(no subject)

[phosfate]

Reading Humphrey Carpenter's biography of Tolkien. Keen. You have to like a popular biography this short (>300 pages) that nonetheless makes you want to go hunting for Icelandic sagas and maybe give Beowulf another chance. Maybe. Good warm-up if you're thinking about trying Perfesser T's Letters or the various History of Middle-Earth volumes. Sadly, Tolkien's lack of sexual scandal, derange-o foreign lecture tours, prison time, or spectacular bankruptcies means it's not as entertaining as Wossname's massive biography of Oscar Wilde. It's more like spending time with your Grampa. I'm assuming, of course, that your Grampa isn't one of those raving, malodorous Grampas. If so, never mind. I have no Grampa-related memories, so I just have to go by what I see in Kodak commercials.

Went out at lunchtime and found a store that sells Dawn outfits. I'm glad she's back - she's the upper-class needleuse of the doll world, a tiny little Edie Sedgwick with her giant lashes and indifferent, slightly baked expression. I'd bought one of the dolls earlier this year, and now she's got a nice little red plaid schoolgirl outfit to replace the go-go blue lamé horror she came packed in. Being Dawn, the red jersey top has a keyhole neckline to add that touch of ho that is her signature. She also gets a red plaid backpack, presumably to hold her lunch, Bloomingdale's card, and works.

Comments

[strawberrythief.livejournal.com]

I always thought that Dawn was sort of the Sandy Dennis of the doll world.

[jenjinn.livejournal.com]

Iceland is great. I had so much fun there.

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine has an account with Checkerboard (the new owner of the Dawn license) and was selling them like crazy on Saturday @ the doll show. I avoided looking at them since I have way too many dolls to start with and collecting NewDawn would just make my head explode. The stuff they have out for her is very groovy though.

Back in the 70s, we played with Dawn more than Barbie because she was easier to bring to school in your bookbag. ;)

[pollyannadesade.livejournal.com]

Dawn rocks. I have a Dawn. I got her when my Grandmother brought back a bag of abandoned Barbie and Tressie and Casey etc dolls for me, from our grown up relatives in America, because they knew I was a vintage doll obsessor. Dawn was lurking in the bottom, looking depraved in a GI Joe Sailor top.

Have you tried a Pippa? Pippa is sort of the same creature as Dawn, only she's Euro-Posh, never smiles, even icier looking. She has exotic friends like Britt from Sweden. She was made by Palitoy in the UK in the 70s & 80s.

http://www.jayne.d.harsley.btinternet.co.uk/

Pippa was one of my first doll obsessions, ^^^^^ site shows me how much I have to get from eBay to get everything. Pippa has influenced my life. I heart Pippa and Dawn.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

::goes to visit Pippa::

Dammit. Now I heart Pippa, too.

My absolute favorites ever, though, are the Japanese pocket Takara Liccas that come packed in tubes. I got one at Epcot faux-Japan last year, and she just rules. Dawn/Pippa size, but with a Licca/Jenny sorta face, bendy body, and amazing micro-engineered clothing. She lives on the neck of my reading lamp, where she can throw things at the Be@rbricks. Want more.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

I hadn't seen anything of her other than the first new Dawn, and then yesterday they had all this STUFF--! O_o

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Yours was probably better behaved than mine.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Did you get to go to the Troll Preserve?

[jenjinn.livejournal.com]

We saw trolls in the ocean. :)

We were only able to stop for two full and two half days as part of a deal for flying Iceland Air on our 11 day trip to Norway. Can I just say how much I adore that country too? Been there twice and want to go back again and again and again.

We spent one of our full days on horseback in lava fields. Bliss. Forget Thoroughbreds. I'm getting an Icelandic Horse next. Don't tell my horse I said that. I was greatly amused when our trail guide was worried I couldn't keep my seat because I was posting the trot.

The other full day we spent driving ourselves around the Golden Circle, and then we did the Blue Lagoon (at Mom's insistence...blah) and a little sightseeing before hopping on the plane.

Re:

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

They came out about 2 years ago -- they started doing nostalgic Dawn stuff for collectors which I think was kind of overpriced for what it was (just a repro Dawn or friend in original outfit). An ex-friend of mine was the consultant on those -- she still might be working for them but I'm not sure. I saw some play-line stuff in Toys R Us about 6 months ago but there seemed to be a million more things on Saturday. Dennis had the full line of everything --they were very cool. The only thing I might buy *IF* they ever produce them is boy dolls - I'm still missing 2 from the original set and would happily buy new ones instead just to pair the girls off. ;)

[theodicy.livejournal.com]

He reportedly was Lewis Carroll-esque when it came to little girls, however, which I hope to God is not true.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

I'm very much inclined to doubt it.

But then, I also think Mr Carroll gets a bum rap, since all the accounts I've read indicate that the subjects of his photographs were always chaperoned, and like so much Victorian art is a great deal creepier to us than it was to the Victorians. Yes, Reverend D., it's lovely, but you're squickin' me here - put the album away, 'kay?