IT'S RAINING ITS POURING

 

The old man is snoring,

 he went to bed,

 when he bumped his head , 

and he didn't get up in the morning !

What a rhyme we used to sing as young children back in the 50's and 60's ! To us it was just a rhyme , I don't think we actually worked out the poor mans demise !

However it is, after starting out dry, now a very wet day , which we as a country still need, lots of decent  heavy  rain. Especially here in the south of the country. It gone very cold also at present but if the winds change direction, it will warm up again.

On the home front, they finally collected the wrong radiator they delivered, but naturally could not drop off the actually radiator we ordered ! No that would be too much like labour saving, energy saving and good service, no they wanted the wrong one back before they would send out the new one! Which now is supposed to be delivered probably next week ! 

I also had a small nightmare when I put the wrong postage labels on the wrong parcels ! So an Emma B bowl went to a lady who bought a pack of patchwork squares and the squares arrived at the Bowl buyers home ! Thank goodness for Royal mail collection service , I was able to buy the postage and have the royal mail collected , label and send on the parcels to their rightful buyers! Both ladies were very understanding, thankfully. But it seems it's all very well me writing the lady's name on one of the parcels nut only if it's written on the right parcel ! I will now be paranoid whenever I sell a couple of items on the same day ! 

On the knitting front, I have already finished the back of Paul's sweater and started on the front. It knitted in fisherman's rib pattern with chunky yarn on big needles! Which I love because it means it knits up nice and quick. The colour he chose was vanilla cream.

I did also bring in clothes to change all the Sasha's and Gregor's but then ignored them until today and have redressed four Gregor's, so far. Two of which are 68 boys who are getting wobbly as their strings start to weaken.

Today's headliners are Zak and Toby now nice and warm in their Ginny ( APFS ) tartan dungaree sets.

I also have to confess that it was actually Zak, pretending to be Tony, complaining last week about still being stuck in last summers clothes, I knew he still looked too smart but I didn't twig until I came to change them both !

I've had these tartan dungarees for them for a good few years and only put them in them. But even today I'm thinking does Zak usually wear the red set I've put on Tony or is it the other way round ! I may now have to start taking notes on who wears what !!!

On the finding space front, I had a good week because I finally got part of my act together and listed a couple of un needed solid pine kitchen chairs on market place and a copper coal scuttle on ebay both of which were sold the same day! Along with a small Roche doll. 

So finally those larger pieces are gone to new homes and big space found with there going. But no time to sit on my laurels more needs new homes and I need to get much more active in finding them before I need to stop for the Christmas period. I was alos very good and didn't buy anything so far.

Which means along with redressing all the dolls, I need to get photos taken and things listed here there and everywhere before it gets too cold to be doing anything along those lines.

I do now at least have electric to my studio, so will be able to use a heater when I want to use it during colder weather but I still need to sort out soe proper lighting in there.

So I will wish you a happy healthy warm week ahead

Dee 

A COOL SUNNY SUNDAY

 

Well another weeks been and gone ! We had some much needed rain this week , so the water butts are full and the garden well watered but it as come along with much cooler evenings, much more usual for this time of year.

The week's been all about the usual housework etc , along with having this years flu jab yesterday. Paul's on the Bowles clubs lawn care team, so cuts their grass every Monday along with another member but this Monday just gone, they also spread five tons of soil over the area, luckily they had a big group of others come along to assist. Which meant there were five wooden pallets left over from the delivery, which Paul brought back, to use for making another wide compost area in the garden. So at present they are standing around waiting to be put in place. 

I have finished the tank top I was knitting , it came out a little bigger than I planned but I didn't want it to be too tight and therefore not worn. 

She can actually wear it with a thin sweater underneath and since I finished it, she's worn it most days , so I'm happy and so is she, result.

I have a ball of the yarn left and also some left over from the other balls, where I wound it on to get the stripe colours to start in same place front and back. The problem is I hate to throw out the oddments , so have already crochet some small squares from it ! 

The problem with this is I land up with part made blankets etc  being moved around the place instead of oddments of yarn ! So one of the things I need to do is resolve that problem over the winter. So I will find a small empty box ,to store these latest much smaller squares in until I have enough to actually make something. I will continue to make small squares out of any left over yarn until the box is full.

