Liebster Award 2016

Farrah Lily of Cozy Comforts And Dolls blog nominated me for the Liebster Award:

Thank you, Farrah Lily! The questions for this award are different from previous Liebster Awards, so I decided I would participate.

The Liebster Award is an award that other bloggers give out to blogs that they enjoy reading and that have fewer than 1,000 followers. If you are chosen for an award and you decide to accept it , there are a few rules to follow:

• Link to the person that gave you the award
• Answer the questions that they have chosen for you
• Pass the award along to more bloggers that have fewer than 1,000 readers/followers
• Ask them to answer 11 questions
• Let them know that you have nominated them for the award

Here are the questions that Farrah asked:

1. Who is your favorite cartoon character?

 I would have to say it is Mulan. I loved first that she was a strong Chinese role model/character that I could show my daughters who are both Chinese. For all, she shows other women that you don't have to fit into the gender roles that society decides you fit into. You can be whatever you want to be!

Mulan: Not my photo.

2. What's your favorite flower (or plant if you're not a flower person)?

The Orchid. My mother loved orchids, they were her favorite flower. I was 15 when she passed away and the orchid always reminds me of her.

3. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

When I traveled to China in 2001 to get my second daughter, we were in the Yunnan Province in Kunming. Yunnan is noted for having the most recognized ethnic groups in China. Out of 56 recognized ethnic groups, Yunnan Province is home to 26 of them. Because our guide was from the Bai group, she took us to a Bai restaurant. The Bai "minority" was known for their very exotic costumes and spicy noodle cuisine. After watching beautifully dressed dancers in authentic Bai costume, we were brought the first course of our meal. It was chicken soup. This was no ordinary chicken soup though. I was one of the first to be served. The server dipped a very large ladle into the soup to fill my bowl. Much to my surprise and as I looked into my bowl, There was a chicken foot and a chicken head -- yup, with beak eyes and feathers staring back at me. I did take a sip of the broth to be polite, but could not eat the rest of the offering!

4. What was the last movie you saw (at home or in theaters)? 

Kung Fu Panda 3!

5. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go?

I have been very fortunate in my life to have been able to visit several countries. However, one place I have never been and that I would really like to go is to Australia.

6. How did you meet your best friend?

I would say that my best friend is my sister-in-law. We were friends first, but then I introduced her to my brother. I was not playing matchmaker, but they did hit it off and ended up married! In spite of that, she is still my best friend (lol)!

7. What is your dream job?
Since I am now retired, I would have to say, I am living the dream (LOL)! But if I could have done my dream job, I would have loved to be a marketing consultant for Mattel, especially for the Barbie line. I think I would have tried to steer them in the direction of having more articulated dolls especially in the Fashionista line. Also, to have a more diverse group of male dolls. I mean, don't they think the girls besides Barbie would like to have a beau? 

8. If you could make a custom doll based on any character or real person, who would you make?
Without a doubt, I would have them do Shemar Moore. 

 9. What's your favorite season?
I actually like 2 seasons equally -- Spring and fall. Summer is ok, but I am not good in the heat and winter, well I don't do so well in the cold either. Spring and fall are just so beautiful and fresh! 

10. If you could talk to/understand any one species of animal, what would you choose?
Without hesitation, I would choose dogs. 

This is our dog Carly

11. If you could instantly learn any language, what would you choose?

I think I would want to learn Chinese. That way, when we go back to visit China, we could go to my kids orphanages and learn more about their early years and the Chinese culture.

Since I am getting this out a little late, I am not going to make any new nominations, however, if you have not been nominated before and would like to have a crack at answering the same 11 questions I did, please consider yourself nominated for the award. Here, again are the 11 questions.

1. Who is your favorite cartoon character?

2. What's your favorite flower (or plant if you're not a flower person)?

3. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

4. What was the last movie you saw (at home or in theaters)? 

5. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go?

6. How did you meet your best friend?

7. What is your dream job?

8. If you could make a custom doll based on any character or real person, who would you make?

 9. What's your favorite season?

10. If you could talk to/understand any one species of animal, what would you choose?

11. If you could instantly learn any language, what would you choose?

Liebster Award 2016

I was nominated by Brini of Brini's Doll Domain for the Liebster Award. Thank you Brini!

I was also nominated by Farrah Lily and her questions are different enough in that I will also answer her questions in a separate post.

OK, now, for the Rules:

1. Thank the person who presented you the award and link back to their blog. 
2. Post the award image on your blog.
3. Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter.
4. Nominate 5 blogs with less than 200 followers.
5. Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer.
6. List these rules in your post. Inform the people you chose of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog and link them to your post.

