Good Golly, Miss Operetta !

Current Mood : Hungry

I tell ya’ll, being on a doll diet’s a PITA, but I’m sure you’re already well aware of that. Mostly because, like everybody else, I really enjoy looking forward to a sort-of surprise in the ole mailbox. Yeah, I want new goodies, who doesn’t, but possibly the whole reason I still waste time with eBay is because I rather like the anticipation, and it can cost under five bucks. And let’s face it, the stuff I want is the same stuff *everybody* wants, so it’s unlikely to appear dirt-cheap on a message board lot. Heck, I told Marian which five dolls were moving on, and four out of five were the same ones she let go ! I’m really not anything special, at least in MH circles…

Anyway…the day after I got the shoes I bought so cheep from her - and she tossed in a couple bonus surprises ! – I did a Pinecone survey and got my eBay Bucks. Time to go shoppin’ ! Originally, I was gonna snag DracuLaura’s Picture Day dress, even though the seller was a bit confusing about whether or not the ‘accessories’, like the jewelry and such, were included or sold separately. It was in the photo, but I always read the text and if it doesn’t say ‘everything in the photo’ or ‘this, that, and the other is included in this auction’, I’m hesitant about buying, ‘cause I’m not sure what I’m getting. Plus, I really could make that outfit m’self. I’ve done yoke and ruffled skirts, about the only difference is the hemline print. And the plastic Minnie Mouse headband bow. Can now make ‘em out of forked ribbon, but I still lack that all-important plastic injection molder.

So I snagged Operetta’s Dance Class outfit instead. Like Robecca’s, it’s mostly a leotard with a fluffy overskirt, so I can use it as the character’s swimwear. I don’t like her shoes with that one, so I was glad to find a cheaper set without ‘em, but I got the awesome lavender ‘mask’ and hairbow, which I do like. Subtracting my eBay Bucks and Pinecone survey money put the price low enough to where I’m not gonna groan much about it – it’s actually lower than my target price. Yaay ! It still kinda ranks to grow accustomed to pay 2/3 of a doll’s shelf MSRP for just her clothes, no doll, no shoes, no packaging, but it’s still cheaper than hunting for and buying the whole doll. It’s been like that since ’10, so I shouldn’t whine about it now. I just get spoiled when I can snag awesome shoes from person-to-person sales (if I’m fast enough !) - then see that sellers on eBay want $10. for what I just paid $3. for. And anyway, now I have something else to look forward to !

And like the perpetual motion machine it is, I earned 20c in eBay Bucks for future purchases. (sigh) I’ll use it, of course. I’ve got plenty of time, since they’re not issued ‘til April.

Made my decision about the Midnight Magic knockoff girls. I see it as kinda like having a nice Nefera, but in triplicate – it’s good to have a doll that’ll fit stuff that’s just a twinge too big. They’re kinda pretty and unique, and I can easily share those with our younger visitors. Like any other doll, if they break, well, I can fix or decide from there what to do – it’s borrowing trouble to not touch them out of fear. Probably do a little customization. The one with the grey skintone and black hair would be so pretty in a pageboy, and ya’ll know how I am with super-long doll  hair. It usually gets braided up or cut…but I’m really thinking of making them my own Scarily Ever After dolls – I got a brunette Rapunzel and a grey Snow White anytime I want ‘em ! Of course, if you think MH dolls have limited footwear options, that’s nothin’ on these MM girls. So far, they fit Moxie Teenz and Spice Girl doll boots and can wear the MH guys’ shoes, but they look bad on ‘em.

Decided to take a little time after lunch to sew, so I dug for the Shananigan sheath dress pattern and sewed it with maybe a 1/8-inch seam. It’s funny that I can sew those narrow seams, but I can’t even start a good 1/8-inch hem at all. I messed up the darts right at the start, and took them a bit too big, but in the end, the simple strapless sheath fit the MM girls just fine. Lagoona’s mom is still wearing a very loose Barbie sheath, so I’ll probably sew her up something soon. You’ll get to see all that after Operetta’s Deluxe pack !

As for that…it’s nice. I like Operetta’s shoes in this one – I haven’t liked many since her signature edition – although they’re dice and spider-web themed, it hardly shows, so I can share them with other dolls. No need to mention that I am a complete and total sucker for bow-toe shoes. Same for her clothes – she and Ghoulia can share darn near anything, since they both use most of the same palette. The skirt is a denim-like fabric that doesn’t stretch, and I love the stitch decoration. It’s quite similar to the stitches on Lagoona’s Skull Shores outfit, but for some reason, on Operetta, nearly the same pattern puts me in mind of the gates of Graceland. Her gorgeous blouse is stretchy, and it can be snugged up high or pushed down low. I could even adjust the size of the top fold-over strip a bit. Her earrings kept falling out, but they’re cute…unlike those weird glasses !

I’m sure they’ll seat easier on a doll without her ‘victory roll’ hairstyle, but on one with it intact, it’s a shove and a push to even get them to her ears. I’ve seen the glasses appear on several ‘grab bag’ sales lots, and now I know why – they’re not particularly attractive, they don’t sit on the doll’s face well, they’re hard to put on and position, and they cover waaay too much of her smoky, black-velvet-painting eyes. So, this is probably one of the few photos of it you’ll ever see, my pair will most likely become very familiar with the inside of the ‘ditch bin’ later tonight.  

On the whole, though, I like this set. Tomorrow’s dress is lovely, and I think today’s ensemble is perfect for a Friday evening out with the ghouls, and well-suited to the character. Glad I bought all the ones I liked !