Doll Collecting During The Pandemic

Honestly, struggling to keep a hobby during this pandemic should be the least of my worries, because people are getting sick and dying all over the world and it can come off as insensitive, but for the rest of us who have managed to be covid-free (So thankful!!) and choose to stay at home to self-isolate, I think it can be a big deal. It’s challenging during these times to keep the mind healthy.

My doll collecting has been affected mainly because I had to move out of the city to live with my dad in his rural hometown. If I remember correctly, even before the pandemic happened, I have decided to stop doll blogging indefinitely, but it didn’t mean I stopped collecting dolls. I still enjoyed it.

The community quarantine here is still not lifted, so mobility is not as easy and carefree as it was before, but it has laxed a bit so I could go to the mall sometimes to get a few things I need. Sometimes I would also drop by the toy section at the department store quickly to check toys and if there are price drops and all, take pictures of things I like, then leave immediately. That’s how I’ve managed to update my Instagram account with photos of dolls and miniature toys, because of those quick trips to toy aisles, and also because I spend some of my time online, looking at doll listings on Facebook, and would take screen shots of doll photos over there.

Here are two that I found:

Oh my, it’s Zombie Belle from the Once Upon A Zombie line! I rarely see this on Facebook but here we are and I choose not to buy it even if I want to. I mean, my Zombie Alice could use some company.

And there’s a Lottie doll too. I would have bought this in a heartbeat, under normal circumstances.

But I couldn’t.

First, shipping is an issue for me because I am living in a rural area. It takes more effort and money for stuff to be shipped where I am right now. If I were back home in the city, it might be easier, but...

Things do add up and when I think more and more about it, it makes me uncomfortable. P200 for Lottie, P350 for Zombie Belle. Plus 2 separate shipping fees because these do not come from the same seller. I feel awful just thinking of the money I would spend for collecting stuff when I could use that money first for food and other necessities. It feels unwise to give in. So to compensate, I just saved these listings on Facebook and posted pics here for posterity. 

Maybe it’s just a phase. Maybe it’s the selfish consumer part of me wanting to buy the dolls, when I have lots already. Maybe I just miss the thrill of buying dolls online.

I’ve been reading and watching materials about minimalism lately, and felt the need reevalute my life and how it revolved around possessions. It’s not an easy assessment. I HAVE SO MANY DOLLS. Why do I keep wanting more??? I have no clear answer to this question but I understand that this is a journey. The answer might just unfold in front of me if I pay more attention or live with more intent, I guess. Or I don’t know. I’m confused. 

I still enjoy doll collecting, but right now it’s not the best time for me to pursue it, sad to say.

Wooden Alphabet Puzzle

I gave my niece this alphabet puzzle and she has familiarized herself with it in a week. The puzzle had to be put away afterwards because she got bored, haha. She just turned two last month.

Video below:

I Am Alive and Safe

Hello.

It’s been a long time since I wrote on this blog. I just came back to post a few life updates.

During this coronavirus pandemic, I’ve managed to stay ~healthy, meaning I’m infection free. My family seems fine, too. We moved out of our city to my dad’s hometown for the duration of this long-standing community quarantine, and it took some adjustments on everyone’s part to make this shelter we have feel a bit like home. During the lockdown, my weight has see-sawed and my emotional state has been rocky. There are times I feel gloom, uncertainty, and despair, while the other I feel like I’m just taking a vacation. A never-ending vacation that makes me want to go back to work already.

I didn’t bring any doll because I thought this community quarantine wouldn’t last that long, so most of my dolls are in storage back home, or left unattended on their shelf. When I come back, I will have lots of washing and scrubbing to do because my dolls would probably be dusty by now. I also left behind some of my plants, like my cactus collection, and other stuff that I use for my hobbies such as my guitar and yoga mat. 

I cannot find the motivation to study Hungarian further right now, and I think that’s OK. Sometimes it may feel like there’s competition among people to be productive during this time, but I tell myself that I am fine without learning a new language or being active for days. Hungarian can wait.

