Fashion Show!

My Christmas dolly diorama. 

It's some hybrid of sleigh ride and caroling.  

Don't think about it too hard, just enjoy the seasonal 

T-shirts.  

     After holiday markdowns and Santa's visit, more of them!  I bet the bottom halves of Khalil and Jeremiah are cold.  Also Hagrid's toes.  Hagrid is tickled pink at shirts he can wear, and even talked me into letting the gold and black be a year-round shirt.

Santa also brought Grumpy Bear Cutie Reveal and a whole bunch of clothes!  (Also some Mini Brands Home, but that's got no bearing on the fashion show you know I planned immediately.)  The clothes are second-hand and not all in pristine condition, some need repairs, but Santa did an excellent job of finding me a variety.  No complaints.

I decided to use the dolls in the diorama (and Grumpy, because none of the diorama females are standard body molds.  Susan B is curvy, Morgan and Diana have the athletic/heroine mold, Rose-Grace has a Wild Hearts body) as models in the fashion show. 

Are we ready, kids?

We'll start with the Disney Princess gowns.  I'm assuming the solid-color skirts go here because they were packaged with the gowns.  Ariel, Tiana, Rapunzel, Rapunzel skirt.  (Grumpy's built-in top helps with modesty!)

Mirabel, Isabella, and Merida

Anna, Belle skirt, Belle, Elsa skirt.  Rose-Grace's improvised top is not part of the fashion show.  

Three versions of Elsa.  The sheer fabric on Morgan and Diana's shoulders were in bad shape, so they went bye-bye.  Other wise, all fashions shown are as they arrived.  

The red/yellow on Casey would work better as a top, or on a shorter friend. The red on Diana (I'm pretty sure) came from a Holiday Barbie.  I suspect the ones on Susan B and Morgan are hand-made.

More dresses.  

Susan B's house robe is really quilted.  I think it and the dresses on either side of her are hand-made.  

Skating costume and some more dresses.  I promise, we'll get to britches eventually.

I wonder where they are going, all dressed up?

Susan B finds another dress that better serves as a shirt.

The dress on Susan B looks like it came off a teddy bear, definitely needs some taking in.  Or turned into a skirt.  She's one movement away from a wardrobe malfunction!  (And yes, I know Diana looks like Jeanie dressed her.  Because I did!) 

Look!  Britches!  Now Susan B looks like Jeanie dressed her. 

Rose-Grace and Grumpy rocking the micro mini skirts.  Or are they shorts?

Now that we're into britches, the guys join the party.  

Ignore the dice bag holding up Khalil, he has a bad case of the floppies.  

Hagrid is wearing his original pants.

Now we're just getting silly.  Ron's in a life vest and Yule Ball Harry is wearing a coat with shorts.

Now Casey's wearing a coat with shorts!

Now, I know that Baywatch suit came on a full-size Barbie!  But it was even too small for Grumpy?

Trying really hard not to go off about doll proportions here.  Barbie's unrealistic, but them undies came off a doll with a head bigger than her torso.  

Back of the jackets modeled elsewhere.  The blue one says POP, not POO.

The swimsuit tops are too big around the chest (under the boobs).  

You saw Casey model the gingham, but it was very tight, and the others' waistband were too small even on Casey.  These things will fit Emma, Dan, or Roxy.  Maybe even the Harry Potter girls - they're quite skinny. 

All told, a very nice addition to the doll wardrobe.  

You're Not Forgotten

 I know I promised y'all some stories when I shut down the soap opera.  I've been cogitating on a few, mostly doll versions of books I've liked.  One of those books is Amanda/Miranda by Richard Peck.  The problem is that casting requires twin adult actresses and my dolly twins are all the wrong age, the wrong sex, or both.  Another issue is wardrobe - the book is a period piece!  

Also contenders: Roger Zelazny's Damnation Alley - beyond my capabilities.  Postapocalyptic is hard in a one bedroom apartment, even if you ignore the need for three Landmasters.  (picture from the sucky movie) 

Also been playing with an idea I call FRIENDS: The Next Generation.  Honestly, nothing original has come to mind (except my third novel, which isn't conducive to doll play, either)  but I've not forgotten my rabid horde of readers. 

*****

I have been putting up dioramas for holiday decor.  

The only dolls currently on my wish list are Madame Morrible and the Grumpy Bear Cutie Reveal.  I don't care much for the Wizard of Oz universe, but I like to see older folks represented.  The Cutie Reveals lost me after the first couple waves (Girls dressed as frogs dressed as bears?) but c'mon, it's Grumpy Bear!  

I just can't get excited over the giant-noggin dolls.  Rainbow High and Monster High in particular have some amazing fashions and furniture.  Bratz is back on store shelves and I did pick up an egg chair for my doll house.  Yule Ball Ron Weasley is sitting in it at the moment.  

