Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Random Doll Ramblings


Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

Do you ever have seasons of your life where you feel like no matter how 'fast you run' you can't seem to keep up with all the 'things' in your life that need doing? For some reason, that has been me latley. I feel like I run run run just as fast as I can but still hardly make a dent in the 'To Do' list I have in my head. I guess that's a good thing? I read a quote once that went something like "The key to happiness is to have just a little bit more to do every day than you can get done..." And by that measure, I should be ecstatic, right? Hahaha. I tried to find the quote but obviously only recall a very loose paraphrase. Maybe you've heard saying before and know the source. 


In any case, one area I feel like I have not been keeping up to what I want to get done is my blog posts. I think when I started to get ready for the Heartland Doll Tea Parties I kind of lost my way a little bit with the blog... I was rushing to try and make the Traveling Doll House and it consumed all my 'hobby time'. Many of my favorite aspects of playing with dolls slid onto the back burner, like Doll Photography and making fun YouTube videos and such. 


So I am determined to get back to the 'fun' parts of my blog... I've gotten nearly everything ready for the Tea Parties and an even doing a 'prototype' party this coming Friday so I can get photos and see how things run. So... Now that it's all ready, I can start to go back to some of my more 'fun' things I like to do with dolls. 


This post is mainly random doll stuff... These first few photos have been items I've seen at Thrift Stores recently that I found interesting but didn't end up buying. The doll in the box as one I'd never seen before and while I am not much a baby doll person, I thought it was interesting to see. The wishing well was fun but again, who has the storage? 


This fooseball table was adorable but I already own a pool table and a roulette table I've never really made very interesting scenes with and again, only so much space! Still, it would've been kind of fun for an 'arcade'.


So... As you know, I've gotten kind of obsessed with Doll Makeovers in the doll house lately. So doll wigs have become one of my favorite splurges. My husband said to me this last weekend "Why don't you go buy yourself a few doll wigs or some accessories" because he wanted to treat me. (Isn't he the sweetest!) and so I jumped online and went strait to a few of my favorite wig sources. The first was Beautifully Custom where I found this gorgeous wig named Apple Crisp for $27.00 shipped. Can't wait for it to arrive! 



Then I decided to give Muzi Wigs on Amazon another try since I liked the wig I got for Sasha's makeover so well. I was surprised to see that the wig I bought for her had gone up by over $11.00! I suspected when I first found them so inexpensively that Muzi Wigs was just started their prices low and that they'd go up when they started getting good reviews. I left a really good review on that wig and so... Now it's more expensive. So if you're wanting to pick up some Muzi Wigs at the good prices, I'd do it sooner rather than later. The ones I ordered here, the short white and purple was only $16.50 shipped and the strait black wig was only $13.90 shipped! Pretty sure those prices won't last. 


I also went and ordered a few more doll accessories on eBay. I really loved my American Girl Lasagna I got on there a while ago and so went back to the same seller and ordered a few more things.

So it'll be fun to review those when they arrive. 

I better run!
Till next time!
XXOO
Heather

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Thrifted Our Generation Horse And Dresser!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

So... I know I don't need another horse for the Doll House because I already have three of the large ones and four ponies and one mid sized... But...


I also have a weakness for white horses because of 'The Last Unicorn" movie that came out when I was a teen. I know. I am a geek. 


Plus this one had this cool 'circus' blanket and.... 


Was only $3.99 and I figured the cool horse blanket and reigns were worth that even if I don't end up keeping the horse. (Because space!!) 


I also got a few other items. I went back to that one thrift store that had the pretty Japanese Dragon Cups and Vases thinking perhaps I'd buy a few more if they had them still. Well, they only had two items left, one cup and one tea pot. So I bought them both because they really are very pretty! I also go the pretty plates, the crystal vase (with cute chicks around the base, so cute!!), the horn (which is a Christmas ornament in 'real life) and the saki cups that I plan to use as saimen bowls in the Doll House. I am pretty sure the guy at Goodwill was scandalized that I bought the cups and not the Saki Pitcher that went with it. He asked me if I'd seen it and I said yes but I didn't need it. Pretty sure he thought was weird at that point but oh well. 


See? Here is the set all together. I thought about buying the pitcher as a vase but it wasn't all that pretty and so I just left it there. 


