Monday, January 28, 2019

Meet Theadora, a sweet, spicy Seventy's girl!

I'm not sure when, but I came to the conclusion that I wanted a just like me doll.  Actually first I wanted to get an Addy doll.  It never worked out for me to find one for the right price, and in the right condition. As I spent time with Zuri identifying dollst I started to realize that AGD had a variety of skin tones and hair textures/styles for the mold.  I came to the conclusion, that although I feel strong ties to the story Addy Walker shares, a different doll would be a better representation of me. 
After reviewing the various face molds, and hair offerings for the Truly me dolls offered through the years (a custom is not an option for me), I decided #58 matched me the closest.  I bid on her and won the auction at the end of December.
She didn't arrive until the middle of January!  I was rather upset, nevertheless, when she arrived, it was doll love at first sight!
She did however have a flaw.  She had a "tattoo", of unknown (probably permanent marker) origin.
I first wiped her body down, but there wasn't really any significant surface dirt.  I tried a q-tip of rubbing alcohol, and then fingernail polish remover to see if the mark was on the surface.  Sadly, it wasn't.  Then I paid some attention to her hair.  There were just a few of her curls that were not aligned properly.  I carefully picked then and retwisted all of her curls to smooth out those curls and any frizzies.
For below the surface spots on AGD "skin" I had seen online that the recommendation to us benzol peroxide and place it under saran wrap, then expose it to the sun.  The weather wasn't cooperating the days I tried.  I hardly saw a any change at all.  A forum member on www.Ravelry.com mentioned that LED lights as well as daylight lights also work.  I have a few dollar tree LED lamps in my studio, so I set up Theadora with a spa therapy for her scar.  It took a few days, of changing to fresh moist Oxy, and making sure the light was positioned only over the spot on her arm.  Eventually it mostly bleached/faded away.  (See, actually under the lamp, the reduction of stain was pretty quick!)

She still has a faint stain, but I think it just gives her character.  I may try one day to treat it again, but for now I am pleased with the outcome.
Theadora is such a cute doll.  She has such pretty curls, she sports a little afro!  I had gotten this outfit when I purchased my Ivy, and I know it's Julie's meet outfit, but it is perfect for Theadora.  Julie and Ivy's story is from my birth year.  I can remember as a child wearing this type of style of clothing, from the wooden clog sandals to the shirt over a long sleeve shirt, and bell bottom pants.







Theadora, is like me, she needs glasses to see things that are far away.  And I made her a little ring as well.
She makes the perfect big sister for Buttercup.
Of course Buttercup wants to be just like her big sister Theadora, and wear glasses too!

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Let's talk about doll hair

Doreen here, as Zuri mentioned the Nicki (renamed Zoe) that we got for her had some serious frizzy ends.  I was frustrated that the seller didn't disclose how bad the hair was, as well as more details about some marks that she had.  At first I thought maybe we needed to re-wig her, but I decided that even if we did, trying to help her hair with other methods first wouldn't hurt.  I have flat ironed doll hair before with Zuri's Felicity.  It worked wonders to smooth and kill the dead ends (especially with a slight trimming), but all curl was lost!  Nicki was made with such pretty curls that I didn't want to just flatten out her hair. 
I decided this time to try Zuri's ceramic brush.  It's not this one, but this is a close model.  I set the temperature at 170 to start, but that wasn't hot enough.  I raised it to 190, and finally the sweet spot was 210.  It took the friz with multiple passes, without destroying the curl.  I then immediately took a pencil and rolled the small section of warm hair around the pencil and used a bobby pin to hold it into place.  After about an hour we removed the pins and finger placed the curls.  They are adorable, and it revitalized her hair significantly. 
My #58 is finally arriving Saturday if there are no other postal delays.  I think her hair will need some TLC, but hopefully it won't need heat, just re-finger styling.  I will post updates when she finally arrives.

Zoe(: :)

Hi. So Nikki came yesterday she's not in the best condition, but we like her. I might get a rainbow wig for her and make her into a unicorn doll.
SOPD (Sweet Opal Pixie Dot) and SCFJ ( Spunky Crystal Fairy Jem) are doing good.  We put them in a small fence that we can move around the lower pasture sometimes. There is green grass, and they are small horses so they are fine they like grass. I will post pictures soon of horses and doll's.......!!!

