From today, it’s 31 days until BlytheCon Vancouver! When I really think about it, I should be hyperventilating more.

There’s a lot to do between now and then. Lots of things to do behind the scenes – like finalizing floor plans, figuring out where vendors will be sitting, stuffing goodie bags (the fun part!), making sure everyone knows what they’re doing, and still managing to have fun the day of the event!

It is not too late to get your tickets! Online ticket sales end on July 31st! There will be door prizes, a raffle, a couple of contests (deadline to enter is July 15th!), and a few demonstrations for those who signed up! I’m really excited about it coming up, even though I feel like there’s still a lot to do, because it means that the year-plus of work that we’ve put into this event is finally becoming evident and it’s not just a pipe dream! (Apologies if you’re getting tired of hearing about Vancouver if you’re not going to be going, I’m just so excited about it!)

If you’re coming and you see me when I’m in the ballroom (and not the registration table), be sure to mention BlytheLife! I’ll be at the registration table for the first part of the morning, but when I’m walking around I will have some goodies on me for BlytheLife readers.

I don’t sew very often because, let’s face it, my forte is not in sewing. Sewing in a straight line is my current sewing related goal. It may seem like small potatoes to some of you, but it’s a goal for me. As much as I’d love to claim that I meant to do that when my seams aren’t straight and the lines are crooked, nobody means to sew that poorly ever. Which is where I come in – sewing badly all the time. But I can sew, on occasion and intentionally.

After sewing a dress that was sized for Neos, I eyed the fabric I had left over and decided that I really wanted to make a dress for Middie as well. While I hemmed and hawed over the design, I remembered being charmed by the big-little outfits I made previously, so I just had to do it again. Nothing says I love Middies like dressing them like the (bigger) Blythes! Making twin outfits is definitely my wheelhouse. What do you think? I’m definitely thinking of making more dresses like the BlytheCon Vancouver ones. It helps me combine something I love and am fairly decent at (knitting) with something I’m not-so-good at (sewing) and they actually fit and look okay!

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!

Kitty Brighton’s wearing: top/chelleshocks (me!), capris/unknown.
Lydia Melbourne’s wearing: dress/chelleshocks (me!)
Moxie’s wearing: dress/chelleshocks (me!)
Primrose’s wearing: top/chelleshocks (me!), capris/Fruit Punch stock

Whenever I find that there’s an increase in the drama in the doll community, I really like to just take a step back. One of the nice things about it being still primarily a hobby with many online interactions is that it is easy to take a step back. You can stop going on Facebook (or stop notifications from all of those groups!), you can temporarily block a forum (or permanently block a Tumblr page…) from your web browser, and just stop altogether. It’s easy to take a pause and a break from the go-go-go online world of Blythe.

I like to take a moment to myself sometimes, and just have some alone time with the dolls. It’s nice to take a moment to create something for them just because or to have a dolly spa day or change out outfits for fun. Sometimes when I get wrapped up in blog post ideas, I find that every single Blythe photo I took was for the purpose of a blog post and sometimes that’s fun, and sometimes it’s not. I went into the Blythe hobby to enjoy myself, not to make it into a job of any sort. Sometimes it’s nice to make something for Blythe just for fun, not because I’m writing up a pattern (although I do love creating patterns as well, so I guess that’s okay too).

It’s important, I think, to reenergize from time to time because it renews your interest and enthusiasm for the Blythe hobby. It’s nice to sometimes just spend some solo time with the dolls, or to create something that’s literally just for you and nobody else. After all, Blythe is a hobby. For some people it is also a livelihood, and I think that’s amazing that they can turn something that they love doing into something that is self-funding and then some. But for me, it is first and foremost a hobby. So sometimes I take a step back, change some outfits, and remember why this hobby is fun.

Do you take breaks from the online part of the Blythe hobby? What do you like to do?

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.