OUT IN THE GARDEN

"Toby! What are you doing? " says Zak looking amazed

Puffing and groaning Toby replies " What's it look like I'm doing! "

"Well " Zak says " It looks like your pushing the kitchen sink down the garden!"
Toby stops straining against the sink for a moment " Correct!"
" But why ? "
" For our new brother Harry " smiles Toby " it's for the camping ! and I hope he doesn't think I'm going to be doing the washing up!"

" Camping.... Harry.. " mumbles Zak , then realises what Toby means " No Harry said we could go camping with him and we could  bring anything BUT the kitchen sink!"

Standing up Toby checks what Zak just said " He said BUT ? as in ? "
" NOT " sighed Zak " as in DON'T bring the kitchen sink !"
"What! " Toby says stunned " I've just spent an hour pulling and pushing that sink up the garden! and now you are telling me he doesn't need it!"

Toby turns and starts walking away, leaving the kitchen sink in the middle of the path !
"Where are you going? " calls Zak " What about the sink? "
Toby keeps walking

"TOBY! TOBY!" calls Zak as Toby keeps walking " You cannot leave the sink here!"
"Oh yes I CAN! " yells Toby without even turning back " It will be fine ! Mum will take it back for me!"

Zak can barely stand up and needs to lean on the sink! Oh dear is he upset ! Oh Zak don't cr... Zak? Zak? are you giggling? .... ....



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ALL ABOUT HARRY!

This month seems to be ending on a doll arrival high!

Although most have not been Sasha related, today's lad is. I saw him a few months back and just loved him and his outfit ! What can I say I love a lad in uniform!

 At first I left him sitting on Shelly's site but I kept popping back to check on him, until finally I just had to send that email!

He came with everything apart from his hat ! So he is ready for a big scouting adventure when time allows.

Personally I do love these later boys , I think it's their hair ? and the outfits they come in.

I asked Shelly to enhance his eyes which she has done for me, so they are much richer in depth and colour.

He arrived yesterday and today when I got in from work he told me his name was Harry! So Harry he will me, he tells me that the boys in this village need to learn some scouting skills in case they are ever lost in the wilderness!
Mmm I don't know of any wilderness around here but I suppose it's best to be prepared!

But I am wondering if he'll be prepared for Toby!


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A VERY SPECIAL ARRIVAL IN THE VILLAGE

Back in November I saw some sketches of a Nini doll by Jonathan Hayes. The sketches took my interest straight away and I followed Jonny's photos on his facebook and also on Flickr as this sketched doll slowly and beautifully came to life.

When I knew the doll was nearing completion, I mentioned to Jonny that I was very interested in her but within a day or so things at work looked unsettled, so I took myself off the interested list.

The doll appeared and I knew it would soon be on it's way to a lucky person so I put her from my mind.

Then on the 23rd March my beautiful sweet little dog Izzy died and I was heartbroken.

The day after this sad event , I went onto facebook and the first thing I saw was the doll ! There she was looking at me , a close up head and shoulders shot and she was waiting...
She was a little ray of light in my sadness and so I decided that she was meant to come live here with me.

I contacted Jonathan and he understood my strangely scrambled message about how I wanted this doll to be my Izzy a lasting link for my sweet girl. He kindly agreed a small layaway and finally she's arrived .
And oddly she arrived Friday the 23rd June exactly three months to the day since my Izzy's death.

x

and here she is , A Gift for Snow XIX by Jonathan Hayes . Even her number XIX, 19, is significant to me.

Opening the box to see such a gorgeous doll is just stunning.

She was soon out the box and wearing her fur hat. Jonathan's attention to detail is perfect.

I have watched as Jonathan has honed his craft with each doll he makes, and this girl was the one that called to me from the first. If you would like to see his incredible workmanship and photos of  his Nini dolls to date and those in his workshop and soon to appear he can be found at www.ninidoll.com
just viewing the dolls is a treat.

She has the most beautiful long auburn hair which hangs down her back in wild abandon. with just a ripple of wave running through it.

Her tartan dress with it's leg of mutton sleeves fit beautifully with a hint of petticoat.

Her pretty petticoat.

Her lace edged unmentionables ! :)

A close up of her lovely vibrant face.

She is a joy to hold ,with movable arms and legs and the type of doll you would pass down the generations of your family.

This is the beautiful card that came with Izzy of one of his original sketches.

I saw her as that Scottish lass making her way through the winter landscape to deliver her presents in time for Christmas. Her name Isabel MacBeth but called Izzy for short.


