Stars and Clouds

Photos! Pt. 1

2009-03-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted photos of my girls. They have some different looks at the moment. I hope to start get more outfits for my mini size dolls after the wedding if I'm lucky.

I'll start 2. Next time, it will be another 2. =3

Felise (Volks MSD Sakura)

Rasiel (Asleep Eidolon 1/4 Yara)

Meet Rasiel

2009-02-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

I hadn't thought too much about Rasiel's backstory yet. When I do, I'll post it up. =3

Small things

2009-02-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

I ordered my AE Yara head for my girl body that I recently received and it should come in by the end of this week. My DoC U boy, Remi has been shipped off to his new home in Honolulu. Hopefully he'll arrive before Valentine's Day, which would be really awesome. Speaking of which, I participated in a Valentine's swap on Den of Angels. I hope the recipient likes what I got her.

Dear Remi

2009-01-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

So Remi finally got a new owner who wished to adopt him from me through a trade. I will be keeping the clothes that I bought for him because the buyer didn't want them. I dunno what I'm going to do with boy clothes because I won't have any boy dolls after this. I guess my girls could wear them and be all tomboyish. O__o

Remi won't be sent off until I receive a Dollzone 43cm girl body in normal pink resin that was part of the trade. I'll be ordering a Asleep Eidolon Yara head within a week for the body, completing my plans for Rasiel. I think after this, I would be pretty much satisfied with my whole doll family. I just need Ciera to have a doll friend in the same scale as her and then I'm done really. I just hope that I don't fall in love with a mold that I think that I must have. :o

In other unrelated news, I got some medication for the shingles. Let's hope this makes them go away faster. =)

Selling stuff to get TF Somang

2008-12-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Currently, I'm selling some doll clothes on Den of Angels to raise money to get a Bluefairy TF Somang before they sell out. I'm planning to have my sell thread up until I made enough or Bluefairy no longer has the girl on stock. So please take a look.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260335

Also, I have a feeler thread up for my Dream of Doll U. I'm willing to trade for a TF Sarang if I can't get a TF Somang, but I prefer if someone would like to buy him at the price that I'm asking for. If it doesn't work out, I plan to give my boy a new faceup and see if he fits back into my doll family. Maybe he needs new clothes too. Anyhoo, here's the thread for that.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260335

Please help me get TF Somang. :)

http://bluefairyint.com/shop/step1.php?number=374

Black Friday Edition

2008-11-28T00:06:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It was sure crowded here at my house. Ten people in total. Good times. I lack my bitch drinks though. But I digress.

So I'm pretty much certain that I'm going to part with Remi. But that's going to be a while since I have yet to figure out which mini-size girl to get afterwards. I didn't realize the lack of white skin resin minis. It's quite sad really. I'm gonna wait it out for now until the right mold comes. Remi can stick around while I figure what doll will be cosplaying dancer Rasiel... Maybe I'll change my mind and he'll end up staying. Who knows.

Meanwhile, when did Elfdoll started make another doll? She looks so alluring and passionate. I kinda like that. Need more pictures! Perhaps she'll replace my love for a Sooah/Polaris. XD

MSD F-22

2008-11-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w32171031

I dunno how much I'm willing to cough up for this head alone. It has been modded at all sorts of places. The nose has been sanded down, the lips are now parted and the eyes have been slighty reshaped. Also, the original owner gave it human ears... Mind you that this is a MSD fairy mold, which means Volks has no human ears for them. Plus, it's beauty white resin. (Everything that I could possibly asked for!) Problem is someone is bidding against me... Maybe it's better that way, but still... *grabbie hands* Want!

Changing Plans

2008-11-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of revamping some of my characters, mainly Remi and Lisette. I feel like I kinda fell out of love with Dream of Doll molds since they don't feel so charismatic as Volks and other companies. I want to upgrade Lisette so she can be the same size as Ciera.

As for Remi, I think he lived out his role in my doll family. He was the first male mini that I've ever wanted when I got into this hobby. Problem is I don't know what to do with the poor boy. All he does for the most part is sit around. I have a feeling that I was meant just to have all girl dolls.

I also have been tossing around the idea of which doll is suitable for Rasiel. Originally, I intended to get a Asleep Eidolon Yara. However, I'm leaning towards a white skin MSD F-22 with robot wing ears, mostly due to the face that Rasiel, my character that I played in Yogurting, had music headphones that came in all sorts of designs... And Volks is the only company that I know that has robot ears. My only beef is that I want a slender body for her. Anybody know a good mini size body that matches with Volks beauty white skin resin?

International Volks Fans

2008-11-20T22:04:00.000-08:00

I guess this is more of a rant than me going gaga over something... Which is different for a change.

Dolpa 20 is around the corner, and everything that is being offered is what most people were hoping for. And yet, for some sort of reason, the whining and bitching from some international fans seem to be louder than ever. Now, the overall consensus of the group is that Volks is being unfair to them because the USA and Japan gets everything and they are left with the scraps. While I try really hard to sympathize with them, it becomes rather annoying and repetitive. How is it unfair? Fairness is all relative to whoever is benefited in the end. So as long as someone gets what they want, it is perfectly fair... And when someone doesn't get what they want, it is somehow unfair. (Doesn't this sound quite Republican for me?)

