I'M NOT READY!

TonnerCon is in TWO DAYS, and I'm so not ready it's not funny. I started a project way too late, and I haven't packed anything for me or Martie, and I need to do some laundry before I can pack anyway, and where the hell is my list?!?, and and and....

Okay, I need a moment of calm. Here we go.

Be careful with that needle!

Martie has her stitching out and is hard at work. What is she making? Guess we'll have to wait to find out.

Sympathy pains.

I've been a touch out of sorts for the last couple of days, including a double-whammy headache (jaw grinding and sinuses). This morning I found Martie in my handbag (always ready to roll, this one) like this:

I thought one advantage to being plastic was an immunity to headaches, but I guess not. 1/8 of an aspirin, coming right up, dear.

Call Dr House! Right stat now!

Rose had emergency surgery this morning. The dog accidentally stomped on her yesterday (she was on the couch, not the floor!), and I discovered this morning that Rose's left shoulder frame piece had broken. It turned out to be an easy repair, and Rose is now safe and well and resting calmly from her ordeal.

Ginger, being a good sister, came to comfort her. So did Martie.

It's all better now, and soon you'll be able to...hey!

MARTIE! Put that camera down.

And the winner is....

The winner of the comment competition handmade DBB letter bead keychain is: THOMAS! His comment was:

she's online booking her trip to Europe, to tour some castles.. she wants ideas on a room update (you know having a former life in a tower makes you wanna redo the room sometimes) Also, she's looking for new cute outfits on ebay, while chatting with other dolly friends for a get together at the Tonner Convention in a short while..

Thomas, dear, please send your mailing address to dollsbehavingbadly@gmail.com. Then give me a couple of days to get the keychain made! :D

Self-portraits.

 Martie's been working on her photography skills, and decided to try some arm-length self-portraits. After she got her thumb in about ten shots, and was blinded a dozen times by the flash, she finally got a few progress pics that she would like to share with you.

Without flash. Gloomy day, yellow-ish room lighting.

With flash, but it's too bright and the camera's shadow is in the shot! Offset! Offset!

The light's right, the focus is good. Martie, honey, you cut off the top of your head!

Much better!

Next we'll work on backgrounds, and making sure there's no hair in her face. That last is difficult, kids, she has more hair than I do!

Sunday at the Spa.

Martie had a spa treatment yesterday: she swapped bodies with Zella (the wobbly body will now go in for repairs), and got a brush-out and shampoo. Later today she'll get a nice braid so her hair doesn't tangle and frizz.

Tomorrow, I'll pick the winner of the Dolls Behaving Badly keyring, so if you haven't yet, go leave a comment on the post and you've entered!

Take a walk on the South Side.

I was dragged out of the house by an angry mob with pitchforks and torches persuaded to go on a short walk in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh yesterday, as the weather was lovely and the quirky small businesses were open and it was amusing to watch the Cinco de Mayo early celebrants stumble around in broad daylight. Martie forgot her camera, much to her chagrin, but I had mine.

Nope, that's not Charlie's camera, that's part of Kevin's very substantial Nikon DSLR. Charlie has a Nikon L810, which looks more like an SLR but is really more like a serious-looking PnS. Good camera for someone who isn't going to mess with settings very much.

Waiting semi-patiently for our chili cheese dogs.

Too much back lighting, but here's the rather old-fashioned Dairy Queen where we ate lunch (then ice cream!).

This is Groovy! Pop Culture Emporium, which is floor-to-ceiling vintage toys and memorabilia from the 60s through the 90s. It's Charlie's, and Martie's, favorite store on the South Side, even though there aren't as many dolls as we'd like. We managed to find a couple of small dollies to clean up and fix to resell, though. The Star Wars selection is not a Jedi mind trick, it's HUGE!

Across the street, where you can see some of the stores and interesting building painting. There's also at least one bar on every block. It was a happenin' Cinco de Mayo.

Pittsburgh Guitars has ukes! No, Martie, I am not buying you a ukelele.

Or a tattoo! Absolutely not! I don't care how cool that purple flying monkey would look on your arm. 

Then, alas, we ran out of parking meter time and had to be Somewhere Else Important. Next time we walk on the South Side, we're going further down to the South Side Works, with the newer shopping places and the big Goodwill store!

Don't forget about the What's-Martie-Doing-on-Her-Computer post--best comment gets a handmade DBB keychain!

Who's really in charge here.

What do you think Martie is doing on her computer now?
Leave a comment and tell me!
Best suggestion gets a handmade Dolls Behaving Badly letter bead keyring!

Idea blatantly yoinked from Char at Doll Diaries.

Martie strikes again!

Rose seems to be Martie's favorite subject, and here she is modeling the summer dress I finished today.

Shameless Commerce Strikes Back!

Go to my eBay auctions and buy y'self something nice. C'mon. You deserve it.

