Thank you so much for all your kind compliments on Addy’s yellow hair bow. I always LOVE hearing what you think but my day was too filled from morning till night and I didn’t have a chance to even answer a few of them… but I did read them! One of my resolutions is to try and get to bed earlier… so far I think I’ve failed almost every night! ugh!
So now, I’m sitting here facing my computer and need to be in bed, but I’m going to share something… Oh, I know what….
Barbara sent me a few pictures of her Christmas village and I wanted to share them with everyone. I know Christmas is already over, but these are very pretty and I’m sure you’ll want to see them. It’s hard to take pictures with lights glaring but I think you can make things out. Barbara said some of the ones in the back she leaves up all year. Aren’t they beautiful?
If you click on her pictures, you can see them much larger…
If you live in the Midwest like me, here in Southern Illinois, we are getting prepared for a big snow storm that is heading our way. It’s supposed to hit Friday evening and Saturday. I think we are in the 3-6″ range of snowfall, but we’re also right on the border so it could be more or maybe less. We had dinner with a young woman who’s brother is a meteorologist and she said Sam was working on his weather prediction all day… not from the TV weatherman, but using his own instruments and deciphering… He said we WILL get snow…
Since I didn’t have time to get anything done toward listing Addy’s dress on Ebay, I thought maybe I could share some of my favorite Winter outfits with you… (just to warm you up!)
Most of my pictures will enlarge too, if you click on them…
This set was actually called Snow Princess…
Well, I hope you have your winter coat handy…you might need it! :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I loved seeing the pictures of Barbara’s Christmas village! It is just charming! Even little people going about their various activities!! Thanks, Barbara, for sharing.
I remember some of those coats! The pink ones, the blue coat/dress outfit, the fuzzy furry one on the girl with the long braid, and of course “Snow Princess”! Fun to see them again.
Hope tomorrow is a little less busy for you, Jeanne, and you have a chance to Breathe!
Hi Charlotte,
I just knew everyone would love seeing Barbara’s Christmas village! Glad you enjoyed it…
Today was pretty busy but maybe only one more day and we’ll be done…thank goodness…I feel old all of a sudden..
Blessings, Jeanne
I absolutely love the tabletop village, Jeanne——and Barbara! I have been waiting to see it since you mentioned that you had it, Barbara, because I too, have Dept. 56 village scenes. Yours is a lot bigger than mine is! I think from looking, that you have the Dicken’s Village? I have the original Snow Village, but mine are scattered around the family room, and stay up all year, except for the skating scene. I take it that you did not have a fancy Christmas dinner in the dining room!! Thank you for sending the pictures to Jeanne, I really enjoyed seeing them!
Jeanne, Nellie’s plum coat looks so familiar, but Molly was modeling one similar to that, but it was blue. Same pattern?
I sure didn’t realize that you made so many different and varied coats! If this isn’t the time to show them, I don’t know what is! So many pretty ones, and I do remember them all, well, just about!
While we are stuck inside with this snowstorm coming, I am hoping to get the last little piece of holly and mistletoe put AWAY! Yes, still working on it, but all I need to do is get it in the closet I have for Christmas decorations. I think I will have to be a magician to do it! Wish me luck, and off to the grocery store I go before the snow comes!
Guess what Linda? I have Snow Village too! I used to put it all up every year, but have not for the last few. Wish I had room to leave it up all year. Good idea.
No fancy Christmas dinner for sure. When I was a child my mother gave up on a repeat performance of Thanksgiving on Christmas Day. None of us kids could sit still for that. We wanted to be visiting friends and showing our gifts. So my mother decided on ham and potato salad on Christmas Day, eat when you want on paper plates. I kept up the tradition. I served that from my kitchen table. This freed up my dining table for my village, which grew and grew over the years.
Hi Linda,
Barbara’s Christmas village was fun for everyone, it seems.
Yes, I had more coats that I’ve made from that same pattern but I didnt show them all… I did make a blue one for Molly..in a tweed fabric.
We are in the middle of all that snow…so far we have about 3-4 inches but it’s supposed to snow until midnight…. then I think it’s supposed to rain which will melt it all before we even get to enjoy it.
Oh well, hope you got all your inside work done.
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the Christmas Village. I will happily look at it any time of year. I especially liked the 3rd picture and wanted everything in it, but will settle for seeing that huge village with all the lights while I sit here, waiting for our snowstorm, which was scheduled to have already started but may at dawn, like last time. I have lots to do and the furnace works, so I’m happy. Back to that third picture — it’s was like being given Christmas all over again. Many, many thanks.
