A Garden of Virtues

Thinking about my character, Shirley, today. An American girl with Scots-Irish heritage. She has her own horse. She's sixteen, with long, curling red hair. I have won my Serendipity Sharmin and will pick her up on my birthday. The seller agreed to my picking her up for free rather than paying shipping cost. I will pick her up on my birthday. We will stay in Austin for my birthday. What can be a better birthday than this? I will have lunch in Fairfield with my mom before I go to Austin to pick up my Sharmin.

I have been seeing the name "Ophelia" on gravestones; it seems to have been a popular name in the 1800s, but is less commonly-used now. The name brings my character, and former doll, Ophelia, and this journal to mind. I decided to start writing in this journal again. I have also been thinking of having a doll version of my character Ophelia again. I may get myself another ball-jointed doll for my birthday, but I'm not completely decided on it. This particular doll purchase would make for a really fun birthday for me, because I would be able to pick her up in Austin, which I love traveling to. The doll, a Serendipity Sharmin, has a broken finger, but a new set of ball-jointed doll hands is not really expensive. It's amazing that the cost of the doll is so greatly reduced for that reason. I had created a particular eBay search for this sculpt, because she has been on my wish list for so many years. There are several dolls that I am hoping to find on the secondhand ma...

Last week, a potted plant fell on my BJD's memory board and them, scattering soil everywhere. Thankfully, my dolls were unharmed, even though Leslie took a blow from the pot. I picked up most of the mess but waited until this weekend to do a deeper cleaning, which required taking apart the whole display and draperies. I rearranged Josette's books a little differently. I gave her three small Lutheran books that have been in my family for generations, although Josette is Catholic. In time, I would like for her to have a rosary, a small crucifix, Catholic prayer books, a scapula, and little pictures of Jesus and the Virgin. If we go antique shopping in New Mexico this Christmas, I might be in luck, because I remember seeing those kinds of items the last time we shopped there. I have some further ideas about Josette's and Garth's characters. Garth is Josette's fiancé. They have been friends from childhood, but in adulthood, Garth has acquired some dark experiences, i...