window shopping: the blues

Hey all, happy February!

I've been investing in Blythe clothes lately. Sometimes I don't buy anything for literally months, but my family went through a growth spurt last year, so I've been trying to make sure I have enough shoes and socks to go around.

As I'm not terribly attracted to the color blue (ironically, as about half of my Blythes came in blue stock!) and am a little picky about cooler tones, I've noticed that I really don't have many blue dresses. I think I have perhaps four or five, which in the scheme of things is hardly any! I have, like, fifteen pink dresses at the very least. Probably more. Ditto yellow.

I'd like to remedy this, so I went to Etsy and searched for "blue Blythe dress." Here are the ones I liked most...

( one, two, three, four )

Really unique neckline on that third one! Also, the second one is by MissFreyaJ -- I have a number of her dresses and they're great. Just what I like: simple and often floral.

( one, two, three, four )

I actually like these knitted/crocheted dresses even more! They're all gorgeous and I'd literally buy them all if I could! O, that I were made of money.

Read More

Blythe window shopping

I'm still looking for a perfect dress just for my new pink-haired factory girl (it will be just hers -- I like for each of my girls to have something that is just theirs; factory girl has no stock). Her general feel is very different from many of my girls.

I haven't landed on anything just yet. In a couple of cases, I just haven't committed to buying something in time, so someone else snaps it up. C'est la Blythe vie. But here are some things that have caught my eye as I've been browsing Etsy.

(MINI JIJO)

I really like MINI JIJO's dresses, especially the little $6 ones. I love a simple dress that looks cute styled many different ways on many different girls. I have quite a few of those little dresses from their shop, as well as netted lace skirts. But for $20 -- my personal spending limit on a Blythe item -- these are gorgeous duds. I just can't resist florals at all and the netted lace on the shoulders and sleeves is so unique to see on Blythe dresses.

(MissFreyaJ)

I'm also a repeat customer to this shop (I think four of my girls are in MissFreyaJ frocks right now!), since she also makes just what I like: simple, versatile dresses... often floral! The price ($12, and that's with international shipping included) just can't be beat.

(VioletPoppyDolls)

I've never shopped at Violet Poppy, but these dresses are perfectly retro, just perfect for Blythe. Many of the dresses have sweet Peter Pan collars that always catch my eye. Love. This one with the gold netted skirt makes me want to dance to ABBA.

(Macrocephalus)

Love, love, love these vintage-looking petticoats from Macrocephalus. Just gorgeous. I love petticoats so much. I'm so tempted...

Read More

tripping the fox fantastic

What to do when you're looking back on an exhausting month, you've finished your ripple throw (aka Reason For Being), all your TV shows are ending for the summer, and your yellow ukulele was backordered till August?? (Why does this always happen to me?) That's right. Window shop!

I've got it so bad for foxes + florals!

little dear's felt face Blythe dresses are always fabulous but this one just takes the cake!

A darling print from Chipmunk Cheeks!

Cutest. Bag. Ever. from littleoddforest!

Read More

Animal Hat Gang

Everyone knows I love a good animal-eared hat! I wear my fantastic fox hat from awberry all the time and I always get complimented on it (most people are sincere, too; the sincere outnumber the bemused, promise). I've been looking around on Etsy for a new hat to add to my little collection...

I really like all of the sleek animal-eared affairs bobcathats offers! But the unique barn owl and raccoon hats are probably my favorites!

Another beautiful owl hat available in a nice variety of colors from River City Knits.

Love this super-sweet kitten hat from Vixie & Mynx.

Too-cute teddy bear hat from Backwoods Knifty Knitting.

For the more understated bear-eared hat, you can't beat this one from Nolie Polie Olies.

This tan fuzzy animal-eared hat from Miss O's Creations is simple but looks so cozy! She's got other similar hats in all kinds of colors and I must say I like them all!

And I must confess, I just bought this adorable fox hat from Designs By Lines for a birthday present... FOR MYSELF because I'm an aduuuuult:

I'm so excited!

I sure did see a whole lot of babies sleeping with their hands tucked in their chins wearing all manner of adorable animal hats... and a lot of stuff that I'm sure is on Regretsy too.

Animal Eared Hats Bonus Links!!:

• CAT TOWN - An old favorite of mine, the Animal Hat Gang "ARE ALWAYS UP TO NO GOOD! EL GUAPO TEACHES THEM A LESSON EVERY TIME THOUGH"
• Mathematical Jake the Yellow Dog-inspired hat! I would wear this.

