Doppelgänger Dolls

Hello Doll Friends!! 

Since really getting into collecting dolls I continue to be drawn to the 18inch variety and as my collection grows, I find myself wanting a Doppelgänger Doll for all the people that I love. So I've started looking for "doll versions" of all my favorite people, both in my real life and also actresses or musicians I really love. My latest Madame Alexander doll rounded out a group I've been trying to complete... A group of girlfriends I've lunched with every week for years now. One of us is graduating college and I even found a graduation cap (borrowed from an obliging teddy bear from a thrift shop) 

Here are the four of us! I am the one on the far left. Then it's M, S and P, some of my dear friends. 

I am hoping to get lots more posts done in February than I did in January! That is my hope anyway... January through March are tough months though in that all I want to do is sleep when I am not working or acting grown up. Never fear though! Plenty of doll love still abounding here in the Doll House!! 

Till next time!!

XXOO

Boy Dolls! An Impromptu Photo!

Greetings Doll Friends!

Can't catch a break in the busy but joined a new doll group on the fly on Facebook (because yes, I've logged back in... *hangs-head-in-shame*) that is dedicated to Boy 18" Dolls! So I quickly gathered all my boy dolls, so far, into a group and took a photo. I tried it in panorama to try and perhaps capture them all...

Then I took quick snap shots of smaller groupings.

So there they all are! For now... Can't seem to stop making over maltreated dolls into boy dolls when their hair is beyond repair. Also, you may notice I have a lot of blonde boys. It's mainly because I have found boy wigs on eBay for 99cents (plus ship) but only ever in blonde! Haha. It's hard to pay $20 for a wig for a doll you pay $3 for. You know? So I use what I can find inexpensive. 

Have a great day! 

XXOO 

Walmart 18" "My Life As" Madame Alexander Yoga Doll

Greetings Doll Friends!!

I always think January will be a vast landscape of time and nothing to do... Seriously, every year as I am in the "busy" that is the Christmas Season, I think "Ah, but next month I have hardly any plans at all!" I suppose it's a little lie I tell myself so I can keep going during those busy days! Haha! The truth is that January is no less busy than any other month, it's just colder and harder to get around. 

Also, every January  for the past three (four?) years has me looking forward to my church's annual women's retreat. It's 36hrs of hanging out with my church sisters, eating, laughing, crying, listening, crafting, singing, worshiping, and praying with (this year) over 80 women from my church. Trust me, it's awesome. Anyway, this year my pastors wife asked me to read some of my poetry for the variety show. She asked a week before! Which luckily didn't allow time for me to get nervous about reading my poetry in front of 80+ women! But I wanted to write a new one for it and, what can I say, that consumed all writing time for that week.... It was seemingly well received though so, time well spent! I have it posted on my other blog if you're curious. I'll get on laptop later (am on phone, drinking coffee) and post proper linky but here is address:

http://www.pennilesscaucasianrubbishwrites.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-can-i.html?m=1

Now! Back to the dolls! I haven't totally neglected my hobby in my absence! I have SO much to catch up on!!

I'll start with this beauty!! I found her at Walmart about two weeks ago! There were actually two, she and her twin. Now, if you are familiar with Walmart's "My Life As" dolls, you'll be on to why I am so excited to find this one at Walmart. The line used to be manufactured by Madame Alexander... In recent years, I think since 2012(?), they've been produced by CitiToy (I think, I will check and make sure I am recalling correctly and come back and change if wrong)

So the likelihood of my finding a Madame Alexander produced doll at an actual Walmart is slim to nill! You can sometimes find on eBay or Amazon, new in box, but not for the $28.00 they charge for them at Walmart!

She wasn't on clearance or anything, just rang up at the standard "My Life As Doll" price. Which was fine. I imagine they must've been returned? 

I am pretty sure I've mentioned before but there are a few things in my life that are the "cornerstones" of what I am about. The first is Jesus. I live for Him, as best I can. The second is my family, my husband and kids. Those are the top two of course... Coming in at third and fourth we have a tie. Dolls and yoga! I do yoga every day, not a lot (20mins average) and I love collecting, writing about, sewing for and just playing with dolls!

So when I found a YOGA Madame Alexander, well, it had to be mine. 

