Now, let me preface this by saying that this is not a stock vs. customized doll debate – nope, not at all! I’m just wanting to know how much of your collection is skewed towards stock or custom dolls. For the sake of argument here, lightly custom dolls (e.g. only gaze lifting, Licca bodies, eye chip changes) will count as “stock” as much of that is reversible. So non-reversible changes will make the doll count as custom (e.g. carving, change in make-up, and the like).

For me, the custom count is 2 dolls – or 13.3% of my collection (soon to be 12.5% of my collection once a certain little devil arrives…). Or actually, currently 12% if we count my Middies as part of my overall Blythe collection. So my doll family is quite heavily skewed towards the stock dolls. Think I should change that?

Is your doll family more stock or custom?

In the past there have been many, many, many crowd fundraising efforts in the Blythe community. From efforts to help pay for medical bills for a child, to replacing stolen technology for a friend, to attempting to fundraise for paying personal taxes. Needless to say, not all of these efforts have been successful, as success is often dictated by how popular someone is in the Blythe community and how well they let their cause and hardships be known. BlytheLife has been no stranger in helping with getting the word out about some community causes, and it’s generally been related to medical issues or fundraising efforts. In part, this is because I am of the opinion that it is ridiculous that in some parts of the developed world that it is possible to go into extreme debt due to medical hardships and seeking out medical care. Since nursing school, and working as a registered nurse, I’ve found it amazing that some countries (like the one that I live in) is able to provide essentially free shelter, food, and medical care, to people who truly cannot afford it, while people just south of the border have to choose between going to a clinic or emergency room and going to work because they can ill afford to otherwise.

Which leads to my Question of the Week, which is actually not really directly related towards dolls but towards the doll collectors:

What do you support?

I know many in the doll community support animal welfare causes and medical research, but I’m curious about what you – the BlytheLife reader – supports! I have gotten into a habit of donating blood, and I also donate to my local public library, food bank, animal shelter, and to a cancer research group (now I’m realizing after writing that a lot of the places I donate to are local and directly impact people in my community!) Comment below!

For readers not in the know, today is Thanksgiving (in Canada). Thanksgiving in October may be a foreign concept to some American readers, but then again so is a Thanksgiving in November to me!

Thankful for friends, community, and cuties like Halo (Friends With Blythe custom).

I am often thankful for Blythe because it’s brought out a creative side to me, provided me with a writing outlet (hello, BlytheLife!), and also has opened me up to a whole community of people. I’m especially thankful for all the friends I’ve made through Blythe – both local and not-so-local, and the travel opportunities that I’ve gotten to experience because of Blythe. Next year is, fingers crossed, going to be the first time that I attend a BlytheCon that isn’t in the same time zone as me and I’m very excited to be planning for that trip! I’ll be saving up between now and next October for a trip to New York for BlytheCon Brooklyn – which is very exciting to me as I’ve never been to New York before! And if you’re like me, you may want to check out the Events page for large scale Blythe events happening in 2017.

Image credit: Julie Blythe/BlytheCon Brooklyn Organizer.

TL;DR: I’m thankful for the community, friends, and travel opportunities when it comes to Blythe. That and they are adorable.

What are you thankful for?

I can be terribly nosy at times, but I like hearing the answer to this question! My best gift that I have received so far while collecting Blythe would have to be Eden Mouse (Punkaholic People). For those that don’t known, Eden was actually a gift from my parents for a Christmas that they missed. She is definitely one of my favourites, if I can admit to playing favourites with my dolls, and she is one of the funner ones to dress and to do photo stories of because I see quite a bit of me in her.

Fun fact: I had an awkward bowl cut too when I was a little girl, so young Michelle and perpetually young Eden would have matched.

What is the best gift you’ve received (in relation to Blythe)?

Photography is often best in natural lighting, but as someone who frequently shies away from taking her dolls out in public around people this is often reserved for indoors with perhaps the curtains or blinds open. Since my move, I went from a bedroom with green painted walls (no judgements please, I picked out the paint colour when I was sixteen) to a bedroom (and honestly, pretty much most of the apartment) with white walls. Which of course all this boils down to the fact that my current place to take photos is against the blank white wall. I also have an east-facing window in my room, which lends to some pretty decent light for the mornings.

New bedroom walls vs. old bedroom walls. That green sure helped to make all the dolls washed out!

I’m still working on taking photos outdoors, there’s some gardens and a preserved plot of forest nearby my new place that I think would be wonderful for photos – I just haven’t quite worked up the courage to venture out with my dolls for photos just yet.

What is your favourite place to take photos of your dolls?