Read More

birthday window shopping

Ew, I'm getting so old! How best to numb the pain? What's that? Materialism, you say? Being rewarded for existing with goods and services?? Do you mean to imply that I can acquire things just by having been born once upon a time? Well, if you say so! You seem trustworthy to me!

This Mahalo ukelele in yellow (or maybe pink??) would be delightful!

And wouldn't it be adorable to play it, or my beloved guitar Little Ghosty Boo, with Rilakkuma guitar picks?

(picture found here!)

And this yellow dress is just crying out to be in my girls' closet. I want to have yellow dresses for each of them someday -- I'm almost there, just need a couple more!

And to complete my Maria-sama ga Miteru DVD collection, I still need the third and fourth seasons! Oh my, I miss this show so much!! The fourth season is just my favorite thing ever.

Read More

Middie window shopping

Do you ever see a dress and think, "Oh, that's totally my girl!"

Aury can wear anything by virtue of being a blonde who has an all around fun and sweet personality, there's nothing she does not love. And my blue-haired Drew is very amenable to lots of different looks. But Miss Beatrix just has a more librarian feel about her and prefers to look suitably vintage and/or polished. Plummery wears lots of layers and more muted colors, so she's always looking mori; if it doesn't have layers she just seems to feel not like herself. Miss Petaline (yes, "Miss" gets suffixed in the case of pickier girls) is absolutely the hardest to shop for. It's a rare day when I see a Petaline dress -- and an even rarer day when it isn't kind of expensive for my Blythe budget. She gets all the best duds.

I once got into a discussion with my friend L about attributing personality traits to my Blythes; I said it was not a voluntary decision that I made, that I just "felt" these things kind of automatically about them, while L disagreed and thought it was purely my personal preference. Then she got a Blythe, and I think she knows what I mean now ;)  Some girls just have their own style! Although, to be fair, I am eccentric.

Shopping for a Middie is way hard, because there just aren't a lot of Middie clothes out there in general (right now on Etsy there's only 7 pages of results, compared to a billion or so pages of results for Neo-sized Blythe) and I cannot find things that seem very Bonnet-y. There are lots of dresses I love that just don't seem to suit how she feels to me. Nevertheless I favorite them!

Love these very Macaron Q-Tea Party-suitable duds, a green crochet dress with a cute bow by bunnybrownie and springy pink and green floral dress by the lovely Tea from Taffeta Day!

This polka-dot number by hiblythe is a total Beatrix dress. If she ever shrinks in the middle of the night, I'm buyin' it for her!

Whilst fussy (I love fussy!), the allure of this minty Alice dress from kreamdoll is very great! It would go with Macaron Q-Tea Pot's minty stock Mary Janes, too.

Alas, Bonnet just hasn't found her personal style yet!

Read More

just my moon face in some e-windows...

This time of the year is totally Back To School time! When I was little it was more definitely Autumn, probably September, when school started; I remember very vividly a yellow dress I had printed with red apples, dry crunchy leaves stuck in the circle drive in front of my school, and the excitement of shopping for school supplies. I remember the smell of fresh crayons, Laddie pencils, Elmer's glue and waxed floors and books... that's going way, WAY back, though!

If I was going Back To School, I would definitely want to wear these dresses:

laurier floral collar dress

(Ruche)

three bow dress

(Forever 21)

fleece cumpleaños dress

(Modcloth)

Love all those bold jewely autumn colors. I especially love purple in autumn. But alas, am a sucker for more muted and dreamy things, too... I want to sit around strumming my guitar in these...

i really mist you dress

(Modcloth)

awning of leaves dress

(Modcloth)

And just because I love pink floral anything, anytime:

jasmine passion dress

(Ruche)

yorkshire estate floral cross body bag
(Ruche)

Read More

cheap frills

Got this dress at Target for $5. Score!! I'll wear it with my cowgirl boots!

I noticed that they had a lot of oxfords, which I like (but am not nearly hip enough for; I would look like such an idiot in them!), and I also noticed the most adorable little ankle booties in pink and brown.

They are so adorable!! I really don't like to spend much on clothes, but admittedly, if I'm going to spend money on something, it's going to be shoes. I'm one of those girls...

Read More

ah, material things

This dress! Shut up! It's the type of thing I can't wear except for in my imagination.

Two recent purchases:

Bought this little floral satchel at Target the other day. I love my cheapo pewter metallic bow bag, but it's beyond time to move into springy stuff and it'll do me for summer and autumn too, I suspect!

