A Summer Music Festival.

(This is a duplicate post from my Sasha blog.)

There is a lot of music going on here at Rose Cottage at the moment...both inside and outside of the house.

Bobby has been practising his guitar in the garden, enjoying the inspiration nature brings him.

Edith has found her flute, much to her relief and is now busy catching up on her preparation with the help of Peggy Sue.

Peggy Sue looks up at her to see her cue for when to start.

Hamish is busy practising his cornet.

Henry waits patiently with his clarinet.

Seems Hamish is going to be playing for a bit longer yet.

Later on Henry accompanies Peggy Sue..

Peggy Sue has been very diligent with her Cello playing.

Anne-Marie joins them on the violin.

A lovely trio of music.

These two girls have been working hard together.  Sometimes the two sisters get on so well and it is good to see them progress.

As to the Sasha girls...I am not sure what has been going on there...but there has been much banging and percussion type 'music' happening...and apparently no one is allowed to know what they are preparing yet...

So just what did the girls do yesterday?

So what to do on a wet day...you may recall yesterday the weather was terrible,  Alice and Anne-Marie stared out the patio windows disappointed that yet again they couldn't go out to play.

While Alice was staring out the window I noticed the state of her hair - not that I haven't noticed before, but I decided it was the perfect opportunity for a hair wash.

Her hair was a dirty blonde colour and quite 'stiff'.

Alice decided she was quite ready for a hair wash and so we set to work.

Imagine my astonishment when I discovered it was a real hair wig!  The water changed a murky colour, but the hair grew softer and lighter.     A little hair was lost during the combing through process, but fortunately not too much.

Alice can't quite believe how it feels now.

What a transformation!

It is a shame that she took a pair of scissors to her fringe/bangs at some stage - seems something a lot of little girls try!

The back - isn't it pretty?

It was the day for transformations it seems.

Gladys Jean decided she too wanted a makeover.

We hunted through the wig box and found a wig that fitted - it had lots of ringlets, which really didn't suit so the length was shortened and the ringlets washed out.

A new dress was made for her, of which she is especially proud of.

The dress has a lovely little detachable lace collar.

She thinks she might like a new name as well...which we are currently debating on.  She thinks she would quite like to be called Norma Jean.

So after these makeovers what did the girls get up to on a rainy day?

Why they played a game of dominoes.  Norma Jean is asking Anne-Marie how to play and Anne-Marie is explaining about matching up the numbers of dots on the dominoes.

Peggy Sue & Edith

It has been a lovely afternoon after a rather bleak day yesterday and heavy rain and then a grey morning.  

Peggy Sue is always one to make the most of any opportunity and heads outside with her pram.

Little Owen has of course come along for a ride.

Pretty soon Edith joins her and they stop and chat a while.

Edith peaks in to see who Peggy Sue has with her...

A dress for Edith

A lovely new outfit arrived for Edith the other day.  It has been made in the same style as an original outfit shown on a doll in the Schoenhut Book

I need to pull the skirt up her waist a bit more as it should be a bit higher.

It looks fabulous on her though.

As I was going to take a photo of something today I noticed two unlikely companions standing together on the wall unit.

Skipper & Marcia.

A New Dress for Edith

Not wanting Edith to miss out and new dress was made for her today.

Lots of pictures, not many words 

Fashion & Afternoon Tea

As Betsy was such a good girl modelling the other dresses, I thought I really ought to make one especially for her.

It is difficult to see in the photograph, but the fabric has tiny green polka dots on it.

She is especially proud to have her very own dress.

She thinks she now looks like a little princess.

I think she does as well.

Close up detail of the dress.

Later in aid of the new dresses it was decided to have a tea party.

All the girls gather for tea and cakes.

Little Betsy feels a bit small alongside the others... so Anne-Marie asks Betsy if she wants to sit on her lap.

Betsy does and is much happier.

The girls chat away about this and that.

Betsy tells Anne-Marie about the dresses she modelled today.

Catherine and Edith, talk about what they are going to do during the week.

Some serious discussion going on here!

Much fun is had.