Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Doll's Christmas Day, 2010

Here are the Doll's presents, all in one basket.

Ana Doll already has her own Doll and seems surprised to receive a gift bag.

Marie Claire has two presents.

Abigail has been given a doll of her own.  No longer will she be all alone, no matter where she is displayed.  I hope that will make her look less sad.  Christine is already opening her first box.

Miss Molly Polly has been the Hostess for this whole thing.  She's been with me the longest, 63 years today.  She was purchased for $.50 at McAtees in Owensboro, Kentucky.  She's a Toni Doll.  She came in a box with little bottles of setting lotion.  Her hair has been washed many times and is now kind of thin but of course, she has a little age on her!







 

Already a pile of boxes is growing on the carpet.

Oh, look, it's a photo of me and Miss Molly Polly, taken years ago.  Note that the card reads:  "To my life's companion."

Christine has a dolly too, as well as a purse, which she refuses to take off her arm. 

Beatrice has a dolly of her own too and Goldilocks has a lovely real pendant to hang over the printed one on her neck.

Katrina has a rather gaudy trinket but she is perfectly happy with it.  All the jewelery is compliments of Oshe.

Little Joe has a Teddy Bear and is grinning about it as you can see!

Rita has a pendant necklace too and she looks very beautiful, doesn't she?

Ana Doll has received some note cards, no doubt she will be asked to send some Thank You's for all the dolls.

Mary has dropped her Christmas card but in just a minute Abe will reach down and pick it up for her!

The Bairn is delighted with his beetle in a closeable box.  The legs wiggle in the most amazing way!

Beatrice has discovered an article in the trade paper about Dolls being in an Auction.  She was purchased at an auction too and is most interested.  A Doll always wants to know how much she might be worth on the market even though she wouldn't want to go anywhere else.  She's happy here.  She's wearing a relatively new dress and a real (though very small) opal on a chain.

So we are surfing the net to see more Dolls like them.  And while I may have the tag sticking out of my dress, the dolls are always nicely and neatly dressed.  They are very proud of their vintage clothing.  You can see Christine has a new wig from Dollsparts.  Before that she was bald for years!  You can see in the other photos that she is much happier to have that taken care of!
     So we have had a lovely Christmas and hope you all will have one too.  I am already thinking about dinner!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas is approaching!

The doll's tea party has been set up for a couple of days.  Today the napkins were distributed and several dolls are holding teacups on their laps.  Some have tasted of the goodies but since they are fake, it's more anticipation than actual eating going on!  As many dolls as can fit have crowded onto the trunk in the living room, where there is a long pew-like seat for them.  This India silver tea pot is about 3 inches tall and had to be polished roundly last Wednesday!

I have been signing the Christmas cards with both our signatures and sealing the envelopes with glue.  Most say "Have a sweet, sweet Christmas!"  Note the tiny stamps.  There are still plenty of cards left.


    
Here are the cards in the little mailbox.  It's about 6 inches tall.


Now the flag is up for the mailman.  My husband, Bill, collects the cards and cancels them with a special partridge stamper.  Then they appear in the mailbox again the next day!
 

Katrina is like to lose her cup in her excitement over her card, the first one she has ever gotten.  How I have neglected my poor dolls!


Cards and napkins are scattered every where.

Christine has her hands up in excitement too.  Little Hannah, on her left, seems a little nervous at Christine's enthusiasm.

Abigail seems a little overwhelmed but is certainly not as sad as she usually is.

Rita has been strumming Christmas carols for the others well into the night.  One cannot say that the dolls have not celebrated Christmas this year!

     I have their presents ready and they will receive them tomorrow morning, after our breakfast.  Then we will really see some excitement!  I shall sleep happily tonight anticipating the Doll's Christmas tomorrow.  Let us all count our blessings!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

     It has been a while since I posted,  I really meant to do better than that.  The holidays sucked up all my time.  We had a lovely Thanksgiving, with steak and baked potatoes, Bisteeya, stuffed zucchini, and many other goodies.  My brother Ernie came and brought a pecan pie.  My daughter Rose brought Chocolate silk tarts.  It was all delicious.  The next day we lunched with still more family.



     Here are my son John and daughter-in-law, Jenny and their three sons, Sam, Eli, and Julian at lunch.  Rose is on the left and Ernie is on the right.  Vince is not there yet.  We had green curry and a very good time.

     After Thanksgiving we had some warm days and I was able to work on the trunk.  The house was already clean so I didn't have much in the way of housework to use as an excuse to procrastinate.