This deer ear headband from sugarduckfairy on Etsy! She does a ton of adorable headbands and I was happy to get one without antlers, because believe you me, THERE ARE ANTLERS ALL AROUND ME.

Read More

Happy New Year!

Greetings, loved ones! Nothing like a little innocent piracy to cap off the year. I put together this playlist for myself of songs that I either listened to a lot this year or that represent something to me, something I did or moments shared with others.

Hot Summer Jams 2010
(eta: Blogger has made me take down the music, but I'm leaving the image.)

I don't really make resolutions. I don't think I can resolve to do something for an entire year! And I feel like if I make it a "thing," then I'll be all the more likely to give up sooner and feel like I have failed. Simple ideas work more for me.

In 2011, I'd like to...

wear dresses more often

keep practicing my knitting

be sure to do things for fun and not just for work

build up my Blythes' wardrobes a little more... six girls and not near enough dresses to go around!

Anyway: I'm really excited that Pretty Little Liars will be back on January 3!! It's so campy and fun (think of a mash-up of Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, and perhaps something like Degrassi -- I've never seen Degrassi so I'm not positive about that, but there's drama and Canadian accents and Emily is hot for girls!), great eye candy, and my fave actress Alona Tal will be joining the cast to wreak havoc upon my least favorite character, Aria.

I'm so stoked! In the first episode, Hanna is carrying this super-cute bag from Payless, of all places:

It doesn't appear to still be available online (it's listed on the website still, but when you go to the page, it says "No inventory is available for the selected product"), but I drove to the store this morning and snatched up the very last one on the shelf!! YAY! $15 well spent!

Read More

Christmas colors

I enjoy your classic red and green holly jolly Christmas stuff, but even more than that, I love alternative and pastel color themes for all holidays, including Christmas...

Like the green, gold, and blue on this Stocking Up On Necessities stocking at Modcloth...

And of course, pink anything! This handmade pastel glittered Christmas village is absolutely the kind of stuff my own personal Christmas dreams are made of.

I'd love to do a white tinsel tree with all pink ornaments, or that blue one with all wood and gold. (I actually found this picture on a blog proclaiming these things the world's ugliest trees, which I don't understand... all of these have the potential to be lovely or cute.)

I also love this Oak-y Dokey garland, also at Modcloth. I would hang this in my room year-round, personally, as I do with white fairy lights. I'm going to just covertly Kaboodle these for later...

We have a lot of teas (it's just a silly thing we do, but holiday teas are also a Christmas tradition in my mother's church and she puts a lot of work into her table or sometimes tables, plural) and do a lot of tablescapes in my family. A shared love of table arranging and decor runs down my mom's side of the family. I really want to have a vintage Valentine's tea in gold, pearl, and coral instead of your standard red and pink, and also I have a tea I'm mentally referring to as "Winter In Narnia" that has yet to happen (in white, brown, brass, aqua-green, and mint with a woodland theme) waiting in the wings. I got a hot chocolate set at Anthropologie last year that I really want to use!

Earlier I saw some cream-colored vintage-looking plates on our table and said, "Are those the plates for my tea that has yet to happen?"

"Yes. They are actually your plates," said my mom.

My plates! How cool!! I'm so not a grown-up, so I've never had need or occasion for my very own plates. I'm going to lovingly stack them next to my hot chocolate set and maybe someday they'll actually get used...

Read More

in the air there's a feeling

Hehe -- wow! Beatrix has officially done more modeling than some America's Next Top Model alums.

Uh-oh, I'm warming up more to Vinter Arden thanks to pics like this on Flickr... I'm really torn!

Anyway, now that I'm 90% done with my Christmas shopping (I don't know if you know this, but I am actually Santa Claus) it's just-for-funsies WINDOW SHOPPING TIME!

Amazing coat and hat sets from My Fair Dolly -- this one is just my fave!

Super-adorable jumper dress set by Moshi Moshi. Absolutely love this one.

I can't resist all the lacy accents on this dud by blythewithyouandme.

This Decole squirrel tape dispenser is killing me. It's hilariously cute.

This dress on Ruche is pretty! I really love anything with that kind of detailed ruffled/pleated yoke.

This necklace from JewelryDeli is my second-face necklace from them...!

I think I might wrap a few presents now. I'm in the mood, so even though it's still really early in the Christmas season, that's okay, right?? I probably own't be in the mood to wrap later...! I'll be baby-sitting tonight and I'm looking forward to packing my Epic Blythe Carry Bag with a girl and some yarn to crochet with!!

Read More