Nanami of the Seven Seas

When I started in the pullip collecting venture, I just wanted one pullip and one taeyang.  And for a while, that was all I had.  I was happy to let them chill in their boxes.  But then I saw photos on flickr and I discovered doll forums and I knew that I needed to de-box RIDa and Timulus from their boxes--they wanted freedom.  But then they started "telling" me to go find their friends and family members.  And before I knew it, I had amassed a group of them.  Not only Pullips, Taeyangs, Dals, and Isuls, but also little teeny tiny BJDs. 

During this active collection growth phase, I wasn't content to just let my stock dolls be as they were out of the box.  Nope!  The part that I found most fun was customizing them to get them to look like how I wanted them to.  Change their hairstyles, their clothes, and wigs.  Find new bodies to put the pullips on so they could wear Barbie & LIV doll clothes.  Send them off to get new face-ups.  Give them eyes that look real.  All of that took money, and that's what I had been focusing on--making my dolls look like one-of-a-kind, special, unique things that I would truly love.  There were a couple of dolls that I've always wanted but because I had my hobby money earmarked for my customizations, I figured I'd get around to picking up those dolls later.  I never dreamed they'd sell out.  Nahh-ato?  And Veritas?  I was surprised when the dolls sold out...I remember that Nahh had been at $72.95 for such a long time.  I'm kicking myself that I never bought her from PullipStyle when I had the chance.  And Veritas...I can't remember what her price was at PullipStyle but when she was about to sell out, she was going for $160 not including shipping.  Too high for me.  So I shelved those dreams of ever getting either of them.

But recently, I was able to finally acquire a Veritas at a reasonable price.  A long-time collector on DollyMarket is downsizing and unloading many older dolls.  I've dealt with this collector before--she used to organize many GOs, and I've always liked her, so I felt comfortable approaching her when I found out that she was soon to be listing her Veritas for sale.  I made an offer and it was accepted!  I could hardly believe my luck. 

The whole time after I paid, I was anticipating something going wrong.  Would the doll have undisclosed damage in some way?  Would the postal system be careless in their handling of the box?  It took less than a week from when I paid until I received Veritas, and I'm happy that the worst I can say about her is that there is a slightly smoky smell emanating from her wig.  This doesn't bother me in the least, though--it reminds me of how the hotels in Las Vegas smell, which to some might be problematic, but it's a non-issue for me.

Veritas came almost fully stock--but rewigged.  The wig she came with is a Leekeworld wig that is close in color and style to the original.  I love her blushy face-up, and except for her eyechips, I'm totally pleased with her look.  Sometime later, I think I'll be re-chipping her, but for now, I'll just be enjoying her as she is.  I've named her "Nanami", loosely translated to "seven seas"....because of her nautical theme.  Cutest pirate ever!


Unfortunately, I had to let one of my tiny BJDs go. Since I am determined to stay in this expensive hobby, there needs to be limits, and rehoming dolls in order to afford other wants is an important part of this. The BJD I sold was a Pukifee Luna. While I will miss seeing that little cutie on my doll shelf, the truth is that I wanted a Veritas even more. It's all about prioritizing, isn't it?

Happy May!

I forgot my coffee at home today.  It's sitting in the microwave oven, since I had been warming it up to pour into my travel mug so that I could take it on the road with me.  I guess I got a little side-tracked before leaving the house, hence the coffee is now growing cold in the microwave.  I was already halfway to my workplace when I remembered.  I hate that feeling.  I suppose I could have stopped by Starbucks since there's one near the library, but it's always really crowded in the morning and I don't want to ruin my tardy-free record!  Just between you and me, I think my coffee tastes better than Starbucks anyway.  I really don't like functioning without my morning coffee, though.  I always get the meanest headache without my caffeine fix, and that makes me one grouchy librarian.  I wonder if I should pre-emptively take a Motrin to ward off any headaches?  My uncle says that the headaches brought on by lack of coffee is all in my head.  I wonder if it is?

Over on Dolly Market, the big buzz is that Groove Japan unloaded a bunch of older Pullip & Friends dolls onto PullipStyle.  Mike from PS is being nice enough to offer them to Dolly Market users first, and that thread is going live in a little under two hours.  When I first heard about it on Saturday, people were calling dibs on various dolls, and I didn't think it was all that fair, but overall, it never got really ugly and vicious.  I'm lucky in that I don't think there are any dolls in that lot that I would want--if there had been a Rovam or Veritas or Coral, I think I'd have been in trouble.  It's not like I am made of money, after all, and Rovam/Veritas/Coral aren't on my list of allowable things to buy for this year.  I guess if I did break my own rules, I could always find someone to sell, though I'm loathe to sell any of my beloved dolls.  Even when I'm not fawning all over them and they're just sitting pretty on my shelf, I still love having them around.

I'm so excited for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, but that doesn't come out until November!  Other than that, I've mostly been playing Rune Factory 4 on my 3DS.  There are lots of things to do in RF4--save the town's dragon, farm crops, forge weapons and armors, mix medicines, cook.  And date.  The character I'm playing as is a tough but sweet fighter girl...and so I figure she needs some pampering, which is why I chose the attentive butler-in-training for her.  They've been on quite a few dates by this time, but I find that between the farming and the dating and cooking and participating in the town's festivals, there isn't a whole lot of time left for saving the dragon!  I guess it's really a game that teaches one to prioritize and learn time management.  Maybe I should have my two children play this game--they might learn a thing or two. 

I've also been reading--right now, it's Zoo by James Patterson.  It's a fast, easy read.  Suspenseful and fun, but nothing deep.  Until next time...