The Year of the Pig....Chinese New Year.

Ruby is so happy it's the Chinese New Year.

It's the Year of the Pig.

She has her favourite friend with her.

Here are some of Ruby's friends.

They've come by to have a party.

One of the customs of this special day is to give out red packets filled with money. What a fun thing to do!

By Loretta Houben

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you all!

I did take a picture of Alika and Nanea but forgot to post it here until today.

It's always a very busy time here as Robert and I were married on April 3rd a long time ago, and then his birthday is April 4th! Usually Easter lands along with all that celebration, so it does get busy.

This year Robert had gall bladder surgery on March 14, then our dear little JRT died suddenly on Mar 17.

It was a hard week.

Playing with dolls and dressing them up really does help. I hope everyone had a lovely Easter day.

By Loretta Houben

Wearing of the green!

These photos were taken 5 years ago, in 2013. This was before the great flood on my window seat, when the Bleuette's home was still intact. I really enjoyed sewing for them, and dressing them up. I made the dress which Zoe is wearing (2nd from left) and the one on the right.

 I made the little banner and the paper hat too.

 Aren't they cute?

I always made sure I wore green in high school, or my friend Wendy would pinch me hard! I'm glad that I've stepped foot in Ireland, even if it was for only one night. 

By Loretta Houben

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is one of my favourite Newberry dolls, on her new toboggan from Newberry, with the outfit which came with it; hat, coat, sleeveless top, pants, mittens and boots. (no socks)

I had bought the toboggan set fairly recently, before Sears closed. I think it was just before Christmas. It's a really cute set. The toboggan isn't as nice as Maplelea's wooden one, but it's still really cute. (plastic) 

The girls still had fun in the snow.

We had a blizzard last night, but it turned to rain in the morning. There was still a bit left by afternoon when the sun came out. It's very unusual to have a snowy Valentine's Day!

It was fun to take some doll photos outside.

By Loretta Houben

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year 2018!

As you know, Sears is nearly gone here in Canada.

A few weeks ago, I found a few Newberry dolls on sale at Sears in Metrotown, with some props. If I owned a warehouse and knew I could re-sell the dolls I would have bought quite a few, but I controlled myself and I purchased this adorable gingerbread set.

It's very cute and I'd never seen it anywhere else.

It's sturdy and has a removable sign, and 4 little drinks, and cute gingerbread cookies in a covered container.

Kit is entranced! 

I set it up on my kitchen hutch. It matches my other gingerbread ornaments.

By Loretta Houben

CANADA DAY 150!

Yesterday, July 1st, we celebrated Canada Day 150.

That's how old Canada is. It's really quite young compared to other countries!

Maplelea, a Canadian 18" doll company, had the cutest outfit for the dolls so I bought two.

I love celebrations and I love to decorate.

I chose my Hawaiian doll I purchased in Honolulu in 2014 to model one of the outfits. She's on the left holding the Maplelea flag. It doesn't have anything to attach it to the doll's hand. Tenney is on the right and she's holding a flag from Build a Bear, which has an elastic sewn on to attach with. The tin is from Purdy's chocolates. 

Here is a Newberry doll wearing her red and white dress with the AG dolls, plus a pretty plate I purchased downtown in a tourist shop, and a lovely print I found at Winner's.

It was hard finding anything that had 150 on it so I was very pleased with my purchases.

This was a large flag I put in our front window. I got it at London Drugs. I only put the dolls in the window for the photo as they are too valuable to leave in sunshine!

We had a wonderful warm sunny day, and my parents and one sister with her family came over for a delicious BBQ with corn on cob and salads in the afternoon.

Happy Canada 150!

By Loretta Houben

Canada's BIG BIRTHDAY!

Last evening hubby and I headed for Stanley Park.

We went to Third Beach, our favourite place to have a picnic. We packed tuna salad croissants, chips, fresh black cherries, fresh BC strawberries, cookies and Oh Henry chocolate bars. Mmm....

