Puppy Love Grooming Set from OG and a new outfit from Build A Bear store.

A while ago I purchased this cute set from Our Generation, at Hudson Bay store downtown. They have the cutest mini sets and I can't resist them.

I finally set it up using a sewing machine bench, a bucket from Dollarama, Mary Ellen dressed in a cute pet outfit from Build a Bear, and Piki, Alika's dog. 

I think it all matches really well together.

By Loretta Houben

Doll buggies....

I thought I had scanned this photo from 1999 into my computer, but I couldn't find it, so I took a cell phone shot of it. I have so many photos I don't think I'll ever get caught up! I love this one of little Ashley posing with her maternal Grandma's childhood doll buggy. I should have also had her pose with mine! Ashley is wearing a white dress I wore when I was young.

Here is my smallest doll buggy.

I don't remember where I bought it.

I made the little doll from a kit. Marlene also made one at the same time. I don't know if she kept it or not. It was from a doll business in Toronto, ON.

Here is the little doll close up. I had fun making the clothes.

Here is a photo of my Mom's doll buggy, taken in the house I grew up in, shortly before my parents moved in March 1998. That was 20 years ago this year and I find it difficult to believe! Mom gave me the buggy when she moved. I just love it.

This is my doll buggy, pale blue in colour, which I got for Christmas when I was 5. I loved it so much. I had a blue diaper bag too. 

My parents spoiled us the best they knew how, and not with too much. My childhood was just right, and I wouldn't trade it for anything! My Mom decorated our buggies for a Sport's Day parade at Sir Wilfred Grenfell School. We just loved it! I'm wearing my Mom's going away hat she wore on her honeymoon in 1955! I think she did a great job of decorating with coloured Kleenex!

By Loretta Houben

National Dog Day

Today is National Dog Day. I'm not sure if that applies to Canada too. Anyhow, here is my favourite dog, Kelsie, in 2003 posing with my dolls. She enjoyed everything I did, both inside and out. Where I went, she went. I began to collect Chatty Cathy dolls in earnest in 2002. I discovered the joy of buying online on eBay. This was a new concept to me, and I loved it. Back then shipping prices were quite reasonable. 

It always looked like Kelsie was smiling in photos. She was a very happy dog. I still really miss her. She died on March 17 of this year. She was 17 years old and she lived a really good life. I don't think I'll get a dog just yet to replace her, though. But a dog is a great thing to have. A dog makes you happy, and with Kelsie I would laugh a great deal each day.

A dog is a great friend. A dog will never let you down, like people can sometimes do. Here is Alika, my Hawaiian AG doll I purchased from Honolulu in 2014. She really likes her dog, Piki, which I got last year at the PNE.

Glitter Girls Dolls

Here is my new 14" Glitter Girls doll!

Her name is Bluebell.

I couldn't resist her melancholy face, and her sale price!

I found her in the toy department at Hudson's Bay downtown Vancouver BC.

The Glitter Girls are made by Battat Doll Company, the same one which makes Our Generation dolls. They are quite cute, except their eyes don't open and shut, just like American Girl Wellies dolls. Bluebell's hair is very pretty and soft. She is really cute in person.

This is the back of the box. I always take a new doll out of the box immediately, and I recycle them. They don't have a cover, so why keep them?

The top of the box on the back.

The bottom of the box on the back.

Some of the accessories for the Glitter Girls were also on sale. I bought the travel one called "Sight for Bright Eyes".

Isn't it adorable?

By Loretta Houben

Grace visits San Francisco!

Hello! Mummy took me with her to San Francisco from 

July 26 - August 2, 2018.

I just loved it there! I don't feel the cold like Mummy does, so I didn't mind that it was only 12 C. Most mornings it was grey and thick with swirling fog. This is because right behind San Francisco there is desert, and this clashes with the hot air and the cold air to make fog.

I loved going on the bus to see the Painted Ladies. The hills are very steep. The Ladies are Victorian homes.

My favourite thing was the Golden Gate Bridge.

We could never see the top of it though.

Here it was really cold.

More of the bridge. We are on it a little way.

This was a sunny afternoon. It's much prettier in the sunshine.

One day we took the cable car and hopped off to see Lombard street, which is the world's most crooked street. It was very short.

Here are the switchbacks that the cars crawl down.

We loved Chinatown too. It was really interesting here.

San Francisco was a very neat place to visit. 

Mary Ellen's new chesterfield!

Mary Ellen is thrilled and delighted to have a new chesterfield! Best of all, it's a hide-a-bed! She can now have friends over for a sleep over. I purchased this on sale online from my local Chapter's store. It wasn't on sale in the store. That's where online shopping is a plus! I picked it up in the store though. I just love this chesterfield!

