Fumiko really exists!

Welcome to the land of perpetual viruses...

Well it appears that someone or something has a vendetta against my computer, because as of the 23rd, it is basically a paper weight. :( This time it's bad enough that I'm going to have to send it out somewhere to get it fixed. Generally I can rehab most problems, but this one has got both myself and my computer stumped. So for now I am computer-less except for at work and maybe at home if I can borrow somebody's laptop.

However, I did have a fun Christmas regardless, and I hope everyone else did as well. :) I spent some time with my family and my boyfriend's family, actually slept in one of the days (!), played with our new gadgets, and generally had a good time. My favorite gift of the year was from my boyfriend and his family, a new iPod!

My prior iPod lasted about 8 years, which was pretty good for an iPod at the time. It recently decided to stop turning on/charging, and I was just shy of devastated. Poor little thing had been through most of high school and college with me, and I just got a car that would allow me to play an iPod through the sound system. I had almost suspected that the bf was getting me one, but I wasn't positive. He also boxed it all up in small individual boxes, to then wrap those in a larger box which threw me off even more. He also taped weights to the bottom of the box...always the trickster.

So Saben (the iPod) and I are now getting acquainted and trying to find an apporpriate case which is apparently near impossible since the iPod Touch came out... We will persevere though!

No real gifts for the dolls this year, though I did finally get some pictures of Fumiko in front of the Christmas tree...right before my computer fried. At least my camera works right? I'm going to try and commandeer my work computer this week to upload those if all goes well.

Dolly Talk: Do your dolls cheer you up?

This is a current thread from the DoA "Discussion" section wherein the OP asks if people find that their dolls cheer them up. The original question pertained to illness (temporary or continuous), but has been expanded to include bad days, depression, and so on.

Personally, I've always found toys* in general to be a big help at the end of a bad day, whatever the reason. this has only continued to be the case with bjds, though probably more so with them now than any other part of my "collection." As a child toys played an important role in my life as friends and confidants. Bjds have gone beyond that because of their interactive nature. One reply on the thread stated this in particular, talking about how many of us go from just owning bjds to sewing and painting for them.

Above all though I think bjds provide me with a great escape from this world when I'd prefer not to be here. Just like some of my favorite books and movies, they lure me into another world where I can put my real life problems aside for a time. Whether it is through writing, crafting, or painting them, I enjoy this departure they provide.

If nothing else they help me remember to pause on busy and/or stressful days. Sometimes I just keep going, believing that if I can just get to the proverbial end of the line, I'll feel better. The dolls though offer a small distraction, even if it's only for a few minutes of dressing or posing. In that time I can relax and collect my thoughts, making the subsequent time considerably less stressful.

Speak of the devil...

Last night I was working on cleaning and rearranging my room, specifically my closet. I'll admit this up front: I'm weird. Ever since I was little I've loved to find small, cozy spaces to spend my time in. I became particularly fond of closets as I grew up, and tended to use them more as a little reading nook rather than storage. So I decided to clean out my present closet and return it to its former purpose.

I was in the midst of cleaning off the shelves and re positioning everything when I encountered an interesting (read: creepy) phenomenon. Every time I'd place something on a shelf and turn around, it would suddenly fly off and hit the carpet with a thud. The items weren't just sliding off the edge, they were shooting off the shelf and across the closet. I ignored it at first thinking I'd simply placed a few things incorrectly, but then it started happening with both shelves, and no matter how many times I'd put things up there they'd come flying down.

Prior to this these shelves had been stacked with the very same objects, for the last several months or so. I'd never had an issue with anything falling off before, so I didn't suspect and uneven shelf or something of the like. I tried to ignore it for a while, but it was happening so frequently that I was doing more replacing than cleaning.

I grabbed Fumiko from off my bed and sat her in the closet with me and suddenly it stopped. Not another object fell inside the closet for the rest of the night. The other parts of my room weren't so lucky, but by then it was late enough that I just went to bed and ignored it completely.

The Haunted Vessel: Fumiko

I think I've discussed Fumiko's...penchant for the paranormal here before. Essentially I've found that above and beyond any other doll I've ever had, she is most responsive when it comes to ghosts.

I haven't caught much visible movement (i.e. seeing her in a different position than the last one I had her in), but I have heard movement very frequently. As I mentioned in the last post, I'm currently experiencing what I'd consider an active haunting. Owing to this I've returned to my old habit of having a doll in the room/car with me to even the playing ground so to speak. I've found that Fumi tends to be the most successful at this, and so she's been accompanying me all over the place recently.

In particular I've noticed a lot of movement sounds in the car. The spirit I'm dealing with seems to "enjoy" my car even more than the house, and routinely hops in for a ride. As someone who can be a nervous driver to begin with, this isn't the most ideal situation. However I've found that if I keep Fumi in the front seat the spirit will all but leave me alone. No odd noises and no crossing the "line" (to my front seat). Fumi on the other hand makes all sorts of noises.