If I remember correctly, Volks have been searching for an European distributor, kinda like how the US have We Love Dolls and Kerbey Lane Doll Shoppe. Nothing really surfaced since then, but I'm sure Volks hadn't given up on their other fans. They just hadn't find the right group to step up to do the job. So they are trying to give what the international fans want, but there hasn't been any results... Which makes me think this is what those people are angry about.

I mean, cry me a river as long as you want, but if that's all you can possibly do, then nothing's going to change. Voice those opinions to Volks, not to people at Den of Angels that you want a shop or Dolpa somewhere in Europe. It was not long ago when a group of people in the midwest band together and sent their wishes to Volks with paper cranes for a Chicago Dolpa... And now there's a planning commitee! Volks needs to know that there are lots of people, not a handful, who want this to happen.

Since nothing of the sort is currently happening, if you want a doll, try to get it through the international website. If you can afford it, go to a live Dolpa. Chances are the odds are still against you. This is the case for any limited in any hobby. So my two cents, some people seriously need to get over it and move on. It's not the end of the world. There will be other dolls and other chances.

Renewal SD13 Elena

2008-11-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

I've been oggling at the new faceup that Volks gave for the new standard version of Elena... And my goodness, it is such a huge improvement from the previous one. I was turn off by the standard before and now I love her to bits. I should really stick to my doll plans, but now I'm trying to figure out how to fit her into all of this. Please Volks, make more MSDs and SDCs so I don't end up getting another large doll in the future with my other large dolls that I planned for myself. D=

Thoughts...

2008-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've been carefully thinking how I'm going to get my next few dolls while managing my wedding. I could either purchase slowly as the days of my wedding draws near or wait much later after my wedding when I have a stable job. Leaning more towards the 2nd plan right now.

Current want list at the moment are Asleep Eidolon Yara, Volks SD13G F-34, and Angell-Studio Tanned Punk Cinderella. Kinda want Elfdoll Sooah and Supiadoll Roda, but those probably will fall off my list.

Waiting for the US Web Dolpa to start selling SD16 Pearl since I'm currently in a group who splitting everything. Gonna get the outfit and boots... I have a feeling that I won't use the outfit though and put it back on the secondhand market. But we'll see.

Felise's New Faceup

2008-10-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Normally, I wouldn't do another one of these doll posts so immediately, but I like to procrastinate from my work to do what I like best -- play. Although working on a new faceup for my MSD Sakura isn't all fun and games, it's the end product that really brings it altogether.

Here's Felise before I worked on her today:

And here she is afterwards.

Felise is one little happy girl now and I am one too. :D

Elfdoll Sooah as Serafina?

2008-10-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been contemplating whether I should continue trying to aim for a F-34 girl from Volks to be Serafina. I kinda want my 2nd tallest doll to have some cheekbones like Ciera (SD16 Garnet) so there isn't much of a difference between the two.

I'm currently looking at this FS thread on DoA and I'm hoping that the person selling isn't asking too much, considering that I can get the full doll for $500 without shipping.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250100

http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/doll/ciera/cierafer02.jpg

I think they look similar. What do you guys think?

Dollfies at PMX

2008-09-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

I was asked by Mike Tatsugawa from PMX to work on a dollfie track for next year. I'm probably gonna try to broaden it to all ABJDs, Blythes and Pullips. I would love to encourage Volks to come and do a little fan appreciation party for their fans at the con. Since PMX will be paying for the venue, Volks wouldn't have to cough up so much money.

Normally I would be working for info desk... But with this, it'll be programming/con ops, probably. (Unless info desk is really lacking in staff.) News on the PMX grapevine for this year's con is that the staff is much smaller... I'm not surprised since some folks have moved onto greater things. I didn't staff last year because of portfolio submission stuff and now this year with my art load. Next year, I'll be trying to fend for myself in the art industry. Knowing how it is now, I'll probably have lots of free time to staff.

I want you, Giselle!

2008-08-14T09:44:00.001-07:00

Souldoll released a 60cm-ish girl doll that I really just love! Love, love, love! The shape of her eyes and her lips seem so perfect. In fact, I kinda want her to be Serafina instead of that SD13G F-34. Lately, I've been wanting to diversify my doll family since right now it's only all Volks and Dream of Doll. I think Giselle might be it! She's so beautiful. I hope to get her this year, if not next year. Time to save more money.

In other news, I finally fixed up Remi so he's back to being loved again. Yay! He still need to get new eyes, but other than that, he's whole again in my heart. Also, I got Melody a dark violet fer from BJDollarama and Ciera got a lavender fer from Dolls and Friends. They look so beautiful in them. I'll bring them to the next doll meet. Squee!

