30 Days of BJDs - Day 30

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Have you ever been to a doll meetup? Did you enjoy it/do you plan to go to one in the future?

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I've been to a couple meet-ups before. I would say that I mostly enjoyed the ones I went to alone. The couple I brought other people to weren't as fun because I felt like I had to occupy my friend instead of enjoying myself as they didn't really seem to want to be there.

That being said of course, the local group is fairly tight knit and I find it can be difficult for new people (more so the shy I'm-afraid-to-come-near-you type of people [i.e. me]) to integrate into the group, especially if they can't go to many of the meet-ups. Some people are amazing at it and I will admit I'm always a little jealous of the people who find it very easy to make friends.

I'm going to Anime North in May and am going to attend at least some of the Doll North activities (and hopefully joining in on the cosplay contest [*fingerscrossed*] if I have enough time). I think I'll have a bit more luck with this sort of thing because if I'm having any troubles with talking to people, I can just wander away to another part of the convention, then come back and try again later.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 29

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Post a picture of your dolls exploring the outside world!

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Tobi exploring a tree in Québec. :)

Don't worry, it wasn't too high up.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 28

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Post a crazy/silly pose!

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I don't have an old crazy or silly pose to post and don't have much time (or light. :/) to take another... so here's another photo of Jonas in the hopes that she's cute enough to get you to forgive me.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 27

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Do you have a favourite out of your own dolls? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell the others ;D)

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Umm... this one is sort of tough, since my 'favourite' seems to be whichever doll is inspiring me most at whatever moment in time.

However, I think if I had to pick, it would be Mali. Jonas is just too little and Tobi is still very much a work in progress (not to mention if she was a real person, I would probably want to punch her in the face...), but Mali just clicked the moment I opened her box. She always looks perfect regardless of what unspeakable things I may put her through and just makes me very happy.

Much as I adore my other dolls and could never part with them, I think if it was absolutely necessary that I sell them, Mali would stay anyway.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 26

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Done your own face-ups?

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Yep... I've done a bunch on Mali and one on Tobi. I really liked Mali's last face-up, but I made a mistake with the gloss on her eyes... so it needed to go.. and her sleeping head was sitting around for a year without a finished face-up so I thought I would redo both to match each other... and Tobi's (including attempting to colour match her faceplate) at the same time and they all came out pretty horrid.

Jonas's face-up is scratched and somehow discoloured (not sure how that happened) and the artist who originally painted her doesn't take commissions anymore... so I may have to do hers soon as well, but I would really like to send her and Tobi off to get painted properly.... -.-

Face-ups - fun but stressful. Yay.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 25

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Have you ever modded a doll?

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I've done some basic seam sanding and evened Tobi's eyes out a little, but nothing major.

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[Full list of questions]

Happy Christmas! :)

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Now that they've been delivered, I can share photos of all the Christmas presents I made this year. I only did some for my younger cousins and co-workers, but it was still a decent amount of work and took much longer than I expected.
I probably should have planned it more since when I knew what I wanted to do, they went very fast. Oh well.

This isn't nearly all of them, since I'm really terrible with remembering to take photos, but I think it gives you an idea. There was also a space themed headband, a polar bear barrette, a rainbow barrette and a bright green leaf headband to go with the leaf barrette.

The work people got ornaments because that seemed logical somehow, but the dog and the purple bear were originally just stuffed figures.

I'm not back at home until the new year, but I've brought along enough fabric (and am going shopping for more :P) to do some solid work on my collection, so look for some updates around the 5th.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day!

30 Days of BJDs - Day 24

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What about your favourite part of the hobby?

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This is going to seem a little bit odd, but it's the people.

There are so many amazingly creative and phenomenally generous people in this hobby that I am inspired by every day.

Whether it's a beautiful dress, a photoshoot, someone going out of their way to give a horribly detailed answer to someone's question or the incredible support for budding artists or victims of theft, the community at large is just fantastic.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 23

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Is there a part of the BJD hobby that you dislike?

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There are lots of parts of the hobby I dislike, I could probably go on forever... so I'll just do my least favourite: the people.

This doesn't mean all people obviously. Most of the collectors I've met in person or try to talk to semi-regularly are amazing people.

