Pack, Work, Sleep, Repeat!

Everything's moving a little slower now that the moving plans have been set into action. Trying my best to keep up with everything, but sewing usually falls behind, especially when I haven't been getting enough sleep to safely use anything more machine than a coffee pot. Lol.

Rolly's wig and eyes came in finally. The mailman did not knock nor leave a pink slip, I received an email from LUTS saying that it had been sent back to the post office and I needed to hurry and collect it. So I got the fiancee to take us up there, talked to the nice post lady again, and gathered my package. :D Inside were Rolly's eyes and wig, and Bina's wig. Rolly looks really cute, pigtails or no, but it's a big big on her. >w< Now all that's left to do is order Bina, Fallen, and Galenia's eyes (Tdelia, Flowne, and Gela) from Safrin Doll and things will be rolling slowly along. Lol. I even managed to get Flowne's head already. >w<

Working hard on a pair of LittleFee pajamas and the Steampunk Full-Set for Ball-Jointed Boutique. I decided to upload pictures of my process on the pajamas to my Facebook Page, but the Steampunk Set will remain "secret" until it's done. Maybe a snip-it photo here or there, but not a full album like the jammies. Lol.

I'm slowly adding doll-sites to the list on the Doll Sites page of this blog, so if you're interested in learning of more sites or need a bookmarked place with most, feel free to check it out. I even have them separated by country. Lol. So you can guess what your shipping will be before-hand. (EMS is usually $20-$45 per order, depending on what you get.)

D.I.M. Doll Flowne
Picture from Kumasmash on Flickr.

I think I'll start making more LittleFee clothes now that I have an idea on what works out on Rolly. I'm waiting until Flowne's body gets here to complete the store of MSD female clothes. It occured to me that Shii-Tsuu is A LOT wider than your average MSD, so everything I make would need to be altered to fit a normal MSD girl. :\ I should have compared before making the store and everything official. >.< I'm such a dunce. Lol. Plus, I could always make a LF boy line now, considering their clothing fits both genders. :D So, hopefully I can start making at least shirts and pants/skirts for them soon. :)

Working on getting packed and preparing to move. @_@ I have MANY boxes to go through in my down-time, so I gotta boogie. Lol. I figured it was the last day of the month so this entry need to get finished and posted ASAP, so this is my first bit of downtime work. Lol.

Well, that's all I have for today. :) Thanks for reading~! ♥

See you next month~! :D
- The BJD Addict

Home Again

So, yesterday was Tanabata (七夕) AND my fiancee's birthday. :) He's old now. Lol. (Not really, but we've know each other for 6 years now and the jump from 14-15 to 20-21 just seems so large...) He went out and had fun with his guy friends (he being the baby of the group) and I used my Tanabata wish to make sure he came home safe. :) ♥ He's actually still sleeping right now. Lol.

Impldoll Model Tdelia - 58cm - Pink Skin

I learned about Impldoll's Summer Event on Thursday. :3 It's really awesome! Spend $XXX and get a free head - OR - spend $XXX and get a free 26cm doll! It's making me want to get a 58cm to get the 26cm for free... >.> But then I'd REALLY be over my "limit". XD I'm in love with Tdelia in tan and Gela in pink. They look so cute!! I didn't realize a lot of the companies had Events like this... I keep getting emails left and right for Summer Event 2012s, but so far, this is the only one that caught me.

So, after painting everyday since last Sunday, we have almost every bit of painting done except the tiny line above the basement stairs. It's 16 feet above us... We needed other opinions. XD So that's what we shall tackle today, even though I'm home again. I think Kole and I will bikeride there... I just need to know what time to leave. Lol.

Impldoll Baby Gela - 26cm - Pink Skin

Rolly seems to be fitting into our little dolly family perfectly. :) I usually leave Talia in her arms, and Justin decided it would be funny to put Rolly in Shii-Tsuu's arms, so now they are sitting on the side hutch, all stacked together. They actually look rather happy. Lol. Like the best of friends or siblings or something. >w< And, soon enough, Fallen (DIMdoll Flowne) will join them. :3 So our little family will be 4. Justin says I should go for it with the Impldoll Event... He even said he'd pay half the layaway payments for each month... But I'm not sure... I don't know if I can handle six dolls just yet... I'm still getting the hang of three. Lol. And two of them are incomplete as it is... Rolly needs a new face-up and her wig... Talia needs a wig and some body blushing... I need so many supplies... Sealant, cleaner, pastels, paints... This is definitely an adult hobby... Not something a young teen or even a young mother should attempt until they are truly sure... So, even with all my research, in that sense, I jumped in with both feet... And now I know.... But I wouldn't change it for anything. :) And I'm so very glad Justin bought Shii-Tsuu for me. ♥

Hmm... I need to do laundry, and sort through boxes and pack today... I still plan on moving in to Justin's... As much as my parents love it that I'm here so they have Kole everyday, I think they enjoyed this past week without me here, so I think it's best to go through with my plan to move in over there. Kole is happier with both mommy and daddy everyday anyways... He threw a fit for a few hours last night after Justin left because he wanted him and didn't understand why we weren't sleeping at Daddy's anymore. :(

A little bit of sewing (I messed up again. -.-) and Writer's Block this past week, so I'm not very on top of anything, but life as of right now... But here's hoping things turn around. I'm still waiting to get paid, too, the shipment from 3 weeks ago still isn't here and I'm getting nervous someone pulled the wool over my boss's eyes with this one. Crossing my fingers anyways, though. :\

Well, that's all for now... Thanks for reading! :3 ♥

July 2nd Already?

WOW! Where has this year GONE?? It's July 2nd!! Seven months in to 2012 already! What happened to the year going by so slowly? >.< Lol.

So, my sister's grad party was a hit! At least 80 ppl showed up, ate, gave cards, laughed, talked, and swam. :) Our fence and pool looked lovely and everyone had a great time! It was a blast! Even the babies had fun! Kole and his friend Madelyn got to play too! :) It was cute! They love each other so much. :3 ♥ Kole even bit her finger and she didn't cry! They both laughed like it was nothing!! XD Those two crack me up when they're together... And Kole get's so talkative when she's around! It's truly adorable.