I tried long distance walking. Being in this town surrounded by nature has made it easy for me to go outside and walk, but lately I haven’t done it because of the rainy season, or because I’m demotivated. Again I keep telling myself that it’s OK that I have not been consistent. I just know in my heart that I can do this some other time. I mean, I was able to manage walking around 10,000 steps a day. That’s already an achievement for myself because I never did walking as an exercise!

I cannot format this blog post at this moment. I am typing this on my phone. I don’t have wi-fi here so I haven’t opened my laptop in months.

There are so many things I have yet to write about, but maybe that’s for another blog post.

I know this is supposed to be a toy blog, but I barely go outside and find toys at the store. I don’t even have my toys with me, lol. There’s practically nothing I can do that’s related to toys out here, except for me looking up toy photos on Facebook and Instagram (IG eats up my phone data like crazy so I don’t spend so much time on it than I would like) or reading doll posts on Reddit (Don’t use their app if you have limited data! I had to uninstall it!).

Hope everyone reading my blog is safe and infection free. Can’t wait for this thing to be over so we can start anew.

Jamie

P.S.

I can’t reply to blog comments yet for some reason. Will get back to you all soon. Thank you for your patience.

On Hiatus

Gongxi! Happy Chinese New Year!

Today I am making a decision again to set aside blogging here... so that I could focus on my health. I want to be healthy and fit, perhaps become a disciplined athlete, and I have realised once again that there are things I have to let go or sacrifice so I could achieve something I really want. It is indeed a feat to multi-task and I know I can do that, but in my case, whenever I do it, my output is somehow unsatisfactory to me, like I could do better or more.

It really hit me that I can't write regularly anymore, obviously by looking at how my toy blog is doing, but more so, when I tried to keep a journal recently and I was only able to fill in a few pages for a week. I couldn't keep going, and keeping a record of how my days went feel quite ridiculous or awkward now, unlike when I was still in school. I have accepted the fact that I am not the most consistent person ever and there will be setbacks when when I am working on something, but for this particular task of documenting the things in my life I was grateful for each day, I just resigned after a few days without any regret.

There are days when the task of blogging again looms in my head, but when I blog, I don't want to do it anymore out of guilt just because I slacked off. So right here, I'm putting my foot down, that if I can't blog regularly and out of joy or inspiration then I'd rather not waste time wishing I could, or beating myself for not doing it.

I still like writing. In fact, I wouldn't use my time writing this at all if I have completely given up, but as I have mentioned earlier, there are just some stuff I have to give up if I am working on something that I really want to achieve. I want to feel better about myself. I accept myself for who I am, but I know I can change physically and improve how I feel. It is never too late!

I still like dolls, don't get me wrong! I do, but right now I'm choosing to cut back on things I think that do not relate as much to my current goal, and one of these things is toy blogging. I still maintain my Instagram account for toys though because for some reason, posting a photo with short caption is so easy and doable for me. I could post about something on there, add a few hashtags and boom, I'm done, my account is updated, and people signed on there still know I'm alive, haha.

I still need to finish some personal doll-related projects, but writing about the whole process is not my priority anymore, not right now. And when I do finish, I can go full-force on what I want to work on, and that is myself! I am excited. This decision makes me feel liberated, like I am starting with a clean slate. This may or may not have something to do with the Konmari method of tidying things, lol. Sorry, I love that method and it did change my life, and I guess I've become braver to face what I need and want to do head-on. I mean, I've also started learning a new language, too. It isn't directly related to getting physically fit, but I feel good learning something new and that's good for my brain. I am fluent in two languages (Filipino and English), and I've learned the basics of two more when I was in school (Japanese and Mandarin Chinese). Now I'm learning Magyar! It's Hungarian, of all languages!!! 

This hiatus is indefinite. I don't know when I can come back to write often, but I'm still on Instagram every now and then and that's good enough for me, at least for now.

More Fun Finds

I found this pack of pencil topper erasers made to look like popcorn! Pretty cool! I thought this would be cute for big dolls.

My magnet display on the fridge, which has been updated to this:

I combined the previous ones I collected and the lot of secondhand magnets I won in a Facebook group to which I belong.

I had to separate my Philippine travel magnets and this doll magnet from the Bahamas, because my fridge door is already crowded.

