Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Lorena and Rudolph.

Signed, Treesa



Celeste's Story (Celestial Collection Evening Star Princess Barbie)

 

If there's any major difference between playline dolls and collector dolls, it's this. The purpose of a playline doll is to be played with and handled, while the purpose of a collector doll is to be looked at and admired. I was designed as a collector doll. When I was given as a gift to a little girl, she was warned to be careful with me. I was placed on a shelf and my new owner was told not to touch me. For a while she did as she'd been told, and I stayed on the shelf. I passed the time by observing the various goings on in the room. There were a number of other dolls who lived there, along with stuffed animals and various other sentient toys. I didn't socialize much with them. I wasn't sure if I could safely get down from my shelf, and even if I could there was no guarantee that I'd be able to get back up again. It was safer to stay where I was. Besides, at the time it didn't occur to me that I had a choice in the matter. I was a collector doll, and I assumed that this was simply my lot in life. But I watched the others, living out their lives below me. I watched, I listened, and I remembered.

 

As it turned out, I was too great a temptation for my young owner. When her willpower failed, she took me down from the shelf. Her plan was to put me back on the shelf when she was done playing. It worked, the first several times she tried it. She played with me, then she put me back on the shelf with her mother none the wiser. That is, until the day her mother came in and saw a hole in my dress. In my owner's defense, the material was ridiculously fragile. But then I'd been designed as an adult collectable. I was never intended to be played with.

 

Regardless, my little owner received a harsh scolding. She was told that not only had she disobeyed her mother, she had also ruined an expensive doll. My owner's mother seemed so angry that even I believed her when she said I was ruined. But by then it was too late to do anything about it. So afterwards, my owner and her mother treated me like the rest of my owner's dolls. I never went back on the shelf. I was played with instead of just looked at. My braids were taken out and my veil disappeared. And whenever the mother decided to tidy up her daughter's room, she handled me just as roughly as the others, grumbling all the while about how her daughter hadn't learned to clean up after herself.

 

Even though I was among other dolls now, it was still difficult for me to socialize. Not only was I inexperienced in that area, but I was also self-conscious about my appearance. When she first received me, my owner had said I was beautiful. But now that I was 'ruined', now that I was in 'played-with' condition, I just couldn't believe that I was STILL beautiful. It didn't occur to me that we were ALL in 'played-with' condition, and that it was nothing to be ashamed of. I was designed as a collector doll, and I was still in that 'collector doll' mindset. So I avoided the others. I ducked out of sight whenever I saw anyone coming. But I overheard enough of their conversations to know that they thought I was stuck up. They believed I wouldn't socialize with them because I thought, as a collector doll, that I was too good for them. As a result, they began treating me rather coldly. I wasn't sure how to correct their assumptions, so I retreated to my old habits of living my life on the outside looking in. I watched, I listened, and I remembered. I watched other dolls make friends and fall in love. I listened when they fought, and when they made up again. I ended up knowing these dolls inside and out: their flaws, their strengths, their hopes and dreams. But I never let on that I knew.

 

If I had known what I had to look forward to, then being donated to the thrift store when my owner became 'too old for dolls' might have come as a relief. But as it was I had no idea where I was going or what would happen to me, and I was terrified. I was still terrified when Treesa bought me and brought me home with her. I didn't know what to expect. Meeting Treesa's other dolls was a stressful experience. It's a large collection, and it seemed that everyone wanted to meet me. I know now that there's always a lot of curiosity when a new doll arrives. But at the time it felt like they were singling me out. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't keep any of their names or faces straight.

 

I tried to be polite to everyone, but I couldn't seem to break the habit of keeping to myself. And I still spent too much of my time just watching, listening, and remembering. Then one day I was looking for somewhere I could be alone. I located a likely, out of the way place, but when I got there I discovered that it was already occupied by a female doll with blue hair. She didn't notice me at first. She seemed to be watching something on the other side of the room. I followed her gaze and saw a male doll in a fairy prince costume. Curious, I turned back to the blue-haired doll. That's when I noticed the look in her eyes. I'd seen that look before, in the eyes of other dolls. It was the kind of wistful look a doll gets when they're waiting for the object of their affection to notice them.

 

That look has always tugged at my heart. There had been times at my old home when I'd seen that look and been tempted to offer encouragement. But considering the opinion those dolls had had of me, I doubt that anything I said would have been well received. In the past, I would've just walked away. But somehow, I couldn't. I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe this time, I could help. Judging from what I'd overheard, the dolls that lived here hadn't yet formed an opinion of me, one way or the other.

 

I took a few steps closer to the blue-haired doll, just close enough that I could talk to her without anyone overhearing us. She didn't turn her head, but I was sure that she knew I was there. "He might notice you more quickly if you went over and said hello," I said.

 

Apparently I must have been wrong in thinking she knew I was there, because she let out a surprised squeak and spun around to face me. "Celeste, you scared the pants off me!" she said. I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry," I said. "I thought you knew I was there." The blue-haired doll still looked flustered, but her embarrassment was quickly being replaced by something else. "This a hobby of yours, sneaking up on people?" she asked. I tried my best to explain. "I was looking for someplace quiet," I said. "I didn't know this space was occupied. When I saw you here, you looked so sad..." I trailed off, realizing that I didn't have an acceptable explanation for why I'd decided to get involved in something that was none of my business. "I'm sorry; I was only trying to help," I said. I was about to apologize again when the blue-haired doll said, "It's ok."

 

I  hadn't expected her to forgive me so quickly. I hadn't expected her to forgive me at all. I didn't know what to say. Before I could respond, the blue-haired doll spoke again. "I guess I could sort of use the help," she said. "It's just, whenever I see Carlos I get so nervous I don't know what to say." Her tone was as wistful as the look in her eyes, and a feeling of sympathy welled up inside me. I knew I wanted to help this doll, if I could. While I didn't have much personal experience with love, I thought I had seen and heard enough about it in my lifetime to at least offer some advice. "Have you tried talking to him?" I asked. The blue-haired doll shook her head. "I can't just walk up to him and start talking," she said. "I'd sound like an idiot. I just know I'd say something stupid."

 

"How do you know unless you try?" I asked. The blue-haired doll looked at me like I'd said something insane. Then, slowly, her expression changed. "I guess you're right," she said. There was a pause before she added, "Thanks Celeste, for caring and all that."

 

"You're welcome," I said. It felt good knowing that I might actually have been of some help. However an awkward silence quickly developed. I wondered if this was a signal that I was supposed to leave. But before I could turn to go, the blue-haired doll asked me, "So, how do you like it here so far?"

 

At first I didn't know how to answer. I worried that it would be impolite to say what I really thought. But in the end I decided it was best to tell the truth. "To be honest it's a little overwhelming," I said. The blue-haired doll nodded. "Yeah, it can get a little crazy around here," she said, "but you'll get used to it."