All Girl Doll Team

2008-06-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been considering putting my only boy doll, Dream of Doll U up for adoption. I dunno if I should though. I keep going back and forth on this decision. He was one of my dream dolls. However, he doesn't get much attention and just sits on my shelf. Most of my money is invested in my girls and all he has is a handful of goods for himself. Perhaps this is me feeling guilty and wanting him to be cared for more... Someone more responsible. It's just kinda sad getting a doll that supposed to be loved and all it eventually does during most of its existence is sit and gathered dust. I love my boy, Remington... I just hope that I can fix this issue. If not, you guys might see him for sale here and on DoA soon. D=

Doll Meet-Up in Downey

2008-06-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday before my dad's "Father's Day" dinner, I went to the doll meet-up over in Downey. The turn out was quite wonderful. Some people who I met at the Volks Tenshi no Sumika were there and some other faces who I have not seen yet. We had a lot of food out and chit-chatted for a while. I was able to trade a wig with Divine for one of hers, which now is being used by my SD16 Garnet, Ciera. =3

I shot several pictures while I was there. Not all of them were crisp and sharp, but I was able to salvage a good amount from my batch. :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9601028@N04/

Doll Thief!

2008-06-09T13:24:00.001-07:00

As some of you doll owners know, someone stole 6 display dolls this weekend during Volks Dolls Party in New York. Each doll was intentionally not for sale. If they were, each one would be valued around $1,000 each. For more information, check out Den of Angels announcement about the incident and how you may help Volks get their prized works back.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220740

Want or Wish, Dolpa 19

2008-05-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Finally got around editing my doll want/wishlist. It was pretty lengthy since I had originally planned to have some tinies in the doll family. I'm pretty much comfortable with minis and up. Originally I had Dollfie Dream Saber listed, but seeing how rare she is (and expensive), I'm better off without her. I kinda want to find a tanned girl in MSD size, but I hadn't seen any that totally scream for my attention. So if any of you guys see a cute tanned mini, send a link my way. ;)

AE Doll: 1/4 Yara
Iplehouse: JID Tataina*
LatiDoll: Red K
Fairyland: MiniFee Miyu
Supia Doll: Roda 58cm
Volks: SD13G F-34
Volks: MSDG F-22**

*If they sold her with the same light tan skin as Cocori, I would totally be all over her. XD

**I will only get this doll if Volks offer human ears for the fairy molds.

Aside from this randomness, I bought two outfits for my girls last weekend from the Dolpa 19 After Event. They should be arriving this week. I hope they can fit in them and there are no issues with the clothes like last time... Like missing buttons and what not. *nervous*

Here's what I bought.
Lisette would probably wear this.

An outfit for Saphron. The shirt underneath the cardigan is gold satin. :D!

SD Kun

2008-05-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

I always found that SD Kun, although beautiful, always look the same no matter what time of faceup that s/he my have. There was that childish factor that made me veer away. As some of you may know, I only like larger dolls looking like adults. After browing Yahoo! Japan, I came across a SD Kun that totally changed my mind about this sculpt and made me a true believer that this doll can be transformed into something I may like to have as part of my doll family.

http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g60747834

The shot of the head with a black wig was the one that really drew my attention and had myself thinking, "Yeah, that's perfect! That's how she should look like." Whether this would change my intention of getting a F-34, I wouldn't know... Only time will tell.

Package from Volks

2008-04-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

My Osaka Dolpa 5 After Event order came in today. I immediately tried on the outfit that I bought for Ciera (SD16 Garnet) right away. It looks so chic and elegant. I think she's going to stay in this dress for a while. The fabric is a nice black chiffon over light pink satin. There is even a white underskirt. It is very beautiful. I wish Volks made real clothes for people. I would buy them like hotcakes. XD

I did a mini photoshoot of Ciera in her new look.

Dolpa 19 orgasmic goodness

2008-04-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

In addition to the release of Saber, Volks is re-releasing SD16 Olivia and SD10 Tae (better known as Anais). Plus, they are making YoSDs of the four sisters. Someday, I would love to get a YoSD Nana, along with the other dolls from my want list. I could care less about the SD13 boy they are releasing. I like my girl dolls better. With Saber costing 95,000 yen and Olivia costing 98,000 yen, not to mention all of Saber's special outfits, this is gonna be one expensive Dolpa.

Kyoto Dolpa 5 After Event (Aftermath)

2008-03-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

I was waiting since 6PM for the 2 outfits that I wanted to buy, but Volks hadn't put them up for sale. I waited and waited. And the moment that I left my computer to watch episodes of House on DVD, they were once sale at 11:30PM (it seems). I totally missed out and became severely upset for missing out. I was also angry at Volks for falsely advertising that they will have the items for sale at 6PM (10AM Japan Time). I'll write my angry letter to them soon, since it is well-deserved. I'm a dear lover of their dolls and kits, but I do not appreciate being toyed with just because they were not prepared. Many, just not me, waited countless hours, time that we can't gain back. And I think that's what upsetting everyone the most, not the fact that we didn't have an equal opportunity. It is the fact that we believed it was gonna all happen at 10AM Japan Time and spared time for it, only to be disappointed in the end.

