hustlin'

So much on my plate lately. I feel really behind in almost every area of my life. I wish there was a defragging process for my brain.

For the past couple of months, I've had a YouTube channel trailer in the works. I finally finished it up and posted it last week.


For a 30-second affair, this took me an unreasonable amount of time to finish.

I didn't save any of the footage from my videos prior to somewhat recently. It's dozens of gigabytes, and my little old computer just can't handle holding footage for more than one video at a time... maybe two, max, depending. I pretty much had to trash the footage as well as the finished copy of the video every time I made one, so I don't have most of my videos in any format anymore. They only exist on YouTube.

However, when I realized I was going to attempt a channel trailer, I knew I needed to keep my hands on as much footage as I could manage. I kept everything I could manage to on my camera's SD cards. This summer, I invested in a second external hard drive to be able to transfer other files off my computer and clear some room, as well as back up footage shot for videos.

Just to create the trailer, I had a dozen or so huge, huge files of footage from various different videos, plus the transcoded footage also, so it took up far more room than it should've while I slowly picked out three-second bits from ten-minute chunks of footage and wondered what I was even doing.

Even at the best of times, I have very mixed feelings about YouTube, and sometime, I'll talk more about that. Right now, I'm just happy it's done!

Recently, also, Michelle from BlytheLife.com interviewed me! You can read that here if you want! I talk a little about blogging vs. vlogging. Looking through my folders for pictures to include was a real trip down a very happy memory lane. Five years in and I'm still convinced my Aury brightened my life.

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Ripple Throw Progress Report: 5/7

Just checking in on my 2014 ripple throw's progress (and indulging my crazy color compulsions with my Blythes; nothing new here)! I'm currently estimating it'll have seven swathes of color, but that's only an estimate. I feel like I'm about 70% done.

I had no particular vision for this throw's whole look besides knowing that I wanted to do larger swathes of color, but not just two alternating colors. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it! I enjoy the process of rippling, so the outcome isn't everything, and I'll only know how I really feel when I lay it over the end of my bed, probably.

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rêve love, part one

I heart rêve de Rui* so much, you don't even know! I am a repeat customer. This month, I got some dainty, dreamy summer dresses. Here's Clarke in one of them, showing off her purple chips. (Flower crown by me!)

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New family portrait!

(click here to embiggen!)

From left to right: Gavin, Lamb, Aury, Klara, Mallow, Bonnet (the Middie), Clarke, Plummery, Petaline, Beatrix, Fey, and Drew!

It was about darn time for new family portrait, seeing as how it's been a little over a year since the last! Oh my gosh. Toting eleven Neos (and a Middie) out into June heat, trying to find shade, is quite an undertaking. And now that I have so many girls, they're kind of hard to fit into a line up-style picture! There I was, taking picture after picture where Aury looked like she was about to fall over, and I didn't even see it in real life.

It is definitely amazing to see how my gaggle of girls has grown over the past four years. They each have special memories attached. Some were gifts (Plummery, Petaline and Lamb were given to me by friends!); some have traveled with me; some have been my muses; some had technical difficulties; some have been deboxed on YouTube; some have been called particularly creepy; almost all have worked as models for Etsy.

And it all started with my Ice Rune, Aury. I love her so much. My favoritism is absolutely blatant. If my house was on fire, she is the one thing I'd grab to rescue.

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What's in a (Blythe) name?

Did I ever mention that my pink-haired factory Blythe has been named Clarke?

My Blythe family and organization compulsions are such that I like to have a sense of cohesion; I am aware of it when something doesn't seem to fit, even it may seem 100% random and arbitrary to others. I can take a long time to name girls now. I may like many names, but I feel like they have to suit the girl and suit my family.

I have a couple of girls with more unisex/masculine-leaning names -- Gavin and Drew. For some reason, this girl is just so dang cool. She should be more precious, or something, but maybe it's her dark rosy lips and somewhat dramatic eyelashes/eyeshadow. She's just cool. For compulsive reasons, I knew her name had to start with "C" and "Clark" seemed to come up for her immediately, but I added the "e" to give it that slight feminine edge.

I just so enjoy her pale coloring with her darker makeup and perfect pink hair. (Isn't it so long?) Discovering her style is definitely slow-going. Although I'm window-shopping, I haven't found a dress just for her yet!

By the way, this hat's in my Etsy shop. I just make these by request now that shipping is so expensive, but the buyer had some transaction difficulties in the end, so if anyone wants it, it's available! Not that I mind keeping it...

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glances back through May

Fey and Clarke.

Rilakkuma USB drives?? Don't mind if I do!

"Ah, a lovely cheese pizza just for me."

Really cool and super unexpected b-day gift came to me from my bestie a week after said b-day... a mini fridge!! Did I buy cute magnets for it?

Yes. Yes, I did. These are from As I Breathe I Hope. Super cute wrapping, right??

A thank you card was sent post-haste.

Believe you me, I experienced some mundane/terrible things in May, too, so it wasn't all roses. But isn't it nicer to just focus on the roses?

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coral crush

I'm crazy for everything coral this year -- from watermelon to lighter peachy-sherbet. I'm going to make a whole ripple with lots of shades I've been gravitating towards... I'm almost ready to begin!

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Factory Girl's here!

And what a pretty thing she is! I'm in love. Her hair is bubblegum pink, very long, and in wonderful condition. The front-facing blue chips and side-facing brown chips that were the extra incentive to snag her are lovely; she also has pink and purple chips.

I have no other girl like her! I tend to be attracted to more natural makeup on Blythes (my big weakness is blushy cheeks), so literally none of my other girls have the classic Blythe bright, defined, deep lip color. Her skin is actually very pale and striking; you can better see her paleness in comparison to my other girls.

Her stand, ordered separately, hasn't arrived yet, so she's just chilling.

So lovely. I'm very pleased!

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Factory Girl

Yo, is it cool if I admit I got a factory girl??

I know they are somewhat controversial, as they're illicit hybrids cobbled together from parts that are perhaps leftovers, prototypes, or just not up to snuff. It's theorized these parts are taken, perhaps by factory workers, assembled, and sold on eBay without any kind of permission from Takara.

edit: She's actually a TBL, or Taobao Blythe!

Personally, I've had more and more experiences with a decline in quality from official releases -- terribly tangled, knotted, matted, greasy hair, super wonky fringe, clear lines left on the legs from the molds, increasingly cheap stock. Many new releases have required extensive fixing. This is crazy to me because Blythes are so expensive! I don't expect to pay so much money for something that arrives having to be fixed to the extent some of my girls were, or for stock I don't even want to use because it's so cheap-feeling. So I don't feel terribly bad for purchasing a nude, imperfect doll Frankensteined from unused pieces on the sly for half the price of a new (and also likely to be jacked up) release.

I just completely couldn't resist this combination of nearly perfect shade of pink hair, Dear LeLe Girl-style lashes, rosy lips, and these pretty eye colors. (She also has pink and purple chips.)

I've endlessly waited for a pink-haired girl whose shade of pink is not too blue, too hot, or too bright and neon, and I don't know if I'll ever see an official release with the perfect pink. I've always thought she may have to be a custom. I like very red pinks and very soft pinks. If her hair looks like this in person, I'll be so happy! She feels very "me," and I'm very willing to supply her with the things she lacks, like a stand and a pull ring!

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