The coats are so appropriate today. I loved Janie’s coat when you made it and it’s just as nice now. Of course I love the picture of Julie’s coat and Julie, since that just the way she came through that cold winter to reach my house. She got stuck somewhere not far from Jeanne and we both waited in suspense, wondering if she was lost. At last she arrived and put on a short skirt, a long top, and boots, and then added the coat and hat again and became a cross between Julie Christie and Julie Christie playing Lara in Dr. Zhivago — no one is prettier than that.
Nice post, Jeanne. Tomorrow we can see Addy ready for Ebay. That will be another nice post on, probably, another snowy day.
Hi Marilyn,
I like looking at all the little people and lamp posts and tries, etc. It’s like an outdoor doll house… you can add new pieces all the time.
We have already gotten 3 or 4 inches of snow and it’s still coming down.
I WISH we could all see Addy’s new dress on Ebay…but we didn’t get home until late and there was no time again. :o)
If we are snowed in tomorrow I won’t have any excuses not to get it listed…sorry… I think one more day at their house and my work will be done.
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
That’s a wonderful collection of Dept 56. I always like seeing other people’s pictures as it’s interesting to see what other people collect and how they display it (or them). My favorite Jeanne Marie Creation is, of course, the Little Darling in the leopard coat and hat with the fur trim. The burgundy coat in the last picture comes in a close second. What a great collection this is.
There is what sounds like an interesting series starting on Sunday on CNN at 6 p.m. called “American Style.” It will review the influences on fashion over the last few decades. There will probably be some inspiring takes on clothes for doll collectors and seamstresses.
Hi Susette,
So glad you enjoyed Barbara’s Christmas village and my doll coats. I had forgotten about
Janie in that leopard one. She sure was cute in it.
We don’t have cable but I bet that new series might be fun to watch.
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
Loved seeing Barbara’s village scenes. I have Snow Village and remember when our girls were teens, I came home from work one day and found some of the cars had been rearranged into a crash scene. Good use of the tow truck. 🙂
My favorite coats are the plum and burgundy. Love that style. Wouldn’t a red one for Valentine’s Day be fun?
We’re not expecting snow here, but several rain storms are headed in off the Pacific. One after another. Should bring snow to the Sierra though which is needed.
Hope you have provisions and can withstand the storm. Would love to see some photos.
It looks like the Sierras will get tons of snow over the next few days. We will be getting some of that rain your getting, but hopefully not much at a time. Our ground is so saturated, we can’t take much more.
Hi Joy,
How funny about the cars being rearranged into a crash pileup..kids… :o)
A red coat in that style would be pretty…hmm
We have been getting hammered by wet snow for about 4 hours now and have about 4 inches so far…its supposed to snow till midnight and rain is pushing up from the gulf and so it’s supposed to melt tomorrow.
I’m hoping to get a picture of it around the gazebo before it starts raining.
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Good morning Jeanne,
Hope you are staying warm and your day is slower paced today.
My goodness such pretty winter garb…wow! You know how I love photos. I remember the blue dress and blue coat set it was a favorite of mine. I would have loved it in LD size. Sigh
Thank you Jeanne for sharing Barbara’s Christmas village and Barbara THANK YOU so much for sharing with us. I could look at your beautiful little town all day long.
Happy Friday to all… last day for the drywallers! Still doing my happy dance : )
Hugs
Ingrid
Ingrid, although I would be very proud to say that is my Christmas village, I’m afraid it belongs to Barbara, and she should be the one to get the accolades!
Hi Ingrid,
We are staying warm, but it pretty snowy outside… I made melted ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner along with a Pad Thai salad.
I’m glad you enjoyed Barbara’s village and my slideshow of doll clothes.
So glad your happy dance continues…
Thanks Ingrid,
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, all of the coats are lovely. Your models are so well behaved also (laugh).
Barbara’s Christmas village is so cute. I love the cozy feel of the little villages during the holidays.
Yes, snow is coming our way also here in PA. I am focusing on May. May is my favorite month. When I was in kindergarten, I remember dancing around the Maypole. I hold that thought in mind and it helps me get through the winter weather.
Here’s to a snug and warm weekend for everyone.
Thank you, Dorothy,
Barbara’s Houses make me want to start collecting them..but I better stick with dolls!
Maybe I could dance around the gazebo tomorrow…maybe not…:o)
The snow is still coming down like crazy here. I’m anxious to see what it looks like in the morning.