However, there are a few rather vocal people who sort of spoil the whole 'community' aspect for me. I've not been in the hobby for as long as some people, but long enough I think to notice a sharp increase in the amount of entitlement crap going on, especially with the newer members.
I deal with that enough in my regular life, I don't need it in my hobbies. It's for this reason that I tend to stay away from the community areas on DoA. It sucks because then I miss out on some of the really awesome people... and I would love to have some 'BJD friends', but I don't think I'd love it enough to go sifting through all the cries of 'my doll isn't perfect WTF?!?!?!111' to find them.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 22

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What’s your favourite doll scale prop?

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I had a hard time with this one. Jonas has some little scale cars that are pretty cute and I have some books and stuff, but in the end (or at least for now) I think my favourite is the little white deer I made for Tobi.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 21

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One doll you love, but will never (probably) buy?

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Well... Supia Rosy... obviously. But Soom Vesuvia is another. As I mentioned a while back, I can't handle the really large dolls, so as stunningly gorgeous as she is, I will probably never buy one. If I did, it would likely only be as a sewing model... and let's face it, there's no real reason to buy an expensive limited just to have a sewing model - no matter how beautiful it may be.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 20

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What is your dream doll?

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It used to be a Supia Rosy (I mean really, just look at her!). I had no idea what I was going to do with her, but every time I saw one I was just floored by how beautiful it was. However... now that I've already got three dolls and am thinking more about what kinds of dolls I like vs. ones I would actually want to own, I think I already have my dream dolls, a MNF Shushu and a Unoa Lusis.

Shushu was the first doll I fell for and Lusis has just been there patiently in the back of my mind since I saw the first one a few years ago.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 19

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A least favourite company?

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Again, this is hard because I don't really buy much from companies past the doll itself... so I don't have too much experience.

From a purely aesthetic point of view... I would have to say Notdoll, Dollzone or Bobobie/Resinsoul. There have been the odd couple dolls from these companies that I've liked, but they've mostly been after a customizer has gone to town on them. I can't say I've ever liked one of their dolls past the: 'oh, I guess that one's kind of interesting' stage.

I suppose that's good though... if I liked every single doll company out there, I'd have a much harder time keeping my wishlist in check.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 18

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Do you have a favourite company?

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Overall? No, not really. There are doll companies I'm generally more drawn to: Fairyland, Soom, Customhouse, Supia, etc. in terms of specific dolls I like. But they each have their good and bad points.

I guess overall I would have to say Fairyland? I like a lot of their sculpts and their posing + aesthetic is second to none, but they're not as well rounded as others in terms of clothing and the like... I haven't really dealt with many companies either, so I would say I don't really have a clear cut favourite.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 17

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What is your favourite item of dollie clothing?

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My favourite clothing item changes with every new thing that I make, but right now I think it's the lavender dress that I made for Tobi this summer.

My second place (and my boyfriend's first) would be Mali's jeans... although they just ripped (they were worn pretty much every day for 2 years, so... can't really blame them too much...) so I don't know if they count anymore.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 16

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Can any of your crew stand on their heads?

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Yes.

Yes they can.

(please ignore Tobi's indecency... she and Mali are still mid-face-up. -.-')

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 15

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What does your family think of your dolls?

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For the most part my family is indifferent.

Like my friends, they've had a variety of reactions to me and my dolls.

My mom is glad they make me happy, but doesn't really care. She'll tolerate me talking about them, but they don't really interest her.

My brother thinks they're embarrassing.

My one Grandmother is convinced I'm regressing and won't really budge from her 'dolls are for little girls' POV.

My other Grandmother finds them interesting, but doesn't really care for them too much. She's more interested in the sewing aspect and always asks about new outfits and things.

My extended family, again, doesn't really care. It's just another one of the weird things I do, but one of my cousins adores them and keeps bothering her parents to buy her one. I guess we'll see where that goes....

And lastly, my boyfriend is incredibly supportive. He doesn't like Jonas all that much, but loves Tobi. I'm glad he puts up with my constant chatter and 'maybe this for Bella' musing. He's always willing to offer an opinion if I ask and doesn't think I'm crazy or childish for having them, it's rather fantastic.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 14

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Have you ever had a floating head?

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Yes.

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What about a headless body?

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Also yes.

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What do you think you would do if you had either?

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This probably. Though it would be funnier if I still had an SD head.

