JULY 31ST

 Last for the month but by no means least is Hattie !

or to give her ,her full name , Harriette Helenor Bonham Carter Owen , yes a mouthful !

But Hattie, loves Helenor Bonham Carter , so insisted that her name be added between her own. Hattie loves to follow Helenor's sense of fashion style, never liking to settle for the ordinary.

Even for the photo shoot , she had to stand somewhere different ! So stood on the new large waterbutt !

Hattie is also the designer of Hattie's Hat with Hattitude and in the early days she made and sold many hats before stopping to concentrate on her schoolwork.

She's even settled down a ligttle on her 'helenor ' style but does flair up every so often .

JULY 30TH

 Someone's been loving all this hot weather !

Atticus ! Finally he's been able to wander the garden / jungle 

and there is plenty of jungle out in the garden !

Luckily its not so big that he could get lost at least not for long .

He cheekily cleans his boots in the bird bath !

Atticus are you still out in the jungle ?

Oh are those plants in pots ? That cannot be the jungle !

No ! It's just trying to get across the patio to the back door !!

JULY 29TH

 Zak finds Toby in the garden 

"What are you doing ! " asks Zak

"Training what's it look like !" Toby replies somewhat shortly

"Training for what ? " Zak  says looking confused

"The Olympics of course "

"On what ? " Zak ask

" Isn't it obvious !" says Toby puffing

" Ar No ! "

" I'm following my new hero Matt Whitlock on the....

caramel bars , but they are too low for me to do the swings !"

Toby straightens up " I need bigger bars to practice on , these are too small "

Zak looks at Toby to see if he is joking but realises he is not " Toby it's not caramel bars it's Parallel bars ! "

"That's not what they said on the TV !" Toby insists " But I think they must have special ones that are longer and fatter "

" Toby the bars are made of wood and set on a frame so they are high enough and strong enough for a man to swing on and balance and so they can take their whole weight !" Zak tells him " Caramel bars would just break and the athlete would get injured "

" Are you 100 per cent sure about this !" Toby demands 

" Yes " 

"Well what am I going to do with these ? "

" Well we could eat them ? "

"REALLY " says Toby

 Of course they  sweets after all " 

" What Caramel is sweets ? " Toby says disbelievingly " those bars are sweets ? "

" Yep " confirms Zak

"Whooo hooo !" crows Toby reaching for a bar " I'll ask dad to make me some cara.. I mean Parallel bars in the mean time lets practice eating these "

" They are quite big " states Zak " Maybe we should share them with the others ? "

" You can share your one if you like " says Toby " But this mommas mine ! " 

JULY 28TH

 

" Toby ! Where are you off to in such a hurry ? "

"Mum I don't have time to stand about chatting !"

" I just asked.. "

" I'm going to find my trainers then I need to watch the Olympics "

"That's good, supporting team GB I trust "

" Of course ! Plus I need to decide.. "

he starts hurrying off "..... do I put my name down for swimming or gymnastics ? or one of the others.. "

Then he's gone leaving Mum wondering if he realises just how much hard work and training he would need to do if he wants to go to the olympics when he's older !

JULY 27TH

 

Ollie is standing in front of dad's display of Allium seedheads, they are so big they can only fit on the patio table !

"I think they would fit on the kitchen table but mum would have to put her sewing machine, that's been sitting on the end of it for three months unused , away ! says Ollie " and we all know that's not going to happen anytime soon! "

JULY 26TH

 

Percy is happy that now he is finally in some summer clothing after baking for the last few months in a heavy woollen jumper and a hat.

He just wishes Mum could sort out some more sandals before the weather turns colder or he needs to go visiting!

JULY 25TH

 Sunday ! Well it's been a very hot week weather wise ! Too hot to sit outside until early evening and too hot during the day to get much done.

I did however manage to get the boys changed, just in time for the temperature to drop to more normal english summer levels, where a cardigan could be needed between the showers of rain !

Ragnor agreed to be today's model now he's wearing his summer gear!

Due to how hot it's been during the days , not an awful lot as been achieved although I did finally go into the studio, to clear some space on a shelf ,in order to put the Schoenhut dolls back where I could enjoy them. I also managed to take their group photos but of course missed out two of them completely! 

But these are the ones I didn't miss although two of these have been sold since I took the photo a few days back and another couple are on the adoption market. I am slowly bring them down to a small core group who I will keep.

It's lovely that they are now back out on a shelf after spending half the year packed away. My next job with them will be giving them all a change of clothes but we all know just how long that will take !

