Dollgasm

Hello all!  Bre again.

Today's post is going to be about the familiar feeling of dollgasm.  If you're a doll collector, I'm sure you've experienced this feeling, even if that's not what you called it.

dollgasm (doll-gasm) 1. n. the excited and extremely pleased feeling a doll collector experiences upon the opening of a beautiful doll or doll related item

You may have noticed that this is one of my favorite words... and that's because it's one of my favorite feelings!  I have several hobbies, but my doll collection is my main one.  And as the title of this blog hints, I have very little disposable cash.  So when I can get a pretty new outfit or accessory or a gorgeous new doll, it makes me happy for a long while.  When I got Addy's new outfit a while back, I set her on the back of the couch and I'd glance over at her every so often and smile.  And later, when I was sitting (err, lazing about) on the couch, I kept reaching up to touch her little sleeves and whatnot.  It made me happy.  To be perfectly honest, it's making me happy just thinking back on it.

But this isn't to say I'm obsessed.  A lot of people in my personal life seem to think that my doll hobby is a quirky little thing that I'll grow out of or (even more infuriatingly) that this is the thing I do simply because I'm bored with my life and I need something.  But the overwhelming opinion seems to be that I dedicate too much of myself to my pursuit of the dollgasm.  Well, perhaps.  But I don't neglect my health, happiness, general well-being, pets, or personal relationships in favor of my doll collection.  I'm not dependent on my doll collection.  I don't feel like there's a problem, and my mom (the person I live with and the person who helps me out monetarily) doesn't have a problem with it either.  So why should anyone else have a problem with it?

People love spreading their value judgments even when you don't ask.  My theory is that they're jealous because they don't have a dollgasm or equivalent feeling in their life.  

October Overspending: Antique and Dollar Store Finds

Hello readers (who may or may not exist!)!  This post has been a long time coming.  I've been very lazy and haven't written on any of my blasted blogs.  I recently got The Sims Medieval, and have thus neglected 99% of everything else in the world. =P  But I was playing last night and my king and his stupid wife royally pissed me off (pun intended)... so you all get to hear from me again! Yay! *applause*

Anyways...

I spent a few days last week going around to antique stores in search of the perfect birthday present for a friend of mine.  Her mom and I hit most of the antique stores in our area and had trouble finding anything for her.  We both did eventually found awesome stuff for her, but not before we found a ton of awesome stuff for ourselves.

I got this lovely little chair I've had my eye on for ages.  It was marked down to $9... too good to pass up!  And these pictures don't show off the actual color of the upholstery.  In actuality, it's a really good match for Molly's Christmas dress.

My super spoiled Addy got a little lamp.

Now I know this is obviously not the perfect lamp for her, it'll work for now.  (And it's pretty cute besides. =))  I like that the glass on top is red... that's my favorite color.

Probably the most exciting thing I got though is my lovely Malibu Barbie!  I saw a small bin (about the size and depth of a mixing bowl, but oval shaped) filled with Barbies standing up.  Most of them were nothing special... big hair dolls from the 90s and/or beat up nekkid gals.  But mixed in with them was this lovely Malibu girl.  And she was standing there with her arms raised over her head, as if to say, "come get me and buy me, Bre!"

I've been really fond of Malibus for as long as I can remember.  Here she is with her twin, my 2002 reproduction Malibu Barbie.  She was on the cover of the first issue of Barbie Bazaar magazine I ever read.  The dress she came in is tagged, but I don't recognize it.  Probably a pak item.  (If anyone recognizes it, let me know!)  Based on the research I did, this doll is from sometime between 1971 to early 1973.   Not bad for $5!

The twins, whom I've dubbed Caroline (repro) and Christine (vintage) modelling the only matching outfits I had available.  Christine is in a vintage Friday Nite Date set from 1960, while Caroline is wearing a 2006 reproduction of the same outfit from the Friday Night Dream Date Giftset.

I'm sure you can tell how fond I am of my Malibu girls.  I could do a whole post on them alone!  Maybe when I have more matching outfits for them to model I can photograph them getting into some Patty Duke type shenanigans.  =)  It's also worth noting that I have another Malibu Barbie... a  later Sun' Lovin Malibu Barbie (from circa '78).  I've decided she's a cousin to these two.  Unlike the original Malibus, she has the Superstar face (that Mattel forced on the public from 1977-1999).  She's one of few dolls with that mold that have found their way into my Barbie collection... she's really gorgeous.  I got her for $9 at the very same antique store as this gal!

Anyways, I also got a few books, including a vintage copy of The Lonely Doll, a book I've been wanting for ages.  This has made me so, so happy!  The photos are so amazingly beautiful, haunting, and thought provoking.  Dare Wright was an amazing and interesting woman.

But quite some time before my antique store trips, I went to the dollar store on a routine shopping trip and came out of there with some cool Halloween finds.