I also got Rolly's face up done! >w< It looks terrible really... Now that I'm looking at it today, but I'm still happy with it... I just need to fix her cheeks and everything will be good... If I had more cleaner, I'd do it today, but I need both cleaner and sealant. >.< AND I need to buy VOLKS Basic Set of pastels... Rolly is a dainty lady... And she's painted like some sunburnt maiden. Lol. I also messed up on her top right eyelashes, but I'll fix that then too. :) I just gotta be really careful when I wash the make up off... So I don't take off the eyelashes or eyebrows. Lol. I think I'd cry if I did that... After all the frustrations that came with doing the eyelashes and brows in the first place. @_@ I'm right-handed... Her LEFT side looks perfect... Her right side just stinks... -.- Ahh well, what can you do, but wait and order new supplies and try again?

I do love having three ladies now, though. :) It makes for very interesting photo-shoots because I can  pose them all together doing different things or interacting. >w< It's actually pretty fun! Especially considering two of them are in maid outfits... I haven't found one small enough for Talia, so I think I'm gonna need to wing it and make her one. Lol. Idk if I can sew something so tiny though! XD I made her a little hat today, so she wouldn't look so bald, but even then I had to hold it on her to make my first few stitches, then take it off and finish it. Lol.

I fixed Shii-Tsuu's face-up as well, but it's making me wonder if I should just remove and redo it... After doing Rolly and learning from all my mistakes on face-ups thus far, I feel like I could do a better job for her this time... But I'm not sure if I'm ready for that or not... She's wearing her second face-up, but I still feel fond of it... Idk... I'm not sure of anything when it comes to their faces, my lovely ladies. Not at all. Lol. But Shii-Tsuu now has eyebrows and the top eyelashes painted on (I completely gave up on fake lashes... LITERALLY... Not my thing... >.>). Lol. She looks more humble than her normal self does... She looks rather like she did when she lost her memory in Code Geass: R2... o.o Maybe that's my favorite C.C. >w< Idk. Lol.

Still painting and sewing... No writing yet, though I hope to have some done by the end of the week. Lol. *crosses fingers*

Well, that's all for now. :) Thanks for reading! ♥

Busy Week #2 and a Wonderful Weekend

Uff~! Is my sister's graduation party OVER yet? XD We've done so much in the past month and a half for this stinkin' party, however fun and useful, and I'm tired! Lol! I think it's moreso all the traveling to Mima's and such. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE helping and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my Mima, but I'm just tired of all the running around. It's wearing me out! >o<

Last week, I survived College Hell, painted the pool, swam, put in the pool staircase (it's NOT a ladder, it's steps... 4 LARGE steps... >.>), spent time with my aunts, argued with ppl, turned in my college appeal, and totally screwed up trying to retake the test for my temps. (apparently, you aren't YOU anymore after your temps have been expired for longer than 6 months, doesn't make sense to me, but hey, rules is rules, so I gotta go back up there with my SSC and my birth certificate).

This weekend was nice, however, kinda not as busy as my week, but still rather upturned. Lol. Kole didn't sleep... AT ALL... He's teething and busted his mouth on an umbrella stand on the patio at Mima's, put his bottom teeth right through his lip :( ... so he's in pain. :( My poor baby boy.

D-Z Nono came in, the mailman DIDN'T knock, so we had to travel to the post office to collect her. This was the FIRST time I've been to the post office... Literally, the first. (I know, 20 years and no post visits, odd, right? Lol.) So, we got her, I opened her box in the car, and got to touch resin for the first time ever. >w< She and C.C. bonded immediately, thank goodness, and now they are currently keeping one another company at Justin's house. >w< Her new name is Talia, but I keep calling her 'Tali'. She's just so teeny; she can wear the Tommy clothes I found, but I want to find her a dress or something so she can actually LOOK like a girl... Esp. since her wig wont be here for a while... I should order it AFTER I order Rolly's, but we'll see. XD That probably won't be for a while though, trying to add more to my savings and I'm okay with bald dollies, so long as they aren't naked too. Lol.

Today we had a baby shower to go to... Kole liked all the teddies that decorated the house and kept cuddling them, so his Gramma, Justin's mom, decided we were going to stop at Build-A-Bear on the way home to make Kole a teddy bear. Lol. The two of them picked out a gorgeous and fuzzy almond colored bear with a cream snout and brown nose and eyes. >w< It was so cute to watch him decide. He wanted a Hello Kitty, but we both brought him back to the bears and let him pick one of those. >w< He even put his foot on the pump for the stuffing AND picked out the heart that went inside. XD The noises and kids screaming made him nervous, so we got out of there in a hurry, but he still had fun and that's what matters. :) (Also, I can cross that event off my bucket list. XD)


Well, that's all for now... I should really write Ch 10 of Neko Maid for dA. >.< I've been so sleepy this weekend that I didn't even think about writing! @_@


Thanks for reading~! <3


Gonna try to sew this week... Hopefully... Wish me luck! >w<

College Hell and the 'Like's Contest

I did it, as of today I am currently once again a full-time student. I have decided on taking 12 credit hours this semester (Fall 2012), but have to hurdle a financial aid blunder. This is the first time I've ever received financial aid, but apparently, I qualified for my school to buy my books for me for my first two semesters. They didn't notify me until AFTER I bought my books for the second semester. (So after roughly $700 in books had been purchased for the year.) But this year, I'm fighting for it, I'm determined to go back to school and make something of myself. I don't want my children feeling like they can't overcome anything in their lives, and this is a sure way to let them know. (I know I only have one child, but by the time I'm officially a Chinese Translator, I may have more. Lol.)

FL LF Rolly - 25cm

Oooh! And Rolly should be in America soon!! :D Denver Doll Emporium sent me an email saying that Fairyland is shipping their March orders to them soon, so Rolly should be joining them (even tho I ordered her on the 3rd of April, she's basic, so they can just box her up and send her). I'm so excited!! XD She's going to be wigless (and face-up less) for a bit, so I'll just have to dress her and keep her happy. >w< Lol. Hopefully she and C.C. will like one another. :) (Yes, those of you reading and thinking I'm crazy, it's possible for BJD to not like one another. Ex: If you set them down together and they just don't LOOK right. - OR - If you pose them together and they keep falling over. Just go with it, they don't like each other. Lol.)