 

"I hope so," I said without thinking. "I don't know how I'll ever remember everyone's names." I started panicking as soon as the words were out of my mouth. What if the blue-haired doll realized that I couldn't remember HER name? Would she be insulted? Thankfully I never found out. The blue-haired doll said, "Yeah, that part's tough. It's easier if you get to know a few dolls at a time and work your way out from there. Let's start with me. I'm Shade." Then she held out her hand for me to shake. "It's nice to meet you Shade," I said as I shook her hand. "So," Shade said, "you really think I've got a shot with Carlos?"

 

That's when a new feeling hit me, the feeling that I was in over my head. I didn't really know anything about Carlos yet, so how could I say in good conscience that he and Shade were compatible? The answer came to me in a flash of inspiration. "You'll never know if you don't try," I said. "It's not the things we do that we regret the most. It's the things we didn't do." I remembered hearing this somewhere. But I knew even then that I was speaking from experience. I had spent my whole life just watching, listening, and remembering, but not participating. For me, life had become a spectator's sport. The thought flashed through my mind that maybe I'd been given a second chance, now that I was Treesa's doll. Maybe this was my opportunity to change, to make a real life for myself.

 

For a moment I was so lost in my thoughts that I forgot all about Shade. "Celeste, you ok?" she asked. I managed to pull myself back to the real world and said, "I'm alright, just...thinking." Shade didn't look fully convinced. "If you want to talk about it," she said, "I mean, I know it's tough sometimes, adjusting or whatever. Treesa's my second owner too." Shade's words sort of trailed off, as if she wasn't sure what else to say. But I could tell that she genuinely wanted to help me. No doll had ever shown that much concern for me before. It didn't matter to me that we still barely knew each other. Because of her kindness, Shade didn't seem like a stranger to me anymore. She seemed like a friend.

 

I found myself talking to Shade like I had never talked to anyone. I told her about my past life, about watching the world go by from my shelf, and about the uncertainty I felt when I was thrown headfirst without warning into that world. I told her about the cold shoulders I received from my fellow dolls when they thought that I didn't want to associate with them. And I told her about the fear that suddenly gripped me, the fear that the same thing would happen again, that I was already repeating my past mistakes. By the time I was finished I was physically shaking with emotion. Shade was staring at me with a stunned expression on her face. "I didn't know..." she said. Then she did something that I never expected. She hugged me. "Things will be better here, I promise," Shade said. "If you want you can hang out with me and my friends."

 

"Thank you," I said. I was so touched by her generosity that I didn't know what else to say.

 

Shade was as good as her word. She introduced me to her friends Dandelion and Rampion, and to her brother Orlando. Dandelion and Rampion are a lot like Shade herself, vibrant and full of life. Orlando on the other hand seems a bit shy and quiet. But it's obvious he cares for his little sister a great deal and wants her to be happy.

 

My life has definitely taken a turn for the better. I haven't become a social butterfly by any means, but I'm slowly learning how to do more than just watch, listen, and remember. I'm reminded of a movie that Treesa likes that tells the story of Cinderella. A character in the film says that the problem with most people is that they dream about what they want to do instead of really doing it. For so long I've tried to be content just imagining what it would be like to have friends and to live life. Now, thanks to Shade, I'm going to try to really do it.

 

Anything's Possible, Celeste



An Inspirational Moment With Misty and Tom Servo

Focus your attention on the good and the beautiful.

 

(It's Treesa's birthday today, so some of us dolls got together and posted this. We figured Treesa could always use a little inspiration.  Any MST3K fans out there will get the reference.)



Jasper's Story (Mattel The Twilight Saga Jasper)

 

I've always felt like there was something missing in my life. At first, I thought the feeling would go away once I got taken out of my box. Then I thought it would go away once I made some friends and settled into my new life. But that feeling of something missing never completely went away. Don't get me wrong, Joy's a great sister. I really admire the way she can just take things as they come. And I know if I ever needed help, Joy would have my back. But I still felt like there was something else I needed in my life, something I had to find. Now I think I finally know what it is. I figured it out the day I met Alice.

 

It was a typical day. I was going for one of my long walks around the room. I like walking; it helps me think. I was just passing the bookcase when I heard Joy's voice, along with a second voice I didn't recognize. I was curious, so I decided to see what was going on. As I turned a corner I saw Joy and her new friend. I opened my mouth to say hello, but then the new doll turned and saw me, and I found myself absolutely speechless.

 

I think what captivated me about Alice was her uniqueness. Her hair is dark and cut short, which is unusual for a Barbie doll. Her skin is extremely pale and her eyes are a color you don't typically see. But there was more to it than simply being dazzled by a pretty face. The moment I saw Alice, I realized that the thing that had been missing in my life, the thing I'd been searching for, was love. Not the brother/sister love I feel for Joy, but romantic love.

 

Alice hadn't said a word to me, I didn't even know her name yet, but somehow she'd managed to completely change my life. I wanted to tell her that, to thank her for bringing things into focus for me. But I felt so overwhelmed all I could do was stare at her. Then I noticed that Alice was staring at me too, looking at me not with appreciation but with shock. That's when Joy turned and saw me. "That's my brother Jasper," Joy said. "Don't mind him. He doesn't talk much. Jasper, this is Alice."

 

"Hello Alice," I said quietly. I was still staring; I couldn't seem to take my eyes off her. Alice must have noticed, because she quickly left and I haven't seen much of her since. It's almost like she's avoiding me. I've tried to talk to her a few times that we've bumped into each other, but she seems so uncomfortable around me. So I've been giving her her space. Still, I keep hoping to see her, even if it's just across the room.

 

Not only does Alice seem uncomfortable around me, she also seems...guarded. It feels as if she's hiding something from me. And that got me thinking. Our skin tones and our eye colors are a very close match, maybe too close. I know I'm from the Twilight line because that's what it said on my box, but I don't know very much about the series. What if Alice is from the same line? What if our characters are meant to be brother and sister? Could that be the reason why Alice is so uncomfortable?

 

I know the only way I'm going to get any real answers is to talk to Alice. But she doesn't seem to be ready to talk to me, so I'll just have to wait. It's the waiting that's really taking a toll on me. I think Joy's noticed that there's something off about me lately, but I'm not quite ready to confide in her just yet. I do know that keeping my feelings bottled up inside isn't healthy; that's why I decided to write this post. This way I can get things off my chest without the embarrassment that would come from sharing my feelings with someone I know personally. I'll admit it's not a perfect solution. It's probably not a long-term solution either. But it will have to do for now.

 

Jasper



Alice's Story: Part 3 (Mattel The Twilight Saga Eclipse Alice)

So, now I know what Treesa was hiding. She didn't buy my Jasper because she already HAD a Jasper doll. But she couldn't just come clean and tell me that. She waited until Wedding Bells and Wedward were gone, then she introduced me to Joy.

I have nothing against Joy. I don't think Treesa told HER anything either, and when Treesa introduced us Joy seemed really friendly. Then Treesa left us alone. She probably didn't want to be there when I met Jasper because she knew I'd be upset.

