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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A SPLASH OF COLOUR

 

 

X

 It's slowly coming together...

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TIMBER!!!!

 Well not quite! Since it would have probably destroyed their garden buildings but we awoke today to the neighbour two doors down having his very tall tree removed.

 By the time I thought to take photos, he'd already removed a fair bit of the highest parts.

view from back doors, it must have been about fifty plus feet. It was quite interesting to watch how he worked taking it down safely. You could hear the thud when the bigger chunks of trunk hit the ground.

He was a man with a mission!

I think he stopped for a cuppa!

Then it was no more! I had wondered if they'd leave the lower half because it was well used by the birds and there is an Owl who will shocked tonight when he arrives for a perch !

Although it's opened up the view across the gardens and will make for more sun in the day , it is a shame to see it go but it was very big for a normal back garden, so I can understand.

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SUNDAY RAMBLINGS

 Well everything is slowly happening. Paul's started on the big downstairs room.

 

Because this was once two rooms, he's needed to fill the wall where the old dividing wall was. Then we have coving in the right hand side room but not in the left side.

So he's needed to put that in along with the picture rail.

Which then involves filling the joints etc.

Before the ceiling can be painted. Paul's decorating this long area leaving the kitchen area until after this part is finished as the flooring people need to be able to lay the new floor on the right hand side of the photo at the end of the month.

I have to keep placing the ladder under the lights as it appears I'm the only one small enough not to walk into them!

The first coat of the St Giles blue is on the walls..... and it's looking different! I'm really looking forward to when the wallpaper goes up!

Only a week to go until the flooring will be laid! 

I was unable to make my curtains due to my arm plus the fact the kitchen table had to be moved for the ceiling painting. Hopefully I'll be able to do it later this week before the table gets moved again this time outside ready for the floor to be laid!

On the doll front...

 Finally the doll I sent to Belguim has returned!

She arrived Saturday and they had conveniently placed their return label over the address, I managed to remove most of it ,and that shows the address is correct and clearly written! So once, she's been relabelled and had the address placed in a couple of places, and she'll on her way again, I will be contacting the post office for a refund of my second postage costs!

My two Kathe Kruse dolls finally arrived and are making themselves comfortable until I have enough time to devote to them.

I'm thinking they may be called Greta and Max , nice strong german names for my new to me Kruse dolls.

I've also seen a beautiful Sasha that I wouldn't mind giving ahome to! , I may ask for her as a Christmas present... 

So apart from that not much else as been happening, it's all about the house at present.

Have a happy healthy week ahead 

Dee

NOT SASHA'S BUT

 KATHE KRUSE DOLLS.

Finally after a month's journey my two old Kathe Kruse dolls have arrived home.

They are both 20 inches tall and lovely. I will need to sort out some new clothes for them, the boy is wearing his orginial outfit which I will put away once it's been carefully cleaned. His shoes are very fragile.

The girl's oufit is not orginial , so I will make her something new to wear for the winter or maybe give Ruth a call. She didn't have any shoes, so I will need to find her some shoes and socks.

So I just need to find out some more about when they were born and what names they would like.

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IN REMBERANCE

 

Lest we forget

SUNDAY CATCH UP

 I always start writing these Sunday posts from around Friday onwards, adding things as I go until Sunday arrives and I either have to completely rewrite it cos somethings changed or can just continue with the update.

So this week I have had a really bad right arm, it's gradually been getting more painful over the last couple of weeks until this week, I just could not ignore it any more and had to rest it for a day. I cannot be sure why it got so bad but wondered if it was from when I did my version of Revels bolero and landed on that side with my arm outstretched? Anyway I eventually decided to use deep heat on it and I'm pleased to say it's much improved although it still aches but nowhere near as bad and I can now sleep most of the night!

 Wednesday the electrian came and relocated the switch from it's place hanging from the middle of the ceiling onto the wall ...Yes novel I know ! A double plug point was also relocated from the old wall and the outside light rewired, so we now finally have some light again outside the back of the house.

Of course twice I went to turn the light on or off from it's old place dangling from the middle of the ceiling and amazingly the space now seems more open? just because the switch is no longer hanging down...

He's also put in three pendants over the kitchen table and removed the old single light.  

Yes that is my sewing machine sitting on the end of the table ! it's my intention to make the living room curtains and therefore get rid of another two lots of fabric that is sitting about !

I love how it appears we have three more lights outside! 

