BYE BYE 2020

 

Well what a year 2020 has been! The world walked into the year innocently believing that baring any natural disasters, it would pretty much go forward as usual. How wrong the world was ! But although the world at large has been going through a pandemic, on a more personal level our lives have pretty much moved along but with restrictions.

From my point in the universe, it was the year both Paul and I planned on retiring and so our plans were to get things sorted with the house and retire then enjoy the freedom of going out and about whenever the mood struck us and seeing more of family and friends. Well we all know how that panned out! 

But in truth apart from things shutting down ,when the virus got bad , and not being able to just go out without a good reason, life did pretty much carry on.

We were able to buy and then Paul erected the gazebo on the patio, which sheltered us from the hot sun 

over the following months and came in very handy when we needed somewhere to put most of the downstairs furniture while the new flooring was laid 

I spent three months working from home before retiring at the end of July. Then it was a case of pottering around until Paul retired at the end of September. 

Then we worked on getting the downstairs of our house finally sorted out ! Jobs that had been left , were now done and decisions made ,resulting in things finally getting finished.

On the doll front , although I did start selling some of the non sasha dolls, I also bought dolls, Sasha and non Sasha. Which rather defeated the object of downsizing!

My main collections of dolls are the Sasha , of course, the Schoenhuts, the Zwergnase and the Kathe Kruse, along with A girl for all time dolls and some BJD’s of various sizes.

There are also one or two others but not enough of each to be a collection. Hopefully once I get the laptop in the new year I’ll be back up and running with being able to put on more photo stories. 

I finally started using some of the masses of fabric that I have and now have some lovely living room curtains and a refurnished Ercol chair.

But the best thing for me this year was the birth of my grandson Adam. Even though with the restrictions I’ve only been able to see and cuddle him once , we get lots of photos and videos of him to enjoy.

I did actually damage my right arm in my fall back in September but I’m managing to carry on and hopefully it will improve over time.

So this year has been one of plenty of ups and downs and a year that we need to say goodbye to. And just to say that Paul cut through a live electric cable today! Lucky it tripped so apart from repairing the cable no harm was done but.....

So I would like to end on thanking everyone who pops in to see the blog and also to those who take the time to comment and also join in with photos and ideas.

So I wish you all a happy healthy 2021  

Dee

A NAME AT LAST

 

 Today my Christmas doll finally told me her name. I had suggested Scout , since Atticus was the last one in before her but to say she was unimpressed is an understatement.

She informed me that was no reason to give her the name Scout and her name, should I care to know was Georgia but she likes to be called Georgie ! 

THE LAST SUNDAY OF 2020

 

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Well it’s the last Sunday of 2020! Christmas is over for another year and although it was a quiet one 

We had a lovely time.

I spoke to the Princess who is Clara, and also saw some videos of her hanging up both hers and Adam’s stockings, and was amazed to watch her sounding out each letter in his name ! Not bad for not quite three!

Then on Boxing Day we had a web chat and she showed me all her mr men books Santa had left her.

After she had gone to bed , we did a multi chat quiz  , each household  asking fifteen Christmas related question. Fortunately no one was about to give birth this time, so no surprises this morning!

The first photo today is of the beautiful sweet and chocolate covered jar by Lauren my eldest daughter bought me for Christmas, along with the sweets inside.

It’s by Emma Bridgewater and the first piece of her glass I own. The sweets inside are rubarb and custard, lemon drop, acid drops and lime drops. I’m not a big fan of boiled sweets, so I’ll be offering them round whenever I get the chance, so I can refill it in a few months time with others sweets. The good thing is I won’t be eating all that sugar!

The second photo shows the dresser which now has the sleigh and reindeer with Wren in charge , along with the new girl! There is something about the dresser that just seems to attract Sasha’s! Doesn’t matter how many times I remove them after a few days a Sasha will reappear to stand quietly hoping not to be noticed. I think they are acting as scouts to report back to the others on what’s happening and whether any of its to do with them!

I am considering calling my new girl Scout as Atticus was the last Gregor who arrived but I will see how she feels about it , she may have other ideas, the girls usually do!

So on that note I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead, I will be back on Thursday to round up the year as usual.

Dee

A NEW FAMILY MEMBER

 

This lovely single fringed girl has come to live with us here in the village. She’s my Christmas present from Paul.

I saw her , bought her then showed her to Paul, who said he’d buy her for me for Christmas and promptly took her away and I’ve had to wait six weeks or so to see her again.

