Uhmmm...what?

 Would you believe I had this big ol' post planned for today and now I can't remember any of what I was going to write about?  hahahaha.  I have a general idea, but not all of it.  Maybe I should start writing that stuff down?  Hahaha.  I will try to eek my way through it.

So, to start things off...I found the missing rider doll.  Somehow she ended up on the floor underneath my desk.  Good thing neither of the cats decided to carry her off into the litter box.  hahaha.  But I did find her and yesterday I got my Pie model and put the saddle and stuff on him so I could put the doll on.  That didn't go quite as well as I was hoping.  First of all, with her feet in the stirrups, she doesn't sit in the saddle...

There's practically a mile between her bum and the saddle!  Look at all that space!  So I took her feet out of the saddle and she sits a little better, but the stirrups don't adjust so...

But that's not the only problem here.  She's supposed to be a Classic size rider and the Pie is supposed to be a Classic sized model, but she's HUGE.  It makes me uncomfortable to see her riding such a small horse.  It's definitely out of proportion.  So I put her on a Traditional scale model...

She still seems a bit disproportionately large, but not as bad as with the Classic scale model and I couldn't really get her to sit more forward.  Her body leaning more forward, I mean.  I really need to get the fabric out that I bought for taking pictures.  hahaha.  Anyway, I went to put Winx back in her spot next to Freddie and for some reason, she no longer fit there.  She's been there for several weeks, but suddenly she didn't want to sit in her spot anymore and I lost a bear in the process or trying to put her back...

So I had to put Pie where Winx was and move Winx over to where the Pie used to be.  <sigh>  I am out of room for horses, but still, I want more!  Gotta have MOAR!  hahaha.  I'm looking at two ebay auctions for San Domingo models...

Both are decently priced, but I guess I should wait to see if I win the panda pair before attempting to buy either of those two.  I haven't added any members to my San Domingo conga for probably a couple of years now.  I still need Kentucky.

Okay, I am truly envious.  There is a person on Instagram named HorseTenderStudio and she makes tack and stuff.  Well, recently she decided to make a sling like for rescuing horses by helicopter...

How incredibly creative is that?  Definitely thinking outside the box!  I never would've come up with that idea let alone had the talent to actually make it.  But that's not all...she decided to take it on a test run!

That is so unbelievable!  I really am in awe of her creativity and wish I could do things like that, but I have no patience for "fiddly" things like tiny straps and buckles and stuff.

Well, I guess that is it.  I can't think of what else I wanted to say.  I hope everyone is doing well.  Til next time!

Ursa Major & Ursa Minor - A Collector Club Animal Web Special...

 So...yesterday..was it yesterday?  Yeah, I guess it was...an email came out from Breyer with one of their wonderful "sneak peeks" for an upcoming model...

Right off the bat someone mentioned a bear and someone else followed up with "a midnight blue wintery panda set".  Another person also guessed a Panda bear, while someone else guessed "maybe it's the bears Ursa Major and Ursa Minor".   Well, we had a correct guess with the animal and a correct guess with the names...meet Ursa Major and Ursa Minor...

This year's Collector Club exclusive Special Run animal is actually two animals- a lovely set of pandas!  Every mama bear knows that her cub is the center of her galaxy!  This sweet and starry pair is named after the constellations nicknamed "The Great Bear" and "The Lesser Bear" found in the night sky.

Both mama and her cub have a pearly white coat with shaded blue markings flecked with stars.  Topped with a high gloss finish, this celestial pair looks like they climbed right out of the night sky.

This web special is a limited edition of only 350 pieces, and is packaged in a Breyer mail order box.  The price includes shipping and handling.

Hmmm...I'm intrigued.  I only have one bear and cub set and that is the ones from Breyerfest.  The "spots" in the dark part of their bodies looks odd to me.  Like it's unfinished, but I have to admit, they're pretty cute.  Do I want to enter to win for them, though?  It's a 3 day window, which seems to be standard nowadays.  What to do, what to do?  I may enter and then decide if I want to buy or not if I end up being selected.  I haven't won any of the web specials this year that I've entered for.  I don't remember how many of them I've entered for, though.  hahaha.

Anyway, tomorrow is my usual blogging day and I am working on a post so make sure to check back then.  Til next time!

"Freedom Series Models Are Ugly..."

 At least, that's what my brother said recently.  Well, maybe not those exact words, but pretty close.  He did call them ugly and he did specifically mention the Freedom / Classic scale.  I, of course, contradicted him and he showed me pictures of what he was basing his opinion on...

Well, yeah.  Based on one model I can see where he thought they all looked like that and I told him as much so he showed me another example...

I told him those were special editions and that some people collect that sort of thing and he said "nobody collects those" and maintained that Freedom Series models were ugly.  So I had to counter with one I have in my collection...

I told him I don't really collect this size model, but that I had several in my collection.  I also told him I don't collect the decorator ones like High Tide and Cupcake, but there were plenty of people who do.  He didn't believe me, I don't think, which is fine.

