Summer Games

"Play is the highest form of research."    --Albert Einstein

Simply Bubble Boom, Simply Thumpty Thump, and Simply Sparkly Spark enjoy a round of hopscotch for the theme "Summer Games" in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr.

It's a Secret

They were looking for a nice spot for their picnic, but what they stumbled upon was a secret garden.

These Blythe dolls are Ichigo Heaven (pink hair) and Simply Sparkly Spark (blue hair.) I hope there is just enough gingham in their dresses for this picture to qualify for the theme "Gingham" in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr! The background is a 3' x 5' picture printed on fabric that I found on eBay.

Happy New Year!

"What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet."
                                                    --Anne Frank

In this chalkboard flat lay, Simply Sparkly Spark is wearing the stock gown from Cinema Princess. We wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.

Skate Date in Beijing

With their hearts set on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, these girls are on the ice morning, noon, and night. 

For the theme "Skate Date," (in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr) I rounded up my three girls who came dressed as ice skaters, and added Prima Dolly Marigold to the mix because I have an extra skating costume...which happens to be from Skate Date herself! My dolly friend Susan gifted me the Skate Date stock along with a lot of other Blythe clothes recently. Thanks Susan! 

They are, from left to right: Prima Dolly Marigold, Simply Bubble Boom, Simply Sparkly Spark, and Simply Thumpty Thump. 

Good Advice

Alice says: "There's no reason to be bored while you're waiting for an appointment. Just bring a few things to keep yourself  occupied, and the time will fly by!"

Simply Sparkly Spark is so right about this. I used to always carry some sort of sewing to work on when I had to wait somewhere; these days, the sewing I do isn't easy to do away from home, so I rely on the games and books on my phone to keep myself from being bored.

Bathtime Fun

I used to watch the TV show Sesame Street with my children, and Ernie's cute Rubber Ducky song has always stayed with me. This picture is for the theme "toy."

Simply Sparkly Spark.

Wrapped Up

All wrapped up in the fun of the season.

They are Ichigo Heaven, Bow Wow Trad, and Simply Sparkly Spark.

The Quicker Picker Upper

Cooking with an ostrich egg from a nearby farm seemed like a fun idea...until the egg rolled off the table. Luckily, Alice had plenty of paper towels on hand to clean up the mess. 

Alice is Simply Sparkly Spark

Blythe Rainbow

For quite some time, I've wanted to redo this picture of a line of rainbow-hued Blythes. I use this picture not only here on my blog, but also as the header for my Etsy shop and on my business cards. When the theme "rainbow" appeared in the Blythe a Day group on flickr this month, I knew the time had come to finally do it!

The picture below may look similar to the one at the top of my blog, but there are two main differences: all the dolls in this new picture are completely stock (because I realized that I prefer the stock Blythes, and that is now the focus of my collection), and their outfits and stands better reflect the rainbow theme. Also, I have become a better photographer and photo editor since the first picture! This new one is brighter and just overall BETTER than the first! I took care to arrange their hair,  arms and legs, and to line them up more carefully than I did the first time. I've come to see how important little details are, like making sure their hair is out of their face, and they are looking at the camera.

My Blythe collection has grown quite a bit since I took the first picture, so I was able to use a different doll for every color...except orange. Cloud 9 Bowl is so perfect for that little slice of the rainbow that she had to make a repeat appearance.

Here are their stock names, from left to right:

Cinema Princess
Cloud 9 Bowl
Mrs. Retro Mama
Prima Dolly Amaryllis
Simply Sparkly Spark
Curly Blue Babe
Prima Dolly Violet

Rainbow

Be the rainbow. 

My new Sonny Angel Rainbow boy and Simply Sparkly Spark Blythe (Alice) doll are perfect together. Alice's dress is by WPJenny on Etsy. 

The rainbow is made from Crazy Bones, which were a popular fad toy about 15 years ago. Four pieces came in a package for about two dollars.  My children and I would buy a couple of packs every time we went to the bookstore where they were sold, then play the game on the kitchen floor: both players set up a line of their pieces, and then took turns throwing a single crazy bone to try to knock out their opponent's pieces. (Read about Crazy Bones on  Wikipedia.)

Modern Art

When this painting recently appeared in a high-profile art gallery, the critics raved: 

"'Three Blythe Muses" is a masterful explosion of color and movement. Modern art just got a makeover! If you see only one work of art this year, make it this one."

Three "Simply" sisters as art. Thumpty Thump, Sparkly Spark, and Bubble Boom. For the theme "Modern Art" in the Blythe a Day group on Flickr. 

Make Today Great

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."
                                                                
                                                                           --Groucho Marx

This bright trio of Blythe dolls are Simply Thumpty Thump, Simply Bubble Boom, and Simply Sparkly Spark.

Art, Part II

Kiki dreams of the day when her art will hang in famous galleries and be appreciated by millions...for now, it hangs in the hallway, and is only appreciated by her sisters.

My daughter Jenna made all these littles works of art for me and my dollies. These dolls are Alice (Simply Sparkly Spark) and Kiki (Yellow Marshmallow). Kiki was known as Kitty until recently, when someone commenting on a picture of her on Facebook mis-read her name and called her Kiki. I like it so much, it's sticking with her!

We "Heart" Art

The cute artwork on the easel is a sketch my daughter Jenna made for me as a Mother's Day card this year. I love it when she draws my dolls! Her art is usually very different than this...you can see for yourself in her Etsy shop: Jenna Andersen Art Shop.

The blue-haired girl is Alice, my Simply Sparkly Spark Neo Blythe doll. The pink-haired girl is Kiki (formerly Kitty), my Yellow Marshmallow middie Blythe doll.

Happy Birthday America!

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue!

Simply Sparkly Spark, Precocious Candy's Mushroom, and Can Can Cat.

Card Sharp

Blythe a Day on Flickr 1/31/16
Cards

Alice: the cutest--and possibly the most annoying--card sharp, ever.

 "Read 'em and weep, ladies, because I've got a royal flush!"

I actually Googled the terms "card sharp" and "card shark" because I have heard both, but I didn't know if one was right and one was wrong. It turns out that both are correct, with "shark" being used more in the USA, and "sharp" being more commonly used in the UK.  Even though I'm American, I liked the sound of "sharp" better, so that's what I went with!

This doll is Alice, my Simply Sparkly Spark.

Skating

Blythe a Day on Flickr 1/11/16
Get Out of the House


It was the perfect day to get out of the house and go ice skating...but Alice and Jubilee were surprised to have such a big audience!

Blue-haired Alice is Simply Sparkly Spark; magenta-haired Jubilee is Simply Thumpty Thump.

Twilight Zone...the Movie

Blythe a Day on  Oct. 17, 2015
Twilight Zone


Will they...or won't they?

Simply Sparkly Spark Blythe doll, Puchippu Chappu Pepa Middie Blythe doll

The Morning After

Blythe a Day Aug. 23, 2015
Morning After


The morning after the sleep over...it's not a pretty picture.

Thank You!

Blythe a Day Aug. 21, 2015
Gratitude


Alice, Tillie, Jubilee and a their friends have decided to make the world a better place by expressing an attitude of gratitude every day.

Simply Sparkly Spark, Simply Bubble Boom, Simply Thumpty Thump