Sunday 26 January 2020

THE LAST SUNDAY IN JANUARY !

So now it's the last Sunday of the month! And a grey and overcast one at that! But none of the white stuff so I'm more than happy!
I'd love to give you a list of my achievements so far this year but just like most of us, it would be an incrediably short list! 
 I did eventure into my doll studio today, first time in a couple of weeks, I took this photo across from the door showing everything shrouded in darkness!

One of this years jobs is to get the electrian in to run some cable , so I can have some light and electric points.


Same photo but using the flash on the camera. The place is in desparate need of sorting out but at present it's too dark and cold in evenings and I'm working most Saturdays at present which just leaves late afternoon or Sunday.


I have decided to use the top long shelf for storage, but needs rearranging and to set up Granny's shop where the living room is.
I will try and find another space for the living room but first it all needs tidying and sorting out.


The poor dolls wait patiently for the door to open and a hand to reach in and take them out into the light!
One of the things I want to do is take out all the difference groups of dolls and take a group photo as in the case of my schoenhut family , there are quite a few more than the last time they were grouped together.
I have a week off in February , so maybe I'll get a chance to have a few group photos then, which would be nice.

I have to say that at present, with the short days and long nights, Sunday's seem to consist of lazy morning's reading the paper, drinking tea and sitting around making plans for when the spring arrives.

So on that note I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead.

Dee 


Sunday 19 January 2020

A MIX OF SUNDAYS

I started writing this post on the Sunday that was the fifth and therefore doll photo day, so Sunday's chatty post was put to one side. Then I totally forgot I'd started this post and wrote another.
So rather that waste it , I have added to it to bring it up to date, so a mix up of sundays today.

The last weekend of the December, we had a late Christmas celebration with little Clara and her parents, they came for the weekend and we exchanged gifts and had a lovely Christmas dinner cooked by my wonderful husband! Yes I am very lucky as paul enjoys cooking and my girls love his Christmas dinners, so if ever I say I'm going to cook it , there are cries of " But we want dad's ! " and who am I to disappoint them !

Before you think result! I do therefore do all the clearing up and washing up, with help from the dishwasher, and will deal with any food requirements for the rest of the day.





Casper also had his second birthday on the 5th, it does not seem that long ago he was just a little puppy wanting cuddles! He still likes to have cuddles! Casper also likes to bark when he's excited and his bark is very loud , he gets excited when we have visitors, so he can make Clara unsure and a little upset but it was lovely this visit as Casper only barked a couple of times and Clara was fine with it and was even giving him some sausage as a treat.



So two already! Next up it will be Clara who is two and then in May Rufus ! So 2018 was a big year round here! A Granddaughter and then two retrievers!

On the doll front I have already sold on one of my non sasha dolls this year ! and I'll need to have another hard look at all the rest and decide if any others can go! Although it's not my intention to have another cull but it doesn't hurt to re-assess what is standing about on the shelves or laying about in boxes.

Thankfully I'm passed the buying any old doll or adding more clutter to what I already have, especially this time of year once the new years arrived I seem to see all that stuff that's got no home or is never used and want rid!
But like us all, I start with the best of intentions and then fall by the wayside when it comes to the good stuff! Not wanting to just give it away but then never getting round to actually selling it. Although I did manage to move on some furniture last year, so there is still some hope!

This week's been a distruped one, due to Paul needing to go and stay with his dad overnight for a few nights before having to drive back home every morning to work. I did say welcome to the daily commute , since he works from home with only the occasional trip into London.

Thursday I came out of work and got into my car and must have had my left leg at some sort of angle it didn't like because it made me gasp as I sat down. Then I could not straighten my left ! everytime I tried a massive pain shot into my knee! So I sat for a while rubbing it and trying to straighten it but everytime pain! Eventually I phoned Paul to say I may need him to come get me and take me to A&E to see what I'd done to myself. He needed to collect Lindsey first, so we agreed he'd phone me back once he'd done that.
I kept rubbing and trying to straigthen my leg and suddenly I managed it without any pain ! I texted Paul to say I'd drive myself home after making sure it wasn't going to happen again! I got home fine but later my knee was aching, so obviously i've pulled or twisted something but I can straiaghten it and can walk on it ! No Idea what I did but I don't want to be doing that again in a hurry!

Thankfully my knee/leg was okay, as yesterday we attended a surprise 90th birthday party for Paul's aunt. It was lovely and so nice to see so many of the family on that side, that we've not seen for a few years, as one of Paul's cousins said, it's usually funerals these days that the family see each other on masse.