And remember a couple of weeks ago when I did that post about things coming into my collection and then just disappearing...?  Apparently that has happened again.  Not a model this time, but model-related.  I had finally gotten around to unpacking my Eclipse and the rider doll I got as well.  I know where Eclipse is, but I seemed to have misplaced the doll and her accessories.  I remember bringing the package into the house, but I don't remember what I did with it after that.  Good grief, I'm too young to be this forgetful!  Unfortunately, it's something I've suffered from for many years.  Let's hope the doll and her accessories are as easy to locate as the polo tack.  <sigh>

Well, I know today is Monday and not my "usual" upload day of Wednesday, but I just had an overwhelming urge to blog and my brother provided the perfect opportunity for it.  Today I am back at work after my Thanksgiving vacation.  I think I'd mentioned we had Thursday and Friday off so I took the rest of the week off.  I didn't do anything exciting.  None of the stuff I wanted to get done got done, but that's par for the course with me.  My Thanksgiving was pretty decent.  Lots of yummy food.  My family is just my brother, my mom and myself.  We used to invite friends over who had nowhere else to go, but for whatever reason we don't anymore.  I imagine my mom's current condition has a lot to do with that.  Oh well.  Anyway, I hope everyone else had a nice holiday.  Until next time!

Glossy Grey Belgian -- Test Run...

 Wow.  I'm just blogging all over the place this week, aren't I, but I had to blog about the new Breyer test piece!

Exclusively for Breyer Collector Club members!  Breyer test run models are initial decos painted up to see how a particular color might look on a particular sculpture.  Or, they may be created to test out a painting technique or new colorway.  Not all test run models are used, and they may vary over time as different painting techniques are developed and tested.  Each model has a fixed price and interested members enter a random draw for the ability to purchase the test piece.

Everyone loves the Belgian...hahaha.  I just LOVE <heavy sarcasm> when people say "everyone".  How do they know "everyone" loves the Belgian?  I don't.  I don't dislike it, but I don't "love" it.  Sculpted by Chris Hess, this stout stallion was one of the very first draft horses in the Breyer lineup.  This Belgian test model is painted as a shaded light grey, with subtle golden highlights in his mane and tail and a sweet little snip on his nose.  Based on the painting techniques used to create this model, he likely dates from either the late 1990s or early 2000s.

As a HQ-used test model, the Glossy Grey Belgian does have some small flaws from being handled over the years.  He has a few small black marks on his body, mostly concentrated on his off-side barrel/hip.  There is also one small spot of missing paint on his back right hoof.  See gallery for details.  I think this is the first time Breyer has pointed out flaws and actually included photos of the flaws.  I know people have commented in the past about flaws on previous models, but I don't remember there ever being pictures of them and I don't remember if they even acknowledged any flaws until very recently where they would say that there "might" be damage.

This piece is priced at $1000 and comes with a certificate of authenticity.  The price on this is higher than all of the previous ones.  I wonder if the price increase will apply to all test runs going forward or they decided to add the extra $150 because it's a bigger model.  If it's the former, people are likely going to complain, but there's still going to be plenty of people who will enter to win.  A lot of people like "Bubble Butt".  If they're adding the extra cost because of the slightly larger size, well, that isn't much better.  I don't think the slightly larger size constitutes that much of a price increase.  Oh well.  It's a neat model, for sure, but I won't be entering to win.

Okay.  That's it for now, I guess.  Don't hold me to that, though.  hahahaha.

I want to cry...

 If only I'd checked Facebook sooner.  If only I'd checked Blab sooner.  If only, if only, if only...

For anyone who has been around for awhile and paying attention to what I've blogged about, you'll know I've been looking for the 2017 (I think) web special Acadia on the Valegro mold.  I've checked Ebay periodically as well as MH$P but nobody has any for sale or they have him for well over twice his original price and I'm not willing to spend upwards of $400 for one.  Anyway, I saw a post on Facebook from Breyer about a Black Friday sneak peek so I  decided to look and see if there was anything I would be interested in.  And that's where the wanting to cry comes in...

WAAAAAAAAAAAA!  They had some for sale!!!!!!!  But they were already sold out by the time I found out about the Pre-Black Friday sale.  The sale started at 8am my time, but I didn't find out about it until 9am.  WAAAAAA!  I seriously want to throw an epic temper tantrum right now.  hahaha.  Is Acadia going to be my Achilles Heel?  The obtainable "grail" that I can't obtain unless I am willing to sell a kidney?  <stomps foot> <pouts>  I really, seriously want to cry right now.  I'm not just saying it.  Yeah, pathetic, I know.  It's just a hunk of plastic, but dagnabbit, I WANT IT!  

There's a couple of other things in the sale that are tempting...Kentucky on the San Domnigo mold for $30, for one.  Then there's the Stablemate Riding Camp set, but it's only $3 less than the regular price so that's not really anything to get excited about.  Oh well.

I will probably not be blogging next week.  I do about 90% of it on my work computer since it's the most convenient and I'm off work all next week so I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Til next time!

Some models...