Now I need to paint the iron work and put on the clear coat.  A few more warm days, please!
 

      The dolls' Christmas is coming along nicely and I will begin mailing their cards next week, when I do ours.  I have composed a Christmas letter for us this year rather than buying cards.  I really owe people letters rather than cards.  But the dolls will have cards with candy and Santas on them.  I have begun wrapping the presents too.  Of course for most of my family I will need to mail the presents, hence the early wrapping.  But I may as well get the dolls' presents wrapped too!  I can't wait to see the pile.
      I have put up a tiny feather tree, some lights and some framed Santa pictures, and a bright Pointsettia centers the table.  And today, I burned up the orange slices I was candying!  At least the rice pudding for dinner is baking nicely.






















Sunday, October 31, 2010

Cool Weather


     Well, we've had our first frost, and our second.  I've brought in all the green tomatoes to ripen on the kitchen counter.  I also brought in all the house plants who were enjoying life on the front porch.  They obviously like it there as they always grow big leaves.  Not more than 3 hours of sun a day and the birds to talk to them.  But what's this, the Christmas Cactus has bloomed already.  I wasn't expecting that.  I'm sure it's because I didn't cut it back this year. Last year I was visiting in a house where one whole dormer was taken up with a Christmas cactus blooming in March.  It was huge, as big as a bushel basket and as happy as a plant ever is.  I decided then to stop cutting mine back and see what happens.  Now it hangs over the kitchen sink (so I don't forget to water it) and if I get too slouchy while washing dishes I hit my head on it.  It's the perfect level to admire the showy blossoms.








     I am in a swivet to finish my painting work in the garage before it gets too cold for the paint to dry.  Last year I contracted to faux-grain an antique trunk.  They sent it to be stripped and I didn't hear anything about it and now this year it has been sent over and oh, my it was much larger than I had anticipated.  My Husband was quite taken with it and got some new handles for it.  Then he fixed the wheels and leveled them.  It has rounds of wood set in the metal frame of the bottom  that roll only side to side, like old treadle sewing machines.  There is so much decorative metal work that I have spent rather a lot of time just putting on the base coat.    I would have painted some today but the rust proof primer still smells so I think it's not dry enough.  Here it is before the primer.




     I went to Spring Mill park this month with my friend and I noticed something I had not noticed before.  There is a tree there that has a mouth and he is definitely trying to say something!







     I think I mentioned that I have upped the budget for our groceries.  I seem to have settled on $30 a week per person.  We were ready for some luxuries.  Maybe it's the coming of winter, although I'm not sure ice cream should be considered a winter food!  At any rate we have a lovely menu for this week.

Sun.  Marinated Pork Roast, mashed potatoes, fresh peas and carrots, Ice Cream
Mon.  Clam chowder,cheese spread sandwiches, salad, dark chocolate candy bar
Tues.  Sliced roast pork, buttered rice, tossed salad with feta cheese, frozen fruit cocktail
Wed. Birthday,  Shrimp cocktail, steak, baked potato, salad, Pineapple up-side-down cake
Thurs. Chicken divan, with noodles and broccoli, salad, cake
Fri. Hamburgers on rye buns with sauteed mushrooms, roasted potato sticks, cake
Sat. company, Chicken fajitos with rice and refried beans, tortillas and salsa

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Log Cabin

     I have just finished washing the dishes in the double sink.  My dishwasher is 30 years old and doesn't work very well and I have fallen into the habit of washing the dishes by hand.  I like the water scalding hot and fill the second sink with rinse water which is scalding hot too.  As I wash glasses and plates, I put them in the hot rinse water and leave them for few minutes.  I feel that scalding is a good level of clean, not sterile but hot and drying in the rack as they are removed. 
     We had spinach, Swiss cheese and mushrooms in our omelet this morning, a patty of sage sausage, and oat bannocks for breakfast.  I got the recipe for the oat cakes out of  my currant mystery from the library, The Tale of Oat Cake Crag by Susan Wittig Albert.  It's a pastiche on Beatrix Potter.  I haven't read it yet but the oat cakes were stunning!
     Then I sat down to e-mail some people about a log cabin they have advertised.  Now we are happy in our little tract house with the wooden walls and the wood-burning stove.  But I have always wanted a log cabin.  When I was a child of about 4 or 5, my Mother and Step-father moved to south central Kentucky and bought an 8 acre tract of land.  The neighbors put up the cabin for us using logs from the lot and stones from a nearby creek.  I remember it distinctly.  Of all the homes I've lived in, and there are many, this one is the most vivid.  I believe now that living there was not easy.  At first we had no electricity but later we had light bulbs and a radio.  Never any plumbing.  Since I was a child at the time, I apparently made no judgements about that because for me that house was perfect!  There were two big oak trees in the front yard (like Laura's house in The Big Woods_) and from one my step-father hung a long swing.  Just for me.  I spent a lot of time on that swing.  I  played house with acorns and leaves while squirrels chattered at me from the high branches.  To this day I can hardly go for a walk without bringing home acorns in my pockets.  And I collect squirrels!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Getting ready for Christmas in October

