SYC Challenge

Some dear dolleagues of mine and I are embarking on an SYC Challenge for the month of July, and I couldn’t resist telling you all about it. 

Back in the day when I used to be an active participant on a fashion forum, members would regularly choose to go on SYC for different periods of time. On the fashion forum, SYC stood for “Shop Your Closet” which was basically a shopping hiatus during which you would focus on wearing what you have instead of shopping for new items and seeking the “high” of a new purchase. Forum members new to the concept often thought the letters stood for “Save Your Cash” which was a reasonable assumption given the fact that saving money is a side effect of not shopping. My friends and I have decided to apply this concept to doll collecting, so I am modifying SYC to stand for “Savor Your Collection.” SYC isn’t just a break in spending, though. That’s what makes it different from the typical doll deprivation collectors sometimes put themselves through. It’s about more than just not shopping. It’s about shifting your attention away from acquiring new things and toward enjoying the awesome things you already own.

People choose to go on SYC for many reasons. Some do it because they want or need to save money for other things. Some do it because they want to break an impulsive shopping habit (been there done that). Some do it because they have too much or too many clothes, dolls, or whatever and they just want to focus on enjoying what they have. And some do it simply because they like the challenge of it all!

Now then, here are the details for anyone who wants to play along.

WHO: Anyone who wants to join us- the more the merrier! These things are easier and more fun when it’s a group effort.

WHAT: Participants agree to make a conscious effort to avoid new doll purchases and participate in the weekly challenges designed to help you enjoy what you already have.

WHEN: Beginning July 1^st for whatever length of time you choose. I plan to be on SYC for the entire month of July, but I have friends who will be going to the Barbie Convention at the end of the month, so they will have to end SYC sooner.

WHERE: I’ll post the weekly SYC challenge and my photos on this blog and invite you to share links to your photos in the comments section.

WHY: It’s FUN and you learn a lot (about yourself, about your collection, etc).

HOW: See below. Follow along and have fun. Be sure to share your progress with someone.

Week One: Skip any of these you choose or do some more than once; just remember to Savor Your Collection! I’ll update the post with more pics as I go.

Day 1) Photograph a doll you’ve never photographed before.

During the recent Barbie Collector sale, I ordered the Natalia Vodianova Barbie doll. I have since renamed her Natasha, but she remains a supermodel in my world. Using the magazine cover template at bighugelabs.com, I created a cover photo. It is not necessary to create an account to upload pics nor to create covers. Just be sure to right click to save your work when finished. There are multiple templates to choose from, and you can press the back button to make changes as many times as needed until you get it just right. I hope some of you will check it out.

I also found a photo of the real Natalia V. online. She looked very modelesque with her hair blowing, and I wanted to try something similar using a big fan. Here is that photo.

Day 2)  Play with a doll or item you haven’t played with in months.

I decided to pull out my Mixis Emerald doll and the LIV house that I once designated as her studio apartment. As I was setting the house up on the table, my oldest daughter said, "I was wondering if you were ever going to play with that again." Emerald needed some company, so I dressed her boyfriend Drew so they could have dinner.

Drew suggested they make it dinner and a movie, so he grabbed a new release from the Redbox on his way to Emerald's place. Now they are snuggled up on the sofa watching something good, I hope.

Day 3) Redress one or more dolls.
Portia has been wearing this gorgeous dress and hat since I dressed her for a doll club meeting with a Mod Show & Tell theme. Today, I decided to redress her for her job as Nicolette's assistant.

The ladies in the bar diorama below were redressed before SYC officially began, so I redressed Victor and added him to the scene.

Day 4) Find something in your collection that makes you smile and put it on display for the day.

I may only have two, but I absolutely love my horses. I found a MyFroggyStuff video that shows how to make a horse stable, which I intend to do at some point. For day 4, I  removed my horses from the closet, snapped a couple of pics, and then put them on display for the day.

Bebe is actually a Bratz horse.

Cleopatra is from the new Wonder Woman set available at Walmart.

Day 5) Restyle one or more dolls.
Since Avery was restyled before SYC officially began, I decided to restyle another one of the dolls in the sushi restaurant scene below.

I never cared for Jessie's factory hairstyle, but back when I bought her I wasn't yet brave enough to try a dramatic change. For day 5 of the challenge, I washed her hair, cut it, and then curled it while still wet. I used a small curling iron set to the lowest possible setting. I think her new do suits her.

Jessie BEFORE

Jessie AFTER

Day 6) Photograph a group of dolls based on a theme (e.g., Barbie Basics, black & white outfits, kids, whatever).

David's Bridal collection: Unforgettable, Eternal, & Romance

All of my Happy Family dolls

Day 7) Accessorize!

I sometimes  forget to enjoy the little things, so I got a little carried away with this one. About a month ago, I stumbled across the New York Yorkie accessory set below on eBay for a reasonable price. Look at the little dog carrier!

Ginger wearing the scarf and bracelet while holding the glasses

The bracelet is EVERYTHING. It sparkles like the real deal.

I LOVE handbags and have quite a collection myself. Naturally, that means my dolls love fab bags, too. Here Fefi slips on her shades and heads to the car with her bag and keys.

And for a little more bling, I put Glamazon Adele's necklace on my ADC Club doll who was already decked out in sequins, diamonds, and fur.

Day 8) Open something (a doll, a fashion, anything).

My text group and I took before and after pictures to keep everyone honest. I finally caught the AA musician Barbie in stock last month and ordered her. I have a surprising number of unopened fashions around here, so I decided to open two of those. And I paid a dollar or two each for some cute boxed accessory sets at our May doll show.

AA Musician Barbie, Dollar Tree fashion, Barbie swimsuit, Greenhouse Fun Set

I was surprised to find fashions on my recent trip to the Dollar Tree. I was curious about fit and quality and figured, "Why not? It's only $1" so I grabbed the shorts set shown below. Harper, a petite Fashionista, models the set. I'd say the quality is similar to that of Sparkle Girlz clothing or slightly lower. The shorts will fit a range of bodies thanks to an elastic waistband, and the top, surprisingly, does not have Velcro. It is the lack of Velcro that makes me think it will not hold up well to repeated redressing.

I bought this swimsuit a while back and never got around to opening it. Since Grace is traveling with me on vacation to Florida next week, I figured it was the perfect time to do so.

More to come...