 I'm hoping it's "safe" to post a vlog without worry that Breyer is going to hit us with something today.  It seems like all too often I will post one and then Breyer will release something.  hahaha.  But I'm going to go ahead and post a blog.  Not a very interesting one, but one nonetheless.  After that intro, I bet you're just dying to read the rest, aren't you?  hahaha.

So, when I still worked in a physical office building (up until March 2020), I had several models on my desk.  I didn't share my desk with anyone, so I had stuff all over it.  Models, Pusheen plush, various little knick knacks and trinkets.  When we were initially sent into Work From Home mode, it was only supposed to be for 2-3 weeks.  Well, those 2-3 weeks have stretched on to almost 8 months with no specific return to office date yet.  My company is building a new office complex and we won't be moving back into an office until that is complete and we will move into that one rather than the old one.  Anyway, since it was only supposed to be 2-3 weeks, I left a lot of my stuff on my desk.  All of my models and all of my Pusheen plush and just pretty much everything.  I only took with me the work-related stuff I knew I would need for that time.  In May, it looked like we would start returning to work.  We had "mission critical" employees already there that never left and that was wave 0 and 1.  May would be wave 2 and would include people who had volunteered to be part of it and managers.  Only a couple of people would be allowed per unit in wave 2 and I was not in that wave.  Wave 2 lasted about a month and then the office shut down again, sending everyone except Mission Critical people back home.

Bear with me, I'm getting to the point...hahaha...

In July, I think it was, we were told we would not be returning to the current office, but rather to the new one after the first of the year.  So that left what to do about our personal things at our desks.  We were told two different things at different times.  They kept going back and forth on what was going to happen.  One scenario was that we would be allowed to come in and pack up our stuff ourselves and the other was that Corporate Real Estate (CRE) would be doing it for us and moving everything to the new building.  The 2nd scenario concerned me because of my models.  If CRE packs up my desk, they're not likely going to take care to ensure my models don't get broken or scratched because they wouldn't know how easily damaged cellulose acetate could be if handled improperly.  And with all the desks they were having to pack up, they probably would just toss stuff in a box anyway.  So, I expressed my concern to my manager in May, I think, and initially he didn't seem to be too concerned about it.  But then in June I did again and he offered to pack up my desktop and I could come pick it up.  Obviously, I jumped at the opportunity and we scheduled a day for me to come by the office.  Not only did he pack up my models, but he also packed my Pusheen plush and did his best to use the plush to cushion the models.  It was really considerate. He put the models in a plastic In Box tray then put that in a paper shopping bag.   Well, for the past 6 months or so, everything has remained in the bag he packed them in...until today!

The 2 Djangos aren't the only Stablemates I had at my desk, but they're the two I grabbed this morning because they were both right there when I went to get The Pie, who is the only larger model I had at my desk.  I struggled with whether or not I wanted to take her home back in March.  The way she was situated on my office desk, it was like she was watching over me and I liked looking up and seeing her there.  But I ended up not taking her home because I knew I wouldn't have a place to put her where I'd have the same feeling.  Heck, my first week of working at home I was working on two TV tray tables in the living room!  

So, now I have the Pie home, but I STILL don't have a place to put her...

That is the top tier of one of my cat trees.  hahaha.  I can't leave her there, though, since one of my kitties spends a lot of time in that top tier.  Finding room for the two Stablemates was a little easier, though...

If only it was as easy for me to find room for the big guys.  I don't remember if those are my only two on that mold.  If it is, they can stay there, but I will need to check ID Your Breyer to make sure.  I know I don't have the copper filigree one.  There's enough room to add others around it if I find I have others on the mold, but I know they haven't used it a whole lot yet.

Okay, well, that's it for now, I guess.  Til next time!

Festive Filigrees Stablemates...

 Annnnnd once again, Breyer is going after our wallets.  hahaha.  Introducting Festive Filigrees Stablemates Limited Edition Holiday Blind Bag...

                          
Tis the season for festivities - and filigrees!  Breyer's 2020 holiday blind bags feature four fabulous Stablemates, each sporting a filigree finish.  Unwrap your gift to find one of these four festive surprises:

Mini Connemara Mare in green filigree

Mini Gypsy Vanner in silver filigree

Mini Smart Chic Olena in red filigree

Lipizzaner in florentine (gold filigree)

I think this is the first time they have done a decorator on Stablemates like this.  Holiday decorators, I mean.  I like the silver filigree, but not the Brishen mold.  I wish they had put the silver on the Croi because I kind of like the Croi mold but not the green color...

or even the red or gold would've made me happier than the green.  It's just so...green.  hahaha.  But Breyer didn't ask me my opinion when they were deciding which color to put on most mold.  hahaha.  I won't be ordering any.  Since it's a blind bag, you could get two of the same ones and I don't like any of them enough to spend the money on them.  Oh well.  I'm sure there's plenty of people who will be buying them.  That's what I like about the hobby...there's something for everyone.  You know what I would like to see?  A lady Phase in silver filigree.  Or San Domingo in red.  Or vise versa.

Boy howdy...it's Tuesday and I've already blogged twice.  I hope to be back tomorrow with my regular / not-so-regular Wednesday post.  Til next time!