I realize I’ve posted a lot of doll pictures this week, but it’s been a big week for dolls. Two new dolls arrived in the mail and another is in customs in NYC.
So, my little one from Ukraine arrived yesterday after a delay in which she traveled to Denver, CO and back. I had to sign for her, so I was listening for the USPS truck for a couple of hours. I was very happy to finally get that package.
Lucy is here. She’s my scrappy, feisty girl. She’s named after her creator, who is called Lusy.
This is what she was wearing when she arrived.
I love the ruddy tones in her complexion; very different than my other girls. She was customized by (at) Lusisiz on Instagram, a woman who lives with her family in Kiev, Ukraine. They have never left the city during the war, and I pray they can remain there safely.
Lucy embodies the fighting spirit of Ukraine. In fact, one of the packages I received this week was from another customizer in Ukraine, who designed these t-shirts to raise money for the war effort. Needless to say, my second photo of Lucy was always going to be in the t-shirt.
She’s so darned cute!
But here’s what went wrong: I received the package, came inside and opened it, and the doll was in two pieces!
Photo proof:
I was in shock. Lucy has what is called a neck modification – a lot of customized Blythes do, as the unmodified Blythe always looks down. (Sophie and Maeve haven’t been modified and it’s a pain in the tush to photograph them.) I quickly messaged the seller and showed her the photo. She was in shock, she couldn’t figure out why that happened and showed me the photo of Lucy in one piece in the box, ready to be mailed. I tried to put her back together by watching various videos, but the ball joint wasn’t fully enclosed inside the head and I couldn’t get it right. I was so frustrated!
She offered to send a video of showing how to put the doll back together – it’s a bit complicated. Since it was 10 pm in Ukraine and they are subject to a curfew with lights out and curtains closed, it was too dark to send me a video so we decided to wait until today. But about an hour later, I decided to try once more, and I did it! It was not easy, but in the course of all of this, I realize that I now know how to open up a Blythe doll and install a neck joint. There’s a bit more to it than what I had to do yesterday but I think I can do it. Heads up, Sophie and Maeve, your time is coming.
I immediately texted the seller and told her not to bother with the video. She peppered me with questions: show me photos so I can be sure the head moves back and forth, up and down, and to the side. So I did.
Now, I know what to do!
That being said, there’s no way, if the head has been screwed shut, which it was, that the ball joint can come out of the head. No way. So I’m wondering if customs somewhere opened up the doll to check for contraband of some kind. Then, not being able to put it back together correctly, they just closed the head and left the body separate. It’s a bit chilling, frankly.
Okay. I was waylaid by a call from my sister, so I have to get this published.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
Lucy is so special and she went through a lot to get to you. I’m glad you were able to figure out the head issues. She is adorable and feisty! Love the Ukraine tshirt.
I am more happy with her than I thought I would be and that’s saying something!
Stay safe, Linda.
I have one question. How do you get those t shirts on over those heads???
They open and fasten at the back.
Easy!
Stay safe, Jan.
She is adorable! I think you are right and customs dismantled her. Maybe because of the war?
I love how you turn a “misfortune” into a learning experience! Bravo!
Maybe. It’s a little unsettling.
But I know more now than I did and that’s a very good thing!
Stay safe, Betsy.
I think Lucy might be my favourite. It’s rather sinister that your parcel had been opened by someone before she reached you. That might account for how she had a detour to Denver!
Happy Sunday
But she was in customs in NYC, so I don’t know why the package would go on to Denver.
Stay safe, Dee Dee.
welcome, lucy!
good work, claudia and lusy (on the original work and repair)! little lucy is adorable.
also agree that it is rather chilling that someone removed her head. i’m not being naive because i know stuff like that happens, but how bad is it that someone would use a doll or any other art piece, collectible or toy to hide something illegal?!?
add the cardigan from her traveling outfit, turn knee socks into low socks and lucy’s second outfit is very much my way of dressing. haha!
stay safe, lusy and family! there are lots and lots of people (including me) praying for you and all ukrainians.
glad you and your sister could visit, claudia. praying her life is easier and feels much better, right.
hope everyone stays safe, comfortable and has joy, too.
taking it easy here today. i hope to never again do grocery shopping on a saturday. had to go to four different stores to find everything and they were all very crowded, lines were super-long. maybe part of that was typical, but i wondered if some people were there for the air conditioning (it reached 100 here yesterday). took me four hours … ugh.
technical problem there is delaying church online here. will go spend time with members of my family, make them some potato salad or whatever they want and hope to watch a replay of the church service later today.
happy sunday!
kathy
You’re a saint, Kathy. Unless a family member was laid up/sick, I would not be shopping for them on a weekly basis. Bless you! I know your family appreciates that.
There’s an entire movie based on heroin inside an antique doll – Wait Until Dark!
