Would You Like a Cup of Tea?

Some of my favorite books are those in which a character asks another character, "would you like a cup of tea?" followed by a cozy scene in the kitchen or in front of the fireplace. It gives me a nice feeling! These books are almost always set in England. The Charles Lenox Mysteries series, by Charles Finch, is a good example. I love this series and I'm sorry that I've read them all already--but I will read them again in another year or two. By then, I will have forgotten most of the details! This lovely Blythe doll is Mandy Cotton Candy.

Start Now

I've been reading a lot lately...well, actually, I always read a lot!  I read 3-4 books a week, when I can find things to interest me, and recently I stumbled upon the Facebook Book Club (which is really just a group, not actually a club)--we talk about what we are reading and if we like it or not, rather than discussing particular books in depth--and this has been a wonderful new way for me to find books to read. The library has been closed for the past two months, but I can still check out my books digitally. I just finished one I will recommend: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. The story is set in a post-pandemic world (timely, right?) in which most humans have died. Although there was violence and killing, it wasn't overwhelming. The characters and their stories were so good that I could overlook some gore!

This pretty Blythe doll is Veronica Lace. Her message echos something one of the characters in the book realized, after her former life was destroyed: you have to live happily now, as best you can, because tomorrow isn't guaranteed.

You Are My Sunshine

Who looks good in yellow? Asha Alvira, that's who! I was sure she would, so I made this dress with her in mind. The skirt has dog portraits all round it, so I posed her with a Littlest Pet Shop dog on my front steps. She really does look sun-shiny, and it makes me happy to look at her.

Bath Time for Asha

When Asha Alvira was first released in January of 2019, her official pictures didn't make me want her. I thought her stock outfit was weird, and I wasn't sure about the light hair with the dark skin. Over the past year, however, I've seen a lot of owner pictures, which made me see how awesome she is, so she was my Mother's Day present last Sunday! Yay! Here's my first photo of her, wearing her stock coat/bathrobe. (Is it a coat or a bathrobe? I guess it's both. It looks like a robe, but it is constructed like a coat with heavy fabric and a silky lining.) Her hair is absolutely GLORIOUS--it is  thick and silky and wonderful. I'm very pleased with her. For future pictures I want to dress her in bright colors, like I've seen other people do. 

Mother's Day 2020

Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mothers being celebrated today.

Story Time

Okay, just one more photo for the #blythemuseumchallenge! I thought I was done with this, but then I came across this charming painting called "Story Time" by Charles Haigh-Wood. It seemed perfect to re-create with a Blythe doll (I used Vera Florentine because her hair is similar in cut and color to the girl in the painting.) The blue wall and the rug are fabric; the floor and the screen are paper. It's amazing to me how easily a Blythe doll can go from looking like a young adult, to looking like a child, just by changing her clothes and giving her a couple of props. 

Warning: Nudity Ahead!

Hello Blythe lovers! I had one more idea for the Blythe Museum Challenge (#blythemuseumchallenge) on Facebook, so I rounded up some Blythe dolls and made an effort to re-create Henri Matisse's work, "Dance 1". Yes, they're naked, but it's art, so it's okay. 

These five Blythe dolls are, from left to right: Sea Sailor See, Lady Camellia, Pretty Peony, Daunting Drusilla, and Milky Way Sugar. The background is fabric. They made good use of their pull rings to facilitate the hand-holding necessary for this picture. I hope you get a laugh out of this--I did!

The Sleeping Gypsy

There is a contest on Facebook, in the doll group called Blythe Info Uncensored, to recreate a famous painting using Blythe dolls. I've been wanting to do such a photo since I heard about it more than a week ago, but I had trouble finding just the right painting to inspire me, so I waited for inspiration to strike. I finally opened a book we have on our bookshelf, "1001 Paintings to See Before you Die," and that's where I came across "The Sleeping Gypsy" by Henri Rousseau. I love the graphic nature of the painting, and the startling image of the lion behind the sleeper. As soon as I saw this I knew I wanted to use it for my recreation, because I have just the perfect lion on hand! So here it is. The Blythe doll is Cherry Beach Sunset. I closed her eyes by pulling her string tight and then wrapping it around her arm (which is hidden in the fabric of her garment). The sky, mountain range, and ground, as well as her garment and the pillow behind her head, are all pieces of fabric.

This was such a fun challenge, and I am extremely impressed by the photos that have been submitted to the contest. You can find them on Facebook by searching for #blythemuseumchallenge .

May Day

"Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on."
                                --Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs

Ichigo Heaven and Yellow Marshmallow wish you a Happy May Day!