So it is now my privilege to own one of these beautiful dolls and I thank Jonathan for his artistry and kindness.


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A VERY SPECIAL ARRIVAL

ODE TO THE ICE QUEEN !

Ode to the Ice Queen

Oh once there was an Ice Queen
who was not very nice
she filled her home with toddlers
old crows and some mice

One toddler was of pure heart
Lonely was her name
So the Ice Queen made sure
She'd never be the same

She trained her other toddlers
to be nasty mean and cruel
while she sat on her ice throne
ordering their gruel

Lucas was her Hench tot
a sweet looking lad
until she turn his heart
evil black and bad !

But time did come to rescue
Lonely from her fate
Of staying with the Ice queen
living in all that hate

Now Lonely lives in Ireland
running just to play
Not like at the Ice Queen's
when she'd run to hide away

And Lucas lives in the village
his nightmares nearly gone
Of when he was forced to be horrid
and live in all that pong!

Now their beds are comfy
their food all warm and nice
 no more sleeping on sacks
and chewing on dead mice!

But rumour's start to rumble
that Icy's coming back
she's filling her home with toddlers
and we all remember that!


By Dee Owen

read to you today by James Owen

With thanks to Rosie for the photo of Lonely enjoying play with her new family far away from the Ice Queen.


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SIZING....

A lovely lady, Jan Jillson , in the USA donated three dolls to the Chat N Snap, for the raffle.
One was an almost minty Gregor , whose hair alas is falling but he is a lovely boy.

I decided to buy the boy an outfit I'd seen on ebay because it came with a pair of trainers and I thought he'd then at least have a pair of shoes.
It arrived the other day and today I finally had a chance to try it on him.

This is the shirt ! To say it's got room to grow is an understatement! It looks like he's been in his dad's wardrobe and snitched a shirt!

I decide to see if it would fit Spike.

 and it does, Spike is also wearing the shorts that came with the set! They did fit the Gregor, in the waist ,  but were baggy and long ! The trainers are also on the big size but thankfully not so big that they won't do.

So now I'm going to search my Gregor clothes for a t shirt and shorts or cords for the poor boy ! and since that involves moving more half a dozen boxes , I'll be posting about his new outfit another day.

I also bought an outfit for my Sasha's that came with some shoes plus I'd also bought some shoes separately.

These are the shoes on the left of the photo on Ashley. The seller took offence when I said in my feedback that although the shoes fit Sasha they looked big at the front.

I also said that the shoes fit the Wichtel dolls, which they do as they have wide feet at the front.

The Sasha shoe in the centre. Personnelly it was for me, at least good, they fit the Wichtels as they can wear them also. But for me these shoes look too big in the front for Sasha and sellers should be prepared to take honest feedback from their customers!

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NEW TO ME

I wanted to take a few photo for the blog yesterday and reached for the closest dolls only to find that three of them were wearing the double smocked Ruth Hartley dresses that I'd managed to get secondhand this year!

So I searched out the fourth and took them outside for a photo shoot!..

From the left Belle, Caitlin, Violet and Ashley.

x

Violet and Ashley

Belle and Caitlin

Belle and Caitlin are wearing Rose Bloomfield shoes, Violet is wearing Ruth Hartley and Ashley Jean Jensen.

Caitlin decided to sit in front of Violet and Ashley for a photo.

Then Ashley made her move over and joined Caitlin sitting down while Belle took Ashley's place.

A closer view of the four.

Caitlin and Ashley both No Navel girls.

Violet a 1980's Velvet and Belle a 1968 single fringe girl.

Are you two girls thinking of getting up any time soon?

Is this better ?   Yes thank you .

Mum should we do a beauty pageant ? asks Caitlin
" Why? I ask " do you want world peace? "
" I want a nice long dress and a crown " replies Caitlin
" And world peace " pipes in Ashley
" Oh yeah and that too!" agrees Caitlin

"Well you'd have to parade up and down in your swimwear " I say
" Up and down .. " Says Caitlin in an appalled voice " in front of people? "
"Yes "
" In that case no thanks I'll save up and buy my own crown !"

" Or you could marry a Prince!" says Belle
" What marry a BOY! No thanks I'll save up " says Caitlin shuddering , with all the experience of her eight years of living with her brothers !


We'll leave them there as the others start listing Princes and their castle's and their Dragons... yes Dragon's... sorry for any Princes reading this but if you don't have a Dragon please don't apply!

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