I’m Still Here

     I realize that, yet again, I have become a super slacker with my blog. Some of that is I am going in so many different directions all at once. Some of it is I don't always have things to talk about. Some of it is I don't necessarily have any photos to go with anything I might talk about. So many reasons I have not been blogging much. All of them are good and all of them are bad. So here are some updates. 

    I got a variety of new stones in about a month ago. It was a seller that contacted me on Instagram and was actually kind of a hard sell and pushy. I really sort of hate that. But I also really like a good deal. And I didn't get the ultimate deal on the stones I bought, but it was a pretty good deal. I haven't used many of the new ones yet, I seem to have a lack of time for doing all the things, but I did wrap this super cool scenic moss agate. I love this stone. I have several others that are similar. Now I just need the time to work on them so I can get some more done. I also had to mute that seller on Instagram since I would get messages every few days trying to sell me more things. Just leave me alone, I WILL contact you when I want things. 

     In my last post I did the reveal of my mystery book that I got from Barnes and Noble. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was an excellent book! I usually don't have that much time to read, but I was drawn into that book and I ignored other things I should have been doing so I could read it. I think I finished that in a couple of weeks. Which is still sad, since I used to be able to finish a book in a couple of days. But now I have a lot of things I have to do and I don't have time to just sit and read. But I did read another book as well. The Housmaid was one I picked up several months ago, and I finally got around to reading it. It got chosen this time around because it is not as long as some of my other books. And sometimes I want a shorter book so I can feel more accomplished, lol. This was another one that was really good. It drew me in immediately, had short chapters, and had a continuously developing storyline. I like short chapters because somehow, I don't have time to read a 30 page chapter, but I might just read 10, 3 page chapters. Some of you are, I am sure, going to try to say those are the same. But the rest of you know that it makes perfect sense. Like not having time to watch a movie, but binge watching an entire season of a show. Sometimes these are just things that make sense, even if they don't. The point is, I have been reading a lot more lately and it is making me happy. The book I am in now is much slower going and I don't know yet if I like it. I think it's called Gull Island, but since it's not in front of me I don't remember. 

     I have of course also been working. Because that is what I do. School has been interesting. A lot of the days go by very quickly because there is always so much to do. But we also sometimes get days that seem to drag, even though we are having a good day and have so much to do. Time is a strange thing. 

     I have done a lot of work in the studio as well. Last week I made a little youth doll (and some other things that I currently don't remember). I had someone contact me asking if I would make an almost identical youth doll for them. As I have mentioned before, my commission books are currently closed, but it doesn't hurt to ask. If I am not sure what I want to make at a certain time, and the doll you want is something that I don't mind making, I may just say yes. You never know if you don't ask. Be prepared to hear no, but if you ask...

    I might just say yes. And so I made this nearly identical little youth doll. She has a single braid instead of braided pigtails. One hunt seat doll looks very much like every other hunt seat doll. They don't have a lot of variety in their clothes after all. But I was into the idea of making another youth doll, so I made this one, technically on commission. 

     And then since I was having such a good time making youth dolls, I made this little girl as well. For years I hated making youth dolls. They required almost completely remaking a doll body because the Breyer doll bodies are so horrid. But now I use the 6" Yvonne-type body, modify it, change the head, and it is much easier to make a youth doll. It's not simple by any means, but it is not overly challenging. And yes, these are not little kids at all, but they are also not adults. And right now, that is the best we have without some serious modifications to existing doll bodies. 

    In other news, and this is big, I booked my trip to Breyerfest. I have never been to Breyerfest. I could never find a way to make that work. This year I am going to make it work. I was already considering it when Jackie contacted me, asking if I was still going to judge at the Resin Renaissance. I had actually completely forgotten about that, so I thought about it for about 30 seconds and said (that I had forgotten about that and) I was in. So all of a sudden, I was committed to going to Kentucky in July. Holy crap, that is exciting and a little bit scary! So then I started a new hobby, which is putting together trips on Travelocity. I did consider driving to Kentucky, but I don't actually have any desire to drive for 14 hours (it's 13 hours and 20 minutes but I guarantee I would find some traffic somewhere, at the very least). So then I looked at some other options. And I started thinking about when to leave, when to come back. All those things. I learned so much about the cost of air travel in a very short time. It turns out that flying in on Tuesday the 9th (so I have more than a day in Kentucky before I have to do anything in particular) is a good idea. And it turns out staying until Tuesday the 16th is cheaper than staying until Monday the 15th. I am sure there are more things I need to learn about flying, but so far I know it is cheaper to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and I think Thursday. I am also fully aware that we will need to eat in Kentucky, which will add to the cost of the trip, but staying an extra day will actually be cheaper. I like that. And I like the idea of a full day in Kentucky, before and after. Since I have never been there this gives me some time to see Kentucky. And if I am there, I feel like I should see it. 

     So basically I was mostly settled on the above idea; flying into Kentucky on the 9th and staying until the 16th. But hitting "confirm booking" was sort of terrifying. What if I changed my mind and decided to drive (I will not). What if I wanted to change the days I was there (no, I was pretty settled on those dates). So I finally just decided to go for it. What I discovered after I booked was I didn't think about getting to the airport for 6:15 on the 9th. No one is going to want to drive us at 3:30 in the morning (the airport is about a half hour away). So I have basically decided, without having consciously decided, to pay to park my car at the airport for a week. Which is surprisingly affordable. And makes it so I don't have to rely on anyone to get us there, or back. It's been my experience that getting anyone to help me, with anything, is very challenging. And no, this is not a woe is me type situation, it is a statement of fact. I will ask for help when I need it, often people will even say they will help me, and then it doesn't happen. Which is why I do so many things myself. I would have preferred to not spend the money to park my car at the airport for a week, but I considered the flight home (mid-afternoon arrival, sounds perfect) and I considered having a lot of time in Kentucky, and went with the flight that didn't add $$. It also means I have doomed us to being REALLY tired on Tuesday the 9th, lol!

    The other small issue is we will get in at about 12:30 on the 9th and we can't check in until after 3:00. So I will have to figure out something to do for a couple of hours. A couple of really exhausted hours. But I am excited about it. Excited to be taking the trip, or really any trip, and excited about all the people I get to meet in person that I have only ever met online. I expect to get a million hugs. I really hope I get a million hugs. 

     I have already started making dolls to bring to Kentucky with me. Some were dolls that were already done before I officially decided to go. Some are dolls I have made on purpose since deciding to go. I have plans. I will keep on making and listing dolls for sale now, I do need to still pay my bills after all, and I will have dolls that will be for Kentucky. Though honestly, if you see a picture of something that you really like it never hurts to ask if I will sell it now. Even if it's not officially listed, it may very well be for sale. My goal is to have at least 20 dolls to bring with me. With how things are going now I likely will have more than that. And I will likely have some small things as well, possibly mystery boxes, who knows what I will have. I have options.