At the moment she’s refusing to tell me her name ! It seems if they possess attitude ,they find their way to this village! I’m surprised we live in relative harmony most of the time.

It’s lovely to have a ‘new’ Sasha joining the family after so long.

I hope you have all received some wonderful gifts this year.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, I hope you all receive

the gift you want and have a lovely festive couple of days.

Dee

ELORA IN THE SNOW

 

Today I finally started using the sleigh and reindeer for some Christmas doll photos.

It meant a trip to the Studio trying to find items to dress the sleigh and clothes for the dolls.

I found by snowy country background and it was just a little to small for the size of the sleigh and reindeer together, so I’ve now added buy more larger backgrounds in the new year!

But I did manage a couple of shots using my phone and iPad.

Cannot wait to get a laptop and blog properly !

ANOTHER TICK ON THE LIST

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Yes as it says on the title another tick on the list ! The Ercol chair finally has got its seat cushions , they have been a long time coming considering I’ve have had chair ,cushions and fabric for months.

But I find it’s always best ..cough cough..not to rush these things.

The photos unfortunately loaded on back to front. The one below shows the first two cushions I made, the base / seat cushion and then the back cushion. Nice and comfy however Paul said it needed a cushion higher up for when you wanted to put your head back.

I had already planned on making another cushion , so made it up, which you can see in first photo.

I have had to be creative with the closings as I only bought one zip which was for the seat cushion.

The larger back cushion I was going to close with press studs but only had tiny ones, then I found some iron on Velcro, result I thought until it wouldn’t iron on due probably to the amount of years it’s sat about waiting to be used! So I landed up sewing it on.

Then the small top cushion I used a pillow case close on , where the cushion insert is held in place by the extra fabric fold.

I’ll just mention the creases in the seat cushion is where Paul’s been sitting on it.

Well there are a few other cushions to be made for else where, so I’m off to decide which one to do next!

Well like the title says another tick on the list.

THE SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

 and all through the house

Nothing’s is happening 

Cos covid’s out and about!

Well it’s just as well we had planned a quiet Christmas because in the space of two days we have gone from tier two Friday, to Tier Three Saturday and then into tier four this morning! Which as meant that our eldest daughter and her stepson can no longer come for Christmas dinner. 

We’d only arranged that last week ,so it’s not a problem that it’s had to change. Unfortunately there will be people out there who live alone and were going to spend time with family but can no longer do so. They are the ones I feel for, I hope their friends or neighbours will check they are okay over Christmas.

Now not a lots been happening here, I sent for some navy piping that’s now arrived so I will be able to get the cushions made in the next day or so. I also have some other covers to make so a cushion making fest will be happening on the way to Christmas.

We treated ourselves to an early Christmas gift or an old stick back chair to be used in the day room and with the bureau. We purchased it on Thursday and they delivered it Friday! Great service.

I have had to try and search through the piles of books in the studio which started the conversation on just where all these books could go! We intended to put some into the new blue cupboard in the living room but have so many another one space at least needed to be found. So I suggested opposite the coat cupboard in the hallway where the statue of the lady sits.

Paul was all for it but also In removing her and filling the whole space from floor to ceiling with books but I love where she sits  it means she can be seen and that area looks nice. So Paul’s going to cut down the old bookcase to fill the bottom space for books and the lady can stay guarding the front door but maybe just slightly higher than before. It means that the pine cupboard in that area will have to be sold on in the new year but it’s not really used and I have already moved some of the ornaments that were stored there into the little cupboard at the top of the bureau where they can actually be seen.

So hopefully that will happen soon and a mass of the books can come out of my studio and I can once again get access to everything. I will be so glad when that happens.

On the doll front I received a lovely dress ,I’d ordered ,in the post from Ginny of a passion for Sasha it’s for one of my smaller Zwergnase dolls but will also fit a Schoenhut, so not sure quite yet who will be the lucky wearer. If you have read the weeks posts you will see I also received two pairs of trousers for Max by Kathe Kruse boy, so he is looking nice and smart and I just need to find his shoes and socks in the studio.

I’m still waiting to take my doll Christmas photos but have at least started looking for the dolls who will take part. The main props, see photo below, have been sitting on the living room floor for the last two weeks waiting to be used!

So I’m now about to try adding a couple of photos to this post, which is the part where it all goes pear shaped, so before I do I will wish you all a Happy Healthy Christmas and hope Santa brings you just what you asked for.

Dee x

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SOMEONE ELSE IS HAPPY

 me!

You may remember that when we finished the area we are now calling the day room, the little yellow sofa was placed dead centre to the lovely seaweed wallpapered wall and himself  decided it looked perfect!