Today the sun is shining bright but alas the day is therefore very cold! There is talk of ice and snow ! I hope it's just talk! I do not like ice and especially snow because of driving in the stuff ! I was starting to hope that this winter would be a lovely snow free one but I suppose it's early days yet.
I can image those of you in countries like the USA, Canada, Switzerland etc rolling your eyes at my moaning about the few inches or days of snow we may get, when you look outside and see several feet of the stuff along with deep minus temperatures! which can last for weeks!
It's because we are spoilt here!, we only have a little snow now and then , which means we never get good at dealing with or driving in the stuff and see it, after the initial beauty, as a massive hazard that's fraught with danger !


Only Mary was dressed warm enough to go outside and enjoy some bracingly fresh air !

 I did ask if she wanted her hood up but she was happy to leave it down and get that fresh zing !


We had to go out the front of the house to take our photos as the back was too bright! So she stood amongst the spring plants in the new metal trough.

Most of the others are still waiting for their scouting jamboree ! and so are still in their uniforms and since that will not behappening until around March /April they'll have a long wait!

I may have sold another doll, which will be good but still need to have that doll review and make some decisions ! I'm still having a fight with myself not to buy some old bears! Don't know why I've starting going down that route, well apart from their sweet faces, but I have a big enough hug as it is, especially if I consider all the really small bears I own.

Well I'm off to have a quick look around the net, then get on with a few household things plus some planning! It's already the 19th and not a list in sight!!!

Have great healthy week ahead free of any snowly icy hazards.

Dee








Thursday 16 January 2020

ANSWERS TO DRESSER PUZZLE

TO MONDAYS PUZZLE.

1 / The christmas lights hang down, no longer stopping on first shelf

2/ Only four plates now on middle shelf

3/ The small Christmas bowls on top shelf are no longer stacked in two's but placed across in four places x2

4/ one small copper mould missing

5/ Christmas ball removed/missing

6/ Green and red chicken tin missing

7/ Jug from right  now in dish on the left on dresser top

8/ Two new winterberry bowls now on right of dresser top. x2

9/ Greenhouse tin now removed /missing from dresser top on left

10/ Tureen on left of bottom shelf now on right

11/ Gravey boat now on left not right of bottom shelf.

12/ Mini mug 25th Dec now on middle shelf instead of bottom.

13/ One one bowl now on bottom shelf in brights , there was another stacked inside in first photo.

14/ two mini stamp mugs , no longer on top shelf , now swapped with two mugs from lower shelf. x2


So 14 !

 Did you find them all? Did you find more? you can add the double, where two items were moved together, which I've counted as one move.



*********************************************************************************

Sunday 12 January 2020

SUNDAY SUNDAY

"All the leaves are brown, the leaves are brown and the sky is grey
I went for a walk on a winters day... "

Yes It's sunday yet again and so soon... I'd like to say I had a very productive week but I'd be lying! I've in fact had a slow week and not really managed to get my act together house or other wise at all.

I've just managed to clear off all the Christmas plates and dishes , into the dresser cupboard and change the Christmas mugs for everyday ones.


I decided to put my antique china of the dresser shelves for a while.Not 100% sure how I feel about it but will leave it there for the next month. then maybe have another change around.

  Some of the china I have had for years but the yellow floral I started collecting last year. I intend displaying it elsewhere in the kitchen area but for now it can stay here.




I could not decide which photo showed the fabric best, the top with flash or the bottom one without, but I acquired these ten fat qtrs which were being sold under the name of the Standen collection, so having visited Standen and loved it, I splashed out and bought a bundle and , I'm really pleased I did as the fabric's are all nice, no iffy ones, you know like you can sometimes get in a bundle, so I'm really looking forward to using these. I'm already thinking about a doll sized screen based on the one I saw on my first visit to Standen house.

At present my mind is full of things that need doing around the house and things that need sorting out or putting away, so I didn't manage any doll play this week. So a bit like Santa I'll be writing a list and checking it twice, in the hope that some things will start to get done ! Including some Sasha stories.
I'll post the answers to the dresser moving/removing tomorrow in the meanwhile have a lovely healthy week ahead.

Dee

Monday 6 January 2020

A LITTLE FUN FOR MONDAY

I was using the china on my dresser and removing it and then putting it back once finished with and I had an idea !

So this first photo is the dresser as it was and the second one , I have removed or replaced items , or just moved them. Can you see what's been moved? and how many?whats no longer there?

