Do you remember Tatum, the Lotus doll I found at the Goodwill?
She was a mess but I saw potential… and so I showed her to you all… but never really mentioned what I planned on doing with her.
If you missed the comments that day, you may have missed it, but one of my readers, Karen, was charmed by Tatum and mentioned how she couldn’t find anything like her at her Goodwill… and had to settle for something less exciting for her little 2 year old daughter’s birthday present…
Well, one of my SWEET Sofa Sisters emailed me and wanted to buy that doll and have me send it to Avila for her birthday… this sweet reader sent me money though paypal and there was enough for postage and some left over so I made Tatum a new dress, found her a pair of shoes in my stash, French braided her hair and added some hair bows… but included those cute overalls and top…
Then my sweet Sofa Sister asked if there were other children in the house… because she noticed Karen has said she was looking for something “for my youngest.”
I emailed Karen and didn’t tell her too much of what was going on, but asked if she had other children in the house? Well, it turned out Karen had 4 little girls… Marion who was 8, Rose who was 6, Lucia who was 4 and Avila was 2…
So this SWEET Sofa Sister said she wanted to buy ALL of the girls dolls… and she would pick them out and send them to the girls…
This was getting pretty exciting for me, so I emailed Karen again and said “someone on my blog wants to send some things to your girls…and I’ll be sending Tatum for Avila…” I didn’t give her any details about anything else… just mentioned that she might want to wait for the second box and open all the presents together but I needed her address, then told her an approximate time when they would be shipped…
Well, Tatum got there first and from the looks of the pictures, waiting was too hard… :o)
This is what Karen emailed me with the pictures…
Dear Jeanne and Other Kind, Nice Lady from her Blog,
Here are some pictures. I will send you more. Thank you soo very, very much for sending Tatum the Bumbleberry Doll!!! She came today. She is gorgeous. Thank you also very much for the note, her clothes, her shoes, and the doll stand!!
That is really cool that you sewed a dress for her. It is very pretty and you can see that it was made with love… 😀
You have sent a Treasure. May God reward you abundantly!
Love,
Karen, Marion, Rose, Lucia, and Avila
Then I got another email and some more pictures later on…
This is what Karen said this time…
Avila was sad that Marion was getting a chance to hold her. Later Avila fell asleep holding her.
So the next day the box from my SWEET lady arrived for the girls and this was what Karen said in her email this time…
Thank you, Jeanne!
Please tell your blog lady friend a very big Thank You for sending the very nice dolls!! That was really, really very kind of her. It is really good to know there are still people in the world today like you two. Thank you so much!!! Here are some pictures.
This evening was very sad for us as a family because our new little puppy (it was almost his first birthday) got away from one of us, ran onto the road, and was hit in the dark. He died when I was holding him. His name was Cookie. He was so sweet and normally wagging his tail.
We are praying for you ladies. May God always lead you and bless you.
Karen, Marion, Rose, Lucia, Avila
If this isn’t the perfect picture of happiness, I don’t know what is!
I think they ALL love their dolls…but especially Avila… look at how she is gazing at Tatum… that just melted my heart!
It REALLY is true…it’s better to give than receive…I was blessed beyond measure and I know my SWEET Sofa Sister was too… She went above and beyond anything I ever hoped might happen to Tatum… Thank you SO very much!
Then just this afternoon, the mailman decided he could get down the road, and we got mail for the first time since last Saturday… and I got a fat envelope stuffed with pictures the girls had drawn… take a look at these…
If you click on the pictures, they will enlarge…
Thank you Karen and girls for the pictures you drew…and for all the memories of these pictures…
A HUGE THANK YOU to my sofa sister for her HUGE HEART and GENEROSITY!!!
See you all tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a wonderful post! Those are four very happy little girls!! Avila surely does love her new dolly, doesn’t she? And I loved seeing everyone’s notes and art work. A happy end to my day (I know, most of you read this in the morning; I read it before I go to bed–it’s 2:30a.m. here, and I’m a shameless night owl! LOL)
Glad you enjoyed the post today, Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a tearjerker today, Jeanne! This was so much fun to read and see! Four little girls, just what I had in my family! What a wonderful surprise for them, and I laughed and had a few tears of happiness as I read and saw pictures farther down! Such a nice family and so deserving and appreciative too! I loved the expressions on the girls faces, and could just imagine myself in the same situation!