While there I set up Mary Ellen in her new bathing suit. After playing in the sand with her new flamingo sand pail, she had her own little picnic. She indulged in a McDonald's Big Mac with fries, lemonade, a fruit tart, and a butterfly cookie. We decided to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday a few days early. The beach was very busy, but I think it will be worse on July 1st!

By Loretta Houben

Slumber party and a Valentine's Party.

I began collecting vintage Chatty Cathy dolls in 2003, and in 2004 I began to collect props for them. The addiction hasn't slowed down! Above I used a jewelry box for a chest of drawers, an Ikea lamp, and a darling bunk bed which was a Christmas gift in 1970. My sister Leona and I shared the bed and had many hours of fun. The Chatty dolls fit if they don't really lay down. Chatty baby fits fine. I made the nightgown and hat, and the other clothes are vintage 1960's.

This was the first time I decorated for Valentine's Day. I've always set up the doll scenes on my bedroom windowsill. At the moment it's way too crowded and needs to be weeded out again. The table above was purchased at Michael's craft store. I made the red doily which serves as a rug. The stove is vintage from the late 1950's. A friend of the family gave it to us years ago.

It's a lot of fun setting up the dolls and re-arranging them!

By Loretta Houben

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!

My first post of 2017!

Here is Mary Ellen in the new snow we had yesterday, photo taken today.

It was the 7th time it snowed in December!

This is very unusual for us. The last time we had so much snow was in 2008.

We had a very quiet New Year's Eve. I went outside bundled up at midnight and banged a pot and shouted "Happy New Year" while Kelsie, our Jack Russel Terrier, barked a lot.

She loves New Year's Eve. I also popped confetti all over the snow.

I tried to get a picture of the blizzard yesterday but it's a little tricky when you can't really get the dolls wet. I made the hat from a pattern found online; I downsized it for 18" doll size heads.

Here are some of my mini dolls, posing with even tinier hats.

It was fun to make them. The sign is from a necklace cut from one bought at Dollarama.

I hope the New Year is a fun time to play with the dolls you already have!

That's what I tried to do last year, and it worked out very well.

Of course, a few new dolls somehow crept into the ranks, including little Lea.

I won't be buying the new GOTY as I don't care for her costume or her story.

I didn't buy the 18" Lea either. But Addy and Melody both came to live here in 2016, and I really like them.

By Loretta Houben

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I'm pleased because this year I took quite a few dolly photos, and I blogged here many times too! Yay! It's lovely to pose and play with a doll collection.

I have so many dolls and sadly some of them have been quite neglected.

Above are two of my American Girl dolls; the one on the left is from Hawaii, when I was there in 2014 and there was a boutique in the main mall in Waikiki, which was only open for 6 months! I happened to be there and spotted it, so I splurged and bought this doll whose # I've since forgotten. But I call her my Hawaii doll and she is still nameless, poor thing.

The doll on the right is one of my favourites; Grace, the GOTY for 2015. She is a beautiful doll with pretty eyes and freckles. I took this photo last year.

This photo is from 2013. These are vintage Chatty Cathy dolls made by Mattel, the same company which now produces the AG dolls. (which I find amusing)

It's fun to incorporate your doll collection into the decorating in your home!

I hope all of you have a peaceful and happy New Year in 2017!

By Loretta Houben

Collecting Chatty Cathy dolls...and using them in scenes.

2004 was the year I began sewing for Chatty Cathy. 2003 was the year I began collecting her. I discovered vintage CC's on eBay and was thrilled. Interestingly, each Chatty doll is different; no two seem to be alike! So I have many of them in my closets and rooms. The one in these photos is a simple prototype with blue eyes and blond hair. I made her a Pilgrim outfit as my Mom is American, so I'm actually dual but never took out citizenship as I wish to remain 100% Canadian. I used a filter for the second shot so it looks vintage.

 This was the first time I used Chatty Cathy in a scene!

Our Canadian Thanksgiving Day is the second Monday in October, so that's only two weeks from now.

Every Pilgrim outfit which I ever made I sold, so I still don't own one for myself.

By Loretta Houben