A little fun for you , if you wish it.

So others can play, please just put the number of items you have counted, NOT the items and on Friday I will give you the list and number of changes and you can see how well you did !


Photo one


photo two.

Good luck..and please remember only leave a comment stating how many you believe are changed and not what they are, so others can also play along.

*********************************************************************************

Sunday 5 January 2020

IT'S SUNDAY AND IT'S THE FIFTH.. SO IT'S DOLL PHOTO DAY!

I decided that although the photos tend to ebb and flow depending on peoples time to send in photos and even my own lateness on occasion, it is always lovely to see some photos, even if It's only one of my own. So I'll carry on with the fifth being doll photo day.

 So we start this years doll photos with two of the Gregoropolis lads playing with one of their new christmas presents, looks like fun!

Elsewhere a couple of the girls are chatting while the dogs check each other out and wait patiently in the hope someone will suggest a walk...


Here in the village , Hattie's been out for a walk ! She decided she needed to get more exercise in 2020, so she wrapped up warm and went off round the village.


There is still time to add your photos to this post, just send them in.


**********************************************************************************

Friday 3 January 2020

FRIDAY THE 3RD

 Sending you all a hug for the New Year :)


*********************************************************************************

JANUARY 2ND

I had to work until 2pm on new years eve but many others did not, which meant the roads into work were pretty empty even leaving a good half hour later than usual. I still landed up arriving a good twenty minutes earlier than any others so sat in the car park behind the branch listening to a cd.

Because it's the Christmas period I am listening to Sia's album , Everyday is Christmas and singing along to the songs. I was rocking away in the car and started to think about turning up the volumn and stepping out the car to have a dance, I toyed with the idea for a few minutes, there was noone about and so what if I was seen? Maybe it would put a smile on their face and brighten their start to the day.. that nutty older woman at the bank dancing on her own!
A couple of women actually walked past while I was making up my mind , I'd almost decided to go for it when I thought... mmm would it make me tired? My leg still gives me trouble and while that thought hit my phone rang , a workmate saying she was stuck behind the lorry and the dustcart in the slip road, so I told her I'd driven through the multi storey carpark and back down (wrong way ) to our car park so the mood was lost.

But thinking back on it today, it makes me realise that I was in a good place, happy and enjoying the moment. That's what life is all about , enjoying those moments of true happiness and going with them. If I had bopped around the car park , it would have been interesting if someone later had needed to view our cctv and seen me structing my stuff at 8.25am on a winters morning , it makes me smile now as I think about it.

So my plan for the year is to enjoy the moments that will arise as I travel along , to embrace them and tuck them away for those odd rainy days when I'll maybe need a smile.

A whole new year awaits ! 2020 a new decade ! seems to me it was only recently everyone was saying the end was coming along with the year 2000 ! and now we are in 2020! The world will hopefully start to get it's act together, I'll do my bit where I can, recycling, upcycling maybe even get the bike out and add some actual cycling!!

Now anyone who reads this blog will know I like to make plans , not resolutions, just plans that I may or more often may not actually get round to doing! However this year I do need to actually achieve quite a bit due to my decision to retire around the end of July.

My mind is already looking to get rid of more items that are either no longer required or of use and so several days this month will be taken up with sorting out the things easiest to move on by donating to local charity shops or that should have been binned years ago.
Along side working on the house and garden, I also want to make an effort to get fitter and lose weight (an aim every year to be honest ) I seem to always start but never keep the effort up long enough to make a big difference.

 And if I'm a lady who lunches ( retired) by the summer, I will finally have the time to sortout my Sasha Studio , although I am hoping to have actually achieved that much earlier so that I'm using it.

I'm looking forward to working on the Chat n Snap railway station platform throughout the year until October and maybe even getting my Sasha's outfit sorted out in time, rather than the usual throwing something together the night before !

I'm also looking forward to getting some Sasha tales etc onto the blog in the coming months, these dolls are getting tired of being ignored as I waste time when I could be taking the photos for their tales.

One of the things I have already done is delete a game by daughter invented and is available to buy, I've had it since it came out on both my ipad and phone and will play it while 'watching' the tv or if sitting around. Well now it's gone which will free up lots of extra time that was being wasted away.

So do we carry on with the monthly doll shelf photos? or should be try something else?

Wishing you all good luck with anything you may want or need to do this year.

Dee 


Wednesday 1 January 2020

1ST JANUARY 2020

                           HAPPY NEW YEAR  

 

               FROM EVERYONE AT SASHA VILLAGE