It's the Little Things

Last year I went to a lot of thrift stores, garage and yard sales, and estate sales. I'm always on the lookout for mini items, even if I'm actually shopping for something else. I've been wanting to show you all the adorable little items that I bought. Some were made as miniature decorations. Some were originally for some other use, but work perfectly as minis. Our proportion model is Victorian Christmas Barbie. Her old-timey look suits every mini piece except this one, a mini Coleman lantern.

This is really too little even for Barbie, but I have smaller dolls that it will work with. Unfortunately, it was already a (relatively) old item when I bought it new in package. I just took it out of the package today, and the batteries it came with are corroded. Fortunately, they were packed separately, but now I have to get some new tiny batteries to see if it will work.

Next is a glass that is too big for Barbie, a Coca-Cola glass. That one will probably look good with my Coca-Cola Cissy doll, but I want to do a full review of her when I get her out of the display case, as she's very tall (21" or around 53cm) and can be cumbersome to move around. She's not a little doll I can take a quick picture of and put back. I'm not ready to deal with that photo shoot yet, so here is the glass with Barbie.

 

Here is a pretty peach and purple luster bowl. I'm not sure that this was made to be small decor, or something else, as I've seen lots of peach lusterware teapots and cups, especially, as well as other tableware. It's a good size as a decorative bowl in one sixth. It could hold some type of small filler items, but it's nice by itself, especially with the white design on the bottom.

Next up is a small red glass pitcher, which I think was hand-blown. I'm guessing some of those marks on the bottom of the pitcher are from some type of adhesive used to hold the pitcher down, but that the mark in the center is from when it was made. The white handle is especially delicate. This pitcher would also work quite well with smaller scales.

Continuing on, there is this pewter pitcher. It might be a bit too big, but pewter serving ware was not especially dainty when it was commonly used, so it could possibly work. Americans often associate pewter with our colonial time period, but I also picture big pewter platters in the Middle Ages with a roast boar or a big stuffed goose on them. Be aware that real pewter contains some lead, so wash your hands after contact with it.

Next is what I think was probably a toothpick holder at one time. It's this beautiful green glass piece that makes a lovely, if large, vase.

I really like this mini oil lamp, especially how colorful it is. The blue/purple color has faded some, but it's a still a standout. It might actually work, since it has a wick inside. Would I like to deal with smoke marks? No.

Lastly are some salt cellars. Salt cellars are small bowls that were included with every place setting at a table, so everyone had their own salt for their meal. Apparently they were in use for centuries, but mine are very much newer pieces, as they're glass. They're relatively heavy too, so they're nice quality. I read up a little about their history, and apparently they began to go out of fashion around 1911, when the single salt shaker started taking off. I don't know how old mine are, but I imagine someone who was really into collecting them could tell their age by their style.

I bought one set of three. Of course I wish there had been four, but I was still happy to get these. I picture water and mini flowers floating in them.

At another sale, I found one salt cellar, and a little plastic spoon. The plastic spoon does not seem to match with when salt cellars began to fall out of use, and also doesn't jive with the age that the estate sale manager told me that she had been informed it was. It's still a gorgeous set; I just wish I knew more about its history. The spoon is about right for a serving spoon for our lady of the house Barbie.

Are there particular places where you find a lot of items you can use with your dolls? Are you always on the hunt for things to add to your doll decor? Do you have a favorite find you'd like to share? Once the weather is warm enough, garage sale season will start up here, so I'm hoping I'll find more items I can turn into minis.

Shadow High Natasha Zima -- It's Been a While!

I'm going to put the whole story about everything that's been going on with me at the bottom of this post. Short story: photography frustration, illness, broken furnace, mild depression. Yay!

Two years ago I introduced you to my Shadow High Shanelle Onyx. Her hair, skin color, and clothes are mostly black, with a bit of white. Natasha Zima is her opposite. She is mostly white, with some silver/gray tones.