Generally I'll place her on the seat in a particular position, one which should eliminate any further movement. So all her joints and usually straight and she is tucked up in a sweater or bag or similar vessel. Once that's done I get my own things together (adjust mirrors, pop in cd, adjust temperature etc.) all without moving the car. Almost each time I do this, I can instantly her the distinct sounds of joints being moved, a lot. These instances are always at night so I can't see anything occurring, but the sounds are so frequent and many that I recognize something is happening.

Of course most times I flip the light on I find nothing has changed, though once or twice I've found her head turned to look at the back seat. Something similar happens in the house as well, regardless of where or how I position her.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas time always ends up being so busy for me, mostly I think because I make a lot of the gifts I give. Right now I'm working on finishing a Harry Potter scarf, two t-shirts, some embroidered ornaments, and a Harry Potter gift set. Granted it's a lot of fun to be doing all these crafts, but it's also time consuming. This year it seemed to come up so fast too!

Alas I've had almost no real doll time lately, or at least not time to do anything productive. I have taken Fumi all over the place, but haven't gotten any pictures of her. I finally got her bodysuit in today (beautiful, by beachgirlnikita) and can't wait to have her try on some of Uri's clothes she hasn't borrowed yet due to staining. I'm not very paranoid about staining at this point as she already has some marks and you can purchase new "skin" pieces as it were. Still I've been holding back on a few things just in case. Now that doesn't matter, and the bodysuit is pretty in and of itself.

Unfortunately this year I don't get very much time off for the holidays, but I would like to spend at least a little time taking my traditional "under the tree" photos. I always like having pictures of my dolls at Christmas, and this year Fumi even has a dress reminiscent of one from the Nutcracker. I'm I could even force Uri into something festive for the occasion. :)

I got soul but I'm not a soldier.

I've discussed haunted items in the past, and a few famous stories of them. I also have my own haunted item stories, this being the most interesting of them so far.

It concerns a Civil War soldier’s uniform button I purchased at a favorite antique store. It was an interesting piece and well within my budget, so I decided to buy it along with a few coins for my boyfriend. I purchased the items and didn’t really feel anything from the button at that point. I had it at home for a few days before bringing it to my boyfriend’s house to show him. At that point nothing odd had occurred in my house. The night I moved it over however was the “super moon.” It was supposed to be the fullest moon we would see in a long time due to the moon being physically closer to the earth when it became full. A fascinating astronomical event, but also very powerful. The energy that night was intense, but I went to bed not really thinking anything would happen.

I was awakened around 3am by sounds in the room. My boyfriend does have cats, and so I generally attributed any nightly noises to them playing or fighting. However after listening to these noises for a minute or so, I realized they weren’t feline in nature. I could hear footsteps and breathing as someone made their way through the room. They were rifling through drawers and moving things around as they searched for something.

At this point I was fairly certain we’d been broken into and were being robbed. My boyfriend kept some things of value in his room and they were located in the very drawers our intruder was looking in. There had also been a pretty serious robbery/murder in the recent past, and I was still on edge at times. I remained frozen in bed, afraid that any movement might alert them that I was awake. The person seemingly dug through everything on that side of the room, at times tossing things to the floor.

After a while this whole scenario struck me as odd. How had the person gotten in? I hadn’t heard the sliding door open or anything break. Unless they had somehow broken in upstairs and come down to the basement, but that didn’t make much sense. How did they know where to look? As the minutes went by I observed the situation more closely, and realized abruptly that this wasn’t a burglar, or at least not a living one.

The interesting thing about ghost encounters is that they are fundamentally not real. Yes they may interact with the real environment, but often when they appear they are missing things. It’s an incomplete picture in some way. A person walks by but you don’t hear any steps, or there’s someone smoking a cigar but no smell. Little things, little hints that this is removed from reality. Sometimes it’s even just a feeling of a disturbance or disconnect with reality. This particular experience seemed so real at first, but something just wasn’t right. Coupled with the question of how they would have gotten in, and the fact that no one had woken up (including my boyfriend), I came to the conclusion that it was a ghost.

As we reached the early morning hours things quieted down slowly, and I finally felt calm enough to sleep. Prior to this I hadn’t moved or closed my eyes, despite being buried under the blankets. At this point I decided to finally roll over and go back to sleep. The moment I moved however I heard someone start. From the opposite side of the room someone ran; I could hear each individual footstep. They jumped up on the bed and on top of me, and within a split second there was a knife in my throat. Not a knife to my throat, but in it. I felt the blade slide in and cut through skin and muscle. I tried to speak, to cry out, but only sickening, wet noises came out. The feeling was one I couldn’t even begin to explain, other than to say it was real. I wasn’t just seeing this or even sensing something emphatically, I was feeling my throat being slit.

I remained awake for the last hour or so until morning, and as soon as light returned to the room I got up. I tentatively asked my boyfriend if he’d heard anything the night before, to which he replied a sleepy no. I then asked him where his valuables were and went to check. The other side of the room wasn’t disturbed at all, everything was exactly where we’d left it the night before. I got dressed and left, only to return again that night and explain things to him. I actually ended up crying as I discussed what happened at the end, as the experience had been so frightening. We both speculated the instance had something to do with the button rather than our normal farmer ghost. It had felt completely different, and further examination showed that the button was placed where the individual had been rummaging the night before.

