That Kind of Day

Even the best of days can be ruined after the fact. That is what I'll say of yesterday, the day of my first live show.

I went to bed late the night before, after finishing packing my kit and finishing up my documentation. I got up early, (5:00 AM) and got to the show right on time, 7:20. It was about how I'd imagined it. I had a table in the back and I unpacked quickly, then talked to one of the other shower's who was incredibly nice. Next I wandered around the Show Hall, admiring others' things. I watched a Performance Class Enterer do all the buckles on her beautiful miniature harness, and looked dreamily at the Peter Stone OOAKs. Then I watched the classes, and even picked some of the winners. (I wasn't a judge, I just looked at the class and picked who I thought would/should win) My classes came and went. All three of my models placed, but I'll get to that later. I talked to another one of the other showers who was also nice, as was everyone, I thought. There was a Raffle and I won two old Walter Farley books, which was awesome. And the Show Host gave me 2 micro-micro horses (half the size as mini whinnies, body quality) which made me so happy you have no idea. Everyone at the show was so warm and happy, if not tediously and hopelessly passionate about model horses. The Performance Entries we're fun to look at (they were amazing!) and all the Stone Weanlings we're so to die for. My only regrets are that I didn't say good bye to the shower next to my table, and that I didn't look at the for sale stuff.

                                                                              My table

 While I was packing up my models, the show host introduced us to a worker at Breyer, who was very interesting. He designed a lot of models, including Twilight Terror. The epic thing is that his personal Twilight Terror was in his closet looking for a good home. So he's mailing it to me. How cool is that????? I feel very lucky, overall, and had a very good time. A tack maker at the show gave me a show halter, and one of the other showers gave me the classic she won in the raffle because she doesn't collect classic. I know, I know, I am so super and extremely lucky it's weird.

My models did well over all. They all placed, like I said. My Le Fire custom had a mix up in the classes, so he got last in his class, which was 5th so he still got a paper ribbon. I feel bad for him, though at least I wont make the same mistake next time. My Lady Phase custom got 5th out of a class of nine, so I'm proud of her. I am also really very proud of my Stablemate Valegro, who got 4th in a class of 17, and was the only mini in the class. I didn't get into the call backs, so we left after my classes were over, even though I might have liked to stay. The day proceeded boringly, though at Tractor Supply I got a Scheich Zebra Filly on clearance. ($2? Sold!) I talked about the show a lot afterwards, which I regret slightly. But I am looking forward to the next show, which will be at my favorite toy store, except that it isn't for, ahem, 6 months. All the showers at my show were kind, welcoming, and happy to have me, which I really appreciated. They talked to me, congratulated me, I even spotted some admiring my little Valegro! (Yes I know I promised I wouldn't show my Valegro. Sorry......!) I was going to bring two other models, my Peter Stone Pebbles and my Breyer Wallstreet, but I decided to take it slow.

Valley in his big Warmblood Class!

Yes I had one of the best times of my life, with the crowd that I really do fit in with. Alas, the raining of the parade happened this morning, and it's something I'd rather not elaborate on, except that I've been cold towards the show since. It's not that I didn't have an amazing time, but that I don't always think my family wants me to fit into that crowd. Moving on, now...

All will be well

'Night before the Live Show. I've been thinking about it for a long time, it's tough to believe it's here. I'm getting up at 5:30, to tie up the loose ends. I'm excited, jittery, thrilled, and nervous. (WHAT IF THEY DON'T LET ME IN?!?!?!!?!?) All my ref. photos and index cards turned out nice, and I'm only taking 3 models: not the one's I was planning on either. They're all snug in a blanket, inside a box, ready to go. I don't know how things will go tomorrow, except that all will be well at the end of it. (except if they don't let me and my family in. which would be BAD!) Things won't go perfect tomorrow because this is my first time. I've never viewed one before, and I don't completely know what to expect. I have my extra index cards, my camera, my class lists and show information, my dust cloth, and some photos in my purse, ready to go. I'm excited, truly I am, just really unsure at the same time. This is the dress rehearsal for the next few years to follow. Fingers crossed that all truly is well at the end of it. ~Levi

Warm Up

Hello worst night ever. Why'd you show up, huh?

Oh c'mon, what's one more scar? Seriously, words are like rocks. Always being thrown at me. Maybe you can throw chocolate at me next time, Universe, k? Thanks Taylor Swift, for this lyrical token:

Ok then. Any way, the Forever Saige Breyerfest Special has been revealed, and it's a seal bay:

She's definitely more appealing than the original Forever Saige, but gah, she is such a weird mold. The conformation and everything is just weird. Depending on how she looks in person, I may or may not get one. The paint job is very pretty, and it could just be the strange angles that make her look so weird. I'll see. All I'll say is that the mold is not my favorite yet: but I'll try and warm up to it in the future. 

The Difference Between Reality and being Realistic

Yep, gonna talk about P. Stones today. That is, of course, Peter Stones.

If model horses were Kleenex, Peter Stones would be scented. And in a pretty box.

Not everybody likes scented Kleenex. They don't like having something that fancy and expensive to worry about owning and taking care of. It seems like an unnecessary bonus, and that non-scented Kleenex is just fine.

But some times the pretty package (a synonym for paint job in this strange scenario)  is such a nice luxury that you indulge into the extra cost of the scented kleenex.

Not to say that the non-scented Kleenex have ugly packaging. But it's a little plain and simple, just blue or pink. They don't have geometric patterns and flowers on them.

