Happy Holidays!

A new family member, non-plastic!

Name forthcoming, and not as grouchy as she looks. A six-month-old kit-cat girl.

Diorama photo practice

In repose
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

I played around with shots using my window seat backdrop, curtain, cushions, lamp and plant, all by Maryann Roy of Welcome Home. Lucite table and topiary by Jenn of Style in Scale, Chair by smidgehouse/smidgegirl. Jason Wu FR "mink" throw as rug, floor and wall box by Adorning Elements from Collector182 from Lafayette, IN on Ebay. Real mink pillow/pom found at the Sideshow gift shop at The American Visionary Museum from old 1960s store stock they were selling. I also got some tiny mink ball earrings that I will use at Blythe pullrings.
Did I say I am IN LOVE with this lamp! Oh, and French guide book by ckworkshop on Etsy.

The girls prepare for winter

Happy Holidays!

Blythe Meet...In My Bedrom

So I hosted our Flickr Group, Dollmarvalous Collectors, for a holiday party Sunday, Dec. 12. While the fireplace was going in the living room, and there was plenty of food in the kitchen, everyone gravitated to the bedroom to see my doll house (Blythe Manor), and pretty soon, the entire party was in the bedroom.

There were 9 adults, two nieces and approximately 65 Blythe dolls. Add a few Wonder Frogs (3), Nikki cats (2), Odecco, Yatsuba, Miu (a Dal), some Dynamite Girls and Fashion Royalty, not to mention my Barbies, and we had more than 80 dolls in the group picture and more than 120 dolls in the room, plus assorted porcelain doll heads and three sock monkeys!

Everyone oohed and ahhhed over each other's Blythes, noting how even the very same doll, such as a Disco Boogie or Factory Girl or even a Kenner or really, all the Blythes, can look so very different! Everyone was dressed in their best, so much so that we had to take written note of the very best places to shop on Ebay and Etsy for Blythe fashions.

A little romantic triangle developed between my Wonder Frog "Frog," and Shelly's pink Blossom and Holly's ever-popular Leonard, the only boy at the party. My niece Abby, 13, attended her first Blythe meet with her Blythe Rosalie, and Maggie's niece Zinnia, who is an old pro at 10, came to yet another meet. Zinnia had awesome knee-high lace up Converse-like tennies on. She also brought her Mini Me American Girl doll.

Our gift exchange was great fun; everyone brought wonderful stuff, and our food spread was fab. I put out meatballs (a new recipe with apple grilling sauce and blueberry jam), cupcakes that Abby and I made, cheese, crackers, pickles, olives, cherry tomatoes and chips and salsa. Many kinds of cookies arrived, and Maggie brought a relish tray and a Panettone fruit bread from IKEA!

A wonderful time was had by all, I'm pretty sure. We wrapped up early as I had to take Abby to the airport so she could zip back to Indiana in the snowstorm. Several of the gals continued the party at Maggie's and had a knitting lesson, and a couple gals went on to a Cookie Exchange. (One reported making 700 cookies the day before!)

I was proud to show off my dollhouse, and after hanging out in the bedroom around it, everyone agreed our next party should be a slumber party! Here's a picture of my Brigette at the party also.

Sweater Dress I crocheted for Molly

Shhhh!
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

What started as a sweater from a vintage Barbie ski sweater pattern turned into a dress, but perhaps still managed to look cute. Or perhaps cute Molly just makes anything look good. I used baby cashmere yarn so at least someone's getting a cashmere sweater for the holidays!