Getting mail is the best! Getting mail that isn’t a bill is even better. Part of the reason why I do go on small splurges throughout the year when it comes to dolls and dolly things because it is just a lot of fun to get mail sometimes – even if I do have to pay for it myself. Getting mail is fun, and it can be even more fun when you end up buying from people who take care in wrapping. Sometimes that little bit of extra care can go a long way in making it a fun experience. I also tend to remember about the care and tidiness because it’s part of the overall shopping experience.

Cameo (FWB Custom) falls under category 4. The cameo for Cameo falls under category 5.
Cameo wears Plastic Fashion.

I splurge when:

1. Something great happens in real life (e.g. finishing a term and maintaining my GPA)
2. Something great occurs without any real effort from me (a.k.a. my birthday)
3. It’s been a while since I’d gotten anything in the mail that wasn’t my credit card bill
4. Something really special pops up and I honestly don’t think that I would ever have another chance at it
5. Something affordable pops up that I decide that I really want, because why not?

What has really helped curb my spending a lot is actually getting a magazine subscription. I prepaid, so I don’t get more lines on my bills, but I still get exciting! happy! mail once a month – which is pretty cool too. (For those curious, I had a subscription to a crafts magazine, so it’s extra excitement and happiness for me.) That and whenever I think about buying something, my conscious is asking if I really need something. Things that save my sanity (like storage containers) are a-okay in my book. Yet another doll dress? Probably not something that’s “needed”. And yes, I can totally hear Sophie shouting that I’m completely and utterly wrong about this because doll dresses are necessities in life. Apparently.

What are your reasons for splurging?

Part of being a responsible Blythe enthusiast is knowing when to slow down with the purchasing. This is also probably why I tend to buy a lot in a short amount of time when I go on my binges. I buy a lot, realize how much I’ve spent on dolly things, and then go on a purchasing sabbatical for a few months before reading the process. My personal best month was receiving a dress in the mail and also purchasing two Kenners. Granted, they needed a lot of T.L.C., but I still purchased two Kenners that month (and what a month it was!).

Prim and Lily think there’s nothing wrong with buying two Kenners on the same day.
They are both wearing Plastic Fashion.

My personal rule of thumb is if it isn’t money that I already have and is not allocated to something else (hello, responsibilities), then I cannot spend it. This goes well with helping to keep credit card debt manageable (completely paid off every month), as well as keeping me in check. If I cannot afford to pay for it in cash, I can’t buy it at all. The use of the credit card is just because people don’t tend to ask for you to mail them crisp bank notes in the post, they’d rather have you pay via Paypal because it’s online and instantaneous.

When do I think it’s a good time for me to slow down on buying things?

• When there are other things that take precedent – e.g. presents for someone that isn’t me, regular bills that weren’t as self-inflicted.
• When I start being surprised at mail as it arrives: Oh, did I buy that?
• When I cannot keep track of what I bought and from whom.
• When I go shopping online and buy ALL THE THINGS and my bank account sighs heavily at the exertion.
• When I can no longer afford it unless I start selling something (thankfully I have never reached this stage!).

When do you think is a good time to slow down on buying things?

New year, new obstacles to over come.

What interferes with my Blythe time? School, work, friends, boyfriend, family, studying (more studying), cooking, cleaning, and the very important sleep. That and time for commuting, because that sucks up some time as well! Life outside of my winter break clearly takes up a lot of my doll time. It was a lot nicer and care-free when I didn’t have school or anything to deal with. There was a lot more time for dolls and doing doll things. A lot more time.

What interferes with your Blythe time?

Belarus, the in-house BlytheLife blogger. I just live here.

Every year I think up a nice list of resolutions and honestly, I don’t think I fulfill many of them. I don’t even remember what my resolutions for 2014 were… So this year it will be simple:

1. Write for BlytheLife, and continue to enjoy writing for BlytheLife.
2. Continue working away on BlytheCon Vancouver and have fun on August 9th.

Two seemingly simple resolutions. I think I can manage those and remember them!

What are your resolutions for 2015?

One of the most fun things about being a Blythe enthusiast is the fact that there are so many options for clothing and shoes. Clothing and shoes can also end up being one of the more expensive components of the Blythe hobby. Recently I came across listings for Blythe clothing items (singular items) that were well over $100. One of those items was a really nice looking coat that was well over $100, and all I could think of was the fact that my own coat (that’s sized for me and not Blythe) was a relatively small fraction of the price. And at least I need to keep warm (sorry Blythes, but it won’t actually cause you harm if you’re out in the cold without a coat on!).

This led me to think about how expensive (and frivolously so) if every single one of my Blythes had their own distinctive clothing style that they wore. Thank goodness that there is generally overlap because I don’t think I could handle having to come up with fifteen different wardrobes, with shoes and accessories to match. The only doll that I have that doesn’t really share (unless duress) is Eden Mouse (the one who wears all the pink), and that’s just because she’s super picky (and thus I am picky…?).

Do you have distinctive clothing styles for every doll? Or maybe one or two dolls?