So often I’m on the dolly forums or on Etsy looking up things for my dolls. I like spoiling them – getting new clothes, hats, shoes, stockings for them. It’s fun! And it’s great getting things in the mail all the time for my dolls because it’s just… fun. I enjoy it greatly. But the doll hobby isn’t an inexpensive one. Since joining in the hobby, in 2009, I’ve spent more money on the dolls than I have on myself (besides school things – textbooks, I’m looking at you!). And while technically the things that I buy for the dolls are really for me, it’s “for the dolls” in my head. So I try make a conscious effort once in a while to treat myself to something, even if there’s something else (doll related…) that’d I’d rather have. It’s nice to get a tiny pair of shoes in the mail, or a small frock – but at the same time… I need shoes too, and clothes, and perhaps a new bag since I’ve been using the same one for goodness knows how long. And I know I’m not the only one who thinks this way –  we cannot forget to do something nice for us too! Sometimes it’s nice to have a human-sized treat from time to time?

My most recent human-sized treat? I bought myself a new bag – mostly because my old bag has a tear in the lining and the straps are starting to go (yes, it was on sale too – that wasn’t the point though).

Have you done something nice for yourself lately?

On the internet, 365 is known as being the daily photography challenge. You can do a 365 project of just about anything: self portraits, your kids, your pets, or your Blythe dolls (just to name a few things).

I started my first 365 project on February 23, 2010 with a little doll that you may be familiar with: Sophie. I decided on Sophie because she was the one I was the most familiar with, personality wise, and plus she looks good in a lot of things. I may have also been playing favourites at the time and decided that it was tag, you’re it! 365 is not for the faint of heart. I’m not saying that because it’s really, really hard (which it is) but because it’s just a long, long time to be doing something.

A year can seem both really long and really short at the same time. It’s a year of remembering to take a photo, maybe make up something witty for the commentary, maybe remember that a doll’s been in the same outfit (in photos!) for the last three weeks. Maybe I’ll remember that (but I probably won’t).

The idea seems simple – take a photo of something once a day. What can be difficult about that? And now that I have a smartphone, I can just snap a quick little shot and upload it to Instagram or Flickr while I’m on the bus or during a study break – I don’t even need to use a ‘real’ camera or pull out any camera cables! But it’s more than just taking any photo, but one that you’re willing to share. And I took a lot of really bad photos during my 365 with Sophie. I had photos taken in poor lighting, I’m pretty sure that most of my photos were taken in my room rather than in more interesting locations like other people take their 365 Blythes. But that’s okay, because that’s what worked for me in that time (I was a full-time student taking a full course load… I’m still a full-time student taking a full course load…).

I wanted to challenge myself again. Even if half of the photos that I take in the next year end up being mostly from Instagram (and I’m sure a lot of them will be), at least I will have done it again. And this time, I’ve decided to not put myself (and Sophie) through the hassle of making her my 365 girl again (she’s far too busy these days with spending my money and writing her Love, Sophie column!). I decided to choose someone else, someone a little bit ‘younger’ in terms of personality and someone who may appear a little… pinkish at first.

BlytheLife readers, may I introduce you to Eden Mouse? She’s a mostly stock Punkaholic People who loves pink, almost always keeps her pink mouse helmet on, adores cotton candy and playing with dolls. She’s ‘younger’ than my other dolls and has the same hair cut that I did when I was very young.