isn't that hard as long as you take your time, and I find working on these projects is a great way to learn. They are small so you get quicker gratification from whipping them up. If you don't know how to knit, Youtube is your friend and can teach you the basic stitches need to complete these outfits, so give them a try.

Adding to her "to-knit" list,
Michelle

Image From Sticka Till Barbie

Difficulty Bonding

I know this happens in the doll community, but how much so? So recently I received a Resinsoul Rong as a very special Christmas gift. I didn't pick her based on a character I already had in mind because those characters I wanted to pay for on my own. I guess it's the whole fully owning the character that causes me to think this way. So with this doll I invented a new character that was a relative of one my characters. The storyline is great, and I love the character, but the doll is something else. Now I picked out the doll, so this isn't a slam on the gift giver. I just loved that Rong had mouse ears and that was one of the reasons I wanted her, but she just doesn't seem “right”. At first she was going to be the older sister of the character I had already come up with, and that she'd be the more calm and level-headed while her sister was more wild. We'll they've since switched stories the longer I own my doll.

Midori, my doll, is now the younger sister, born on Christmas day while her twin sister was born on Christmas Eve. She was into Mori Girl clothing, but that fit her sister better, so Midori is now into either FRUiTS style of fashion, punk fashion, or Korean fashions but I am not really sure what that would be. I love Korean dramas and K-pop, so I thought doing Korean fashion would be fun. Only thing is, from what I've observed, regular on the street Korean fashion is similar to what can be seen in high fashion districts of the U.S. or on many U.S. fashion blogs, and I was looking for something a little more unique. From what I've seen of Korean clothing, they like to layer their clothing, they like to pull a little from different genres like R&B, pop, and even punk, but still very similar to what you can find in the U.S., so I am not sure it's right for Midori. I really wanted bright colors for her, but I also like the idea of distressed clothing as well. Maybe of mix of punk and FRUiTS, but even some FRUiTS fashion are slowly becoming anything you can find on U.S. streets so it's becoming frustrating. Maybe I need to make up a new fashion all Midori's. I just want her fashion to be weird and funky and wild. I want it to look like she just didn't give a care, yet when you stop to look at it, she thought out every piece and how it all fit together. Ughhhh!!!

So it's with frustration that I feel I am just not bonding with my doll. I don't think it's the doll herself, though I do wish I could have given her a face-up, that may have helped me bond with her more. I really think it was me just not being prepared for what owning a bjd would be like. It's different than a ready made doll from Toys R Us, it's a constant work of art. You are constantly working on the doll's character, even with you think they are done, there is always something more you can do. And there is a lot of waiting to get things right. I tend to be a patient person, but I'm frustrated that I don't even have a concrete idea for her. I have some of her story done, but I haven't been able to decide on what the rest of her character is. I want to work on clothing for her and see if that will build her character, but even that I can't do because I don't know her style. I would like to buy her some clothes in hopes of that bonding me with her more, but that will take a while because of funds.

Another reason this girl is frustrating me is because of her elastic. I read somewhere that Resinsoul/Bobobie use a very springy elastic and most people change the elastic so the body can be strong tighter. I have pulled her elastics tighter as is the norm with Resinsoul and Bobobie dolls, and still the girl is kicky and won't sit on her own. And she's not strung tight because I can still easily pull her arms and legs apart, but I have pulled on the elastic as hard as I could. So I just don't get it. I really think it is the elastic. My Bobobie Lucky doll Christmas Noel is also very loose even though I have pulled her strings tight twice. So I am thinking she needs new elastic too. I have heard you can get tiny doll elastic at JoAnn Fabrics and for bigger dolls you can look at Lowes or Home Depot. So I will have to head out to both to look. I would just like a resource here for elastic so I can have easy access to it, and so it will hopefully be cheaper to purchase. But if I can't find anything then elastic goes on the list of items I must buy online.

One last thing that irritates me about this girl is her ears. The ears I coveted are becoming a problem when it comes to wigs. The wigs wont fit right on her head because of her cute little ears. I got her a silicone dome cap, which btw those things are awesome, and they hold the wig ok, but still there is a bump in it because it can't fit flat against her head. It puts to much on the bangs up front because of the it not being able to sit right on her head, so she looks funky with bangs covering most of her face. I'm going to try a wig without bangs and see how that works. For now I am still working on the yarn wig, which has a bump because of the ears. I should have stopped a row before I did. Live and learn and then try again. I'll be making her another wig after I finish this one.

