Happy Mail Day!

The dolls are starting to return from their spa days.  Since I have limited myself as to what I can spend my money on, I really enjoy getting happy mail.  Yesterday, one of my doll heads came back in the mail. 

This is my custom Pullip, based on Tifa Lockhart of Final Fantasy VII.  She was originally a baity Craziia head that I purchased from someone (no longer active) on Dolly Market.  This doll has been on many different bodies--from Obitsu to Volks EB Beauty to a female action figure body.  I finally decided on this Dollmore plastic fashion doll body.  It is pretty, but also very frustrating because the strung elastic and the oversize pullip head makes for a poor combination.  She flops around like crazy and getting her to sit is maddening.  However, she stands up fine, and for the most part, I am fine with it. 


Sorry, I was having fun playing with the different effects on PicMonkey, hence the over-edited photo. I don't have photoshop, so please just bear with me. It's been a hair over two months since I'd sent this doll head to Buff (buffdolls.net). I imagine there must have many dolls on Buff's worktable and some needed time off during the holidays. Ordinarily, Buff takes about a month or so to work on and send the finished doll head back. She's always really professional and drama-free. With her, I don't have to worry about my doll head being kept or sent to the wrong address.
 

I wasn't the only one happy to have my doll back home--her Taeyang counterpart (custom based on Cloud Strife of FFVII) was glad to see her return. Here he is with a "Welcome-Back-&-Happy-Belated-Valentine's-Day" bouquet. Yeah....my doll shelf is looking closer to being complete! I'm looking forward to having every one of them back home.

A dolly update of sorts

Can it be--a second blog entry from me in February?  I'm entertaining houseguests again, but I managed to steal away a little bit of computer time.  Here's a short doll update of sorts:

Tekka-Maki participated in a Valentine's Day swap over at The Dal House forum.  The Dal House isn't as busy as Dolly Market which in turn is not as busy as the Den of Angels.  I spend most of my online time at Dolly Market, but The Dal House is my second home.  It's more cozy there--and the active members are all wonderful.  I try to participate in the monthly photo contest several times a year, and I definitely make it a point to get involved with the swaps.  I just feel like it's a place where I trust everyone...I've been burned in swaps on other forums before but *knock on wood* not at the Dal House.

 

 

Here's Tekka-Maki modeling her sweater from Byronic Heroine and Soraya.  Soraya is pictured in that photo over there on the right.  Look at her tan--I'm jealous.  I've been coveting one of these hand-knit sweaters ever since I saw Byronic's own dolls wearing them.  Saying that I'm happy with the sweater is a total understatement.  I also love the way the sleeves are long and cover Tekka-Maki's hands--it's a very cute look on her.  This is the third time Byronic Heroine has been my sending swap partner, and she's all kinds of awesome. 

 

A few months ago, a couple of my dolls suffered some sharpie marks on their faces courtesy of my cousin's toddler.  It was painful wiping the custom face-ups off, but I didn't want the sharpie ink staining the pullip plastic and making a bad situation worse.  The next thing I did was contact a few customizers.  All of them were willing to work on my dolls' face-ups. 

 

This is the photo I got back from Buff.  She was kind enough to try to replicate the original face-up she did back in 2010.  I supplied a photo, and Buff did a great job on recapturing the face-up that I love so much. 

 

One of the rules I have for my collection is that my dolls MUST be paired up.  And since I acquired Ruka Taeyang in November, I felt like he should have a Pullip to keep him company.  I found a good deal on a dent-box at Pullip Style, and asked ~Akai Arashi~ if she'd be willing to work on my doll.  I recently got the progress photo back and I think that Ruka will be happy to have such a lovely girl as his other half.

 

And  now there's just one more pullip who needs to get her face-up fixed.  She's on her way there as I write this.  I have a soft-spot in my heart for Pullips and Taeyangs with custom face-ups.  Funny how I think Dals and Isuls look just fine with their stock face-ups.  Do you have any special rules for your collection?  Who is your favorite customizer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Am eye sick?

So I've let another month lapse by without updating my blog.  It's mid-February now, and this is my first entry for the month.  I wonder if this is going to be my regular pace of blogging...one entry per month?  I guess my lack of updates is because there hasn't really been any "blog-worthy" news.  I've been spending lots of time taking care of my ailing family--in the middle of January, my two children came down with nasty, hacking coughs.  Then my husband caught it.  He went to his doctor and got anti-biotics straight away, and I also had the kids see their ped, who made them go on antibiotics as well.  I was fine all this time and feeling rather smug that I was immune to their bug.  However, maybe I spoke too soon?  I've been coughing so much, and it feels like there's a sea urchin in my throat.  I just have this prickly feeling when I swallow--it's not painful, just a bit itchy--and when I cough, it goes into this coughing fit.  Other than that, I feel alright.  I've been popping Halls cough drops like they're candy.  That seems to help with the coughing.  I don't feel like I need to see a doctor just yet, but maybe I'm just in denial.  I'll see how I am next week.  If my cough gets worse, I'll definitely make an appointment, but at this point, I'll just wait it out.

Part of why I'm hesitating on seeing my doctor is because I don't know if it's some kind of bacterial infection or virus, or if it's just the way my body is being affected by the vog.  Depending on the way the winds blow, the vog (volcanic ash smog) from the Big Island of Hawaii affects me differently.  Usually, if it's really bad, my sinuses feel tender and there's upper respiratory congestion.  Sometimes I get this prickly feeling in my throat (similar to what I have now).  The coughing makes people around me think I'm sick...but I'm not, the vog is just being mean to me. 

In dolly-related news, I just donated a sizeable batch of eyechips to PUDDLE.  I wish I could go--this year's theme is RAINBOWS.  I feel so isolated here in Hawaii.  It would be neat to meet up with other doll collectors.  Unfortunately, I cannot afford travel to IL right now. 



I seriously wish I had a doll for each different pair of eyes I have.  I enjoy making the eyechips, but it takes a lot of time to get them centered and bubble-free.  Also, filing the taxes is a pain.