October Instagram Challenge Day 1: Leaves

Since I'm taking part in a doll-related Instagram challenge, I thought I might as well share the pictures here as well. Also here, we can chat about them!

The grass that Stacie is lying on, is plastic turf that I bought at a craft store. I can't believe how nice it looks in the photo.

Did you get to play in the leaves when you were a kid? We had several large trees in my front and back yards when I was a kid, so leaf raking was a way of life every year. I'm old enough to remember burning leaves and yard waste in a big metal barrel with holes in the sides, too.

Liebster Award 2016

This time around Farrah Lily from Cozy Comforts and Dolls nominated me for the Liebster Award. It's a chance to get to know bloggers with under a 1,000 followers, and also find about new blogs.

As usual, this award involves thanking the person who nominated you, answering their questions, coming up with questions of your own, and nominating people to answer your questions. In case, the number of the questions is eleven, and the number of the nominees is five (six is right out.)

1. Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Snoopy! Back in my day, it was always An Event when the seasonal Peanuts special appeared on television (get off my lawn.) I always loved to watch them, and I still have some of that great jazz music on my playlist. And Snoopy is my favorite. I love when he and Woodstock sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner after Charlie Brown and his friends have left for Charlie Brown's grandmother's house. I love when (in his imagination) he dances with the bunnies in the Easter special.

Knott's Berry Farm, November, 2001

2. What's your favorite flower (or plant if you're not a flower person)?
The pansy. I love all the different colors and color combinations that a pansy can have. It's why I named my Etsy store Sweet Purple Pansies.

3. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
In Mr. BTEG's Italian family, Christmas Eve dinner consists of seafood. The first Christmas eve dinner I ate with Mr. BTEG's family, was at his grandmother's house. Among other things being served was calamari. But not just any calamari. It wasn't breaded or anything. It looked like the squid had been boiled and set right out on the plate (they still had their eyes!) Desperate to make a good impression with my possible future in-laws, I tried some. Meh. But it was better than trying the eel.

4. What was the last movie you saw (in home or in theaters)?
Um. Wow. I'm not big on movies. Probably the Hunger Games, a couple of years ago, when it was on Netflix, and my daughter and husband were watching it. Or maybe Cabin in the Woods, when we still had cable.

5. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go?
Romania, but specifically Siebenbürgen, Transylvania. I'd love to see where my grandfather's parents came from.

6. How did you meet your best friend?
My husband is my best friend, and we met at college in the late 80s. Neither of us can clearly remember the first time we met, though. I guess we didn't think it was momentous as it turned about to be. :)

7. What is your dream job?
A doll clothing designer, of course! (First two patterns created by me.)

Franklin Mint Lily wearing period undergarments

My version of a dress Joan Crawford wore in the film The Women, worn by Ashton Drake's Madra Lord

American Girl high school marching band Color Guard costume I made for daughter's friend. I made a few changes to a pattern from a Joan Hinds book.

Tonner 16" Daphne, wearing two piece costume, pattern by Vince Nowell

8. If you could make a custom doll based on any character or real person, who would you make?
Loki from the Marvel movies. Yes, the character has already been made, but I'm not happy with how any of the faces turned out. If I could create a custom doll, I'd have the face sculpt made to my satisfaction.

9. What's your favorite season?
Autumn. The days are not as hot as summer, but still comfortably warm. The leaves on the trees become vibrant colors. Football season is starting. Major League Baseball is making the run towards the playoffs. Halloween takes place in autumn; it's not my favorite holiday, but it's fun.

LEGO haunted house, based on the places of amusement for visiting that occur every Halloween in the US,  created by Mr. BTEG

10. If you could talk to/understand one species of animal, which would you choose?
Cats. Although I would also like to go back in the past and talk to some of the pet cats we've had over the years who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Why did Callie like to drink from the bathtub faucet?

11. If you could instantly learn any language, which would you choose?
It might be fun to learn an Asian language, so I could go to a doll website like this one, and be able to understand it! But I like Japanese and Chinese dolls, and Atelier 613 appears to be in Korean? So I'd go with German. I learned it long ago, but I've forgotten so much of it from lack of use.

So here are my questions:
1. If you could have one doll outfit made in life-size for you, which one would it be?
2. If you could make a custom doll based on any character or real person, who would you make?
3. Inset eyes. Yes or no?
4. Do any of your dolls have personalities based on people in real life?
5. Do you have any dolls that you would like to be friends with in real life based on their personalities (whether created by the manufacturer or you?)
6. Is there a skill or ability you would like to instantly learn?
7. Do you have a travel doll that you take with you when you're out?
8. Some people write stories using their dolls as character inspirations, or draw pictures of their dolls. Do you do anything like that?
9. Do you like to treat your dolls as canvases for face-painting, new wigs, etc., or do you keep your dolls the way they came?
10. Who was the first doll blogger you followed?
11. What book or movie or television show would you like to see get its own doll line?

Now the hard part, nominations. I'm going to choose: Hannah, Natalia, Smaller Places, Presto, and Lisa. No pressure, guys. Only do this if you want to.

A Walk in the Park

I've been a little out of it lately. I use a light box from about September through April, to help with my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Basically, when we get less sunlight here during these months, and the sunlight is less potent, my body wants to hibernate. A half hour or so sitting in front of my light box helps. But I hadn't been using it reliably, making me more tired and depressed. I'm trying to change that and get back to regular light box use.