I now will be knitting Paul a sweater as I do like to knit in the evenings , while watching the tv , and the poor man's been waiting many years for me to make him another sweater. After that I plan to knit myself a chunky cardigan, since I never actually knit myself anything. So lots of knitting planned through this winter.

In the week I went to the doll studio and pulled out some Sasha dresses to start changing the dolls into. They then all got left on the side but I realised the poor boys have been wearing their summer shorts and shirts sine the summer before last ! I know bad mother ! So one of this weeks plans is to change the boys into their winter clothes, since I think this winter may turn out to be a very cold one, along with the girls as well. I'm pleased to say I managed not to go and buy any new winter wear for them, well so far.

Today's headliner is Toby , who actually complained about still being in the same old clothes as last year and said he'd stage a protest  by the front gate to tell all the neighbours how bad I was to my children! He somewhat spoilt his plans by then asking what time Paw patrol was on and could he have some cookies and milk while he watched it ? So since it was due on in fifteen minutes and we live on a very quiet road , there was little chance even one neighbour would pass by his protest. 

On the 'Get it gone ' plans, I'm happy to say I had a good week ! I sold four things, one of which a doll , non Sasha, that I have been trying to sell for a good couple of years due to lack of space to display her, I lost a small fortune on her but at least she will finally get out of her box and start to enjoy a new life. I also sold a lovely bowl, so these two items will actually free up space. 

But it does mean I need to get some other things sorted to put up for sale before the winter lull arrives and nothing happens for the Christmas period.

So on that note I will wish you all a happy healthy doll filled week ahead

Dee 

IT'S THE FIFTH SO DOLL PHOTO DAY

 The first of the autumn doll photo's.

First up , from across the pond  in Gregoropolis , we have the beautiful Holly Belle, who knows she looks good in her new Ruth Hartley dress and she'll hear no dissent !  You cannot blame her because she does look beautiful in her new dress.

Elsewhere in Gregoropolis, Kevin and Lewis in their almost identical t shirts discussing how come a Gotz is so much bigger than a Trendon boy ! Kevin says it's because the Gotz dolls were stretched on a rack before being allowed out in the world !  Lewis say no! It's because he drank lots of good German milk that makes him strong and also grow so fine. Kevin makes a note to go drink more milk . . . .

Here in the village , Anika is admiring the red Canna Lily that always flowers later in the year. 

Claudia meanwhile is saying it's nice and warm in the sun but it is time to get out the warmer clothing or at least a cardigan and some socks would be a start ! 

Up on the wilds of the north coast , Tatum is getting ready to do a big clean , getting the house ready for the coming winter , she'd hoped her mum would help but she's too busy reading and shouting out instructions.

In Broxbourne, Holly and her sister are working on a letter of compliant ! The problem is they have plenty they feel they can complain about but cannot decide which one is first !ready to wear 

" no sweets in the cupboard " says Holly

" No cardigans wear !" says her sister

" Too many brothers ! " mutters Holly

"Why ? we only have three ! " exclaims her sister 

" Are you sure? It seems more " Holly argues " What about the babies ! "

Shocked her sister says " You cannot complain about the poor babies !"

Holly's not so sure but decides " What about we complain about Mum being 'good' and not buying us more clothes or sisters ! "

"That's the one! " agrees her sister " get typing "

Many thanks to all who took part by sending in some photos, still time to have yours added 

just send them in

Dee

THE FIRST OCTOBER SUNDAY

 

That's correct it is now October ! We are in the last quarter of 2026, another year is on it's way out.

The world is going to hell in a hand basket, while we have to watch it happen! I won't get on my soap box because I'd still be up there next Sunday ! 

We are still waiting for the new radiator to arrive ! Supposedly two days which became two weeks which means if its not here Monday, calls will have to be made ! So everything bedroom wise is just sitting waiting.