     It is impossible to keep it from the dolls!  I have caused a major upheaval in the house.  Dolls are being moved, dressed, unpacked from boxes, and measured.  In a few instances I have actually held gift items up against dolls to see if they match, fit or seem appropriate to the style.  It's no use saying they won't know because they're just dolls, after all.  They obviously do know and it shows on their faces!  They all wear an expression of happy anticipation.  And anticipation, as you know, is the dolls most enjoyed state.


I have had to move in more shelves to hold more dolls.  Then there is the arranging:  Note that Marie Claire's dress is finished.  Miss Rita is entertaining the other dolls with her guitar.


     The guest room bed is laden with a mess of possible doll Christmas presents.


Preparatory to working on Christmas cards my husband lays out all his tools  on a dining room table still decorated with fall motifs.





Here are the finished cards.  Below are the tiny boxes I have been folding.  They come out of an old Dover publication.



 We ended up making about 55 cards.  I am not sure exactly how many dolls we have.  Current estimate is 37 but new ones keep coming to light.  Some of the dolls put away in boxes are slated to go elsewhere as I can no longer countenance keeping them shut up in boxes.  They all need happy homes.
     I am working on place cards, to be placed in front of each doll so we can keep track of who is who.  Presents are coming in from outside, for instance, my daughter is making some doll jewelry, and maybe an apron or two.  I want to fabricate some gift bags for large or bulky items which won't fit in the small boxes.  Tissue paper will be cut down to fit in the bags.  It becomes apparent that some of my friends wish to be present at the doll's Christmas so I think it will be a party!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Getting ready

     I feel that I'm always getting ready for something.  So much for living in the moment.  Whether it's clean clothes for the week, canning for the winter, getting the doll's  Christmas ready, there's always something I need to do to get ready.  In fact, I don't think I'm exactly sane when I don't have something to work toward.  I like having a plan.  Even in so little a thing as what to fix for dinner in the evening.  And I have heard countless women complain that they can't think of a thing, that they're tired of inventing something every day!  So I am happy to have that decided for me, either by events or by plan.  Sometimes I make menus far into the month.  That doesn't always work.  What sounded good two weeks ago may not be suited to the taste today.  Other times there are reasons, like we have to eat the last of the lettuce before it spoils.  Sometimes I just get going and fix things ahead.  That is what happened this week.  I got out a pound of ground beef and thawed it to make spaghetti, Hubby's favorite food, and used 1/4 of it for that, then made some tiny meatloaves in mini-pans, (slice it the long way, it's 3 regular size slices).  We didn't eat all the spaghetti so there was enough to make another meal, (baked spaghetti with cheese).  I also made whole wheat bread.  So here are the menus:  

Monday        Spaghetti and tossed salad
Tuesday        Meatloaf, Potatoes au gratin,  green beans, fresh baked bread
Wednesday   Baked spaghetti, Frozen broccoli, canteloup
Thursday       Soup and Roast beef sandwiches  (we need to use the deli meat up)
Friday is up for grabs but I'm thinking of grilling chicken breasts and corn on cob
Saturday night for company, Pizza with bread dough I saved back in the fridge.  Brownies.

     Now as to getting ready for the doll's Christmas, well, we haven't told the dolls yet but I think they suspect something.  They just seem a little restless.  I'm sure we will tell them soon.  I'd like to get them  distributed around the house nicely first.  And clothed.  I know that anticipation is a doll's greatest pleasure!
The Christmas cards are coming along nicely.  They measure about 1 1/2" by 1" and the envelopes are a little larger.  Some are square, they have a different envelope:



    Note the tiny stamp made out of stickers sent to us in the mail.  I see I should have put a quarter in to give some idea of gauge, you'll just have to take my word for it.  The print on the back of the card reads, very tiny, Doll House Christmas Productions, 2010



  

