Kawaii

Fru. She's such a trooper...

Fru's one year birthday was this last September, which I was really happy about. Whenever I get a new hammy, my hope is that he or she has a very long and happy life. So far, I think Fru has really had a great life. She's such a strong hammy!

The last few weeks have been a little difficult for me when Fru is concerned. About two months ago, I noticed a small lump on her lower belly. Right away, the first thing that came to mind was that it was a tumor. When Yukimo had started getting sick in 2008, I had the sudden need to learn everything I could about dwarf hamsters. I started picking up a lot of books about hamsters, specifically dwarf hamsters. I learned that they were extremely prone to getting tumors so I made sure to always look out for anything that looked suspicious.

"Lemme Out!"

Because I had such horrible luck with bringing in small pets to the vet when I was younger (they always died shortly after), I couldn't bring myself to take Fru in the first few weeks. But the lump continued to grow and I couldn't take not knowing what was wrong with my sweetie. I finally got up the courage to take her to the vet about two weeks ago. (I put her in her small carrier and wrapped it in a big, soft blanket so the freezing weather couldn't hurt her.) The vet did some blood work and confirmed that Fru has a tumor. In a big way, I was relieved that I knew what the problem was. The vet agreed with me that it would be too traumatic for a small animal like Fru to have her go through surgery, especially since there's a high risk that the tumor would grow back. Instead, he suggested that I make her as comfortable and happy as possible; after all, she could still live for many more months.

Fru's Breakfast Plans...

Since the vet visit, Fru has continued to be extremely happy-- and so healthy! Besides the tumor, her behavior and eating habits have been completely normal. She still gets excited when she hears me shake the container full of her seeds. She still attacks the piece of lettuce I give her every night. She still runs in her wheel every day. She still wakes me up in the middle of the night because she wants attention. Right now, life is very happy for Fru and I plan to keep it that way. I'm not taking any time with Fru for granted.

Other news that came from the vet was something that I was really pleased about: he confirmed that Fru is, indeed, a GIRL! Hahaha. Now I don't have to wonder whether my hammy (who I've had for over a year) is a girl or a boy, like I did with Yukimo. ^__~

My sweet Hello Kitty Blythe, Pinkachu!

I know I've already posted tons of information and photos of Pinkachu on Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook... but I couldn't leave my blog out of the loop. ^^ I'd like to introduce my new pink Blythe love, Pinkachu. <3 From what I know, she has three main obsessions: Hello Kitty, pink, and Pokemon!

I first saw Pinkachu (whose previous name was Miwako), a custom My Little Candy Blythe, on one of the Blythe forums I frequent, Plastic Paradise. She was up for sale by her owner and customizer, Daniela. Pinkachu was one of those dolls that was truly love at first sight for me. Taking everything in-- the pinkness, the Hello Kitty eyelids, the incredible detailed faceup-- was more than I could bear. After a lot of struggling with my conscience, I realized I couldn't let Pinkachu go; she had to be mine.

Pinkachu

I received more holiday and birthday money than I expected, so I was able to put part of the money towards my new dolly. It took about two weeks for Pinkachu to travel from Italy to my home, but the wait was worth it.

Sadly, my first impression of Pinkachu in person was not what I would have liked it to be. x__x Her shipping box had been a wreck, and upon opening her doll box, I discovered the Pinkachu in a fetal position with her hair and pullstrings tangled everywhere. I almost died right then and there. I immediately took control of the situation and gave Pinkachu a very long spa treatment, which consisted of three parts: 1) a combing session, 2) a straightening hair session (with an iron), and 3) applying my own special haird product to help style the hair. Thank goodness, after all of the treatment, Pinkachu's hair looked immaculate. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a My Little Candy's hair look so good 'til I fixed her hair!

I had been wanting/planning to add a pink haired Blythe to my doll family for the longest time. My very first Blythe ever (back in 2004) was a Mademoiselle Rosebud (who I named Poe), a stock girl who supposedly had pink hair. She arrived and I was disappointed with how orangey her hair really was-- not pink at all. =\ A few years later, I bought Primadolly Peach. I never bonded with Lamb; I think it was due to her hair sidepart and lack of bangs. Anyway, neither Blythe lived up to my pink standards. Finally, Pinkachu has the perfect shade of pink and style hair. Yay!

Pinkachu

Like I mentioned above, the details on Pinkachu are amazing. Daniela is a BJD customizer so her attention to detail using paint is phenomenal. Pinkachu's painted eyelashes are actually several layers of paint strokes that consist of pinks and blues. Her lips are also several layers of pink paint done in gradients, and upon a closer inspection of her lips, I can see the detailed lines that make her lips look real. The two little white dots under each eye and on her lips are some other details that made her stand out. All of her makeup is sealed, which gives her face an extra smooth complexion. Also, Pinkachu's original Takara Blythe body was replaced with a Pure Neemo Flection body. If I were to describe it, I would say that it's much like a BJD body because of the flexibility of its joints.

Of course, the big selling point for me was the addition of Hello Kitty on Pinkachu's eyelids. Duh! (I usually don't like eyelids with designs on them, but Pinkachu was my exception.) A stock Hello Kitty Blythe was released a few months ago (named Ribbonetta Wish), and Blythe fans were very disappointed in her lack of... Hello Kitty-ness. As other people have told me, Pinkachu seems to be the real Hello Kitty Blythe, what Ribbonetta Wish should have been. I'm so grateful to have her with me now. All of my other Blythes have such natural looks that I like to spice up with lots of fancy clothes and accessories. Pinkachu is already vibrant with just her faceup and hair alone; she can wear a simple dress and look perfect!