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Silliness aside, I have had both. Not counting sleeping heads...
I got a Juri B head when I ordered Mali and finally sold it this year after letting it sit in a box for 3 years. Tobi was originally supposed to be on a LJ or Chibi Unoa body so I bought a Darea and an Icarus girl for my friend during one of the Customhouse 2-4-1 sales. My friend ended up not buying her from me so the Icarus and extra Darea head were also sold.
I kept the other LJ body, but when Tobi got here I realized there was no way she is ever going to use it now (too much A-line love). I use it for sewing but otherwise it lives in a box.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 13

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Dollie shoes! Show us how many you have!

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Not nearly enough. :/

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 12

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What do your friends think of your dolls/dolls in general?

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Mmm... most of my friends either don't know or just sort of ignore it as 'another weird thing' that I do.

My closest friends find them interesting and beautiful, but would likely never get one of their own. They put up with my constant doll talk and give me ideas and the like if I ask, but I try to limit how much I talk about my dolls to them so that it doesn't drive them insane.

A couple of my friends have purchased dolls for themselves (through me) because of Mali, one of them is currently hanging out at my house, and I'm not sure what happened with the other one. I doubt they'll ever go much further than just having the doll - which is fine, just very different to how I interact with mine.

I have one friend who is decently creeped out by them, but he seems to be getting better at dealing with them as long as they're not in pieces and are fully clothed.

Lastly, one of my other decently close friends is horribly repulsed by them. Unfortunately, this means she often makes fun of my dolls/dolls in general which can be a little hurtful....
She's okay with the realistic ones, but the ones that look like dolls freak her out a lot. I try not to talk about them or have them sitting out (or at the very least not in pieces or naked) when she's around, but she likes to bring them up... so it's a little confusing.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 11

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Do you prefer girl dolls or boys?

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I had to hunt this question down from another blog since it seems to have disappeared from the lists of all the blogs I follow.

Anyway, I prefer girls over boys. I find them easier to relate to (what with being female myself and all that jazz) so I find I can create more realistic characters. I also think girls have better clothes, and since one of the things I love doing with my dolls is dressing them up and making them clothes... this is kind of a plus.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 10

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Post a picture of a doll and an animal!

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This is my kitty. Her name is Esper. She likes cardboard and fuzzy blankets.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 9

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What is your least favourite size?

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This is a toss up between the really tiny ones and the really giant ones, though I also have a bit of difficulty dealing with Yo-SDs...

I think I would have to go with the 70cm+ range though. I think I could get used to the puki eventually and I do have a Yo-SD-size visiting me, but I find the giant ones incredibly hard to pose, hard to carry and overall there aren't that many sculpts in this range that appeal to me.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 8

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What is your favourite size?

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Definitely slim mini. I find the chunkier MSDs cute, but not nearly as interesting as MNF and the like. I really like that they are big enough that you can put detail into their clothing without it becoming tedious, but they're not too big that it becomes very time consuming to do so.
They're also a good size for transporting places - not too small that they could get lost easily, but not too big that you get tired of carrying them after 5 minutes.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 7

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Smallest size you own? (Have held/seen/like)

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The smallest size I own is my Bisou Ai Bonbon, Jonas. She's 19cm tall.

The smallest I have seen or held are pukipukis. There are a lot of them in my 'local' group, so I've be able to play with quite a few.

The smallest size I like... again a bit complicated. I like pukipukis in theory, but I have a really hard time with them in person. I could probably deal with a blank one... or one with no hands or feet... or both.... I find the size so intimidating because they look so breakable and their pieces can get lost.
I think Jonas is the smallest size I could ever own, even the Pukifée that I've seen are a little bit too small for me.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 6

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Biggest size you own? (Have held/seen/like)

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I assume the brackets are for people who don't yet have a doll... but I'm going to answer them anyway.

The biggest size I own would be Mali, my B-Line MNF, since she's a touch larger (both taller and just bigger) than Tobi.

The biggest size I've held would be an Abio Angel Shi named Effie and belonging to cadney.

The biggest size I've seen in person was a 90cm... something or other... I can't remember the company only that he was male, skinny and super giant... I was a little bit intimidated to go near him to be honest.

Lastly, the biggest size I like is a bit more complicated. There are some dolls, like Soom's Vesuvia or Iplehouse's Akando and the like that are giant but I absolutely adore. However, if I were to just say dolls I would like in person or to own, the biggest I could go would be 60cm as an absolute maximum. I can handle 50-60cm dolls... but 60 and above I just sort of freeze.

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[Full list of questions]

A Post about the Weather.

