Decision Made: Meet Bix and Phoenix

Okay, as I was saying in the last post . . . we brought home two really cute Truly Me #77 dolls. This was for Mom to look at them and decide on a replacement for her Nachito. Well, she decided to keep Doll #1 with the tightly-curled wig. She's leaving him in the box until later this Summer --- that way, if the dolls come out with the "good" eyes, she can exchange him (if she finds one that she likes better -- if not, she keeps him).

Well, that left Doll #2, who was just the most perfect-cute-irresistible little chap you could look at, going back. After two days of contemplating him, he was just too cute . . . and then my sister did it! She suggested that I name him "Bix" and give him a record collection and some sheet music. I'd been trying to plan a doll that liked Bing Crosby and all kinds of the 1930s music for a year. The plan had been to use a girl doll and call her "Dinah Lee", after Bing's song. She'd get mini copies of a bunch of my Bing sheet music collection, I'd make new labels for the three records from Rebecca's phonograph set and turn them into some Bing and Dinah Washington records, and she could play an instrument. She just never seemed to work out, though.

So, here we are, sitting here staring at this adorable #77, and Elizabeth suggests that I call him Bix after the great Beiderbecke himself! That did it. I took him out of the box, put Logan's "Play Loud" shirt on him and there was Bix! He's getting a trumpet and a squeeze-box . . . not to mention the other stuff. This same weekend, I finally finished restoration work on a doll that has been a real TLC project. She was a #31 who was in such terrible condition that we weren't even sure she'd fix up --- but I wanted to try! We got two TLC dolls (#31 and #47) sold for parts on eBay at a total of $30.00 shipped for the pair. Glitter makeup had been put everywhere on them. This was back at the end of Summer. I managed to save all but the wig of #31 and the body and limbs of #47. After a lot of baking soda, Magic Eraser, compressed air, laundering and re-stringing, the #31 looks really amazing. She had to get a new hair style, so she's wearing an AG CYO "black, long, natural curly" wig. Mom came up with the idea of naming her Phoenix, since she really did rise from her own ashes!

 

With both dolls now sitting there, it seemed a great idea to have a brother and sister duo. And they both have "x" in their names! They both like to read and are going to help make screenplays for the Islandshire Drama Club. Phoenix likes to read about astronauts and space stuff, so she has a flight suit, a space suit (which Bix also likes), a stellar outfit and a mini Luciana doll of her own!

They both like music, and Bix is always playing records or practicing his instruments. Together, they've adopted a dog from Bessie and Zaida's Islandshire Animal Rescue --- a black and white French Bulldog. Her name? Dinah Lee!

So, a new duo has moved into Islandshire. This is good, since so many just moved out. The boys were getting pretty worried there for a bit about their numbers dwindling. These are just some preliminary pictures of Bix and Phoenix, so I'm sure they'll feature in some more posts later on!