There was no further activity at my boyfriend’s house, and I took the button home and tucked it away. Time passed, and the button was tucked under my bed in storage with a few other items. By this point I’d completely forgotten about the button. Then at the beginning of July I began to sense something in my house. At first it was very nondescript, just the feeling of a presence. Form there though it branched out rapidly. I would feel confusion and loss, as if the person didn’t know why they were here. I could catch small glimpses of them that soon grew. The figure was in a dark shirt and pants, and at times appeared standing on my porch or in the living room.

My puppy Bear also seemed to sense something at the time. He began to get very nervous in certain areas of the house as certain times. For a while he wouldn’t enter our larger living room, or would only stay if I was there. At one point we were playing with a toy and he suddenly stopped mid-fetch and froze. He dropped the toy and began to bark at the room behind me, and wouldn’t come any further. I had seen a shadow in the room and assumed it was the ghost visiting again. This continued for a few days until one night when I was home alone with our two dogs. I spent the night watching movies, and then settled down the animals and myself around midnight. My puppy was tucked into his crate and soon fast asleep, and all the doors were locked and windows shut.

A few hours later around 3am by my cell phone’s clock, I was woken up by the sound of steps. Again this felt very real at first. It sounded like someone walking through the hallway and heading to my room. Initially I thought I was dreaming, and was about to ignore it when my dog woke up. My puppy had very specific barks that meant different things. There was a happy bark, one for food, another for play, and one very distinguishable bark for when someone was at the door or approaching. Bear woke up and began to use that last bark, and the footsteps stopped briefly. They started up again after a moment and headed into the room and for my bed. I began my standard protection chant and the steps stopped, and Bear ceased to bark. I continued this for some time, stopping only when light finally came into the room from dawn.

When I finally got up and went downstairs, I found the living room (the same that Bear barked in) had been trashed. The blanket that was normally on the couch was strewn across the room. Papers, my jewelry, and the television controls had been knocked off the table and were scattered around the room. The batteries were even removed from the controls and tossed separately. The rest of the house remained untouched, and there was nothing missing or broken to suggest and intruder.

The more general disturbances continued after that, with the entity making its presence known in the upstairs hallway or some of the downstairs rooms. Bear was particularly affected, refusing to even remain in the kitchen to eat if I wasn’t there. I continued to sense and see something on occasion, though it suddenly seemed more focused on bothering Bear. I eventually sat down and spoke aloud to the spirit, telling it that it couldn’t bother my dog any longer. I told the entity it could stay, and I’d even help it if there was something I could do, but that any more interactions with my dog would force me to ban the spirit from the house. After that the entity stopped bother Bear and it quieted down considerably.

Several months later I began to have the same experiences again. I would wake up in the middle of the night to hear footsteps outside my door, but they did not attempt to come inside again. I had done a very quick blessing and doorway protection spell so that it had to stay outside. Around that time I began to look my records over and realized that this manifestation was very similar to that which I experienced at my boyfriend’s house. When I looked up the initial date it began here, I found that it coincided with a major Civil War battle, which my soldier could possibly have been involved in.

Since then the activity has died down again, but it has left me wondering what to do with the button. There is now no way to reunite it with the remaining pieces if they are even still in existence. I’d considered burying it, but I’m not sure that’s even a good idea. The concept of a haunted item is not a new one in the paranormal world or even to any major culture. Cases of haunted items have popped up in just about every century and all around the world. From dolls to paintings to music boxes, these items have been connected to hauntings much like my button. If the soldier died in this uniform or simply saw it as important and now it is being sold piecemeal, I can understand his frustration. Perhaps time will help reveal his true intent and a path for me to take in this case.

Update

Don't you just hate it when real life gets in the way? Back from Nano, though alas I didn't make it this year. Two surgeries (neither on me thankfully!) and quite a few mishaps later I had to put my writing aside. Then my car started having issues...and my mechanic had issues...and then it died (the car not the mechanic unfortunately). So I'm back with a new car and really nothing new that's doll-related!

However, I will post a story that was to be the end of my Haunted Vessel series for October that wasn't finished in time. Look for it in the next post!

The NaNo monster...

I've been stolen away by NaNoWriMo, and I'm currently at 16,473 words. Way behind but some real life things got in the way. I will return after November!

Snow!

Hello from the land of much snow and little power! I'm starting to think something out there doesn't want me to finish my Haunted Vessel posts. Wake up Sunday morning to...no power and a little over two feet of snow! We were luckier than most in that we got power back Monday evening, though we didn't get any phone service until late yesterday. Kudos to the utility crews!

So, I do have one last story for HV this year, which should be posted later today.

The Haunted Vessel: Objects

Since I’ve discussed items being used in magic to embody a person, I think the next logical step is to look at items which actually do embody a person: haunted items. There is a wide-spread belief in the paranormal world that spirits remain here because of their attachment to physical things; be it a person, place, or even possession. This could be for any number of reasons…perhaps it was involved in their death, or had a special meaning in life.