In the 1950's that was what a couch/sofa was called in Canada.

I also have Mary Ellen's corner table with a light up lamp, poodle dog ornament, newspaper and TV guide. Robert gave me the TV and record console 2 years ago at Christmas. I just love these things. I grew up in the 60's and 70's but we had a green couch very similar to this, which opened up to sleep 2 people. My sister Leona and I would often sleep on it when guests came. The guests would sleep in our beds!

Mary Ellen also has 2 pillows, a fancy ripple afghan, and an autograph hound. My Mom crocheted a ripple afghan in the 1970's when they became all the rage again. 

Mary Ellen is pleased that her two friends are sound asleep in the comfortable hide-a-bed. This is a really neat prop. I just love it.

By Loretta Houben

Chavonne, my newest Journey Girl Doll

Chavonne, in her box at Toys R Us in Metrotown, lower level where Sears bargain center once was, and in the long ago ancient days of the 1960's where Simpson Sears toy store once was!

I was struck with Chavonne's pretty face and I love her dress. I thought that Toys R Us was going to close down in Canada, as it is in the USA. So I purchased this doll on March 23 for $34.99 Cdn. I really like her face and hair, and I love her outfit.

Here is her face up close.

Chavonne out of her box.

By Loretta Houben

Ruby's day out!

I took Ruby downtown with me today.
She is my 14" Wellie Wisher doll by American Girl.

She is the only WW doll I have. Her brand name is Emerson, but I don't care for that for a girl's name!

There were two large cruise ships in harbour today. All of the ships were heading to Alaska at 4:30 pm or 6:00 pm today. Wouldn't that be fun! No one in this household has ever been on a cruise yet.

Here is a view of another cruise ship. They are gigantic! You can see the North Shore mountains in the back ground, and Stanley Park, and a big pile of yellow sulfur. It's been there for a very long time, even when Mummy was a little girl. It comes from Alberta and is shipped to Asian countries to be used as fertilizer. It's 25 meters high and weighs 160,000 tonnes! Yikes!

This is a neat walkway you can take to see the other big cruise ship, and to take a ride on "Fly over Canada". Maybe we can come back for that one day!

By Loretta Houben

Celebrating the British Royal Wedding on May 19th, 2018!

May 19th, 2018 was an exciting day.

Prince Harry, Lady Diana's youngest son, was married to an American actress; Meghan Markle.

She is divorced so I hope their wedding will last for 70 years like Prince Harry's grandparents.

I made some special items for a doll tea, which I set up on the window seat in the living room. I used Samantha's table and chair set. I placed a paper doily on the table as I couldn't locate the tablecloth!

Alika was so excited to be chosen.

(due to her darker skin colour)

The tea sets don't match, but apparently that's the in thing!

The paper items which I printed came from this blog. They turned out so cute! I simply downsized them for the dolls.

I used my miniature teapot with the Queen's photo on it, which celebrated her 50th coronation event. It's the only Royal thing I had!

I made a fascinator hat for Nanea.

She was thrilled. 

I used part of a ribbon holder which had broken off, for the base; a round cardboard circle! I glued an oval shaped netting piece under the lace, and glued flowers and a lace butterfly on top. It was very easy to do.

I used a bobby pin to attach it to Nanea's hair.

What do you think of my background full of ancestor's photos? I finally put them up last year when a cousin from Australia came for a visit; I love to see them each day.

It was a very special event. I got up at 3 am to watch the wedding. Did you?

By Loretta Houben

Meet June, a new retro Our Generation doll!

Here is my newest 18" doll!

I really do love the Our Generation dolls, and am so pleased that Hudsons Bay downtown has a large collection.

Last week the whole area was on sale 20% off!

If only I had more room...

But June came home with me, and is happy exploring her new surroundings.

 The temps this past week have been amazingly hot, and the sunshine is dazzling! My garden is in full bloom.

 Here is what June looked like before I took her out of her box. She was very sturdily stuck in there, let me tell you!

 June is wearing a beautiful outfit from Maplelea, a Canadian 18" doll company which makes really good quality clothes and dolls.

 I had been eyeing this outfit for some time, and it came on sale for $37 Cdn; top, skirt, jacket, purse and shoes!

 I also got this cute set for only $25 Cdn!

It came with all these things; tennis dress, panties, hat, socks, shoes, towel, hair bands, bag, tennis racket and ball!

It was all shipped for only $9.00 Cdn. Love it!

By Loretta Houben