Babies are NOT Dolls, and Dolls are not Babies.

This tends to get confusing, since many people say, "Oh, that baby is a little doll!" and the prevalence of "Doll babies" only adds to the confusion.

Why do I bring this up? Well, it's odd enough when you delve into a doll hobby at almost 25 years of age. I suppose it is worse when you are just into your second trimester with your first child when your doll hobby begins.

Is it nesting taking some strange, twisted course? Is it because you thought it was a boy and had to do something intensely girlie? Is it because you are grasping at your childhood as pregnancy is both the epitome of adulthood (I can MAKE children!) and winds up regressing you into childhood as you play with and interact with your children.

Either way, I freaking like dolls. Always have.

So for the duration of the pregnancy I grinned and took it when concerned friends/casual passers-by made comments about how I had better get over the doll thing and on with parenting. People who at least meant better would say things like "well, enjoy it now, because your priorities will change."

I had Riley on the 25th of October. In that time I had multiple people (people who are close to me even) make really asinine comments. The best is "Well you don't need Cassie to dress up anymore. You have a baby now." Other comments were similar...

For the most part, people assume that the Blythe hobby is to either take the place of or prepare me for the baby, and won't be necessary anymore. It's fine (but stupid) to assume that Riley can replace Cassie. It's worse that people insinute that Cassie was or could be a substitute for Riley.

Allow me to reiterate: Babies are not dolls...dolls are not babies.

My Blythe hobby is just that; a hobby. Cassie can be put on a shelf, left in a bag, wear the same outfit for the rest of her life, etc. She doesn't need anything. She is a doll. NOT A BABY. I get enjoyment from her. I try to remember (half the time forget) to photograph Cassie everyday for 365 Days of Blythe challenge and other flickr groups, and make her clothing, meet new people (yay TIB and Flickr!) design and create her doll house, etc. Blythe = Hobby and creative outlet and joy.

My daughter is a living, breathing, baby. She is the beautiful blending of me and the love of my life, my husband Glenn. She will grow and change and always keep me guessing. I change her when she spits up and/or pees on herself. I get to make her things and watch the world through her eyes as she learns and does new things. I photograph her everyday without even thinking about it. Riley = Life and Love at it's very, VERY best.

That is all.

Dolly Fashions

I have a new dolly sewing love!

After my success with the Simplicity pattern, I pulled out my Dolly Dolly Coordinate Recipe Book and whipped up a new pair of jeans for Cassie. It only took four previously failed attempts (one that was the completely wrong size, if you recall) to get it right!

I also used the t-shirt/long sleeved pattern that was in the book and some rib knits to make Cass some adorable tops. It has gotten so chilly out that I can't have the poor thing in sun dresses!



Here is the turquoise shirt...annnnd, some new headbands! I followed the tutorial that was on the TIB forum and they came out pretty well for my first batch! Four headbands for a dollar :)



Next up, I want to make either a jacket or a hoodie from the Dolly Dolly patterns. I am also attempting to organize all my teensy patterns so that they don't get lost/I don't have them floating around in my fabric box.

Since we are on the topic of fashions, I will end with this awesome ensemble I bought from Jokunda on Etsy. I had been eyeing them for sometime and finally caved over a month ago to get this for Cassie. The top is crocheted and the jumper is felted knit. I absolutely love this outfit!

Title? I have no Title. I'm Titless...erm, Title-less?

Wow, it's been awhile! I have been very busy getting ready for the baby, and trying to finish up a million and one other projects (that I won't have much time or energy for for at least a little bit!)

One thing that was majorly on the docket (dockit?) was the kitchen of Cassie's house. I had all of the pieces ready to go, had the tile, cut the sides, and then FINALLY we assembled!



I bought teensy craft mosaic tiles to do the tile backsplash, and I painted. The green is actually the green for Riley's room! We have a gallon of it and will not even come close to using all of it. Still left to do: Glue and grout the floor tile, paint and put up the window and wall trim (it's cut and ready) touch up the fridge, make some curtains...whew! Doll houses are almost as much as real houses (YEAH RIGHT!)



