Home from Pittsburgh

Just got home and I'm trying to find out what is wrong with my laptop. Actually the laptop is fine. Firefox and AppleWorks are screwy. I suspect there is something wrong with my Wacom tablet pen. I just switched to the Wacom mouse and that is working fine. Very strange. Perhaps I don't have to go to the Apple store tomorrow with my computer after all. That would help.
I've been incredibly stressed since this happened as I've gotten so many purchase requests and I can't answer them except with the iPhone. My fingers are falling off from trying to text on the text-unfriendly phone.
But I think we're in business now that I've gotten this working.

Here is a picture of what's on my dining room table at the moment.

 Pretty neat, eh?

There was a little more but I haven't unpacked my suitcases yet.
I am in the midst of posting to my Show and Sell pages many items that I got. My collecting is heading in another direction. More will be revealed regarding that fact.

My next blog post will be a recap of the events of the 2010 Integrity Toys Convention.

Pittsburgh Convention - Friday

I'm sitting here eating candy corn and trying to decide if I should just go to bed or post because it was such a full day that I'm exhausted. But before I write more about the dolls and workshops, I want to say that my table mates are the best. They have all been generous with the gifts exchanged. I'm so happy to see Teri and Laura again. In addition, it's been so much fun to get to see, in the flesh, the new collector friends I've made this year. Who would have thought that as I get older, my friends are getting younger? They are beautiful, lively and fun people who add a vibrant dimension to my collecting.
A big difference at this convention is the food. It's as someone new has taken over the kitchen or our hosts are paying more for better food and service. The difference is like day and night.

Gotta go to sleep. One picture of my centerpiece from tonight.

 

Who is this doll?

Pittsburgh on Thursday - Day 1 Convention - Part 2

There was a violin player and a piano player during the cocktail hour. It was very nice. When the dining room was ready we entered to booming loud music and found our table. The centerpiece at first looked like Agnes but turned out to be Dania with an updo reminiscent of Firefly Agnes.

She was holding a spider web in which a "fashion victim" was caught - apparently some time ago. The skeleton was dressed in RuPaul's jeans and a Kio wig. The shirt is a mystery.
Dania was wearing a very pretty black lacey dress with a shadow striped black fitted jacket which looked great once the big bow belt was removed. Her shoe/boots were pretty cool with a see-through area. Three people got to buy one of the centerpiece dolls. One of them got the skeleton web thingie as well.
The service was excellent with very well trained solicitous staff. I was quite impressed. There was no loud music during dinner so conversation was possible and we were able to meet eachother and have nice chats over dinner.
Spicy pumpkin soup was the appetizer. It was delicious but I couldn't eat it due to the heat of the spices. Dinner itself was two big chicken breasts with a large portobello mushroom cap and squash covered with melted cheese and a little sauce. A big clump of rice was underneath the chicken.
After dinner some of the people who found the hidden keys got to play "What's behind door #X?" Mike Basala won a comped 3 day stay at the hotel. The second person won the 4 original Dressmaker Details outfits and the third person won a snuggie. It was very funny.
We got a doll whose story line is that she is a model. Her name is Kesenia. I do not think she will be very popular with that mouth.

What do you think of her?

Hourglass Kesenia

We received the first part of our giftset, a lovely piece of lingerie.

And now I must go to bed as I am scheduled for four workshops followed by the Dynamite Girl workshop - all in one day.
Yikes.