I found a Bratzillaz Midnight Beach Cloetta Spelletta, and she does glow in the dark!

It's freaky that her eyes don't glow, so her eyes look hollow in the dark.

I found this wooden doll house at the mall. It's expensive, and too small for Lottie, but it won't hurt to keep looking at it, right? Haha.

I'm not a big fan of doll houses when it comes to doll photography though, because of the shadows cast by the ceiling and the pillars. These just get in the way of the lighting for the dolls, and I find them limiting, too, specially when I want to take photos from different angles.

I found this balance wall game at a different mall. I particularly like the trowel it comes with.

So tiny!!!

Warehouse Sale, Skelita, and Lava Cake

I went to Richprime Global Inc's warehouse sale last December 5th. This is my haul from the warehouse which was a couple of floors up the building, and at Kids Depot on the ground floor.

2 Angry Birds camping sets worth P300 each, because I’ve wanted a miniature tent for so long, I might as well get two tents because why not.. I heard about this camping set from a fellow doll collector who found one at the sale, so I made sure to look out for this when I visited the warehouse. These were actually difficult to find. The boxes were placed so far back in one of the Barbie shelves, and I had to pull out other boxes in front to see these.

A Rio 2 blue macaw family pack worth P200, because the woman who bought the duo packs said she’d be using hers for her plants and I was like whooaaa..  I've been using the birds to decorate my cactii, haha.

A La Dee Da fashion pack, worth P50, with the bunny missing and the straps of the dress already disintegrating but that’s ok because it’s hella cheap anyway.

2 sets of Monster High tapefitti tapes, worth P200 each, for me and my friend. My friend likes washi tapes, and I like to craft when I have the time, so these are perfect for us.

And a Barbie MTM pink top, worth P700, for my friend because she has been looking for one for so long and we couldn't find any at our local stores anymore. She has already paid me back, lol.

Here is Lottie modelling the La Dee Da fashion pack, the Rio birds, and the camping set!

Brand new Monster High dolls are so rare now, I could only find them at Kids Depot. I found Scarah Screams (Freaky Fusion) there for P200!! That's crazy! But I didn't want to get her because I don't like her fusion with Toralei Stripe, haha.

Speaking of Monster High, I found Skelita Calaveras at the thrift store back in November.

I have no clothes for her, but I think I like her naked like this; I can see al her bones.

And I wish I knew whom to credit for the photo above. I found it on Instagram and forgot to get the link, shucks! Anyway, that's a gorgeous lava cake with a doll topper made to look like Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray from the Philippines! She even has the iconic Three Stars and Sun ear cuff! This is truly a work of art!

Bodysuits, The Hiding Sewing Machine and Cat Noir

I attempted to make a pattern and sew a bodysuit again, in a smaller scale, but alas, I made the sleeves and the pant legs very narrow! Add to the fact that I chose a not so good fabric that doesn't stretch. (I chose it because it's shiny, unlike the black t-shirt fabric that I have.) What a waste! I cut off the sleeves and the legs and gave the suit a try on Lottie.

Seems like the collar has too much fabric. That won't happen if the fabric is thin but stretchy.

Mental notes... Mental notes...

I would have been faster if I used my sewing machine, lol. I decided to check it out from storage.

Here it is under a Christmas themed microwave oven cover. I had to tuck the sides of the cover with binder clips.

Tada!!! I have to re-learn how to sew on this thing. That's going to be my goal in 2019, lol.

May these pictures of Cat Noir and Antibug from Miraculous inspire me to make the bodysuit/s that I need.

Speaking of Cat Noir, I found one from an online seller, and I should get it later this week. He's missing one hand, his tail and weapon, but I don't mind. I asked the seller if Cat Noir's bodysuit fits an Ever After High boy doll, but the boy doll she had is Daring Charming with the sculpted shoes (Ew!), so she couldn't get Daring's feet through the pant holes. But she managed to try Cat Noir's bodysuit on Monster High's Clawd Wolf and it was quite a good fit. Still, I'd like to dress up my Hunter Huntsman doll with a bodysuit for a custom project, and I know that EAH boy dolls are quite bulkier than MH boy dolls, so I think I just have to make that suit on my own soon.