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.