I'll be trying to get the SD16 Black Cocktail Dress and Light Dress Set once again at the LA Sumika when they have them available. Hopefully this time, I'll get them. I'll see most of you doll folks there as early as 9AM. Please help get these. D=

EDIT: I was able to get the Black Cocktail Dress. Eyay~!! One down, another to go.

Volks After Event & Downey Meet-up

2008-03-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the day when the after event for Hometown Osaka Dolpa 5 will begin. I'm only interested in the SD16 outfits, really. Having a new doll can wait another time. Limited clothes seem a lot harder to get, IMO.

As for the Downey doll meet-up, I decided to go for sure. I can't always be cooped up at home even if I am lazy to travel. Chances like these don't happen too often, especially when you get older and don't have time to meet people due to other responsibilities. I'm still young and should enjoy this while I still can. You only live once after all. ;)

Dolpa 19 - Dollfie Dream Saber

2008-03-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Nick and I pretty much agreed to get Saber when Dolpa 19 comes around, which is in like 2 months. It'll be cool to have her amongst the other Fate/Stay Night figures that we have. Nick really wants to get the casual outfit that Saber is known for through the series. I'm just hoping that she doesn't cost too much. We still got a wedding to fund. =P

Another to Add to the List

2008-03-05T09:56:00.001-08:00

Just to add to my previous post about the same topic, yet another to add to my want list... It's MiniFee Miyu. She's the same size as Volks MSDs, but has a much slender body that I'm always into. I swear, I think I should make my doll family all girls. Remi enjoys the company the female company though. XD

I'm probably gonna get her after I get my SD13 F-34 girl, Latidoll Red K or Asleep Eidolon Yara... Man, whatever happened to my only-6-dolls plan? D=

Possible Doll Purchase?

2008-03-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was browsing Den of Angels like usual and I came across this lovely boy amateur artist sculpted head being sold by pookie. She designed his whole look and I immediately thought how perfect he'll be for Ciera.

I won't buy him right away since pookie said she's gonna have a second release with some adjustments to the original head. I'll probably get him a Dollzone 70cm body since it's super cheaper than a SD17 or SD16 boy body. Practical and cheap. Works for me. ;)

Suigintou Doll Hunt

2008-03-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

Ever since Dolpa 18 ended, I've been searching for Suigintou for my sister. Today, I saw someone auctioning her on Den of Angels, so I put a bid in. Hopefully I win her... Suigintou is the only SD that she wants. She's not all into the hobby, but she loves the Rozen Maiden character very much. May fate be by her side.

March Releases

2008-02-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

God, I wish I was rich. So many good dolls being released and me without the money to get them. First off, are the releases from Volks for their Hometown Kyoto Dolpa 5. I am totally in love with Okita (http://www.volks.co.jp/jp/event/htd_kyoto5/vs_okita.html) and Kanon (http://www.volks.co.jp/jp/event/htd_kyoto5/vs_kanon.html). Okita is just awesome since he's based on the real guy who was a Shinsengumi and Kanon is just really adorable and sweet. If I were to ch0ose between the two, it would be Kanon. I do want a YoSD in my doll family someday.

Next from Latidoll, the limited releases of their standard dolls in tan skin. I am very captivated by the gentleman look of Rei (http://latidoll.com/2007_en/index.htm?mode=product_view&big=4&mid=15&num=1303). He also has this manly tenderness radiating from him that I hadn't seen before. In Latidoll's normal skintone, he looks so pale and feminine as shown here (http://latidoll.com/2007_en/index.htm?mode=product_view&big=4&mid=8&num=831). Not totally into that. I like my male dolls look more like men. I've seen some Latidolls in person and I'm not too fond with the resin color being as light as Dream of Doll. Makes them kinda ghostly.

Lastly, Unidoll's release of their Uni-Real girls. The one that I thought was certainly beautiful was Selina (http://www.unidoll.com/img_mail/rx_700_21.jpg). She looks like a dreamer, a soul-searcher... She'll probably go well with Ciera, my SD16 Garnet. Not to mention, she's in proportion which is nice since Unidoll kinda fails at doing that from time to time. The boobs are a bit on the big side, but oh well. At least she'll have some (http://www.unidoll.com/img_mail/rx_700_30.jpg).

Good thing that I'm broke. The last thing that I need is to do another impulse buy. Fate must be guiding my finances. XD

Doll Meet-up @ Fullerton

2008-02-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

Finally got my photos up from today's Valentine's theme doll meet-up. It was loads of fun. Got to see lots of people who I met back in August as well as during Dolpa LA. It was definitely a treat. Plus Saphron finally got to go outside for once.

http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/dollmeet/

Saphron is finally home!

2008-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Saphron arrived this morning and I was so excited to get her out of the box. She is a lot different in person. However, I feel that she'll fit in with my other dolls just fine.

