Overcast Optimist ~ A Photoshoot

Hey guys! Southern winters are so funny because we'll have 8 inches of snow in one week and then it'll be 60 degrees the next week. The snow has finally melted, so I was able to go outside and take some pictures of Luna in her now-weather-appropriate outfit! I ended up with so many photos, so this is a pretty long post. 

Enjoy! 

I'm really happy with all of these photos. I was going for kind of a graduation photo vibe, and I think I accomplished it. The lighting was so perfect. I couldn't figure out how to do the editing, but I think I'm happy with it.

I'm so happy I finally found Luna's glasses! I bought them when I got Luna, but they go missing for long stretches of time so she's just never pictured with her glasses. 

Full body shot! I had to show off the cute outfit. It fits her personality so well.

I love all of the ones where she's leaning against the wall... so there are a lot. Prepare yourselves. 

I actually took these on Superbowl Sunday, but I needed another week to get this post done. Funnily enough, the last time I took pictures of Luna was Superbowl Sunday in 2024. 

Grr, you can tell how crooked her glasses are in this photo. I have the worst relationship with these glasses; their arms are really loose and they don't stay on. I think part of it is just Luna's face because there isn't enough space between her ears and wig cap to fit the arms, and then they don't sit on her nose very well. Which is too bad. The glasses really suit her... although I've been wanting the Brownie Ombre glasses a lot lately. 

On second thought, it would be fun to have several different pairs. Then Luna would have a different style for whatever the vibe is.

These pictures were taken right outside my house. I've taken lots of pictures in front of my house, but the brick looks really good in these. (Always gotta appreciate some leading lines.)

Oh! I don't think I mentioned that my camera still isn't focusing? I don't know what its deal is, but the autofocus just straight-up won't focus. It can find my subject, but it won't even try to make things clear. I used manual focus for these---which is probably good practice anyway---but if some of these are a little blurry, that's why! 

I really don't know how I'm going to keep from running out of things to talk about in this post, so uh... has everyone seen the Modern Era AG dolls? I've been a little confused and a little sad about them, but I... guess they could be worse? Definitely planning on making my own little spin-off of the line for Addy at least, so hopefully I can find the time to get that accomplished soon. 

I went to what used to be one of my favorite flea markets (it's changed a little bit in the past few years) with my dad recently, and I found a TM 64. They actually had a ton of AG dolls, but they were all $35-$50, which is way more than I was willing to spend on any doll I don't necessarily want. When I saw the 64, I got really excited for a moment because I was hoping it would be Z Yang, but alas. It had to be the one Jess mold I *do* have. Like c'mon, I would have seriously considered getting Z or Truly Me 40, even though they're both really similar to Luna. It also feels important to say that this was the flea market I got Liam at, and he was $10. So yes, I have high standards. 

Seriously love this one.

This is a really good time to list my grievances. Luna has the "bad" eyes that AG used from like 2017-2018 (and so does Logan), and I could never bite the bullet for a $40 eye replacement, but AG just raised their doll hospital prices. Now that same package costs $70. It is in no way worth that much, or even a fraction of that much. An eye swap is the only thing restoration-wise I've never done before. 

So. Luna is just going to look in two different directions. It's fine. 

This picture is perfection!

Seriously, I think Luna is so cute. 

There are so many pictures left and I'm scrambling to come up with commentary!! Ah! 

I'm taking the ACT next week at school. I've taken it a few times already, but if I get my scores up, there may be some new faces coming to JD. So... stay tuned? 

I decided I want to redecorate my dollhouse the other day. So naturally, I took everything out of the dollhouse and... decided I was bored. I really need to not start projects and move on without finishing them. This happened in between working on a project for school and convincing myself I was going to start a sewing project. I'm a mess sometimes. 

I can't decide if this is a good shot or not.

I'm always proud to have a full-body shot, and I definitely prefer this frame to the one above. :)

I initially had her arm behind her back, but I like the other posing better.

I've been really trying to work on some of my underdeveloped AG characters, at least in terms of their aesthetics. I'm happy to have a vision for Luna right now, since her character has been mostly static since I got her, but she's undergone some changes to fit whatever I'm into at different phases in my life. Right now is no different, I think, but that's just the thing about Luna's character; she's always portrayed the kind of person I wish I was friends with, and in a weird way, she always ends up mirroring me. In terms of sentimental value, Luna is a really special doll to me. :)

I'm realizing I have a lot of post ideas right now, and I need to actually get some of them done. I kept a Google Doc with my post ideas last year, and very few of them ended up getting made. :( I'm trying to be more dedicated to my hobbies this year, and part of that is getting back to the blog. I guess I was still consistent last year, but I missed the work that comes with creating content weekly. Obviously it's not something I want to exert myself in, but I really enjoy content creation as a hobby. I could never do it as a full-time job, but it's a fun thing to keep up with in my down time. Being a social media influencer is actually one of my worst fears, which is comical considering how often I think I should start a doll YouTube channel. 

The angle from above isn't one I use often, but I wanted to use it because why not? What do we think about this?

Luna isn't on the blog all that often, but honestly, I feel like anytime I want to use her, I end up putting her hair up. Like... her hair is fine. It's actually really shiny and well-kept, I just don't like it in her face? Also, pro tip: her hair is what's keeping her glasses on. 

I seriously loved this posing so much. I think I already pointed that out. It just came across as really realistic and casual to me, which is what I strive for. 

Like!! Look at this one!! I love!

Honestly, I'm wondering how many of these photos are duplicates that I didn't take out during editing. I usually take at least 2 shots of the same frame, which is something I think I've developed as a "just in case" method since I used to have really shaky hands. Sometimes I upload duplicates because I can't decide if one is better than the other, and it's possible I have a few in here. I think I uploaded 39 pictures, and I want to say I edited 38, but who knows at this point. 

This is like the most infinitesimal detail, but do we like her blue earrings with this outfit? They go with the outfit well, but I'm wondering if red earrings would have helped tie the tiny bit of red in her shirt with her glasses. This is completely rhetorical, by the way.

Ehhh yeah, not liking this picture very much. 

The collar of her shirt needs to be ironed so badly. It came from Kit's Overalls Outfit, which I still can't believe I own, btw. I don't know how many people remember, but I got the outfit in a Facebook Marketplace lot for $30 last summer and was pretty excited about it. Considering all the outfits I got, it came down to ~$4 for each outfit, which is amazing. I haven't had a single good Facebook Marketplace find since, but that's about how it goes, right?

Okay, I'm like 95% sure this is a duplicate photo.

Same with this one, I think?

And maybe this one too? Or maybe I've just been staring at these photos too long. I really want to get this post finished. 

This is such a side note, but I really need to redo my "Meet the Dolls" page. I have several dolls that need to be added regardless of whether I revamp it or not, but my skills and equipment have changed a bit since I did the last revamp, so I think it's time. I'm really behind on updates because what do you mean I still haven't added Lottie?? Didn't I introduce her in 2024? I honestly hadn't realized it's been that long. 

So my question for you guys is: is the yearbook theme cool? I think it goes well with my photostory lore, but I don't always do photostories. OR should I go with the regular blog color scheme, which is the greens in my blog banner. I also think it's time to redo the blog banner, so maybe the whole blog needs a revamp? I dunno guys. 

I swear this is the third time this photo has been in this photoshoot. Am I crazy...? Regardless, I love this picture. 

This one also looks very familiar. I think it has slightly different framing, though? Not totally sure.

And we've finally reached the end! Phew! I didn't think I would ever get here. I adore this photo. 

I have officially run out of things to talk about, so as always, have a great week and remember to eat your veggies! Bye! <3