I also finally got around to making something from the Simplicity 2353 pattern for Blythe! I bought a quarter yard of this cute purple check fabric and made Cassie "Dress F" which is more coat-like, but still turned out cute.



Work has been off and on, but is generally a motivation for me. I get a lot more accomplished when I know that I have to be at work (or anywhere) at a certain time. It's like "You have this much time...GO!"

Several sisters asked for SAI letters (I think everyone wants them before the baby; I won't be driving down to the college with her in nasty November!) I had a lot of fun making letters for a newer sister, because she gave me some new fabrics. I looooove new fabrics! Also had some fun creating a totally new hoodie look. Typically I offer long and short sleeve Ts, over-the-head-hoodies, and totes. This time around I made a zip up hoodie with some extra goodies. Pics to come eventually. ;) I was so inspired that I FINALLY made some of my own letters, including a giant brown hoodie to wear in all this nasty weather we've been having lately!



I think I am more and more sure that I want Punkaholic People. I was thinking I would go with a cheap(er) doll and just customize her completely with black and purple mohair and such...but I really like PP, and I want a doll that I can enjoy right away. If I get PP and customize her little by little (add some highlights, but not a full reroot) I can still photograph her and take her around. I am so sad waiting for Hana to get finished (and whose fault is it that she isn't? Oops...)

We will see what my birthday brings this year. Maybe a new doll and a new baby. :)

Etsy Wishlist

Etsy is such a cool place to browse. This post goes out to the top three obsessions of mine...

1. Bella the Wool Felt Plush by GingerUrchin



I love the way this little bear looks. The steampunk flair is cute!

2. A Blythe Bubble Pendant by Mirella von Chrupek



I love the shots of her Blythe, Nutella. She also does customs with pics of your own Blythe! I wonder if I should get one of Cassie...

3. Panda by Knittingdreams



I love pandas, and always have. This little guy is just too cute and has been on my wish list for some time.

Of Tails and Wings and Pretty Things...

This post is a mish-mosh of all that has been happening lately.

This past weekend was my baby shower, and I hid Cassie in my purse because I couldn't bear not to bring her. I realized recently that most people react very positively to Blythes, despite their creepy appearance, there is something very alluring about them. No one at the shower who hadn't met Cassie seemed particularly bothered by or concerned about her presence. My sister, who hadn't seen her but in pictures, set her next to a cute pink elephant and brushed her hair. ;)



The shower was really nice, and I got a lot of really beautiful clothes for Riley. It was great to see my friends and family, and to hear that my big sister got engaged! I also got to see my best friend Jeannette, and she helped tote all of the gifts home, since her Suburu holds a lot more than my Neon. It was such a wonderful day!



Next up...Ren Faire! I sewed my little fingers to the bone and tried my patience fixing an outfit for Cassie to wear. I was pretty dismayed that it rained for most of the day. Luckily it was a misty rain, so we weren't getting drenched. I couldn't fit into my bodice (surprised?) but I wore my skirt and blouse. Here is my favorite pic of Cassie:



I have been reading great blogs lately, and am feeling more inspired to post entries than ever. I will also try to splice in some things that aren't totally Blythe related.

Kitchen Design!

The kitchen, as mentioned in previous posts (like my first few...) is very, very dear to me. I work in kitchen planning, and though I don't cook, I LOVE beautiful, functional kitchens!

So for Cassie I was obsessed with creating the most perfect kitchen possible. I started with a love affair of the Kenmore kitchen, and then, after realizing that tons of Blythe and Barbie lovers have this exact set, I sought something more unique.