Which meant that my little arts and crafts bureau had nowhere to go! Well I bided my time ,then this week had the discussion about it.

I suggested bringing it in ,moving the sofa long and placing it where I had originally planned to see if it would work.  I used the shot at one stage of ...well if you want to stifle my creativity.....

Of course there were comments about the place being cluttered with too much furniture etc but I stuck to my guns!

So we brought it in and at first it did a little cluttered but after a small rearrange of the other pieces , I think it now looks great!

Paul wallpapered the back in the same Morris Seaweed wallpaper as the wall it sits against, I stopped him from making it match perfectly to the wall! So now those sections that are open and papered look like it’s the wall behind and should it be moved at some stage (never) it will have a lovely bright backing.

So I am very happy finally to have this pretty bureau available for when I start back blogging properly.

WELL SOMEONE IS HAPPY

 Well our snail mail is slowly arriving! So today some trousers for Max my Kathe Kruse boy arrived from Ruth Hartley.

She very kindly agreed to make Max two pairs of trousers, one in dark green and a second pair in a berry / maroon, so that they would match his shirt she had made for him earlier.

They are a great fit , Ruth is amazing as she was using a similar sized doll but of course Max had to be a little bigger in the waist and leg! I tucked his shirt in so you could see his back pockets.

Now I just need to find the vintage KK doll shoes and socks that I know are around somewhere!

You know in that safe place where I can just lay my hands on them in a moment....shame I cannot remember which safe place that was!

He’s shown wearing the berry coloured pair for Christmas now it’s just down to me to knit him a sweater...now where did I put that wool........

SPEEDY....

 I think not!    Once upon a time... I was a very it needs doing ? Well get it done! But over the years i have lost that mojo! Oh not on everything, I do get on with a fair amount but I do tend to leave the making of things until the last minute! 

Once I start, I off and away but it’s getting that first move underway. I actually do enjoy making things and seeing them finished. Also when I finish one thing it does help me get onto the next.

So it is that now I’ve finished the curtains, I have finally ,today , cut out the fabric for the Ercol chair cushions , of course I have changed what I’m doing. I was going to make piping from the same fabric but I think a nice navy piping will look better.

Which means I’m now waiting on the piping arriving in the post, but the fabric is cut and there are a couple of parts I can get on with.

I also have a few other things I want to make, so I can get on with them until the piping arrives , hopefully before Christmas. 

I think not having to spend the week going out to work helps, it means that once you are in the zone, you don’t have to stop , which would always mean I’d use that as a reason not to start.

So this is what I’m up to this week but I also still need to work on my doll Christmas photos! I’m going to have to try and get into the studio cupboards in the next day or so because it’s getting closer to Christmas each day ! 

SUNDAY/ MONDAY

 A day late for last weeks catch up. This is because I finally got to go and meet my little grandson Adam!

He is just sooo sweet and so chilled , had lots of cuddles and it was over so quick! Also got to spend time with his sister the Princess Clara, who is growing up so quick and will be an angel in her nursery nativity, due to social distancing it will be filmed for the parents etc to see on the nursery’s Facebook page.

I’m looking forward to seeing it later this week.

On the house front ,it’s all on snail time, we are not really doing much unless it needs doing, or is connected to getting ready for Christmas.

I’m still waiting on getting a laptop but have decided best to wait for the sales after Christmas now but it’s driving me nuts trying to use this stupid iPad to post with!

I thought I’d get it figured out but it appears not! I have not or it works one time and then not the next.

 

The tree , which for the first time in years we have a space for, looks tiny! We may need to buy a taller one next year! 

The presents are all wrapped 

And under the tree and all that’s left to do is get the meat and veg for Christmas but the will need to wait until a few days before Christmas to get the fresh food. Obviously Christmas will be very small gathering this year. Courtney and the grandchildren will stay home as due to the relaxing of the covid restrictions the roads will be a nightmare with people dashing off to see relatives all over the country! 

So we have all decided to stay home and stay safe. 

Our eldest daughter will come for Christmas dinner as her partner is working but she only lives a few miles away so shouldn’t have any problem getting here.

On the doll front , no dolls leaving or arriving. I have ordered some trousers for Max my ‘new’ to me Kathe Kruse boy, which hopefully will arrive soon, but we did have a few days of no post due to an issue at the post office.

I’m hoping to take some festive doll photos over the next few days but of course trying to access anything in my doll studio is a nightmare! I wanted something off the top shelf above the dolls kitchen area which meant I had to move three , four foot high piles of books , over by six inches , in order that I could squeeze close enough to reach! 

