Sunday, 31 August 2014

PROCRASTINATION REIGNS...

I have spent all week avoiding taking Ashlyn's head off her body! Well when I say I , I say that in the royal sense as in I mean Paul, I have not got Paul to remove Ashlyn's head, so now a week's gone by and the poor girl's just been sitting about waiting!

I have also been going to send a couple of Sasha's off to Shelly, but out of the three I was going to send Two I just cannot part with!So no one's gone anywhere!

I'm also supposed to be whittling down all their clothes that are never used, have not done that either!

I have a baby's head that's been waiting to be re rooted for at least two weeks and it's still waiting to be started!
The diet was supposed to be re started last week and is now planned for tomorrow! Well it is the first, and a Monday so a good time to restart, I have been telling myself this all last week!Which as just reminded me that I will need a brunette for tomorrow's post and have I sorted that out......no!

The story lines are still not started but I did buy a couple of little silicone cases today! and I'm off to Yorkshire for a week soon! So it will all come to a grinding halt anyway!!

So all in all getting nowhere fast!!

So tomorrow being 1st of September I will be turning over a new leaf and getting my act together. Well at least on the re rooting front, Paul's been asked to ensure Ashlyn loses her head this very night!! and I will post a photo of her around Wednesday so you can see I have started.

One Sasha will be off to Shelly's before the end of the week along with a few clothes.

The story lines will have to wait until I'm back off my holiday but the healthy food is in the fridge etc , so the diet's back in progress tomorrow.

I did however take a couple of photo's of Sansa today which I will share below. I also need to decide which Sasha and Gregor I will take away with me? They have to be ones that stand up without a fight! and also ones that have not been taken before!


Sansa's holding a lantern that's been rusted by the elements.


I was taking these photo's from inside the Gazebo, so the light is behind her but I like the difference of her more shadowed.


I turned her towards the sun, you can just make out Paul's hand behind her with his gardening magazine and
mug on the table!


I tried going outside for an artistic shot but the sun was too bright and the plants throwing shadows across her face, so gave that Idea up!


So back inside for a couple of close up's.


another close up.


another lantern pose.


A long shot from inside showing where Sansa is standing .


Standing in the sunshine! I had now decided to remove her hairband!


x


 a little closer.


x


She's holding her hair band now, so we do not forget to take it indoors!


"What's that Sansa ? "   "You'd like to go to Yorkshire ! and you can stand up really well!"
"Well that is true , I will think about it , I have to be fair and consider some of the others "

Hope there were not too many photo's but Sansa is very photogenic, well to me! lol

Now I'm off to sort out what I'm going to do about tomorrow's 1st of the month post!!!! Better late than never!!!


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Friday, 29 August 2014

TOY SHOPS ! WHERE ARE THEY?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE TOY SHOPS GONE?
And I do not call Toys R us a toy shop!! Are there no toy shops any more? There are toy departments in bigger stores like John Lewis but are there any Toy shops?

I ask this because Carol from Canada very kindly sent me a photo of an American Girl shop window in Chicago , the window's are being re-done, so they were all covered up but just for a moment the cover was removed and Carol's grand daughter quickly snapped a photo, the covers were replaced so quick Carol's daughter did not have time to take one!



Here is Carol's grand daughters photo. I am not big on American Girl dolls but I do love their accessories and how well they are linked to a doll .But I do LOVE dolls, so would love to be standing in front of this window and studying each doll and outfit and then walking to the next window to study that!

Well this got me thinking, maybe some of you out there know of Toy shops with windows of delight! So I'm hoping you will go and take a photo of the window and send it to me and then I can show each one on here on a YES TOY SHOPS DO STILL EXIST! Post.
It would be nice to have some more American girl shop windows, are there different  design's in different parts of the US?
Hopefully some of those who pop into the blog will send us some photo's and some details about the shop and where it is.

So I'm looking forward to seeing some fantastic photo's of toy shop windows or Doll shops windows, if they exist and then they will all be shared on here for us all to see. It will be great to see how many countries we can get photo's from.

My email address is on the sales page. I will do the post towards the middle to end of September, so giving everyone time to visit their chosen shop and send photo's in plus tell us if they bought something after taking
their photo.


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I would like to thank Carol and her quick on the shutter grand daughter for this great photo.


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Monday, 25 August 2014

ALL CHANGE !!

Well it's Bank Holiday Monday, so of course it's raining!! It's been raining all day so far and looks like it's set to continue into the night!!

So I decided to change the shelves about , so that they are not so full and untidy! So first I had to remove all the Sasha's, Gregor's and Babies , also the bears and the pram's , then all the other things that had been just left and finally some of the books.

So after a discussion about what shelf to put at what height to get the most space for the Sasha's, finally after a clean and a reposition this is what I landed up with.


In order to keep the Sasha's out of the sun I have moved all the books down from the top to the middle.


There are now two higher shelves on this side enabling me to put Sasha's on both.


The middle only as room for one full height Sasha shelf but that leaves space for the babies to have a shelf.


Then finally the bears still get a shelf to themselves and their bench and the Sasha's move up one to be safe from any sunshine.


The twins, Violet and Sapphire are now getting ready to take some things out to the garden once the weather improves and little Paige is going along to help.


Ginny, Martha and Caitlin are looking after a couple of the babies.



Ashley's telling Robin that Mum took her shoes and she's still waiting for them to be returned or replaced! While Libby and ? are taking the baby for a ride in the pram.


Here Ava is discussing her partial hair re root with Callie and wondering when Mum's going to even it up! While ? and Lulu are taking the little bear Snowy s gift from Dollmum and Dmd at the chat n snap for a ride in the other pram.


All the bears save one are excitedly chatting about the new position of the bench and what they can see from their new vantage point! The one Mossy says he needs to lie down because it's all too much this moving from shelve

Elton Ron is having a turn on the babies rocking horse while ? and Dulcie sit quietly waiting a turn.


Now the only problem with this was that two Sasha's, the twins , came out of the cupboard to go on the shelves and less Sasha's went back on.

So I set about looking and realise that in a corner of the Dinning area was a pine bookcase being badly used with things that should have been put away but instead had been shoved on the shelves to be moved later but later had never come!
So as this unit is tucked in a corner so free from getting any sunlight directly on it, it was a good place to put a few Sasha's.
So after a re arrange of videos and books to the lower shelves and a taking off of all the things that actually have homes elsewhere, I was able to use two shelves for the Sasha's and babies.


A good place for them.


Albie, Wilf, Quinn and Storm are comfy at the top.


While the others settled on the shelf below.

Now I would love to say it's all sorted....BUT!!! There are still six Sasha's, Gregor's and  Elfine, my Kaye Wiggs doll standing in front of the videos on the other side of the room, while several Gregor's and a Sasha or two are squeezed in the cupboard below and that's not to mention the three blonde babies laying about in the bedroom!!
Oh an most important of all BEATRICE!! needs a safe and dust free home!!!At present she is sitting on the edge of Paul's printer with her legs on his desk which is fine until he goes back to work in the morning and needs the space!!

Plans need to be made.....cupboard purchased or restyled........


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Sunday, 24 August 2014

CYCLING....CHAMPION ?

Lucas and Connor are in the box garden talking in whispers !


" You know what to do? " asks Lucas
" Don't want to!"


"You do it!" says Connor
" I told you It must be you!" says Lucas getting annoyed " I cannot do it because it will not work !"

" Now get a move on! " says Lucas as Connor reluctantly turns away " Hurry up they'll be here soon !"


Connor walks part way down the box hedge then turns and calls out " HERE? "
"NO ! " answers Lucas waving " KEEP GOING BACK! "


Connor walks a little further then turns pushing himself into the hedge " HERE?"
"NO" yells Lucas " AT THE END !"

Connor keeps walking


Finally a faint voice comes from the end of the box hedging " here? "
"yes " calls Lucas
Connor calls again " Here? "
Lucas walks a little forward then yells "YES YES YES!!!! " 
" K !" mutters Connor " stop shouting !"


Lucas checks that Connor's now hidden, then hearing voices goes to hide himself, he just hope that Connor does not fall asleep! He's never known someone who can sleep as much as him!"


Zak, Ashlyn and Toby come into view.
"Tell me again why I have to wear this GB cycling outfit ? " ask Ashlyn
"It's a surprise  J I mean Ashlyn " says Toby smugly
" And why are we all the way out here? " Ashlyn asks " I'm supposed to be seeing your Dad later, something about decision made time to party? "
"Come on never mind Dad!" says Toby grinning.


"Ta Da!" cries Toby pointing at a bike.


"Very Nice " says Ashlyn being polite " Whose bike is that? "
" It's yours " answers Toby " Well I mean it's yours for while you are here . I know you must need to train and keep yourself at top level!"
Ashlyn is totally bewildered why Toby thinks she wants to ride their bike while she there! She's never ridden a bike in her life !"


Ashlyn wonders how to get out of this nicely. " There's no need Toby! Thank you for the offer but I do not need to ride while I am here. "
"It's OK " says Toby smiling " We won't tell anyone else it will just be between us "
" No No I insist I cannot take your bike while I'm here, I'll be having my op soon so best not to even start !" Ashlyn assure him.


Toby goes over to the bike and take's something from the basket " I know it's not want you are used to but you cannot afford to let yourself go you know!" He says " I have even got Mum's watch so we can time you and Zak can count the laps!"
Time? Laps? thinks Ashlyn what is he on about!
" Come on ! " says Toby " At least have a little go please !"


Ashlyn looks at the bike ! At least it's not one of those new all singing all dancing racing bike she thinks, how hard can it be !
" OK " she says , Toby and Zak start whooping in excitement 
Bemused Ashlyn goes over to the bike.


Remembering what she's seen other cyclists do, Ashlyn climbs on the bike and pushes off, slowly she starts moving. She smiles It's much easier than she thought!


Suddenly she over balances and tips sideways into the hedge!
"She's in the hedge!" says Zak to Toby
Toby cannot believe what he's seeing, then says " It's a strange bike, she's got to get used to it, she'll be fine!"


Zak's not convinced " Don't they say it's as easy as riding a bike? which means she should find any bike easy to ride!"
"But !" says Toby in a dramatic voice " She's in hiding maybe she's lost her bike riding mojo! eh! eh!"
Zak's still not convinced as they watch Ashlyn pick herself up out the hedge and muttering get back on the bike.


Thankfully Ashlyn starts to get into the swing of riding the bike and begins to enjoy herself, she's a little worried that it would appear she's approaching a corner but surely she just needs to turn the handle and she turn the corner?


"See! " says Toby smugly " I told you she just needed to get used to our bike, that Joanne great, just watch her started speeding round this track!"
Zak says nothing, he's got a bad feeling about all this!


Ashlyn's just beginning to enjoy herself when a red head suddenly appears in front of the bike ! She wobbles and pulls hard on the brakes.......


The bike goes one way and she goes the other...straight into the box hedge, head first!!


"OH NO!" cries Zak in fright 
" Bloody Nora! " says Toby
"TOBY!" says a shocked Zak
"Well I ask you ! She's supposed to be an Olympic Champion cyclist!! " he says in disgust!


Zak runs down to help Ashlyn who is now sitting beside the bike catching her breath !
She's a little winded from her fight with the hedge, so Zak waits while she rests.


Ashlyn tells Zak about the red haired head and Zak calls down to Toby
" I bet it's was that pest Lucas " says Toby angrily " I'm going to tell Mum and she'll send him to bed without any hot chocolate!"


A voice says to the side of Toby " Me want hot chocolate !" 
Toby turns to see Lucas just stepping into the box garden, there's no way he could have got from behind Zak and Ashlyn and out of the garden without being seen!

Lucas gives Toby a hard stare ! " Chocolate " he says in a menacing voice
"What? " says Toby shrugging his shoulders " I'm not telling Mum anything! It cannot have been you anyway !"
Lucas smiles and walks off , Toby gives a little shiver, he's not scared of Lucas ....he's not!

Zak and Toby help Ashlyn back to the house, she's grazed her knee and Toby's trying to convince her not to mention bikes and floating heads!

Once they have disappeared down the garden , Lucas goes in search of Connor


He finds him, with his head on the hedge crying softly 
"Well done Connor! Did you see her fall in the hedge " says a laughing Lucas
" No " cries Connor " Not nice ! " sob sob " Not nice her in edge !"
Lucas rolls his eyes.


Lucas sighs " I thought you wanted to be a bad boy!"
" No want hurt girls " sobs Connor " No Connor not hurt girls Mam not like Connor if Connor hurt " sob " girls "

" Oh all right " says Lucas in disgust! " We won't hurt any girls! But come one let's go see what's in the fridge to eat before Mum comes back from shopping! "
Connor wipes his eye's and brightens up " Biscuits? "
"Yes " say Lucas " and I saw one of the twins had some chocolate! Come on "

The boys head towards the house, hiding among the shrubs and plants as they go!


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