The weather now being cooler at least means I can start getting a few things sorted again, although these days my speed seems to be between dead slow and stop! At the moment it's quite damo , so I am hoping it will brighten up later as I'd like to remove a chunk of stuff that's sitting on the floor in the sasha studio outside while I work out just where it can go , so that I can move freely about the place!

Paul keeps turning down my request for an extension on the studio, he says I'll just fill it up... as if... ;)

On the doll front , although most of my week has been doll related, I have sold another four dolls and of course two have arrived. The third of the Velvets was one. She was very much an impulse bid as I have wondered on and off for years whether to make the twins into triplets and when I saw this girl, I placed a bid and left if for fate to decide. So triplets it is.

The second doll to arrive I took in part exchange for a doll I was selling. I had seen the work done on the doll on facebook and was very impressed and loved how she looked.

She is big! at 28 inches the biggest doll I now own and the first old doll of this type.

She is now in charge of all the dolls and bears in the studio when I'm not present and is sitting in the cane chair at the side , where she can keep tabs on things.

Still not quite getting the hang of this selling dolls and not buying more but at least more are leaving than arriving ! So a slow road but I am travelling   :) 

Well on that note I will wish you all a lovely healthy doll filled week ahead.

Dee

JULY 24TH

 So the new Velvet is redressed in something comfy and cool for this hot summer weather.

Soon it will be the time for her to meet her sisters !

JULY 23RD

 

I was just about to decide which doll to photograph when I suddenly realised I did not need to have a doll in the photo, so instead here are two pairs of cropped leg dungarees, that I ordered while waiting to see if I won the third Velvet... can you guess what I will be calling her........

nb dungarees by Carol Ann Marsh on Ebay 

JULY 22ND

 

Mmm  are the twins about to become triplets ?...................

JULY 21ST

 

Saved by Dolly Doodles ! Yes Mum found the dolly doodles box of clothes , so was able to gather enough clothes to cover the rears of several naked boys!

"Thanks mum, I knew you would not let us down " 

Mum smiled " Well I couldn't have the neighbours or the girls complaining about see you lot running around naked ! "

"Mmm about them not seeing anyone naked " Erik says , he holds up a pair of shorts " one of the boys is refusing to put his shorts on "

"Who ? " demands Mum

Erik takes mum to the opening of the gazebo...

"LUCAS ! Get back here this minute and put on your shorts !" Mum calls

A giggling Lucas just starts running away " No shorts mum .........no ... " 

So a chase ensues whereby Lucas runs streaking about the garden avoiding both mum and Erik trying to catch him ! Who knew a toddler could be so fast or so wily !

It's not until mum stops out of breath and says to Erik " Stuff this ! Let's go have some ice cream Erik " that they walk away , suddenly followed by Lucas calling " Me Ice cream   and me.... "

Mum wishes she'd thought of this earlier!!

JULY 20TH

 

Well Mum's come down this morning to find some shoes and socks just left on the coffee table!

She wonders who just left them there!

She then spots a pile of clothes out under the gazebo... she can hear voices down the garden..

Zak is talking to Ivor the gargoyle "  You are so lucky you don't need to wear clothes " explains Zak " We have been roasting in winter clothing for months !"

Igor doesn't seem impressed and looks at Zak and his socks , Zak notices him looking " I don't want to get stones in my feet and I can get cold very easily !"

Igor just stares.. so Zak decides to find the others..

He stands next to Toby who says " I'm not too sure I want everyone to see Norman ? "

"Whose Norman? " asks Zak confused, not seeing any new people about.

" You know Norman " says Toby pointing down

Zak looks then quickly looks back up " You call it Norman ? "

" Yes " says Toby surprised " Don't you have a name for yours? "

" Ar no !" Zak mumbles

"Anyway " Toby carries on " I said this to Percy and he told me to use a sock !"

"But it keeps falling off ? " 

" Maybe a baby sock would be better " Zak says

" Mmm I'll have to see "

"Video's running " someone says

Suddenly Erik calls for quiet !

"Well Mum , we gave you fair warning what would happen if you didn't produce our shorts and t shirts this morning , so you have given us no choice but to keep our word !"

A gauntlet is thrown down ! or a pair of underpants in this case !!

"This is your final warning !" They all say together, well almost all together " 

" Tomorrow it will be the Full Monty !" says Erik , then notices Lucas ..

"Lucas ! Sit down "

" Me Pirate !"

" Yes well sit down and put your hat on your lap " 

Lucas starts to stare at Erik  " Now Lucas !   or no ice cream later " 

"We'll edit that part out " says Erik to his brothers " so all together !"

"WE WON'T LEAVE OUR HATS  ON !! "