Pleeassseee!

Can I?  Please?  Pretty Please?  Can I?  

ADAD - September: 11 - 22

11: What you did today.   Peggy Sue practised her 'cello

12;  Shadow

13:  Unexpected.  What do I do with this?

14: Liquid.  Now what is this washing up liquid doing out here?

15:  Season.  Autumn is upon us the leaves are falling.

16:  Frame

17:  In front of me.

18:  Vintage

19:  What is this?  Why my knitting of course!

20:  In the morning...Wake up Peggy Sue.

21:  Rule of Thirds

22:  Made me Smile.  Playing with friends.

Can you replace a childhood toy/memory?

Quite a few years back, pre music degree and everything else I collected Tressy dolls.  It started when I came across someone selling them when I bought a book for my son from her on Ebay.  She had a website about these dolls.   I had a brunette second edition Tressy when I was a child that I used to play with a lot.  I remember playing with her with a friend called Beverley when we lived in Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand and was so surprised that someone else had one as they were not common in NZ.  We had taken mine over with us when we emigrated there in 1973.  Sadly on one of our many moves she went missing.  Whether she was lost in a box of other things that went missing - I seem to recall a dressing gown going missing during that move, or whether my mother gave her away (she did that with several of my dolls without asking me) I don't really know.  All I know is I went on a quest to replace that childhood doll and ended up with rather a collection.  I sold most of that collection just over a year ago and keep three, plus three Toots.  I discovered in this quest that you can't really replace these childhood dolls/toys.  There is something missing from them...perhaps some essence or the like.  It is difficult to explain.  But they are just not 'the same'.  One of the ones I kept back is very much like my brunette childhood Tressy and I put the dress I still had on her, but it still hasn't made her 'mine' even though I must have had her for over 15 years now, which in fact is probably longer than I actually had my childhood doll for as I think I got her when I was between the ages of 4 and 6 and she got lost when I was about 16.  So it isn't how long you have a doll for either it seems.  So these remaining six dolls are soon to move on to new homes.

This is not my photo, but an image from Google.  

(My Jacko was dressed the same way and I miss him so much!)

I am often tempted to replace 'Jacko' my monkey who sadly got eaten by rats when Mum moved him and some of my other bears and dolls from the protection of inside a wardrobe in the house, to a box in an old dilapidated shed in the grove.  Why she did this I still do not understand to this day as it was just asking for trouble...Yes, rats ate him :- (  I was devastated and if the truth be told I still feel very upset about this.  Several very precious to me bears and dolls were destroyed.  I should be able to 'let this go' but I do find it difficult to do so.  Why is it even as a 'mature' adult I find this upsetting?  I remember when I discovered what had happened.  I had planned to bring these remaining childhood toys back to England with me when we were in New Zealand visiting my family.  I went to get them and they were no longer stored where I had left them...in their place were my brother in law's father's exercise bike and things...  items that COULD have been stored in a shed without fear of damage from rats!  Where were my dolls I asked?  In the shed in the grove.  I went out to get them and was horrified what I found.  My special pyjama case teddy that my Dad had brought home with him one day after work had been eaten.  Jacko had really been damaged beyond repair....I tried washing him in their washing machine - apparently my poor Dad was still finding bits of foam in the drum for months afterwards!  My doll had her thumb chewed off...and various other things.  But these are the three I remember the most as they were the three most precious to me.  Three toys that had travelled to New Zealand with me as a six year old.  I remember I had had to part with several bears and dolls before we left England for New Zealand and can only think that this is why these three were just so much more special as they were the ones I could keep.  I still feel this loss.  

Anyway, despite my temptations to replace Jacko, I remind myself of previous attempts to 'replace childhood dolls/toys' and realise that even if I did, it wouldn't be MY Jacko.   

So not sure why I am writing this really. Just trying to work through various things that seem to be jumbling around in my mind at the moment, and perhaps it is part of working through the process of cutting back on various possessions I have and working out why I have some of these items. Sometimes we just need to let go.  I am not very good at it.

If you could only have three?