He's coming back Tuesday to add a plug point in bedroom and also add an outside plug in the carport, to save Paul having to put an extension lead through the kitchen window everytime we need electric out there.

We also changed the light fitting in the kitchen area which Paul put up.

Of course now all the ceilings need filling, where the old lights were and they are going to be repainted anyway as we are decorating that area now. I'm now thinking we'll need to change the fly catcher light shade in the sitting area to match in with the new more modern lights.

Yesterday we finally removed the desk Paul used to work from, so the end of an era.

 At present we still have his work computer, which is now sitting on a small trolly that matched the desk and housed the printer.

So this room is now ready to clean and decorate starting tomorrow.

On the doll front, the postal service between countries is a nightmare! I sold and posted a doll to Begium on the 15th October , it arrived in that country one day later, and it just sat there until they say they tried to deliver it on the 2nd of November but noone was home, they have now sent it back to UK without trying to redeliver ,even though the buyer was home the first time! Lord knows how long it will take to return and then I have to send it back!

I'm also expecting a parcel from the US, well it was put in their postal system on the 14th October it then took until 22nd to be put on a flight to Uk and that's where it's tracking has stayed until finally it's landed on UK on 5th November!

I don't think I will be sending any more parcels abroad until after the postal service start doing their job properly again.

 I got into conversation with Ruth Hartley of Ruthsdolls about a dress for my 1941 kathe kruse doll Gudrun and she offered to make a dress for Gudrun as I wanted it longer and with long sleeves and she didn't have anything suitable on her site.

It arrived Friday and is just perfect for her.

She looks so much better in this longer dress with the long sleeves. It helps hide her well loved body.

Now she just needs some tights or long socks and shoes that will fit over them and then she'll be a very happy old girl.

For the moment she's had to go back into the box with other dolls until the floorings been laid.

Also I won a prize in a raffle by Petrana , for everyone who had bought any of the dolls shoes she was selling during October.  I was amazed when she contacted me to say it was my ticket that had been drawn!

Luckily Jenny was around to put on the lovely outfit which of course included the shoes and socks on.

She just needs a cardigan and then she's all set for winter.

I had intended to find one of the redhead to wear this outfit but they are all in boxes so used Jenny but I think it suits Jenny well. I do love dark blue.

Well I'm off to try and remember how to make lined curtains, as it's been quite a while since I last made a pair.

I wish you all a lovely happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

 

REMEMBER REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER!

 Gunpowder treason and doll photos! Yes it's the fifth of the month so time for your lovely photos of your sweet dolls going about their lives.

So first up we have...

 We have Eve and her dog Snoby , Ursula says they are enjoying some time outside while the weather is nice and dry.

Snoby is very good and sits with Eve while she enjoys the fresh air.

Over at Gregoropolis, Steve's boys are looking smart and ready for winter, Duncan, James, Wyatt and Emile now consider themselves set with no need for any more faffing about with clothes.

Plus some of the girls at Gregoropolis, Alice, Wendy and Daisy are already looking pretty in this weeks outfits, Steve tells me they are constantly changing as the mood takes! I do love that green plaid dress Wendy is wearing.

From Viv in Wales , we have these two lovelies. They can now head back out into the town and start their Christmas Shopping as Wales comes out of lockdown and England goes in! 

Here is the village, Jenny managed to escape from the F&M hamper basket where a few of the Sasha's are resting while the decorating is going on. Now she's wanting some warmer clothing.. anyone would think it was November ! ;)

I thought I'd share a closer photo of Jenny's sweet face.

 Carol from Canada's diorama for November are some little dolls playing a game, just love them , so sweet.

Also Carol's Pongratz girl Alice now has a new dress to keep her warm for winter.

Thank you to everyone sending in their November photos, there is still time to have yours added, so get clicking.

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SUNDAY 1ST NOVEMBER!

 Yes It's Sunday and yes it's the 1st of November! I have to say that October does seem to have rushed by but then we have been busy with the house. And we are going into a month's lockdown from Thursday! I cannot say I am surprised , I think lots of people started to forget the rules needed to be followed to keep the R number down and started just going about their business without thinking and so another lockdown is the result.

Personally ,as we are not working now, we spend most of our time at home working on getting the house straight and only really venturing out for things connected with decorating or food. Although I did see a friend for a coffee on Friday but thats the first time I've been into a cafe for months.