Quickie profile:

Name: Saphron

Model: SDC Renee

Obtained from: Volks

Arrival Date: January 18, 2007

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Birthday: January 18th

Hair Color: Golden light brown

Eye Color: medium brown

Likes: shopping, dressing up, fashion, cooking, being free

Dislikes: authority, being suck at home

Personality: She is a very outgoing girl who likes to see the world and do different things. She hates being stuck doing the same things since she feels that life is meant to be exciting.

A new member to the doll family!

2008-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

So during the Volks Dolls Party 18 After Event, Nick and I had a LAN party in order to nab SDC Renee. I would have gotten her if I didn't messed up by refreshing my page after having the chance to put her in my cart. Luckily, Nick was able to checkout with her. We were all tired after that, since it was after 2 AM. Thank goodness we weren't on the east coast. I'll be so dead. Soon, Melody (SDC Ren) will be meeting her sister, who I named "Saphron" after the character, "Saffron" from Joss Whedon's series, "Firefly". The actress looks exactly SDC Renee and vice versa. So I thought it was appropriate.

We are all awaiting for her arrival. Hopefully she'll arrive before Valentine's Day. Now, I gotta save money to pay back Nick and make sure my spending habits are reduced until I'm at a good stable point. @__@

New Photos!

2008-01-07T22:01:00.001-08:00

Finally got all my goodies for Ciera and a new faceup for her as well as my MSD Sakura (now named Felise). I'm totally loving their new looks. Now to get new eyelashes from Volks for Felise.

http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/doll/felise/
http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/doll/ciera/

Preview:

Dollmore Delivery!

2007-12-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

I was quite surprised to hear the doorbell this morning at like 7:30. "It's Sunday. There shouldn't be any mail today," I thought. But apparently, it went through an overnight rush delivery in order to make it before Christmas. So awesome! Everything came in good condition and Dollmore included their special Christmas gift to those who spent more than 40 dollars. I got a pair of super bright blue-green eyes, Model Doll size stockings, postcards, candy and a teddy bear cellphone/ornament thingy. I already tried on one of the items on Ciera this morning and will be have pictures up by Christmas night hopefully. She looks so awesome in a white ballerina-like dress. X3

Goodies getting shipped

2007-12-19T19:55:00.001-08:00

All the yards of fabric and my Dollmore order are all getting shipped at the same time. I sure hope they survive the holiday rush and arrive here by Christmas... It'll bad an added bonus! If not, oh well.

Splurging money for Ciera

2007-12-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

I just made an order with Dollmore for Model Doll clothes for Ciera. She's been lacking variety since her welcome. It cost me 165 dollars for 4 separates and 1 outfit. *cry* Maybe I should've bought Nick that George Foreman grill. ^^;

I'm also getting a whole mess of fabric to play with. Gonna try sewing clothes for my dolls again. Maybe it'll turn out better since I'm getting stretchy cotton, lycra and knit fabric. Probably better than weaved cotton threads used for quilting squares. I'm gonna start with the basics like tubetops and skirts. We'll see how that goes.

giddy giggles

2007-12-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'm super estatic to receive an email from Volks in response to my thank you email to them. Here's what I wrote to them and their response to me.

Dear Volks Staff,

This may be quite late but I would like to send out my thanks to everyone who helped bring Dolpa to Los Angeles. When I first heard about Mr. Shigeta's plans to bring Dolpa here, I was so overwhelmed and excited. Ever since then, I was looking forward to it. When the day came, there was so much energy in me that it made my hands shake. I couldn't sit still either! It was lovely to meet the staff and see everyone's smiles. I was quite nervous speaking to everyone, but you helped me out so kindly.

SD Doctors, thank you so much for fixing my SDC Ren, Melody. Ever since then, she has been looking so happy. I appreciate your help immensely.

Saifa, thank you for designing SD16 Garnet and bringing her into my life. I was hesitant at first when I got her, but now she is very dear to me.

Valico, thank you for your guidence in the makeup class. I took what you taught me to heart and gave my SD16 Garnet a new faceup. :D

The Shigeta Family, thank you for introducing Super Dollfie to everyone's hearts and having your dream of having Dolpa in LA. Somehow they have the power to bring happiness to each owner. Maybe they radiate your feelings to us so we feel stronger inside. ^__^

And the Volks Staff, thank you for your hard work to bring us a wonderful event with
great memories. Your efforts are always appreciated.

I hope to see everyone again next time. Perhaps then, I will have more courage to greet you all and not be discouraged. Stay in good health, everyone!

Sincerely,
Diem Pham

*attached photo of Ciera (SD16 Garnet)*

Dear Diem Pham,

Thank you for sharing your doll with us.

She looks very different from her default make up,
and she looks more mature.
We are impressed by her make up which was very nicely
done. And also glad to know that our make up lesson was
somewhat helpful for the attendee.

We would like to share your comment with all of our staff.

Thank you very much for your warm comments to us.

Sincerely,

VOLKS USA Web Service Center
VOLKS USA, INC.