Anyway, Joy and me were talking when Jasper showed up. I was so surprised at first all I could do was stare at him. Joy noticed where I was looking and said, "That's my brother Jasper. Don't mind him. He doesn't talk much. Jasper, this is Alice."

My head was spinning. Was this MY Jasper? Would Treesa have bought him and not told me, wanting to keep it a surprise? Then I noticed this Jasper was staring at me, staring at me in a way my Jasper never had. "Hello Alice," Jasper said quietly. That's when I knew he had to be a different Jasper doll. He didn't call me Allie, and his voice didn't have that playful, teasing tone my Jasper always had.

Part of me wanted to track Treesa down and give her a piece of my mind, and part of me wanted to burst into tears. I made some excuse and got out of there as fast as I could. It was probably really rude of me, but I knew I needed to calm down before I said anything I'd regret to Joy, or Jasper.

I have nothing against Jasper either. It's not his fault he looks just like the doll I fell in love with. And if he likes me as much as I think he does, well, that's not his fault either. He's tried to talk to me again once or twice. I want to be polite, but I don't want to encourage him, so it's easier to just avoid him. The thing is, I think Jasper realized I'm uncomfortable around him. If he sees me across the room he'll wave, but he doesn't walk over to me anymore. He lets me have my space.  Sooner or later though, I'll probably have to tell him about my Jasper. I just hope he'll understand.

Alice

Joy's Story (unidentified blond Barbie)

 

I know I'm not the oldest doll in the collection, but I've been around long enough to learn a few things. The most important thing I've learned is that dolls who want to live happier lives, need to learn to go with the flow. Dolls' lives are unpredictable. Any doll can end up separated from their friends and family, sold or donated, put in storage, or paired up with another doll they can't stand. Our human owners decide a lot of things for us, so it's easy to build up grudges against humans. But dolls who spend their whole life carrying grudges around with them usually end up angry and bitter. I know it's not easy, but dolls live much happier lives if they try to make the best of things. At least, that's my experience.

 

It took me a while to figure this out. It didn't really sink in until after Treesa bought me. Before that I was just as guilty of holding grudges as anybody. My first owner was a little girl who, like most little kids, wasn't very good at picking up after herself. She'd usually leave me lying on the floor in the nude. Then she'd end up accidentally stepping on me. There were other things she'd do, little things I always blew out of proportion. At the time I took it all personally. Then one day the family had a yard sale, and she sold me to Treesa. Even though my life with my first owner didn't match my ideal, knowing she didn't want me anymore did a number on my self-esteem. I felt like I might as well have been thrown away.

 

My downer mood took a turn after Treesa brought me home and found me something to wear. She spent a lot of time trying to find just the right look for me.

 

 

It had been a while since a human had given me that much personal attention, so I thought I would be showered with attention from then on. I realize now my expectations were a tad unrealistic. Treesa wasn't a kid anymore, so she didn't play with her dolls. She considered herself a collector (a deboxer sure, but still a collector). This was also before us dolls started talking to Treesa, before she started trying to see things from our point of view.

 

Anyway, Treesa sort of ignored me for a while after that. I ended up getting sort of broody and depressed. Then one day I realized there were other dolls in the collection who weren't getting any more attention than I was, but they were still happy. I decided I needed to change my attitude. From then on, I was going to focus on all the good things about my life. I started making a mental list of all the things I had to be grateful for. So what if I didn't get to do photo shoots like some of Treesa's other dolls? At least I didn't get left on the floor anymore. That was definitely an improvement.

 

Now that Treesa is actually trying to figure out what us dolls want, things have gotten even better. But Treesa still has a habit of meddling with our lives. It's like she can't help herself. I still remember how she introduced me to my brother. One day I was minding my own business when Treesa came over and whisked me off to another part of the room. "Hey Joy," she said. "Sorry to bother you. I just want to compare your skin tone to Jasper's." It wasn't the strangest thing I'd ever heard come ou of Treesa's mouth. And I'll admit I was a little curious who Jasper was and what our skin tones had to do with anything.

 

Treesa set me down next to a male doll I assumed was Jasper. He definitely had a unique look going on. His skin was even paler than mine, and there was something really different about his eye color. Treesa studied us both and said, "Not quite a match, but still pretty close." Then she smiled, and I realized I was in trouble. I knew Treesa liked playing matchmaker, even though she'd never tried to match me up with anyone before.

 

Then Treesa said, "You two could be siblings!" Somehow, I managed not to roll my eyes. Treesa was just as notorious for pairing up siblings as she was for her matchmaking. Just ask her Build A Bear collection.

 

Treesa turned to me with a smirk and said, "I always said you looked like a vampire." It wasn't the first time she'd said something like that. It was one of her private jokes, like the one about Dandelion's parents being hippies. I don't exactly get it, but I think it has something to do with my pale skin, red lips, and red painted fingernails.

 

Treesa turned towards the door and said, "I've got to go. Joy, would you mind showing Jasper around? He's new. Thanks." Treesa left the room before I could answer. So there I was, expected to play tour guide to a doll she hadn't really bothered to introduce me to. I'll admit, even with my improved attitude, I was still annoyed. There's a difference between going with the flow, and getting walked over.

 

I was still staring at the door Treesa had left from when Jasper caught my attention by saying, "Sorry". I turned to him and smiled lightly, trying not to let him see how annoyed I was. After all, it wasn't his fault. "Don't be sorry," I said. "It's not your fault Treesa bailed on us."

 

"I meant about the vampire comment," Jasper said. I probably looked as confused as I felt. "Why would you be sorry about that?" I asked.

 

"I'm a vampire," Jasper said. "At least, my character is." This wasn't something I'd expected to hear. For a few seconds I just stood there blinking. "Oh, you're a character doll?" I finally said, since I didn't know what else to say.

 

"From the Twilight series," Jasper said with a nod. I wasn't sure where to go with the conversation after that, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I guess that explains your funny name," I said. Jasper looked puzzled. "My name?" he asked. I realized then just how rude I'd been. "It's just...kind of different is all," I said, hoping Jasper wouldn't be insulted. "I've never met a doll named Jasper before."

 

"It's the name I came with," Jasper said, still sounding puzzled. "Didn't you come with the name Joy?"

 

"No, Treesa named me that," I said. "Treesa couldn't i.d. me, but she thought I might be a holiday doll, because of my skin tone and coloring."

 

"Are you?" Jasper asked, sounding genuinely curious. I actually had to think about that. Finally I said, "To be honest I don't remember." I was really embarrassed now.  I tried to brush it off by saying, "You know how it is once you're redressed and your kid starts playing with you."

 

Jasper didn't say anything for a while. Finally he said, "No, I don't. Treesa just took me out of my box a few minutes ago." Now I was even more embarrassed. "I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't realize...Treesa usually buys used dolls," I explained. Now that I was really looking, I noticed Jasper's clothes still looked crisp and neat. That should have been a giveaway.

