Jenna, my Maplelea doll which I won in 2009!

Do you like to enter contests? I sure do!

In November of 2009 I entered a contest at Urban Moms (no longer in existence). I submitted a paragraph of why I enjoyed being a Canadian. A few weeks later, Jen, the author of the site, emailed and said I'd been one of five winners! I had my choice of a Maplelea Canadian doll!

I picked Jenna, because she has red hair and green eyes and is from Nova Scotia. She has an Anne of Green Gables outfit which I plan to purchase really soon.

Jenna arrived on December 16, 2009.

She came in a lovely box and has a cute journal.

Here is a comparison of 3 18" dolls;

Samantha, an American Girl doll; Jenna; and Elsie Dinsmore, a Life of Faith doll.

Here is the lovely Maplelea box.

I traded my Jenna to Sarah Jean when I got interested in Bleuette dolls in 2010. Now I wish I had kept Jenna!

By Loretta Houben

Boxing Day sale!

I usually don't go out on Boxing Day, but the snow had stopped and the roads were clear, so we ventured forth to Market Crossing on Marine Drive.

I believe these stores were built in 2009, and at the time I was very excited as a Michael's craft store was added, and it's the closest one to our home. I used to spend $70 each time I visited but those days are long gone. I now spend around $10 or less! 

I found a darling Christmas fireplace which lights up. It's perfect for the mini dolls and it's so cute! It was marked down to $6.95 from $22 Cdn!

Nanea received a darling mini tea set from Frankfurt Germany! Actually, Robert got it for me and put it in my stocking. I picked it out on that hot May day when we spent 2 nights in Frankfurt on our 35th anniversary trip to Europe. We didn't have much time to shop there, but I found it in a souvenir store near our hotel. 

The little Bible is a New Testament with teeny print. It was a gift from Steve Jensen, Robert's childhood friend he still keeps in touch with. It belonged to his maternal Grandmother. He sent it as a surprise in the mail and I waited until Christmas to open it.

The hand embroidered doily is from Heidelburg. I love these sorts of presents the very best of all!

By Loretta Houben

Mini Nanea's new Christmas dress!

I love to get Wren*Feathers lovely newsletter each week.

In it Jenny has FREE dolly patterns, and they are darling. She also has an Etsy shop.

I usually procrastinate, save the pattern, and never get around to sewing it, but mini Nanea (who arrived last week) wanted a new dress very badly, so I printed the pattern, found a cute Christmas print, cut it out, and hand sewed it. I even put the snap on the back.

I'm very pleased with myself, and Nanea is quite happy.

By Loretta Houben

A Bleuette Christmas!

These photos were taken in 2010, at the height of my Bleuette reproduction doll craze! They are very addictive. I bought all my dolls online through a Bleuette Yahoo doll group. My first one was Yvette Marie, painted by Connie Zink. She is sitting in the photo above, holding a tiny Chatty Cathy doll. The next Bleuette I got was a gift from Marcie Ewasko. She's wearing the red velveteen dress and is named Zoe.

I sewed quite a few of their dresses. I made the hankie dresses by hand sewing. I collected quite a few props for them!

For a while I had a special blog just for them. But then I returned to my love of the 18" size dolls, and so the Bleuettes are biding their time for now.

 I have so many cute things for them.

 This is a special blue velveteen dress I designed as a swap gift. I think Zoe looks very pretty!

 I can't believe I hadn't yet blogged about the Bluettes on this doll blog. I'll try to add more photos in the days ahead.

By Loretta Houben

Dolly play...

This was one of my prettiest window scenes, done in 2006. Lately I just don't seem to have the time or the energy for this, sad to say, but I'm trying to get back into it. The dolly groups, facebook pages, blogs and YouTubes are all inspiring me greatly, and I find when I "play" with the dolls, re-arranging them, dressing them up etc, it relaxes me and makes me feel peaceful instead of hyped because of all the evil news I hear on social media. (not just TV anymore) So I am now looking at my doll collection as a Stress Reliever, and therefore very valuable!

by Loretta Houben

Tea Time Tuesday!

Tea time Tuesday!

I'm doing this on Facebook, so I'll also add my photos here. I've had many Chatty Cathy teatimes in my home. I think I've covered all the types of teas one could have, and it's been a lot of fun!