We have spent the week sorting out bits and piece's, talking about bits and piece's and doing  bits and pieces :) 

I've made Paul a list ( he is naturally delighted ) of things that need to happen in the garden etc, because we keep forgetting what needs doing until we yet again walk round together and see them. He's already ticked three things off, so was worth doing . . . . ;)

My sewing is still awaiting 

But I have been working on my knitting and it's coming along nicely but still plenty to do. I also found the pattern I used to knit my daughters matching sweaters from when they were at primary school , they loved the sweaters, all in different colours, Lauren's was blue with a white fleck, Lindsey's Pink with a white fleck and Courtney's black with multi coloured flecks. So now they all want one again ! This time with a different colour choice. So more to add to my knitting list for over the winter.

Not a lot else has been happening.

Today's headliner is Chloe, she arrived this week after my foolish crowing of having been good and not bought any dolls ! I'd barely published Sunday last's post before I was looking at Sasha's on eBay , came across her and pressed buy!  So that is a lesson I've learnt , no crowing ;)

I had actually been looking at the 70's red heads and putting the odd one now and then in my watching, only to remove them several weeks later. I seem to be looking back at dolls I have previously owned wondering whether to re add them , when in truth I should not be adding dolls at all. But a red head with gorgeous hair is a hard doll for me to pass by, especially if she's not a fortune and so I pressed that button.

Her lovely curls that sealed the deal for me.

So on the making space front, not a lot has happened apart from a Sasha arriving !  But then in truth I've not been into either dolls spaces , to find more things to list and sell. Which means I really must do that this coming week. Which also means it is still untidy in a few places although the floor is much clearer than it was a few months back.

I do have plans to try and do more sewing and knitting through the winter months and reduce things that way and keep myself busy and away from Ebay.

Tomorrow is the fifth, so please send in those dolls photo's , so we can see what your dolls have been up to this month.

On that note I will wish you all a Happy Healthy week ahead

Dee

A BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN SUNDAY

 

Well today was a beautiful autumn Sunday, dry and bright with a strong cool breeze stirring the plants etc. Just the type of day I love.

Spent some time sitting outside under the gazebo knitting. I'm working on a tank top for my middle daughter, it did start out for my youngest daughter, who when I showed her a photo once over half way up the back , she said she didn't like the colours ! Luckily my middle daughter did, so I have undone and restarted it in a bigger size for her. Today I got to finishing the first ball of 100g of wool. I'm not far off of finishing what is the back and will then be able to start the front. I am trying to to wander off and start knitting smaller doll sized items or it will get put aside for another year or more !.

It's wider than shown as now I have decreased for the armhole, the sides have rolled in ,when I put it out for the photo. But this is the biggest piece I have to knit as the front has v neck and there are no sleeves.

Just need to keep knitting a few rows every day and it will soon be done and I can start on other things.

On the sewing front. . . . no sewing has been done, I know maybe I need to try doing the same with that, a bit of sewing each day ! maybe I will try that starting this week coming. 

We are still awaiting the new radiator, so the bedroom is just waiting. But now the weather is changing as the season changes, we have started putting plants away in the greenhouse that will need protection from cold and rain.

The outside table top has been cleared of plants and replaced with some geraniums which should last until the first frosts.

The greenhouse shelves are now filling up.

So the coming month, October, which is already just days away !, will be spent getting ready for the coming winter, bedding down plants, putting things away, clearing space for those things to be stored and also getting rid of those things that are no longer needed. 

The handsome Robin was todays headliner, he's wondering if his siblings and himself , will also get the preparing for winter treatment or will they be shivering until December , like last year !  So I have promised I will start with the boys first this time ( I think he didn't even get changed last winter but don't remind him ! )  So that's another small /long job to add to the now ever growing list. 

On the doll front, a few small things have moved on , including a book on dolls along with a few no doll related items. Among them a large China platter, that I had boxed up a couple of months back as I had just the perfect box to keep it safe for it's journey, so that box had been sitting around waiting for someone to buy the platter. Now that space is back , so very happy that's now found a new home. I have a couple of things , non doll related, to sell but don't have a suitable box for them, so despite my many box hoard, I will need to find them boxes before I can put them on sale ! You just cannot win some times ! 

I still need to get into my doll studio and overflow storage and get things sorted and moved on. Maybe October will be the month I get hard with all these 'props' and get some proper space found.