So sweet that they sent pictures to you in thanksgiving! They are just darling girls and so well brought up! Karen is doing a wonderful job!
So sorry to hear that you puppy was killed, Karen, but now the girls have somehting else to focus on. This was just a wonderful all around post, that happened only because you, Jeanne, brought home that scruffy looking doll and fixed her up so beautifully…..and sewed her a new dress!
I happen to know that the SWEET lady has a birthday today, and will be so happy to see this! It IS better to give than receive!
Hi Linda,
I loved the pictures too… I just kept looking at them over and over again… imagining how exciting it must have been on just an ordinary day to get new dolls. I DO know that feeling and have had it twice recently! :o)
I am SO glad I brought home Tatum, as you said, and never imagined this would all happen!
What a wonderful, happy ending… or just beginning for Tatum!
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
A Very Big Happy Birthday to the Wonderful, Kind, Sweet, Generous Lady then from all of us! Today happens to be the little girls’ daddy’s birthday as well! He is turning 43. Thank you and Jeanne again so very much for everything! We really do appreciate it. May God bless all the Sofa Sisters! Thank you for sharing, Jeanne!
Thank you for giving me permission to share the pictures you sent my way.. I just knew everyone would be thrilled to see your girls and what happened to Tatum…
Happy Birthday today for EVERYONE having birthdays! Tell your hubby we enjoyed meeting his girls and wife today!
Blessings, Jeanne
Haha! Thank You!
I spy some future doll collectors there. So nice to see the girls. What a very kind person who thought to get each girl something as well as the birthday girl. What a nice family. And wonderful thank you notes which were all so fun to see. I especially liked the one with the pigeons and the designer dress. Looks like someone may follow Jeanne in designing dresses in the future. 🙂
Heard this morning that most of Texas has their power back on. That’s good. Hope everyone else still having the freeze is keeping warm.
Excited here as we’re on for our second dose of Moderna on Monday. That is if the delivery goes as planned. Vaccine here has been delayed because of the storms/weather across the country so we may be cancelled. Hopefully, all will go well. 🙂
HI Joy,
I spied that pigeon and the dress and the needle and thread right off the bat too! A little girl after my own heart! :o)
I’ll be glad when the day comes that the weather, or Covid, of flooding, or power outages ISN’T what we all are talking about… I ready for it to be ALL ABOUT DOLLS! Well, kinda sorta! :o)
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
That has to be the sweetest post I have ever seen. I have 4 girls too. I can identify here. Mine are all grown now and they had boys and one girl who is not dolly addicted like her granny. they are beautiful girls. Makes me wish for mine to be young again. Love to you all!
HI April.
Oh rats… no granddaughters to play dolls with… that’s too bad… but I know one lady who didn’t have any girls in her life so she started sewing for her dolls and now has a great business! Thanks April,
Blessings, Jeanne
Absolutely precious!! So heartwarming. Such sweet girls and their mother! What a wonderful story of goodness and love. Bless you Jeanne and kindhearted sofa sister for bringing happiness to others.
Those little girls are just adorable!
Thanks Paula,
It was wonderful to do this with someone else and then see the happiness it brought…
I’m glad you enjoyed today’s post…
Blessings, Jeanne
Anonymous Sofa Sister Rocks! 🎸♥️
HI Julia,
I couldn’t agree more!
Blessings, Jeanne
That was just a wonderful story! Whoever sent those little girls their dolls has a huge heart! They are such sweeties.Your accessories made all the difference too! We all remember how little girls that age love their dolls! I can imagine the play hours they will have.
Hope you all are safe and warm!
HI Kathie,
Yes, the sweet sofa sister has a big heart and I bet she cried a few tears seeing the pictures today! :o)
I actually got out of the driveway and worked at the Food Pantry today… tomorrow the sun is supposed to shine more and hopefully we’ll have melting… as the temps are supposed to get to 34 degrees… we have been below freezing for over 2 weeks… Right now it’s 16… and I’m freezing in my house…
Oh well, Spring is coming… Spring is coming… Spring is coming!
Thanks Kathie,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a lovely kind person to send all those dolls to those lovely little girls, it must have helped them after losing their puppy. Tatum looked gorgeous in her pretty new dress.