I was told from members on DoA and Aimee that VolksUSA does forward letters to President Shigeta and everyone over at Volks in Japan. I can't wait until I receive responses from them! Super fangirl giggles~

The mysterious girl (MSD Sakura)

2007-12-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

This poor girl is still without a name. I sure hope Nick figures out what to name her soon. I would name her, but he won her... So technically she's his doll. =P

More pictures here: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181628

26-year-old Ciera - SD16 Garnet

2007-12-03T15:59:00.001-08:00

Her bio: http://www.atziluth.org/viewdoll.php?doll_id=3314

Ciera has been fitting in with my other dolls since I changed her face up. It looks a lot better in person than in pictures... But you know how it is. I'm very happy how she turned out. Sometimes she kinda looks like a soccer mom in one angle and a sexy fox through another. It's kinda interesting. Now, she needs more clothes. I'm thinking about getting her some outfits from Dollmore or start sewing my own. We'll see how that will turn out.

For more pictures, go to Den of Angels:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180223

I'll be posting pictures of Nick's MSD Sakura next time. Hopefully she'll have a name by then. =3

Aftermath

2007-11-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday:
Nick and I headed to the LAX Hilton and checked into our hotel room. We were terribly early so we watched TV until Volks opened the doors. Once it hit 3:30PM, we were in. Had to confirm our registration and what not. I'm glad to say that the lines weren't bad at all. The staff was definitely calm. Kudos to them. As I was getting my badge, one of the Volks staff members wanted to see Melody closely. She said that she looked so calm and beautiful. I was so nervous and carefully said thank you. After we got our badges, we met up with Tiffany and her mom and sat at the same table for the dinner party. We looked at the one-offs. I really loved the F-34 model but Nick really liked Cristal and Olivia. So I put our names for that. During the Welcoming Ceremonies, I got Melody fixed up by the SD Doctors. I was so scared since I was witnessing her leg being grinded by a sander. However, the staff was totally nice and helpful. later they announced the winners of the customization contest and then the one-off winners. I was kinda bummed that we didn't got a One-off but no worries! The FCS is still there waiting for me. I will get that girl! I'm gonna make sure of it. We didn't won either of those dolls, but we did win at the Volks Lottery. I got a MSD wig grab bag while Nick got a MSD Sakura. It was totally unexpected since we didn't won anything at the Volks Tea Party a while back. Tiff's mom got a MSD Ken too! Too bad we got no Sei Tenshi. The dinner party ended and we got some accessories for our dolls as freebies. I got a pair of SD sunglasses and Nick got a rose choker. The day was really exciting and I couldn't sleep that night. Of course, the mattress is to blame for that. ^^;

Sunday:
I got up like around 8-ish and left the hotel while Nick overslept. Boy, there was quite a line and it took about an hour to get in from where I was. Why? Dolpa market! Limited items galore! When I got in, Tiff and her mom were already done shopping. Eventually, I was able to pick up some outfits and tools for my girls. Once Nick arrived, we got Garnet. I know that Garnet looks like a dike, but I feel like I could transform her face into something beautiful. It's just a shame that her faceup killed her look as well as Ruby's. By the end of the day, there were about 15 Garnets and 15 Rubys left and about 5-10 Baby, The Star Shine Bright limited outfits. Nick and I were noticing how President Shigeta seemed displeased by the sales. He was standing in front of the item tickets, hoping more people will change their mind and purchase these goods. I felt sorry for him.

When it was about 2PM, I had my makeup class with Valico. She was super awesome and helpful. I learned a lot in just 2 hours. She commented how the eyebrows that I painted were done very well. I was so happy to hear her say that to me... IN PERSON! It was like a dream. As Pres. Shigeta said, "Practice, practice, practice desho~" I love the Volks staff. =3

Dolpa LA starts TOMORROW~!!

2007-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna be heading up to LA tomorrow. I'm super excited! I'm probably gonna end up dirt poor after all of this, but it'll be SO worth it. I kinda forgot to pack my boots for my outfit that I was gonna wear for the dinner party. Happens every time I leave my house to sleepover at Nick's. Oh well... I'll probably stop by my home tomorrow morning to get them or just wear my sneakers. XD

I'm getting a sore throat for some sort of reason and I hope it doesn't get worse. I don't want people getting sick at Dolpa because of me. That'll be a terrible experience. Well, I'll update after the event with lots of pictures... Always a good treat. :D

Dolpa anxiety

2007-11-21T00:23:00.000-08:00

I'm getting super ansty as Dolpa is approaching. I save about enough money to get 2 dolls this month. I'm really excited about that. I'll be hanging with Nick, Tiffany and Daniel for the most part. Should be really fun! I sure hope Lady Luck blessed me with enough luck to win a One-off of hopefully the doll of my dreams. I've been waiting for this moment for over a year so I wish to any force that I won't be disappointed. I want to leave Dolpa with a smile and the feeling of returning once again.