So, I was thinking about making a contest for a Share and Win event. I'm currently sketching designs for 6 different full-set outfits. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with the one's I'm currently sketching or make up some new ones, but I DO enjoy the idea of a contest... Especially now that I can use the sewing machine properly. Lol. I was thinking about making it go until we get 100 'Like's but we may reach that before I have the designs finished, posted, and voted on, so I'm thinking 150 'Like's should do the trick nicely. :) I already have a School Uniform, Shinto Priestess, Gothic Lolita, a Japanese Goddess, and a Steampunk outfit. I have 4 out of 6 designs mocked... I don't like my last two ideas, so I'm asking on my page. So far, a pirate outfit, a Victorian outfit, and a sundress set have been suggested, but we'll see which one's turn out the best.The outfits are only for females, but hopefully, soon enough, a good friend of mine will get the male MSD-sized doll she's had her heart set on for a while now, and I can make male ones too. >w<

ALSO! GREAT NOTE! I got a job! XD My friend is starting his electronics business and made me the Director of Operations and the Director of Finance (C.O.O. and C.F.O.). He's such a great person with a wonderful personality, and I'm so blessed to know him. He didn't even interview me or anything, he just asked me if I'd like to work for him, let me arrange my hours to fit my schedule, and gave me two jobs. T-T I'm so unbelievably grateful. So hey, if you are in Ohio and looking for a SmartPhone or iPad for a decent price, come visit our FB page: Wireless My Way. It has all our details, prices, and items. :)

My bald lady. Lol.

And, C.C.'s eyes from the AMAZING Ersa Flora came in yesterday! Poor Ersa Flora fell sick during all her orders, so she took longer than she wanted to (not that I cared at all, I just kept wishing her good health :( she was so miserable). She ended up packaging 3 extra pairs of eyes for me, making all 4 eyes she designed for me to pick which set I liked in person! XD I was so surprised to unwrap them all to find FOUR DIFFERENT designs, and all of them the ones she was showing me via email on paper. When she said she was giving two pairs of extra eyes to each person in the same size, I figured she'd just toss two random pairs in there, not go through the trouble of making every mocked pair she designed for me and sending me 3 extra pairs instead!! x_x I was so jittery when I saw them all I nearly cried! Please excuse the baldness and eyebrow-less-ness, I just wanted a shot of her eyes without her bangs in the way and I have yet to have time to finish painting her face-up. Lol.

Last, but certainly not least, I managed to snag a Doll-Zone December 2010 Limited Nono from The Junky Spot. XD He/She is SOOOO CUUUUTE!!! And I feel so lucky!! He/She should fit Kelly doll clothes from Mattel Barbie's Little Sister Kelly. Lol. I currently cannot find any sz 4 wigs I like in a boys style, so Nono may end up as a girl with magenta hair from Fairyland. Lol. But no idea. >w< So! Time to dig out those old Barbies and see what I got. Lol. Hey, maybe they are worth something now. >w< I searched Google for my Ginger Spy Doll, couldn't find a thing! She might be limited, for all I know! XD And apparently, she was African American to begin with, instead of a curly red-headed woman with freckles. Lol.

Well, that's all for now. :D

Thanks for reading!~ ♥

D.I.M. Doll From a Friend

Hello and welcome back to the Ball-Jointed Baby~ :D If your just joining us, please find the April 1st entry and begin there, otherwise:

Amidst all my working, cleaning, and sewing, I putzed around the computer for a new wallpaper for my Desktop. During my putzing, I found a beautiful picture of a white haired, fuchsia eyed, long eared elf. After much research, I learned her name was Suzu. I also learned that she was from a rather naughty Japanese game... -.- Why is it that all the good wallpapers are Game CGs? And that the games seem to be naughty ones? Argh! At least the picture is cute, not dirty. Lol.

Suzu from Suzukaze no Melt (c) 2010 - Whirlpool

So, after noticing she was a cute little elf, I decided that she might be a good character to base D.I.M. Doll Flowne on when she eventually arrives. Lol. A friend of mine had her body up on BJD Adoption for sale for WEEKS and no one took interest but me and an, "I wish." So, we made a trade and worked out a little inexpensive layaway, and in 6 months or so, I shall have another gorgeous doll. I'll just need to get her head from Denver Doll Emporium eventually. Lol. XD Otherwise, she'll just be a headless wonder. Lol. I was always taught that every little bit counts, and I'm glad things worked out in my favor. :) This brings my number up to three, two resins and one vinyl. :) (I'm cutting myself off. 3 a year. That's it. My limit. Lol.) Though I have a long way to go compared to those with 40+ in 4-6yrs. >w< Where do they keep them all?! Lol.

I'm continuing work on the dresses. I sewed the LittleFee one one way and the MSD one another way, I'm testing to see which way works out best for this type of dress. So far, I think the LF one is going to come out the best. >w< And the ladybug print is just adorable!! I'm very partial to ladybugs though. >w< If Kole had been a girl, his nursery would have been ladybugs instead of the Cocalo Preston set. >.< I can't wait to see what it will look like on Rolly. JULY YOU CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH!!! XD I'm sure it will look nice on C.C. too, but it will totally clash with her green hair. Lol. She will be wig-less for modelling, I'm sure. >.< Otherwise the picture will look ridiculous.

Well, in other news, I've gone back onto deivantArt to answer my little amount of fans on my Neko Maid story. Lol. They were begging for more and it made me realize I hadn't posted anything in a YEAR; not since my laptop crashed. -.- I felt really bad so I typed out two chapters in a few hours. I have NO IDEA how the original chapter 7 started bc I'm unsure if it's on a runaway flashdrive, so I just wung it, but still. I guess people like it enough to read it either way. Lol. I'm pleased to have SOME fans. >w< It makes me so happy. ♥

I actually planned to do this entry on Wednesday, but decided that I could get two in this week if I did it today instead. I have a really busy schedule this week. >.< My next entry wont be until Friday, I hope. Lol. Kole has a doctor's appointment, his 15 month check up, on Friday, but other than that, it's free of plans. >.< Thank goodness. >.< Bc today is my only other "day off" this week. Lol. So, needless to say, I'm doing a bit of everything in for today.