On Thursday at Patchwork someone gave me a reproduction doll they had been given. I will send a photo Jeanne. It has a hole it it’s head (not sure why) and the wig is very hard to get on and doesn’t stay on. she has a very pretty face though. I think the body is quite badly made, it seems to be too big and it is filled with what I think are polystyrene beads. It has a porcelain head and shoulders and forearms and lower legs. There seems to be no shaping to the legs and arms and they are just gathered and sewn to the body under the shoulders so they sort of hang there and don’t look natural at all. Does anyone think it is fixable (by me) and if so what can/should I do? Sam is coming over today so I will get her to help me take some useful photos. I might take them outside so I can show you it really is summer here even though it doesn’t seem like it some days lol.
Pixie Faire aren’t fair sometimes. They had a rather nice skirt and halter top on Freebie Friday today. I was happy to get that pattern for free. They also put two other patterns up to see if you would buy them. One was braided sandals and the other was a 70’s style skirt and blouse. I’m trying not to spend any money but couldn’t resist, so I now have three more patterns in my collection that is more than I will ever use I am sure, just like my patchwork patterns!!!! Very little will power I am afraid. Actually I have plenty of will power, not enough won’t power!
HI Anne,
I’m sure the dolls arrived on the perfect day to help with the tears of losing their dear puppy…
Yes, do send me a picture of your doll and I’ll share it with everyone and we can all give our opinions… and Kathie fixes up dolls for her job… so she’ll have lots to tell us I’m sure…
Oh, I like that … “won’t power!” I need some of that… with dolls and with sweets! “I won’t buy that doll… I won’t eat that cake!”
Thanks Anne,
Blessings, Jeanne
Our vaccination programme started yesterday. We have only been allocated 50,000 doses as most of the supply has to go to those who need it most. Yesterday the vaccinators were vaccinated and today they start on the border and quarantine facility workers. The rest of us have to wait till late March I think.
Hurry up and wait… seems to be the order of things for you…
Blessings, Jeanne
I second that! What a tearjearker!!
What a sweet, sweet sofa sister to bring such happiness to others. Wishing her a very blessed HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! How very kind to send extra money so the doll could have a new going home dress as well.
Avila certainly loves and treasures her new dolly. I also see one of Karen’s dear little girls must be interested in sewing with the adorable picture of a dress and needle and thread.
So very sorry to hear about your puppy, Karen. That just broke my heart.
Thank you, Laura! I have a sister who is named Laura, too. 🙂
Thanks Laura,
It was such a wonderful story, wasn’t it? I knew everyone would love it…
I just get so touched when I see the look on Avila’s face in a few of those pictures… She looks at Tatum likes she’s REAL!
I was sad too, when Karen told me about their puppy… glad the dollies came that day!
Blessings, Jeanne
What a beautiful post, and what beautiful little girls. The expressions on their faces just melted my heart. I don’t know who wanted the dolls sent to Karen, but it was such a nice gesture. This story really made my day—thanks so much for sharing it.
So glad you enjoyed the post today, Carolyn,
I enjoyed putting it together and so happy Karen said I could share the pictures with everyone… I know we all loved seeing them.
Blessings, Jeanne
Awwh, that made me cry! Bless their hearts.
Wasn’t that wonderful, Joy?
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, well, I am sitting here with tears running down my cheeks just as the others are.
What a wonderful gesture of goodwill and love by a Sofa Sister!
Jeanne, you have truly created a sisterhood through this blog. During these very challenging times, it is wonderful to have this welcoming non-judgemental refuge (said by the non-cook, non crafter, non-sewer – laugh).
And Sofa Sister, whoever you are, what a kind and generous person you are.
HI Dorothy,
Well, I’m sure you weren’t alone sitting and sniffling… I think a lot of ladies were…
Yes, we certainly do have some wonderful ladies sharing this sofa!!!
But we can’t ALL be sewers and cooks and crafters… we need cheerleaders and you fit the bill perfectly!
Thanks for all you do…
Blessings, Jeanne
What a nice thing to do. It looks like the girls all have artistic talent, especially the picture of the dress with the dropped waist, detailed print and bow! It looks like the one my granddaughter described for me to sew for her doll. What lovely manners the girls have to write have written all those thank you notes. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I didn’t comment yesterday, but I’m sure on your side with the white cabinets. So is Chandi and the carpet doesn’t want anymore brown in the room either. You sure have done an amazing renovation, as you two did on the church kitchen. I didn’t realize that cabinets were not as finished as they might have been before you started painting. So much sanding! Beautiful project very well done.
