Ponies and Patchies

Shit. I just realized. It's been over a year since I got Addy. It doesn't feel like it should be that long. God time flies.

( My A*G Gang is up to four )

Ok. Everybody say hi to Bethany. She was on the eBay orphanarium for probably the cheapest I ever saw an A*G go. The seller said "In excellent used condition but needs TLC" And that's true. But I don't mind.

She's in overall good shape, true. But her limbs are loose. (Isn't there a wiki page on limb tightenings somewhere?) She has something sticky on her face. Makeup? Lotion? Something.

And like our Bitty Twin Rosalie, she has hand damage. It looked like someone melted her first two fingers. They're still finger-shaped but they're flat on top. More reasons little kids shouldn't have A*g dolls till they're eight.

I know this is disjointed, but I'm dashing off this entry between schoolwork. Yaaay schoolwork. Please do note the sarcasm.

Also, if anybody knows which JLY miss Bethany is, or how to tighten limbs, please let me know. It's much appreciated.

Also, I'm going to start dropping in a few personal entries here too from time to time.

The other day, during all my eBaying, I bought two dresses for Addy, one outfit for Kaya, and another hunk of Josefina's meet outfit.

Kaya got a pink t-shirt and striped leggings. I think they're Springfield but I'm not sure. They're really nice, but that's a topic for another post.

Addy on the other hand got her Flower-picking outfit and a really nice handmade outfit that I am right now squeeing over...

I was a little concerned about the flower-picking dress, because most people on eBay will label crap PC that is actually Mattel and even though I wouldn't mind taking out a couple ounces of stuffing so Mattel clothes fit, I can't. My Addy's head is, as I found out a moment ago when I was changing her clothes, is held on by a zip tie, and I really am in no mood whatsoever to go snipping a zip tie, especially since I'm not even sure where to find replacement zip ties. I wish to goodness that whomever removed her neck strings had just left them alone unless they were falling apart. Ugh.

BUT the flower picking dress arrived in my mail today, in an A*G box even, with the hair ribbon still in plastic. And it fits. Not only does it fit but it fits well. So I'm thinking I actually got a PC dress after all and that someone had a clue what they were doing.

Now, on to the squee. The other outfit Addy got is a rust-colored cotton dress with pin tucks in the bodice and an embroidered skirt. This came with an apron, a pair of striped pantaloons (Hey, people familiar with historical undies, would Addy have actually worn pantaloons?), and a matching striped bonnet. And now. Here is what I squeed over. The pantaloons do not have elastic. They have draw strings. ACTUAL tie-able draw strings! :D SOMEONE knows their history!

Sadly, I don't have time at this moment to give a full 100% review, but I'll edit it in in a bit when back from tutoring. Blech tutoring.

Rough day emotionally. Amazing how comforting Addy is just to cling to when it's a rough day.

My Kaya arrived today... With hair that is so dry and knotted up that it feels like sandpaper, and man, for about half a second I thought it was textured. And I KNOW it shouldn't be. Kaya =/= Addy.

So, now, wonderful readers, should I brush it first, wash it first or braid spray it first. I'd suppose washing it first. I don't know what sort of crud is actually in it. OH, but I got a backpack out of the bargain, too, a nice thin plastic one with those straps that are like ... thin ropes. I actually like those.

Also, seller forgot to mention that either she, or someone in her family, or someone at the post office smokes... So poor Kaya smells like a smoker. I don't mind smoke. My dad smokes. But I'd have liked a warning. But I guess that's where braid spray, shampoo etc comes in.

Even despite all that, and being naked, I still adore her. She's absolutely beautiful.

Hey nethilia you're the doll whisperer. How much Braid Spray should you use on a doll whose hair feels like straw? Help a girl out?

My grandpa died last night. And so I'm probably going to be an ugly crying mess for the next bit. But I have to go to the funeral home and do that... And I'm taking Addy. I don't give a good god damn what anybody says about a twenty-something girl carrying a doll. I really don't.

The only problem is my Addy has only one outfit, and nothing black at all except her meet shoes. I could put a hair tie on her braid instead of the pink Build-a-Bear bow that's on it right now... But I don't think there're any black hair ties in this house. Maybe it's silly of me for wanting to give Addy something black so she can pay her respects too, as I'm the only person who'd notice it. But it means something to me.

Just saw Addy's Meet Dress on a blonde. With a dorky butterfly headband. NOOOOOO! Not even sure what doll that was, but it was a blonde.

Also, speaking of Miss Addy, I bought her something for giftmas. It hasn't gotten here yet, and it's not exactly historical, but it just seemed right. It's a necklace and bracelet set, and the necklace has her name on it. And I know she wanted, in the first book, to learn to write the names of her family.

But I just had to share the little blonde wearing Addy's meet dress.