Hmm... I think that's all for now... I'll add this week's adventures in on Friday. :) Going to go work some more.

Thanks for reading~! ♥ Wish me luck!

Pools, Tables, Toys, and Painting

So~! As of this week, I have gotten over the cold, helped Kole get well again, played outside with baby pools and water tables, gardened, painted a fence, and opened a very LARGE swimming pool. Lol. There was some shopping and some cleaning in there too, but those are usual things. >w< I even got to watch the entire series (a whole 12, 24min episodes) of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Creepiest. Anime. I've. Ever. Watched. >.< It's so nice and la-la-la until BAM! it creeps you out with all sorts of things you don't think would ever creep you out!! >o< But I'm glad I watched it. :) I can officially put ANOTHER Anime under my belt. Lol.

Oh, speaking of Anime, TOONAMI is back and they've made it into an Anime block instead of an Action block. This past weekend's lineup was:

T.O.M. 3.0

12:00 a.m. – Bleach

12:30 a.m. – Deadman Wonderland
1:00 a.m. – Casshern Sins
1:30 a.m. – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
2:00 a.m. – Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG
2:30 a.m. – Cowboy Bebop

3:00 a.m. – Bleach
3:30 a.m. – Deadman Wonderland
4:00 a.m. – Casshern Sins
4:30 a.m. – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
5:00 a.m. – Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG
5:30 a.m. – Cowboy Bebop

Yes, those of you who do not watch Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, Toonami/the original Saturday Anime Block repeats the WHOLE schedule halfway through. I left the TV on in support (AS needs the funds for a better showing of Anime), but caught the end of Deadman Wonderland (last 15 mins) and watched Casshern Sins (I have already seen most of parts of the others, those are the only new ones.) because Kole kept having nightmares, the poor dear. :(  Deadman Wonderland is NOT my cup of tea. It seems REALLY stupid. x_x But I did enjoy Casshern Sins. I can't wait to see what next weekend has in store for us. :D

Sewing has been completely placed on the back-burner and there have been views, but NO purchases from the Ball-Jointed Boutique. >.< Patience is a virtue, but waiting takes forever. @_@ I know it has only been a month, however, it'd be nice to have SOMEONE like an item I list or something. >.< It's so discouraging. I know people have viewed them, but no one seems interested enough to buy. :\ Justin has even begun teasing me that I better start selling things. >.< I'm guessing he thought it would go off with a bang instead of a poof.

Uff. Opened the pool yesterday. It's always so gross until the cover is off, then I'm in my suit and ready to jump in it. Lol. This time, I almost did it, then saw these HUMONGOUS spiders at the bottom. Dead spiders, but still HUGE and GROSS. XD I like spiders, but I like them alive and eating bugs, not dead and floating eerily at the bottom of my pool. Lol. We still need to vacuum them up and finish painting around the edges. I also am in charge of patching the rips in the pool liner. (It's an inground pool, made of wood and sand and a plastic liner, that's about 12 years old.) I should probably go do that as soon as Kole wakes up. Lol. He's currently napping beside me.

Oh yeah, I took C.C. (C2, Shii-Tsuu) outside and took her picture in front of Justin's mom's rosebush. It's her first picture taken outdoors. She actually looks really lovely considering it was taken with an iPhone. :) A whole 3 megapixels and it's THAT detailed. Lol. She needs shoes though, she looks ridiculous standing on bricks in her socks praying for rain on the hot day. >w< Lol.

Well, that's all for this update. Time to get to work. :)

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY~!

Thanks for reading!! :D

Sewing and BJD Research

Aimi Doll

Happy Children's Day~~!!!

So, as of right now, I am continuing finishing touches and perfections on the t-shirt, yoga pants, and the tank top dress; and I'm still messing with the pattern for a school-girl skirt... I'm not too sure how to go about it... Any suggestions are welcome!! >.<

I keep researching all I can about BJD... Like EVERYTHING... I now know all types of BJD inside and out. Lol. It made me want to learn how to make one, but I found it very difficult to find a good site with the right tutorial. I finally, after about an hour and a half of researching, came upon an all-Japanese site: Aimi Doll - How To with the right tutorial. If nothing else, after going through it, it makes me want to translate it. >w< And maybe I'll learn some more Japanese after it all. :3 The doll it depicts is a very beautiful sculpt, but, from what I can see, it is a VERY large doll. Many of the pictures show a leg or arm in the hand of the artist, and the piece is bigger than the fingers!! It's HUGE!!! And I don't mean SD huge, I mean like a SUPER SD or something; big enough to sit on a chair and look like a small child! >w<

But anywho, things are sewing smoothly, life is going well, and Kole is talking more everyday. He's so wonderful. >w< Being a mother is truly the best and most important thing in my life. It's amazing. :) ♥ Today, every time I said, "I," he would repeat it, perfectly and clearly; then I would go onto say, "love," and he would smile a big smile, giggle, and say, "Love Daddy!" He's 13 months old!!! Where has my little baby gone?! >.< He's such a big boy now! He even wears 18 month clothing already! It's nuts!!

The finished Aimi Doll.

I truly cannot wait until I have a more "store-like" store going on Etsy. I really want it to be like a "one stop shop" for MSD-sized BJD one day. My girlfriend is planning on purchasing an Island Doll Shukaku, who is technically Wallace's "brother", so I will soon enough have a model for male clothing! >w< It's actually very exciting! :3 He will be the first resin doll I have ever actually touched. >w< Now, don't get me wrong, I've SEEN resin dolls before, like from a foot away, but I've never TOUCHED one. Lol. I literally have no idea how much they weigh in one's hands. It makes me want Rolly even more. >.< ♥

Well, until next time, thanks for reading everyone!!

