Talking to Myself

It’s either this or talk to myself, and I already know what I’m thinking.

That from Julia Scotti, a comedian on America’s Got Talent.

I like it.

I’m missing my dad so much today. He always ENCOURAGED me.  There's a hole in my heart left by my dad. I know he’s with me in so many ways, I am remembering his encouragement, his you-can-do-it and his proud smile when I conquered something.

I conquered the kitchen floor. I gave up hope of new and patched and refinished the old. I refinished the counter top in the kitchen except in that one spot. I installed the new blinds. I washed and scrubbed. I can do this. I don’t know why I am so reluctant with this last hole.  I CAN do this. I am capable. I am smart.

I look forward to the day when I will no longer feel like I need to hide my talents and skills from anyone because they don't have confidence in me and so I don’t want to share that I really do. I patched the floor and refinished it. It’s a big deal to ME… not so much to him. It mostly inconveniences him. I’ve been trying for ten years to get a new floor, because of the burn marks. BUT I PATCHED THEM. It looks like a new floor, actually like a new kitchen. One more patch for the counter top, which I could not convince hubby that it needed to be replaced. I’ve filled the scratches, and am patching the holes. A new cook top! Only took ten years to convince him we needed to replace it. We used only one burner for years. Finally it sparked when he was using it. So he believed me.

So I assume this is a guy thing. Well,   I don’t want to put up with THAT nonsense; but in some ways I am, when I am hiding what I am doing, like fixing the kitchen faucet, doorknobs, hinges, lamps, installing a drip system, refinishing furniture…  kind of strange to think about why I do this, and there's that piece of my damaged heart that needs fixing. 

Anyway. Holes. Fixing holes. Fixing hearts. Remembering that God is not part of time or space. Life is bigger than anything I can imagine. My dad is not dead; he’s still somewhere, puttering around. I have no idea what any of this looks like, but it isn’t over; and I don’t have to understand any of it. I picture God delightedly laughing at my efforts of understanding. I am His, and He knows me, and someday I’m going to dance with Him. And my dad. And Aaron. And Marilyn. And Edith. And Helga.And Dennie. And Anne. And....  And Uncle Alan and Aunt Marilyn. And…………………….so many gone.

I can't believe I bought a BRATZ. I don't LIKE them LOL

Here I go again. I found a Bratz doll for $5 on a clearance table. I've been really curious about repainting doll faces, so thought I'd give it a go. I haven't been feeling well the last few days, and

after I got up following yet another nap, I thought I'd try it.

Do I have an odd hubby, or was this doll designed by a man? He LIKES Bratz. I find the whole thing rather icky shall we say, their ultra-skinny mostly makeup huge feet selves? But since I know NOTHING about painting eyes I thought I could at the very least take off all that hideous (to me) eye make up. He thinks they look REALLY CUTE... and why did he marry me, I asked? He didn't have an answer, LOL. I'm a Plain Jane who has NO desire to wear makeup AT ALL and I own what, four pairs of shoes, three of them sandals? (my feet LOVE California) A girly girl?? No. I guess "they" call us LOW MAINTENANCE. A kind way of saying we don't like to wear makeup masks. That's what it feels like, wearing a mask, and as much as I try to explain it to hubby, and as much as he says it "enhances" beauty... (why did he marry me, he never said. Sounded like a good idea... Girly Girls are expensive. Been there done that, I guess. I'm #3, but he's been with me longest. I digress)

So I thought I'd try to JUST remove her makeup and not her eyes at this point. If I get braver I'll redo even the eyes, but for now she looks much better, in my opinion. I should know better than to ask my hubby's opinion. He just laughed and said, "Do what you want".

I think I will give her some eyelashes and maybe a touch of lipstick. And let her be more real.

Now she looks a bit pensive. Like she wonders what it will be like without all that makeup. She's pretty.

I read some stuff about Bratz dolls, and their designers. I admire a company that sticks to its guns and actually took on Mattel. And I really agree, if you don't like Bratz, don't buy them. From MY point of view, LOL, I've rescued her from something. A life having to be so caught up in "fashion" and being perfect. I also had a further discussion with hubby, and he said that I was putting a bit of a spin on what he said. I MIGHT do that, LOL...Cartoony isn't bad. Maybe I can think of the feet as cute.

Well. I'm kind of hoping to find another Bratz at the thrift store. The only thing is, I've heard they don't usually have feet.

So then there will be something else to try!! 

I used acetone and some of those really pointy cotton swabs I got when one of my kids got married and I thought I should wear makeup... A LOT of them. I need to look at her with a magnifying glass and clean her up a bit more. So far so good though.

Funny what "makeup" and "glamour" and "fashion" bring up for me. In school I always felt like an odd duck. My mom was the Glamour one. She would sigh and say, well you have to do the best with what you have.... and that we'd get some new clothes "when you lose that weight"... so I guess I can see that maybe my opinions are a bit.... well... colored with the hurt of my experiences. Maybe if I had been "good" at makeup and mask wearing... but then I wouldn't be the ME that I am, and I like me.

Oh. There are two designers. A man and a woman. Pretty cool, actually. Sometimes it does some good to read about the people behind the scenes.

But I still like her better without the makeup.

Sept. 1 note: She went with me to Idaho in hopes of getting a new dress. Betsy got it instead. But JP enjoyed playing with her like a 2 year old plays, by grabbing her by the hair and running around. I doubt if she enjoyed herself, but JP had fun. :)

Two doll restorations done!!

I got My Friend Jenny in the mail today. Here's the ebay picture since I forgot to take a "before". A little fuzzy since it's a tiny picture. I washed and combed her hair and found out that somebody did indeed cut her hair! Right on the top!! Poor sweetie! You take that chance when you buy a doll that looks like this. Which is why I would rather buy from the thrift store.