There’s actually a show out right now that explores this concept, Haunted Collector. Now as a disclaimer, I really don’t like the show. I find it entertaining, but lacking any real scientific or moral backing. There’s a lot of controversy around it right now, as many believe the participants to be defrauding their “clients.” However, that aside it is entertaining and does discuss the idea of haunted objects.

Rather than the entire house of an individual being haunted, it may just be that there is an object within that a ghost has attached to. Haunted dolls often fall into this category, such as Robert or Anabelle. The Haunted Collector website has a virtual museum of its pieces, discussing the origins and supposed supernatural abilities of each.

If you Google "haunted object" you'll get a metric ton of websites devoted to everything from dolls and paintings to music boxes and even pieces of clothing. Here are a few of my favorites of the most publicized ones.

"The Hands Resist Him"

Some may recognize this painting from its internet fame as "that haunted eBay painting!" I remember coming across this several years ago when it was first making the rounds, and it's still at the top of my list. If nothing else the painting itself is creepy. Serious child? Check. Creepy expressionless doll? Check. Strange, somewhat horrifying background with disembodied hands? Check!

However the painting gained its fame when it was sold on eBay with the details that it was haunted. The sellers claimed to have had odd experiences, as well as feeling ill when in its presence. Also, as was confirmed by the artist himself, several people in connection with it died not long after coming in contact with it. Either way it's a very creepy painting!

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Mirror

This hotel is known not only for its historical guests, but for some apparently spiritual ones as well! A mirror which currently hangs in the hotel was previously installed in the favorite suite of the one and only Marilyn Monroe. She had a great fondness for the Roosevelt, and supposedly she hasn't left yet. Hotel staff and guests alike are said to have seen Marilyn's reflection when looking in "her" mirror. She is also purported to haunt their ball room as well.

Of course no haunted object post would be complete without including both Robert the doll and Anabelle. I've discussed these two in their own entries, so if you don't know much about either, go check them out!

More information on "The Hands Resist Him."

Haunted Roosevelt Hotel mirror: Wiki, article.

The Haunted Vessel: My favorite voodoo doll.

The above title is from Voltaire's song "Don't Go by the River," a piece that sings of New Orleans and its darker side. I've done Haunted Vessel pieces in the past about the purpose of dolls in magic and religion, but I don't think I fully explored it enough.

I won't delve too deeply into magical theory, but the branch of interest for this post is something called "sympathetic magic*." Basically sympathetic magic is the use of an item (or items) as a representation of the person/thing you wish to do magic for. A practical example would be the use of poppets or voodoo dolls. The item is made in the image of the person, sometimes using personal identifiers (hair/nails/etc.). Once you have the doll created, magic is then worked on that, with the understanding that through this method it is also worked on the individual the doll represents.

Obviously this is most famous in some voodoo practices, but this kind of magic has been worked by all different cultures for many, many years. The ancient Romans and Greeks for example had something called curse tablets*, which used a form of sympathetic magic. The individual would create a tablet of varying materials, and inscribe words on it detailing a curse. Sometimes these would be made in the image of a person, but more often they remained in a general tablet shape. The words themselves though would specify a certain person or thing that the individual wished to curse.

Poppets are found in movies and literature as synonymous with witches and/or magic. Ranging from works like The Crucible to more contemporary venues like anime. Ghost Hunt which I have discussed here before, illustrates the use of sympathetic magic in two sets of episodes: After School Hexer and Forbidden Pastime. In both cases sympathetic magic is used in conjunction with "dolls" formed in the shape of a person and named. I won't spoil the endings, but if you're interested you can catch Ghost Hunt on Hulu.

As I mentioned above, voodoo dolls are the epitome of sympathetic magic at least where popular culture is concerned. Voodoo itself is far more multi-faceted than that, but generally most people recognize it for this practice. A voodoo doll is an item made in the image of a certain person, frequently using specific items to connect it to that person. Be it hair or skin or otherwise, these pieces are believed to create a stronger connection/focus with the individual in question. Of course these days you can go out and buy your very own "voodoo doll" in any number of mass-marketed kits, giving everyone the opportunity to do some sympathetic magic should they wish.

*If you're looking for more information on sympathetic magic, Elfie Music (of Paranormal State fame) has a great article here.
**Curse tablet information here. Above tablet picture from this site.

Anniversary

Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of Uriel coming home (aka his first "birthday)! I hope to get out and take some pictures with the birthday boy and Fumi, as I've been quite remiss so far. The decimation of my computer by that virus really knocked me for a loop. I lost everything, doll photos and Haunted Vessel pieces included. :(

However I am starting to get back on my feet and I expect to feature a few HV pieces at once for your reading pleasure. :)

Update: Virus

The Haunted Vessel posts have been delayed a bit by a virus that completely devastated my computer. It deleted everything (programs, files, etc.) in under a minute. :( However the system is almost back up and running, so expect posts again soon!

Tattoo update!

Just a quick update concerning my most recent tattoo. It was my birthday this week, and it's my tradition to try and get some art on or around my birthday. This year I chose to get a Voltaire-themed tattoo. If you're unfamiliar with Voltaire, he's a goth musician who is also a bit of a renaissance man. He's done everything from stop-motion animation to toy designs to music of all kinds. He's a fantastic artist, and also a very down to earth, nice person.