I paged through ebay listings galore of Barbie kitchens, before finding Vintage Sindy had a MUCH better kitchen than Barbie ever did... The pieces came with yellow doors and white countertop. What really impressed me was the cooktop cabinet and wall oven. Those were big in the seventies, but then became passe for a few decades. Now, built in is all the rage. The sink amused me the most, because it looks just like IKEA's Boholmen sink with drain board. With IKEA kitchens in mind, I realized that I could paint the cabinets (which sort of resemble our Abstrakt door style)

From there it was a long, drawn out process of acquiring pieces. I don't even want to know how much was spent on ebay in the past few months. I got the wall oven first, then a sink and cooktop cabinet. I decided on the Kitchen Littles refrigerator (it has an ice maker and great interiors). The worst (monetarily) was getting the Sindy cabinet that has four drawers and one door. The auction was in euros, and once converted to US I cringed and went "I did WHAT?!" It came with a second sink and a second cooktop cabinet.



I chose one of the sink cabinets to experiment on, since one had a broken door. Armed with Krylon Fusion for Plastic, I spray painted it white, and I couldn't have been happier with the result. Once I taped up the 'appliances' I went to town on the other pieces. The refrigerator was hit with silver spray to give it a 'stainless' look (since it was white and purple before that...)

I was obsessed with making this kitchen great, so I didn't want to simply paint the countertop...I wanted Cassie to have some custom laminate! I ordered samples from Wilsonart. They have small samples for free, but I got 8x10 sheets for a dollar. They also conveniently allow you to up the quantity of samples. I got three sheets for the kitchen. The first cabinet to get covered was the drawer unit.



From there it was just covering the other cabinets and detailing the handles. I used my husband's miniature paints that we get through Reaper. They are a steely black. The cooktop cabinet was difficult to cover with laminate, so I took my handy spare and experimented with popping the cooktop off. Let me tell you, Sindy stuff is WELL MADE. I couldn't remove the doors to paint because they are secure with METAL rods, rather than plastic, and they run all the way through the door, not just a little nub at the top or bottom. The cooktop was equally secure, so I had to use pliers to BREAK the pieces that held it on. That made covering a flat piece MUCH easier...and...I discovered I had a second cabinet at my disposal!

This changed Cassie's layout quite a bit. I went from an A-line kitchen to an L shape. I liked the way it put the fridge; when you open the refrigerator side you can see all the interiors if you look at the house straight on. It also helps hide my one paint boo-boo. I plan to detail the ice maker in black with silver buttons, and then paint the sides and top black as well. It will look like IKEA's Nutid fridge. :) The oven/microwave have not been painted yet, but Glenn cut the floor pieces, and I picked up some tile for the kitchen (yes, it will have real tile. :)



I can't wait to finish the detail work, add a window and backsplash, and then assemble the room. :) Cassie's Re-ment goodies finally have a home!

Adventures at Rice's

I got it into my head awhile ago that I wanted to make steampunk for Cassie. I'm not sure why, but I did. I saw tiny watch gears at Rice's the last time I was there and fought the urge to buy them...but recently found myself wanting to go back to find them.

My friend Robert and I went this past Tuesday, and I brought Cassie-belle. It was the first time Robert met her, and he took the whole doll-thing pretty well. ;) By the time we went in 'the barn' he was like, "Oh, put her over here with this mummy..." and "over here with the pumpkins all around her..." :)





We had fun shopping and I told Robert about the Blythe Physical Challenge to find a funny sign...Well, Robert found one alright. It is so Blythe appropriate too! I want to submit it but make sure the language is okay (it does say B*tch, afterall)



I bought Cassie some black and white hair clips. I may have to decorate some of them a bit, as they are rather plain ;)

After Rice's we went to a farm market near where we live and picked zinnias. Here is Cassie holding them. Mine wilted, and Robert told me it's because I was choking them! It's hard to hold a doll, a camera, and a bunch of flowers...not to mention being 8 months pregnant, struggling against the heat, uneven ground, and poor footware choice (flip-flops)



Overall a productive day...as I also did some Blythe furniture work! More to come about that in my next post!