ALL CHANGE

 

Actually started changing the girls before mid summer!!

DRIZZLY SUNDAY

 

Well it will be nice when the weather, we should be having, arrives! It's been freezing this week! and now we have a weekend of raining on and off, with today a day of constant drizzle!

Last year the winter was too dry and this one's been too wet! Although the plants are loving it , I'm not lol

Paul's been pottering doing all the little odd bits and pieces to get the day room finished. We still need to paint the blue walls white but that means moving the dresser etc, so that probably this coming week. Then finished!

I have to say the room is looking lovely and bright with the green paneling which matches really well with the wallpaper.

I needed a table cloth and although I have some seaweed fabric, same as the wallpaper, it needs cutting to size and sewing. So I pulled four of what I knew to be smaller table cloths, in greens, out of my stash only to find that every single one did not quite fit the new length! 

They are square cloths, so drop over the sides but don't reach each end by about an inch! So close but so far!! So for once I did not put the three I did not use back in the cupboard for another half a dozen years, I've put them to one side to go off to a local charity shop. I have kept the one shown because it is a good colour match to the room and I will see if I can add/ change it in some way to fit better or just use as is for general use.

I will need to move my doll cabinet to be able to use the rest of the dayroom for how it's meant to be, which sets me up with the problem of where to put it, what goes back in it and how can I fit them elsewhere! So along with the last bit of painting, it will be musical furniture next week, while we see what should go where in order to make best use of the room. Who knew how much gets added on when you do something as just remodeling the kitchen!

Even though the weathers been cold and now wet, we have started wandering out into the garden! Plants being bought to fill the hanging baskets, pots moved to not block the new doors, which now need planting up etc. So once the walls and the furniture are done, it will be outside for the next few months getting that space tidied and looking nice. There are three covered benches that need sprucing up!

Angel, Saffron and Liberty are our headliners today. All wearing beautiful Vintage Sasha dungaree sets by Sarah. Obviously this photo was taken the week before this one when some sun did manage to break through! They all need thick sweaters and cardigans now along with scarves and gloves! And today an umbrella!

On the doll front, no dolls left and none arrived. However the things I'd bought from Ginny arrived and Michelle and I have given them to Gill to take to the festival for me, having shared photos on the festival site to make sure both sets went and the yellow set didn't some how get left behind..

I did spring for a pair of Rosie Bloom shoes when the email came up but how could I resist this pair..

Such a gorgeous colour, I'd love shoes in this colour for myself! Now I did buy a lovely purple dress set with white spots, off Ginny, so these can be worn with the new dress by the new Sasha... I mean could be worn if I had a new Sasha... 

Okay I confess, after I'd just bought my two Caleb's, I then decided that a beautiful Sasha who'd been sitting around waiting for someone to buy her, should really be coming home to me! So I settled on a short layaway and she'll be heading home next week!

I have to say that eBay and the bazaar are not helping, with the amount of beautiful Sasha's that have been turning up, some at very low starting prices on eBay.

So my week coming will involve moving my dolls cabinet and re arranging the dolls and bears that live it in. In order to do any of that I need to sort out my doll studio! For which I need good dry weather since I will need to take things outside and leave them on the grass or patio table while finding space and putting things away.

I wish you all a happy healthy week ahead

Dee

 

HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY

 

Happy St. George's day, sunshine and showers and a bitter wind, standard English weather.

ORANGES AND LEMONS

 Says the bells of St. Clements...

I went searching for a donation outfit for the upcoming Sasha Festival, I checked out Ginny's A Passion for Sasha wed site and settled on, at first a long sleeved gingham dress in orange ! Orange! I hear you cry, she's not a fan of orange! This is true , which is why I decided on orange, that way when it arrives I won't keep it!

Naturally I carried on looking and found it was also available in the short sleeved style and since it would be summer when the event is held, I decided to get the short sleeved style instead of long and then I saw the yellow ( Dicey I love yellow! ) and decided to add that one as well for the auction.

Then I was talking to my sister Michelle, who'd been knitting all winter, and asked if she had any orange or yellow cardigans.

It just so happened she did! So I've added them to the donation. Naturally I acquired a couple of items for my Sasha's while I was shopping, nothing orange though of course, although I find I'm not so against orange if it's a soft version.

Pictures are by Ginny and Michelle.

SUNNY SUNDAY

 

with a cold breeze! Well it's been a busy week, what with workman in, sort of, for three days! When they arrived , well scaffolders first, it was raining a with gale force winds blowing. After the rain stopped, they soon had some scaffolding up front and back, the the men to fit the new windows took over.

Since the scaffolding was up, Paul used the opportunity to rub down and paint the baseboards and also refit some new guttering and down pipe, where it have fallen off over the years. It was a shame the scaffolding didn't run the full length front and back as then he could have done all of the top woodwork.

Unfortunately they have not completely finished as they ran out of gasket ( rubber that fits between the double glazed glass and the metal frame ) for one of the new back doors, so we are waiting for them to return and complete the job. Plus we are also waiting for them to come and remove the scaffolding, hopefully tomorrow.

But I can share an inside view of the new doors downstairs.

x

The completely finished door.

Casper still believes there is something hiding under the door, even though it's completely changed!

Over the week Paul finished the area that needed wallpapering and painting.

He also replaced the missing floor tiles in this same area where the larder cupboard once stood, so the floor is now all level.

The table still needs moving back towards the far wall and the piece of wall between the boiler cupboard and the window's been repaired and is going to be painted on Monday but not blue!

So we are on the home straight! Just a few little jobs then, Paul can sit back and enjoy the coming summer.

Today's headliner was Zak. He changed into a Ruth Hartley shorts dungaree set, so he could take part in the dungaree's week on the Sasha FB group. Although he's asking for a sweater and long socks.

On the doll front, one left and one arrived! Both non Sasha's at least the one that left was 55cm tall and the one that arrived was only 7 inches. so space was actually achieved !

I also bought a couple of items to donate to the festival raffle, so I'm waiting on them and a dress did slip in for my Sasha's too. A couple of cardigan's from Michelle also for the raffle prizes. Plus I bought a few tops for the boys.

Oh and I just remembered I bought a blonde baby! Meant for next years last Chat n Snap, unless he gets too comfortable between now and then!! He was just too much of a bargain to pass by , fatal!  

So maybe not quite as good as I thought!!

Well before I remember anything else I'll wish you all a happy healthy week ahead, now if I can remember where I put those dolls I want to sell....

Dee

SCAFFOLDING?

 

Only we could have a force nine gale and hail stones appear in April just when the scaffoldings going up!!

BONDING

 

Obie and Otto have been getting bonding over the last few days, remembering back to their days side by side on the factory floor being passed from getting given a full head of hair to being strung and dressed.

Otto telling his brother he'd spent nearly all the time apart in his box, luckily with a window to watch the world pass him by. This made Obie feel sad for his bro , as he'd been here, there and almost everywhere over the years.

Gigi the baby giraffe leans against Otto , offering comfort and a back to scratch..

"Well you can put all that behind you and move forward " Says Obie " You have escaped that box and our new mum never leaves her children in boxes' so no fear of it happening again"

" That will be so good " replies Otto softly " It's so nice to be with family"

"Well what would you like to be when you grow up? " Obie asks " I want to be a race car driver "

Otto pauses then says " I'd like to be an actor or if not then a zoo keeper maybe with giraffes "

Did someone say Giraffe ? thinks Gigi appearing between the boys

" Mm a Zoo keeper? good to have a fall back plan" says Obie " I would not mind being a zoo keeper but tigers for me"

"Maybe I could have a race track in a zoo? " wonders Obie " or even a racing zoo with the animals competing!"

Otto looks at his brother amazed, while Gigi wonders what car she could fit in to drive, she'd quite like whizzing about!

Getting into the dream Otto adds " Maybe with a drive-in theatre, so I can be acting too !"

" Wow! What a great idea! Let's go tell the others, they may want to join us " says Obie excitedly

Meanwhile Gigi is still thinking ... maybe a motorbike their quite whizzy but my legs would be too long drat! Mmm maybe an ambulance! with the siren going so everyone would have to get out my way!! I'd win every time!! result!  

ANOTHER APRIL SUNDAY

 

Well another week's gone by and a very productive one at that. We had one of my favourite things delivered on Wednesday, I don't enjoy the cost of it but I love just how much a difference the home and garden can look after its been here a few days!

Bet you have no idea what arrived, so I'll tell you a lovely bright yellow 8 yard skip!! Yes that's what it was a big skip!! I can only live with loads of mess for so long and so finally I ordered a skip to be dropped off, so we could break down the old kitchen units and start clearing the carport and back garden patio where they'd been left since Paul removed them. We'd half filled it with a couple of hours, then Thursday was adding all the stuff that was hiding around the garden, broken pots, rotten wood, things no longer needed but no good to donate. Once everything heavy, awkward and no longer needed was in, Friday  we  added the massive pile we still had of cardboard, even though we'd been leaving large piles for the recycling collection every two weeks. 

They recycle everything from the skip that they can, so its not going to landfill. So now we can use the gazebo again and the garden corners ( Where Paul likes to leave things ) are all nice and empty .

The weather's been beautiful since Thursday, the sun shinning and the garden growing like it's going out of fashion! 

We have been playing musical pictures in the breakfast/day room.

This was the one we were going to put up here, The banishment of Cordelia from Shakespeare's play King Lear but our daughter Lindsey thinks it's a sad picture due to the subject, so we tried some others.

We tried this one from off the stairs.

Then this one that did not have a home yet.

or this one, my favourite but problem is where it hangs on the stairs it looks perfect! So which do you think we settled on? I'll share a photo next week when Paul's finally wallpapered that last bit of wall at the side.

x

Today's headliner are Beatty and Magda, in their summer dungaree shorts, hoping that summer will arrive soon just because we've had a couple of lovely warm days !! 

I'm sharing this wonderful photo from my Sasha Calendar, given to me by a lovely friend.

Look at that view and that handsome well dressed Gregor enjoying it.

On the doll front..

If you read yesterdays post you will know that the expected Caleb arrived from the US and it took barely a week!. Which means that two dolls arrived this week! Slippery slope or what!

Otto is same colour as Obie, so not as dark as I hoped but in truth much better if you want to photograph them and also makes him a true identical twin, well apart from one's got an English accent and the other American! More from them in the week.

Also a small pile of clothing arrived from Maudie May, which the two lads dived into first and are very happy.

One doll did sell in the week, which was just as well with these two arriving !

Well I'm off to find some clothes belonging to a doll I'm selling but naturally I but them in a safe place....

Have a lovely healthy happy week ahead with I hope some warm dry weather

Dee

AN EXPECTED ARRIVAL!

 

Lovely and quick  Otto ( Othello ) arrived today for the USA. Barely a week from door to door! Excellent service.

He came in his original box wearing all his original clothes. It looks almost minty and still had some sand in his torso.

Now when all my dolls arrive that have a quick wash, unless more is needed, and a nice new change of clothes. So I stripped off Otto and found some sand but also he had a strange feel to him. I ran my finger along his leg and it seemed to cause a smear?

So straight to the sink, I ran some water wet my hand and just wiped it over him, to find he started to get little soapy suds! So he was given a good wash over to rid him of the soap or whatever he'd had left on him. Very strange! I did wonder if it was something to hide a possible problem he may have but he was not smelly or appear to have any mould etc.

He does appear to have one leg slightly shorter than the other but apart from that nothing else at present.

So he's had a change of clothes and been out looking round the garden.

x

He had a delve through the newly arrive assortment of items from Maudie May's and selected a pair of Giraffe cut offs and a skull top! An interesting mix..

Last time I saw him he was off in search of Obie, wanting to know how his box went right and off to USA and Obie's went left and off to a store in the UK! I don't think Obie will be able to help with that but at least it will break the ice after not seeing each other since they were born.

AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL

 

Now I know I mentioned there could be a Gregor arriving , It was not this lad! The famous state of affairs that seems to happen with my doll buying, like buses several arrived on the scene at once!

I have one on the way, but he's travelling long distance, however his brother here, was just up country and since I'd been thinking twins would be nice and had been tempted by another, I decided to invite him to live here.

Now, don't tell him but I really wanted the very dark Caleb's and I'm so hoping that his brother is , even if he's turned out to be on the lighter scale himself.

When he arrived this morning Paul's words were " How longs he staying for, poor lad " because any of the other black Gregor's or Sasha's I have ever bought have moved on usually in a few months!! I mentioned he's waiting for his brother, so he should still be here in at least two weeks ;) 

Well I have to blame the FB Sasha group for setting off my search for a nice black Caleb, when they had a week long show and tell about all the Cora's, Caleb's and babies and wonderful photos started appearing. It reminded me that I wished I'd kept my first ever Caleb, who was lovely and black and small. But back then I worried about marking his pristine face with greasy fingers and he was hard to photograph from being so dark. So he was adopted and although others did arrive and then leave, he was the one I would really have loved to have back.

Then , there is Gill, sharing her not one !, not two ! but three Caleb's !!!, looking so smart and handsome. So naturally I was off looking but missed out on a couple in the UK a couple of weeks back.

Then who turns up on doll photo day but Sherlock Caleb Holmes hunting for Spring, which re lit the idea to go check for a nice dark Caleb. Off I go to check the sites , where  lo and behold there is not one Caleb on sale but a half dozen !!!

Next thing I know one is on his way to the UK ! And I'm still looking at a couple of the others.... but managed to resist.... until 

Obie ( Oberon ) appeared But hey ! at least it's not triplets....mm... 

So he awaits impatiently for his brother  Otto ( Othello ) to arrive. Let's hope he is a nice small very black lad or I may just have to have triplets.... 

 

AN APRIL SUNDAY

So Easter was lovely but now it's over, so we move on to sorting out the panelled wall area in the breakfast/day room. 

I decided that the green in the kitchen would be way too bright for a whole wall in the rest of the area. Above on the right is F&B Breakfast Room Green, lovely colour and perfect name. However that would mean buying another pot of their expensive paint.

So on the left we have the Emerald Green paint from the kitchen but mixed up with some Farrows cream 67 paint also by F&B that we had left over from the hallway. This I'm calling Paul's green.

So more decisions ! 

In the end we decided to use Paul's green, since it costs nothing, uses up the paint and is a lovely colour. Above is it's first coat, which looks lovely and brighter than seen in the photos but not too bright.

He now needs to fit the door to the boiler cupboard, so he can paint that before mixing up a second batch.

Our print for the empty wall in the kitchen finally arrived and looks well in the space, there is still space for other things if necessary too.

The print is of a section of the beautiful garden at Great Dixter, the home of the late Christopher Lloyd, shown is the long border with the house behind. If you love medieval buildings and gardens, this is well worth a visit.

I have also been finding frames for some of the prints that have been waiting a few years to get on the walls!

I finally found a frame that would fit this long print which Paul then cut down the frame in height and remade.

Years back when we did the hall stairs and landing, we left a space above an arts n crafts copper plate for a print of a women pouring water from a bowl, it's taken us until this week to finally frame and put up the print !

I have one more print to frame and then I'm finally caught up and we can forget about frames!

The weekend , so far as been dry but very windy thanks to storm Kathleen, which has hit other parts of the country much worse than around here.

Todays headliner is the gorgeous Magda, still wearing her winter purples but since it's been so chilly with all the wind around, she's been more than happy to stay wrapped up. Although she does say she is ready for a change in the next couple of weeks.

On the doll front not much has been happening, well apart from me buying a Gregor.... but more about him once he arrives. I need to get my act together to sort out a donation to the festival raffle in the next couple of weeks and also try getting back into the doll studio! 

So I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead 

Dee

IT'S THE FIFTH SO DOLL PHOTO DAY

Yes the fifth already. What a starting photo we have this month. So lets get it going...

From Daddy John we have this fabulous photo of his boys in their leathers. Don't they look the business! Now are they 'Jets' or is it Grease Lightening I can hear playing in the background?  Will it be Harley Davidsons's John's got to save for or five hot rod's ? Either way that man's gonna be poor for years... unless Daddy Steve help out....

From Scarborough we have this sweetheart looking forward to the warmer weather coming, now it's April.

Also over at Gregoropolis, those who are not revving up a motor bike or hot rod, like Kenzo and Robin are strutting their stuff in their new Ginny made shirts. " Do you think it's her abstract period? " Kenzo asks " Mm that or it's Daddy Steve's " Robin replies.

Meanwhile over in Germany, Dr Watson aka Caleb, is enjoying some lovely spring weather out in the garden and wondering if someone! had been that way and knocked over the daffodil ! He just cannot help being 'on the case' no matter where he is. I think it's just fallen that way in the wind Caleb, no need to get out the coat and hat yet!

Here in the village, Magda's been sheltering from the winds by hanging out in the new covered arbour benches. Luckily she's not changed out of her winter wear yet especially as it all seems to be sunshine and showers with strong gusty breezes at the moment.

She also checked out the tulips found in the pots that are bringing some early colour to the flower garden.

Many thanks to everyone for sending in a doll photo and taking part. Still time to have your added just send it in.

I'm off to watch Grease since I cannot get that song out my head every time I see John's boys photo.