What I've Been Up To

 I'm finally making some progress on getting back to this blog.  I've written a few on that other blog, but my poor neglected dollies are mad at me.  Good news on that front... one of these books holds the story I've decided to doll dramatize!

I had another really good idea for a doll drama but it jumped right outta my head.

I did finally get around to fixing the grocery store.  The cold unit is a Shopkins display, if I recall correctly.  The shelves are Zoe lockers and the trophy case/amplifier from a Monster High playset.  Groceries are assorted minis.

Second Sister's church held a rummage sale.  Rusty got a new dress!  When I said I had no idea for what occasion she might wear it, my Eldest Sister contributed a Masque.  She can go to a Mardi Gras ball!  (You'll see the full dress in a few.  I'm having some issues getting my digital camera to talk to my new computer.)

The Mother of The Boy has taken up sewing.  Previous blog posts showed the Barbie size quilts she made my dolls.  She asked about Barbie clothes patterns to use for her scraps, so I nabbed these.

McG is modeling a Gear Shift Hoodie.  The dolls also want the skeleton and I believe there's a galaxy one. The Hoodies also come in solid colors, but where's the fun in that? (This was picked up at Auto Zone on my way home from the rummage sale.)

Rusty in her new fancy dress.  Ain't she purty?!

Downsizing Is Hard (Part Three)

 

I already mentioned that the adolescents in the classroom are either Harry Potter, Creatable World, or Claudia.  My dollhouse family males are hybrids, but the girls are not.  Jeremiah is a Fashionista and the twins are Finnick from Hunger Games, all three on MTM bodies.  Fred is a Kelly on a Zoe body.  Diana is Wonder Woman.  Belle and Hermione are from the recent Harry Potter line. Emma is the Hermione doll from the 90s.  Samara is a Babysitter Skipper baby.  

The children are mostly Chelseas and Kelly/Zoe hybrids.  Dan is the Harry Potter from the 90s.  Roxy is a Gymnast Stacie.  

The shoe holders house everyone else.  Most of the dolls pictured here are hybrids. 

MTM, Inspiring Women Susan B.  Anthony, and two wrestler ladies.  I'm pretty sure the wrestler ladies have the same body mold as Diana.  Divergent couple, Navajo Code Talker GI Joe (broken talk box), and Happy Family Grandma.

Cutie Reveals, Star Wars, and Barbie Extras.  

Fresh dolls, BMR 1959s, and two hybrids.

BTS, Barbie The Look, and a BRM 1959.

Harry Potter adults and a BTS.

Hiding in the bottom of my closet.  Wheelchairs, donor bodies, stands, etc.

Up top in my closet and neatly labeled.  Okoye's box (with all her stuff in it in case I decide to display her) and Western Fun Barbie in her box.  The Western Fun Barbie is notorious for not aging well and mine is no exception.

The display dolls are in the living room.  Two 18 inch Pocahontas dolls, Video Girl Barbie (who does work), Monster High Cleo and Lagoona, and Rusty.  I dress Rusty for upcoming holidays.

A Knock-off Rusty?

WARNING NEKKID DOLL 

 For those of you who are new here, or somehow out of the loop:  This is Rusty.

Rusty is the redheaded My Size Barbie that I wanted since 1992 and found a few years ago, at a local flea market, for ten whole big dollars.  She was wearing an original outfit, the bridal gown, but some accessories were missing.  Needless to say, I was THRILLED.   Rusty came home with me that day and has been my plastic daughter ever since.  

A chunk had been cut out of her hair, which I evened into a shaggy bob, but other than that damage was minimal.

Mark on one arm, presumably Sharpie.

A thin layer of nail polish on the eyes.  I assume someone tried to change her eye color.

*******************

Tonight my neighbor informed me that there's a doll "about this big" in the dumpster.  I called him a fibber (I had taken out trash about an hour before) and told him I didn't much care anyway unless it was a redhead.  He said the doll in question was a redhead.  He's yanking my chain, I thought.  He knows about Rusty and is just trying to get me to look so he can point at me and giggle.

"If you go out there and find a redhead doll of that size in the dumpster, I'll give you a dollar."  Guess what he did?  I'll give you a hint... I'm short a dollar. 

(Not my picture) 

(Not the actual doll in question)

Turns out, Jakks Pacific has a line of 32 inch Disney Princesses.  The current selling price is around 30 bucks, way less than the triple digits Mattel was asking in the 90s for Rusty.  But since it done costed me a buck, I figured I'd check the doll out and at least do a side-by-side comparison.

I brought Anna inside and stripped her in the bathtub - always the place for cleaning second hand toys that are too big for the sink.  This is what I found:

Her entire body below a black Sharpie "choker" is painted chalk white.  She's wearing a Duct Tape diaper.  Any value to a collector just tanked.  (The body mold does look very similar to Rusty's.) And when I removed the duct tape...