HI Susette,
Yes, it was a VERY nice thing to do…and I know the girls loved opening the boxes… wondering what might be inside…
I do remember you telling about Riya describing what she wanted you to make for her and you started doing it… and then you got interested in dolls for yourself… YAY!
I think Chandi sparkles just a little bit brighter since I started getting my kitchen back in order… She’s been my inspiration since I found her in that box under the table at the yard sale for less than $5.00!
I hope to be all done… ALL DONE… by Easter and before if possible…
Thanks so much Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a heart warming story. I loved seeing the pictures of the girls with their new dolls. Looks like these sweet girls will be carrying on the love of dolls and doll collecting for another generation. Your kitchen is coming along wonderfully. Can’t wait to see it totally finished. It’s going to be lovely. Two days ago I was commenting on the blog when my power went out, What I wrote disappeared and I can’t remember what all I said so I’ll just move on.
I do remember a comment/question about snow in Texas from yesterday. It actually snows a lot in places in Texas just not so much in southeast Texas. Wichita Falls is weird
weather-wise. They are unbearably hot in summer which I can attest to having spent the night in a campground there when our camper A/C unit went out. Long, hot night. But they can get very cold with some really bad winter weather too. My stepdaughter lives in Dallas and they are guaranteed some rough weather in the winter every year. Problem with Texas this year is the whole state got hit at the same time. A lot of times when it snows in Dallas the Houston area feels like spring. When we do have bitter weather around here it usually doesn’t last for more than a couple three days and usually with little or no precipitation. But we have had ice storms in the past in the area but never lost power or water.
My son, Sean, and his family lost power Sunday evening and cell service too. It wasn’t until Monday night when I was checking my e-mail that I learned of their predicament. By then they had cell service and their power was on. They had been stranded because they couldn’t even get out of their driveway and the roads were so bad they couldn’t come here where we had power, and they had no way of communicating. By Tuesday evening they had lost power again and the roads were clearer so they came out here to us. At 11 p.m. our power went off and we were starting to have water pressure issues. The power came back on at 3 a.m. but the water situation was getting worse. The power went off again at 11 a.m. We managed to feed everyone because I insist on having a gas stove. We had to light it ourselves because the electronic pilot wasn’t working but that was minor. After we ate they left because they had power – and water – at home. All day our power did not come back on and by early evening no water at all. Remember old houses in Texas are not insulated and we live in one of those. We’ve added insulation when we’ve remodeled and what we put in the attic when we remodeled the kitchen worked great, but our houses don’t hold the heat. So after a couple hours of no heat and the temps dropping outside, it was getting pretty cold in the house. So we called Sean and told him we were heading his way near Houston. We got there about 8 p.m. before the roads started freezing again. Unfortunately with all the power outages and then having to go to our son’s one night David has had some struggles after his surgery. His power lift recliner stopped working with the power outages and then he didn’t have it at all at Sean’s. He slept in a sofa recliner but it was still difficult for him to get up from there. Our oldest son stayed behind with his dogs and called us about 9 p.m. to say the power was back on, but it looked like the water would be longer. We left Sean’s after lunch yesterday. The power has stayed on and the water situation is way better and expected to be fully operational by Monday. And David’s power lift recliner is working again so he is doing well. The city is still asking people to boil water and to only use it for essentials until Monday. Today was in the 40s with the sun shining brightly. A perfect day. The snow is nearly gone and it looks like we may escape the next storm which was supposed to be ice. It’s supposed to be in the 70s some days next week. I must confess I’ve had enough of winter after only a week. Ready for spring now – just not summer too soon.
So glad things are looking up power/water wise. What a messy situation though. Thinking of you.
Dear Barbara, thanks for letting us know you are alright. We are hoping for Spring soon.
HI Barbara,
Yes, I do believe there are some real dolly lovers in that family! Maybe the next “Jeanne Marie” of doll clothes… :o) I did see a needle and thread on that one page… and smiled! ;o)
We used to live in Wichita Falls, when my dad was in the Air Force. We lived at Capehart… and I remember a bad tornado and us just out watching it at the end of the driveway.. 7 people were killed if I remember correctly…
My goodness, you’ve had enough excitement for the entire season… I hope things settle down FOR GOOD… and soon! All that going back and forth must have been maddening!
I hope your dolls are all safe and warm! (All good mommies must look after their girls!)
I hope Spring comes soon for all of us… but you especially!
Thanks Barbara.. and hang in there…
Blessings, Jeanne