 

It was an awkward first meeting, but as I showed Jasper around we slowly got more comfortable with each other. After about two months, we decided we wouldn't mind being brother and sister. If Treesa had been trying to play matchmaker we would have fought her. But they say you need to pick your battles, and me and Jasper agreed it was easier to just go along with what Treesa wanted.

 

Jasper turned out to be a great brother. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor, but I know I can count on him if things get tough. Lately though, I've noticed something a little...off about Jasper. I can't really explain it, but it's like he's...quieter than he used to be. I mean, Jasper's always been a little quiet, especially when he first meets someone. It takes time for Jasper to warm up to new dolls. We met Alice last week and Jasper barely said a word to her.

 

But like I said, this is different. It's like there's something going on he doesn't want to talk about, but he's still carrying it around with him. I've let him know he can talk to me about anything, anytime, if he wants to. But so far, whatever it is, he's keeping it to himself. I really hope he's ok.

 

From: Joy

To: The World





Quick Update from Shade (rebodied blue-haired Mattel fairy)

 

Remember how I said my brother needed a girlfriend? Ever heard the expression, 'be careful what you wish for'? That's right, my big brother Orlando's in love. Her name's Celeste and she's an Evening Star Princess Barbie. Treesa found her at the thrift store.

 

The thing is, I've met Celeste and she just seems so...distant I guess. She doesn't talk much, and when she does she's really formal to everybody. And I haven't really seen her hanging out with the other dolls much either. She's always by herself. Not to mention she keeps getting this look in her eyes, like her mind's somewhere else.

 

I know she just got here, so she's probably still trying to 'find her feet' or whatever. And I know firsthand that used dolls can come with 'emotional baggage' they need to deal with before they can 'move on'. Treesa was MY second owner too, so I sort of know what Celeste might be going through. I just wish I knew for sure what her deal was. Forget figuring out if she likes Orlando back.  Right now I haven't got a clue if she even knows Orlando likes her. It's not like I can ask her. Why? 'Cause if she doesn't know I might get in trouble with Orlando for giving it away.

 

I really don't want to see my brother get hurt. It's tough liking someone who might or might not know you exist. I know. I've been there with Carlos. I just wish I could talk to Orlando, without looking like a jealous little sister.

 

Well I guess that's all for this update. I'll let you know if there's any 'further developments'.

 

See Ya, Shade



Lois' Story (Superman Returns Lois Lane Barbie)

 

The problem I have with being a character doll is character dolls don't get as much variety. Your average playline doll stars in a ballet, marries the prince, and saves the world all in the same day. But character dolls are usually stuck as whatever character they were modeled after. Between you and me I was getting really tired of being Lois Lane day in and day out.

 

I also had a 'super' annoying neighbor to deal with. I know statistically there must be plenty of Superman Ken dolls who can accept when they've been turned down and move on. This guy wasn't one of them. He wouldn't stop asking me out, even after I told him no. But what had really bothered me was the way he would ask. He kept using lines like 'we're part of a set' and 'we were made for each other'. He made it sound like he was only interested in me because I was a Lois Lane doll and he was a Superman doll. Personally I'd rather date someone who took the time to get to know me and then decided to ask me out. Supes didn't get that.

 

When I ended up at a thrift store I was really hoping whoever bought me wouldn't know who I was. I was nude, stuffed in a plastic bag, hanging from a wall rack with about half a dozen other nude, bagged dolls. I really thought no one would recognize me, that I was just another face in the crowd. I didn't get my wish. Treesa knew exactly who I was. When one of her sisters saw me later and said I looked familiar, Treesa told her I was a 'Lois Lane Barbie'. At least Supes didn't end up in the bag with me. I'm not sure what happened to him. Treesa didn't see him in the store or I would have heard about it by now. I have my sources.

 

I learned pretty quickly that Treesa is full of surprises. Before she picked out my new outfit, she asked if I had any preferences. I thought it over and decided I wanted something simple, comfortable, and practical. I wanted to get away from long gowns, ruffles, and anything else that reminded me of my original outfit. So I asked for jeans and a tee shirt. Treesa did her best, but you would not believe the trouble I had finding a decent pair of jeans. I'm a standard sized doll with a standard figure. You would think it would be easy for me to find clothes. But the retail, off the shelf Barbie jeans Treesa bought me were a no go. Let's just say, they didn't flatter my hips. But Treesa didn't give up. Eventually she found some decent, second hand jeans that actually fit well.

 

I thought I was finally getting the fresh start I wanted. Then I heard from a reliable source that Treesa was looking for a Superman Ken doll online. I felt so betrayed that instead of calmly talking things over with Treesa I just gave her a piece of my mind. She couldn't get a word in. When I stopped talking to catch my breath, Treesa grabbed her chance. She said that just because she wanted a Superman Ken doll for her collection didn't mean she expected me to pair off with him. She pointed out that in a collection this big I wouldn't even have to talk to him if I didn't want to. Treesa also argued that just because two dolls had the same mold, didn't mean they had the same personality. She said that if she did manage to get a Superman Ken he could turn out to be a perfectly nice guy.

 

She's right; I shouldn't judge other dolls because of how they look or who they look like. I wouldn't want to be judged for being a Lois Lane Barbie. If or when Treesa gets a Superman Ken I'll do my best to be polite, and I'll try not to let my past experiences affect how I treat him. I just hope whatever doll fate decides to send Treesa's way, doesn't turn out to be my old neighbor.

 

 

By Lois

Fashion Doll Memoirs Staff Writer





Liebster Award Nomination

Hello again friends and visitors. This is Treesa. Queen Elsa, at the blog A Doll's Life For Me, was kind enough to nominate me for the Liebster Award. Thank you so much Queen Elsa! I know that technically I'm more of a moderator for this blog than an actual blogger, since my dolls are the ones writing the posts. But Queen Elsa's nomination specifically said, "Treesa at Fashion Doll Memoirs". Besides, getting every doll who has posted on this blog so far to answer the provided questions would take way too long. Not to mention the resulting post would BE way too long.

The rules for accepting a Liebster Award nomination seem to vary slightly depending on who you ask, but the general consensus seems to be this.

Step 1: Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Step 2: Copy & paste the award to your blog.
Step 3: Answer 11 questions posted by the blogger who nominated you.
Step 4: Nominate up to 5 (or 11) bloggers who have less than 200 followers and post 11 questions of your own for your nominees to answer.
Step 5: Be sure to inform your nominees that they have been nominated by leaving a comment on their blog.

There is an additional step where you post 11 random facts about yourself, but this seems to be optional.

The following is a list of the 11 questions posted by Queen Elsa, along with my answers to said questions.