Stockings and Yoga Pants

So, I deviated from the itinerary for a little bit. >w< Totally SKIPPED sewing on my birthday because of all the festivities, and decided to work on stockings and pants this week. I received many wonderful gifts from my family and I love every single one of them. :3 I'm definitely grateful... Esp. considering I just turned 20, and I don't think too many people actually get a party on their 20th birthday. Lol.

Only a few more days, so I need to put finishing touches on everything. >w< I even have two listings mocked already, thank goodness. I decided to get those out of the way today after I finished remaking the pants pattern. I even fixed that pair of black stockings I made. >w< They look more like school socks, than stockings, so I decided to list them as such. I guess it just depends on your doll and how they wear them.

Chii from Chobits

Currently sewing yoga pants. :3 The fabric is extremely difficult to sew without messing up. x_x It doesn't want to stay together nor will it stop stretching. Ahh, sewing by hand, you kill me sometimes.

Dollfie Dream
Sister - 50cm

Other than sewing adventures, there have been the normal, every day chores, some Anime watching late at night, playing with Kole and caring for him, of course, and some BJD window shopping. >w< (But ONLY window shopping)

I've even talking Justin into helping me design "Chii" from Chobits into a Dollfie Dream Sister BJD...Or rather, turn the BJD into Chii. >w< You have to buy her in pieces, so I know it will take a while, but it kind of helps... I wish we could get ALL BJD like that. (She's vinyl, so she goes together like C.C. does.) One piece at a time, at a low price? DEAL to me! -^_^- Though, I DID find another deal: mudoll.com's BROWNIE DOLL Momo. :3 So precious and comes with everything.

Parabox Ryu
45cm

Oh, Parabox made a 45cm male doll as "Alice's" counterpart. His name is "Ryu" and he has no bits, but I was informed today that all Parabox Males are like Ken™ Dolls from Barbie™. He's a rather handsome doll, and, if I wasn't so in love with Island Doll "Wallace", I would make HIM into Lelouch. >w< He doesn't come as a set though, you have to buy body and head separately, but I think it would be worth it. The head was made BECAUSE of the body, so they might make them a set once another place (Junky Spot, perhaps??) gets ahold of him and wants to sell the body and head together. He DOES make me question my decision on "Wallace" though. "Ryu" LOOKS a lot like Lelouch (once face-up is applied), but so does "Wallace" (to me). But it makes me wonder if I am just choosing "Wallace" because of his wig (which happens to be Lelou's hair) or because I think he will make a good Lelouch. Which makes me realize that I talk and talk about Lelouch, but I've never shown a picture. x_x

Lelouch Lamperouge - Code Geass
© BANDAI

All-in-all, it currently doesn't matter because any more doll purchases are far off in the future. I have "Alice" and "Rolly" to worry about as of right now. AND finishing up the store. x_x Hey, if nothing else, I for sure have two items to list come May 1st. Lol. Though, I know I'll have more mocked by then. Lol.

Well, this post is long enough, lol, I'm going to go sew more now.

2 more days to sew, take photos, and mock up on Etsy. I'm definitely feeling more confident now that I actually have some things mocked up. I KNOW I can do this. ♥

Wish me luck~~ :D

26 Days!

Kole's flashcards

Hi again! :) And welcome back to day 5 of my adventure!

Spent a lot of the day with Kole dancing, really. -^_^- It was so cute to see him shake his little tush to songs like "Momo no Hanabira" and "Himawari" by Ai Otsuka. He seemed to like the sound of her voice, and he LOVES anything in Chinese or Japanese. I speak both proficiently enough to be a tourist, and I have been teaching Kole Chinese since his first birthday. His pediatrician said it would be fine since he clearly has a grasp on English already, but some of my family members don't agree with teaching him a different language until he can fully speak English. But oh well, I'd like to think I have the right to teach my son any language I want, especially considering children who grow up bi-lingual or multi-lingual tend to have better grades in school and catch onto things more quickly. Today we did counting flashcards with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters though, so no Chinese, but still fun none-the-less. :) He has the colors and shapes version of them as well, but he hid those from me somewhere with his toys and I have yet to find them. Lol.

ZM Cast Clean

On another note: I sprayed C.C. with ZM Cast Clean today. -^_^- It was SUPER smelly and I did it outside, but the smell managed to waft back into the house. My fiancée was asking me if I wanted everyone high. Lol. I don't exactly have time to do the whole thing all at once, so I just cleaned her up tonight and I'm going to paint her tomorrow. >w< I even got my pastels out to make sure I had the right colors. I plan on body blushing her tomorrow too. Justin said we could get new paint brushes just for body blushing, so I don't have to use my old ones, just in case there's old paint hidden in places I cannot see or oils in the bristles that can harm my doll. It's so sweet that he actually cares this much about something that, to him, is "just a doll." -^_^- It really surprises me. (Even if she's expensive, she's still "a doll" to most people in my family. And that usually prompts the, "Why did she cost so much?" questioning. Some of them still don't know about her... >.>)

I also worked on the stockings today. Fixed the ribbons and everything, then finished one of my good stockings only to realize I didn't sew the ribbon right, so I had to take it off and start over. I swear, I'm getting no where. Maybe it's time to break out the sewing machine. @_@ I'm SOO falling behind. :\ It's really discouraging. Maybe I should have skipped this entry for today and sewn this whole time, even though Kole just fell asleep a little bit ago... :\ Uff. Too many "maybe's" and "what if's" in life. I can't stand it. >.< It really DOES drive you up the wall sometimes...

Anywho~! Today was really lovely. :) We all had lots of fun together (Kole, Justin, and I) just playing around. I love the way Kole laughs. :) You can't help but smile. It's just so adorable. He didn't even ask to see C.C. though. It was surprising. Like he knows now that he isn't supposed to play with her and that she's not a toy. Lol. My smart little one year old. Oh gosh, he's almost 13 months now! >w< Such a big little man~! ♥ (Sorry, you'll understand when you're a parent one day. Lol.)

Ja ne!

Well, maybe we should keep today's entry short, since NOTHING got done, and I should go work. Lol. I really need to kick it into gear, or else I will NEVER make this deadline. I'd be a terrible author. (Well, I can write myself into, out of, and around the box, but deadlines would WHOOSH by without notice. Lol.) Ahh well, time to go make something of myself. :)

81 items to go (now that the stockings were taken apart -.-)... 25 days (starting tomorrow)... I KNOW I can do this~! I can't give up~! Thank you everyone for your support~! And wish me luck~!!