So that brings me back to being on the fence about my girl. I love her, and I want to make her work. She is a cherished gift, and that makes her even more special. I just don't know how to make myself bond with her. Maybe that's just a thing with bjds. Maybe it takes a while to bond because they aren't complete and you can't see the full character yet. Who knows. I hope I am not alone in this feeling. I will keep working on ideas for her and see what I can come up with. I'll get her a box so I can start filling it with stuff for her and see if I can't build her character. Once I do and I feel I understand bjds a bit better, I'll work on either getting her mini me Leia or getting her sister Brigsby. We'll see. All I know is I don't want three unfinished bjds sitting around her. Christmas Noel has buttered in complexion and I've barely used her. I just need to spend more time working on them I guess. These dolls will be a part of my “The Manor” photostories. I need to return to those this year. This story is just so I can play more with my dolls that don't really fit in my other doll stories due to size or what have you.

So thus ends my vent. I really wish I was bonded with her, but I guess it's going to take some time. I hate that. I'll figure it out, just hate that I don't have a general idea about her right now. I guess it will all come in time. I'll keep you updated on our status. :-) I'll talk to you lovely peeps in the next post. Be good until then. Bye for now.

On the hunt for Korean fashion styles,
Michelle

The first and last images are mine, if you use them please link back to my blog. All other pictures are from The Junkyspot Denver Doll Emporium, and ResinSoul.

Fashion Doll Fashion

So I believe my love of Barbie has pretty much all but disappeared. I am very much more into dolls that have more posing ability. Now I just look to Barbie for her clothing and accessories, take a look at her wardrobe and you'll see why, and sometimes her playsets. But even as my skills of crafting in general increase, and since MyFroggyStuff came into my life and taught me to think outside of the doll box, Barbie is even losing me when it comes to clothing and props. But one area she still captures me in is her fashion. Wait, I should clarify. I didn't mean Barbie's actual fashions. I mean fashions based off of Barbie.

When it comes to clothes, especially t-shirts, I am very particular about them. I am not a big fan of big cartoon characters slapped across them. I find them very childish, for me, if you love this type of clothing go on with your bad self. I've just always wore that type t-shirt when I was younger, and now I can't stand it. The only way I'd wear one now is if it had a more high fashion or vintage look to it. When I saw the recent t-shirt designs released by Mattel, I was hooked. I loved how vintage and fashionable they looked. Take a look at my selections below. Click on any picture to be taken to the item's sale page if you want to see more pictures, sizing, etc.

These next three shirts made me think of vintage Barbie and vintage t-shirts. Making use of the old Barbie font as well as other dated font from decades past, these shirts are fun and eye-catching.

My favorite out of the three is the gray one with AA Barbie on it. Love it to bits. I would would need two of them because I would wear the hell out of them. LOL! Now the next two shirts below are based off the tokidoki line. They make me think of the vintage prints that were very basic black outlines with bright colors to fill them in. Not sure if I am making sense with what I am saying. I believe you saw this kind of art more around the 80s. It was very “new age” for the time. Very sharp lines. The first one especially makes me think of that.

I love them both, and would have a hard time deciding between the two. If I had to pick just one I'd take the black shirt. I love the pink hair, the bright gold stars...even though I am not a fan of gold I feel it works, and the black t-shirt as a background. It just all works perfectly. Now the next two shirts are interesting because they make use of more of a silhouette look. I know there is full shape and design to them both, but they are still lacking in a full form, so it says more silhouette to me.

I really like the pink shirt with the black print of Barbie on it. It makes me think of Audrey Hepburn, and if you know me, you know I simply adore Audrey Hepburn. So that was very appealing to me. I like the other one too because of the kind of “peek-a-boo” look the silhouette is giving against the word “glamour”. Very fun and almost sexy even. Now the last two shirts are kind of a modern vintage to me. They have vintage looking designs on them, but in more of a modern twist. However, these edge on the big characters slapped across a shirt, and they don't look vintage enough for the vintage picks, so they are my bottom picks.

I really love both of these shirts, but my favorite out of the two has to be the Francie shirt. I love Francie due to her Mod fashions and so I am more pulled towards her. This design is a bit big and I may have issues wearing it outside, but around the home I would proudly wear it. The other design, also a bit big, is fun and cute with the saying “Future Mrs. Ken” on it. Very fun fashions, and all looks I'd love to wear.

Now, the fashions aren't the only thing I love seeing Barbie on. I also love seeing her fashions on accessories. Once again, it can't be this big cartoony feel or I won't be interested. It has to be subtle, having a vintage look wouldn't hurt, and it needs to feel more like a fashion piece. These few pieces, I feel, fit the bill perfectly for me.