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Zuri's update, and new dollz!

Hi guys! I'm back. It's been good, hope ya'll have had a great Christmas. I got two new dolls within the time period of December, a Nellie and number 77. Truly Me number 77's name is Theodore he is Tia's brother.  They have two little sisters, my mom's dolls: Truly Me number 55, and a Corolle doll mini named Buttercup.  Anyone can play with dolls!
The first picture is of Tia and Theodore. Peyton and Nellie are in the second.  I also got a yellow lab AG dog the same day that I got Nellie.  It is her puppy, I named her Daisy.  Peyton's pup is Winter.  I bought Nellie from the same consignment shop that we got Loreli from.  I used birthday money to purchase Theodore from the American Girl Doll store.    

 Me and my mom made a unicorn onesie for Tia. We used this video tutorial.  It's tight in places but adorable!

I'm also getting a Nikki soon, but I'm renaming her Zoe because one of my besties has her also and we like to play dolls together.  Mom won her in a auction, but we are waiting for her to come in the mail. 



Till next post, bye!!! :) (:

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

New Year Update

Hello, Doreen here!  I have posted in Z's voice, and she has posted from my account until I created one for her a few posts ago.  But today, I am posting as myself, Z's mom.

Things are going well since we posted last.  The horses are settled in and we are learning how to care for them, what they need and like.  They are a lot of fun to watch and interact with.  They are also a lot of work (as we were warned)!  The enjoyment outweighs the hard parts though.  So we are still very happy we decided to get them. While we had grass growing, they grazed the yard, but as the season changed, they quickly destroyed the grass inside of our fenced in area.  We now supplement their feed more, but we hope to fence in the lower pasture for them in the spring.  They need a larger area than our back yard provides and all of the rain combined with the lack of grass has created a muddy mess!

On the doll front Z has gotten two new dolls.  I will let her tell about them.  The when, where and how she got them, and their actual names.  But they are Nellie and Truly Me #77.

After she got Nellie, and before #77 I purchased a Ivy, and Cecile from a FB marketplace seller.  I am renaming Cecile, Cecilia. Then a few days later I won an auction for a Truly Me #58 off eBay.  I picked her because I think she actually looks like me.  I will be naming her Theodora and working to sew, knit and crochet some clothes for her and the other girls.  Along with Josephina, I now have 4 AGD.

My Corolle Les Cheries, Cecile and Capuccine are little sisters, and I traded my Camile with Z for her Cathy. Buttercup, our only Corolle Mini Calin doll is also a little sister.  I originally bought her because I was captivated by her cute expression.  To me this little cherub is adorable.

When I got Ivy, she came with her meet outfit, minus the boots.  I purchased an additional Julie outfit from the same seller for Ivy to wear. She's very pretty, and makes a great big sister to Capuccine.  I wanted her because the Julie/Ivy storyline is set around my birth year, and I think she is super cute.  I love her story, the conflicts she feels about who she is expected to be, and her actual identity.  I had some similar feelings growing up, though through very different circumstances.
Cecilia and Cecile are sisters as well.  Cecile was the first doll I really wanted as an adult.  I loved how Corolle did her hair.  It's a lot like real ethnic hair, like mine.  A friend purchased her for me around 7 years ago when I had started buying Les Cheries for Z.  She also bought Cappucine and Camille for me.  It was such a thoughtful thing, because I wanted them, but I wasn't going to buy them for myself.  My friend understood that sometimes moms want to play with dolls too.  My girls have been living with the rest of the LC in Z's room, but I really wanted to display them so I am going to have them with me in my studio for a time.
Buttercup and Theodora sisters of Z's Tia and #77.  I couldn't believe how well the dolls worked together for a family photo.  I am anxious for Theadora to arrive so that I can get her dressed and into the pictures as well.  When I realized that Buttercup was excellent scale to actually be a little one in the family I knew she needed a sling so that her big brother and sisters could carry her.  Cousin Cecile gets the pleasure for now:

And here's Josephina my first AGD, and Cathy, a LC that was not gifted to me, but I love her sweet face, and raven black hair.  I asked Z if for the time being we could trade so that Josephina could have a sister and not be left out:

For now my dolls are on my desk as I do a major overhaul (cleaning and decluttering) of my office space and furniture.