I hate the cold and being cold, so couple that with the fact that the weather is miserable outside and I’m less-than-likely going to venture out to take photos of my dolls. On occasion, I do take photos outside.

Very, very rarely.

Like finding a perfect pearl in your first oyster kind of rare. The above photo is the closest I got to taking Maple outside for a photo this weekend.

Do you take photos of your dolls outside?

Today is the first day of winter and it’s also the first day for the last little while that it hasn’t looked like winter outside of my window. Where I live in Canada, we got a fairly large amount of snowfall that translated to a lot of transit and commuting issues (surprise! The area that I live in does not cope well with snow!). But it has rained recently and it has warmed up, so a lot of the snow has melted and washed away.

I am not ready for the holidays yet though, despite it being the winter solstice. There are no trees up either where I live or where my parents live. The only lights up are the ones in my bedroom. I still have baking that I want to get done (which may not get done…) and there’s the fact that I’m only 99% sure that I’ve remembered everyone that I should be getting gifts for. But it’s the season for looking ahead to the new year. One of the things that I’d like to do in 2017 is: more interviews, more Everyday Collector profiles, and more giveaways! As BlytheLife gets closer and closer to 1000 likes on Facebook, I get more and more ideas of what to do to celebrate.

How are you celebrating the first day of winter (if you happen to live in the northern hemisphere)? As I’m working night shifts over the next few days, I’ll be celebrating with sleep and hot chocolate!

This is a question that I get asked from time to time, especially around December. Do I get my dolls gifts for the holidays? The reality is that when I get them a gift, it’s really a gift for me! Things have gotten more expensive this holiday season as I’ve had to expand my list of people to shop for, so it has turned into less shopping for me and more shopping for others. Which is really what the season is supposed to be about (giving, being generous, thinking of others).

I might get my dolls some little gifts post-holidays when I’m not feeling the pinch as much from the shopping. Some new shoes, perhaps some more separates, and then more knitting to be done for the dolls! If you have any shops to recommend to me, leave the links below in the comments to help me out a bit.

What was something nice that I have done for the holidays was go to the annual Christmas meet with Vancouver Blythe Bunch – definitely a gift in itself! It’s felt like forever since I’ve had a good amount of dolly fun (our last meet was a Halloween meet!), so it was great to see people, sit, relax with some colouring, chatting, and ooh-and-ahh over dolls and their outfits.

Are you getting your dolls gifts for the holidays?

You have a doll-related website/shop/blog and BlytheLife has your target audience!

BlytheLife.com is an active doll website with a high readership that primarily consists of women who are Blythe and other doll collectors/hobbyists. By advertising your doll-related site or business with BlytheLife, you can ensure that your ad is being seen by the people that are your potential customers. Every time someone visits BlytheLife, they’ll see your ad on the side!

Did you know? Sponsorship costs are purposely kept low to keep advertising accessible to people in the doll community.

There are three spots currently available for the month of January and all sponsorship funds go towards the costs of keeping BlytheLife.com live on the internet!

Large – 1 spot available for January! (325×200 pixels)

• $10 – 1 month
• $18 – 2 months
• $26 – 3 months

Small – 2 spots available for January! (160×160 pixels)

• $5 – 1 month
• $9 – 2 months
• $13 – 3 months

If you’d like more information on how you can advertise on BlytheLife, click here.

Welcome to the 2016 Blythe Holiday Shopping Guide! This is part 3 of a 3 part mini-series to help those who are trying to figure out what to buy for themselves, or what to buy for the Blythe-lover in their life. Part 3 is the $50 and up shopping guide!

With impending holiday gift giving deadlines, what are some fantastic gifts that you could give yourself (or your loved ones)? If you have a pretty generous budget, this is the shopping guide for you! If your budget is a little bit less generous, or you’re looking for some stocking stuffers, please check out part 1 of the 2016 Blythe Holiday Shopping Guide ($25 and less) and part 2 ($25-50).

What would every Blythe enthusiast love to receive? How about a new shelf? Floating wall shelves would be fantastic, bonus if there’s a little lip on it so that the doll stands fit nice and snug against the wall. There’s always the option of getting a shelf unit with a glass door – perfect for keeping dust off of the dolls, as well as hindering furry paws or tiny hands from getting onto the dolls. Definitely more than $50, but could be done for less than $100 depending on the option you choose.

There’s always the option of getting your loved one a new doll. From Petites to Middies to Neo – the sky is the limit when it comes what kind of doll you get the Blythe lover in your life! This can range from ~$50 (for a Takara Petite) to $400+ for a brand new, in box Neo Blythe.

If your loved one loves handpainted eye chips, there’s always the option of getting them a full set (4 pairs) for their dolls! This will likely run you at least $60-80 for a full set, but imagine the look on their face when they unwrap the nicest handpainted eye chips they’ve ever seen?

Does the Blythe hobbyist in your life have a favourite customizer? This option is fairly pricey, but would definitely cause some heart eyes to get directed to you when they unbox the custom dolly of their dreams!

One of the ultimate, the sky’s the limit type of gifts that you might want to consider gifting to the Blythe lover in your life is… a Kenner Blythe doll. If you really want to go all out, get them one that’s still in box. This is definitely at the top of my wish list – but I don’t think I’ve been quite that good this year!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the 2016 Blythe Holiday Shopping Guide this year! Maybe you’ll get something off the list as a gift this holiday season!