Breyer's aren't- usually- scented. Peter Stones (the ones bought straight from their website, at least) always are. (to some extent) 

A pretty horsey from the internet to keep you entertained whilst I ramble on

Being purely realistic, I can't have every Peter Stone that catches my eye and makes me drool a little- because there's 7 billion of em. But the reality is that, like everyone else, I want to have all of them. For instance, this week I drooled over DAH ideas mingling with each other in my brain. However, I had the hope of Dugan, so I reserved my moolah for him. Alas, the Dugan email never came. So now I have permission to drool some more over Peter Stones, because Dugan won't be drooling on my shelves. Ha.

No it's not a good thing to be so obsessed with such expensive possessions. But it's the reality. Being realistic, it's not a good idea to invest so much emotionally into ebay auctions and the likes. But it's the reality of this hobby. The heart wants what the heart wants, after all. And if it's scented, we deal with it.


Now onto happier skies.

Here's the pictures of that P. Stone body I got on Ebay. The reality is he needs work. But he was also super cheap. I think it's a more than reasonable compromise.

The low down: He needs a new mane and tail, his horn needs to be reattached to his forehead, and some touch up on the paintjob. One of his back legs is warped inwards, so he doesn't stand very well, but I'm going to try and fix that with a hair dryer when I have time. I kind of adore is current paint job, with the lavender and green highlights and the blue-green base, but there's some touch up to happen on the hooves ect. Yes I am happy to have him, despite his current state of condition.

Maybe I won't ramble so much next time. 'Till then, Adios!

Let it burn while i cry

I was feeling really anxious about the Dugan drawing this afternoon, but I felt like my chances we're pretty good. I felt like I might actually win him, and avoided buying anything else all week (I'm not rich or anything but I have a little bit of in come and a mom who shares my love of breyers). Alas it is well past five in New Jersey and I've received no email. If there were, say, 800 entries, and a 40 piece run, and there are 400 (if there's 800 entries there still might only be 400 enterers) people who entered, then no matter what there are not enough Dugan's to go around. But still, I felt like a co-creater of him. Now I just feel dejected. Whatever. The odds of me actually getting one on the after market are incredibly slim. A few people may have bought him to flip him, but prices will probably inflate to the $500s. *sigh* Just another rock in the cellar...

I was already looking forward to his arrival, by the way.

Whatever.

Water under the bridge.

I'll stop whining now....

                                               ~ ~ ~


The next Breyerfest Special Run is rather obviously Forever Saige.

                           For comparison (and doubters) the Forever Saige.

                          And, even better, the original clay sculpture:

 

See? Mane Ripples! It appears she'll be Jet Black (right along with Breyer's 2016 Regular Run theme!) but possibly a very dark seal bay- we'll see. Breyer dropped the word Wild Horses, which also makes her an obvious choice per the sneak peak. I'm not the most thrilled by her appearance though, because it means we will probably not be getting a Bobby Jo this year at BF. Besides, the mold is rough and strange to me; although the clay sculpture looks considerably better than thee 'Forever Saige', so her roughness could just be a side effect of a strange paint job. The black might show case the mold better, so as for my decision about her? It will wait until I see one in person at Breyerfest. In the mean time, I'll say that the sculptor's sketches are considerably more intense (and/or better, which I think they are, but a lot of people don't) than the sculpture derived from them:

*swoon* I'll give it to Kristina, she's an amazing sketch artist. Can I hang this on my wall, Plz?

Another Afternoon

Just a calm afternoon at home with Mom, doing paperwork and making dinner. Nothing very exciting to talk about really, which seems.... sad. I often wish I was as aged in the hobby, knew as many cool/fascinating things, or had the resources that others do. I don't even have any cool stories to tell. I feel like such a newby. It's unsettling, to an extent, and bothersome. I've been trying to branch out in the hobby, but it's a hard thing. I suppose, if I have nothing else, that I'll still have my photography.

Something more exciting (probably) next time!

The Coolest Plastic Dog in the World

Guh. Just got done having one of those days where everyone just keeps throwin rocks. Whatever....

An exciting coincidence took place this morning, before I got hit with the first stone humanity threw at me. That was Dugan:

Gah, ah, droool. Isn't he the most fantastical piece of plastic ever? The coincidence is that I almost bought a Basset Hand body on Ebay a few days ago to change into almost exactly that. This was my reference photo:

Custom-IdeaJPG

I couldn't decide between gloss or matte. Gloss is yummy, though. The general opinion on the Collector Club Forums is good. Funny how the community goes from saying,

"Breyer just needs to officially retire some of those old molds. Especially the dogs and the pacer, I am SO done with him. Foiled Again is yucky"
 to
"Ooh, Dugan's really cute! Totes entering!"

 Perhaps I exaggerated that a bit, whatever. Anyway, I am disappointed that it's a micro-run lottery, greatly lowering my chances of winning one, which are already super low. But I'll forgive Reeves since Dugan was obviously whipped up from old bodies. Or at least it seems obvious. But I am totally for retro non-Companion Traditional Dog and Kitten regular runs in the future, so I should hope they got the mold cleaned up and ready for production. The $160 price tag is a little steep, too, but you get what you pay for: An awesome, 40 piece glossy Blood Hound. At least the CCC (Collector Club Community)'s positive response to him will let Reeves know that in this new day of flirty stallion molds and decent dapples, we all can still appreciate a little flash from the past. Just freshened up, and a bit awesomener than all you thought Mr. Basset Hound could be. *swoons* He is dreamy, and totally smile worthy. In fact, looking at his picture  has helped fix this rather drear evening. As much as a plastic dog can, anyway~