For me, the answer is easy. I use it as much as possible when it comes to this blog. I have a Twitter account for BlytheLife (@blythelifecom – add me!) and I also have a Facebook Page (notice that I said page, not profile – you can Like BlytheLife.com, but not add the site as a friend). I use social media a lot when I’m not promoting or publishing new posts here on BlytheLife because the internet is all interconnected. I like getting into conversations with people online – either via forums, Flickr, Twitter or Facebook regarding Blythe. It’s fun!

I think some people shy away from social media websites because some news articles have demonized it, or they don’t understand it – or maybe they just don’t care. But the internet is always expanding and it is hard to get away from it at times because it’s always there. I’m sure those with smartphones can understand what I’m saying. Since getting my first smartphone in August, I’m constantly connected to ALL THE THINGS. I can check Instagram, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook on my phone (and yes, there are apps for all of those!). I can also check on Blythe Kingdom from my phone or write a new blog post on my phone, all while sitting on the bus or wearing my jammies in bed. It’s quite amazing what you can do with technology now – but it also means that I need to be mindful of turning things off. I had to set boundaries for myself because I was always (always, always, always!) on my phone tweeting something, updating a status, uploading a photo or writing something new for here. It’s hard to step away from social media sometimes, but there are some great points to it. If you want to keep in touch with someone, it makes it so easy.

How do you use social media in the Blythe hobby?

What makes Blythe special to me? Let me tell you…

• … they’re always there
• … because of Blythe, I’ve met some amazing people that I’m proud to call my friends
• … I’ve been able to become connected to people that I would have never met otherwise
• … they are non-judgmental (until it comes to my sewing)
• … they appeal to the little girl in me
• … how their clothes take up so much less room than my own
• … how their shoes can be organized in cheap organizer boxes
• … the click of their eyes
• … the pip of Kenners
• … their eyes
• … the vintage Blythe smell, the feel of the 40 year old plastic
• … how the pullring fits onto my finger like a ring
• … she allows me to be morecreative
• … the expression, the emotion, the thoughtfulness that can come from a plastic object

What makes Blythe special to you?

One of Blythe’s most unique feature is her eyes. More specifically, her four set of eyes. But not everyone is a fan of pink, blue, orange and green – so what are you going to do about it?

Most of my dolls have most (if not all) of their stock chips. I have more dolls with stock pink and orange than I do blue or green, even though I do like the blues and greens! Strange, but true. I have plans to swap out chips on some of my dolls (pink chips in Moxie, my Bubble Boom, I’m looking at you!), but just haven’t gotten around to doing it. But while I’m shopping/browsing for chips, I’ve realized that there’s a lot of choice now online for eye chips!

When I first started in the hobby, it was Brainworm, Brainworm and Brainworm. Now there’s so many different choices around besides Brainworm chips! Now only can you buy ones that have little flower etchings or duo-colour gradients, you can also find resin chips with sprinkles, glitter or little pictures. You can also find beautifully hand-painted chips! It’s amazing how different the ‘market’ for eyechips has changed in the last three years.

My main preference is still for Brainworm, especially when I want my dolls to retain the ‘classic’ eyechip look in their eyes. But I have also gotten Cool Cat chips (very comparable to Brainworm!) and some hand-painted chips from some fantastic artists out there.

What is your preference for second market chips?

Like many of us dolly enthusiasts, I’ve taken many, many photos of my Blythes. Some have been very bad, some have been pretty okay. Some have been taken on ‘real’ cameras, others on my phone. But like many of us, I have a favourite photo that I loved.

My favourite that I took? This one:

It’s a photo of Sophie, my mostly stock Cappuccino Chat doll. She was my very first Blythe and still lives with me. It’s special to me because it was taken near the beginning of 365 when I was first getting through a struggle of actually taking a photo every day. It’s hard work! I also love the act that it emphasizes the most striking part about Blythe, the eyes. But I adore Sophie and I’m glad that she was my first introduction into the world of Blythe.

What is your favourite Blythe photo that you took?

Alpaca, human,  mohair, plastic (saran, nylon, etc.) or wool. There are so many different types of material that people use to reroot dolls. Like with hair on a real person, I think everyone has their own preferences. Except when it comes to our own hair, we have the choice between: straight, curly or wavy; short, medium or long; natural coloured or dyed. With Blythe hair (Neo, Middie or Petite), we have so many more choices. And variety is the spice of life!

I’ve seen some beautiful reroots in my time in the Blythe hobby. I’ve seen (and felt!) some lovely stock hair as well. For instance, I never knew that Simply Guava’s hair was so soft until I touched it in person. I got to pop an alpaca reroot onto one of my Kenners briefly once and I have a mohair rerooted doll.  In Portland, I got to see so many customized Blythe. Some had a lot of hair, some had very little hair, some had added facial hair (but that’s not what this post is about). Some people have even used yarn to give their dolls ready-made dreads or a rag-doll look. I think there’s just so many options to what kind of hair our dolls can have, and that’s really awesome.

What’s your preference for your dolls’ hair?