Now this ring is sadly sold out. I loved everything about it. It's vintage Barbie in a fun ring form. I would have loved to have owned one for sure. So those of you who got one, cherish it and love it, for there are those of us who must cherish from afar. LOL! I tend not to be one for big huge rings, but this one is just so fun I couldn't help but love it. Maybe I'll get lucky and come across it someday some way. Fingers crossed tight. ;-) 

Now this next item I have adored for a while. It's almost like those old books that have pictures of a ton of stuff and you look through them to see what you can spy in them. There is just so many fun things in the pictures on this bag, that is takes you a few minutes to pause and take it all in.

 

Both sides have wardrobe pictures on them, and they are different on each side. So you have plenty to look at. I believe the fashions are a mix of vintage and modern fashions Barbie has worn over the years. Very fun. I'd be afraid to walk out with this bag because I wouldn't want to get it dirty, but this is one of those bags that simply must be seen. The next fashion pick is this simple but fun headband.

I love how it spells out doll, and I would love to have it except for two problems. One, it's on top of your head, so only you and really tall people will know it's there. Or if you are sitting down and someone walks by they can see it too. The second issue I have is I have very dark hair, so it will be hard to tell that the headband spells out anything, and it would he hard to tell what it spells out unless you stop and really look. Fashion is made to be seen, and if you can't show it off, there's really no point to wear it. At least that's my thoughts on it. Now if you have lighter hair, medium brown to blonde, I'd say go for it. It will be visible in your hair easily, and if you are a short person with lighter hair even better. LOL! It's discounted from $15 to $5, so this is a time to snatch one or two up. I love the pink “Barbie” inside of the band, it's a lovely and unique fashion piece, I just don't think it would stand out enough for me to feel the need to own one. Yes, I'd know it was there, but the whole reason of wanting to own it is so that other people would know it was there too. Just my thoughts. What do you think about the headband? Post your comments below.

 

This next piece is a funky little tote. As I've mentioned, I don't like gold much, but I love the mix of pink in the gold “Barbie” font on top of the white purse background. It kind of calms down the gold for me and makes this wearable. I love how the font is spelled with Barbie's iconic ponytail. Very fun. This tote isn't overly big, so it's a subtle piece, which is perfect it you just want a little pop to your outfit.

This next bag is just interesting. It's a seatbelt bag, made exactly from what the name says, a seatbelt. This durable bag is not only functional it's fashionable to. I have always loved the color combination of white, black, and pink, and this purse does that perfectly. Then to top off this cool bag, you get Barbie herself on it. I think this bag would have been boring without her on it, and this is coming from a girl who's not a big fan of logos or brands on items. But I think her image really finishes the bag off nicely. Not sure if I would actually own this bag myself, but I love the look of it, and I think it's a really nice bag. I just don't know if I'd have the guts to walk around with Barbie on my bag. ETA: This tote is sadly no longer available from Mattel. I actually found a whole listing of things no longer available from Mattel anymore, and these items were very interesting. I encourage you to go snooping around the Barbie Collector shop and see what Mattel has sold in the past, there are some interesting and pretty things. Now on to my last pick. It's not a fashion item really, but it does help to keep one fashionable. It's a fun vanity brush and mirror set.

I love this set. I love the vintage images on the back of the brush and mirror. Also they look like a good size, not purse-size but just the right size to fit easily into your hand. This is another item I wouldn't own directly simply because it would mostly be a collector's piece for me and I just don't collect those kinds of items, but a collector who does will love the vintage look. They will look fancy on anyone's vanity or even in a curio. I just love vintage Barbie art, it takes me back to being a little girl, and that's why this set appealed to me so much.

So yeah, I'm not really into Barbie any more, just because my interests have changed, but she will always be my childhood favorite, and I have fond memories of playing with Barbie, so when I find an item that can bring up those memories I tend to like them, even if Barbie is all over it. Who knows, maybe if I have a little kid one day they will reignite my love of Barbie, by then who knows how much she'll have transformed. But for now, I'll just pop into her aisle at the store every now and again to see what she's up to, I'll covet her fun fashion items, and I'll remember the fun times we had together when I was a child. :-) Oh, and just because I think they are neat, be sure to pick up your Barbie desktop calendar for January. Just click on the picture to be taken to the download page.

And on that note, I am off you lovely peeps. I have an article due, and I've been lazy about doing it. I tend to get lazy with Squidoo quests. I prefer to write my own articles, and those tend to whip up really quick. I am thinking of not doing the quests any more. Giving myself time to think about it because it's because of the quests I almost have 100 articles written in just a few months. So we will see. Ok, talk to you lovelies later. Bye for now.

Wishing she could be a little girl again just for one day,
Michelle