Meanwhile, NOT on eBay, is my resin Evangeline Ghastly A Cautionary Tale with a slight mod to her paint to make her lips lighter. She's nude and has only one restyled wig (I took the roll out and brushed out the hair). I'm asking all of $275. SOLD! I also have a nude Haunted Melody for $75 and an Evangeline Everlasting (I think) nude with no wig for $50, as she has those wonky ankles that the EGs used to have. SOLD! I don't have the boxes for any of these, but they will arrive securely wrapped and sturdily boxed. $10 shipping each, $15 for two, FREE if you buy all three!

If you care to purchase any of the above, drop me a comment, email me at charlieriley819@gmail.com, or make a ChipIn! donation in the correct amount, and please don't forget to email me your mailing address!

Martie the Amateur Photographer.

Martie caught Rose contemplating what to draw, and snapped a pic before Rose could object.

Yep, her name is Rose. I made the t-shirt.

Uh oh. Now we're in trouble.

Lookie what our Martie has now!

ETA--I think she needs a little more practice:

"Martie! I didn't even comb my hair yet!"

Hey, there, you with the stars in your eyes.

I went hyper-animetic with my Dollfie Dream's eyes (no, still no official name, but I've been calling her Puddin'). I made her dress and the button ornie in her hair.

Attack of the Shameless Self-Promotion!

I'm trying to take Dolls Behaving Badly to the next level, start a small doll business, and open a web store to sell dolls, recovered/rescued dolls, and doll outfits. I need some capital to start! This is *COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY* and absolutely no one should feel obligated to contribute. Chip-In was recommended to me as a helpful resource to get wheels moving. Thank you for helping my dreams come true.

Out and about on a Saturday.

First, we had some lunch, then we went to JoAnn's and bought some outrageously fufu fabric.

Martie got a present!

From our good friend Char Polanosky at DollDiaries:

She's so happy to have an official DollDiaries t-shirt, thank you, Char!

My shy Dollfie Dream.

Here she is again, my Dollfie Dream, wearing the jammies I made just for her, clutching her fairy doll--she hasn't let go of it since I gave it to her--and with regular blue eyes instead of her animetic amber eyes.

 

We still haven't settled on a name, but on the short list are Violet, Rose, and Cinnamon (called "Cinnie").



BTW, you can get your own fluttery fairy doll from rhi42 on eBay!

Free the dollfie! Free the dollfie!!

AAAAAAAAND SHE'S HERE!!

I decided to do a box opening, as Char Polanosky was going to be annoyed if I didn't I'm so excited to welcome my new Dollfie Dream home!

First, however, I have to lay a blanket on the couch, as the upholstery pattern is rather busy and it's harder to see the subject if I don't cover it. Plus then you can't see all the dog and cat fur and Doritos on it. What? I live with two guys and a small petting zoo.

Hey! That's me on this blanket! But the eyes are the wrong color, my eyes are blue! Silly factory!

 Okay, give me the box cutter, and.....

No! You'll cut your whole hand off. I don't want to see blood, it's nasty. Or bones.

Oh, c'mon, Martie, I'm not that bad!

You cut your hand on closed safety scissors a couple months ago. No box cutter for you!

All right, then. But be careful!


 
Look, Charlie, it's a box inside a box inside another box! Then bubble wrap! Seems kind of wasteful, all this cardboard and plastic.


It'll be okay, honey, we can reuse most of it for my eBay stuff.

Don't look now, but Jake's behind you. Obligatory cat-in-the-box-opening-post picture!

 There's so much stuff in that big box, wow!

 Oh, look! Hi, new kid!

Let's get her out of that box now, shall we?

  
You're going to have to help, this box is so much bigger than I am.


Of course, dear. Let's get to work.

Got the ribbon? Okay, untie it!

Well, now, how is she supposed to breathe inside a sealed plastic bag?


She doesn't breathe until we open it and she becomes a being.

Was I in a plastic bag? I don't remember.

Nope, you were just tied inside a sturdy box. But you were naked, like this girl! Pull off that plastic so she can start being!

 Oh. *yawn* Where am I? Who are you? Who am I?


You're at your home! That's Charlie, she's the DollyMama, and I'm Martie. 


Welcome home, dear! I have some clothes here for you, so we'll give you a moment to get dressed.

 My head is very cold.


That's because you don't have your hair yet.

What? Oh, no! I can't be seen without hair! Can I have your hair?

No, you can't have my hair. I'm a Rapunzel, my hair is magical. I think Charlie has some hair for you.


Yep, I sure do. Hold still while I put it on your poor cold noggin.

  
Oh, that's much better!


You look really cute! Look at those long curls!

  
What in the world is this?


That's a smaller bust, dear, that we'll change you into when you've had a chance to settle in.

Oh! All right. Why?

Charlie doesn't care for bazoombahs. She prefers itty bitty ti.....um. Smaller ones.


Well, then I do, too!

I think I'm going to like being.

Waiting for my Dollfie Dream.

We're waiting for the UPS dude with my Volks Dollfie Dream, who really isn't due on this route for another 3 hours or so, but Martie likes to be prepared.

Martie has to hold the box cutter, because I really can't be trusted with it.