June - Doll Meets

June challenge - doll meets! You, at a doll meet, or your dolls meeting with each other!

At KAWAII-KON 2014:

Hallway at Kawaii-Kon 2014 at the Hawaii Convention Center:



I saw this "Black Butler" cosplayer on Day 1 at Kawaii-Kon, so I went home and put together a custom Pinky Street fig, and hoped she'd still be in costume the next day... and she was!



And then I found another Grell:



Then I ran across a "doll meet." Only... the people there were not very welcoming. They seemed to think that, being a guy or something, I was going to make fun of them.



Even after I brought out the Pinky and asked if I could take a few pics, they seemed reticent. I guess they must have had some bad experiences or something. But... it was a Con, and half the people there were dressed up as super heroes and stuff, so, really!

'Kay, but later... my one true moment of Internet Fame... somebody approached me and asked me if I "was that guy who posts all the cute Pinky Street pictures on Flickr." I didn't even have the dolls out at the time. I used to show my face more on Flickr. Somebody actually recognized me! So we chatted about doll and toy photography for a bit.

2014... wow! Nearly a decade ago!

Another thing that was kinda fun: on Day One I was too shy to even ask cosplayers if I could take pictures, and I did not take the Pinkys out of my pocket, hence this parking lot photo, my only pic from Day One:



On Day Two, I began quietly and I hoped politely asking a few cosplayers if I could take photos. I always made a point to ask them about their costumes and their characters.

By Day Three, a number of the cosplayers were waving to me as I walked past, and several of them even told me I was "the coolest photographer" at the Con -- I guess because I tried to be polite and to talk to them, rather than just pointing a big lens at them and acting all "pro photog" and expecting them to strike a pose.

'Kay, anyway, that's pretty much my only "Doll Meet" pics.

There was the time, back in 2013, that KiraKira had her dolls on display at the Kapolei Public Library, and I made a trip over there to see them... but I was too shy to go to the circulation desk to see if she was working that day.



No... wait... here's one more... 'kay, I don't really wanna post this, but it's on Flickr:



Doll meet-up with Julianne and KiraKira, from the Pinky-Street and Dolly Mixtures forums, at the Honolulu Airport in 2015.

Sad thing is, this is literally my last day in Hawaii. This is the day I was flying out for the last time, moving to the mainland. It's also the only time I've ever met up with any of my Internet dolly friends in person.

Oh, so much! Thanks for posting! I had no idea you had met Julianne and KiraKira! And I don't think I've ever seen that photo of KiraKira's dolls on display. The parking lot photo is great.

I'm sorry people were weird and unwelcoming. One guy who comes to PUDDLE, literally the first time he ever told anyone but his mom that he collected dolls was at PUDDLE. We try to be welcoming to everyone! It's sad it's not always that way.

Wow thanks for sharing the pics! They all looked so lovely, I wish I could attend one of these one day

Oh hey, it’s YOU! This is so cool; what a great bunch of pictures. Bummer that the doll people weren’t too friendly, but it must have been fun to feel more comfortable over the next couple of days. You really should go to PUDDLE. Everyone I met there except maybe a couple of people, was friendly. (I mean, OK, I’m a girl, but there are guys there too.)
Thanks for posting these.

Alliecat wrote:You really should go to PUDDLE. Everyone I met there....

That means you have to post some of your PUDDLE pics this month, doesn't it?

Yeah - now that I'm on the laptop I can.

(and hey, your last day in Hawaii and you were still smiling????!)


The LaVoiles on their way to their first PUDDLE, in 2017, at Montreal airport.



The theme was "Tea Party".  This isn't my setup but the girls had a quick photo.



2018: One of the cute dioramas.



Table decorations.



A great variety of table decorations!



Scarlett was proud of Auntie Victoria's grand-prize-winning photo.



...as a result of which, Samantha joined the crew.  Aya also joined us at PUDDLE.  I had to figure out how to get the new additions home safely.



Visited TrueFan after and saw the Mississippi.



Quite a few pirates attended for "Spell of the Sea".

Alliecat has been to PUDDLE at least twice? How fun!

I love the sea-themed photos! The pic of Auntie Victoria was a worthy photo contest winner. Plus, narwhals and mermaids... and pirates! Plenty o' pirates pillaging at PUDDLE!

Only twice, alas. I wish it was closer -- like driving distance. With the flights, hotel and exchange rate it turns into a thousand-dollar-weekend. That's a bit much.

And we owe Fishy for Auntie Victoria's arrival, because she tipped me off about a Groove sample sale

Alliecat wrote:Only twice, alas.  I wish it was closer -- like driving distance.  With the flights, hotel and exchange rate it turns into a thousand-dollar-weekend.  That's a bit much.

And we owe Fishy for Auntie Victoria's arrival, because she tipped me off about a Groove sample sale  

Yeah, I wish it didn't cost so much to come from far away. I'd love to see you at PUDDLE again.

Here's an out-of-order photo. Valancy needing a nap after we got home. SOOO much stuff to sort through after PUDDLE.

Valancy in bed by TrueFan, on Flickr

2023 Dress Like Your Doll Parade at PUDDLE!

PUDDLE 2023 Dress Like Your Doll by TrueFan, on Flickr

And my little crew at the table.

My group at PUDDLE by TrueFan, on Flickr

A parade? Did you, like, march all around the hotel, through the hallways on all the floors, and around the outside through the parking lots?

Elaborate costumes by some of the conference guests! Some of the human costumes look as detailed as the dolly costumes!

Aw, such a small group for DYLD.  Who won?  I remember feeling a bit conspicuous going through the hotel hallways in my PJs for that the first year I went; had matching dolly ones (by chance!)

The doll that appears to have a TV for a head is cracking me up! Reminds me a bit of someone who used to be on Dolly Market back in the day who had a doll with an orange for a head.

We did not march all over the hotel - just from the ballroom to the foyer. There used to be a great desk clerk who was very interested in the event and we started parading out to the foyer so he could see the outfits. He is no longer there but we still do it.

It was a small group this year. The winner was the person next to me in the striped pants. She made her outfit and her doll's. (I ordered my dress off Amazon and Valancy's off etsy. I was not in it to win it.)

The person with the TV head doll makes them! I told her next year she needs to have a TV head also.

Thanks for sharing the lovely pictures, True!