Complete in Thee: Investment Plans... ;-)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Investment Plans... ;-)

"This is not an expense. It is an investment!"
-Our Mutual Friend

As I am about to embark on selling doll clothes, and as I have been attempting to model my doll dresses on my 12-year-old doll and Bethany's 8?-year-old doll (with broken legs), I have realized that it just can't be done. So when my CD comes due in February, I am planning on taking out a little money on an "investment" which will help me, Lord willing, in my sales.

The problem is, what will go into that investment?

One thing is definite, though the quantity of it is less certain.

Should I do one or two? With two, I could display Kirsten and my other investment in my room, and also use it to hold the dolls up for modeling instead of trying to balance them on their own.

As for my second investment.... don't laugh...
...I want get another doll. Not to play with-- stop laughing!-- this is an investment. I love Kirsten more than any other doll in the world, but she's my special friend, not a model, and her ratty hair and slightly pen-marked upper lip and other worn and used features will prove that. So I need to hire a younger doll to do my modeling. :-)

The question is, which one? I want one that can look contemporary for modern clothing and historical for historical clothing. Below are some of my ideas.

The new Rebecca doll. Isn't she just gorgeous? I absolutely love her looks, and while I don't know much about her story and anticipate that it is full of the usual attitudes against authority, sibling rivalry, and other not-that-great character traits, I do commend American Girl for creating a Jewish character! Judaism is an incomplete religion without Jesus Christ, definitely, and has really strayed from God, but the Jews are still God's chosen people and I think it's great that AG is supporting them.

Another idea is the Josefina doll. I have always loved Josefina's stories because, except for the fact that she is Catholic (which is mentioned seldom in the books), they are full of Biblical principles and even Scripture references, and they promote good character and family relationships, more, I think, than the other characters. Josefina isn't one of those rebellious characters who complains about her parents, grumbles about things not being fair, or sneaks behind authority's backs to do something she oughtn't be doing. At least, that I can remember. :-)
Besides that, Josefina is also a beautiful doll; I love her hair and eyes and skin tone and her dresses as well.

I know absolutely nothing about Ruthie (I've never even read the Kit books, only skimmed them) but the doll is very pretty and her dress is WAY cute! :-) I could probably use her for either historical or modern. Isn't she precious? :-)

I could also get some of the "Just Like You" dolls (though they wouldn't be just like me. ;-) )

This one is cute, though I don't know whether she could pass as historical even if I dressed her up. :-/ What do you think?

This girlie is ever so cute!! She looks a little bit like Ruthie except she has a different eye color and presentation dress. If I got her, I would call her Molly Gibson because she has curly dark brown hair. :-) She could pass for both modern and historical, I think.

Finally, AG is having a little "contest" for their new 2010 doll, Lanie. I'm not exactly interested in Lanie, but if I could get her for free, I definitely would use her!

SOOOOOO....

What do you think I should do?

P.S. I forgot to mention, whatever I get I would like to pack away eventually to save for my little girl, if I ever have one! :-)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: I like Rebecca and Ruthie! I think your idea is a great one, too, Melanie! A fun investment, I must say. :); January 19, 2010 at 3:08 PM
Pure Little Ladies Ministry said...: Josephina is waaay awesome, she has by far my favorite doll hair. lol It's NOTHING like Kristin's...

...btw, since you've been posting about doll clothes you've inspired me to get out MY Kristen (poor dolly's hair is falling our!) and I came up with a Addy dress. Looks pretty good for not having a pattern and coming up with it from scratch, but I want to try another one....hmmm...

HUGS!; January 19, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Teddy said...: As far as looks go I deffinitely cast in my vote w/ "Molly", though the first girl-Rebecca- is very pretty too. But those are just personal opinions, I know that you shall invest in the best one. One thing about the girl w/ straight hair and Josephina is that I don't know their hairstyles will translate very well to differant time periods and such. But whatever. I expect pictures of the new arrival the very MOMENT she comes!!!; January 20, 2010 at 1:26 PM
Teddy said...: Sheesh, now you're making me want a doll so I can get cool clothes from you. :-( *Wham* *Wham* *Wham* (I'm beating down my jealous feelings! ;-P); January 20, 2010 at 1:28 PM

PRAYER REQUESTS

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:18)

PLEASE PRAY...

* That I would draw nearer to God every day and never allow my relationship to become stagnant ritual; particularly that I would grow in the area of submission, patience, 1 Corinthians 13 love, and wholehearted devotion

* That I might have wisdom as I edit "The Marquis' Daughter"; that the Lord would bless and work through it; and that I might find just the right publisher for it.

* That I would submit to the Lord's work in my life, whatever it may be; that I would take each opportunity He brings me (even the seemingly hard ones) to draw closer to Him and point others to Him

*That our Etsy shop might be successful and that it would be a means by which we can glorify God and share the Gospel

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

"The heart set to do the Father's will need never fear defeat. His promises of guidance may be fully counted upon. Does it make sense to believe that the Shepherd would care less about getting His sheep where He wants them to go than they care about getting there?"

"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to."

"If God, like a father, denies us what we want now it is in order to give us some far better thing later on. The will of God, we can rest assured, is invariably a better thing."

"Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to DO (obey) God's will that brings certainty."

"Victory over all the circumstances of life comes not by might, nor by power, but by a practical confidence in God and by allowing His Spirit to dwell in our hearts and control our actions and emotions. Learn in the days of ease and comfort, to think in terms of the prayer that follows, so that when the days of hardship come you will be fully prepared and equipped to meet them."

"And shall I pray, Oh, change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
Ah no, Lord, no, that never could be, rather
I pray Thee, Blend my human will with Thine."

"A crucified life cannot be self-assertive. It cannot protect itself. It cannot be startled into resentful words. The cup that is full of sweet water cannot spill bitter-tasting drops, however sharply it is knocked."

"And as we rest our hearts upon what we know (the certainty of the ultimate triumph of good), leaving what we do not know to the Love that has led us all our life long, the peace of God enters into us and abides. And then we see our light."

[A Practicing Christian]...it means that every single act and feeling, every experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, must be referred to God. It means looking at everything as something that comes from Him, and always looking to Him and asking His will first, and saying, "How would he wish me to deal with this?"

Christ says: "Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want you."

"I was not born to be free. I was born to adore and to obey."

"What is saving but taking us out of the dark into the light? There is no salvation but to know God and grow like Him."

"I will not try to convince you of anything about God. I cannot. You must know Him. I only tell you I believe in Him with all my heart. You must ask Him to explain Himself to you, and not take it for granted that He has done you a wrong because He has done what you do not like. Whether you seek Him or not, He will do you justice. But He cannot explain Himself unless you seek Him."

"Sometimes a thunderbolt will shoot from a clear sky; and sometimes into the life of a peaceful individual, without warning of gathered storm, something terrible will fall. And from that moment everything is changed. That life is no more what it was. Better it ought to be, worse it may be. The result depends on the life itself and it's response to the invading storm of trouble. Forever after, it's spiritual weather is altered. But for the one who believes in God, such rending and frightful catastrophies never come but where they are turned around for good in his own life and in other lives he touches."