Good morning, Internet-Land. Here I am ~ connecting to say, “Hello!” First ~ an update on my hands. They are continuing to mend. I still have stitches, so am keeping the surgery sites clean & covered. I also still use the wraps for a little support. The pain medication makes my hands feel better, so with that I tend to “over do.” If I slack off on the meds, I hurt more, but am more careful. I’m trying to find a middle ground. Given that, I haven’t been sewing, and have only finished the one Maggie outfit that I posted last time. I also take breaks during typing, as I rest my hands and also correct the unusual amount of typos! I will post a picture of my stitches at the end of the blog today. If you don’t want to see, click away from the site at the end! I wanted to warn you first, if you don’t like that kinda thing.

Today, since I don’t have any new creations ready, I thought I’d share some of my favorite things. I will readily admit that the world of dolly hobbies can very quickly become very expensive! When a friend first asked me to sew some custom orders for the Wilde Imagination Evangeline line, I needed a doll for fitting. I purchased my first doll of that body type, a Tonner Wicked Witch with lovely green skin and beautiful painted features, for $54.00. For me, that was the most economical way to go. My friend then contacted me with a proposal ~ she had won a “Black as Night Evangeline,” and was willing to send her directly to me in trade for some of my sewing. When she arrived, I was completely taken in by her inset glass eyes. I had fallen into the abyss. One at a time, I saved up to purchase all nine of my favorites! But now I was hooked. By selling at the doll shows, I was continually asked about clothing for all kinds of fashion dolls. I now have two 1/4 scale bjds, three 1/3 scale bjds, and a new 1/3 fella bjd on the way! All this to say that I do know how expensive things can get very, very quickly.

This brings me to the subject of today’s post. Since the dolls themselves can be so costly, I like to find bargains. I shop around. I buy some second hand. I look for good buys at the doll shows. I also like to find cool items I can use at unexpected places. That leaves more funds for the items I can’t make myself and want to be more fancy ~ like SHOES! I have, however, even found great buys for shoes, too. I watch a lot of eBay auctions. You will find lots of “buy it now” options, but by going through the auction process, you can often get better deals. You just might lose a few if you predetermine and stick by your highest bid amount. Most of my best deals have come by bidding on auctions that end in the middle of the night or very early morning hours. I’ve won some of my wonderful boots for around $7.00 by using this strategy. The “buy it now” price for the same item was about $19.00. Some shoes, however were not bargains, but “must haves,” so they were, of course, more. The great pair of tall, lace-up Ellowyne tennies were found at a show for $5.00!

Now, to share some of my super savings that you can find, too. I love to peruse the Dollar Tree store for items that can be used in my dolly ventures. Above are some of these items.  Check out the hair accessory aisle. I found these clear, tiny rubber bands that are perfect for styling dolly hair and wigs. I was also able to find the tiny clips. One package was a variety of colors, and the other was a combo of clear, black,and brown. These are really good for styling hair when you don’t want to use rubber bands on an expensive wig. Angelique is wearing a Monique Gold wig that is super nice and soft. I wanted an up-do, but didn’t want to have the hair bound up in any way. The clips were a great choice! These stores don’t always carry the same items, so take the time to check often for new inventory. It’s fun to find sweet tiny, decorative items that are geared for baby hair. These daisies have Velcro closures, but I closed them onto small Bobby-pins for easy insertion.

You can also find fun diorama items at good prices. I have noticed the last couple years that Wal-Mart has really fun items in the Christmas ornament aisle. I got this beaded lamp ornament for $1.94. My daughters chose the chandelier and top hat. The choices always change, so I look each year for new discoveries. I bought two of these jewelry dressers for $3.95 each. I also like to take my time looking through thrift stores. We found the cute little golf set for $2.00. It’s actually a set of ink pens. I purchased the wicker chair for $3.00 at St. Vincent de Paul. I’m still deciding whether or not to paint it. I was thinking of white or black, and then I would make red cushions. Hmmm ~ decisions, decisions…

So, that’s my fun for today. I suppose that would be my point ~ have fun! Yes, some specialty items are just that ~ and they will naturally carry the accompanying price tag. But you can also have a great time treasure hunting! Every experience will be unique and will bring its own particular rewards. (and as promised, I am posting a picture of my stitches, so if you have a queasy stomach, look no further) Wishing you a wonderful adventure!