Question 1: How do you compare with your zodiac sign, personality-wise?
Answer: I'm a Sagittarius. According to my internet resources a Sagittarius will, "crave adventure and excitement and welcome change with open arms". Um, me, not so much. I'd rather curl up with my laptop or a good book than go out, and I don't do well with change. A Sagittarius is also supposed to have an, "encouraging, positive nature". I do try to encourage people when they're down or going through a rough time, but I'm also a bit of a pessimist at heart.

Question 2: What's your favorite book you have read at least twice?
Answer: This is a tough one, since I love books. But as far as multiple readings go, I guess my favorite would have to be 'Home Is The Sailor' by Rumer Godden. Not surprisingly, it's a story about dolls.

Question 3: How do you relax and unwind at the end of a long day?
Answer: This may sound a little strange, but at the end of a long day I like to lie down, close my eyes, and let my mind wander. I come up with some of my best ideas that way.

Question 4: What is your favorite part of being a blogger?
Answer: Honestly, it's the feedback. I love it when someone leaves a comment on the blog. We live in a busy world and knowing that someone not only read a post but then took the time to respond, it makes me feel like I matter, even though my dolls should get most of the credit. I have low self esteem, so I take what I can get.

Question 5: What do you do to fix writer's block or you just don't feel like writing?
Answer: Ah writer's block, usually when I get stuck I try moving on to something else for a while, which is probably why I have so many unfinished fanfics taking up space on my laptop. When it comes to finishing things, whether writing projects or craft projects, I have a terrible track record.

Question 6: Where is one place you have always wanted to go (outside of home)?
Answer: I actually have a short list of places I would like to visit some day. Right now at the top of the list is the 'Princeton Doll And Toy Museum' in Hopewell, New Jersey.

Question 7: What is your favorite holiday?
Answer: Christmas, absolutely. I love the decorations, the music, the many Christmas television specials (though I tend to watch those on dvd rather than broadcast television). However, I tend to prefer the buildup to Christmas over Christmas itself. It probably helps that my birthday is in December.

Question 8: What is your pet peeve?
Answer: I suffer from sound sensitivity. So hearing the tv on in the other room when I'm trying to work on something drives me absolutely crazy.

Question 9: If you had the choice, what kind of climate would you like to live in?
Answer: I'd actually prefer the climate I live in now. It's hot in the summer, and cold in the winter, and I really look forward to the changing seasons. I don't think I'd like living somewhere where it's warm year-round or cold year-round.

Question 10: If you're falling from a fiery building, who would you want to save you?
Answer: Do fictional characters count, because Superman would be a good candidate? He has a lot of 'life-saving' experience. Plus he can fly, so I might not have as far to fall. I never liked the sensation of falling. It's one of the reasons I won't go on roller coasters.

Question 11: What is your favorite treat (to smell or to eat)?
Answer: Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

Now on to my nominees, this was difficult because most of the blogs I follow have already been nominated. In the end I decided to go with...

Rapunzel at Rapunzel's Ramblings
and
Charlotte at Charlotte La Bouff's Blog

Here are my questions for my nominees.

1. Who do you consider your best friend?
2. What is your favorite animated movie?
3. What is your favorite live-action movie?
4. Which do you usually do first, see the movie or read the book?
5. If you could be someone else for a day, who would you want to be?
6. What is your most prized possession?
7. What is your favorite type of music?
8. Why did you decide to start blogging?
9. Due in part to competition from Ever After High, Monster High, and Disney princess dolls, Barbie is not as popular as she used to be. Do you think Barbie can make a comeback?
10. Have you ever made a pop culture reference that your friends didn't get?
11. Do you want to build a snowman? (Sorry, I was running out of ideas for questions.)

My thanks again to Queen Elsa at A Doll's Life For Me.
Signed, Treesa



Vi and Viv's Story (Pretty Sweet Fairy Dolls, redressed)

(Just a quick note for you readers. Vi and Viv wanted to do this post together, so the format is a little different from previous posts. I wanted to make it easier to tell which doll was talking, especially since Vi and Viv have a habit of finishing each other's sentences. So I typed the name of whichever doll was talking at the beginning of each line. I also color coded the text, purple for Vi, blue for Viv, and green if both dolls were saying the same thing at the same time. Hopefully this will help avoid confusion.

Signed, Treesa)

Vi and Viv: Hi!

Vi: I'm Vi,

Viv: and I'm Viv.

Vi and Viv: We're twins!

Vi: We look a lot alike, but I have purple hair,

Viv: and I have blue hair.

Vi: Treesa got us at a store that sells stuff for a dollar, but she didn't get us the same day. Treesa got me first,

 

Viv: and me second.

Vi: We used to be fairy dolls,

Viv: with fairy wings.

Vi: Treesa took our wings off, but it didn't hurt,

Viv: 'cause the wings are bendy.

Vi: We both still have a knob on our back, where the wings go.

Viv: But we can wear lots of other clothes now that we don't have wings! I like that we only have to dress fancy if we want to.

Vi: Me too. Treesa says our fairy dresses weren't made nice. Our new dresses are a lot nicer,

Viv: and they match our hair! Vi has a purple dress and I have a blue dress.

Vi: And our shoes come off too, so we can change them if we want to.

Viv: Lila and Buffy can't do that! They have molded shoes that don't come off.

Vi: Lila is a Sparkle Girlz doll. She has purple hair too, but her head's bigger than mine. When Treesa got Lila, I was scared. I thought Treesa didn't want me anymore. But Treesa said she loves me and Lila the same.

Viv: We don't know what kind of doll Buffy is, but she's lived with Treesa a long time.

Vi: It's nice having a twin sister. I always have someone to play with,

Viv: and someone to talk to.

Vi: We get mad at each other sometimes, but we don't stay mad for long.

Viv: I like how we're more than just sisters. We're best friends AND sisters!

Vi: We've only lived with Treesa for a little while so far, but it's nice here.

Viv: Yesterday, Treesa took us outside to take our picture,

Vi and Viv: for the blog!

Vi: We felt so special,

Viv: and important.

(Silence)

Vi: I can't think of anything else to say.

Viv: Me either.

Vi: I guess we should say goodbye.

Viv: Ok.

Vi and Viv: Goodbye!





Alice's Story: Part 2 (Mattel The Twilight Saga Eclipse Alice)

(A Note From Alice: I'm going to pick up right where I left off. Be sure to read Part 1 before you read Part 2. That should help cut down on confusion.)

I was really happy to see Wedding Bells again, but I was really confused too. "How'd you get here?" I asked. "I found her in the toy department for $2.90," Treesa said. "I guess whoever bagged her didn't realize she was Twilight." Wedding Bells grabbed my hand to get my attention. "Did you see Wedward?" she asked. "Was he alright? I mean, I know he probably got sold already, but did you see him before that?"