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Christmas for the dolls

     It started out very innocently, I tell you, it was just a suggestion.  I think I've mentioned that I love this season of the year, the holidays, the weather, the scenery during the fall.  I even love winter right up through Christmas.  I'm pretty much done with it then.  But my children are all grown up and the chaotic Christmases of the past are quiet now.  And I guess I resent that, some.  I was pondering that and trying to think of ways to jolly up my Christmas this year.  I've always loved Tasha Tudor, for her stubbornly living the kind of life she chose, and I remembered that she always had Christmas for the dolls in her establishment.  So I wrote that down on my list, a short list, I have to admit. Dolls' Christmas.  I didn't think it was all that great an idea though.
     Then I couldn't get  it out of my head.   What would a Doll's Christmas look like?  I had a momentary flash of tiny Christmas cards in tiny envelopes.  Tiny cakes.  Tiny presents, and then "Oh, What kind of presents would they like"?  Really, I thought it was harmless to speculate because it wasn't really going to happen, was it?
     I was momentarily flummoxed because all the dolls do not have names.  Time to remedy that.  But then what about the dolls who are packed away in boxes, we couldn't have Christmas without them, could we?  Then, what about the dolls who have recently received presents, like my large tin head who was just given a lovely mandolin, to scale, which has the further advantage of playing music when wound, by my dear friend A______.  One voice in my head said, "they don't know anything, you can do what ever you want" but another voice said "they'll know if you're not fair"  and so on.  I began to troll the house for objects that would serve as presents.  I even had the thought that there were certain objects that I didn't want to give away!  As if I wouldn't still own them if they were given to a doll that I already own!
     Now, you can see that it has gotten completely out of hand and has taken on a life of its own.  And I am constantly busy making dolls dresses, glueing on wigs, surfing the internet looking for ideas.  I got a pattern for lace mitts there!  My husband was drawn in, working on 40 miniature Christmas cards with stamps which will be canceled before delivery.  I am looking for a suitable postal box.


Ana doll
Dolls in need of clothing




Abe and Mary







the upstairs gang

The downstairs gang
The big tin head is named Beatrice

Marie Clair is having a fitting for her new dress and petticoat


     So you can see that I have pretty much gone gaga as we used to say.  I am enjoying it to a ridiculous extent.   More on the Doll's Christmas soon!




Friday, September 10, 2010

Another view of creative

     For a couple of years I tried to learn to paint pictures.  Great art on my walls!  Later, when I had tried it, I thought, well, "acceptable art".  But is there such a thing?
       I bought some good watercolors (of course, on sale) and worked on it every week for a couple of years.  After all, both my parents were artists, several of my children are too, it couldn't have skipped me, could it?   Well, yes, maybe it could.  Though my early efforts were suggestive, I never improved, in fact I got worse, if possible.  Finally, I gave it up. And then eventually, the expensive paints sitting around unused began to bother me.  I began to look for a way to use them in a more controlled (so I thought) way. 
     At the same time I had been experimenting with covering cardboard hatboxes and bandboxes with wallpaper.  I have always liked those quirky boxes and have bought a few at auctions for pennies with an eye to collecting them.  They are not always available on the cheap though and I began to think about making them myself.  When in want, make it yourself, I always say.  Besides, I am not the world's neatest person and these containers could make a neat-nik out of me!  I bought some vintage wallpaper at a garage sale and started.  Whew,  what a lot of work!  Rather, it's not the work maybe, it's the precision needed that eluded me.  I gritted my teeth and practised.  I got books from the library.  Glue appeared on all my clothing.  I got more books.  One pictured faux-grained objects.  I was intrigued.  The only thing better than wallpaper covered boxes would be Amish boxes, right?  And I had plenty of paint!
     So I started, having the book open on the paint table.  I was sure it would be hard to do . . .but what's this,  the grain effects are all a trick of brush strokes.  Follow the directions and it happens right before your eyes and it's just like magic.  And my lopsided tendencies, my disorganization, are assets, since wood grain tends to be random. . .
       
     I even found a way to add the swallow-tails, out of cardboard, of course.  I used the wallpaper to line them with.




     A hundred boxes later,  I've sold a few, given many more away as gifts and still have a supply for my own use.  I'm still learning but I'm also still enjoying, which is perhaps more important.


Note the one wallpapered box here.

     Granted, all my projects have not been so successful but this one has bolstered my belief that one can make the things one desires, satisfy the need for creativity and express one's self  without a large expenditure of money, in fact, I'm not sure money is any indicator of what one can do.!