ACK! Rolly on Layaway!! x_x

FairyLand LittleFee "Rolly" - 25cm

I did it!! I feel like a spaz, but I did it! >o< I put "Rolly" on 4 month layaway at Denver Doll Emporium. Each payment is auto-taken every 30 days for 4 months. First payment is in 30 days. She will be mine by the end of the year. Lol. I feel sad that it will take so long, but happy that she will be mine someday soon!! I really do love her!! She has such a sweet (as in adorable) sculpt!!

I plan on making her my mini me, as I said in yesterdays post, so I spent a lot of today looking for clothes that would match mine or a decent pair of shoes. Lol. Most places are sold out!! It's actually disheartening. I never knew these were such popular dolls. I'm currently looking for Yo-SD sized things for her. ESPECIALLY a pair of wire glasses. I managed to find wire glasses (not the Etsy print kind) when I first started researching Parabox "Alice", but now I cannot locate that site. :( I need more search time. If anyone would like to suggest any ideas for me to find them, WIRE ones, not plastic, and I don't mind if there are lenses or not, please message me here: The Ball-Jointed Boutique Page on FaceBook. And thanks in advance!

Magnetic Dudes Chore Chart
Keeps me organized.

Well, I cleaned the house today and did laundry, so between Kole and that, I didn't get much else done except going to the craft store. I finally got that glue I've been needing, the one that stops ends from fraying? So now I have to sew the ribbons on my stockings. :) Took me longer than I thought it would though, I got it late tonight, so not using it unless I do it in the dark now that Kole is finally asleep. Lol.

I feel rather accomplished life-wise... Since I managed to get all that cleaning done, look for LittleFee-sized things while Kole slept, and still keep him with good attentions when he was awake. :) I have a magnetic dry-erase board that helps me keep track of everything I do each day. It's set up like a children's chore chart, but it works well for scatter-brained moms too. :) I can write in the month and such, and then write down the things I need to do every day or every few days that week. So far, it's really helping. My memory seems more focused now, like I can remember things that last month I knew I couldn't. And hey, who doesn't like putting star-shaped magnets up to know you finished something? Lol. If nothing else, it helps and I know my kids will use it one day. :)

Hmm... Today seems to be a day for photos, so let's move onto "Alice" for a little while. Random tangent, not involved with today at all, I saw her for like two seconds total this evening. Lol. But anyways, Alice is a 40cm (16in) Obitsu BJD. She's soft vinyl and has magnets in her feet that make her stand on metal objects like the base she was sent with. (No, she does not walk sideways up a fridge, my fiancée already attempted this. -.-) But she also stands on her own, as most BJD do. (If yours does not, check the elastic or reposition the joints, ALL BJD should be able to stand on their own, I was informed by the mystery doll vendor.) As "Alice" is shown here standing on her own. (Photos from Parabox.)

360° view of Parabox "Alice" - 40cm

So, this is my lovey. ^_^ Such a sweet face as well. A total cutie in person too. :) Mine has the large chest though, since this one is obviously meant to be the actual "Alice" from Alice in Wonderland, who is but a young girl, and C.C. has a MUCH LARGER bust than this. Lol.

C.C. in Black
Knight's garb.

I'm still collecting fabric for C.C.'s R2 outfit. So far I have the gold and the blue, and even the Black Knight's logo, but I can't find the right color red without having to take it off the roll in the fabric store, and I hate making them cut a small amount. >w< I usually just go for remnants that people don't need, that way, I'm not wasting fabric. Lol.

But alas, it is growing late, and I am tired after all that moving about today. Still no pictures of clothing to show yet, perhaps tomorrow now that I have the fray glue. :) Cross our fingers! :D

80 items to go... 27 days left... Wish me luck!! I know I can do this, I just have to keep telling myself I can. >.< ''

Ja ne, minna-san! ♥

Thank you for reading~!

Please come again~! :D

Goodnight~! ♥

28 Days Left! a.k.a: Wig Day!

Parabox Alice - 40cm as C.C. from Code Geass; no face-up.

So, welcome back to day three of posting...  With one pair of stockings completed and a shirt started, we shall begin our quest there. -^_^- Stockings? CHECK! Shirt? Began~! AND! C.C. got to wear her wig today thanks to the awesome shipping abilities of the USPS. Three days to get from Arkansas to Ohio!!

It really is a lovely wig. Kind of a bed-head look for C.C., it's her first of two wigs. I decided to brush it gently with a toothbrush before putting it on her. Once I put it on her, I braided it after separating her signature two front bits and placing them into position. The only problem is, when I finally took a picture, she looked horrible because of the high-def-ness of the camera I borrowed. x_x Too many fly-aways and stragglers, but oh well, at least she now has a wig and eyes... Face up still to be painted, I'm waiting on the sealer and primer to arrive, and body yet to be blushed. Her bangs look like they need a trim... >.>

Well, anyways, no fantastic adventures today, really. Just more reading BJD for Beginners and some sewing. -^_^- Kole even behaved all day!! (He's been in a foul mood lately because he is cutting his one year molars.) He's such a good baby, anyways though, so I shouldn't say such things as he "behaved", more like he was in a good mood today... Although, that wouldn't work either because I keep hearing that he's the happiest baby that [insert person here] has ever met. >w< Such a good baby~! And he LOVES C.C. He always giggles when he sees her and goes, "I see?" or "See it?". I usually let him hold her (without stand and wig) since she has no paints or primers on her. He doesn't do anything but look at her. >w< He's more in awe than wanting to play with her. Lol.

So, the book taught me a few things today... Like how to restring a resin doll... Kind of a need-to-know in this business. Lol. So I'm glad for that, I just wish there was a section on face up or something. It shows how to put eyelashes on and what glue to use though (that lets you remove them when you wish to switch things up). My eyelash scissors are coming with the primer and sealer, so I'm waiting on them too! Lol.

Knee highs/stockings
on C.C.

