HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

 

To all our friends celebrating Halloween.

So It's fallen on a Sunday this year. Due to Covid last year there was no one knocking on the door for treats , not sure if anyone will knock this year but will have a few sweets ready for if they do, although I think this year should still be quiet.

I was saying to Paul, I'd love to be in the US who celebrate this event in such style for Halloween , in a small town that really get into the mood and watch all the children and adults and see their costumes and all the houses decorated. 

Here we used to have bonfire night on the 5th of November, which was a big thing when I was a child but over the years this has now fallen by the wayside and is no longer what it once was . Now I spend more time complaining about the huge noise the fireworks now make ,when some idiot is wasting a few hundred pounds letting them off over several days before and after the 5th. 

It's a nightmare for anyone with pets who don't like the sounds plus trying to keep them safe. I'm all for local organised displays, held safely in a local park or area , well supervised and attended.

So down off the soap box ! What I have I been up to this week. Well mainly it's been garden related. We have so much that needs cutting back and composting or digging up etc. That most of the weeks been garden based.

We have taken out a huge honeysuckle and evergreen clematis on the right hand side of the flower garden. The photo shows just a tiny bit of the plants. Then Paul removed all the Rubeckia ,that had started to take over, apart from a small section by the side fence. Then replanted the bed with plants we have bought over the summer.

The replanted bed , now the sun will be able to get to all of the space and the plants won't try to grow away from the trellis and fence.

We also took a trip to a big garden centre , One I go to quite often to meet my friend for a coffee , but Paul and Lindsey had not been to for years, so it was a big change from last time they went. also it was half term , so was full of woman and their children. The centre has a small animal zoo and a children's sized railway plus outside was a carousel. It's somewhere I would take my grandkids to , if they were staying over.

It's full of everything, household treasures, Christmas wares , clothing, indoor plants and outdoor plants and 100's of pots and other items. Could of spent a fortune but only bought some bulbs.

On the doll front, another doll has found a new home and a few items of clothing have also gone. Amazingly no dolls have arrived  ! I know I may have to get that bump on my head checked out ! But it's sort of nice that a little space is appearing and there is now space for dolls to fit together. 

It cannot last, this no doll buying, but it's good at the moment. I was supposed to spend time in the studio this week but didn't so now will need to get my act together this coming week, a little old woman I know, is starting to give me hard stares and talk about digging holes in the garden !

So on that note I'd best end and wish you all a happy healthy week ahead

Dee

IN COMING ONE

Mixing in ...

 So as I said before not all purchases are made on the day ! Once home you have time to sit and think about it's you have seen and maybe considered buying but never got back to the sales table or just forgot due to everything happening.

But the power of the email comes into play then, in this case I was able to message Ginny of A Passion for Sasha and ask if she had a couple of the dresses still available that I'd seen.

Thankfully she did , so this is the first of the two I then purchased.

It has a delicate little floral print in reddy/ orange and yellow. I teamed it with a rusty red pair of tights and a tomato red pair of Rosie Bloom shoes.

Equally it could have been teamed with the yellow or green shoes and tights but I decided to stick with the green for now.

I can see me carrying various shoes around when I go shopping trying to find the perfect colour match of socks to make tights from !

ALL CHANGE SIX

 Well some of the kids were not so happy that they did not get a full new wardrobe of clothing  ! But I told them that's what happens in big families, only a couple of new items and then it's hand me downs ! 

Toby was not impressed that Zak beat him to the DD hoodie but I did explain that the only other one available was dark grey with an orange monster, he knew there was no hope I'd buy that with those colours !

He did cheer up a little when this alien t shirt arrived with some of our extra Ginny purchases, so he happy teamed it with the second pair of linen look long shorts I bought on the day from A Passion for Sasha, and some Rosie Bloom shoes that matched.

Although he say's he'll be needing some long trousers soon and a sweater !

ALL CHANGE FIVE

 So back to one of the raffle prizes, this dress again was one I spotted when going past the stage and also moving items so they could be seen better. It was donated by a lovely Sasha lady who couldn't attend this year ,so sent a big box full of lovely Sasha clothes for the raffle and this one along with the yellow one I believe came from the box.

Here we have Margo wearing this lovely blue and white checked dress. It looks so smart and crisp, we have teamed long white sock and white Rosie Bloom shoes it.

Having heard what Ashley said earlier, Margo tells me she's going to offer Ashley a job as her PA ! Because she thinks her new dress looks like the dress the boss would be wearing ! 