ANYway. Meg and I went to a local park back on October 21st. This park is made for walkers, runners and bikers. There is a long paved path that takes you from one neighborhood to another, a paved path on one side which also takes you through one part to another of my town, and a dirt path. As it was a gorgeous day, there were lots of people out there enjoying the day, but no one seemed interested in what a middle-aged woman was doing taking pictures of a doll. Many people were friendly and said hello. Most of those people were walking dogs. A correlation perhaps?

The main path through the park. Doesn't this look like a magical place? I would like to get out here during the winter when there is snow on the ground and get a picture.

We found a few slender long branches (trees?) which had formed into arches. Meg discovered that the branch bounced up and down when it was pushed. She had fun "riding" it. If I weighed less, I would have enjoyed a little bounce as well.

The best place for photography, at least for me, came when we found a place where city park workers were clearing out trees. Not only did one of these large sawed up pieces make a great seat for Meg, there was a bench right next to it, which provided a comfortable seat for this middle-aged woman to take pictures. :)

We wanted to find some leaves that were more fiery, like Meg's hair, but this park didn't have a lot of those.

Lastly, a somewhat blurry picture of five does having their dinner in the park. Despite my area being suburban, there are an awful lot of wild animals around, including foxes and coyotes, of all things.

What I've been lacking is large blocks of time to go out and take pictures. This photo time was a rush job, done in between picking up my youngest daughter from school, and going out somewhere that night. Good planning and more energy will hopefully help with that. In the meantime, I do have some new doll purchases which need photo shoots of their own so I can show them to you. Do you find it hard to find time to set aside for doll photography? Or do you accomplish it in small bits?

Barbie, Christie and Teresa Model Fall Fashions

I've picked up some Fashion Avenue outfits the past couple of months, and I've been saving these three for when fall arrived. The weather is starting to feel just right here in NE Ohio!

Barbie models Gala in Chicago. This outfit includes the dress, of a stretchy material, a bolero jacket trimmed with fluffy material that does shed a little, a small purse, and purple shoes. I prefer the slightly thick heel over the stiletto ones that Mattel also makes. The slender heels tend to bend if you try to balance Barbie on them at all.

Next, we have Christie modeling Reception Roses. I especially like the small touches with this dress. This outfit includes the satin dress, a fashion scarf for the neck, matching nylons, a purse, and shoes.

The butterfly fabric is pretty, and I think having a strip at the bottom half of the skirt is just right. Adding too much more of that print would be overwhelming. I also like the pleated net trim at the sleeves and skirt hem.

I like the roses at the neck. I don't think this would work on a real woman. Maybe in a smaller proportion.

Barbie and Christie are ready to go out and have fun on a slightly crisp fall evening.

This next outfit is technically not Fashion Avenue, but I think it came out in the Fashion Avenue era. This outfit is part of the Seasons line. There were four separate outfits produced, for spring, summer, fall and winter. I've seen another fall outfit Mattel made that is very similar to this one. Barbie wears a long-sleeved orange top and brown vest in that one, plus I think an orange or plaid tam, and a plaid skirt. What signifies autumn, at least in the northern half of North America, more than the changing colors of the leaves? And shortly afterward comes the task of raking them up when they fall. I raked up many a pile of leaves in my day! At least there was the fun of jumping in a pile afterward. Sometimes my sisters and the girls down the street and I would make "houses" by raking up piles of leaves to make low walls.

I think this red suits Teresa very well. I was disappointed this sweater is not completely open at the back. It goes over her head.

At least Barbie gets sensible shoes for raking leaves. I think the other set had brown pumps.

A rake is included, with the ubiquitous B logo.

Also included, some cardboard leaves. Not ready to take them out of the plastic yet.

The outfit originally came with this skirt and head scarf. I think Teresa will be much more comfortable raking leaves in the jeans she's wearing.

Lastly, the set includes a basket of apples to enjoy after some hard work outside. Yum, a nice crisp apple.

Do you enjoy moving into warmer clothes for autumn weather? Are you putting your dolls into anything different? I don't own enough doll clothes for all of my dolls to change what they wear very often. But this outfits are nice additions.

Meg Checks Out the Beach and Hangs Out at the Park

I decided to have Meg's first photo shot at a local beachfront park. It didn't go as well as I wanted. The water was very choppy yesterday and the tide was high, so there wasn't much actual beach, at least where I was at. But I think just doing it, even if it didn't turn out perfectly, was enough for me to plan a next time.

Meg is wearing Barbie capris (on her, they are just jeans) and a top that I made for her.

Meg spends some peaceful contemplation time before we head down.

The waves crash on the shore.

Driftwood is very common on the local beaches. Meg leans on a piece for support as a wave covers her feet.

The park is named Veteran's Memorial Park, and so there are several memorial plaques for those who came from this little town, and died in service to their country.

Meg found a good place to perch behind a 105 Howitzer cannon that sits in the park. This is probably an original shell painted over. She also lets her feet dry off.

Meg reads the names on a WWI Memorial. Some of those names can still be found in the community.

And my favorite shot of the day. Meg just looks so happy to be outside in this nice weather.

I liked being outside in the milder autumn weather too! Meg and I will be going out again.