Here are my answers to the 11 questions posed by Brini:

1. What is your most treasured doll and why?   My most treasured doll would probably be my vintage Platinum Bubble Cut Barbie from the 1960's.  Although I don't have my original doll from my childhood anymore, the quest to find a "replacement" for her is what got me into collecting.                    

   

   My Vintage Bubble Cut Barbie

2. What motivates you to continue your blog?    You guys! As I gain followers and receive comments, this provides encouragement for me to continue my blog. Also, reading your blogs and stories is a big motivator to me as well.                                                                                                               
3. What blog challenges have you faced, (limiting, selling, etc.)?    All of the above! Space has been a huge challenge for me. Also funding my habit er hobby! I need to sell some dolls or donate them. Since I have rebodied a lot of my dolls, I need to move out the old, stiff bodies.                                                              
4. What new skills have you challenged yourself to in your selected playscale?            Furniture modification and making. Whether it is painting and renewing the pink plastic Barbie furniture or making a table and chair set, I have challenged myself to do this. Also, while I can sew, I find making nice 1:6 scale doll clothes challenging because of the small size. I would better from a pattern, so I would like to learn more about creating my own patterns.                                                                      

   

   Here is the first sofa I made!

5. What was the last item you created or purchased for yourself that you second guess because you rather have a doll time?      Interesting question! I really don't buy that much for myself such as clothes, etc. because when I do buy something for me, it is usually doll related! I did purchase a new expensive air cleaner that I regret purchasing as I could have bought many other things if I had not purchased that. I do sometimes feel guilty about how much I spent on my dolls because our funds are so much more limited now that I am retired.                                                                                                                     
6. How do you decide what to add to your collection?     Reading blogs of other collectors and viewing photos on Flickr make me aware of what is out there and I often make a decision based on what I see from other collections. Sometimes it is news from Mattel or Integrity Toys that motivates me to purchase a new item.   
7. What was the one doll mistake you made and what did you learn from it?     When the Made to Move Barbies first came out, I was very anxious to get one and purchased a set of dolls well above the market price. Once they came out in abundance, I did buy more of them as body donors and the lower retail price, but I was mad a myself for acting too quickly. 
8. Which doll was your holy grail and do you feel the same about the doll now?     In 2015, my holy grail doll was Ruruko. All the ones I saw on eBay were so expensive that I could not bring myself to spend the money. Through communication with some of my Flickr friends, I found out how to purchase them directly from Petworks and I purchased my first Rururko. After that, I was hooked and purchased a few more of them. I still love them! They are so adorable! I do not regret purchasing them or their older siblings (Momoko)!
9. Has anyone ever given you a doll gift that you did not know if you should accept it or not?        No, I really don't receive that many doll related gifts. My kids have purchased some doll items for me as birthday or Christmas gifts and my sister once got me a Barbie doll as she also collects them, but I do not receive many doll gifts.
10. Which doll or item is on your wish list that you will no longer pursue?    I really wanted to get the Karl Lagerfeld Barbie, but her prices on the secondary market are just too high and I since that have released her face mold in a few other lines, I am happy to have those and I could always get one of them rerooted to look like her!
11. Which doll will be the doll you have to have this year?    Now that Mattel has announced that the Barbie Fashion Model Collection Silkstone dolls will all be on jointed bodies for 2016, I have added that to my "have to have" list. I have seen a few of them on Amazon at an inflated price, but not yet on "TheBarbieCollection.com". I have learned my lesson on this one and I will wait!

  Here are my nominations:

1. Robyn from Desperately Seeking Dolls
2. Miranda from One Sixth Avenue
3. Shasha from atelierni Shasha
4. Billa from Billa's Dolls and Fashions
5. Chynadoll from Chynadoll Creations

And the 11 questions:

1. What was the first doll you remember having and how did it influence your collection now?
2. Have you ever been to a doll convention or dollshow?
3. Do you have a favorite doll in your collection and if so, who is it?
4. What are you looking forward to in 2016?
5. What is your favorite doll line?
6. How do you decide what to add to your collection?
7. What doll or doll items have you made, repurposed or reworked that you are most proud of?
8. What is the one doll mistake you have made and what did you learn from it?
9. What dolls are on your top 5 doll list to acquire in the future?
10. Do you have any creative activities related to your doll collection?
11. Do you take your dolls out to a public place to photograph them?

Well, that is it! Only participate if you want too, but I am interested in reading your answers as I am sure others are!