queen - bicycle race.mp4

I haven't felt much like posting the last couple of months. It's been a busy season of life. My birthday is creeping ever-closer and that always tends to bring on a little depression cloud. But this year happens to be my 40th birthday! And that is just too weird. It doesn't feel accurate. I feel 28, tops. (At the same time I feel like I'm 86.) So I have been dragging around like the Grim Reaper's breathing down my neck.

I decided this year I would like to get a bike for my birthday. I've been feeling like I want to get more vitamin D and be out and about, yet not be around people, so cruising around on a bike has seemed more and more appealing to me. The weather's been incredible; springy and damp and cool. That's made my yen even greater, and I have been scared that by the time my birthday actually rolls around, it will be too warm to want to be outside. So I have jumped the gun and gotten one a week early: this Huffy cruiser with 26" wheels.

It's a chromey maroon color (Alexa, play "Maroon" by Taylor Swift) and has a low-key bee theme? With hexagons on the seats and cup holder (!). I must acquire a water bottle or something that fits in the cup holder!!

I've already slammed the seat down to the lowest possible setting and taken it around my neighborhood. It really cruises along on a level street. But the second there's an incline that lasts more than a few seconds, my thighs are like, "Nope."

(I have not ridden a bike since I was perhaps, at the latest, 12.)

I'm fantasizing about 9 am cruises around my block, before it's blazing hot out, and I'm fantasizing about increasing my ability to pedal uphill.

Thighs of steel. Heart of a champion.

edit: Have I wiped out on the bike already? Yes, I have lost balance and bashed the heck outta my right knee.

My cat's very scared of the bike so far, so I've made sure to sit still on it so he can know I am in control of it. He's coming around. (Side note that my cat walks right up to cars and tries to get into them.)

Anyway, y'all, I've been hand-sewing a lot and I want to post about that soon. I've also been window-shopping relentlessly for Winny, who needs more mod/flower power-y clothes than I have in my collection. I do intend to eventually make dressup videos for both Zasha and Winny!

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Oops, I...

Ummm, so... Just a month after welcoming a new girl into the family, I up and adopted another! Meet Winifred aka Winny. She's a Prairie Posie who came to me from Rich, aka bonjourblythe on Instagram.

I fell in love with this girl the second I saw her. For one thing, these bangs she's been given are SO GOOD. SO CUTE. For another, Rich's styling is impeccable. Not just for Winny, but for all his dolls. Please do check out his Insta. But for whatever reason, my heart went bang-bang-boom every time he posted a pic of this girl specifically. I'm not even really active on Instagram anymore, but always loved to see her. Check my comments:

So when Rich put her up for adoption and I missed that reel by a few hours, I flipped and was like, "PLEASE TELL ME SHE'S STILL AVAILABLE!" I'm so fortunate she was!

I haven't really had this experience with falling in love with a very specific Blythe owned by someone else since 2010/2011, when I adopted Drew via Flickr after some hardcore stalking and letting her owner know I would love to adopt her if she ever came up for adoption. Typically I go for NRFB girls. I like to have their stock. I like to unbox them myself. I am just more drawn to that option than any other.

But as I am so many years deep in the hobby now, I think this is less important to me than it once was. Either that or I just bonded with Winny via Rich's pics because they're soooo good!

( pic one / pic two )

In an interesting fate-y turn, I have Prairie Posie's stock already!! Have had it for years. Just because that pink floral cottagecore aesthetic is very much up my alley. I have always liked Prairie Posie just fine, but never thought of getting her. Dear Lele Girl has long been my redhead of choice. But these bangs add to Prairie Posie's cute factor by about a squillion. Next to DLG, her hair is so rich and auburn-red, and DLG's more penny-red.

I think we can all agree that Winny's style is not cottagecore! She looks so great styled vintage (both mod and Brady Bunch-ish 70s, imo) that I will endeavor to keep that style up for her! I have a few sleepforever duds that'll suit her, but I look forward to finding a dress just for her, as per my tradition. I think she needs her own beret, too.

I haven't gotten two new dolls in such close succession in many years. I'm a little overwhelmed and verklempt at the same time! Now I have sixteen girls, which is wild. It feels like an evolution.

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Zasha's coat

Been looking forward so much to putting this sweet little coat from SamodelkaTeddyArt on Zasha -- I bought it just for her! Love the dark brown fur collar and the pattern of the fabric, and how it's quilted!

Here's the picture from SamodelkaTeddyArt's Etsy, which is very cute! The fabric is more beige than it appears in the above pic of Zasha, which is influenced a lot by the green backdrop.

Oh, happiness. Styling this coat could go any number of ways and it has my imagination alight with different combos to complement the colors of the coat. It's a statement piece for sure, and when it's snapped shut, it doesn't much matter what's on underneath. But here's the fit besides the coat:

• an olive green velvet ear warmer (crocheted by me!)
• Phoebe Maybe's stock blouse (an MVP -- Most Valued Piece -- in my dolly wardrobe)
• a suede skirt with cutouts (by the wonderful Anne)
• dark green ribbed tights (sewed by me!)
• brown boots (from the Takara I Love Shoes white set) 

Z still badly needs a hair treatment. Those ends are lookin' bushy. I am waiting on something in the mail, and then I'll be having a little spa day for a few girls!

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