Much to my own surprise, absolutely nothing doll related has arrived this week ! I even managed to resist Rosie's shoe release , which is a first ! 

So I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead 

Dee

SUNDAY WHIZZES ROUND AGAIN

 

 The weather is a true September , with cooler nights and sunny days, a drop or two of rain and the crisper mornings.

So the week has gone quickly because there have been lots going on, mostly relating to getting on with the bedroom.

We went off to look at radiators at B&Q , then went back home and found the right one on their website, so placed our order. Two days delivery then the following day turned into a two week delivery ! So we will have to be patient and wait. We also looked at paint for the panelling but nothing suited.

I also ordered and have received the fabric for the blinds and headboard. The fabric is by Sanderson but bought from a different website, where there was a nice sale going on but that website does not do paint.

I then decided maybe the Sanderson website would have the right colour paint. Found three possible matches and sent for the sample pots.

They arrived at the same time as the fabric. Paul painted all three on a piece of wood, one was totally wrong but there were two contenders.

I decided I needed to see these two on a larger piece of board and up in the bedroom.

So the mood board was placed on the bedside table close to the wallpaper and the vintage water jug which had become the colour them for the room.

We decided that we both loved the deep berry one best , the one on the left in the photo. Then I started receiving photos from my daughter Lindsey ( computer whizz ) of the paint behind the bed , so several back and forth's before the one we will do was shown.

This one is with the panelling only up to under the window, which is quite high, with the wallpaper above.

Then she added the headboard 

Then with the panelling up to the top of the wall. The ceiling along the window side slopes as the window is set into the roofline.  I should have asked her to add the new bedding but will save that for when the room is actually been done.

So now added to my sewing to do list, are two roman blinds and a headboard. But I won't even start them until the radiators been moved, the wood is up and is being painted.

Also this week I had to have two fillings, much to my delight they only took around 30 minutes , although it took an hour of more for the numbness to wear off.

We also had this week, the cat worry. Yes we no longer have any cats ourselves but our youngest, the Princess and Prince's mum has two Main Coon's and one Nim, the female , had not come home for two nights ! Only having been out overnight once, this was out of character for her. So messages back and forth about what to do, when to leaflet etc. Messages were put on the local groups and I suggested if she had a box of her favourite treats, to try walking round rattling the box and calling her name.

This worked , she found her but she was trapped in someone's garage and no one was in ! The house was one of several large houses that are behind where she lives. She  could find no way to slip any food or water into the garage for her. Back home, messages on the groups to try and find anyone who knew the owners, then a call to 101 to see if they could help , while that was happening my son in law went out to see if he could do anything. He found he could see her through the window and went into the garden and tried the door into the garage and it was UNLOCKED ! Wonderful ! One cat picked up and rescued and held tightly all the way back home ! Which saved the fire brigade, the RSPCA and whoever else being called out to get her out, because Courtney would have taken that door down if that cat had to stay in there any longer !  But all is over and no damage needed to be down and paid for and two trackers are on there way for her and her brother.

Nim the naughty ;)

Today's headliner was the beautiful Arabella , a law unto herself , but a sweetheart on the quiet.

On the 'find some space 'front, two dolls have gone, along with a couple of small items. Which is good , so a little more space in the cabinet although not that much yet. But I now do need to actually sort out more of the larger prop items and get them listed and on ebay, so I start seeing space in the studio and storage overflow. Or even give some to the local charity shops. Now we are in autumn and that old winter will sneak up on us suddenly, along with Christmas and everything will stop again.

I had the mad thought of making use of ALL my fabric through out the winter , so that I would be left with a big pile of items, instead of a big pile of fabric , trimmings etc. Now lets be honest, I've had a pile of lemon coloured socks, half made, waiting to be finished , for at least six weeks or even two months and they are still waiting! So the reality of me using up every piece for my fabric stash, over the winter is nothing but the mad thought of an old lady losing the plot . . .  but not the fabric ! It must be the autumn seasonal weather getting into my soul and sending strange ideas wandering about in the hope that one or more may actually happen. . . .