I actually went to see him last week as a sort of early birthday celebration, and after such an amazing show, I felt a tattoo was appropriate. :) The piece was done by the very talented Frankie at Scorpion Tattooing. I credit him with the real design work, as I basically brought in a mock up and he turned it into something really amazing.

Jewelry Review

I occasionally throw in posts here about things other than dolls. I think that jewelry can fall under the category of a "vessel." These are two of my newest pieces that I just received, one of which was made for me while the other was a happy accident I stumbled upon.


This first piece is made by a jeweler I have worked with before, for my vampire ring. I contacted ChYMieRa in the hopes of having a pendant made to resemble the one Paksenarrion has in the book The Deed of Paksenarrion*. Said book is my favorite book ever (which is saying something), and I wanted to do a loose Girdish** warrior cosplay for King Richard's Faire this year. So I got in touch with ChYMieRa with my design idea, and after a few days I was sent pictures of this beautiful piece.

The pictures really don't do it justice, in person the crescent is amazingly shiny and so perfect. I couldn't be happier with the product, and as usual ChYMieRa was an absolute pleasure to work with. If you're looking for some unique jewelry or to have a piece made, check out the Etsy shop here.

This next piece was the "happy accident" one. I have a habit of just browsing Etsy from time to time, using certain keywords. In particular I tend to look for Sailor Moon and Buffy items. So imagine my glee when I searched "Buffy" and came up with this stunning piece. It speaks to the goth in me, but it's not over the top. I also am fond of the rosary style necklace, as long as it's not actually a rosary. This one has enough of a mix that I loved it.

An added bonus to the beautiful jewelry was that the Feral Strumpet was fantastic to work with. I have a general rule that I don't buy a lot from overseas simply because of the extra costs and problems that can arise with shipping. This time however I took a chance on her great feedback, and was very satisfied. The item shipped quickly, and she kept in touch even after it was sent. It arrived about when I expected, but even that was quick for overseas shipments. It was beautifully packaged (which is a weakness of mine I admit) and came with a great little bookmark as an extra gift. I am just tickled pink at the whole transaction, and will definitely be buying again. Please check out the Feral Strumpet's shop for more beautiful jewelry!

*The Deed of Paksenarrion is by Elizabeth Moon, and is sort of a "Middle Earth" style story involving paladins, elves, gods, and monsters. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
**Gird is one of the main gods/saints in the book, and by far my favorite.
Photos are credited to their respective creators. I use the photos from the actual item listings.

Back from hiatus/vacation finally!

I'm back! Life tends to throw me curve balls when I least expect it...often right before I have a planned vacation as well. So here I am, refreshed and ready to blog once more!

This post will just be a "coming attraction" for the next few weeks. I've got Fumi pictures uploaded and ready to go, new pictures of Uri in his Vocaloid outfit, a traveling Vessel doll report, and a jewelry review! Not to mention the fact that October is fast approaching and that means the Haunted Vessel shall return with weekly posts. So keep your eyes peeled...or don't because that sounds positively gross. :P

More Fumi Updates

Despite being in the path of the hurricane, everyone here in the house of many dolls is okay. We had a lot of rain, some strong winds, and because of that no work today! As you can tell I'm not exactly broken up about it...

Fumi has her second face up which is much better than the first, and she is awaiting a new wig. She'd been borrowing an old one of Uri's (his blond synthetic one) for the time being, but that's just not cutting it. I found a Leeke wig on Denver Doll that's actually the same exact style I have, so I bought her one in a rich brown. Even though it's SD dolls that are supposed to be "another you," I think Fumi is quickly turning into my lighter twin. We actually might go as Lolita-esque twins to the convention in October if I don't decide on something else for her.

Pictures to come, but not tonight. I'm actually off to bed early for once!

Queen Fumiko

Well Fumi has quickly taken over my entire dolly kingdom and crowned herself queen indefinitely. She charms just about everyone despite her continued lack of face up. Aside from my sister who is quite convinced that Fumi is going to kill her in her sleep...

My problems with the Volks order were corrected, and her items should be arriving today along with the MSC I also ordered. That means that Fumi will finally have a face up either this evening or tomorrow. Knowing me I'll want to do it tonight, but we'll see how awake I am after work and puppy class.

Overall I am loving having another Volks doll in the house, and especially a DD! She is so fun to pose and play with, and she's got such personality. I'm sure she'll get her own Haunted Vessel post here at some point, but she is really full of life in a way that a lot of my other dolls aren't. As I've said before, Volks dolls are different from all other dolls. It's the way they feel, and the personality they bring with them, and Fumi is no exception.

I do have some shots on my camera to prove that she exists, but of course now my camera cord has gone missing...

Still Dollfie Dreaming

I am so enjoying having a DD girl! :) She's lightweight, and soft, and oddly enough warms right up when I carry her places or sit her in my lap. I don't have a lot of clothes for her yet, but she's stealing some of Uri's things, and fits the grand ball gown I have rather well.