For a while, all I could do was stare at her. Thoughts zoomed through my head one after another. Had Wedding Bells mentioned Wedward (Breaking Dawn-Part 1 Edward) to Treesa? Was HE what Treesa was looking for back at the store? If he was, why had she bought ME instead? Was it just because I was rare and valuable? I could see Wedding Bells' emotions on her face. Based on what she'd said, she must've thought someone had already bought Wedward and taken him away. She looked unhappy about it, but she also looked like she was trying to accept it. How could I tell her Wedward had still been at the store, but Treesa had passed him up to get me instead? I just knew that would break Wedding Bells' heart. But I didn't feel right lying to her either.

"He misses you," I said, which was the truth, just not all of it. Then I turned to Treesa. "Can I talk to you for a minute, alone?" I asked. Well actually I was demanding more than asking and I think Treesa knew it. But I tried to act casual so Wedding Bells wouldn't get suspicious. "Sure," Treesa said. She reached over to pick me up. Then I saw the look on Wedding Bells' face. I can't really explain it. It was like she was worried she wouldn't see me again. "I'll be right back," I promised before I let Treesa pick me up and carry me out of the room.

Treesa took me into the bathroom with her and shut the door. I glared at her, launching questions one after another. "Did you know about Wedward?" I asked. "Did you know how special he is to Wedding Bells?" Treesa nodded, looking uncomfortable. "Then why didn't you get him?" I asked.

"I'm a little short on doll funds right now," Treesa said. "I couldn't afford to buy all of you even if I wanted to."

"Then why didn't you just get Wedward?" I asked "Why did you get ME instead?" I was getting pretty emotional, so I didn't stop to think how Treesa would react to being interrogated by a doll. Most humans aren't in on the secret that dolls are alive. But even the ones that are don't always see dolls as equals. Humans seem to think, because they're bigger than us, that they know what's best for us. To be fair, humans treat their children that way to. The point is, Treesa ended up getting really annoyed. "It was a calculated risk," Treesa snapped. "There's a good chance Wedward will still be there if I go back later. You wouldn't be. You're too rare."

"Is that why you bought me," I asked, "because I'm rare and valuable?"

"I bought you because I like your character," Treesa said. "I've actually wanted an Alice doll for a while. But my Dad has a big mouth and I don't want my sisters to find out I'm buying Twilight dolls for myself. They'd just make fun of me." Treesa took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then she looked at me. "Is there maybe another reason you're so upset?" she asked. "Did you leave someone behind too?" If dolls could blush I would've. "Jasper never loved me that way," I said. "I was just his little sister." Treesa looked sort of relieved. I guess she didn't realize that just because Jasper didn't love me back, didn't mean I wasn't heartbroken. It was sort of nice of her to ask though.

"So, you're a Twihard huh?" I said, not really sure what else to say. Treesa looked sort of embarrassed. "Full disclosure," she said, "never read the books, never saw the movies. I did read the official illustrated guide, well, parts of it anyway. I have a friend who's a big Twilight fan, and I wanted to know what she was going on about."

Now I was really confused. If Treesa wasn't really a Twilight fan, why did she buy TWO Twilight dolls? "Did you buy Wedding Bells because you 'like her character'?" I asked, using the same words Treesa had. Treesa looked uncomfortable again. "Alice," she said quietly, "I bought Wedding Bells as a birthday present for my friend. I just thought you two could hang out 'til it was time for her to leave. She's been really lonely..." Treesa sort of trailed off, but the damage was done. Her words hit me like a wrecking ball, knocking my world apart. Wedding Bells was the only family I had left, and now Treesa was going to separate us to. I felt like crying. "Does Wedding Bells know she's not staying?" I asked. "Yes," Treesa said, "but she probably doesn't realize you are staying." Treesa turned towards the door. "I'll take you back now," she said. "You and Wedding Bells have a lot to talk about."

That's when I realized Treesa expected ME to tell Wedding Bells I was staying. "Oh no," I said. "YOU'RE telling Wedding Bells I have to stay. I'm not doing it for you." Treesa looked unhappy, but she nodded and brought me back to the bedroom. Treesa explained things to Wedding Bells, who took the news even worse than I did. After that Treesa pretty much left us alone. That was fine with us. We really didn't feel like talking to Treesa anyway.

The next Monday morning, Treesa left the house early. Me and Wedding Bells were talking in a corner when she came back later that day. "Ladies, sorry to interrupt," Treesa said. She didn't look sorry. In fact, she looked pretty pleased with herself. She pulled a doll from behind her back and put him down in front of us. It was an Edward doll in a wedding suit. He looked a little dazed, and when he saw Wedding Bells in front of him he froze. "Wedding Bells?" he asked. He said it sort of half-heartedly, like he didn't really believe it was Wedding Bells, like he was afraid to get his hopes up.

Wedding Bells got this sort of teary-eyed look on her face. "Wedward?" she asked. Her voice was so soft you could barely hear her, but Wedward heard her loud and clear. He knew then he'd found his Wedding Bells. Only dolls in our family knew that nickname. The next thing I knew they were holding each other, laughing and crying at the same time. Then they both looked at Treesa, and Wedding Bells asked the question that was on all our minds. "How?" Treesa smiled. "The showcase is one third off on Mondays," she said.

I was happy for Wedding Bells and Wedward, of course. But the flicker of hope I felt had nothing to do with them. "Did you get anybody else?" I asked Treesa a little too eagerly. Treesa frowned. "You said..." but she trailed off when she saw the look on my face. Yes, I'd said Jasper never loved me back. He probably never even knew I was in love with him. But that didn't mean he never would have fallen in love with me to. Maybe someday he could have loved me that way, and not like a sister.

Things have sort of settled into a routine here at Treesa's house. I spend most of my time with Wedding Bells and Wedward. I give them some alone time as a couple, but I want to have as much time as possible with my old family before they go live with Treesa's friend.

 Wedward, Wedding Bells and Alice

Treesa promised to introduce me to some of her other dolls when Wedding Bells and Wedward leave. She tried to act casual when she said it but, do you ever get the feeling someone's hiding something, but you can't figure out what it is. I'm not sure why, but that's how I feel. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Too bad I can't see the future.

"Curiouser and curiouser," said Alice



Alice's Story: Part 1 (Mattel The Twilight Saga Eclipse Alice)

(A Note From Alice: My post ended up being longer than anyone else's, a lot longer. So I'm breaking it up into two posts, to make things easier for you readers.)

I come from a big family. Mattel made a LOT of Twilight dolls, and my first owner had every single one of them. There were three different Bellas, three different Edwards, Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, Jacob, me...and Jasper...even Jane and Victoria. And being a certified Twihard, my first owner had some very strong ideas about who we were supposed to be. As far as she was concerned we WERE the characters from the books/movies. It never even crossed her mind that dolls don't always have the same personalities as the characters they're made to look like. We're more like actors. Actors don't always have the same personalities as the characters they play either. But my first owner wasn't really a doll person at all, which is probably why she donated all of us to the thrift store when Twilight stopped being fashionable.