That meant unstacking each pile and restacking them! Of course I could do with being able to get into a few of the cupboards but without spending a good half hour moving things out the studio and then putting them all back again! So I may need to be creative to take the photos I want.

Wishing you all a happy healthy week 

Dee

AT LAST THEY ARE UP,

 Well I have finally finished the curtains for the living room! They have been pressed and hung in place.

They give a different look to the plain purple curtains that hung there before, so will take a little while to decide if any changes need to be made.

It’s so nice to have finally used this fabric and it looks really nice as curtains. Now I will be moving on to making the cushion covers for the Ercol chair and some scatter cushion covers.

  

I hand hemmed the curtains which unfortunately have made my right arm really ache.

I think I have finally found out what’s wrong with it! I was reading an article about the twenty most painful health issue and on reading the symptoms  of one, was like reading a list of my arm issue and it’s called a cold shoulder! 

At least I now have the most likely cause and can also now look into what I can and cannot do to try and repair the damage! Alas it says it can take a good year or more to recover from it.

So I will need to just get it confirmed by the doctor and then work on getting better

AN EXTRA DOLL PHOTO POST

 

Well as usual the photos have not loaded as I expected! But these are some lovely photos of the snow that’s fallen at Carol’s home in Canada.

Just this week on our news here in the UK , they have been saying that with how climate change is going there may come a time in the not to distant future, that the country may longer get snow!

We rarely gets loads at present but it would be a shame if we never got any ! Now I’m retired so if it snowed it wouldn’t be an issue any more.

I do love how snow covers the ground and looks so pretty.

Below is the doll photo showing Carols mice enjoying a winter sleigh ride in her diorama. I do love these dioramas.

Thank you Carol for sending in photos for the doll posts.

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF DECEMBER

 

Well that week went really quick! We have been continuing to sort out things regarding the house. I’m still trying to see if there will be a place for my arts and crafts bureau and all the books are still filling up my studio!

The weather turning really cold has not really helped although we did have a nice large skip delivered and cleared out all the rubbish, old carpet, wood, units etc, that we’d just been leaving outside under the carport while we did the work.

We choose a company that recycles 95 % of what you put into the skip and I have to say I was glad I decided to order a large skip because we did fill it! Doing this not only finally made the front of the house tidy , it’s also meant that we can now get the cars under the carport which is just in time with the weather here now turning wintery.

Due to the issues I’m having with posting using this iPad I have only added one photo and that is of the stairs showing the new stair carpet.it looks really nice even if I do say so myself and it also seems like I’m walking into someone else’s house ! Since it’s been so long since we had a stair carpet!

 The dolls are all, apart from Jenny, still in boxes in the bedroom since their new glass cupboard is full of books in the Studio. 

But then again we will be completely redecorating our bedroom and getting a new carpet in the new year so most may have to stay in the boxes until spring! Also before we get to the bedroom we have to finish the table end of the day room, where the boiler is.

Paul will be making cupboards to completed cover the end wall enclosing the boiler inside one of them, then it’s into the kitchen area to finish that. Of course we have been chatting and we had intended to replace the range cooker with a new updated one , however now we have decided, well almost, that as we are getting older it may be an idea to instead of getting a new range to get instead  a wall mounted double oven and separate gas hob.

We happened to see a lovely one by Neff yesterday while we were out and were very taken with it’s position in the unit and the smoothness of how the door slid into the bottom of the oven and out the way when opened.

Which of course would mean slightly redesigning that part of the kitchen should we go down that route!

I once again have the living room curtains ready to be finished and finally hung up , then there are a list of other house items to be made. So I will be spending a good part of the coming week sewing.

My thought do keep turning to the dolls and things I would like to do with them but alas at present there is nowhere for things to happen! I’ve had to box up granny so that’s i cannot hear her constant complaint , that it’s yet another year of missed profit with her not being able to open her shop at Christmas! You have no idea the promises I have had to make in order for her not to take Bruno and move to a new place 

Well this iPad is now starting to play up, so I will just end with wishing everyone a healthy happy week ahead and hope that I will solve the posting issues soon.

Dee

ITS THE FIFTH SO ITS DOLL PHOTO DAY

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 Goodness only nineteen days till Christmas! I have to say December’s arrived real quick!

Well I’m going to try and put on all the lovely photos I have received for today’s post. Then I’m going to try and add some details after! But in case that’s beyond by limited abilities, I will just say a BIG thank you to everyone who as taken the time to send in months over the year for this post.