Up above is my childhood Chatty Cathy doll on the right in the large blue gingham tea dress. I bought the dress on eBay, and since this was photographed I've adjusted the hemline!

Way back in 2004 I had been collecting Chatty dolls for 2 years, and met a friend in a Yahoo group.

She lived close by and would often come over for tea.

We had a lot of fun.

That's her doll on the left. This was an Easter/spring themed tea, and I had made home baked sugar cookies.

My 2nd tea time was held in the living room at the coffee table. I made ham and cheese roll ups, with a fresh mango/blueberry salad, and purchased dessert.

I always serve a black tea such as Red Rose or Tetley. I don't care for any other tea! I used my Dimity Rose tea set by Royal Albert.

Close up of the goodies.

My 3rd tea time was at Christmas.

I used my Poinsettia pattern tea set by Royal Albert. Leona gave me the teapot at Christmas 1981. I've always treasured it.

This tea was late in the afternoon and I served Christmas desserts. I had the JC Penny Christmas Chatty Cathy doll. She's really cute and says Christmas things. I made the little Chatty Cathy bags. Stay tuned for more tea time Tuesdays!

By Loretta Houben

My Christmas dolls; 1960-1965

I was 6 months old my first Christmas.

My parents bought me a doll as big as I am!

I still have her. She was made by a Canadian doll company which I believe was in Toronto, Ontario; Dee & Cee. They were the ones chosen to make the Chatty Cathy dolls a few years later. Aren't I cute?

My handsome Dad, Jack Williams, and myself.

He always loved Christmas, and enjoyed all my dolls.

A collage from 1961 - 1963.

I didn't appreciate my tricycle until later.

In 1962 I got a soft bodied baby doll and a cute pink cradle.

In 1963 I got a lovely tin kitchen set with pots and pans, dishes, and a pretend turkey.

It was made in West Germany and I loved that set!

One of my favourite dolls was my blonde haired Chatty Cathy doll, made by Dee & Cee in Canada, and by Mattel in the USA. I got her in 1964. The Canadian dolls are marvelously made with glassine eyes and peach limbs which don't fade. My sister Leona got a brunette baby Chatty doll.

We also got a tin house with plastic furniture. 

In 2014 my doll turned 50.

I don't ever remember naming any of my dolls.

Recently I began calling her Catherine.

She still has her original dress and shoes.

In 1965 we had a new baby sister (born in July).

Leona and I got blue doll buggies and diaper bags for our dolls.

We played often with those buggies.

Christmas was always a very happy time in our home!

By Loretta Houben

A white Christmas and an even whiter Boxing Day!

Proof we had a white Christmas!

Mary Ellen got a stocking with a mermaid doll and a little pony.

And she got a TV with a record player!

Today was Boxing Day here in Canada.

It snowed ALL DAY, over 12 hours.

We got 8" of fresh snow on top of our 8" out there.

By Loretta Houben

Wishing you a merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Have a blessed weekend.

From Loretta

Grace's Christmas adventures.

Mini Grace is my most played with (meaning photographed) mini doll in 2016. I believe I also took more photos of them than the 18" size AG dolls. I also sewed more for them.

Here is mini Grace visiting the nativity scene in my living room.

I purchased the figurines in 1978. They are made in Japan.

I think the poor darlings need warmer clothes.

It snowed here in Vancouver BC on Dec 5 and the snow is still on the ground because it snowed 3 more times after that. We don't usually have a white Christmas.

Another photo of mini Grace by the manger.

Merry Christmas!

By Loretta Houben

Mary Ellen's new Christmas dress.

Yesterday I decorated the kitchen Christmas tree.

Yes, I have a small one on top of my vintage sewing machine cabinet.

It brightens up the corner behind the table.

For 5 years we had a small white tree in the living room, and when we threw it away last year, I loved the ornaments so much I had to buy a small white tree.

Mary Ellen has a new Christmas dress, which I purchased 20% off last month.

Many collectors have this identical dress but I love it so I had to have it.

It's darling. I would have preferred satin to cotton, though.

I think Mary Ellen is adorable.

Merry Christmas!

By Loretta Houben