I ordered her some MSC so I can do a face-up some time next week, and a few things from Volks. They had a DD restock, so I got her some underwear and two sets of optional hands (peace signs and kitty "paws"). Of course being me and Volks, my order was never confirmed even though the money came out of my account... They won't be in until this afternoon so I'll wait until then and see what happens.

Otherwise everything has gone really well. She poses like a dream, especially when not restricted by Uri's clothing which is a bit small for her. I'm thinking I'll spend this weekend making her some dresses and maybe a pair of pants.

Dollfie Mythology

Volks in particular has interesting "mythology" about their dolls, and DDs are no exception. Here are some of the myths surrounding them:

• The soul is in the eyes. This is a myth that relates to all kinds of Dollfies, and it is something explored in the movie The Doll Master. Supposedly the doll's soul is contained in it's eyes, so if you were to remove them (and apparently the head) you would effectively kill or at least greatly change the doll. This is why many people keep the same eyes for the whole life of the doll, Volks-lovers especially. I do know of one bjd collector who has been collecting for about seven years. While her other dolls have gone through eye and wig changes, her first retains his original eyes for this reason.
• Dollfie Dreams are Daughters. I mentioned this one in my last post about Fumi. DDs are affectionately labeled "Daughters" by their owners, often with it capitalized.
• Dollfie Dreams are said to 'imprint." Imprinting is something that occurs naturally within certain animals. The first entity that the young see after being born is identified as "mommy" and they tend to follow and love this individual. Supposedly DDs are the same; the first person they see is the one they will love and speak to.

Light at the end of the tunnel.

My DD girl arrived this morning after much trial and tribulation. Her delivery was apparently attempted on Saturday, but it was after the PO closed, and they sent it to my physical work place instead of the PO. Since no one was at my work either at that time, she was sent into a loop for undelivered packages. Her tracking said she was sent to the next town over and I'd have to pick her up. However when I called the PO this morning, they let me know she was there and ready to be picked up!

I picked her up as soon as they opened and opened her in my car. She is beautiful in every way. I can completely understand why Dollfie Dreams are fondly referred to as "daughters" by the culture (as SDs are "another yourself"). While initially I didn't think I'd call her that, I can see she is definitely my "daughter." :)

As for her given name, it came to me as soon as she got here. I had picked out a few beforehand, but none seemed right for her once I'd seen her. I did a very quick search of some female Japanese names, and one of the first to pop up was "Fumiko." It has several meanings, but the one I liked the best was "little friend." What is a Dollfie if not my little friend? So Fumiko she is. :)

I'm going to wait for pictures until this afternoon or evening. Right now she's dressed in some of Uri's things, but even the stretchy leggings are really too small for her vavavoom body. :P I'm going to try a dress on her instead and hope that works. His shirts fit her though which is nice. I also have yet to get her headcap on because of how tight it is. I'm going to go home on lunch and cut the little tabs out as Volks suggests so I can compress it a little more.

Coming Home

It only took three days, but my DD girl is finally coming home. :)

I dropped Volks an e-mail last night with some information from my payment company, and as of this afternoon they were able to get things straightened out on their end. Barring any more acts of god, she should be shipped out tomorrow morning and be here Saturday!

Communication is a beautiful thing.

So I contacted the Volks store earlier today to see if I could change my shipping method from UPS Ground to USPS Express. I dropped them an e-mail detailing what I was looking for, and asking if it was possible. Either way I asked for them to get back to me.

Now when I check my order I see that it is "on hold," but I haven't received any communication either way. If it can't be done that's okay too, I just want to know. :/

Edit #1: Spoke with a lovely girl from the Volks store who was very helpful. I got problem the first problem cleared up, but now there's another one which looks like it will prevent me from getting the quicker shipping. We shall see.

Edit#2: I generally love my Firefox browser, but not this time. It was at fault for the order not going through. >:( Now however things seem to be fixed so I should be okay. *sigh of relief*

Edit#3: I spoke too soon. :( Still having trouble getting the order through, but the Volks representative has been very lovely to work with. My card company on the other hand... Hopefully good news soon.

Edit#4: Final edit for the day, and it's not a good one. Volks has my money, but they think they don't. Or that's at least the impression I get from the rep. My CC company has proof that Volks has it, no matter how much Volks suggests otherwise. So I'm stuck at an impasse here. I can't complete the order until the money is returned, but Volks won't acknowledge they have it. Not even a little. I can't request a cancellation of a charge, so I have to wait for them to figure out what's going on. They are closed now. Worst of all, the faster shipping I just paid for is worthless now. :(

*Sigh*

Well my girl is ordered, but not without problems (as usual). I had everything in my cart yesterday, and allotted the correct amount of money for my order plus shipping. I go to place the order today to find that shipping has changed. Not much, but beyond what money I had set aside. So I took an item off my order and paid the higher shipping charge.

I figured that ordering early in the morning meant she might get shipped out same-day. Then I look at the Volks' site to find that they are not open on Tuesdays. 0_0 So she won't be shipped out until tomorrow, meaning she probably won't be here before the weekend. Ah well it wasn't mandatory, but it still would have been nice to have her here sooner rather than later. Granted there's always a small possibility she'll get here faster, but I don't plan on holding my breath.