I saw this Our Generation doll in the cart they bring stock out in from the back. I picked her up to look at her because her outfit was cute but they had her marked $7.99! Ha! As if. A brand new one can be gotten for about $25 on sale sometimes so that is ambitious of them. I wonder how long it'll be before she's purchased. Poor dear. 



I also saw these benches. I was sort of tempted to buy the one on the right even though I already have one that you can see in this post. After picking it up though I realized it had a flaw on the back right side where the wood looks like it was broken and then glued. So... Since I already had one and it was marked $3.99, I left it there. 


This dresser tempted me because it's so cute but it was marked $5.99 and I have lots of doll dressers already. 


These two wood shelves caught my eye. I even picked them up. When I look at them, I see doll chairs!


You'd just have to remove the side hardware and add some dowl's for legs. I might have even tried said project but I am over run with doll chairs in the Doll House and so I didn't buy them. Still it was  a fun idea. 


Pretty doll baby!! Had to snap a photo of her.


Saw this whole bag of Build-A-Bear clothes which might've once tempted me because you can Build A Bear clothes for the dolls if you modify them a bit. However, I have so many doll clothes I passed on them. 


This was cute! A little closet for doll clothes. I have a huge Doll Closet  as well as a beautiful wardrobe I got from my wonderful friend Frann and so don't need one. It would be great for a little girl though. It's the Disney Princess and Me Wardrobe but it was filled up with American Girl Doll hangers. 



Not a bad price for it! 


Especially for the hangers. I could've probably bought the whole thing and sold just the hangers on eBay and gotten more than I spent but... That would require me to be much less of a lazy eBayer than I am. Haha. Also, if I started buying doll items with the idea of re-sale, my house could be taken over pretty quickly with 'inventory' that might never get sold. Can't have that. Not to mench, that would start to turn my little hobby into a job and... Well, I don't want that either. Right? Or I suppose I don't. LOL 


This whole cart of really pretty wooden boxes and animals caught my eye. They were so pretty!! But... I didn't need any of them so I bravely walked away without any. Proud? Later I thought that one of the little compartment boxes might've been cute on the back of a doll desk but I am sure they are all gone by now... Hindsight is harsh when it comes to thrift shops. Haha.


Cute gift boxes!! I didn't get them because I have plenty but... Cute!


Doll sized jars... Cute right? I didn't buy them though because, again, space is always an issue. 


I did find something I couldn't pass up though. This cute dresser/or sideboard. It was only $3.99 and I love the folksy paint on it. Not sure what it'll end up being used for in the Doll House but it's super pretty!

Better run and get ready for church!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather

Mangia! Thrifty Play Food Finds For Doll House!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!
I think I've figured out my technical difficulties finally! Or rather, I handed my phone over to my husband and he figured them out for me. I'd tell you what he did but the main point is that I am up and running again on Blogger on my phone. Woot! Big shout out to my husband for his constant sweet support of my hobby. 


The other day I went to my local thrift shop and the toy room had a plethora of 'play food'. I mean it was like a day care had donated their entire cache of play food or something. I was tempted to Buy. All. The. Things. because, I won't like, I have always gotten a kick out of play food. Just so fun! But I forced myself to only buy only the sets that included what might work for the Doll House. 


Here is what I got, All of the play food was about $2.00. Obviously all of it isn't going to work for the Doll House because the scale is way too big. But the turkey is pretty spot on and I love the little 'spaghetti' and veggie portions. They're meant to represent a single serviing size as playfood for a child. However, in the Doll House they can make awesome 'serving bowl' sized portions of food. 


See what I mean? Here is the table set with three of the food things I got, two of the spaghetti (one has marinara and one has meat sauce) and the 'mixed veggies' and I think they look adorable. So obviously I only plan to keep the ones that are the correct scale, but still a fun find! Do you use 'standard' play food in your doll scenes? 


Here are Heather and Josh ready for a dinner party they are having. Doesn't it look scrumptious!

Better run!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather


Saturday, July 22, 2017

Technical Difficulties!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

I am finally resorting to coming to report that I have been having technical difficulties with my Blogger App on my phone and can't get it to post my drafts anymore. I updated the app recently and since then, it won't work. So I am going to have to figure out a different method for getting my blog posts done apparently. I will work on that this weekend now that I have a bit of time. I wanted to come and say Hi though and explain why I've been MIA. I hope this finds you having a fantastic Saturday! I'll try and get a 'real' post up soon!! In the meantime, I'll leave you with some of my favorite doll photos of all time from the blog.

