HATTIE CHECKS OUT THE NEW FLOWER BED

 

Hattie decided that she would check out the flowerbed that can now be dug over and replanted over the coming weeks.

She agrees it will be quite a lot of work but she knows dad will make a start if the weather holds , 

even though mum will be away for a few days.

Hattie's changed into a nice summer outfit , so she can go with mum to see the princess and the little prince and check out their toys ! Mum told her the weather could change now it's getting nearer to October but Hattie's having none of it ! 

She's in a holiday mood and is dressing for one!

SUNDAY 19TH

 Yes it's Sunday ! The week weather wise has been lovely, nice and dry with some sun but not too hot.

We have spent the week working on and off in the garden and today, Sunday Paul has finally finished putting in the side fencing! We totted up and realised that it's 100 feet of fencing and fence posts he's put in since he started back in April. 

He put in the six across the flower garden , then we had to wait to try and get the concrete posts, which are not available for love nor money anywhere at present, so we finally gave up trying and bought wooden posts with metal spiked holder, then Paul started again.

So after getting another ten panels delivered at the end of August, he started cutting back all the overhanging trees from our neighbours garden and putting in the fencing.

From the greenhouse looking back. The fence looks higher than our ground level because we live on a hill, so our neighbour on that side's ground level is where the fence is. On our side is a raised bed which due to the overhanging branches and the need to be able to get to them to chop them back , the raised bed was only planted with Epimedium , a pretty spring flowering ground cover. But now we will dig in some of our compost and plant up with Hydrangea's and other flowering shrubs.

So still plenty to do.

I have also spent a bit of time reading, which stops me getting on with as much as I should, if the book's good I hate to put it down for too long!

The chat n snap is now approaching and there are some lovely sales tables and a nice amount of people down to attend, it will be a simple affair this year , but I think it's enough that we will be finally able to get together and have a good old chat.

On the doll front, another doll has sold and one I bought a while back , non Sasha , arrived. I still have to sort out more props etc that I can start getting rid of to make more space but I have spent more time outside than in, so not been near the Sasha studio all week.

It will also not happen next week as I will be going to stay with Courtney and the grandchildren for several days.

So I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead 

Dee

QUEUING ...

 The Chat n Snap is only a month away ! So everyone is making sure they have a space to attend.

Robin is in charge of admissions. Quite a queue has built up.

They are being very orderly ! Must really want to attend !

Valentine is first and asks Robin " I'm just checking I'm down for a table ? "

Robyn checks his list " Yes you have a table and it's all paid for "

" Thank you , I will start getting by stock together ."

"Looks like you will be very busy today " states Valentine

Robin smiles " Nothing I cannot handle "

" I do hope there will be some bargains " Violet tells Margot

" Me too! I never seem to have any money when the day arrives " she sighs " mind you that's because I forget and spend it all before !"

Olivia and Bea have never been to a Chat n Snap and are excited that they will finally get to one, there are saving their pocket money and making plans of what to buy.

Atticus is wondering how long this queue into the dinning room is going to take as he is starving ! Breakfast was so long ago !

Robin has worked steadily and the queue is over and gone when Toby comes rushing up 

" Am I too late for the chatty snip !" he gasps 

" Well no it's not until October " a bemused Robin tells him

" October ? Isn't it October now? " Toby asks

" No it's September "

" Well whens October ? Tomorrow? "

" No not for another couple of weeks "

" But  but but " cries Toby

"But ? " Robin waits

" But I need some new shoes and maybe a coat !"

"Well come back in October when the Chat n Snap is on and don't forget to buy your ticket "

"BUY A TICKET !" cries Toby and turns to stomp off

Robin watches him go, there is always one he thinks and starts packing up.

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

Robin just wants to point out that the village children will be attending the SVCNS,,, The Sasha Village Chat n Snap to be held the following Saturday after the adult one, there would be no room if all the dolls attended the main event !

SUNDAY SO SOON !

 Well this week's been taken over by the garden! There is just so much to get done outside. We are putting in a fence on the side that is our responsibility , while we are still fit and able to do so.. well when I say we , that's a royal we , as in Paul is doing the lions share of the work with my help when needed. 

I'm more helping to lift panels in place and clearing and cutting up branches etc. The fence is now going down where our neighbours have a massive hedge, they are happy for us to cut it back as much as we need to get the panels in and in a straight line. 

This is some of what we are faced with !

and we still have at least another six or seven panels to get in. But once it's all done this area will be so much better and we won't have to keep cutting back our neighbours hedge. He's also asked Paul to help him reduce the top by around two foot, so he can manage to maintain it easier.

I could list the things that need doing in the garden over the coming months but it would take too long !and that's without everything we have to do in the front garden!

So we have ordered a garden shredder to help with being able to compost and decrease the amount of wastage from everything we have to do in the coming months. We had one years back with was great , so hopefully this new one will help make the job much easier.

We did get out to The Dog Fest at Knebworth on Saturday , taking Casper and Rufus along too, they met some lovely dogs and we also met up with our eldest daughter and her dog Bear, a Malamute , there.

On the doll front, a few sold and were posted along with a few more clothing items. One doll arrived but not a Sasha, another Roche doll.

This is her changed into one of the Sasha's dresses.