New Doll PII

Well it looks like I'll be able to bring my DD girl home earlier than planned, but she won't get her "look" until later. She'll need a wig, eyes, and a face up. She can borrow some of the former for now, but I will need to purchase some MSC. Testors is good on resin, but not at all on vinyl. So my lady may be face up-less for a while, but still cute. :P

I also decided to alter my plans for her a bit after looking at some comparison photos and poking around the DD threads a bit. I'm going to get her a dynamite body instead of the regular base body. I like the lines of the DDdy much better, and it gets her closer to my first "want." I think I like the DDH04 so much because it reminds me a bit of the Yoko DD Volks made (from Gurren Lagann). Yoko had a DDdy body, and after some consideration I'd like my girl to have one as well.

She won't be ordered until Tuesday, meaning she *might* be here before the week's end though I'm not sure. My plan is to hopefully have her outfitted by October for fall pictures and maybe a convention. I was going to take Uri, but DD's are much easier on the arms. :)

New doll?

The choosing of a new doll is, at least for me, a very particular process. If nothing else the amount of money I'll spend on a doll is an important factor. If I'm going to allot money for said doll, I want to make sure I'll really enjoy them when they arrive.

I've been thinking about getting another doll lately, and I've tried to narrow down my requirements a bit to assist in the selection process. First and foremost I want a Volks doll. Maybe it's a brand name thing, but I would really love to own another Volks doll. I love their quality and the detail which they put into every aspect of the doll. I also want the doll to be a female, which is surprising considering my normal penchant for male dolls.

That point actually leads me into my next one, which is the new doll must work well with Uri. Not to say I need his "permission," but I realize that Uri is a big part of my doll "collection." I devote more time and energy to him than any other doll, and I wouldn't want to buy one that would compete. So I decided a female doll of similar size would be good in that she'd be different enough not to compete with Uri, but they could theoretically share clothes.

Price of course is also a big factor in my decision-making process, as some of these dolls can be rather expensive and I'm on a tight budget. I've decided to set aside a very small amount of each check (less than 10%) for "fun money," which in this case applies to dolls. It will take a little while, but eventually I will have the necessary funds without overtaxing my budget.

This morning I decided to browse the Volks USA site again, and checked out their SD's. Again, none of them really jumped out at me. I like Kun, but while she's pretty, she's not quite what I'm looking for. Then on a whim I checked out the Dollfie Dream section. Instantly I knew that one of these girls would be perfect. She'll be in a larger size, she's not as expensive, and she's worlds away from Uri. That last part was probably my biggest motivator.

So now I just have to decide what head to get. I'm currently torn between heads 2, 3, and 4. My top choice is #4. I like how she's different and very cute, but still mischievous. I think she'd be perfect for the ghost of the character wandering around in my head. The others are pretty too, but I think I like them just because they're pretty. They don't have quite enough personality for me, so I think it's #4. I will be buying her a wig and eyes separately I think, though I may purchase some pretty animetic eyes. I'm thinking blond and blue-eyed for some reason.

It will be a while before I can bring my girl home and have her fully put together, painted, and dressed. I'd say at least a few months, though perhaps sooner depending upon how my next few weeks go. Plus I do have a birthday coming up next month...

Killjoy Alias: Baby Berzerker

A very bad picture, but a picture nonetheless of my Killjoy cosplay (in progress!) of Baby Berzerker. M0re info and pictures to come. :)

The Haunted Vessel: A new friend?

In one of my recent posts I alluded to some paranormal activity that's been going on in my house lately. That has continued to increase, leading me to believe that we've got a "friend" visiting. This is actually a pretty common occurrence in my life, so while I'm not thrilled I'm also not that upset.

For the most part this friend is relatively harmless, sticking to the stereotypical loud footsteps and occasional flashes of presence that ghosts are so famous for. We had a slight issue with him bothering my dog, and one episode of room trashing, but after a little talk things have gone back to normal.

When it comes to the dolls however, the entity seems perfectly happy to avoid them at all costs. Initially I was having issues with it coming into my room at night, and I would have to actively get up and "usher" it out. Both annoying and time consuming, so I decided to try something a little different instead. I put Nowell by the door and Uriel on the other side of the bed, and since then the entity won't even come close to my door.

This also seems to work when I'm in other rooms as well, so I've taken to carrying one of the boys with me when I don't want to be bothered. I knew this was generally the case with Uri as he has this sort of "no nonsense" vibe around him when it comes to spirits. He's bigger and badder, so don't even bother. :P However this is a new development for Nowell, and it's interesting.

*Insert witty and appropriate title here*

Back from a week-long streak of really bad luck. My poor puppy hurt himself, my car broke down, my computer cord sparked, and a half gallon of milk exploded in my car. :( However we're doing good now and there's a lot more to come soon!