I have been having a big sort through my dolls recently...I am feeling rather overwhelmed by everything the dolls including so trying to have a big de-clutter session.  It all started with the kitchen which is now wonderful - it took over a week to clear, clean, de-clutter and repaint.  I have now started on my sewing studio which also houses dolls, books and music...and to say the job is huge is an understatement.  It seems I am making more mess and it is even harder to get in there now!  Part of the problem being that I have to put everything back in at the end of each day in case it rains.  It did last night - it chucked it down.  I want to be able to enjoy the things I have and use/play with them rather than have them tucked away in boxes unreachable.  So it is time to downsize.  Dolls I have had for a long time but no longer hold any interest for me need to go.  Well that isn't strictly true, I do still like them, I just feel I don't need to hang on to them any longer and by doing so will hopefully be able to focus on the ones I want to.  So far I have sorted about 30 dolls to go which are currently on my 'For Sale' page.  I will gradually list them on my Etsy site or on Ebay.  

Which got me thinking:

If you could only keep three  five dolls, who would they be and why?

I know which three five it would be for me....although of course it would be hard.

Henry, my travel companion who has been to Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and the USA with me.  Henry is a Sasha Gregor doll who was made by the Trendon factory in Stockport, England in 1971. He has only been with me a few years, but has really wheedled his way into my heart from the moment I saw him.

Peggy Sue, is another who hasn't been with me very long, but is a firm companion and I have a lot of fun with her.  She is a wooden Schoenhut doll who I stripped back to bare wood, and as such has become very personal to me.

Hitty Madge, is my small doll I carved - the first I ever carved in fact.

Linda, is my 'walking & talking' Palitoy doll from the very early 70s that I got as a child.  I am not sure if she was bought for me by my Grandparents or my Parents - I must ask to see if Mum or Dad remember.  

?

Of course I hope I never have to make these crucial choices!  What a difficult thing that would be.  I think I could actually get them down to ten dolls, but after four it is more difficult choosing that fifth doll...would it be American Girl Doll Saige whom my son surprised me with last year?  Or would it be a Sasha doll?  That is where it becomes very difficult.  Whereas if it were ten, I could also include Saige, AG Chrissy who I am also very fond of and FOUR Sasha dolls, or perhaps a KnC .

So my extra six dolls would be:

AG Saige

AG Chrissy

KnC Bobby

Sasha - Stevie

Sasha - Amber or Emily whom my husband bought me.

?

Nope can't do it!  It is always difficult choosing that 'last' doll, especially when I look at them!

How about you?

Dolls for Sale

I am sorting through some of my dolls and some are looking for new adventures and want to move on to new homes.

I have set up a new page which you can find by clicking here.  Not all details are finished yet, prices may be negotiable, so if you are seriously interested in anything then feel free to contact/message/email me.

ADAD - September Days 8 - 10 & A New School Term

8:  Made by Me - Redwork embroidery I did at school last year.

9: On the Wall - here I am balancing!

10: Sweet

Peggy Sue tells Little Owen all about her first day back at school  when they have a 'Sweet Treats' party.

Peggy Sue has her bedroom back! ADAD September - Days 5 - 7

The Sailor has gone back to see and the Autumn months are nearly upon us....Peggy Sue is delighted to get her 'bedroom' back....

Combing her hair.

Hoping it isn't too knotty...

She looks like she is getting ready for something?

ADAD - September  Days 5 - 7

5.  Do you think we will be 'here forever' Little Owen?

6.  Getting Ready

7.  Look at my lovely new White shoes.  

(Shoes made for Peggy Sue by the talented Monica of Macon Street Studio.

ADAD - September 1 - 4

Peggy Sue wanted to take part in the photo challenge 'A Doll A Day for September' and so who am I to disappoint her.

The first four days...

1. Together - Peggy Sue and Little Owen are enjoying some time together before she has to start back at school on Monday.

2.  My name begins with....'P' for Peggy Sue of course!

3.  Lines - "if I am really careful I can walk on the lines..."

4.  Alone - Sometimes it is good to also spend some time alone contemplating, thinking or just 'being'.