Well I need to get back out into the garden and move some piles of bricks from one place to another! So that hedge trimming and fence erecting can continue to happen next week.

Wishing you all a happy healthy week ahead

Dee

WHAT'S THAT SAYING ?

 All good things come in small packages? Mmm

"Mum said to open the packages and put the contents away for her " Ashley informs Martha

" Well this box is huge ! We'll have trouble taking whatever is inside , out! " complains Martha

"Lets guess whats inside " Martha says starting to pull the box open

" Mmm " Ashley thinks " A set of nice plump cushions for our living room "

" No,  I think it's lots of new clothes for us , so many they needed a box !" Martha returns

Both girls laugh.

Both girls look into the box and stare !

"What is that ? " asks Ashley 

Martha leans in , almost falling but manages to remove the item and place it on the box leaf.

"It's a china plate "

"It's quite small " Ashley comments

" Well it's for Mum's miniature china sets I suppose "

"It seems to me " Ashley says " That surprisingly small things seem to come in big packages these days !"

"Yes " agrees Martha " not at all PC "

They careful set the plate aside.

"Okay whats next ? "

They study the next package 

" Well it cannot be a tiny plate it's not in a big box " giggles Ashley

The girls open the top 

They peer inside 

" Mmm fabric !"

" What a surprise ..... not! "

" But whose fabric ? "

"Like we don't know even before we take it out !" 

"Morris and co !" they both say together 

"Why as Mum got more fabric ? " questions Martha " she's got loads in the cupboard  already "

" Let's open it out and see if we can work out why " Ashley says " Well apart from the fact she loves almost all things Morris ! "

" Well they are pretty " Martha agrees

" I know why Mum got these ones !" Ashley says suddenly 

"Those are the colours of Mum's bedroom once it's been redecorated " 

" But that won't happen for ages " sighs Martha " she's already had the wallpaper for years ! "

"and it will probably take her years to use this fabric !" Ashley states.

" Well no, Mum said once she retired she'd be spending her time making things with her fabric " Martha defends Mum

"I haven't seen her making much " Ashley retorts 

" Ah ! But Mum keeps saying she's not officially retired until the middle of next year !"

"That Mum is so wily..   so sneaky " laughs Ashley 

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

MONDAY FOR SUNDAY !

 Yes I am back ! Not that I really left, just had a break from blogging on this my Sasha site. One of the things I have been doing , is sorting out my doll studio.

I was also looking in there and also in the house for something I have put away safely, so I could find when I needed to! Yes exactly ! No such luck ! I may have to consider putting in CCTV , in the studio and in the house, to follow me around during the day , so I can look back and see just where that safe place  was !

In June, while looking for something else I found a small cloth bag to a doll I'd sold, along with some doll certificates. I took the cloth bag indoors and a couple of days later contacted the person who had bought the doll from me, said I'd found the bag and would send it on. Simple.....

No ! I then could not find the bag! I eventually found it last week and sent it on almost two months  after I'd told the lady I had found it! Where was it, almost in plain sight! In with the large envelopes I use to send off smaller items ! Now if I could just find the two small envelopes with the certs in , that I remember putting in a drawer then deciding that was not a good place and moving to.....??????

Maybe I need a really BIG box labelled Safe place.....but then I'd but that in a safe place.....

But I have been sorting out things in the studio and despite moving things and finding places for other items, I still have just too much stuff about. I have quite a few plastic storage boxes, that when I went through them , I kept finding a mix of dolls clothes, especially the Sasha's ! Since I only change my dolls about once a year , it seems stupid to have so much.

So I have spent the last few days selling Sasha clothes on the Fb Sasha Bazaar , my sales page and also eBay. It's so far made the tiniest of dents in the piles and piles of clothing but at least some have been sent off to new homes! I will be continuing to list until I clear enough to make a difference or get fed up !!

I have also been selling some dolls, one of which was Ruby Red the newest Velvet. I decided that triplets would just be too much and unlike a real mum ,who would just have just get a grip, I put her up for adoption and she was soon off to a new home.

In fact a couple of Sasha's have gone along with a fair few other non Sasha dolls ! It's almost been a bloody bath with the amount of dolls being listed for sale. I wouldn't mind if I could see space appearing but it's still over crowded in places.

I'm even starting on some of the furniture and props ! I'm still trying to find that floor!

This american girl chair , that doesn't go with anything else furniture wise, is on my sale page and the poor girl sitting on it, is already on her way to her new mum. 

So the cull will continue until the balance is right , however I may get sidetracked since I need to start using the studio for what it was intended for which is story telling. 

Wishing you all a happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

IT'S THE FIFTH SO DOLL PHOTO DAY !

 Yes it's the fifth of September !!! Almost Christmas !!   okay not quite but we are heading that way at it appears a rapid pace ! But lets see the September photos.

From Gregoropolis the children are having a lets wear Ginny from A Passion For Sasha day ! Loving those outfits .

Martha, Ashley and Evie are outside because the sun is finally shinning after lots of grey cloudly days!

Ginny and Robin are trying to decide if they should play hide and seek or just chill with a good book and a cool drink ? 

This young lady knows the value of a good book and a comfy chair !

There is still time to have your photo added, just send them in. Many thanks to everyone taking part.