Stay safe and rest up today!
thanks, claudia.
for health reasons, to help and pay back theirlove and help to me, i shop for my father+ and sister. the rest of my family do their own shopping now (and have for quite a while), but as much as i dislike shopping, i love my family more and would gladly shop for them all to lower their covid risk and let them have more free time. and yes, they are appreciative (so am i).
thanks for the movie tip.
hope you and don have had a nice day!
xo,
kathy
xo
… kathy, we’re not having as-hot weather as you, so that can’t be the excuse other than the fact that my small town (30,000 pop.) has lost all of its big-box grocery stores except for one, but my husband thinks Friday-past is the absolute last time he goes to this local store of ours anymore, as it was packed to the gills with people at 3pm (the hour never matters, nor the day of the week; it is ALWAYS too crowded even though it’s a big store), no masks of course on customers (with one difference — the EMPLOYEES are now masked, so that’s a new change [our County is now {for two weeks} in a high-risk category for Covid; escalating hospitalizations per County stats]), just ‘normal’/nothing-‘specialty’ yogurt was three days expired on the shelf(!) and when my husband asked for someone to bring fresh stock forward, they said there was no one to help (so, what is it[?]; short-staffed like the airlines, the hospitals and now the food markets[?]; I just learned I need to make my mammography appointment now-not-later because they are SO behind due to a shortage of technicians); we’re only getting, every week, about half of our shopping list at this grocery store (and we shop the weekly grocery ad, yet they can’t fulfill their promise of the ‘deals’ [to where it seems like deceptive advertising {although we’re trying to be understanding since so much has changed with the whole idea of ‘supply’ since the pandemic} but, as an example, there were no fresh-veggie trays like you’d get {pre-prepared} for a party wherein, in other weeks, there’d be stacks of them on Friday for the weekend get-togethers; there were no sacks or tubs or fresh bundles of romaine lettuce; the deli had no rotisserie chicken and haven’t had, for weeks now {sorry to mention chicken, Claudia, when you’re a vegetarian}; they’re just out of so much stuff, ALL the time but maybe too it’s just the sheer volume of shoppers, and the sole store simply can’t keep up; I have no idea]); completely frustrating (although I have to consider it’s a first-world problem, such that I probably shouldn’t complain!); so, we’re back to shopping in another city this coming week although it’s a shame, because we prefer to spend our tax dollars in the town we live in, it’s more convenient, and the price of ‘regular’ gasoline is still barely under $6/gallon in SoCalif, to have to be going out of town just to procure food!
sorry to hear about the increasing covid and numbers and decreasing shopping options in your area, vicki. while i believe in shopping local, too, i know that’s not always possible. hope the out-of-town store can help you get what you need/want more consistently. and the covid and gas numbers go down for everyone!
will be praying for good mammogram results for you.
hope you are keeping cool and stay well, have an easy week ahead.
xo,
kathy
Oh my gosh, she is adorable! I love her hair, and both outfits are sooo cuuute!!
Her hair is what I first fell in love with. I’m really, really happy with her, Lynda.
Stay safe!
She is the cutest doll yet!!!
Aw, thank you, Jenny!
Stay safe!
I would love to have her sweater! All your dolls are cute, and Lucy fits in perfectly! It is a bit chilling to think her head was taken off looking for possible contraband or something! But how nice to support someone in Ukraine!
Oh, I know! I love the sweater. She has it on now, with her t-shirt and skirt.
I feel good about helping out Ukrainian artists. I’ve purchased a chair from one seller, the t-shirt from another, and now, this doll.
Thanks, Barrie.
Stay safe.
Hopefully you will be visit to visit your sister in the near future
I really am in awe of all she does
Thanks, Linda
Stay safe.
Lucy is by far my favorite. I love her kick ass attitude. She means business, especially in the t-shirt. Her girly side comes through in her dress.
Yep, I’m gettin’ me one of them.
I’ve said it before, but I’m saying it again…Claudia, you are a bad influence on me. ;)
Uh oh! I think I’m a bad influence on several readers of the blog, or at least have been in the past.
I think you’ll love having one of these beauties. If you need advice or information on where to look, let me know.
Thanks so much, Trudy.
Stay safe.
Awwwww, Lucy is super cute, Claudia! :)
Thanks so much, Lily!
Stay safe.
I honestly do not understand this addiction to Blythe dolls. However, if I were ever to feel the need, I would choose Lucy. Her somewhat messy hair, and her quirky little smile remind me of my childhood. I had very long hair and the braids were messy most of the time. It led to me begging to get my hair cut when I was in 3rd grade. I was so tired of hearing my mom complain about my hair and I was tired of having to sit every morning to get it braided. I went to the barber (no salon in our town) and got a pixie cut. Brought my braid home in a brown paper bag.(my grandma cried) I felt free. Now (nearly 69 yrs old) my hair is almost down to my waist and messy as ever. Ranee (MN)
Well, I don’t understand things other people collect, but then again, I’m not them. Everyone has something or other that calls to them. I have several of them, including Blythe dolls. I imagine you have things you’re drawn to that I probably wouldn’t understand.
I’m glad you like Lucy, Ranee.
If you don’t like seeing Blythe dolls on the blog, my only advice is to scroll past those sections of the posts.
Stay safe.
I think you’re right — I’m betting on customs. But she’s a doll, no pun intended. She might be one of my favorites of yours with her fun hair. I would have been shocked to see her arrive that way (it does have sort of a Chuckie feel to it) and I’m sure the seller was horrified. She sounds like an amazing person, though — still hanging on in Kiev and so willing to do all she could to help. Well done on figuring it all out!
She is amazing. I’ve been wanting to contribute in a small way to Ukrainian Blythe artists, so I was happy to find this modestly priced doll. We have no idea, of course, what daily life is like in a war zone. I am in awe of their strength.
Stay safe, Jeanie.
What a strange turn of events; it does sound like the box was opened; glad you ‘fixed’ her.
These adjustments with the neck and eyes sound so complicated to me.
I like Lucy a lot; besides Wren, she may be my favorite although it’s getting hard to decide. Lucy has attitude and I love the ‘set’ of her mouth. She’s got a ‘don’t mess with me’ face. A confident girl. Just delightful!
She is feisty, that’s for sure!
Stay safe, Vicki.