I have also popped into my old workplace every month for a short visit but masks are worn at all times, so I feel quite safe doing so, but naturally that won't happen this month.

I wrote the next sentence during the week.....

And it's all slowly coming together, with the flooring being laid at the end of this month and the electrian due the end of this coming week! We just need a couple of other things to fall into place and November will be a great month.

.......Well that was a mistake ! I remember when I typed that last bit about November being a great month that I could be tempting fate and it appears I did!!  as now the flooring will be delayed since lockdown won't end until 2nd December ! However luckily the electrican is coming on Wednesday! the day before lockdown, so we will at least be able to get the switch and plug point etc done before everything stops, so Paul will be able to continue with the last bit of decorating needed downstairs. Then it will be a case of sitting back and waiting for the country to start moving again.

The only other thing about the lockdown is that Courtney's baby is due this month, so we'll not be able to visit her as soon as he's born and will have to make do with skyping for our first view. Luckily her husband has plenty of time off once he's born , so they should be able to manage.

 We took delivery of our ,new to us, upcycled cupboard and we are very happy with it. It is a nice solid piece of furniture and looks great in the alcove that used to house the book case.

 We cannot use it yet as it will need to be removed when the floor is laid but I have just housed some of Clara's Christmas presents inside for the moment !( that circle is from the lens of the camera! )

I have had this beautiful Laura Ashley linen over fifteen years, it was orginially bought so I could make curtains for our last house,  which was a large Edwardian semi with a big square bay window. We decided to move before the curtains were made , so I kept the fabric. Planning to use it here but up till now it's not suited anywhere.

I have used a small amount a few years back, so I am hoping that I will still have enough, to now make some curtains for the living room. I have been using the curtain lining, I purchased at the same time, in the facemasks I have made, so hopefully there will still be enough of that to use. I believe I may even have the curtain tape! Which will mean I will be able to make them without it costing me anything but my time and it will mean all those items are no longer sitting in cupboards/ boxes waiting !

That is one of the things we are finding as we slowly move through the house decorating, we are making use of things we have that may have been sitting about for a while. For example we have been able to rehang more of our pictures by using the hallway, and also like the ones above the blue cupboard, changing the format.

I also used up some more fabric that came with us from our last house. We decided to have a door curtain, to cover the front door in winter, when the weather is at it's coldest. No matter how much you think you have managed to stop any draughts there are always some ! Plus being lovers of wooden doors they are not the best for insulation.

Not only did I have enough fabric to make the curtain, I also had a piece of curtain tape that was exactly the right length, I didn't even need to cut any off it fit so well ! So I made the curtain today and it's now in place ready for any cold weather coming our way! 

So once I have made the living room curtains, I will have used up three pieces of fabric along with the curtain tape that have been sitting about for over fifteen years! Which will have freed up space, so I finally feel like we are making some headway.

When I was sorting through the books I came across a book I put together of some Sasha photos years ago, I had totally forgotten all about it!

No idea why I chose this photo for the front!It was taken at East Rushton Old Vicarage Gardens and is one of the twins, Violet, who also went round the gardens ,along with her twin,with us.

 It was nice to look at some of the old photos. I will now keep it with my other Sasha books , so it doesn't get forgotten again.

Also on the doll front, it's been a lovely week. My large BJD's who are in need of clothes and some attention, received a wonderful parcel in the post from a very good friend. Lots of lovely clothes and shoes she no longer wanted for her dolls ! Doll people are the best !

Plus another good friend returned Lily this week after working on her very scarred face.

Her before photo

 during

 and after ! A wonderful result from all her hard work. Lily is over the moon.

So much so she wants to start Christmas now! But alas I had to tell her no because we still need those floors done and so until them she'll just have to make plans and gather her things together.

I did not buy any dolls this week, even though I was offered a No Navel ! Yes even the friend who offered her to me was impressed I'd said no ! Mind you she has come back with a tempting part exchange offer......

So November! The last month of autumn before we head into Winter!  and with the way this years gone I'd not be surprised if we are not visited by another beast from the east like we were a few years ago, the only plus would be people would have to isolate then because they wouldn't be able to get out for the snow and ice! 

If you would like to send in your photos ready for the doll photo day on the fifth please do, I still have not sorted out a laptop and am nbot sure If I'll be able to go and buy one due to lockdown restrictions, so at least I still have this computer for another month.

I wish you all a happy healthy fun filled week ahead and a Happy Birthday to anyone whose birthday falls this month.

Dee