First, oh my gods why. WHY did I just type in American Girl: TLC into eBay. What I found made me want to cry. Someone was selling a doll that they had rescued, one of those My AG/ Girl of Today/ Just Like You/ what the hell ever. Someone give me the newest official names for those? Anyhow, that doll had matted, chopped, frizzy hair, her joints were loose but she could still stand etc. But just. Oh god who cuts doll hair? I know little kids do but...

What really pisses me off though is the fact people on eBay will sell a TLC doll at Mattel listprice. Fuck that. But I entirely had to stop when I saw a pair of Addy legs for sale. Nooo do not want. I'm currently hugging my Addy like there's no tomorrow and kinda wanting to smack some parents up-side their heads. And here is the doll who made me want to hit a parent. And the seller too, maybe. Idek. For not properly describing. I had to bum a friend for a description.

Now, on to the MH and much better news. I just found, and nabbed, a DT Robecca from the local Walgreens. Local is half an hour away, y'all. Tennessee is a wonderful state. :/

Anyhow, I nabbed a DT Robecca, and found, to my great delight that she seems to NOT have a headful of glue! Hallelujah! Review, thoughts and that shit will be forthcoming at a later date.

Ok. Gonna go look at bait ponies. At least I can save bait ponies. TLC AG probably won't ever be a thing for me unless I'm freaking lucky as heck and find one at a Goodwill. TN is one of the VERY few places apparently where thrift stores etc are still allowed to sell toys.

Well, I got my Addy doll in the mail this morning. And since I can't get a good picture of her, because it's a little dark in here, you get a description instead, and my thoughts. No LJ cut though.

When I picked her up out of the box, they'd stuck her in there facedown. So, it was her hair I felt first, and the back of her dress. She has really nice hair, actually. It's textured, of course, as everyone knows, and she's the first doll I ever had with textured hair. With dolls of color, I'm used to either that hair that feels like it's been relaxed, or the foofy huge Afro, or at the least little kinky curls, and Addy's not got that, so it was an interesting experience for me, touching her hair. But it's not dry, thankfully. Some Braid Spray should be used on it, but right now, I have neither Braid Spray nor a suitable brush.

Stylewise, her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, tied at the back of her head with a piece of pink ribbon. There's also a white piece tied down at the very end of her hair. Both pieces are tied in nice, neat bows. On the left side of her head, someone has actually beaded in a set of amber plastic beads, you know the kind that little kids make bead bracelets out of. What concerns me is that the twist of hair the beads are attached to is knotted at the end. I mean, granted, it doesn't look like a hard knot, but it still looks like it might not be good for the hair. Could anybody who knows anything about this kind of hair tell me if I'm wrong about that?

Down the middle of her head, right over the center part, there is a microbraid. I think that's what you call them? It's a tiny little braid maybe about a half inch wide, that goes straight down the center of her hair. It's an incredibly well-done braid, actually. I was impressed because dammit, I can braid, but I can't braid like THAT. The tails of both the microbraid and the beaded section are pulled back into the actual ponytail.

There's another place on the same side where the hair is tied into it seems like two little knots. I'm not sure what that's about, but there's a tail of hair sticking out from it. I thought it was on the other side, but looking again, I realized it's on the same side.

Also, her hair hasn't been cut or trimmed in any way, and it's not a slime ball or full of dirt. So, bonus points for the person who had her before me. It's obvious she was loved.

As for her eyes, she has all of her eyelashes. They're soft and tight and not falling off at all. Yay! Both eyes as far as I can tell, seem to close properly. I thought one or both were getting stuck half-open, but I'm really not sure. Addy's also the first doll I ever had whose eyelashes are in a kind of arch pattern, so I can't exactly tell what is closed for her, as I usually tell that by when the doll's eyelashes touch their cheeks. Ah sighted person assistance realizes that often her eyes get stuck half open when she's lying down, sort of the way my BBE ponies' eyes sometimes do, which leads me to wonder if there could be a case of eye rust going on there. But I don't mind. They could be rusted completely open, and it wouldn't bother me any. As far as I know, no silver eye, but I can't see, so can't tell. But I'd love her anyhow, silver eye or not.

She's wearing her meet dress and bloomers, with her meet kerchief tied around her waist. She's missing shoes, stockings and all her meet accessories.

I actually really, really like her meet dress. I like the texture of it, and the fact it's long-sleeved, just the whole thing. It's a really, really pretty dress.

Maybe I can be lucky and find her meet stockings and shoes on eBay, which is where I found her. Also, all her joints and such seem to be tight, and I think she could stand on her own. So bonus there.

I absolutely love her. She is weighted nicely, and huggable, and right at this moment, she's beside me on my bed, sharing a piece of the same blanket I'm snuggled up under.

I see a sociology test in my future. It'll be nice to have a study companion who wants to learn as much as me. And to all the AG collectors out there who have an Addy just for that sense of false diversity, fuck you and the horse you rode in on. If you have an Addy, let it be because you love Addy, not just so you'll have a black doll.

Edited, because I got sighted assistance with telling the colors of her ribbons and beads and the condition of her eyes, and I wanted to be detailed.