I know from the messages I get and the numbers that visit the post, just how popular the doll photos are. So it wouldn’t be possible without those photos arriving in my email each month, so thank you.

 

December 1st

 

December! The month of excitement and celebrations, family and friends!

Well I’m still fighting with this iPad but at some point this month my laptop will appear and I’ll be up and running! So I will still be doing the the fifths doll photo day ,so please send in those photos. I may have to put them on all one after another and add the text at the end ! So please send them in .

Wishing everyone a great December full of fun and hope , happy Birthday to those whose special day arrives this month. Dee

NOVEMBER’S LAST SUNDAY

 So let’s see how I get on today with using the iPad for posting! Well things are finally coming together but being as we are retired ,we don’t need to rush, so are taking our time deciding what we actually need to bring back into the space we’re made. **** this I’m adding here because I am unable to add it at the end! Argggg! So I wish you all a happy healthy week ahead  

Dee

Being the collector in the family , I’m having a fight on my hands! But also I’m finding I to don’t want the place to become over crowded. I wouldn’t mind but I’m the tidy one in the family ! I have places for things and will always return them to their places, where as others use things and then no one near find them because they have not been put back.

Well back to the week! We spent the time leaving in our kitchen/ dinning area with a sideboard across the opening into the sitting area, on that the dogs could be kept away from the workman and the screeding. Thankfully because it’s a big room, we had space for the sofa and armchair with the tv on top of the barrier cupboard. It was fine fir the first couple of days but I wouldn’t want to have to live in such a small space for longer. 

This is a view of the new sitting area , from the living room sofa, which we are calling the day room and our daughter keeps calling the blue room!

We are slowly sorting it, I’m fighting to get my arts and crafts bureau into it , but foolishly placed the little sofa centrally, which looked good , so now I need a place for it to go!

Today I brought all my Emma Bridgewater pottery back in from my sasha studio and placed all the Christmas items on the dresser.

ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER

 Well almost all.

The flooring is down ! Hooray and we are slowing bringing furniture etc back into the rooms. 

A view of the living room. You will have to excuse how this post looks as I am having to use my iPad mini which is a nightmare due to it being so old . Now when I try to move on it seems to roll away and I cannot find the end of my last sentence! 

For some reason the computer ,that was disconnected and moved while floor went down, refuses to link to the internet! 

So it’s the mini iPad or nothing at present!  Now it allowed me to add the photo above but is now hiding how I can add a second ! 

Now it’s reappeared!  But still no way to add more photos. So I will return tomorrow and try to do my Sunday catch with a photo or even two! If I can work out what to do!

It really doesn’t help when you are not techno savvy!

Dee

SUNDAY OF AN EXCITING WEEK

 

Yes the little prince arrived this week ! And he made sure he had a good one! My daughter called me very early Monday to say her waters had broken and she was having contractions. She'd sent for her mother in law, who lives an hour closer than us and was awaiting her arrival. I wished her well and went off to get dressed.

Well then I received another call from Son in law asking me to come, so I get Paul up and we are soon on our way! We are just over half way there when I get the call , he's arrived ! at home and delivered by his Dad aided by his other nan! So after checking all's well and they are off to be checked over in hospital, we turn round and head home. But for covid and the lockdown we'd have carryied on to see him.

So what a start to the week! He was finally named on Wednesday , Adam Benjamin.

Tuesday was quite an anticlimax after Monday's excitement! But we got on with the sorting out and decorating of the , what we are now calling, day room!

The Morris and Co, Seaweed wallpaper was put up! I am loving the burst of colour it's giving along with the painted walls. We also received a new ceiling light for this area which will match in well with the new lights over the table.

 

 

I have been making the lined curtains for the living room , which as reminded me just why I stopped making my own curtains long ago!

I have had to put them to oneside until the floors laid, due to how big they are and the time I had left before the kitchen table was put outside!

We are about to clear all the furniture etc to various places around the house, gazebo and my studio, so once this post is on, I'll not be back until next Sunday most likely.

There was, due to the above, no doll play this week although I do believe my Christmas doll is in the house!!! So that's a bonus! 

So I wish you all a good happy healthy week ahead.

Dee 

 

THE DIE IS CAST....

 

Finally after lots of procrastination I have started on the living room curtains!

 The table was just long enough for the lengths required.

and even after cutting the four lengths I needed I have all this left! I had thought I might only have enough for a small cushion cover or two but there must be about four metres here!

Well that's enough excitement for one day... I'll start on the making tomorrow.... I don't want to over do it!

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