Didn't get to the craft store today, either. :( I still need that glue to keep my ribbons from fraying. Stockings are ribbon-less thus far, but still nice to look at none-the-less. I put them on C.C. to make sure they would fit, even though I drew the pattern from her measurements. They look pretty good for my test pair. :) I used an old shirt that I cut apart for my test run, rather than my fabric I bought just for the purpose of making doll clothes to sell. Lol. Maybe I'll get that ribbon and actually finish THAT pair tomorrow. Lol. But on the shirt note: Oh gosh I hope it fits! >w< I'm working on clothing for the Ball-Jointed Boutique as well as clothing for C.C. herself. I plan on making all her outfits, and some random ones like pajamas and these stockings.

Oh, did you know, all the pictures on my blog are clickable? The ones IN a post show you their actual size and the ones on the sides and bottoms take you places. The bottom three are two stores/doll vendors (left and right photos), and my store, the Ball-Jointed Boutique (middle photo). The upper right photo on the blog takes you to my Facebook Page for the BJB. It has links to the store and back to the blog if needed. As well as the store policies and such. Right now, it's working as pre-advertising and a countdown like the blog is. I hope to post photos there soon, but I'm only keeping them to my blog thus far. Makes it a little easier on me to do things one day at a time, and adding photos to the blog is easier than uploading on FB for some reason or another. Probably another glitch. x_x

By the by, The Junky Spot is this AMAZING doll place located in the US of A. It's actually where my fiancée purchased "Alice" for me as an early birthday present. -^_^- And Parabox is the "parent" company of Obitsu, which made "Alice". :) They're located in Japan though, so I attached the English Site link, however everything is still sold in Yen. Just Google "yen to dollar" and it will bring up two boxes in which you can enter any amount you need to convert into USD. The Junky Spot is USD though, so don't worry. :)

FairyLand LittleFee El
Elf Version - 25cm

Well, I'm on day two of wanting FairyLand LittleFee Rolly. I figure if I still like her/want her after I do all the research I did with Alice and Wallace, then she is a good investment. And, knowing me, I will most likely make clothes for her. Lol. I just don't know if I want to sell clothing for two different sizes of doll, both male and female, because that would ultimately result in purchasing a boy to be Rolly's partner so I can make a male line of clothing in 25cm size. (I would probably choose FairyLand LittleFee El, but who knows? Couldn't find a normal version photo, only the Elf version, but El is just the doll's face name, really.) I would need him to make sure the clothing actually fit! Lol. -^_^- (Or maybe that's just a lie to have a matching set. Mwua-ha-ha-ha!!)

I kind of wouldn't mind starting an actually BJD collection, but my current hobby is more-so making the clothes for the dolls, rather than collecting them. Lol. I don't know, maybe when I'm older and my business rocks enough to buy more than one or two, maybe then we'll see if I'm a collector or an artist... Or both! Lol. (You DO kinda need to be an artist in the face-up area, especially if you want your doll to be realistic rather than doll-ish. Lol.)

Ayaka Nishiki, from Koimomo.
She looks a lot like me... o.o
Just thought I'd share, so you'd
have a "face" to my blog.

Ahh, well, not sure what else to say today, other than thank you for reading and I hope you are enjoying the beginning of my adventure! I'm glad to have anyone who visits and please check out my FB Page and countdown with me!! I'm so grateful to all the support I am receiving so far!! So, thank you everyone!!

28 days... 80 pieces to go... Wish me luck!!

I CAN DO THIS!! ♥ I KNOW I CAN!!! >o< *says the un-confident seamstress as she leaves to go sew some more*

Ja ne!

Package Day

Firstly: HAPPY AUTISM AWARENESS DAY!! Did you wear blue? Justin, Kole, and I did. :)

If you are just now joining us, welcome! If you read yesterday's post and are back for more, welcome back! And thank you for reading!

Now, today I was supposed to finish that [insert foul word here] pair of stockings, however, failed to do so. I need the glue that stops ribbons from fraying. I thought I had some here, but I guess I was wrong. :( So I decided to do shirts, but soon realized that wasn't going to happen either since my sister and grandmother were coming to kidnap my son and I for a little clothes shopping. (She has a job interview tomorrow! And another one next week!! I'm so proud!) So hey, got my Easter clothes out of the way, but alas, no sewing again today. (Not a Christian, just practice the holidays with my Christian family. Lol.) Maybe tomorrow has more sewing in store for me?

Well, as you can see, today was Package Day! :D I came home to find a box on the porch waiting for me to gather it up and open it. Inside were two of my Amazon orders for my business. The first order was a bookkeeping record, receipts, plastic bags, and bubble mailers. The second was Ball-Jointed Dolls for Beginners and Starting a Business on Etsy for Dummies. Two books to help me in my new quest of this expensive hobby, and this ridiculous idea of a store. >.< Lol.

The only thing that bothered me about these packages is the BJD for Beginners... It made me feel as if the doll I chose was not a good doll. The author's opinions seem to follow that of Den of Angels, an online, invite-only, American, BJD community that says that dolls must be made of resin, laced with elastic, and have a certain number of ball-joints to qualify as a BJD. My doll is NOT elastic laced and is made of vinyl, but someone, whom I had the great fortune of meeting recently, informed me that she has ball-joints and thus is a BJD, just not a traditional one. So, thank you, mystery doll vendor who shall stay anonymous for now until I have permission to write your name, you made me feel much better about the whole situation and taught me an immense amount of things in a 45 minute period. -^_^-

So, for those of you out there thinking, "My Obitsu is a BJD too!", right on! And for those of you putting us down, last time I checked, BJD stands for "Ball-Jointed Doll", and our Obitsu is just that, a doll with ball joints capable of human poses.

Personally, I like that my doll is soft. -^_^- It makes her seem more human than doll. Her "skin" actually feels like skin! Her boobs even smoosh! I like that she seems more real than a resin doll does... And is less shiny... Lol.