"Mum take my photo " she calls turning to the side and looking into the distance ! " Quick ! I look just like the CEO of a big million pound company ! " then she's off calling for Ashley !

ALL CHANGE FOUR

 That's right I'll be stringing these clothes changes out day by day !  So next up is a purchase I made from Ginny of A Passion for Sasha. Now Ginny's is always a dangerous sales table especially when everything is there in front of you ! I could have spent a months house keeping without batting an eyelid ! But I was very good and just selected a few items on the day !

I loved this autumn/winter long sleeved dress as soon as I saw it on Ginny's table , so picked one up while I checked out her other items. There were a couple of others I also fancied but this was the one that I just had to buy at the time.

Olivia was very happy to swap her short sleeved top and crops now the temperature is dropping for this warm cosy needlecord dress.

And she was even happier when we found the perfect colour pink tights and Rosie Bloom shoes to pick up the pink in the pattern.

ALL CHANGE THREE

 So next is one of  the raffle dresses I picked, for once I'd actually noticed a couple of dresses during the day , so when my ticket was called I suddenly remembered looking at a couple of dresses and thinking they could be nice , so when to see if they were still there and they were, so the first one I selected was the yellow and black dress.

I was really pleased when I put the dress on Ashley, it's a great fit and looks very smart.

The yellow tights I had were the wrong yellow , so managed to find some long black socks and teamed them with some pale yellow Rosie Bloom shoes .

Ashley says she feels very grown up in the dress and needs a pen and note pad so she can go and work as a PA in some fashion house ! But not the one in the Devil wears Prada !

I will need to add a small piece of yellow or black narrow ribbon to hide the slight fault in the pattern match at the waist but I am loving this raffle dress.

ALL CHANGE TWO

 So next up to be changed was one of the boys. Yes I know the poor boys are normally last in the process but that's because they don't complain like the girls, who love new things. The boys tend to be happy wearing the same clothes until they fall off !!

But I didn't forget the boys when I was cruising the sales tables and did come home with a couple of new items just for them.

Zak is so happy to get first dibs on the Dolly Doodles blue monster sweatshirt! He couldn't believe he'd beaten Toby to it !

And he also got to team it for now with the linen look long shorts by Ginny of A Passion for Sasha , so not one but two new items to wear first!

He loves the monster and tells me it's lovely and warm and he won't need to change for years !! Mmm I said well he cannot wear it to bed !

In that case he informed me , he'd sleep with the top under his pillow so Toby couldn't snaffle it!

I have to say I don't blame him as Toby was very grumbly when he saw Zak's new sweatshirt !

SUNDAY ARRIVES OF COURSE..

 Well what a week it's been ! It's always such a buzz even after the Chat n Snap is over and everyone's gone home or off to their hotels.

First there's the sitting down and recovering from being on the go for a coupe of days, followed by looking at all the lovely raffle prizes and purchases. 

Then there is blogging about it , swiftly followed by contacting a few sellers , after seeing the sales tables again, and having a few more purchases made ! Oh yes just cos the days done doesn't mean we are not all off sending emails asking about this or that we saw but didn't get back to buy etc.

I'm often putting people who didn't attend, together with the sellers, especially of Sasha's. that they have seen on peoples photos on here or on the FB group. I would imagine that almost as much is spent in the days after as on the day.

I started cleaning off the dresser today and along with two Sashas and two other dolls these were what had been left on there.

So one bjd doll, a schoenhut dog, one little doll, two bears and one hedgehog, a basket of vegetables, several small books,three pairs of shoes, one set in red box plus one odd sandal missing its other, two bags, a pair of glasses , a small suitcase and a guitar ! Oh some extra small food and a hat out of shot!

I really have to stop leaving things on there !

I have decided to put a Halloween scene on the dresser, so started getting it set up. I have two lovely toadstool display items which I have put away , yes  somewhere safe ! So went off to look for them, Casper started barking so I went back to house, as Paul had taken Rufus for a walk and would be back to take Casper for his after. I should have stayed in the old studio ! I came back , called Casper and threw him a ball, he chased it , I then processed to trip up the step fall on my knees and bang my head on the metal washing pole that's surrounded by a metal obelisk ! I now have a bump on my head, a scraped knee and no toadstools !! Yet!

And I wouldn't have hit my head if I'd not tried not to land head first in the box bushes ! That would have been a softer landing !

So this is as far as I have got in my display for now, once Paul's back I;ll have him help find the toadstools! 

On the doll front three dolls have gone off to new parents this week, dolls who have sat patiently waiting for several months and all sold within a couple of days just after the CnS ! I have also managed to sell a few more clothing items.

I have been dressing all the dolls in the raffle prizes I won and also the clothes I bought, luckily most are autumn /winter based so they can stay in them until Spring ! I was due to visit my daughter and the grandies this week but it's been put off for a while, so I hope to get back out into the studio and start setting up. I just cannot, no matter how much I get rid of , manage to clear a decent amount of space on the floor to be able to move freely! So if I am home all week, I'll be spending several hours each day clearing out more !

Well I'd best stop here and wish you all a happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

ALL CHANGE !

 I decide for once to change the habit of a doll lifetime and actually redress all the dolls into the new clothing/raffle prize outfits I got at the Chat n Snap.

What normally happens is I either leave them in the bag they entered the house in or put them in a box and then completely forget/ lose them for  a anything from a few months to in one case a few years ! So I have started redressing them. 

A few items are more summer than autumn / winter, so those will get re-changed after photos are taken. So we are starting with little Ginny.

She is so happy to have been given the Dolly Doodles outfit with the sweet donkey design to wear.

Come the winter she could add some boots to help keep her feet warm.

but for now her Rosie Bloom shoes will be fine.

FOOD SHOPPING COMPLETED

 Well you may remember that I said I was sat beside Jane W sales table from which she was selling her lovely homemade doll food. But despite this I only managed to find enough time to buy one gingerbread house.

Now when you return from the CnS, well me anyway, you start to think oh of only I'd gone back and bought xyz ! So once I'd recovered from the day I contacted Jane and bought some more of the wonderful food I'd seen .

It arrived today and it's just perfect.

I hear that Granny Fortuna will be stocking Jane's Dainty Bakery items in her shop, almost identical to these ones ! 

We now have a second Gingerbread house along with two full lunch boxes, a party sized jelly, a unicorn birthday cake, Meringue  pie, Lattice apple pie, a pasta dinner ( needs a pot to go in ) some cakes.

Assorted cakes, tarts and gingerbread men.

Is anything else coming..... maybe...

CHAT N SNAP 2021 TREASURES

 Well I have to say from a personal point of view that the sales tables were magnificent this year. Probably due the constant lockdowns some people had had a chance to rethink what they wanted to keep and decided to sell things on..

My very first purchase , while telling everyone else that the tables were not yet open! Well had not yet paid for it but was it was clasped in my hand ! Was this little post box.

A bargain at just £2 ! Yes I know it;s too small for most if not all the dolls but I did have a good reason, well I think so, to buy it. I love postboxes !

Here it is with two other small ones I already own, it fits right in.

I cannot quite remember the order of my purchases so I'll just show them and tell you how they came about.

I was up at Ginny, from A Passion for Sasha's sales table, she had a good offer on for the Chat n Snap buy two items and get a t-shirt free ! So these are the items I purchased , along with the lovely two free T shirts.

Could not resist this wonderful print t shirt.

Well while I'm standing there with my sister Michelle , who was also getting a few items, she says looking over at Linda's ( the next table  ) " Have you seen those ? " and points to...

Well no I had not but I was picking them up the minute she'd pointed them out !

A perfect size for most of the dolls I own. result !

Now between my sales table and say Ginny's , were Petrana the shoe queen and Jane the props queen, dangerous territory !

So let's start at Jane's , when her and Les were setting up I noticed a beautiful children's china dinner set from the 1930's , my eyes saw it and I carried on but the file in my brain went.....China ! Old ! Pretty ! , so the next time I stopped and said to Les about how beautiful it was and how I adored children's toy china and it's on the big size for the dolls and yes I'll have it thank you !!!

Look at it ! How could I not buy it, six dinner plates, six tea plates, two serving plates, a gravy boat and plate plus a tureen all in this beautiful floral pattern and gorgeous colour !

Look such a wonderful pattern and colour.

It makes me smile just to look at it. I will need to find somewhere I can display it ! Mmm maybe I need Paul to make me a small dresser ! or a wall mounted shelf unit...

Now remember Petrana's Shoe table was just up the way, well she was selling a couple of american girl items, I asked a price of one but it was too steep for me, so I made her an offer for if she didn't sell it by the end and went on my way.

Between these two was Chris M, and seeing I'd bought Jane's doll china, she showed me these.

Some cutlery which is smaller than the dinner set I bought but perfect for my other china, so yes another purchase.

In fact I was looking at Petrana's shoes with a view to some of my non Sasha dolls and found a pair for the little 14 inch Robyn Roche doll, she had sold that pair, so I ordered a pair from her site once I was back home. However seeing me trying shoes on one of my Roche dolls, Chris said she had a pair of old Kathe Kruse dolls shoes she was selling as they didn't fit hers but may fit my large Roche doll.

When she showed them to me, I knew straight away that they would actually fit my Roche toddler Sophy who was in desperate need of some shoes and they were red so matched the red ion her skirt  !

Sorry about photo but I didn't have time to remove them or her, but she has been wearing them since I bought them from Chris at the Chat n Snap and she's very happy.

Now I did my a beautiful pair of shoes for the Sasha's from Petrana and would have loved to have bought more but other tables conspired against it !

Look at these beauties.

I did offer her fifty pounds for a box full of the beautiful ballerina style shoes but she said no but she would trade for Paul doing her some work, I said how long for..... She said a year ! I declined as he still as work to do at home ;)

So I was sharing a sales table with Michelle, so of course had to have a root through her items and came across her new Christmas fabric dresses.

So some of the girls are set for Christmas with new dresses.

This one has Olaf from the film Frozen on.

Of course I had to get the boys a couple of her lovely knitted jackets.

Now I was sitting next to Jane Woodward's sale table with 

all the beautifully made dolls food. I selected an item with the intention to add many more pieces however I was constant drawn away, here and there or chatting that so in the end I only got the one  item which is 

This ginger bread house which also lights up ! 

Now the day was moving on, when Petrana appeared to agree to my earlier price for her item, so more about that later. 

I was talking to Les again and looking at a very out there table with two chairs, what I liked about it was the height of the table, lots of tables that look okay will turn out to be too small for the dolls legs to go under, but Chris tried her doll on the chair up to the table and there was a lovely amount of room for the legs plus both the chairs had arms which can help keep the dolls safely on the chairs.

Now I know it's very ' cherry ' but with a nice cloth  

It will work well for the dolls. Jane showed me a cutlery set which was bigger, since I'd already bought the smaller set I declined, then once home realised it could have gone well with my 'new' to me china !

So I  finally had a chance to have a wander around the tables over the other side.Which was where I came across Dolly Doodle's wears, I could easily have spent a small fortune but these two items I just had to get for the dolls.

One for the boys and one for the girls, although the sweatshirt could be worn by either.

Look at him isn't he just so perfect !

And this donkey is just so cute ! There was another one I really loved but I managed to resist but of course now I wished I'd just bought it and also looked at her stall at the beginning but if I'd done that I'd have had no money left for my other buys.

So there I am speaking to Les again and saying I'm staying away from his sales table as we both walk towards it, from the refreshments area , Les is saying we do have another table and chair set but smaller , so I say no too small and I'm finished buying from you two.. when I see it ! Much like when I saw the coke bottles I was over and picking it up exclaiming at the size and weight.

an old fashioned iron made of metal with a flex made of string with a rubber bung on the end as the fitment.

What's not to love ! So reminds me of my childhood , it would look like an adults iron for the Sasha's which is correct as they are meant to be around seven to nine years old. Now I will need Paul to make me an old style wooden ironing board which I will pad and cover just like back in the day !

So now what's left , well my last buy was from Theresa's table an AG item for the kids,

A butterfly net and basket complete with butterflies inside. They will have hours of fun with this.

Which just leaves the item I got from Petrana, an AG item...

it comes in a large box ! And Granny Fortuna will be singing my praises ... okay I may get half a smile or at least a nod !

x

A baking / cake counter unit ! I can see Bruno now sleeves pushed up , apron on and elbow deep rolling out the pastry while Granny shouts instructions from across the shop!

The other side of the unit has less shelves and is white.

inside of which these were stored. So a great buy for the props department and also Princess Clara when she's older and if she can wrestle it off granny when she visits!

Well I think that was it from my treasure hunt round the sales tables, I have to say it was probably the best I've had.

I did receive a couple of gifts from friends, 

Chris gave me a lovely soft knit scarf and gloves along with a Sasha studio wrapped fake chocolate bar and 

and Jane gave me this beautiful cardigan for my Roche doll Emily which went perfectly with her dress .

Petrana kindly gave me a mug with I have added to the CnS mug stores.

x

I think you will agree I had a fabulous result buying wise at the CnS , now I just need to have a word about that outfit , oh and the bigger cutlery and I wonder if I can het hold of some more of Jane's food....