Without fail, one of the things that I’m almost always forget to bring to a Blythe meet is a doll stand. I say almost always because I have remembered exactly twice in all the Blythe meets I’ve attended from 2011 to now. Twice. I don’t exactly have the best track record, but I own Blythe stands and, on occasion, consider them to be a good thing to use.

The number of stands I own is dwarfed by the number of dolls that  have. If we go by stock dolls only, , I technically have enough stands for my Neos and Middies. But then I also have 2 custom Blythes and 3 Kenners that do not have stands. Luckily, that’s why I also own some doll-sized furniture that I use for display purposes. I used to have Bennett, my Margaret Meets Ladybug, on a stand but she would continually try to push her sisters over because of her weight (she has a lot of hair).

Overall, I really like the clover stands. My personal favourite moment was when I bought a pink stand for Eden (I believe she came with a black one) to really drive home the fact that everything she touches is pink. The unfortunate thing about the stands is that they are not sturdy enough to hold up a girl with a lot of hair well (e.g. Margaret Meets Ladybug, or Monique Magnifique). They pull apart easily enough for storage if you’re going somewhere. Depending on the doll, I occasionally run into problems with not being able to put their arms down unless they’re also wearing boots or shoes that elevate their height just a smidgen.

For Middies, I don’t usually use their stands, but they’re a bit more user friendly because I haven’t had issues with them yet. This may also be due to the fact that that both of my Middies aren’t particularly top heavy.

Other stands that Blythe has come with include the Licca stand (clear plastic that clamps the legs in place, I can see them working well for Liccas because of the small head but not well for Blythe who has a giant noggin), the EBL stand (very heavy, very useful if you’re taking photos in a windy area, plus these were also clear in colour and did I mention heavy?), the white Kenner Blythe stand, and then there was the standing ovation stand. Fairly rare and the  standing ovation stands don’t come up for sale often, but they were designed to make photography easier because it would be easier to hide the stand due to it’s flexibility. Of the four additional stands mentioned, I own the EBL stand but I don’t use them. I tend to use stands for display purposes at home only (because I almost always forget to bring a stand!), and the clover stands take up less room overall, which is what makes the more attractive to me.

Do you use stands for your dolls? Which one is your favourite to use & why?

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?

Photo credit to sxc.hu user ngould.

Five years ago to the day, I announced to the Blythe community the existence of this website: BlytheLife.com. Five years ago, my Blythe family looked like this:

Now it has grown in numbers, with a couple of pint-sized additions.

In the last five years, I’ve made a lot of great friends in the doll community. I’ve had the fortune of meeting some of these wonderful people in person. I’ve attended two BlytheCons (Portland, OR and Seattle, WA), and I have the pleasure of being one of the organizers of BlytheCon Vancouver – which is happening in a little over a month from now on Sunday, August 9th at the Sheraton Wall Centre.

To celebrate BlytheLife and you, my wonderful readers, I will be creating something for a lucky reader! That’s right, it’s giveaway time!

I will draw from the pool of commenters on BlytheLife and randomly pick someone to win something! The prize could be anything at all – no spoilers will be given until the winner (winners? maybe….) are announced! The more you comment, the more chances you can have in winning. The winner will be selected and announced on July 31st – any non-spam comments between now and then will be eligible to enter!

This will be open to international entrants. In the words of one of my favourite trilogies written recently, may the odds be ever in your favour.