But don't get me wrong, I DO plan on having resin, traditionally laced, BJD. The two I'm in love with now are 46cm Island Doll Wallace and 25cm FairyLand LittleFee Rolly. "Wallace" would be a good partner for "Alice", and "Rolly" is just too cute to ignore. I'm actually hoping to buy her soon from Denver Doll Emporium, using their 4 month layaway program. She would actually be an easier buy that way. Lol. And, as you can see, she really is just too cute! The only problem is, she's just for me, I don't plan on making clothes her size and selling them, so I'm not too sure that she is a good investment currently.

FairyLand LittleFee
"Rolly" - 25cm

"Wallace", however, I KNOW I will wait on because I do plan on making and selling his sized clothing, but currently cannot afford him or find a site that has him and will allow me to put him on layaway. He is really handsome though. -^_^-

Island Doll "Wallace"
- 46cm

I plan on making "Alice" into C.C. (C2/Shiituu) from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, which means "Wallace" is most definitely going to be Lelouch. Lol. But "Rolly" wouldn't be apart of the C.G. family really, she'd just be my mini me BJD who tags along. -^_^- Ahh, dreams are nice to have, huh?

But, back to my previous topic before random tangent-ing: a BJD can be either elastic laced or hard jointed/skeleton-ed. Just putting that out there. :D

On another note, Package Day yet again presented me with another package, this time with my fiancée as he walked up the driveway to my house. Lol. He came bearing two packages: One with supplies from Zipper That Doll, an online store for doll zippers, buttons, and other clothing items; the other with the wig I bought for C.C. from the mystery doll vendor for a whole $10 + Free Shipping. I felt, and still feel, as if I should pay her the shipping, but she wont let me. :( So I have to figure out another way to pay her back. >w< Maybe I'll send her some stockings or something once I get better at making them perfect. Lol. Or complete them!! >w<

I almost forgot! Another package arrived while I was away for the weekend. This one contained my business cards, return address labels, and a matching tote bag all in the BJB style (purple floral butterflies). So, that makes for a grand total of 4 packages thus far, with possibly two more, though it may only be one. >.< Lol. I don't remember, I've lost count with my Mom Brain. Kole takes up too much of my hard drive to file anything else properly. >.< (Yes, my mind works like a computer sometimes. Lol.)

Well, 29 days left as of today, but might as well be 28 because it's late. Time to go finish something at least. Maybe I'll work on C.C.'s pajamas from a pattern I got on Etsy from AliceInCraftyland. Or perhaps I should go study my new books... o.o A bit of light reading to do... Nah, I'll sew!

C.C. from Code Geass
© BANDAI

81 and half items to go... Wish me luck!!

30 Days Left!

I started with a countdown of 50 days to design, sew, and embellish 81 pieces of MSD BJD clothing. Today is day 20. 30 more days until my store opens... And I have yet to even finish a stocking!

Internal structure of an Obitsu BJD.

First, let me explain (more or less) what a BJD is: a BJD (Ball-Jointed Doll) is (usually) an Asian doll made of ABS plastic, resin, or vinyl and held together by either hard plastic/vinyl joints (obitsu) or elastic lacing (traditional). They can be as big as 70cm (28in) or as small as 11cm (4.4in). MSD (Mini Super Dollfie) is the name given to the 41-45cm height BJD from VOLKS, but is normally used as an adjective to describe the height of a "Mini" male or female doll.

The doll I am currently making clothes for is Parabox Alice (also sold at The Junky Spot), a 40cm (16in) soft vinyl Obitsu BJD with hard vinyl joints. Since she fits MSD-sized clothing, I decided to make them instead of buy them for her, and in that decision, I found my hobby. My fiancée, Justin, wanted me to have something to do other than clean or read while our son took his naps (I mean, c'mon, you can only stand the two so much, and I just listen to the T.V. as background noise rather than watch it.), so I told him about my longing to own a BJD. I told him about them (reminding him of our high school study hall class 5 1/2 years ago, in which the girl that sat in front of him brought hers with her one day), and said that I would love to have one to dress. With that, a new chapter in my life began.

Parabox Alice - 40cm

As the blog description says, I am a mother, a college student, a "housewife", and a seamstress.

My son, Kole, is now a year old, and is a brilliant little boy (his pediatrician informed me that he has the speaking level of an 18 month old). He can currently say 3 phrases, 16 words, walk, crawl, dance, clap his hands, stomp his feet, shake his head, and brush his own teeth (it's so cute to watch!). Oh, and he has about 12 teeth, going on 14, the boy likes to eat. Lol. He and his father are everything to me, and they both support me in their own way. -^_^- Kole likes to take the scraps I pile up and shake them in the air. He laughs when I thank him for helping. Lol. And Justin is both moral and financial support in this endeavor; he is the one telling me I can do this, as well as the one supplying the means to do it. My two Mr. Wonderfuls, right?

Parabox Alice head

After Kole was born, I took a year off from college. I am currently in the process of enrolling for Fall of 2012 classes online. I've planned on taking 8 credits: Chinese I and Basic Algebra (I'm brilliant with languages, but I fail at math.) I have already taken, and passed with flying colors, a different Chinese I, but I thought it may be best to retake it since I am switching books and teachers. And math... well, math just isn't my strong point... I'm better with the artsy side of my brain. ^_^

You can ignore the "housewife" part really, all I do is clean up after Kole, sweep, vacuum, dust, and do dishes (no dishwasher, our house is old) from time to time. Oh, and laundry too. Lol. Normal house-like duties, you know, those chores you hated as a child? Guess what? You get to do them for the rest of your life! Lol.

However, this blog is really only happening because of the seamstress part. I've decided to tack one more thing on my already complicated To-Do List. I've decided to open up the Ball-Jointed Boutique: the clothing store for your 40-43cm BJD. I'm currently only making female clothing, but even then it's more complicated than I thought it would be... I figured I needed 3 types of each form of clothing, pants, shirt, etc., and from there decided to make three of each form...Which landed me with 81 items to make for the month of April. (It was going to be 5 of each item, making it 135 items total, but I convinced myself that was crazy. Lol.) So now, on day one, I have half of one stocking done. So, 1/4th of the pair done...Of the first pair of three pairs...Confusing, isn't it? Lol.

Parabox Alice Fullset

80 and a half items to go with 30 days to do it! Wish me luck!