Every celebration needs a Kenner!

Some of you may be aware that the entire time I’ve been writing BlytheLife, I’ve also been a full-time student. I graduated with a degree in 2012, then promptly started the cycle all over again with another degree program less than three months later. As of today (somewhere between 9am and 12pm), I will have walked across a stage in a not-so-flattering cap and gown and have my name announced as I officially graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

This may not seem like very Blythe-related news, but I choose to look at it like “Hey, Michelle will have a Real Job™ soon and will therefore be able to buy a lot more Blythe-related things, when she’s not saving up for life’s necessities.” Because buying a car and moving out are goals that come before buying another dolly. Maybe.

There is something about doll collecting that is addictive. With Blythe it’s three fold for me. The dolls, the clothes, the shoes. Oh, the shoes! What probably doesn’t help is that there is always a new release of some sort, followed by the latest in fad customs, well-made tiny fashions, and did I mention the shoes? Due to the social aspect of Blythe, it’s hard to avoid seeing photos of someone’s new dolls or new doll related purchases, which really drives the keeping up with the Joneses factor of the hobby. With that in mind, when does enough become enough?

Blythe, like many hobbies, is a luxury. I had a conversation a while back with a friend in the hobby who was upset as she had to go without buying a new doll because her child (her real-life, flesh-and-blood child) had a growth spurt. And due to this growth spurt, that money earmarked for a new Blythe was going to have to go towards clothing her child. While I had heard people joking in the past about needing to eat instant noodles for a week to make up for the fact that they bought a new doll, it also didn’t occur to me that for some people this isn’t a joke.

Because Blythe is a hobby, that means it show rank lower than necessities: shelter, heat, electricity (because if you didn’t have electricity and internet and a computer, you would not be reading BlytheLife right now!), food, clothing (for you and your children), transportation, and a whole host of other things. If you’re getting upset over needing to use money to clothe your growing child (and, let’s be honest, I think most people would say that a child experiencing a growth spurt is a good thing) instead of buying the doll that happened to catch your eye that one day, maybe it is time to step back and reevaluate your spending – or go on a budget, as it were.

The nice thing about Blythe is that it can be as expensive or inexpensive as you’d like. Some people create everything for themselves, while others find themselves with a mixture of self-made and bought clothing and shoes. The important thing is to not get too carried away with the spending.

While it may be fun to get lots of packages in the mail (and I love getting packages in the mail!) it can be also very easy to get carried away or forget that yes, you do need to pay off your credit card bill eventually. It can be easy to get caught up in buying new releases, new customs, whatever customs happen to pop up on Facebook, but it is important to remember that Blythe is a luxury hobby because is not a necessity. Spend wisely, and save up when you need to. If it was meant to be, you’ll eventually wind up owning that doll or dress or whatever it is that you want. And if not, then something else will come along and catch your eye.

Alternatively, you could find yourself in a cycle of buying and selling, which for the fickle collector may be the route to go if you easily tire of what you already own and enjoy the aspect of trading.

Taking dolls on trips is fun. While this summer is not a summer that I’ll be going anywhere far (I believe staycation is the term for what I’ll be doing?), it is fun to take dolls around with me anyways. Despite being in the Blythe hobby since 2009, I can still be shy when it comes to pulling out a doll in public and taking photos with them. I do much better with public doll photography when I’m with other people who also have dolls. Safety in numbers applies to public doll enthusiasm as well!

I tend to choose which doll(s) I take on trips based on who has the easiest to manage hair. That is one of my primary criteria for taking a doll along – if they have hair that will behave because one of the last things I want to do when on a trip is deal with unruly or ridiculously tangled doll hairs. Especially since I never remember to bring a comb or brush with me!

Are you taking a doll on a vacation this summer?

Today’s shoes are some of my favourite, even if I don’t use them in photos a lot. (And in case this is not your first time reading a installment of Tiny Shoe Love, yes –  I do have a lot of favourites.) These beauties:

Yes, they are skates. These are Simply Sparkly Spark and Simply Bubble Boom’s stock skates. SSS came with the pearl skates and SBB came with the appropriate orange skates. And how cute are they?! Very cute. I’m featuring them now because it’s been very hot where I live (mid to high 20s °C) and I’m dreaming about snow and ice and skating and all things wintery. Summer is not my favourite, I’m afraid. I’m a huge fan of cooler weather – hand knit socks, sweaters, and cute hand knit accessories weather. That is my favorite. Alas, it is nearly officially summer… So while I’m trying to stay hydrated I can admire the adorable skates and think of cooler times.

The skates that came with the trio (I do not have Simply Thumpty Thump, STT came with matching skates, but in violet) are super adorable, I really appreciate the details that are added on. The silver colouring for the blades, the details for the laces. Little added touches like these are what makes doll shoes so very irresistible for me.

I’m still holding out hope that one day Takara will put out another series of shoes sets since I totally missed the boat on the Shoe Cruise Day and Night sets. I kick myself every time I see those cute pink boots on a doll’s feet in photos because I want them a lot.

Tiny Shoe Love is a feature on BlytheLife.com to showcase and share doll shoes that grace Michelle’s picky dolls’ feet. We love tiny shoes in this house, and we hope you do too!

Cameo’s wearing: dress/Puppy52Dolls in BlytheCon fabric, tights/Endangered Sissy, skates/SBB.
Eden’s wearing: dress/Monique Magnifique stock, tights/unknown, skates/SSS.

Wednesday poll time may not be a real thing, but I do have a survey for you! I think it’s important to know what you want to read and learn about! And I’m all about self-improvement as a blogger, so what better way to learn what you want than through a survey?

It’s a super short survey, you can answer as many or as little questions as you’d like. Feel free to leave your name and email address if you’d like some credit for coming up with the idea! And without further delay, here’s the link to the survey:

What Do You Want to See on BlytheLife?