And the resident clothes whore wins again. :P

I swear that Uri has a better wardrobe than me sometimes. The new shirts from Diverse designs arrived this weekend, and he looks fantastic as usual. We also have a few more shirts coming from a custom order on DoA. Of course there's also the Vocaloid commission which I'm so psyched about! The seamstress I commissioned is spectacular, and I can't wait to see what she does with this. :)

Tonight we're doing a Star Wars marathon, and of course Uri gives me *that look.* The look which says, "Please make me some Jedi robes?" I actually have some fabric in the closet that would be perfect, so he may just get his wish. I am rather powerless to resist a man in Jedi robes after all. ;)

Granted I will admit that Uri would probably not be a Jedi were he in the Star Wars universe, Dark Side and all... However, I'm taking a little artistic license and doing it anyway.

The Haunted Vessel: Uriel

Uriel the Magnanimous strikes again. :0

I've been seeing a lot more activity* around my house lately for whatever reason, be it the changing season or the current emotional climate. I've had more doll-related experiences all around, and Uri is no exception.

Last night I got home after having gone to obedience class with my pup and running quite a few errands. I ran upstairs to grab some things for the dog before taking him on a walk, and saw Uri sitting on my bed. I'd left him there that morning propped up against the pillow with both arms tucked into each other (essentially crossed). I grabbed the dog items and glanced at Uri again before leaving.

After taking the dog for a walk and getting rather soggy in the process, I ran back upstairs for a change of clothes. There was Uri on my bed, but instead of looking the same he was positioned differently. Both arms were outstretched and his hands turned as if he was saying "No wait, take me!"

Given Uri's stringing, this wasn't something he could have fallen into. If anything due to how tightly he is strung, his arms would snap back into a folded position. But these were outstretched, barely bent at the joint. I am the only one in the house now, so threre was no one who could have moved him. I of course felt chastized and took Uri down to watch TV with me. :P

*For the sake of clarification, "activity" in these posts will always refer to supernatural activity. I dont' want you to think I mean hiking or biking or something. :)

Update

I've been having a busy, somewhat frustrating but ultimately satisfying doll week;

• Re-did Nowell's face up, but it took me at least eight tries. Seal, remove. Seal, remove. Seal...
• I also ordered Nowell a new fur wig because it's been a while since we changed his look up.
• Uri is getting a bunch of new clothes as usual. :P I ordered him his usual Diverse Designs order (some t-shirts), and I've got a commission in for a Kagamine Len outfit for him. Uri is most definitely not Len, but I like the juxtaposition and he does have a blond wig. Plus the boy will wear anything, I might as well take advantage of it!
• Dresden is still in-progress as we hit a small setback with some of his outfit. I was supposed to do a split but the other person couldn't do it yet, so I'll be waiting a bit for that. He'll be finished eventually, but even unfinished he looks pretty cool. :)
  

Still workin'!

Working on Dresden's staff while watching a good episode of Criminal Minds that surprisingly I haven't seen. :P

The Haunted Vessel: Mr. Dresden

*Disclaimer* I'm a strange person and have strange experiences. If you're not interested in the possible paranormal, feel free to skip this entry. :)

It's been quite a while since I've written an installment of the HV, primarily because I haven't had many experiences as of late. With the dog here and the boss on vacation, I've been much busier than normal. However with the arrival of Mr. Dresden, things appear to be picking up.

When I go to bed after having had a doll out, especially with the puppy around now, I am very careful to place them in a particular spot. So for example with Harry I have him sitting with his arms just so, his head in this direction, legs here etc. This is partially a carry-over from my bjds who can fall and get damaged easily. So it is best to have them in a safe position and know how their joints are bent. Pullips aren't quite as fragile, but the habit carries over anyway.

A little background information on Taeyangs which will make the following all the more interesting... Taeyang bodies have a unique neck joint that attaches at their collar bone. This allows you to turn the head in various directions without moving the body. Very cool feature for posing.

Now each night I have posed Mr. Dresden in a particular way as is my custom, and each morning I wake to find him moved. Not substantially, but enough for me to notice. His body is generally in the same position, but his head/neck are turned to face me in bed. I'm not in the habit of having dolls stare at me while I sleep, so this is not something I would do. Also, given the type of movement it is, I know it's not due to furniture being bumped. The neck joint will only move when someone deliberately moves it. As for someone doing that...we only had company for one of the nights, and I highly doubt (read: dolls freak them out!) they would have snuck into my room at night and touched the creepy doll.

It is interesting to note that like Daemon before him, Dresden is the bearer of several "magical" accessories. Whether they are intended as toys or not, they do have certain symbols inscribed and special meaning attached to those symbols. It makes me wonder on a witchy level if that's why both the dolls were/are active...

So who knows, perhaps I will have more Haunted Vessel posts to come!

Progress Pictures: Dresden!

Some progress shots of my Dresden and his accoutrements, i.e. his hockey stick staff and Bob (skull in the lower left hand corner). I like elements of both the books and the show, so I combined them a bit here. In the books Harry has a wooden staff with carved symbols he uses, in the show it's a hockey stick. I thought the hockey stick idea was fantastic, so I used that as my base. There are a number of carved runes down the side, and I'm going to be painting it as well as adding some fabric and maybe crystals.


A better close up of the runes:
Not pictured are his drumstick wand and pieces of his shield bracelet. More to come!