So at present I will work on getting the existing sewing list done and the bedroom finished by the end of the year and be more than happy to achieve them.

Have a great healthy fun filled week ahead with a few impossible dreams added for the season ;)

Dee

 

SO ALL CHANGE

 

This post was written on the 5th to be posted during last week but then I totally forgot about it, so here it is.

Naturally moving the shelf turned out to involve taking part of the cabinet apart because the top shelf that needed moving turned out to be fitted in! So after sleeping on  it, Paul kindly dismantled half the cabinet removed the fitted shelf, then put it all back together again and adjusted the spare shelf to go just where it was needed.

Cicely is  now standing by the smaller doll cabinet.

So the dolls had to be piled on the table while all this was happening.

While this was all happening, we had a change about, moving a small China/ book cabinet from a centre position to one side, also moving the large picture above across also. Then we moved the green doll cabinet to stand beside it and then I could reload the dolls back onto the now moved shelves.

The doll cabinet now in it's new place. I will have to be careful that the sun doesn't hit it late in the day.

On the top shelf, now dropped down so the Sasha's could stand on it, filled with dolls.

In the middle shelf, now a few inches smaller, the Roche dolls are back in place.

The next shelf down which has always been a Sasha shelf , now back full of dolls.

The bottom shelf, which is behind a panel on the door, hold the Roche doll original outfits and tags etc, along with their shoes and boots.

A lovely cabinet full of dolls ! 

Claudia todays headliner, was asked to try on a Roche doll dress because a friend needed to see it on a Sasha has she had just bought the same Roche doll but minus the dress. So measurements were needed along with a Sasha for reference for sizing.

Since this post was written a cull has started on the dolls, so tiny pockets of space are appearing in the cabinet, just how much space will appear remains to be seen ! 

CLOUDY COOL SUNDAY

 

Another Sunday whizzes round but this one is a cloudy day with a threat of rain, it rained in the night /early morning which is all still so needed for the garden and the countryside. We have a hosepipe ban still and it's not likely to be lifted until December, that how low our water reserves are. But hey lets build AI data centers that need masses of water to cool them. . . . . . 

The house I lived in before this one, was a tall Edwardian semi, with large rooms and big bay windows, a half cellar and half stairs (short flights to each floor ) because the back of the house was lower than the front. So you walked down a short flight to the kitchen, up a short flight of steps to the front of the house, up a short flight to the bathroom and back bedroom, then up another flight to the large front bedroom and large back bedroom. Which meant there were two roofs, the lower back one and the larger front one. We did extend into both lofts giving us a large bedroom at the back and again the half flight to a second bathroom and large L shaped front bedroom. It was a beautiful house with lots of space but on a busy road into the county town. 

We wanted a bigger garden and did not want to be rattling around in a large house once the girls started leaving home, so when that started to happen we downsized to where we are now, a much smaller house but with a garden as large as our last one at the front and a much bigger garden at the back plus off road parking. At the time I lived in the Edwardian house I was not such a big collector and had not gone down the Sasha doll path.

Now that I have fallen into the collecting bug, I have a smaller house to stash it all in and so every so often and especially in the Autumn and Spring, I get the need to start culling the dolls and their items. I do wonder if we'd still been in the bigger house, and the dolls had their own space/room, would I still get this need to cull them? Or is it a natural instinct to do with nesting for winter and cleaning out for spring ? 

Anyway that culling has already began! Despite sorting out the doll cupboard, whose post I forgot to add, so will add tomorrow, some dolls have already found new homes and gone off to their new mum's.

But apart from that I have not actually achieved much. Although we did manage to sell the old pine bedside cupboards yesterday, so they went off and are two less things needing a place to stand. Which was great, I do love it when things go quickly and don't sit around for months.

Adam is doing well but naturally gets tired as the school week goes on, so depending on just how tired he is this weekend and if he recovers his energy , will depend on whether he may need to shorten his days for a little while. 

Today's headliner is Elizabeth a 1970 Sasha wearing a lovely William Morris fabric dress by Ruth Hartley. Her foot is hoovering over the adoption list but I need to have a proper look at who will go.