The dress she came in is an interesting choice for a play doll dress. Those "feathers" look like they are going to fall off at any minute. My daughter's first words upon seeing this doll were "Don't let that near my cat!" Daughter has since moved out, with her cat, so I worry a lot less about little fiddly pieces getting everywhere. Poor Natasha's bow and the front gem on it are crooked, but could be fixed.

This is actually my second Natasha. I got my first one in 2023, and I've owned this one less than a year. I've always planned on getting a second one of this doll, because of her awesome restyle potential. She could be a ghost, a Snow Queen, the White Queen, lots of different looks. I've already seen one woman swap Natasha's blue eyes out for something more pale, to turn her into a ghost. One tip: apparently these dolls' eyes can be swapped out in the front by manipulating the eye socket, but I don't know the technique. I'm sure there are lots of videos out there detailing it. The restyler I watched cut Natasha's scalp open at the back in order to get to her eyes, which is not an uncommon thing to do. That being said, restyle at your own risk, whatever you choose to do!

Besides her dress, Natasha comes wearing a faux bead bracelet, slip on heels in white and silver, and earrings. The earrings feature a letter, one S and one H, for Shadow High. I must admit I got a little tired of having everything be RH or SH or Rainbow or Sparkle.

Here is my first Natasha doll, wearing Natasha's second outfit. I thought it would be really awesome to photography Natasha with a solid black background, and I do like the effect, but many of the pictures came out blurry. It's been a real struggle for me lately.

In addition to the beaded top and skirt, the second outfit also includes a faux fur coat and boots with glitter that unfortunately sheds. I do appreciate the boots having a stiff toe cap, so the doll's foot can fit firmly. That seems to be a common theme with Rainbow High boots. The coat has some pretty trim.

I like Natasha for herself, and for her restyling potential. She's from the first Shadow High line, back when the dolls were still fairly high quality. The first line with all of the monotone looks is my favorite of the Shadow High lines. It was a very unique direction, that MGA managed to pull off. I never thought I'd like a doll like Nicole Steel, for example, who is all shades of gray including gray skin, but I really do. However, I haven't bought many of the newer Rainbow High dolls, and I don't plan on buying any more than I have now, unless MGA ups their game again, and they probably won't. Toy companies seem to prefer to let doll lines slowly die off, and introduce a new concept. Still, I'm happy with the Rainbow High collection that I have now, and that's what matters.

Total dolls: 91

Soooooo, back in October, I was trying to take pictures for some more posts. I kept having problems with a lot of my pictures coming out blurry. I think the main problem is my hands. I've always had hand tremors, but it's gotten worse in the last several months. I misplaced one of my camera stands, and the one I tried using wasn't the best for the job. I ended up getting really discouraged and the thought of trying doll photography again felt like a dreaded chore. We got through the Thanksgiving holiday, and then I got interested in preparing for Christmas. My family had a lovely Christmas Day together, but the next day I came down with something. It was kind of like a cold, but without a lot of nasal issues. It was mostly body aches and fatigue. Mr. BTEG also came down with the same symptoms in January. I had that crud for three weeks, and during that time, our furnace broke down. It took four days to get it running again, and for pretty much the entire month of January here in Northeast Ohio, the temperature was well below freezing every day. We made do with electric heaters, but being sick in an under heated house is something I never want to do again. After I got better, I went through about a week and a half without any interest in the things I usually enjoy doing. I suppose it was just a bit of post-sickness depression, but I felt a little like I'd never get better. I'm finally getting back to normal life. I still have to improve my stamina. Mostly lying around for a month does not help one's physical fitness. I've also gotten past the feeling of overwhelm with all the housework that just wasn't done for about a month. I'm hoping this post will help me get back into a regular posting routine. I also used my phone to take these pictures, instead of my digital camera. I still had some issues with blurriness, but not nearly as much. I also think I know where my other camera stand is. I'm so glad and relieved to be back.