When we were all getting bagged and priced at the store, Breaking Dawn-Part 1 Bella (the one in the wedding dress) somehow got separated from the rest of us. When we got put behind the glass showcase at the front of the store, wedding Bella wasn't there. Our first owner displayed us all together, so we were a pretty close knit group, sort of like a big extended family. So we were all sad when wedding Bella went missing.

Breaking Dawn-Part 1 Edward (the one in the wedding suit) was devastated. I know I said before how dolls are different from their characters, but he and wedding Bella had really hit it off. I couldn't even imagine how he felt then, knowing he might never see the doll he loved ever again. We were all trying to hold out hope that she'd turn up in the back room and get put behind the showcase with the rest of us. I think deep down we knew all of us were going to get separated soon. The chances of someone buying the whole collection were pretty slim, especially since we were priced at $9.90 each. Multiplied by that many dolls, $9.90 adds up fast. Even if we were all bought by the same person, that person would probably turn out to be a professional doll dealer planning to resell us.

So there we were, individually bagged in plastic and hanging on a rack next to the designer purses. When Treesa came in, she almost walked right past us. I found out later Treesa usually doesn't bother checking the showcase. She thinks the stuff is overpriced. Treesa has a good eye though. She can spot a doll a mile away. When she saw us, she stopped in her tracks and came over for a closer look. One of the store clerks took us off the wall so Treesa could sort through us.

Treesa didn't spend a whole lot of time checking the condition of each doll. She acted more like she was looking for something. So I thought she was a collector, looking for that one doll to complete her collection. When Treesa saw me, she grabbed me and didn't let go. Her dad was at the store to, and he came over and asked who I was. Treesa told him I was a Mattel Twilight Alice doll. Then she started talking about how rare I was and how much money I was worth online. My heart sank when I heard that. Getting bought by someone who was only interested in how valuable I was, someone who was probably already planning to resell me, made getting separated from my family seem so much worse.

When I got to Treesa's house I expected her to start typing up an auction listing right away, maybe even snap some photos. So I was really surprised when she started talking to me. Think about it, professional dealers are more...detached I guess from what they sell. They see dolls as profits, not people. Even if the dealer is someone who knows dolls are alive, wouldn't they still try to keep their distance? After all, they wouldn't want to risk bonding with the dolls they're trying to sell. They'd be too tempted to keep them then. So why talk to the merchandise?

"I hope you like it here," Treesa said as she carried me upstairs to her bedroom. "There's someone here I want you to meet. I think you might know each other already." Treesa put me down on her bed. Then she went over to the bookcase and grabbed something off the top. Because of the angle I was at I couldn't see what Treesa had until she brought it over and put it on the bed. Right in front of me was a stunned looking Bella doll in a white wedding dress. For a few seconds we just stared at each other, and then...

"Allie?" the Bella doll asked. Treesa was still standing there, but I was too stunned myself to worry about whether or not we should be talking in front of a human. "Wedding Bells?" I asked. The room was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop, then...

"Oh Allie, it IS you!" Wedding Bells said, laughing with relief. The next thing I knew we were hugging each other.

The nicknames had been Jasper's idea. It started out as just an easier way to tell all the Bellas and Edwards apart. Breaking Dawn-Part 1 Bella in her wedding dress was Wedding Bells. Breaking Dawn-Part 2 Bella, with her vampire eyes and skin tone, was Vampirbella. You get the idea. But then Jasper started giving everybody nicknames. That's just how Jasper is. If anyone needed proof that dolls aren't always the same as their characters they just have to look at Jasper, or Jazzy Jazz, to use the nickname he gave himself. My Jasper...OUR Jasper was always goofing around, always trying to make us laugh. No matter how I was feeling, Jasper could always make me smile.

(This seems like a good place to stop. We're a little less than halfway through my original post. I'll try to post the rest soon. Alice)



Rampion's Story (Barbie Long Long Hair, brunette with blue streak)

Some of the other dolls might have hinted at it, but I'm going to come right out and say it. Treesa's a little weird. Take my name for example. No really, take it. I don't want it. Seriously though, I know it's not as bad as it could be. There's worse things Treesa could've named me. She didn't have much to go on after all. I'd better explain.

When Treesa names a doll, the first place she goes for inspiration is the name on the box. Even when she gets a doll at the thrift store, she ALWAYS tries to find out what the doll's original name was. Treesa bought me new in box, but the only words on my box were 'Barbie' and 'Long Long Hair'. She told me, when she named me Rampion, that it's where the name Rapunzel comes from.

I was cool with it at first. It was different, kind of edgy, you know? Then I found out what Rampion actually means. Another doll, Halle, told me rampion is a plant that people in Europe put in salads. She told me that in the original Rapunzel fairytale, the trouble starts when Rapunzel's birth mom sees rampion growing in the witch's garden next door and gets a pregnancy craving. She begs her husband to get her some, but the witch catches him. When baby Rapunzel is born, the witch claims her as payment for the rampion and names her Rapunzel, the German word for rampion. I asked Halle how she knew all that. She said she read it in a book Treesa left lying around. Makes sense I guess. Treesa loves books, and if anyone would know where Treesa got my name from it's Halle.

Halle's sort of the eyes and ears of the collection. She likes to stay on top of what's going on so she can keep the rest of us in the know. Halle always says, "Humans don't tell us anything." She does sort of have a point, and you can't really blame her for feeling that way. Things were kind of rough for Halle before Treesa made her part of the collection, so Halle doesn't really trust humans, Treesa included. But I won't go into that now. Knowing Halle, she's probably planning to write her own post, just so she can have her say.

I got kind of annoyed when I found out about my name. Who wants to be named after a vegetable? So I sort of complained to Treesa about it. Treesa said if you can have human girls named Fern and Ivy, you can have a doll named Rampion. I said humans don't eat ferns. She said Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple. At the time I couldn't come up with a snappy comeback. I'm sure Halle would've thought of something.

Then Treesa let me in on a secret. She said the reason she uses things like 'word association' to name her dolls is so she'll actually REMEMBER them. So I guess I'm stuck with Rampion. But when the dolls I hang out with have names like Dandelion and Shade, I guess Rampion isn't so weird after all.

So Long, Rampion





Harriet's Story (vintage Mattel The Happy Family Mother Hattie)

I never expected to become a single mother. I had a husband once, when I was new. We were packaged together, along with our baby. I still remember the day we were bought. I remember the design on the brightly colored paper that was used to wrap our box, a present for a little girl roughly 40 years ago. That little girl grew up, and we were put in storage.

If only I'd known what would happen after that. There's so many things I wish I could go back and tell my husband. I wish I'd told him more often how much I love him. There were days in storage when I got angry at him, not because of anything he'd done but because I was so tired of it all. I was tired of the way each day dragged on, the same as the last. I was tired of waiting for something to change. If I'd known I was going to lose him I would've tried harder to control my temper, and to enjoy the waiting.