I think it will be okay. It sticks up somewhat, but whoever gets her will love her anyway. I put a clip on the top and that would do, like a little hair bow to match her dress... I washed her dress because it was dirty and the red bled into the white... but I can either use it as a pattern or replace the trim or both. In the after picture she's wearing her sister's extra dress. She has no shoes or socks yet I hope they are on the way. Her face is a bit darker than Mandy's. I think she's going to M. and I might have to get another for me. M's not ready to play with her yet so she'll get a wardrobe first. I'm doing G's Holly Hobbie too and L's Imogene, but there's really nothing wrong with them other than to re-glue Holly's bonnet and wash them gently so I won't document that.

Rainbow Brite is done too. I washed, finger combed and re-styled her yarn hair, Trimmed off some particularly ratty ends. Her bangs are uneven, but I'll leave that to Liv since she's the hair stylist. You can hardly see the ink spot but she just looks brighter and newer somehow.

So although I didn't accomplish much today other than clean the kitchen and pamper these two beauties, I had a satisfying day.  I'm excited that my grandkids will have some dolls to play with, even though 13 of them are boys, they can play with them too. There's another doll I should be sewing for right now but can't find the fabric for the gi. Another day.

After I restore them they are hard to give away. LOL but I know they will be loved by another generation, then probably need restoring again. So I might see them again!!

Rainbow Brite

before any treatment

Poor Rainbow Brite has had an ink spot on her face since my daughter got her many years ago. I've been trying to get it off for the last few days. I've been working on all her dolls so I can return them to her in the best possible condition. She loved Rainbow Brite and carried her around often. She was a thrift store find like the rest of the dolls. I never tried to get the ink off, it seemed pretty soaked in.

I decided to try. I found a site that recommended putting benzyl peroxide acne cream on it and leaving it for awhile. I did that first. After about three hours with the acne cream on it. I couldn't tell if there was a change or not. It looked a teensy bit lighter, but maybe it's the lighting... I tried to take the pictures in the same spot with the same lighting.

after one hour in the sun

I read some more and found a site that advised putting saran wrap on it and leaving it in the sun so I did that next. Comparing the pictures I THINK it's lighter. Hard to tell.  I guess anything is an improvement.

two hours total in the sun

Here she is after another hour in the sun. I think if you look from the first picture to the last, you can definitely see a difference. I am hesitant to keep putting her out in the sun because I don't want to damage her... so...

this is what I did to the poor girl to protect her from the sun.

without treatment

3 hours not in the sun
and 2 hours in the sun

My conclusion is that benzyl peroxide works well to get ink stains out. 30 year old ones... well maybe. It's better. After she has her hair styled again she'll be almost as good as new, except that she has no dress. That's ok, she's got a cute suit on.

There were a lot of sites that had this information, but one that encouraged me to try and reassure me that I wouldn't ruin the poor girl if I tried. She's out baking again right now, so maybe all of the ink will come out?? Even if no more came out I would be satisfied with this much, she looks much nicer already.

I let her sit in the sun another hour, and not much difference. This is a 30 year old stain after all... and maybe that faint stain can just stay as a reminder. And to prove she's really my daughter's doll and not an imposter. LOL.... I put some more on the stain and she's just going to sit in the bathroom for a few hours and we will see.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/Removing-Ink-from-Vinyl-Dolls-1.html

Tod-L-Tim

I had a doll in childhood I called "Kathy". She was a rubber doll, and she's still in a suitcase I haven't
been able to locate, haven't really tried, but she's probably in The Middle Bedroom {{shudder}}...

Anyway, I wanted to find out how old she was, and what she is called, and I found her picture online. She's called Tod-L-Dee. I guess I didn't like the name Dee, I don't remember how she ended up Kathy. I don't even remember when I didn't have her.

So I found out that she had a twin, called Tod-L-Tim. Of course I had to have him, so I found him on ebay. Then of course he had to have some clothes. I drafted a shorts pattern for him, and I had a T shirt pattern that I thought would be about right.

The pants are made from some pants that were hanging around here, not sure where they came from but they were in The Rag Bag. Hubby puts a lot of inappropriate (in my opinion anyway, LOL) stuff in that rag bag. I took them out of there and put them in the Out Pile since they were still in reasonably good condition. They were pretty small so don't know whose they would have been... oh well stuff like that happens around here, we find stuff from years and years ago that no one is using, and we wonder why we don't have storage space. So I grabbed them and turned them into Tim's pants, with plenty left over for some other doll to have some pants too.

The T shirt was one of mine that I've loved for ages but has a few holes in it. It's probably 18 years old at least, but Timmy isn't going to mind. I don't really like the neckline, but this is the first T shirt I've made that is this tiny. I made dozens when my kids were growing up. There's plenty of fabric left for experimenting, and for now, Tim has clothes. And I'll make a dress for Kathy (Dee) when she surfaces, so they will be Matching Twins although Kathy is much darker. They won't care and neither will I.
 

Very First Doll Shoe

well, other than the ones I made out of duct tape.

I've been wanting to do doll shoes for awhile. I always want to try everything, LOL!! But I found a black leather skirt at the thrift store that I thought just might be good for such things.

So I made a shoe. I followed a tutorial, but not super pleased with it, but I should have started with an AG instead of Mandy. But poor Mandy has no shoes. And I don't want to pay $11.99 plus $9.50 for shipping. So I am just going to keep trying. :) I think I should start with something simpler however. But I might love it after I embellish it with a little embroidery. Of course I have to make another shoe. And she needs socks, I should have measured with socks. But I learned anyway. I think I will wait until she has socks and make a whole other pair. She shouldn't wear them without socks because of the dye in them, they might stain her feet. so... experience.