Thanks Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a beautiful village ! I’m so glad we got to see it. It must take a while to set up but so worth it. It looks just like a real village in the picture taken on the table- like looking down into a valley. Thank you Barbara and Jeanne for sharing.
It’s also wonderful to see all the girls in their outfits. I love all the coats. And speaking of winter coats, I hope all the weather due back home isn’t too bad. Stay warm.
Hi Paula
I can’t imagine how long if most take to see those houses up… I have a friend who decorates her house for Christmas like nothing I’ve ever seen before. She starts putting it all out in October. I’m not sure I have that much in me to do it like she does.
We’re getting pelted with lots of wet snow and have about 4″ now. I can’t wait to see what it looks like In the morning after snowing all night.
Thanks Paula
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you so much everyone for the lovely comments on my village. I so much wanted to share it with everyone and I wanted it to be perfect. Take pictures, delete pictures. Take again, delete again. No way it was going to be as perfect as I wanted, but everyone here has such marvelous imaginations that I figured you’d get the picture, and you are welcome to visit anytime during the Christmas holidays. I did have to do it without flash, which created it’s own problems, but if I didn’t, everything looked like broad daylight and I wanted you to see how cozy it looks. And yes, it takes days to set up, but that is largely because I need to sit down and rest often. When I worked I actually put it together on a Saturday, but that was a few years ago.
I just love, love, love coats and so much miss living up north where I could wear them for several months. Here my fleece – unlined – jacket gets the wear while my “winter” coat not so much. I don’t even sew coats for my dolls because they’d never wear them. We do sweaters and corduroy pants.
I try to figure out where everyone lives based on their weather reports. While we had a skiff of snow last year in December, the best we seem to hope for this winter is cooler temperatures interspersed with spring-like weather. Having a forever summer, a real winter here would be most welcome. I ran across some pictures I brought back after my mother passed. I couldn’t believe it but two of them were of snows when I was a child living in Bethlehem. Beautiful!!
Dorothy, I miss living in PA, but when I did, May was my favorite month. Aside from the warming weather, that’s when the lilacs bloomed. All my childhood I dreamed of a May wedding so my girls could carry lilacs. Instead I got married in Texas in January. My girls were dressed in long-sleeved velvet dresses. It was 85 degrees that day.
Jeanne, I hope your mother is doing well and that she had nothing serious. I love all the pictures of winter attire, but I think I would have had to bid hard to acquire the Snow Princess outfit. It would look so good on my Sofie.
Dear Barbara, it’s time for a road trip back! The Harrisburg Doll Museum is open from the first of May to the end of December. We thought it was going to close but it is still around. So come on up in May and visit the museum on your way back to Bethlehem. I will take you to my favorite tearoom. And if you are around on the second Sunday of the month, you can go to Doll Club with me!
Hi Barbara,
I think everyone really enjoyed seeing your Christmas village today. It was beautiful to look at and I’m much prettier in person thank you for giving us a little bit of Christmas today.
One of MY favorite things to wear is a sweater with something corduroy…I used to add knee socks but don’t do that anymore… :o)
Well, just so you can add me in for sure. I’m in Southern Illinois and we are getting plenty of wet sticky snow this evening…and supposedly it will continue all through the night.
My mom had a cold that turned into a cough and at 84, I didnt want to take a chance with pneumonia… thank you for asking…
Blessings, Jeanne
Your Christmas village is wonderful, Barbara. I can see that you would want to leave some up year round. I’m all for anything that makes things bright, light and cheerful during the drab winter.
All the coats look so warm and cozy. The purple one that Nellie is wearing looks a lot like AG’s Sugarplum coat.
We are expecting 4-5 inches of snow overnight and into tomorrow. Time to break out the snow blower.,
On a side note, I’m sure most have seen that Pixie Faire has discontinued their Freebie Friday. I’m going to miss that ! I did get quite a few historical ones and even a few modern over the time. It sure was great while it lasted.
I agree about Pixie Faire. Loved voting and hoping it would be the chosen one for the Free Friday Pattern.
Thank you for the compliments. Laura.
I’m not sure I have any more of that plum colored fabric like I made Nellie’s coat from, but when I saw it again, I liked it just as much as I did the day I made it.
I was going to go look at the free pattern as soon as I got finished with these comments.
I hadn’t heard that. I’m glad I got the ones I did.
Our 4-6 inches of snow is supposed to be followed by rain tomorrow. I was hoping it would be pretty to look at for a few days…guess not…
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne