SUNDAY CATCH UP

Well it's been another busy week at work . My trip to London went fine well ,if we forget about be boarding the slow train and not the fast one ! and therefore arriving 30 minutes later into London than planned and making me 15 minutes late for my course! I do hate to be late but luckily I was not the last!
Of course it was chucking it down with rain in London On Monday but at least the sky cleared and I came out at 5pm into lovely warm sunshine and got a fast train home!.

Although I only worked three days this week , I had things that needed doing including the dentist then I worked Saturday and although it's 10.15 til 2.15 it really means the day is lost, when you had in travelling time there and back, lunch at 3. 15 is not ideal

But I did manage to get a few things done including sorting out some things to sell , dolls and their clothes!.
I am trying to find ten items of clothing and three dolls to sell each time I look until I have reduced the amount of dolls and their accessories filling this house. Don't panic I will still have more Sasha's as most have a place in my stories, so are harder to say goodbye to!

But I am going to be very hard and reduce some of the other dolls and all the clothing they all seem to require! I did have an idea of only keeping six of any one style or makers clothing but then looked in one of my boxes containing a couple of my favourite makers and could not bring myself reduce to only SIX! But I will be making looking again as I need to reduce these many boxes down to just a few.

Georgina is up for sale as I do not really need TWO Gingers especially when I rarely play with the babies. So she's on the adoption list, I am also thinking of selling both Meredith and Jenny plus my waif  Tatty. Yes they are all lovely and I could keep them all but I need to be hard!

Underneath all these boxes is my new bathroom and it's not getting sorted while I sit back and let another week slip by! At the end of this week I will be Sixty! and although I feel perfect fine and no more than about forty five, I have to start to realise that I could decide to retire in the next couple of years and devote myself to story telling on my blog etc and to that end my house needs to be finished and lovely or I'll have to carry on working forever.. :)

It's strange that I am now reaching the age that means I could retire! Well not according to the government they're moved my official retirement further away but I could reduce my days of working in a couple of years or just say I've had enough and escape! So if this is the year of the house is going to get done I need to find the space to do it!

Once I have made some leeway with that I need to get into my studio and start using it, so next month I'm going into the official open the Studio and start using it, it still needs tweaking but that will have to happen while it's in use.

Mary , who is very fed up with waiting, will be continuing her story this week and can I remind everyone that Friday is the 1st of July so Doll shelf photo day, so please send in those photo's that will all love to see. I have stet myself the target of taking five photos for this coming months post.

Enjoy the coming week, they have mentioned the word... SUN! I know one can only hope!

Just one more thing , this week has been a momentous one for our beautiful country and I for one am proud and always will be to be British, let not the nasty and rude minority define this country, if you cannot see beyond them to the true and wonderful people that live and work here then I am sad for you. It does not matter which way anyone voted all that matters is that we now work together to prove that we have the flair and the guts to embrace the road ahead.




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WHEN IS A GIRAFFE NOT A GIRAFFE?

"Elfine I was wondering if you'd like your photo taken with a Giraffe for World Giraffe day ? "
"Why? "
"Well because your friend Tansy had her photo taken with one "
"Did she? " Elfine looks thoughtful " Alright !"

Suddenly an animal appears sitting beside her. " There you go !"

"That's not a Giraffe !" I say
"It's not ? "
"No "

She pulls the animal round and onto her lap " Are you a Giraffe? "
Who me? "
"Yes who else? "
"I'm a Fox " says the Fox
"So why are you here? "
"Well I wasn't a moment ago I was sitting in my den telling my children all about that bad old days when I had to run for my life , everytime I popped out for a chicken supper !"

In the blink of an eye Mr Fox is gone and someone else is sitting beside Elfine !
" That is not a Giraffe!"
"No? "
" No ! That's an Ass "
"Oi ! who you calling an Ass I'm a Donkey !"

"

 I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee. "

" That's right nice of ya lass but the wife won't be too happy
if I stay here listening to this!" says the Ass I mean donkey looking worried

"FOOL!" says Elfine and in a blink of an eye he's gone

"Giraffe Elfine ! do you know what a Giraffe looks like? "

"Well I suppose it is sort of a Giraffe " I grumble
Elfine looks to the sky and sighs " What's wrong this time ? "
 "Well it's not a proper Giraffe is it? "

"Better!" demands Elfine
"Well sort of "
"Why sort of? "
"Well look at the size of his eyes!  and where's his neck? "
"Goodness you are soooo picky!"