The drive to the thrift store was long. We were left there, ready to be bagged, tagged and shelved. I was bagged with Hon, our baby. But Hal, my husband, wasn't bagged with us. I watched as he was put in another bag with some random, blond Barbie doll. I watched as he was put in the front row on the display rack, before me and Hon were put several rows back. I caught glimpses of him as a customer took Hal's bag off the rack and walked up to the registers with it. I would've stopped caring what happened to me after that, if I hadn't had our baby with me.

It's been difficult, getting used to being a single mother. I miss Hal so much, but I keep putting my feelings aside so I can be there for Honey, our baby. Treesa changed her name from Hon to Honey, the same way she changed my name from Hattie to Harriet. The other dolls in the collection have been very understanding. They gave me my space, when I asked for it. Some of them offered to listen if I needed to talk. I'm grateful to them. But it's been hard for me to feel like I really belong. I feel so different from them because I'm scaled differently than them. I look like a child, standing next to a Barbie doll. Treesa also had trouble finding clothes for a doll my size. Honey still has her original outfit, but I don't. Treesa used a Barbie wrap skirt to dress me, wrapped and tied in such a way that it resembles a dress.

Some days, I feel like giving up. But I keep going, for Honey. I know she depends on me, and I know how easily I could've lost her too. I try to live my life one day at a time, focusing on those little moments I most want to remember so I can treasure them always. I took too many things for granted before I lost Hal, but not anymore.

 Harriet and Honey

Stay Strong, Harriet





Jimmy's Story (Photo Student Ken)

In a collection as big as Treesa's some of us dolls can get...how do I put this nicely...left to our own devices for long stretches of time.  Some of the other dolls take it personally if they're ignored for too long, but I don't anymore.  I know Treesa's not trying to play favorites.  It's just that there's so many of us and she only has so much free time.  Besides, if I hadn't been left to my own devices, I might never have found the love of my life.  Here's how it happened.

I was bought in the early 2000s.  Treesa's collecting style at the time was pretty much 'buy what you like'.  If something caught her eye and was a good price she'd pick it up.  The doll who became my girlfriend was bought around the same time I was.  She didn't have a name then.  Treesa called me Jimmy from the beginning because I was a photographer like Jimmy Olsen, a character from the Superman franchise.  But I've heard from some of the older dolls that when Treesa was a kid only a few of them had permanent names.  Treesa didn't really start trying to come up with original names for everybody until recently.

But anyway, when I first met my girlfriend she was just Picture Pockets Kira.  It wasn't love at first sight, but we didn't hate each other or anything like that.  It's just that it was a big collection even then, and with so many other dolls to meet it was impossible for me to get to know everybody.  We would say hi when we saw each other but we weren't really even friends yet.  That changed not long after Treesa did a photo shoot with me and Florida Midge.

At least, she was Florida Midge at the time.  She's Jean Grayson now.  Treesa named her that as sort of a comic book joke.

But anyway, before the pictures were even printed me and Jean got put away in one of the plastic storage crates that Treesa used for her dolls.  Treesa didn't have enough shelf space to display all of us.  She still doesn't.  Now the problem with being in the crates was that they were stackable.  If you were in the bottom crate you weren't going anywhere.  The best way to stay sane in this situation is to talk to the other dolls you're in storage with.  Depending on how long you're in storage for you might even go into hibernation.  Dolls sometimes do that, especially if they're alone or in an enclosed space or both.  Our minds can't cope with the isolation and the claustrophobia forever, so we kind of shut down for a while until we're found and loved again.

But anyway, Picture Pockets Kira was in the same crate as me, and she was really curious what it'd been like to be part of a photo shoot.  So one day she asked me about it.  It'd been an indoor photo shoot and nothing really exciting had happened, so there really wasn't much to talk about.  At least that's what I thought.  But Picture Pockets Kira listened to every word like it was the most interesting story she'd ever heard.  She didn't interrupt, but she asked a bunch of questions after I'd stopped talking.  After I'd gone over every detail of the photo shoot, Picture Pockets Kira said something about her own interest in photography.

From there the conversation just took off.  Time seemed to fly by, instead of crawling at a snail's pace.  That one shared interest helped us open up to each other, and as the days passed we talked about a lot more than just photography.  We became friends, then best friends, and as more time passed we realized we were in love.

Now the one thing we were really worried about was Treesa.  Like most doll collectors, Treesa's a bit of a matchmaker at heart.  When she was a little kid, she did what little kids do and paired off her dolls however she wanted.  Her current technique is still less than subtle.  She has a bad habit of introducing two dolls to each other, and then leaving them somewhere they'll be forced to spend time together.

But anyway, we weren't sure if Treesa already had plans for one or both of us.  I even wondered if she'd planned to pair me up with Jean after the photo shoot.

Well, eventually the day came when Treesa decided to sort through the crate we were in.  She started unpacking the crate, lining us dolls up on the bed.  Picture Pockets Kira was next to me on the bed and I glanced over at her out of the corner of my eye.  I thought how much easier it would be if we could just tell Treesa how we felt.  But that was impossible.  As far as we knew, Treesa still wasn't in on the secret that dolls were alive.  So we just lay there with our hands touching and waited to see what would happen next.

Now Treesa isn't always the most observant person, so I have no idea how she figured it out.  Maybe she noticed our hands touching or how close we were to each other.  Or maybe she sensed it somehow, woman's intuition or something like that.  Or it could've just been dumb luck.  Treesa had, without realizing it, dressed us in outfits with very similar color schemes.  However it happened, something tipped her off.

She had just finished unpacking the crate and was looking over all the dolls lined up on the bed when her eyes focused on me and my girlfriend.  For a little while Treesa just stared at us with a sort of blank look on her face.  Then she smiled.  "You make a cute couple," she said.  She picked us both up and asked, "bonded over your shared interest in photography?"  That's when I knew things would be ok.  We didn't have to worry about being split up.  Somehow, Treesa understood how we felt.

Treesa turned to Picture Pockets Kira and said, "I guess you'll need a name now".  I couldn't have been happier.  Picture Pockets Kira is a bit of a mouthful, and there are so many Kira dolls in the world.  My Kira was special, and she deserved a special name.

Treesa was partial to 'Nikon' for a while, until she realized she didn't know how to pronounce it.  Is the 'i' supposed to be pronounced as 'ih', 'eye', or 'ee'?  Treesa settled on Nokia, a brand of camera phone, to fit the photography/picture theme.  My guess is Treesa doesn't know the names of any famous photographers.  Nokia herself isn't bothered by her new name, so even though it's a little more special than I had in mind I can live with it.

I think what I love most about Nokia is how she can turn the most boring, everyday things into something special and exciting.  Every day with Nokia is an adventure, even if we decide to spend the day doing nothing at all.  She told me the secret of life once.  At least, she told me what I think is the secret of life.  She said that life is the journey, not the destination.  And I can't think of another doll I'd rather share this journey with than Nokia.

 Jimmy and Nokia

Well, as they say in the movie business, that's a wrap.

Stay Focused, Jimmy