So on the doll front it's been a bit of a whirl wind , so far three Sasha/Gregor's have gone in the cull , one Gregor has arrived but for how long ! and the two extra bargain priced Roche dolls have arrived. A couple of small items have sold, so a bit of space has been found but still nowhere near enough from the doll studio or the overflow props store, which if anything is now getting fuller with the cardboard boxes I am saving just incase I need them. In an Ideal world I would love to clear at least half of the space in that overflow storage and a quarter of what's in the doll studio but unless I had a stall at a doll fair and managed, by some miracle , to sell almost everything I took with me, it's going to take years !  So I content myself that at least some things that have sat around for years unused or un needed are slowly going off to new homes.

I have not managed to get back ,to work my way through the sewing list,  that's awaiting me, so that must be something that gets underway this coming week. I never used to be this slow but then when I was working, I had less time to do things , so got on with them, where as now I have loads of time and ignore it ! 

So on that note I'm off to ignore it all as it's Sunday a day of rest lol, but Monday well that's another matter. . . .

Have a lovely healthy fun and doll filled week ahead. 

Dee 

A SUNNY SEPTEMBER SUNDAY

 

So it's September, the herald to autumn, a season I love. Already we are having the lovely sunny days with the nights starting to cool. We are also still having a few rain showers which after the long hot summer we have had, are still welcome. 

The garden is desperate for whatever water it can get , since the hosepipe ban is still in place and our soil is the free draining type , which means it really suffers from lack of watering. We will be looking at lots of ways we can store water and also need less watering next year , if as they say, the summers could be full of heatwaves like this year. We will no doubt lose some plants by the end of the year, so will be looking at those plants that can cope in hot dry weather to replace them. 

The bedroom is on hold while we sort out a plumber to remove and refit a new radiator but the swatch of the damson coloured fabric arrived and goes well with the wallpaper and so I will be buying some fabric to make a headboard and also some roman blinds for each window. 

Without intention, the bedroom colourway is turning out to be similar to the flowers on this vintage water jug, that we have owned for years. Since I have always loved the jug and it's decoration, I'm more than happy it's working out that way.

Well I have done some cleaning up this week  but it's been inside and not out in the doll studio or the overflow doll store but I will get there , slowly but surely. Especially as its autumn on the way, when we all get the sort it out, sell it, donate it vibe.

Today's headliner is the lovely Poppy, who swapped dresses with Claudia , so she could match up with her blonde sisters in the William Morris dresses.

On the reducing front, a small doll chair and a baby Sasha sold which is making space. I have not bought anything this week but I do have a couple of dolls , Roche ones, arriving on Monday I bought them a few weeks back from a friend who was selling them for a very reasonable price, so I asked her to hold them while I raised the funds , which she kindly did. But they do have places on the Roche doll shelf now I have had a change about.

So on that note I will wish you all a lovely happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

IT'S THE FIFTH SO DOLL PHOTO DAY

 Yes it's shot round again ! But at least we are now getting some rain and it's not quite so hot.

For once I had a photo ready to use , unlike normally when I am dashing about last minute to add mine in ! These are the 60's blondes standing at the from of the gang all wearing their William Morris fabric smocked dresses by the talented Ruth Hartley.

From across the pond in Gregoropolis , we have Anika and Kara enjoying some very tropical weather while showing us just how different Sasha's are despite being almost the same age .

While down the road in Broxbourne , Gill's two blonde No Navels are also showing they are the same but different. The girl on the right fancy's coming to live with me but her mum just plain refuses ;) 

Claudia was kind enough to give her dress up to Poppy , so she could be the same as her blonde sisters but she didn't mind has she loves poppies, so got to wear Poppy's poppy dress.

From Old Simples we have three of her gang looking 'hot' in their baggy trousers and in the girl's case cropped top. My ex son in law wore those baggy trousers where it was touch and go whether you'd see more of his pants that you wanted to ! and that was back in the mid to late 90's , fashion always comes full circle but save me this one ! 

Also from old Simples is these two , who look up to mischief if you ask me, that red head is defo whispering , maybe planning their escape . . . . .

Thank you to all those taking part, still time to have your photo added.

Dee