February 8th is a joyous day for two reasons. Firstly, February 8th is Family Day in British Columbia, which is a statutory holiday (many other provinces get a holiday next Monday). It’s also the first day of the new year according to the lunar calendar, so happy new year! It is the year of the monkey!

Photo from FreeImages.com/tom s.

I love days off, days with family, and Chinese New Year. It’s a time of coming together with family for good and scrumptious dinners as well as a little bit of lucky money for those who are unmarried (which means dolly money!).

I will have a new Question of the Week next Monday for all of you!

Lately I’ve been thinking of expanding the doll family,  little bit more seriously than usual (which you might have noticed from the recent That New Doll Itch). But I’m also living life with a budget because responsible adulting is a thing (and that’s how I’m saving up for a car). With my new job, I can put aside a bit more than $10-15 a month towards the dolly hobby and I do have a new doll in mind (sort of).

I would love to add a new-to-me Kenner to the family (because a Kenner collection like Becca/Blythetastic! would be the dream!), but then I’ve also wanted to add a BL to my doll family for literally years. My ‘dream’ BL is still either a Mondrian (Mondie) or Dottie Dot, Sunday Best, or Aztec Arrival. While I adore Goldie and Kozy, I don’t think that they’re quit attainable for me at this time because their prices have gone up so much over the years. Clearly I should have scooped up all the BLs when I first started collecting in 2009! Of course, this was the time when really well-made customs were $300-500 and I thought that was a lot of money to spend on a doll…

Essentially, I have four doll on my ‘wish list’/saving-up-for-list right now. I might even forgo  in the quantities that I’ve been buying lately until I get that new dolly in my hands.

Which do you think will look best as the newest addition to my doll family?

I was having a conversation with a fellow Blythe enthusiast online the other day and she asked me how she should introduce her newly minted significant other to the fact that she collects and plays with Blythe dolls (along with other toys). This is a problem that I personally didn’t have (I started collecting Blythe dolls after I started seeing someone), just due to timing and the chronological order of things. But that does beg the question: how do you introduce someone to your amazingly small collection of expensive dolls? (Let’s face it, regardless of how large of a doll collection your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife thinks that you have there is always someone that you could probably name that has at least 10 more dolls than you. Bonus points if you can find photos as proof too.)

How I broached the subject of Blythe involved sharing photos that I found on Flickr and the now-defunct Blythe forum, This is Blythe. This was back when MSN was still the instant messenger of choice and when I didn’t unlimited messaging on my phone (am I completely dating myself now?). I’d send photos and go “Isn’t she cute?” and I’d get responses in return of “I guess?”. This later turned to “Isn’t she cute?” with responses of “I think the one with pink hair looked better” or “Those red eyes are creepy” (red = pink). Pro tip: it helps if you’re in a relationship with someone who also collects things and amasses great amounts of items with equally high monetary value. It does not help when you are the only one who ends up having multiple collections/stashes of things (I say this as I look to my right and see my dolls and many tins of tea).

Who would dare find me creepy?

Some people are going to find Blythe creepy. It’s something to do with the disproportionate head. And some people are going to think that Blythe is a waste of money (clearly this type of person is not worth your time and energy!). It does help when everyone involved in a relationship have their own hobbies and interests, or perhaps you can rope them into the dark side and get them their own doll.

If you’re unsure of their reaction, perhaps it’s easier to just slowly ease them into it. Start by sharing photos, then introduce them to one of your dolls (be sure to show them the changing eyes – that totally freaked out someone in my life the first time I shared that feature!). And depending on how well that one doll is received, share the rest of your collection! Or rather, you should share the full extent of your love for Blythe anyways because it’s not a passing hobby and it’s something for them to get used to the presence of!

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of introducing your significant other to your dolls, how did you do it? Share your tips in the comment section below!

Primrose’s wearing: dress/Re-ment.

It’s February! The misses Kitty Brighton and Lydia Melbourne have been deeply engrossed in flipping through my copy of This is Blythe recently. They are both shocked and confused (and also concerned!) about the sheer lack of Middies in this book. This is Blythe was published pre-Takara and Ashton-Drake Galleries manufactured dolls, so it’s no wonder that my lovely Middies are not seeing images representing them in the book!

Middies, the perpetual middle-sized “sister” to Blythe, didn’t come into existence until 2010 when Macaron Q-Tea Party was released in October. Like a gangly teenager, Middie is an awkward size for some collectors. Not only can Blythe not readily share shoes, but clothing is a bit of an issue for Middies as well. Some Blythe tops can work as Middie dresses, but they do still look oversized in a way that may not always be cute. Luckily, Kelly shoes have (for the most part) remained relatively inexpensive and they fit Middies well! There’s no shortage of cute shoes there, although it’s often the same styles over and over again in different colours.

The inquiring minds of Middies want to know where you get your Middie-sized shoes, because my Middies routinely suffer from what they feel is a lack of shoes all day long.

Middie Monday is a feature that is published on the first Monday of each month! A guaranteed monthly post on Blythe’s little sister – Middie! If you have any suggestions for a future Middie Monday post, please send me an email or use my Suggestions form!