Next project

It is sweaty and warm over here in our kitchen. I have the windows open in every room and just hope that some soft wind will breeze my way. I have heard that it will be like this for the rest of the week. Hooray for them who like this, I do not. Gladly a more suitable season is heading our way - Autumn. Just love Autumn.

We left the cottage and the summer vacation some days ago and it was with a heavy heart we did that. The season that is coming now, is the best one. Seeing the nature change from green to all kind of colors and feel the crisp in the air. Hope to be able to take a trip later, when the girls have a week off from school in late October. 

Three helpless, scary mummies.

Howdy! We are next!

During the summer I have mostly been taking care of my BJD's. My Monster High collection have grown with two dolls and I they will be my next project in repaint. Bought those two at a local store for just 99SEK (around 10-11 USD), so I was really happy. At the moment I have three dolls, two Ever After High and one Monster High that have been just lying in a bag, looking like scared mummies. Need to help them first. So that will be my next project, after ordering some Super Clear UV cut-thing. Look forward to that. 

Hope you had a good summer! What's your plans for the lovely Autumn?

Gosh - updating!

Okay - things are going on here, so pretty please - bear with me. The codes and other thingies are not friends with me at the moment. But soon, I promise!

Tag: Sisterhood of the World Bloggers

I was tagged by
<3
Crystelular.
Thank you!

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Dreamy and Drama

Do you collect anything other than dolls?

Yes, I do. Before I started to collect Ball Jointed Dolls I collected paper dolls, paper serviettes, buttons, post cards, scraps, Cherished Teddies and pebbles. Today I collect Monster High Dolls, Willow tree angels, cute cars and pebbles. I still like the other things I collected, but I do not collect them anymore. 

Why did you start a doll blog?

For 10 years ago I started to blog in Swedish about my life, politics and other happenings that could catch my interest. I had many readers and it was a joy. I even had a blog in my native language, Finnish and one in English so that I could reach many with my thoughts. Those blogs do not exist anymore due to a new start I wanted to make. I wanted to focus on the things that mattered and there was a change going on in my life and in the graphic (pixels) sites I followed. Many left that hobby and I felt that there were no point in going on. So, I started a new Swedish blog - did some cleaning and then I decided to try to focus on my dolls on a doll blog. I wanted to connect with others out there with the same hobby and share my thoughts with. In a way I wanted to crush some bias, too.

Do you have one particular doll that is the favorite in your collection?

My first BJD Esther, a Narsha Girl - Basic Sleepy Narsha will always have a big place in my heart. 

A favorite?

Your favorite doll accessory?

No, not really. I try to find something when I take photos of the dolls. It can be a berry, a soft toy, another doll and so on. But the mini Lalaloopsy is rather cute in the photos when she tags along.

My three girls. Esther in the front.

Do you know exactly how many dolls you have in your collection?
Yes, I have three.

Do you play any instruments and if so, what?
No, but we have a piano at home.

The cottage

Where is your most favorite place you've ever been?

I adore South Sweden. The ocean, the sea shore, the nature. And the lovely smell of all these things. We have a cottage here in Blekinge, near the town Karlskrona. The cottage is placed in the middle of the forest and it is so calm and relaxing to be here. 

What is your most favorite thing about yourself?

At the first glance I may seem dry and boring, but I know and those who live near me know too, that I am rather funny. One of my old class mates told me that my humour and my jokes are rather odd and crazy. Well, she said that I was a crazy girl, in a funny way. Jokes and comedy is a important part in my life, but so are even fantasy and a piece of drama. After being diagnosed with depression with anxiety, laughter is really important. Then I think that I am strong too. After going through the things I have in my life with surgeries, pain, betrayal and sorrow, I am amazed to be standing here and loving life as I do.

A good book

Favorite book or movie?
Book: Hearts in Atlantis, by Stephen King.
Movie: Gladiator, with Russell Crow as Maximus.

If you could design your own doll, what would it look like?
She would be a tiny and chubby elf, with a wild personality.

I tag:
Elina

Helene

Xaya

Questions
Do you collect anything other than dolls?
Why did you start a doll blog?
Do you have one particular doll that is the favorite in your collection?
Your favorite doll accessory?
Do you know exactly how many dolls you have in your collection?
Do you play any instruments and if so, what?
Where is your most favorite place you've ever been?
What is your most favorite thing about yourself?
Favorite book or movie?
If you could design your own doll, what would it look like?

This thing with Monster High Dolls

Oh Gosh, facepalm!

"Too thin! Too sexy! Stereotypes! Wrong themes! Scary! Awful!"

It is many years since the first set of Monster High Dolls came to Sweden. It was a double sided happening and even I had some thoughts about those thin and odd looking dolls, as I grew up with Barbie and Sindy. But slowly I fell in love with them. My youngest daughter found herself and her inner soul in these dolls - especially Draculaura. She could play and become one of them - Barbie, Moxie, Bratz and those "kinder" (may I call them so?) dolls were never her style. This was even the time when we as parents and near relatives saw the theatrical side of her. She has been at the theatre for many seasons now. And enjoying her time!

The Monster High Dolls have taken the world with storm - and it feels like I have heard the most opinions. The mildest being that the dolls are ridiculous - can not stand, talk or behave like humans. Well, they are not humans. The word monster should give a hint. I would love to put a "duh" in that sentence. These dolls look different than other fashions dolls, but I feel that there is a good role model for my younger girl - especially when she played with the dolls. Now they stand nicely on the book shelf and making my fingers itchy! Can I please repaint them? When the younger girl had a big interest in these dolls, I let her have it. This was not the same thing as letting her get pierced or buy the same looking clothes as the dolls. The older daughter had a thing for Bratz dolls and the critics were loud even then. My mother never liked the Bratz doll and thought it was wrong of me to buy one for my daughter.

As we say here at home - you see and hear what you want to see and hear. I think that this suits the opinions of the dolls. I see a doll - something a kid can play with and make an imaginary world around. Then I see a clean plate for my somehow growing artistic side. I can buy one doll, repaint, remake and dress up to something new.

As a parent, I think that I have an important role in my daughters life when it comes to toys and dolls as role models. I can understand if parents feel that dolls in general can give a wrong picture how we should look and act. But at the same time the companies have an important role too, when they make these dolls and toys. But if there is a market, there is a market. I am one to keep this market going - as an adult I buy these dolls and re-do them. Not because I think they look "wrong" in the beginning, but because it is an easy way to learn face ups etc. 

To be a parent is never easy with all these role models and opinions, that I can tell you. I can understand that dolls like Monster High, Barbie, Bratz and so on make it a lot harder. But there is even other things that make it harder - school, friends, TV, social media....

PS: I have seen this type of discussion even among Ball Jointed Dolls, nudity, those darker dolls and what the companies really sell, according to some peoples thoughts.

Just a little trip

August, the last summer month over here in Sweden. After this it is time to look for the cozy and warm clothes. So it is time to make the best of the sunny and warm days. A couple of days ago we took a trip to Kalmar and the island Öland, where the sun almost always shines. We had luck this day, because the sun was shining all day long. And the sky was blue. And the wind rather hard, but that is no surprise at the Swedish coast. We had a sightseeing tour and I had Esther with me. At every stop I took as many pictures I could, not so easy with the hard wind - had to be quick about it. Some photos are just a blur while others just are the total opposite.  It was a great day with the family and Esther. 

Esther in the wind, at the beach and then a wind mill.

At a burial ground, windy even there!

I really adore her pretty face and her mild colors pop out
in the daylight and sunshine.

At a wind mill in daylight and at the Kalmar Castle in evening
light, when the sun was setting.