Preparing for Rasiel

2007-11-15T08:53:00.001-08:00

I'm considering to purchase a Bobobie Elf Sprite in white skin resin after Dolpa if all goes well. She'll be my last 1/4 scale doll (until another will sweep me off my feet). The original concept of Rasiel came from my character in the MMORPG Yogurting that I used to play. She'll be getting a milk blue/turquoise wig and brownish violet eyes. I was planning to either get a MSD F-11 and make her a robot girl. However, both my girls have a mature bustline and it'll be wierd to have a girl who is the same size looking like a 10-year-old. So an elf girl will do. Hopefully, I will bond with her as well as I did with Lisette, Remi and Melody.

Dolpa Gameplan

2007-11-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Doll Hunt list
Choice 1: SD Liz
Choice 2: SD F-34
Choice 3: SD13 Madoka
Choice 4: SD16 Olivia
Choice 5: SD16 Garnet

Saturday
2:00PM - Check into hotel
3:30PM - Dolpa Dinner Party starts
7:30PM - Dolpa Dinner Party ends
8:00PM - Doll Meet-up @ LAX Hilton Lobby
10:00PM - Go back to hotel to do homework
12:00AM - Sleep

Sunday
7:30 AM - Wake up
9:00 AM - Go to Dolpa Dealer's Market
11:00AM - Check out of hotel
1:00 PM - SD Workshop: Make-up Lesson starts
4:00PM - SD Workshop: Make-up Lesson ends
5:00PM - Return home

Yay! Confirmation email!

2007-10-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

I got my okay from Volks to go to Dolpa a few days back. I'm so excited! Here's the damage:

Admission fee for Dolpa in LA $60
Guest Admission Fee $60
SD Workshop Attendance Fee: $40
2:00 Make-up

Tool Set B $40
SD Workshop Limited Items:
SD School Head A SweetDream $163
CA Sales Tax $16.75

Total $379.75

__________________________________

Not too bad. Just gonna be really broke after November. ^^;

Doll Meetup @ Irvine Spectrum

2007-08-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I arrived early at the Tea Station at 1:30PM, and the place was really dead. Good for us since we needed the space. By an hour later, the place was filled with doll owners and theit dolls. I counted about 17 people came. I was quite excited by the turn out. It was more than I was expecting. I originally planned the event to last 1 hour and 30 minutes, but it ended up lasting for 3 hours. It was great meeting other people for once and everyone had an awesome time. here's the pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9601028@N04/sets/72157601409244433/

Yay! Doll Meet-up!

2007-08-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, I'm going to a doll meet-up at Irvine Spectrum over at The Tea Station around 2PM. It's my first doll meet-up, which I also organized. I'll be bringing Lisette (DoC Twin-B) and Remi (DoC U) with me. Melody (SDC Ren) is reserved for the Volks Doll Party in November. There's another doll meet-up before then for Momoko dolls (Japanese Barbie size dolls, really cute~). I might go early to check it out. I do like Momoko dolls. I just don't own them. I sure hope there's a lot of doll owners and dolls for me to take pictures of. =)

Lisette is home!

2007-06-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Lisette is coming home!

2007-06-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I just sent Allysia to Michigan. Suddenly this morning, I woke up to an email from Dream of Doll saying my Twin-B was shipped! I'm still catching my breath over the whole thing. I hope that she comes This Friday. It would just perfect! :D

So Long Allysia~

2007-06-25T09:50:00.001-07:00

Today, I shipped out my Dream of Doll Bee-a to a new home in Michigan. After having her for 3 years, I kinda feel sad, which is weird since she's not alive. I still have my other dolls but this one certainly have some history... Nevertheless, I believe her new owner would give her the utmost love that she was made for. So long and farewell, Allysia.

New at Dream of Doll

2007-06-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.ecinter.net/frontstore/Item/item_zoom.asp?item_num=646&catalog_num=0&mart_id=hoo933&level=&mother_catalog_num=85

These kids are so adorable! Too bad I already purchased Twin-B. Pitts looks so promising. =3

As of now, it's week 5 of waiting for Lisette to come on. I sure hope she comes on a Friday. I would be very happy then. :D

Updated want list

2007-06-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

DoT E-An
SD Liz
SD Carol
SD SwD Mimi
SDC Kurenai
MSD F-17
Yo-SD Puff
Yo-SD Tinatsu
LatiRed K
Latiblue Rei

I will never get all of them, but they are nice to look at. XD

First attempt at sewing doll clothes

2007-06-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/outfit01-02.jpg
http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/outfit01-03.jpg
http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/outfit01-04.jpg
http://www.csulb.edu/~dpham6/images/outfit01-05.jpg

Man, I need more practice. D=

In other news, I've decided to name Allysia II as Lisette (the name of my character in Lord of the Rings Online). Seems like when I stick to names the I make up for MMORPGs and my stories, I tend to like it more.

Allysia II Cometh!

