While you all may know my first Blythe (Sophie), I bet you don’t know who the last one into my doll family is! I primarily got her because she was a mold that I didn’t already have, and I was able to pick up locally and pay in cash – which was a nice perk of knowing local doll people and not having a bit of a sticker shock from the exchange rate (please, nobody remind me of how poorly the Canadian dollar is still doing compared to the American dollar). But this is my first (and only) Ashton-Drake Galleries Blythe Kenner reproduction – Pretty Paisley, she has no name yet:

Who was the last Blythe into your doll family?

BlytheLife Headquarters (a name I just made up for what is essentially my bedroom) is moving! As I contemplate the changes in my life and the changes to come in 2016, I must admit that I was at a bit of a loss for how to pack my dolls. Because BlytheLife HQ is not moving very far, my dolls and my doll stuff (clothes, furniture, shoes, stands, etc.) will be traveling in my car. This honestly gives me the peace of mind that I don’t have to imagine my dolls bouncing from wall to wall inside of a moving van because that idea just gives me nightmares to think about opening a box and finding dolly carnage. Luckily, because I’m not moving very far, I’ll be able to transport my dolls safely in the backseat of my car, and their belongings (of which there are many) in the trunk. Despite what is a considerably “easy” move, I still baby my dolls. Any dolls that don’t have their own carrying case (I use SewPixie carry bags) are safely wrapped up with some soft fabric (a.k.a. t-shirts – bonus, I’m packing some of my clothes in the meantime!). Nonetheless, I know it’s an easy move compared to some other moves that people have made with Blythe.

Have you ever moved with Blythe? How was that experience?

With no foreseeable travel plans this summer, my dolls are fuming at the fact that they won’t get their photos taken in exotic or even remotely interesting places. Chances are, I’ll take in a couple of day trips with some hikes here and there this summer, but no trips planned for fun in Tokyo or San Francisco (unfortunately!). In the past, I’ve taken Blythes on vacation with me. Moxie made it to Vancouver Island with me in 2012, and Eden went with me to Hong Kong in 2013.

While I can still be quite shy about photographing my dolls locally, I don’t feel that apprehension towards photographing dolls in public when I’m on a trip because I know the chances of me seeing those people again are slim to none. It helps having the power of anonymity on a trip because it doesn’t matter, in a way. Living in a metropolitan area of 2.5 million should help, but it really doesn’t – going on trips and having distance does! The benefits of anonymity allow me to be much more comfortable about photographing my dolls in public.

Are your dolls summer ready? Where are you jet-setting off to?

This question is really akin to asking you who your favourite doll is, because let’s face it – unless you’re particular in your purchasing goals, chances are you have dolls of various mold types.

Bennett (Margaret Meets Ladybug) is an EBL.

My current favourite, and this is very likely because Lottie’s the newest, is BL. I love Mondrian and I’m really happy that I have one in my life right now – I so “get” the fascination with the dolls that come naturally matte and boggled. Just love her so much. I am not going to say that my favourite is Kenner because that’s kind of unfair, but let’s consider the post-Kenner face molds: BL, EBL, SBL, RBL, FBL, RBL+, and ADG. What’s your favourite face mold?

Eden Mouse (Punkaholic People) is an RBL.

I’d have to say (quite honestly), that I’m really torn between EBL and RBL. There’s just a sullenness with EBLs that none of the other Blythes have, and then RBLs are just very sweet and have been such a huge constant in the Blythe community since they came into play.

What’s your favourite face mold?

I admit to playing favourites, and that spills into who gets what clothes too! Sad for some of my dolls, but a wonderful bonus for the others as it means that they get special clothes all to themselves. For instance, I (generally) buy pink things for Eden Mouse because pink is her thing. This holds true for dresses, shirts, pants, shoes, skirts (although I don’t have many), and tights. Cameo gets all the kitty things, although this was really started unintentionally and has resulted in a small but kitty-covered collection of doll clothes. And then there’s Lottie. I have no clue what her ‘theme’ is, if she has a theme, but she happily got special dresses all to herself when she arrived.

Do certain dolls in your Blythe family get special just-for-them outfits?