"Well !" Elfine asks looking at the tiny Giraffe that's now appeared " Is this one Giraffe enough for you!"

"He is minute ! don't you have a bigger one? "

"He is not My newt , he's a Giraffe ! and I wish you would make your mind up!"

Suddenly the big dreamy eyed giraffe is back along with the tiny one " This is your last chance! I am not finding any more Giraffe's for this photo , take it or go away!"

" I cannot quite see the little Giraffe against your dress, do you think you.... " seeing the steely glint that's appeared in her eye I decide the best bet is to keep quiet and take the photo.

"All together say Cheese !"
No one says a word and I take the photo , thank them all for their time and retreat !



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INVADED BY ELVES !

First there was one and now there's another!

Yesterday Rosi arrived to keep Mona company.

Poor Mona was feeling lonely being the only Wichtel elf in the village!

So cheeky little Rosi has come along to be her sister.

So two happy elves playing in that garden..... could this be the start of an invasion ?............... ;)




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WORLD GIRAFFE DAY

Georgina wants you to meet the family giraffe's for World Giraffe Day.

We do love a Giraffe or two in this Village


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I searched out this photo from the SCW of Kendal's doll with her Giraffe

x

From Jane , we have Elfine's friend Tansy with her Giraffe 

Sharon's girl is wearing her Giraffe !

If anyone else as a photo of their doll/dolls with a Giraffe send it in and I will add it here :)

SUNDAY CATCH UP.

I thought I'd share these photo's of Meredith in this beautiful studio style summer outfit by the talented Ginny of A Passion for Sasha on Etsy.

and at the same time catch you all up with whats been happening at the Sasha Village.

It's been a busy working week, no staff due to holidays etc but we have  managed but does make for a tiring week. Then I have some training to do, so stayed late one night to get some done only to find I could not get onto the system  ! So that was a waste of time.

Also due to the weather, the evenings have been quite dark and wet so no much chance of getting any good photo's done for a proper blog post of the continuing story of Mary!

 and the weekend's been taken up with shopping, house work and gardening.

However finally the garden work, well this Alpine bed at least , is done.

So I am hoping to carry on with Mary's story on Tuesday/ Wednesday.

Monday I have to go to London to a one day course for work, so won't be home till late.

But I'm hoping this coming week, once Monday's over, I'll be able to get back on track with my story, clearing out more Sasha and other doll things and also general sorting and recycling. This evening with the sky bright but cloudy all things seem possible!.

Wishing you all a great week ahead.



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ZACK'S BACK

With Toby!

"Hello " Says Toby " Welcome to the Sasha Village, I'm Toby and this is my brother Zack "
 The new girl smiles " Nice to meet you Toby, Zack my names Mary "

"MARY! " gasps Zack
Toby gives Zack a look as if to say whats up with you?
" Hi Mary , my brother Zack says you have a really interest.. I mean nice bag that looks like a piece of carpet "
" Yes I do, it's over by my jacket "

Turning away Toby and Zack go over to look closely at the 'bag' , Zack had told Toby about how the girl.. Mary had pulled large objects from it! Toby just knew Zack as trying to pull his leg!

" There it is " whispers Zack pointing with a shaking finger at the bag.
" It's just a bag " says Toby not impressed at all " Mary seems quite dressy for one of our sisters "
" Never mind that " whispers Zack.. " That bag is magic! "

Toby stares harder at the bag, he wonders if it would be rude to ask if he could look inside ! Then he decides best not to in case she tells Mum who would be upset that he'd asked,  especially after the last time!  When he didn't ask and pulled Mr Grey the vicar's wig out of his case and Mrs grey fainted thinking it was a rat!

Mary looks between the boys shoulders trying to see why they are so interested in her bag?
Very odd behavour!