First, I got this neat little witch hat.  It was marketed for pets, and as you can tell, it's a little small, but I think it looks cute on Quinn, so one of my girls will be a witch this year.

Did you ever see that episode of The Brady Bunch were little Cindy got the part of the fairy princess in her class play?  She only got one ticket and couldn't decide which parent to invite.  Well, Marcia and Jan both made her a pair of wings for her costume... when I saw these wings, I thought they'd be way too small on a little kid, but adorably oversized on a doll.  I immediately went to Cindy Brady in my mind.

They look like the sort of thing that Keisha might have seen at Party City and begged her mom for in front of everyone in the store.  So she's going to get to be some sort of butterfly fairy thing for Halloween.

And just so you don't think I only shop for my dolls, I bought myself some toy pirate weapons for my pirate costume.  I got an awesome gun and a bitchin' sword.  Out of money at that point, I convinced my mom to buy me a couple of pirate bandanas.  (They are clothes, after all, and that's a parent's job... right?  Right.)

Addy's New Suit

So, we're totally aware that my Addy is the most spoiled doll I have.  Well, some time back, I decided that I really, really wanted my Addy to have a deep chocolatey brown outfit.  I was really spurred on by Kindred Thread's Chartres Street outfit in their French Quarter release last month.  (I actually tried to buy it but the stars didn't line up as such.)

So I decided to contact Terrie from All Dolled Up, and asked her if she could make a version of Addy's school suit in a chocolatey brown floral.  I knew right away that I wanted gold ribbon trim.  She sent me a picture of several different fabric choices soon, and she and I both liked this one best.  When the outfit arrived, I was amazed.  I'm used to her top notch work, but the combination of the world's most gorgeous fabric, gold braid, her beautiful and detailed craftsmanship, and great packaging was almost too much... I nearly cried!  

Doesn't Addy look happy?

So as I'm laying this out to take this picture, I'm in a complete state of dollgasm.  I've never had an outfit that looked so... exactly how I saw it in my mind.  It was like my mental image came to life in 1:3 scale.

Addy modelling her new ensemble with her birthday blouse.  The cream color of the blouse perfectly compliments the brown and gold of the suit.

I think the colors look amazing on her.  You would think the chocolatey brown would wash her out, but no.

And we even have a lovely gold hair ribbon.  Perfect touch.  (Fun fact: It's the same ribbon that Terrie used on Felicity's Town Fair dress and mob cap.  When I commissioned that dress from her, she said she was planning on adding that to her site anyways.  This further proves that I have a creative seamstress style mind.  It's just my hands that haven't heard the news. =P)

I love this fabric.  Paisley floral is so beautiful, and it just looks Victorian.  Pretty perfect.

I'm not going to be tacky and tell you how much I paid for this, but I will say that it cost less than the crinoline Addy's been hinting around about.  (Wow, bad grammar... but you know what I mean. =P)

But imagine how lovely that skirt is going to look poofed out with a crinoline underneath.  Soon, my dear... soon.

Cupcake Cutie Pie Party Dress

So, you guys know I'm broke and love dolls, right?  I mean, the title gives that much away.  So I'm sure you can put two and two together on this one... free doll stuff is like a dream come true.  Well, my dream came true... I won a giveaway at The Doll Wardrobe Blog and received a gorgeous party dress made by etsy seller extraordinaire Cupcake Cutie Pie!

Funnily enough, this dress sorta strongly resembles a dress I own (and wore to a concert the day before the package came), so I had the doll who looks most similar to me model it.  Not that I have a huge ego or anything.  And also not that I sometimes wish I was one of my dolls because they're so well dressed.  Anyways, here's more pics of Ashley in our new favorite dress!

I love the neckline.  Perfect for a party dress for a preteen girl.

Awesome ruching detail with a pretty ribbon bow and tulle underskirt.

Buttons instead of velcro.  Great on a curly haired doll!

How sweet does she look?

I love the silhouette of this dress!  I like this sort of dress.  As I mention, I was wearing a really similar one myself just the other day (mine is polkadotted, of course).  And my prom dress was in the style as well!

And it even came with cute shoes.  Funnily enough, this is a pair of shoes I had been wanting to get for a long time but never got around to purchasing.  Great with the dress, and they make me super happy because they're lined with polkadots.  (Bre's motto: EVERYTHING should be polkadotted!)

This is my first ever Cupcake Cutie Pie item, although I've admired her lovely things since she opened her Etsy.  Now that I have this fantastic piece, I definitely want to add more when I have the chance.  Thanks so much to The Doll Wardrobe and Cupcake Cutie Pie for giving me the chance to own another lovely dress!

Thrift store find: Book Shelf

So, I'm always reading these incredible stories from other doll collectors... you know the sort of thing.  "I went to goodwill yesterday and found 12 hard to find retired outfits and accessory sets plus 5 dolls in fantastic shape for a dollar!!"  Okay, jealously makes me exaggerate, but still.  I always dream about the sort of thing I may someday find in a thrift store, antique store, or yard sale.  I have found some non AG things I was able to adapt for my dolls and I once found a PC Samantha school desk.  Since I still dream of that super steal, when my aunt said something about wanting to go to a thrift store to look for a pair of pants for work, I volunteered to go with.