Interestingly enough, despite her being a Madame Alexander doll, this dolls hair is likely some of the worst doll hair I've ever had come strait out of the box?! I even deliberated taking her back! I am too in love with her outfit and her beautiful blue eyes to do that though... It's dreadful though. More on it later because I am sadly out of time!! I am going to keep her but suspect I'll likely trim her hair to shoulder length in hopes that it will look and act better. Or perhaps a permanent braid... Hmmm...

Till next time!!

XXOO 

Heather 

Another Boy Doll!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

I've been having a harder time finding time to keep up with blog recently. Work has gotten much more busy and we are back to our normal schedules at church and there was Christmas decor to take down and naturally all the stuff that comes with having kids and being married... Even with getting up at 4:30AM everyday the hours still seem stretched thin! Boohoo! I know, it all means I am very blessed but it hasn't left much time for dolls! 

This morning I decided to remake a doll I found at a thrift store a while ago with express purpose of giving a makeover. 

Here he is:

All I really did was clean up the dolls limbs with a Norwex cloth and cut off all the hair and pop on a short wig. Lots of people reprint the eyebrows but I guess I am 1)too nervous I'll make them look like Groucho Marx and 2) I never really notice real little boys having a lot thicker brows than girls and so... I have mostly left them alone. Maybe I'll get brave eventually. Haha!  

Here are the "before" photos:

I got her for $3.99 at thrift store.

Her hair was main problem. I might could've salvaged it but I've been on a boy doll making kick lately... Trying to even out the ratio of boys and girls in the doll house! Because, no matter what pop culture would have you think, boys are pretty important too. Eh?

There was a slight stain on dolls back but it cleaned up a little bit with a Norwex cloth scrubbing. 

Here he is! I will have to think of a name. Thoughts?

I need to get a few more pairs of "boy" shoes! They don't make much variety but most boys wear sneakers all the time anyway. 

Well, better get ready for church! 

Till next time!

XXOO 

Heather

New UpCycled Doll Dress

Hi Doll Friends!

I've been as busy as a one armed wallpaper hanger lately and haven't had many spare moments to play dolls at all! Boohoo. This afternoon though, I took time to UpCycle a dress from a baby dress. Turned out pretty cute. I'll be back with dress and doll reviews soon!! 

Xoxo

Heather

American Girl Doll Dresses From eBay Arrive!

Hi Doll Friends!

Crazy busy weekend! Didn't have much time to play dolls! The dresses I ordered from eBay arrived at last! Still in process of photos but here is a sneak peek till I get them finished. For a penny plus 99cent shipping for each of these dresses shown, not a bad deal at all! Back as soon as I can to show you more details. 

A $1 each for these dresses! Including shipping! That's amazing. Details soon! Also another contest as soon as I can get it together with photos etc! 

XXOO 

Heather 

American Girl Doll Dresses and Accessories From eBay For A Penny!!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

I posted recently about some dresses I got for a good deal on eBay. Good deal doesn't really tell the story though... These dresses only cost $1.00 with shipping to arrive at my door!

How do you find cheap dresses like this on eBay?

Well the trick is to play with your search engines... Enter in "18 inch doll clothes" or "American Girl Doll Clothes" then tweak your search to "Auction" only and "Lowest to Highest" for your sort... It should bring up a plethora of doll clothes starting at as low as a penny for the initial bid price. Then, the trip to winning them for the beginning price (or within a few pennies of it) is to go and bid on every single dress you like even if it's six days out. Then... wait. It's kind of like fishing. I generally bid on like 20-30 different dresses and end up with about five or six that make it through at the initial bid price. Now the caveat is that you could very well get 'stuck' with all the dresses you bid on... But honestly I wasn't worried about it because for $1.00 each, I'll buy all I can get. They'd make great gifts! So that's it... That's how you get doll clothes on eBay for next to nothing. 

As you can see: $1.00 each!!

As you can see, this one 'cost' more in bid price but it was free shipping and so it was only $1.25 total. 

Same deal here... Free shipping. 

I really liked this one and so went higher on bid price... But $2.25 isn't bad!

This one was worth every penny... Still a great deal for a doll wedding dress!!

This swimsuit is an actual Our Generation swimsuit... It came with an older set but is really nice... I am planning a 'swim suit' review in the future and I'll talk more about it there. 

So... Go look in eBay and find yourself some cheap doll clothes. They are made pretty well especially considering the price. I'll do a more proper review of the dresses soon too!

Till then!

XXOO
 Heather