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I've been hoping to post photos of some of the MNF-sized stuff I've been working on for Subtle Memory, but Mali and Tobi are still mid-face-up as it's been either raining or pitch black by the time I get home from work everyday, so I can't finish them or take even vaguely decent photos.

Hopefully it will go away soon... or maybe snow or something instead so I can post a few teasers, but if not, I'll just keep sewing and will have more to show off whenever it's nicer out. :)

Just know that I'm working on it and (hopefully) look forward to the release of everything in April!

And in the mean time, here's an old picture of Jonas being cute:

30 Days of BJDs - Day 5

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What/who was the very first BJD you saw?

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It was on DeviantART in ~2005. Someone had posted a link to a Volks page I can't find any more that had about 5 dolls on it all dressed in a simple dress with different hair and face-ups. The first one I saw had a name that started with a 'K' and had black hair... possibly in low pig tails. They each had a story so I think I assumed they were character dolls... they actually might have been Dollfie Dreams now that I think of it... They were cute, but not for me.

I couldn't figure out how to navigate away from the page so I just sort of assumed that these were the only ones available and didn't bother with much past that. Then someone posted a link to Dream of Doll and the rest is history.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 4

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What/who was the first BJD you ever owned? Do you still own them?

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This one:

I most definitely still own her. She's a far cry from the blonde ethereal thing I had planned, but she's perfect to me and I could never sell her.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 3

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Post a picture of all your dolls

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Ta da! Glamorous. I know.

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All of my dolls are in pieces right now either getting a bath or a new face-up... so this is the best I've got for now.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 2

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Do you own any? If so how many?

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Yes indeed I do. I own 3 full dolls (technically 4, but that's for another question), a MNF Shushu - Mali, a Unoa Lusis/MNF hybrid - Tobi and a Bisou Ai Bonbon - Jonas. I only plan to get one more, a modded MNF Rheia (or Mirwen? ... Rheia... something like that) to be my character Bella. I've had many other dolls on my wishlist (and still do if you check DoA), but I have no plans at all to get any of them.

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[Full list of questions]

30 Days of BJDs - Day 1

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Why do you like BJDs?

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In a short phrase, because they make me happy.

Longer explanation is because they bring together so many of my different interests - sewing, photography, writing, character design, painting, miniatures, etc. - and give me a tangible item that can display all of the progress I've made in these areas. Not to mention, they are wholly mine. I may not have sculpted them from scratch, but I have put in time and effort to make them my characters, with personalities that are unique to them and me and clothing and posing and face-ups that suit them and (hopefully) bring out the aspects of the sculpt that aren't just 'Shushu' or 'Lusis', but Mali and Tobi.

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[Full list of questions]

Onward to bandwagons! - 30 Days of BJDs Meme

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I've seen this meme floating around on a few of the blogs I follow (officially stolen from: mendokusai) and it seemed like an interesting idea, but I'm insane and didn't want to start it halfway through a month. That would just be crazy! So I decided to wait until December and will post one question a day with other updates thrown in.

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ALL THE QUESTIONS!

1) Why do you like BJDs?
2) Do you own any? If so how many?
3) Post a picture of all your dolls!
4) What/who was the first BJD you ever owned? Do you still own them?
5) What/who was the very first BJD you saw?
6) Biggest size you own? (Have held/seen/like)
7) Smallest size you own? (Have held/seen/like)
8) What is your favourite size?
9) What is your least favourite size?
10) Post a picture of a doll and an animal!
11) Do you prefer girl dolls or boys?
12) What do your friends think of your dolls/dolls in general?
13) Dollie shoes! Show us how many you have!
14) Have you ever had a floating head? What about a headless body? What do you think you would do if you had either?
15) What does your family think of your dolls?
16) Can any of your crew stand on their heads?
17) What is your favourite item of dollie clothing?
18) Do you have a favourite company?
19) A least favourite company?
20) What is your dream doll?
21) One doll you love, but will never (probably) buy?
22) What’s your favourite doll scale prop?
23) Is there a part of the BJD hobby that you dislike?
24) What about your favourite part of the hobby?
25) Have you ever modded a doll?
26) Done your own face-ups?
27) Do you have a favourite out of your own dolls? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell the others ;D)
28) Post a crazy/silly pose!
29) Post a picture of your dolls exploring the outside world!
30) Have you ever been to a doll meetup? Did you enjoy it/do you plan to go to one in the future?