2007-05-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted in my doll blog. Nothing really happened until recently. I was debating whether to sell Allysia because of bonding issues. I tried to fix that by giving her a new faceup, but that didn't work. As a result, I've decided to sell her on Den of Angels. Although she was a gift from me from a former friend of mine, it's because of this fact that it's harder for me to connect with Allysia. Since I got into BJDs, my later dolls were chosen by me and I think I need that to actually love them. While I'm waiting for someone to adopt my first girl, I ordered Dream of Doll's Twin-B with the new girl body!

http://www.ecinter.net/frontstore/Item/item_zoom.asp?item_num=639&catalog_num=11&mart_id=hoo933&level=&mother_catalog_num=86

Since I ordered her this weekend, I'm suppose to get a free outfit too! I wonder what it is. Just thinking about it makes me all giddy! She'll be coming home 5-6 weeks from now. I'll be done with my summer class by then so that would be an awesome treat! I planned to name her "Allysia II" to commorate the changes in my life and within myself. Now if I can only stop spending money and save it for Dolpa LA. >_<

Saving...

2007-04-02T23:52:00.000-07:00

So far, I have saved about 420 dollars for Dolpa LA. I was thinking that I will order my MSD F-17 after that in case I don't get an awesome One-Off or Sei-Tenshi. This way, I won't get disappointed. Or, I could order a doll from Latidoll... Either LatiBlue Shaina or Ryu. Also, updated wishlist which includes 60cm and tinies. =P

-SD F-15
-LaitRed K
- MSD F-17
- Yo-SD Puff
- Other? ^^;

If only I had enough money...

2007-03-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of money saved yet. Too bad this little cutie appeared just recent at the Hometown Dolls Party in Osaka. I would totally nab him and add him to my doll family.

http://www.volksusa.com/osaka3puff.html

Current Wishlist

2007-01-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

LatiBlue Shaina
43cm Narin
MSD Yuni 2
MSD F-17
SDC Arashi
SDC Kurenai's Default Outfit
SDC Miko's Default Outfit

Dolpa LA

2006-12-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

I had to read this over to make the wait bearable. :p

For October or Fall, they will have "Japanese style Dolpa" in Los Angeles, which will be too big or the mansion, so they will be holding it at a Hotel. They are going to rent a 747 to bring 500 Dealers AND Fans to LA. They want everyone who sews and makes things for dolls to start now, as they want dealers from the US as well. They didn't say when you can start signing up,
this was a heads up.

No SDCute Kurt

2006-12-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

So after looking at some images of SDCute Kurt, I decided not to invest my money into him. He has a weird look that I don't like... Kinda like some demonic kid that's gonna reek havoc and bitch at failing... Something like that. Back to saving money~

Mini photoshoot with Melody

2006-12-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

Got some new clothes for Melody so I decided to take some pictures of her in one of them. Pictured is Latidoll Cara's default outfit. Doesn't really close since her bust is wider, but looks hot nonetheless. :D

More pictures in this album: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/midori_kou/album?.dir=/3e57scd

Another doll for next year?

2006-11-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

With the Doll party 16 coming up in Japan, I looked over the list of limiteds that's going to be released. As of now, SDCute Kurt looks promising for my collection but it's too early to say if I'm absolutely going to get him. Probably when a full year passes by... By then he'll cost about $800. Also, that would be during the Doll Party in LA. We'll see what happens.

Melody

2006-11-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

Name: Melody
Model: SDC Ren
Obtained from: Dolly
Arrival Date: August 21, 2006
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Birthday: August 11th
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eye Color: Pale purple

Likes: music, nature, reading and writing poetry

Dislikes: being active, noise, bullying

Personality: She is a very calm person who is very sincere and loves everyone in her life. She would avoid fighting with her friends and try to reach diplomatic agreements. She is quite shy sometimes and is afraid of embarassing herself in front of others.

Remington (Adopted by Sara Deguchi)

2006-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Name: Remington (Remi)
Model: DoC U
Gender: Male
Name meaning: from the raven's home
Birthday: May 26
Age: 17
Hair color: Dark brown
Eye color: Gold
Favorite color: navy blue
Favorite food: burgers, pizza, anything fatty
Likes: gaming, being in charge
Dislikes: scums of the earth, betrayal, corruption
Personality: Remi is a real gentleman when it comes to people. He's kind-hearted and sincere. However, when someone decides to push his buttons, he can be really stubborn and hotheaded. Still, he would fight for his friends if they can't do it themselves.

Allysia (Adopted by Nice N Spicy)

2006-11-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

Name: Allysia

Model: DoD Bee-A

Gender: Female

Name meaning: truth

Birthday: August 13

Age: 16

Hair Color: Carrot

Eye Color: Violet

Favorite color: yellow

Favorite food: vanilla bean cheesecake & ice-cream

Likes: sweets, animals, nature

Dislikes: loud music, rude people, bad jokes

Personality: She would tend to give an attitude when others treat her like a kid. Sometimes she feels dumb when she can think as fast as others. Despite this disadvantage, she has a gentle heart and is quite friendly. All she ever wants is to feel welcomed.