Till then!
XXOO
Heather








Tuesday, July 18, 2017

American Girl Doll Stable Find At Goodwill!!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

Look what I found at Goodwill this weekend! It is an actual American Girl Doll Stable! I've been thinking of making a stable for a while now from an idea I found on Pinterest but this was much easier!


Obviously, it didn't have the fencing pieces or the other accessories but the stable is really the 'showpiece' of the whole set from American Girl. It's really sturdy and well made! If I decide I must have fence pieces at some point or another, I found these really nifty ones on Etsy that would look perfect with it I imagine. Really, though, it was the 'stable' I was wanting to have and so I literally feel like it was a gift from God or something! God is so good to me! 


See, I'd been wanting to make the stable because I mentioned and promised to have horses and ponies at my upcoming Heartland Doll Tea Parties. While I had all the horses and ponies (or four of each to be exact and a mid sized one as well... I can't help I am good at finding this stuff for next to nothing! It's not my fault!! Teehee...) I didn't have the stable itself. I had literally planned to go buy the crate this weekend to try and make one and then I found this one. So that's why I say I felt like it was a gift from God. Just when I think perhaps I am silly in this whole idea of having tea parties and/or maybe other kinds of Doll Parties in the future, He goes and sends me a key component to the ideas I have in my head. God is so cool like that! Eh?


It was a bit dusty when I got it but otherwise in perfect shape!


It's marked $9.99 but with my discount I got it for $8.50! SCORE!!


I love the little horseshoe shaped hook on the side. So cute!


So here is Sasha saying hello to a couple of the equestrian members of the Doll House, Equus and one of the ponies which sadly I haven't really named yet...



Here is the stable with a few accessories added. Isn't it just as cute as can be?

Have to run! Time flies when you're having fun, eh?
Have a fantastic Tuesday!
XXOO
Heather




Saturday, July 15, 2017

Another My Life As Doll Vet Set Review

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends,

Walmart's "My Life As Doll" line has become one of my favorites because they are afforable and seem to get cuter as they go along. A while ago I got a Vet set on clearance because they'd made a different one. The newer one was also very cute and I said in that post at the time that I'd likely buy the other one at some point. Well... I did buy it. Months ago, I can't even recall when, and then put it in a closet to review 'sometime soon' and it got kind of forgotten about. Ooops. 


So I come here to tell you about it even though, it would appear, the only way to find it is on eBay or other second hand market sources.


Here is the set in it's package. As you can see, it comes with a paw shaped 1) Vet bag (kind of lame I thought, they could've actually made it shaped like an old school Doctor bag and it would've been loads cuter. Right?). It also has 2) an 'Xray' of a dog, 3) a 'canine breeds' poster (both made of cardboard), 4) a roll of bandage (like an ace bandage with velcro closure), 5) a clip board (that doesn't actually work), 6) a patient chart, 7) a puppy bottle, 8) four dog treats/bones, 9) a jar to store them in, 10) a 'cone of shame' (really nice, made of plastic with velcro closures), 11) a 'hypodermic needle' (which is super cool cos it's little plunger actually works), 12) some band-aid stickers and 13) a stethoscope that has a button you can push and it sounds like heartbeats. 


I actually pulled the set out and was in middle of the review shots when I found the ATM the other day. It made me giggle to put the ATM in the Vet Clinic at the time because oftentimes you need an ATM at the Vets office. Because it can get expensive! Am I right?!


So here we have Spectrum as a vet examining Kristi's pet dog. 


I couldn't get the stethoscope to stay on her ears properly at all and they didn't really want to hang around her neck like a lot of nurses have their either. 


I was able to put them on her if I held them there (I am holding the bottom part of the stethoscope, out of the photo) but otherwise, no dice. In this photo (above) you can see the hypoermic needle from the other vet set on the table in the background. The one in this set is much more realistic looking!


Still pretty cute. As I mentioned, the 'clip board' it came with doesn't actually work. How weird. So I had this little white clip in the doll house and used it to clip the patient chart to the clip board. 


So it's a pretty cute set, I think, for the regular price I paid for it (about $8.00) but the prices I saw on eBay and whatnot, I wouldn't think it was worth that. But that's just me... If you're looking for a vet set and want all these items, it might be to you! 



Here is the little dog with the 'cone of shame' on. So cute!

Better run!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather