Sunday, 10 September 2023

A SIZZLING SUNDAY


 " Send supplies Stop we may not make it! Stop this could be the end Stop Make it stop! Stop" and so says the telegram from the Sasha village after one week of 30 degree plus temperatures which are continuing as I type! 

So I've pretty much spent the week inside during the hours of 10 am till 6 pm with the curtains semi pulled across the French doors and windows to help reduce the temperature on the back room of the house. It's too warm to even potter about, it's more like pot  ten minutes later ter!  

Luckily I had found a new author I liked and so was able to read everyday, but that's my book buying allowance for the month gone already!

I did remind everyone about the chat n snap and so that is on track and must decide exactly what I'm doing for the display backdrop, the theme being 1940's evacuee's. It will be a station of some sort but leaving? or arriving? that is the question! In my mind it looks like brief encounter but what will be cobbled together by the day is entirely less wonderful lol.

I have to say I love the fashions of the 1920's through to the 1950's , everyone looked so smart even the children. In this day of throw away fashion, it's all stretchy fabrics and cheap cottons. 


x


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I especially love the jackets they used to wear, so stylish. And no it wasn't just the wealthy who looked good everyone wore smart clothing. I have a photo of my mum aged fourteen in her smart jacket with a lovely brooch and bright lipstick and another of my granddad with two of his brothers walking along the sea front and all wearing smart trousers and shirts. Back then they didn't need fitted wardrobes because they didn't have so many clothes. Maybe a lesson the world could take on board for the future of the planet.


The headliners today were Bea, Magda and Arabella when they were out in the garden before the weather got too hot.

On the doll front, nothing's happened because it's just too hot. But sooner or later this weather will change, after all this is England, and then things can start to happen.

So stay cool and have a healthy fun filled week ahead

Dee



Tuesday, 5 September 2023

IT'S THE FIFTH DOLL PHOTO DAY

 Oh yes It's time already for September's doll photo day! To think there are now only three more till the end of the year.

So lets get this party started ...


First up is Steve's lad wearing a lovely colourful T shirt his other dad John brought back from the festival for him. He is off to cruise up and down the street showing it off to his mates.


And before he goes look at those eyes and even more those eye lashes! He'll be batting them at all the girls in the family I bet! 



Over at RoRoPo, Beverley and Clara are chillin, with a drink and a good book, enjoying the late warm weather while it lasts. Plenty of chatting going on too.



Here in the village Bea, Magda and Arabella are looking around the raised garden where it's nice and cool.

They stop to rest on the new bench, taking a leaf out of their friends at RoRoPo book, although they forgot to bring a book or anything to drink but since they have done nothing but gossip since they sat down, it will only be the drink they will miss!!


Chris T's little ochre eyed button girl has come along to join in doll photo day and what a sweetheart she is.


Three of Michelle's girls are nice and cool in this heat wave with their summer outfits.



Some of her boys have managed to escape from the shelving and are planning on watching a movie , once mum's gone back downstairs... don't tell !


There is still time to join in with the day, just send in those doll photos

Thank you to all who have taken the time to join in

Sunday, 3 September 2023

A SUNNY SEPTEMBER SUNDAY

 


Today, Sunday, is hot and sunny and according to the weather forecasters will pretty much remain so for the coming week. Who doesn't love a last burst of warm weather during September to set us up for the winter ahead.

Once our girls were all grown up and we didn't have to holiday during the school breaks, we always went on holiday during mid to late September. Weather is usually warm and dry with the temperature only really dropping in the evenings. Perfect for me who cannot cope with extremely hot weather anyway.

We've gotten out of the habit of holidays since covid hit and the dogs being quite young, but must really try and start booking a few breaks.

At present I'm in a 'it needs to change' frame of mind! Oh I'm still in 'it all must go' too but my mind is also planning and scheming on moving/changing things about the house! Some plans are being made but cannot be actioned until the new year but being me, I want to start tweaking the place now! But I will have to wait and make do with carrying on with the downsizing of the dolls and their things and since that will probably take from now and into next year I will have to make do with just planning and tweaking lol

Apart from my daydreaming and planning, we have just been pottering about the place and enjoying some time in the garden on the warmer days.

On the doll front, one doll left but two arrived. Both of which had been on preorder, so not a recent spend!


They are both additions to my little Chinese family, both Gigi, a large 12in girl at the back and the smaller 8 inch in the middle on the right. Ten ping and little sister Yu Ping have been around for a good while. I did own a small Gigi for a long time then sold her off only to wish I'd kept her, as usual!

One of the other things I decided over the summer is to reduce more of the non Sasha dolls I have, I need to stop falling in love with a pretty face! easier said than done I know ! But I'm going to restrict any doll buying to a select few types and sell off the rest! Yes another massive cull is on it's way! But needs must even though it's more the dolls add on's that are flooding the doll studio, if the dolls go, their bits and pieces can follow suit. Hopefully!


Ashley is todays headliner, one of my first No Navel dolls and looking pretty in her Karen W dress and Rosie B shoes.

Well I need to go and fight my way into the doll studio, so I can make some room and sort out some things to sell and also use for a blog post I have planned. So I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

PS

It's September so time for another doll photo day on the fifth, please send in a photo or tow if you are able. Ta 

Sunday, 27 August 2023

TIME IS PASSING, SEPTEMBER IS JUST ROUND THE CORNER!



 Well I had a lovely few days with my youngest daughter Courtney and my two grandchildren. They are so sweet and funny and growing up so fast. They also tussle with each other as all siblings do. They also wake up at anytime after 6am ! But luckily the house rules are they play in Clara's room until 7am. 

But this still meant Nanny, who was sleeping on the sofa , had to rise very early after a late night , each morning, so was happy when it was time to return home to a proper bed and a good sleep in! lol

While I was at Courtney's I asked her about two terracotta wall pots, that were on the back wall of her garden when she moved in a couple of years ago. I noticed she'd not bothered to plant them up. I said did she want them? She said no as it was too hot where they were and she worried they'd fall off the wall if filled with plants and hurt one of the children. Can I have them  I asked, she said yes! 

So I emptied out the old soil still in them and between us we managed to take them off the wall. They were on an old brick wall that runs along the back of her garden and the wall is not in a very good condition, so she really needs to find out who is responsible for it and get it rebuilt or replaced with some fencing. So removing the pots was a good idea due to the walls condition.

Once I was home with them, Paul put them up on the wall between the two French doors on the back of the house and filled them with some plants.

Neptune is quite impressed with the floral display now below him.

Then last Wednesday we had Tom, my father in law's funeral. It all went off well, the sun was shinning and it was extremely warm. I've always thought the day should be gray and cloudy with the threat of rain but naturally in late August that's not likely.

There was a wake in the nearly pub, where sandwiches and other food was laid on. But the pub was so hot! and the food was, apart from the sandwiches, also hot. I told my girls that if I should have a wake after my funeral, I wanted tea and coffee served along with cake and desserts and only a plate or two of sandwiches.


Then I spotted this sign on the wall behind me ! Says it all really. It felt a little strange with his funeral almost four weeks to the day after his death, but it seems even when burying people there is a wait. But he had a good long life and apart from having TB at the end of the second world war, he pretty much had a healthy life.

Today, Saturday, we have the gray clouds and rain showers naturally. So at least the garden is getting some much needed water.

In my clearing out etc, I found an ariel photo taken many years ago of part of our road. A man came to the door selling the photos he'd taken and since the one he was trying to sell me was of mostly other peoples houses and gardens I haggled him down to just a few pounds. But the photo was too big and not really worth framing, so it' been moved here and there in cupboards or boxes for years.


Must be a good fifteen years maybe. It shows a small section of the recreation ground behind us along with the bowls club


The end of the garden is still not finished , so it could only have been taken a couple of years after we moved in, as the garden is totally different now. On here the front garden is mainly grass and it's at least ten years since we turned most of it into a gravelled area with central flower bed.
One day when It's finished I will get my SIL to send his drone up and take some photos. I have now cut the photo so that I only have the piece above just showing us and the neighbours, so much easier to keep.


Now on the doll front, things have been happening! Just as I was about to head off to Courtney's I won a brunette waif on eBay! Yes me, who is supposed to be being good ( I think that's almost an impossibility for me where dolls are concerned!) I could not resist her, a sweet girl whose only issue was a small scratch to her eye and a green spot from a Sasha shoe snap on one leg. So I placed a bid and won her. I then had to have her delivered to my daughter's house as Paul would be out and about with the dogs etc while I was away.

So I asked Courtney and the grandies to help me find a name for her and the name Chloe was mentioned and that's the one that stuck.

So this is Chloe, who is also the headliner for todays post. Early seventies girl, hair appears to be fine, nice and soft and not falling, at least at present.

I also should be having a preordered non Sasha doll arriving next week! So a little like our London Buses a few arriving at once.

Now it's nearly September, I'm starting to get into Chat n Snap mode and so I bought a sweater dress and hat for the raffle Sasha and then found her a pair of tights and some boots.


I'm not quite 100% sure I'm willing to give up those green boots, even though I do have another pair, but at present this is her outfit and my sister Michelle offered to make her up another set of clothes. So I may need to get her a case or bag for her belongings. 

I also have a Sasha baby girl for the raffle, who Michelle is going to make an outfit for. So things starting to fall into place. In September we will need to start on the display so that it's not the usual last minute rush!! 

On the rest of the doll/ clearing space front. I sold the dolls sized red kitchen and also a handbag and three pairs of unused shoes in the last few weeks, so even though a couple of dolls have arrived a few other items have actually left.

But I did take the sylvanian morris minor car and towing caravan for Clara and one of the wooden pirate ships for Adam, when I visited them, so that's yet more space made! We won't mention the windmill and the canal barge, that may be heading this way... after all they will only be stopping a short while before they head on to the grandies..  honest.. 

Today Sunday has been another day of sunshine and showers, which is fine, helps keep it cool enough to get things done outside as well as inside. Still lots to do in both places. I do wonder if I will ever get to a place where everything that is not needed will be gone? It could happen but will take ages!

So I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead 

Dee






Sunday, 13 August 2023

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN AUGUST



Lucas is today's headliner, yesterday he was sharing tea with his little elephant friends to celebrate World Elephant Day. He did not really take enough cake, so luckily one of his sisters arrived with more before it all went pear shaped!

So what's been happening here? Someone from the bowls club offered Paul some fish for the pond when Paul was telling him about it, when he told me , I said do we need any more as the ponds not that big but the man said his son, who breeds them said the pond could easily take some more.


So he arrived the next day with around a dozen fish in assorted sizes, from quite big to quite small! 


So now there are around twenty fish in the pond and it does mean when you feed them, you get to see a lot more coming up for the food! I just hope its not too many.

The weathers been reasonable, so we've been getting outside gardening or using the gazebo to sit and read or chat.


It was our 48th wedding anniversary, we married very young barely out of nappies ;), on Wednesday, so we treated ourselves to a trip round the garden centre and bought some perennials for the garden. They seem to mostly be on the yellow spectrum , not deliberate just how it worked out on the day. Now we are going to have to find a space for them!

On the doll front, I sold a small KK doll and also the kitchen unit and sink, so made a nice bit of space where that used to sit.

Also my special doll I had to buy arrived on Saturday, who I'm calling Beatrice, Bea for short.

Now you know why I couldn't resist her, a cute little brunette button nosed lass. She arrived in her lovely outfit and when off round the garden to check the place out!

I'd like to say I'm back to being good on the doll buying front, but every time I say that a gorgeous doll appears over the horizon saying " really.. I don't think so " in which case I'll say nothing....

I'm off to stay with at the palace with the little princess and prince for a few days this week and the following week we have the funeral, so I will not be blogging for at least the next two weeks but hope to see you all back here on the 26th August.

So have a lovely doll filled healthy couple of weeks 

Dee








 

Saturday, 12 August 2023

PREPARE TO BEA DELIGHTED

 Or not !


Now if you remember I said that I wished I'd not sold off quite so many of my Sasha's when I saw just how few I now had. My intention had been to look into adding a few next year but if a special one came along I'd have to jump in and get her.


So when a good friend offered me this brunette button nosed child, well there really wasn't a chance I'd say no! I did sort of try resisting but not for long.


She came in this beautiful outfit along with another set with a coat and shoes. My friend knows my love of bright clothing for the dolls.

She's already taken a trip round the garden, looking at the waterlily that opened up this morning.


I do so love the button girls.



I was going to call her Missy, then it moved to Missy B, then today to Beatrice but Bea for short! So Beatrice it is. Some of these dolls do insist on picking their own names!

I'm sure she's going to fit right in with this opinionated family and will be more than a match for the two other button girls here. So I'm off to introduce her to them.

Sunday, 6 August 2023

A SUNDAY IN AUGUST



In fact the first Sunday in august. The weather is a bit hit and miss, yesterday was quite wet at times but lovely and sunny at others, a typical British summer really.

We have spent part of the week tidying up both inside and out and dealing with things regarding the funeral. Which is now arranged to be held in a couple of weeks. It's strange how a death in the family makes you think of putting your own house in order and making changes, which is probably a good thing in some cases.

Since it's august we have been working in the garden, weeding, moving things tidying things up etc.



One of the things we did was move the sundial from the flower garden up to the circle in the path by the folly. We are trying it out here, as when we finally start on laying paving in the flower garden this may look out of place now it's aged and the paving will be new. 


Claudia was our headliner today, wearing a Special Delivery dress and Rosie Bloom shoes. She's quite a quiet shy lass from 1970.

My eldest daughter popped round with this early anniversary gift !

A lovely cream tea consisting of sausage rolls, scotch eggs, quiche, scones, cream ( under the cakes) and jam plus four cakes along with some English breakfast tea ! So much we were able to share it with Lindsey at lunchtime. Delicious thank you Lauren xx


On the doll front, I'm still working on the adoption fee for a special girl who should arrive before the end of the month, which will be lovely. I finally found the missing Ginny shorts and the other boys are now almost dressed for summer.

I've sold a non Sasha doll and a few other bits and pieces. So very slowly doll items and non doll items are moving on and one day I hope to actually notice some space has appeared! But it's not quite happened yet!

So I wish you all a lovely calm fun filled week ahead 

Dee



Saturday, 5 August 2023

AUGUST 5TH , DOLL PHOTO DAY ARRIVES.

 A bumper filled doll photo day this month, with lots of lovely photos to admire, so lets get started.


First up with have a couple of Simples brunettes. Yes I know ! I nearly did a double take when these arrived in my mail two days early...   Looking beautiful dressed these two are ready to escape.. I mean enjoy some summer fun... when it arrives.



Almost as amazing is that I actually had my photos for this month sorted and here's Saffy out by the new woodland pond area checking things out.


Then she asks " Is this supposed to stop people getting in to the folly? " from inside the folly! 


From Chris T, we have pretty maids all in a row. Looking gorgeous in their matching blues.


Along with this beautiful red head showing us her teddy.



And little Miss No Navel showing us her rabbit 


Lastly from Chris T, a trio of delightful No Navel girls. Wonderful..


From RoRoPo we have Beverley riding Lefty barefoot! She is such a good rider she doesn't worry about boots or shoes even when the day is cold!


Over at Gregoropolis, Steve's girls are looking to enjoy some time at the beach. I wonder what they are looking at? A handsome lifeguard or one of their brothers playing the fool for some girl?... we will never know..

Many thanks to everyone for sending some photos for the doll day. Always time to add a few more.


Thursday, 3 August 2023

AUGUST! SO SOON...

 Well August arrived quickly! It only seems yesterday that July had just started! Now a week or so back a blonde arrived here after i decided I did not have enough dolls!


So this young lady arrived and tells me her name is Stevie and that she's a singer! She was hoping I'd make her a new outfit but other things happened, so she's going to have to wait patiently.


She did find a pair of shoes to match her dress while she waits some attention. 

So a new month ! Time is slipping by... and since it's a new month, doll photo day will soon be upon us, so please get those photos sent in, so we can have some doll candy to admire.


Sunday, 30 July 2023

A SAD SUNDAY CATCH UP

 


Well it was a sad week here. Something we knew was likely to happen did. Paul's dad passed away after a fall at his care home. He had not broken anything an although in some pain started to recover only to suddenly take a turn down hill.

He reached the grand old age of 101 nine months and 27 days. If you asked him his age in the last few moths he'd say 102 ! He was in an excellent care home and had been quietly enjoying himself but he had been ready to go for a few years, So we are sad for our loss but happy he is at rest.

Luckily Paul had finished his jury service on Monday and been released from attending any more, so he was able to go to his dad when he had his fall and then be at the hospital to sit with at the end.

I'd not been feeling too good myself this week and so had been staying pretty close to home, trying to fight what ever it was off. Still struggling with it but slowly improving.

Paul had been working in the garden during the week, making a new 'gate' for the folly to stop the dogs being able to just wander in .


I'm really happy how it looks with the folly, in keeping I think.


On the doll front before all the above, I was told by a good friend that she may have a Sasha I'd be interested in. Now you know I was saying that next year I'd be looking at adding a few Sasha's back into the village but if the right doll came along I'd have to maybe snap it up! Well this was that doll ! Alas it's meant I had to sell some things that would hopefully go quickly in order to buy her. But she is worth it.

Which brings me to why Prince Gregor is heading this post, he volunteered to be put up for adoption ! Yes he did! He said he'd be very sad to leave ,to me, but told his siblings, it really wasn't posh enough here for him and he never got to wear his uniform to show his status! But I know he only told them that so they'd not miss him, as I saw a small tear drop as he climbed into his tatty old box for his journey.

It's also meant a couple of my treasured vintage Sasha and Rosie blooms have had to be sold, to help with adoption fees. I'm just over half way to my target, so check the sales page, you may find a treasure or two up for grabs in the next few days.

I did sell Prince Gregor and he is already happily with his new family, I also sold another couple of the treasures.

According to the weather forecasters we are about to have round ten days of rain and it's ready started as I sit here typing.

The US Sasha festival was over the last four days and looks like everyone had a great time and have been sharing their photos.

Well since it's raining I'm off to watch the film Emma while doing some knitting, so I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead

Dee