Someone made a valiant effort of replacing a broken-off leg.  I'm not sure what the blue is, but there's also a nice thick layer of hot glue.  I gave up at this point.  I'm not going to clean her up even enough for the planned comparison - she's going back into the dumpster as soon as I post this. 

I'm hoping the clothes she had on will fit Rusty, so I get something out of my dollar besides standing corrected on the existence of a redhead doll "about this big" in the dumpster.  

Just a funny lil story for y'all, really.  Enjoy. 

 

Never Organized Enough

I've been reading about people using their stay-at-home time to reorganize and deep clean their homes.  Even though I try to keep things fairly well organized and do a deep clean in months divisible by three, I decided to see what I could do.  The area most in need of this was Barbieville.

Everything on this tall shelf is doll related.  I did have some non-doll items here and two of the vehicles in my desk area, but decided to remedy that situation.  Now, the only dolls outside of this area are the BOUS*, two Monster High gals, and Edna Mode.

At the border between Barbieville and Desk Area, we find the printer shelf.  The lowest shelf used to be a parking lot for the Jeep and Golf Cart.  It now holds coloring books, crayons, and my bin of Lego blocks.  The upper and third shelves used to hold assorted paper for the printer, phone books, and toy VWs.  Second shelf now holds my board games.  Upper shelf holds phone books and printer paper.  Top surface is, of course, the printer.  Keeping it company are the Pocahontas twins, Edna Mode, and Freddy Krueger.  Rusty has invaded Barbieville.

My VW toys took over this knick knack shelf.  Only the almighty Sam Booze survived the invasion.  (Wine from Two Paddocks, Sam Neill's winery.)

Odd combination of loose cards.  One of these games doesn't even live here!

Now I gotta figure out where to put all the homeless knick knacks that have invaded my pop culture shelf!  They done knocked Negan down and threw two other guys on the floor!  The carnage! 

*Barbies Of Unusual Size include Rusty (My Size Barbie) and 18 inch Pocahontas twins 

Rusty's Holiday Haul

WARNING!   POSSIBLE PARTIAL DOLL NUDITY AHEAD!  TURN BACK NOW OR YOUR EYEBALLS MAY BOIL!

It's been a busy day after Christmas for me and my dolls.  I already shared the fashion show and now it's Rusty's turn to be spoiled rotten.

Rusty says "Let's get this ball rolling!"

"That Santa bag is just overflowing with clothes for me!  But I know we've got to sort them out for size because I'm a 4T in height and, well, much smaller in width!" 

We got to work, first sorting the items by size group.  

The more we sorted, the more excited we got.

Finally, it was time to try things on.  

We started with "4T and up".  That skirt is very pretty, but...

...there is a waistband problem.  Honestly, I could make each leg of these pants into a pencil skirt for her if I had the talent and inclination.

The straps needs shortened a bit to avoid wardrobe malfunctions, but that I can do.  Looks like only the gingham top is going to be a keeper from this set.

On to "3T".  

Shirts are roomy, and Rusty is fine with that.   Waistbands are still too big.  This skirt is denim and way too thick for me to take in without giving Rusty a bustle.

So many double entendres...  

Waistband demo.  This skirt will go into the "maybe" pile.  

 That string-tie waistband is a lie!  But the shirt is good.  The pants go into the "Maybe" pile.  

"24 months and 2T".  These are the best fit for her, but only a couple of things came in this size.  

Gorgeous sundress.

 Rusty's on island time!  

"12 Months" is our best bet for pants.  Taking them in is far less likely to create a bustle.  Dresses are too short to be dresses, even with Rusty rocking the miniskirt, but they can be tops.  

Leopard spots, a bunch of bugs, and pretend denim.

Gingham britches, corduroy autumnal jumper, and what I suspect is a swim suit top.  That jumper is gonna get a lot of wear between Halloween and Thanksgiving!  

Pretty patterned shirt and a green mini with built in panties.

Another one for the "Maybe" pile. 

Rusty has a new Easter dress.  Check out the petticoat!  

The last set of clothes is "Less Than 12 Months".  Some of these might actually be too small! 

The bee's flight trails on the yellow say things like "bee happy".  The flowered shirt is awfully dark for my taste.  Chocolate brown doesn't speak spring or summer to me!

A tiny dress, complete with petticoats.  The red shirt may have been part of a set with the brown one above...  the flowers are very similar.  

The dress is too small in all directions.  

Overalls with snaps along the inner legs.  We aren't too keen on that, but they're adorable and the denim is in good shape.  I wonder if I could sew the inner legs or if that would make them too skinny?  I'll try that and if it doesn't work, repurpose the fabric.

These shirts are keepers.

As are these.

The sundress, baseball hoodie, and fancy dress.  I'm prone to thinking that light purple dress may have been worn by a flower girl in a wedding, it's that nice!

These will be taken in.  Anything else would end up with a bustle and Sir Mix-A-Lot is not Rusty's type.  I've not checked the overalls yet.

Very few pieces that cannot be used.  Rusty will pass them along or I will repurpose the fabric.

Rusty is quite pleased with her newly expanded wardrobe.