Well, there was no super steal.  But I did find something sort of cute.  I got a little rack that could work as a small bookshelf in a modern girl's room.  I've included pics of it filled with books and with a doll and other furniture to show the scale.

Now, as you can see, it's a little small scalewise, but it is cute and it works.  Some of the books don't fit very well, but a lot of them work well.  I think it might look cute next to the AG storage tower or something similar as an additional shelf.  I love that storage tower but can't afford its $85 price tag.  At $3.64, this, however, is going to work just fine for now.  


For the record, this TS did have a couple of AG items, but they were books that I already have.  There was one of the books that came with the modern girls during the time they came in the I Like Your Style outfit, and  Kirsten and Samantha story collection books (the ones with all six books printed in one volume).  


And in case anyone is wondering, my all time best doll related deal was not in the AG world.  A couple of years ago, I got a 1961 Barbie Dream House on eBay for like $1.25.  It's in beautiful condition and is only missing one of B's little "record albums."  

New goodies for Addy and Felicity

Several days ago, the mail truck brought happiness to my house.  I used some cat sitting and late birthday money to buy goodies for historical girls.

Mail call...

 Addy received her embroidery hoop and apron!  I bought these from someone on AGPT for $7.  (I hope it's not gauche to quote a figure...)  There's a small stain on the apron, but I may be able to get it out.  For $7, I'll certainly try!

Addy immediately clamped the hoop down and wanted to try her hand at embroidery, but I asked her to smile for a picture first.  (And for anyone who wonders, I got Addy's snood in a set of four from ebay seller drommer0 last year.  I've read that snoods are actually anachronistic for her period... she'd have worn a hairnet in a color to match her hair.  But I can overlook that info... I love snoods!! I have one myself.)

Addy had to try on her apron despite the fact that it obviously doesn't fit  over her school suit.

Happy Felicity received her fashion doll and invitation.  I got this set from another seller on AGPT for $19.  The doll is sort of TLC because she was bitten by a cat in her previous life.  The damage isn't bad and may be fixable... it looks more or less like chipped paint.

Sorry this pic came out so blurry... I meant it to show how okay the dolly looks, but that didn't work out so well.  You'll have to take my word for it. ;)

And as a bonus shot, I'm happy that all my historicals and my two historical best friends now have dolls.  I'm sure you'll recognize them all but Ivy's (bottom right).  I got her doll at a local antique store.  

I like all my dolls to have dolls.  Plus I hate it when all my historicals but one or two have a specific type of item.  When I got Josefina's Indigo Skirt and Camisa for my birthday, I felt this real push  to get Lissie's Laced Jacket and Petticoat.  My mom surprised me with it not long after that.

  

In which the collector laments new release day

Hello all! Welcome to my first Broke Doll Lover post! In case you didn't notice my mini bio over there -->, I'm Bre, aka Buckingham Alice. As I mention in my ego stroking about me above, I'm a life long doll fan who just so happens to be broke. I plan to use this blog to write about how I manage to build my doll collection and, more often than not, how I look longingly at items I don't buy. =P

The theme of this post is the bittersweetness that is new release day in the American Girl world. By now you'll have all seen the new goodies... I know I have. Most everything looks wonderful. Cécile is absolutely lovely and I love all of her and Marie-Grace's clothes. And the parlour desk is beyond beautiful. But most importantly the hoop! The blasted hoop. My Addy is dying for it. I didn't actively collect as a little girl, so I missed out on Addy's undies... now I finally have my chance to give Addy a crinoline without selling a kidney on the black market. Many of the MyAG pieces are wonderful as well... I mean that piano looks like something out of a dream. And the new bed and bedding would be just perfect for my Lucy.

So what's bittersweet, you ask? Well, as the title of the blog suggests, I'm broke! I mean, my birthday just passed so I'm not even interested in a new doll yet, but gosh... I would love and adore it if I could get that hoop for Addy. This is just part of the larger problem... my wishlist is growing and growing. I still need all of Addy's available furniture (plus her ridiculously expensive retired washstand), her newest outfit, shoes and socks, and derby hat and mittens... if Addy retires this year, there's no way I'll be able to get everything she needs. All the new releases with their pretty shinies make me happy, of course, but they also remind me of how far I still have to go in completing my collection.

I want Kanani's chair for Lucy's bedroom... I know that will only be here for a limited time, but I don't want it more than Addy's furniture. I also need a couple more outfits for Molly... if she retires this year, I really don't want to miss out on her Miss Victory costume or polkadot outfit. I have to sort my priorities... but it isn't easy. What I really want is for it to like rain money. That might help me with a lot of my problems... not all of which are doll related!

Well, with any luck a wealthy count will propose to me soon.