Also, there's life in the real world.  My health (physical and mental).  Bills and housework.  Bleh.  

Zoe, Chelsea, and Kelly Wardrobe

 WARNING!  NUDE AND CROSSDRESSING PLASTIC CHILDREN AHEAD! 

These are my Kelly/Zoe hybrids.  Wilma, Jenny, Tommy, and Fred.  They are still wearing the Zoe outfit their body donors wore.  (Please see previous blog post for a review of Zoe.)  I finally got around to going through the wardrobe for my brats.

The babies are hoping for hand-me-downs, as their wardrobe is very limited.  (They do get to wear the smaller shirts in the brat wardrobe.)

Mattel outfits.  Made for Chelsea or Kelly.

From various sources, thrift stores and yard sales.

Monster High shirts make dresses for the brats.  Strawberry Shortcake and Lil Bratz are roughly the same size and some clothes can be shared.  I did take in the plunging neckline on one of the dresses.

These were on knock-off princess dolls.  

Some of the clothing in previous pictures will vanish at this point.  Anything in need of serious repair or flat-out hideous.  I didn't even try those on the dolls.

Body mold comparison.  Most of the height difference in in the legs, but there is a bit in the torso.  My Chelsea dolls are awaiting body donors.  My Chelsea dolls have more variety of skin tones and a more natural pose, so I gave the Kelly dolls dibs.

Halloween Costumes!  Fred and Wilma are wearing their original outfits, but he needed britches for modesty.  Wilma looks more like the character she was based on with that shorter skirt.  Jenny's full-length wizard robe now only reaches the knee.  The babies inherit pumpkin, but gingerbread is too big. 

The original group trying on the costumes.  Slight alterations to gingerbread are needed (feet holes). Look for it come Halloween!  Pumpkin can be worn with britches, but loses cuteness, so it goes to the babies, where it is appropriately cute.

As I expected, all the Kelly/Chelsea brand things fit.  Skirts and pants are just shorter.

I only kept three of the princess gowns.  Fred and all the girls had a draft in the back.

You might notice repeat uses of britches.  They were outnumbered by shirts.  Those pink shorts on Jenny might end up in the baby wardrobe - they fit, barely.  Jenny and Fred are wearing open shirts.  The white shirt on Tommy feels sticky/tacky, so it went in the reject pile.  Wilma's holding down the bib on her overall skirt to show the shirt beneath.  Make sure you look at it! Don't make Wilma cry!

Wow, that patchwork dress is short!  Good thing it and Wilma's skirt have a modesty panel! Kept everything here except the white thing on Malachi.  Somebody's drunk grandma made it.

Monster High dresses.

All done modeling and ready to play!  C'mon over!

The Date

 Based on a true story. 

Him: You should have ordered a salad, dear.  You could stand to lose a few pounds.

Her: I had salad for lunch. 

Him: I suggest you color your hair.  Maybe the auburn of the young lady sitting behind you?  It's a vibrant and youthful look.  Between that and the age spots, you look like a grandma.

Her: Well, I do have five grandchildren.  

Him: Don't wear anything low-cut when you aren't with me.  

After, he sees her to the door.

Him:  I've had a wonderful time tonight.  When can we have our second date? 

Her: Thank you for a lovely evening, but I don't think this is going to work.  

Downsizing Gone Wild

 

Downsizing crossed a line at some point and became a total rearrangement of both bedroom and living room.  When I finally got all the major stuff done, the closet area looked like this: 

I decided I don't need a permanent classroom set, given my folding house that was Sunburst and the 70's Dream House.  I also have my table on which I can set up pretty much anything that suits my abilities and inclination.  I did keep the pantry, sans kitchenette.  The giant clear bin full of Barbie clothes is off camera, in front of the closet door.

The dollhouse got torn apart, carried into the living room, and reassembled with some walls reversed.  Reversing the walls was the easiest way to "repaper" the rooms in question.  Everyone can hang out in the house or on the corner shelf.   

Human guests don't have to invade my inner sanctum to play dolls.  Some play items are stored in the bedroom, but can be quickly fetched.  

In the window corner are all the large play items.  And my laundry hamper.

I decided to look for a better kitchen set.  I found this on Amazon.  It's inexpensive and has counters.  Tiny ones, but counters nonetheless.  Fancy Life made most of my school desks, the dining room table, and now the kitchen appliances! (Their dining chairs break easily, though.)

The entire set fits nicely along one wall.  That rounded counter next to the squared one bugs me.  I might slide everything down a bit and then stick the sink where the fridge is, but sideways.

Yes, I know this is a repeated picture.  Hush.  First floor, we have the eat-in kitchen and the living room.  Second floor are the brat rooms, divided by biological sex of said brats.  Attic has become the master bedroom/nursery, with a tiny playroom hidden behind the faux wall.  All bathrooms and stairs are, of course, invisible.