My 2024

2024 may not have been a very positive year for a lot of the world, but I am so grateful that for me personally, like excluding all external factors, I had a pretty good one. 

For starters, can we just talk about the fact that this year marked 50 years since ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest?  50 years!  Although not much really happened in terms of ABBA doing anything to celebrate, I had a really enjoyable time prepping for the anniversary.  I drew one of my biggest and most detailed drawings to date, which took AGES but I'm really proud of it.  

I started the year actively posting on my blog almost daily, talking about ABBA songs, something I can never stop talking to my family IRL, so I decided to pour those thoughts into blog posts.  And I had a lot of fun doing it, until my hyperfixation disappeared and I lost motivation to actually post.... but that's okay.  It was fun while it lasted and eventually I'll get back into it.  The obsession with ABBA is still there obvs, it's just the motivation to actually sit and write that's currently missing.

I remade a few more doll costumes this year.  Not as much as I had wanted to, but I tackled costumes I never thought I could make, like a proper rendition of the Velvet jumpsuits, ABBA Voyage versions of those same jumpsuits, the white and gold costumes from early 1979, mini cat dresses for my barbies, and Agnetha and Frida's 1974-75 tour costumes.  I'm hopeful that I'll get around to making more costumes in 2025, but buying proper fabric is kinda expensive hahhaha... so we'll see.

And now for a bit more personal highlights and reflections.  A lot of them have to do with animals, so I apologize if that's not your thing haha, but I'm going to talk about it regardless because it literally makes me happy. 

Happy 78th birthday, Benny!

 Wishing the maestro himself, Benny Andersson, a very very happy 78th birthday! Grattis på födelsedagen!

Cat Plushies

 So many years ago, over a decade by now, I had the idea to make for myself custom ABBA cat plushies based off of the cats that Owe Sandstrom designed for Agnetha and Frida's cat dresses!  But as we know, I am a girl with procrastination tendencies and hyperfixations, likely ADHD but I am currently undiagnosed, so the project was left unfinished with just the base of Agnetha's blue cat sewn.  I actually never posted about it, and even though I see this unfinished cat plush around my sewing area every once in a blue moon, I could not for the life of my find it so you'll just have to believe me that it exists.  

Recently, ABBA the Museum came out with the same independent idea of selling plush versions of Agnetha and Frida's cats, and let me tell you I was soooo happy when I found this out because a. obviously as they're official they are going to be so much better than any sloppy cat plush I was trying to make, and b. it means I don't have to finish my plush concept anymore!  I fell in love with these cats as soon as they came out, determined to get my hands on them ASAP, and that time finally arrived!

With Black Friday deals (which aren't really much a deal but certainly work to entice impulsive and kinda financially irresponsible buyers like myself), the cat plushies were on sale at a reduced price, so I couldn't help myself!  

And here they are!

I honestly think these are absolutely brilliant.  They are extremely well made, and each cat has printed on details.  I will say, they are not 1000% accurate, like there are designs and sequins that are not in the exact same place as the original cat, and some creative liberties were certainly made as it's really difficult to translate a 2d drawing into a 3d cat plush.  (Also Agnetha's cat is missing the greenish tinge on the ears but that's me being nitpicky.) For what it is, it's really really good and I couldn't be more impressed.  As a collector of many stuffed animals, these two are going to fit perfectly in with the monstrous amounts of plushies, webkinz, and famous social media stuffed animals that is my room.

Frida's cat:

Agnetha's cat:

Overall, I am quite happy to add these two cats to my ABBA collection, and I also got this fun ABBA t-shirt as well because who can say no to more ABBA t-shirts?

Happy 13th birthday, Benny Anderdoll

 Today marks 13 years since I officially completed my fourth and final homemade ABBA doll!  Happy birthday Benny Anderdoll!