Follow Us
Featured Post
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Finding Doll Props: At The Party Store?
Anna made a trip to a nearby store to purchase what she hoped to be useful doll props. The name of this establishment, Party City.
As the name implies, they sell supplies for birthday parties and other celebrations. The idea of finding suitable doll sized items at such a store seems odd, but Anna says she got the idea from watching a video from My Froggy Stuff. I will try to be optimistic about the matter.
Anyway, let us see what sort of treasures Anna has found.
First we have various small notebooks and notepads. They would be absolutely perfect for writing down important thoughts and details.
Pity that they are too tiny for my purposes. Sigh. I suppose they would be more suitable for a small fashion doll.
They will make a lovely present for Cerise, the charming little doll belonging to Anna’s niece (see Of Bjd Fashion: Dresses to Sew and a Tutorial).
As for myself, I may be able to make use of this larger notebook Anna manage to discover. The scale is perfect, though it does appear to be a phone book.
Of course these might be of use to me as well. They are small memo pads.
The size is fitting and the design is delightfully whimsical.
Don’t get any ideas Hikaru, I bought those for myself. They were just too cute to pass up.
Fine then, the design is too childish for me anyway.
Speaking of children, there is this beautiful toy ball that is probably intended for our dear little Sakura.
After all, who else but a small child would be interested in such a thing.
“Oooh, that is so pretty! Can I hold it? :)”
Alright, Usagi is but a child at heart. But mature individuals such as myself have no need for such toys.
“Are you sure about that, don’t you want to play with it? It’s really pretty.”
It’s nothing but a ball. An iridescent simmering ball, full of sparkling stars….twinkling in ever color imaginable…..Ohh.
…Um, no! Certainly not, I have no interest in playing with such things.
“Ohh, what a pretty ball. Can I play with it too Usagi?”
“Sure Sakura. Hikaru says she doesn’t want to, so we have it all to ourselves.”
“What’s wrong Miss Ghost Lady, I thought you liked pretty things?”
Hikaru, is this going to be like the stuff animal thing? (see Ball Jointed Dolls and Plush Toys)
That’s enough, there must be something else in here of use to me.
Sigh, more stuff for the “children”.
Actually I bought those for myself too.
A sheet of Hello Kitty stickers (that were on clearance!) and a Hello Kitty pencil sharpener.
“How cute! I wish I could have some stickers.”
If you behave yourself Usagi, I may share some of the smaller ones with you. They are the perfect size for dolls.
“Yay!”
Now here is something I can definitely use. It is a delightful set of water color paints. Just imagine all the great works of art I can create, that is as soon as I learn how to paint.
And last but not least, there is a lovely assortment of food shaped erasers. They are the perfect size for us. Most of them seem to be desserts, but far be it from me to refuse such sweet offerings.
Of course there is some sensible options for our dear Sakura as well. A sandwich and a wholesome apple, a perfect lunch for our growing little girl.
“Miss Ghost Lady, can’t I have some ice cream too?”
Sakura dear, it’s not good for you to have too many sweets.
“Usagi…”
“Don’t worry, you get some too. Hikaru is just hogging the rest because she loves sweets too much and doesn’t want to admit it. :)”
That simply is not true Usagi! Though I do delight in such delicacies I do not hoard them.
Anyway, I am very much impressed with the wide selection of useful trinkets found at this “party store”. I would also very much like to see more of their wares in the future, preferably in person.
If only Anna would allow me to accompany her on her shopping excursions. Maybe someday, but for now I am at peace.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Doll Owner’s Corner: Saving for a Doll
This post may contain affiliate links, for more info see our disclosures page. Thanks!
It’s the first of the month, time for another Doll Owner’s Corner. When I, the doll owner, can talk about anything without the dolls.
This month’s topic:
Saving for A Doll
Or “How do you afford to buy one?!”
Last month I discussed how much ball jointed dolls cost and the reasons for their hefty price tags. I also mentioned a few ways to bring down their costs, which is all well and good. But even at a lower cost, you still need a decent wad of cash to purchase your doll. Where do you get that?
By saving. When you really want something, you put money away (like in a savings account) until you have enough. Easier said than done, right? Not when you know how to manage your money.
I have actually read a fair number of books and articles on personal finance and thrifty living. So I have learned at least a few tips that help.
First up is setting up a budget. Oh no! Not that! Anything but that! Relax. Another term for budget is money plan, because that’s what you are doing. Making a plan of what to do with your money. You figure out how much money you have coming in, this is your “income”. And then you figure out where it will go, these are your “expenses”.
Here’s some resources on budgeting:
And here’s my take on budgeting.
Your fixed expenses include things like rent and utilities, debts, etc., things you have to pay and have little control over.
You also have necessary expenses for things like clothing, food, etc. These are things you need but have choices. Like you can choose to buy convenience foods and spend more on food, or buy fresh foods on sale and spend less.
And of course you have other expenses for things like books/magazines, entertainment, etc. Things you don’t need at all, but want anyway.
Your dolls sadly fall into that last category. But you have tons of choices there. Like choosing not to go to a certain concert or movie, and choosing something else instead. Notice how much I use words like “choice”.
Budgeting is all about choice.
There’s a simple thing I learned reading an article from The Simple Dollar about frugality. Basically, you choose to cut spending in areas that don’t really matter to you so you have more money for the things that are really important to you.
For me, and maybe for you, what’s important is my dolls and related hobbies (sewing!). Things that aren’t that important to me? The list is too long to put here, but one thing that comes to mind is my phone.
I don’t have a smart phone because I don’t feel the need for one. I just prefer a computer screen for things like social media and games. The only things I need from a phone is voice and text. So instead of paying $70+ a month for phone service, I only pay about $14 a month (and I’m rewarded for referring people, here’s the link). That’s over $50 a month saved and over $600/year. More than enough for a new doll.
Another example, I do love my hair, but not enough to pay through the nose for my shampoo and conditioner. The one I buy is the store brand version of one I really love . They both come in large bottles that last a long time, and the store brand is about $2 less per bottle normally. When it’s on sale I stock up. It saves me approximately $10/year, which may not seem like much, but little things like this can add up.
And What About the Important Stuff?
There are so many other choices you can make, even on things that do matter.
Example, I shop at thrift stores. I can find items really cheap that I can use for the dolls and my other interests, like fabrics and such (Hikaru really pointed this out in this post). Plus I can find cute clothes and other stuff I “need” for really great prices.
Of course thrift store shopping is just the tip of the iceberg. There are tons of other ways to save money on pretty much everything. And every little bit you save means more money in your budget for the finer things in life.
Here are more resources to help you save:
I hope all this will help get you at least a little closer to affording whatever you wish for, a new doll or otherwise. And if you have ideas of your own, please share them below.