Finally the boys turn round to speak to Mary, Toby asks a few questions about her bag, had she had it long? Oh it was a family heirloom , where did she find it? Oh her Auntie P gave it to her when she was born and it was just like the one her Auntie P had but smaller!
Did it hold much? Oh Just a few bits and bobs...

 Was it Heavy ? No light as a feather !

Toby and Zack look back at the bag.. Toby so wants to ask to look inside! But he can bide his time, surely she'll not be with it all the time!

" Oh "says Mary " I just remembered something I need from my bag "

Zack pulls Toby to the other side of the room , Whispering he rushes to get the words out " She wearing a different dress! "
" What? "
" A different dress, she was wearing a browny beige ish shiny thing and now she's wearing flowers!"
Toby give Zack a searching look  "  Have you been drinking Dad's cider ? "
"NO" says Zack shocked , Toby looks like he does not believe him

Mary's looking at her bag trying to remember which section she put the gift in!
"Look! " says Zack " Look her dress is on the wooden thing! "
Now Toby's getting really worried, he does not like how odd Zack sounds, maybe he's got a fever!

" Ah! There it is " smiles Mary
Toby says softly to Zack " You are sure she pulled that big crib out that bag? "
"Yes!" trembles Zack looking a little sick

Toby turns towards the door " Come on Zack , let's go find Mum and get a nice cool drink and you can tell her about the imaginary things that come out of tiny bags!"
" I did not imagine it  ! I saw It... I think.... " Zack looks pale " I think I did ? I don't feel very well "
"Come on " says Toby moving quicker he does not want Zack being sick or he'll throw up!
Meanwhile Mary reaches into her bag " I so hope they'll like it "

A little tugging and puffing Mary pulls out a sweet little wooden rocking horse !

" It's for the Village bears, do you think they'll like it? " she turns her head to find she's all alone! Oh she wonders where the boys went .

Goodness , when is someone going to stay around long enough to show her a bed and introduce her to her new family?

She's never known such strange goings on!



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SUNDAY CATCH UP.

Well what a weekend , sunshine and showers and our lovely Queens 90th birthday, oh and Sharon's too... well not her 90th unless she's looking pretty good for that age!!

While I am typing this the light's on, even though it's only 10 to 7 in the evening, because heavy dark grey thunder clouds are rumbling their way across the sky outside the window. the one good thing is at least the rain will water the garden and save us a job!

I had hoped to do the next installment of the carpet bag arrival but this weekend turned out to be a gardening one, despite me wanting to have a massive sort out of my clothing and also to sort out some dolls and their things to sell on!

It is supposed to be the year of the house here and it will be , it's just taking a little time to get everything together but we did make a start on Friday and one of the next steps is me clearing out a lot of doll stuff, so that the bathroom can be moved into the room it's all stored in. But it's so hard deciding what to move on! Sometimes I think put everything up for sale and what does not sell I keep! But then I know all my most beautiful dolls and clothes will vanish or one of my main characters could go, so that's not a good idea!

But I do need to find that space, so some things will need to be moved on!

Lots happening at work at the moment and I am having to do quite a lot of training to enable me  to work in the way my company now requires plus of course we are short of staff ! and the holidays are coming up!

But I'm starting to get into one of those moods where things have to start happening, we've lived here 11 years now and after the first burst of wall knocking down, chimneys removed, room decorated, doors change etc etc it all came to a slow meander but now the need for change is once again upon me, so bathroom's need moving and doors replaced and wall knocked down etc etc, does anyone else get into these moods when things just have to be given a new least of life?

Of course the garden being a living thing always needs attention , even if you try to ignore it, well I do but Paul cannot, but it is a place you can change much more easily with a bit of hard work and a plan, so this weekend after being inspired from our trip to Kew gardens a few weeks back, late Saturday afternoon we tackled our Alpine/ Rockery.

This is Kew's.

This was ours on Saturday morning

and this is ours now on Sunday early evening. You can see how we did it on the garden blog at the side bar. It still needs finishing, so yet another day at least next weekend but I will have started on the clear out indoors in the evening and I will post the next installment of The Carpet Bag on Tuesday providing the weathers bright enough for me to take the photos when I get in from work.

Have a lovely week and remember to make time to enjoy your dolls.



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