A Garden of Virtues

A few weeks ago,  I visited the Montgomery Street Antique Mall in Fort Worth for the first time in quite a while. They had some wonderful fashion dolls and fashion doll clothing for sale. I had so much fun wandering through the store and picking a few items, which included these three doll dresses and a (human) sewing pattern.  The dresses were only a dollar or two apiece, and each required some fixing-up. Today, I finally took the time to mend and iron the dresses, and take photos in the beautiful summer weather. The yellow sheath dress with brown dots is definitely a hand-made creation, and I believe the long, yellow evening gown is hand-made as well. The white sheath dress appears to be company-made, but I could be wrong. I thought this yellow evening gown looked so beautiful on Gertrude (Tropical Miko, 1985). I have had Gertrude since 2011. The gathering at the back had come loose and unraveled. I used a lot of Fray Check today! I covered every edge. Ironing the dress (car...

"Pretty Choices Barbie" (1996) A special gift from a friend.

Still considering Evangeline in the future, but I feel what's right for me is to de-clutter what I have first, and I don't feel motivated to do that. It's very dispiriting to go through that room actually. I have many dolls I know I don't need that have many little pieces and ensembles I'm going to have to chase down, and I'm not going to get that much money for any of it. I cannot even get into that closet to get some things I need, for sewing or otherwise, it's craziness. I tried my Hot Looks clothes and American Girl clothes on Josette today. The Hot Looks tops work well, but the bottoms are too small. I don't know that the style suited her. Her presence is so different than my other Ha Yarn Cho. It's very difficult for me to believe it's the same doll. I have thought of comparing photos, but I feel almost touchy about it. I don't really want to think about the old Josette or the differences between the old and the new. The old Josette h...

Thinking about getting a "summer doll" again has caused me to think much harder about my collection and what I really want. I can't ignore what feels "right" and what feels "wrong" and I think doll collectors go through this a lot. Basically I love collecting Barbies, because I can buy them all the time, slowly amassing my Superstar/vintages bit by bit, without much stress if I don't have the chance to play with them right away or if they aren't what I thought, or even if I ruin them trying to fix them (which definitely happens :P). On the other end, the costly end, I cannot deny that Asian ball-jointed dolls are my ideal. Right now, I have only one, and I would like to have more. I would even like Leslie to be a different doll. It would be a frightening thing to sell him not knowing if I would truly be able to afford the new doll at some point, but change is what gives the hobby excitement, even if there is uncertainty. At the same time,...

Happy summer! Skipper is pet-sitting my unclaimed keychain dog Sassy, who was in a box of BJD things I can't sell on Den of Angels.       Skipper came to me in a box of vintage dolls from eBay. She was in better shape than most of the dolls, but I took time cleaning her hair, face and clothing to make her as good as new.       Since Saturday, I have been looking up Pet Pals lore. Skipper wears her complete outfit: neon yellow bicycle shorts, pink cropped shirt and matching overdress. Her hair is crimped and styled for a side ponytail. From what I can tell, I am missing from her: her white Scottish Terrier dog, a pink food and water dish set for it and a yellow pet carrier. It seems like there may be other things in the MIB pictures, but I can't say for sure. The Pet Pals series also includes Courtney and Kevin, and several additional outfits. It seems like there should be a pet shop too, but I have not yet found one.   I love finding and ...

Made with <3 not talent. Dollies don't care. They much prefer stuff their mommies make than the store-bought, anyway.

This is turning into Barbie summer for me. After work I rushed home to work on the girls again. I love having them in the drawers. It is so convenient to be able to put them away and file them according to condition. Courtney is my sacrifice doll. It's cold, but I really should not have any dolls more recent than 1988 anyway. I spent all afternoon researching the blotches on the legs. There were no good answers. I did see a photo of someone restoring Loving You Barbie mentioning that problem. It seems like maybe this was more a problem for mid- to late-eighties dolls, because my earlier dolls have no signs of it, and their legs look like a different vinyl than the newer. Well, tonight Courtney is outside in a box. Tomorrow the sun will bleach her legs, and hopefully I'll be able to tell if I should continue. I also organized based on what dolls I'm willing to sacrifice for others. Some, like Sensations and Rockers I NEED. And All American Barbie I don't jive with at al...

Here are my two of my recent eBay finds for early 1980's Barbie.         I adore both Angelica and Chamille, but they have such different personalities, even within the Superstar look. Chamille (vintage reproduction Peaches 'n' Cream) has a dazzling, sophisticated look, while Angelica's makeup is soft and innocent. I love this last picture of Angelica.

Angel Face Barbie, 1980.                         Angel Face and I are both almost 30 years old!

I received Angel Face this weekend, was somewhat disappointed in the quality as described. The seller claimed her as MIB, but she missed her diamond ring, and her cosmetics have been opened and smeared all over her face and in her hair. I was able to clean off everything with my Magic Eraser. Her vinyl is noticeably more fragile than that of my vintage reproduction. I can see that she is decaying, however slowly. Her hair has a waxy coat that allows for styling, just like my Fashion Face. Her hair was in its original style, but the rubber band rotted through it, and I haven't managed to pick it all out. I love her sunstreaked hair. It's brown underneath. I would never have thought Barbie could offer me this kind of peace and contemplation, but those evenings when in the late afternoon I have sat by the window photographing her or styling her hair I have felt so happy. There is a sense of familiarity, and a sense that I wished I could return to my childhood playthings with my ...