Oh, but first I have to show you another picture of our house…yep, MORE pitches and dips and even a flat roof! This is the front side and you can see the other chimney stack here… this is the one that goes to our wood burning stove.
When you open my front door, you are in the living room on the right and the dining room right in front of you and my kitchen straight ahead… and just about 10 steps inside the door and just slightly to the right is my sewing room…
I’m kind of excited for it to be 10:00 Friday morning… another roofer is coming to see what he thinks… but they have this big fancy website and drive super nice trucks and give you incredible services… and I KNOW those things come with a price…and it’s probably not in our favor…
However, one of the other roofers came back today and wanted to do some more measurements. He had an idea of how to change that flat part of our roof right there in the front (UGH!!!) with some boards running from that back section of roofing and bringing it down to the end of the flat part there in front. He explained it all to us and I drew a picture for him just to make sure we were on the same page and he said I was correct. It wouldn’t make it another pitch, like I’d like to have right over the door and my dining room windows, but anything would be an improvement over the way it looks now… and that flat roof part is where we are having the most leaking problems…
So I’ll keep you informed and we’ll see what happens.
Now let’s get to some Easter pictures… a few of you sent pictures and I’m determined to get them on a post “BEFORE” Easter…
Laura sent me a picture and this is what she said about it…
“This is a mixed arrangement of things, some very old and some from my childhood.
From left to right, a vase that belonged to my grandfather’s family in Germany. We’re fairly certain he brought it with him when he immigrated in 1927. The little short vase/bowl in front sat on my grandparent’s coffee table for as long as my mom and I can remember. She thinks it was the first knick knack they bought when they got married. Probably a dime store special.
The flocked bunnies were mine as a child as well as the fliegenpilz with bugs music box. My great-aunt sent that from Germany to me.
1940’s- 1950’s ladies will recognize the Devilbiss perfume atomizer my mom had as a teen. The paper egg was made in West Germany. My great aunt gave it to me as a young child. She was born in 1901 and received it as a small child one Easter.
The little bunny is actually a Hummel. It’s been around forever as well. I’ve never seen another Hummel figurine like it., just the typical children like the other ones we have. The vase with the lavender in it and the small painted Victorian one sat on the ledge above my grandmother’s kitchen sink. My grandfather would always bring in small flowers from the yard for her. They held snowdrops, scillas, tiny daffodils, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley, roses, holly etc depending on the time of year. The paper cross was an Easter Sunday school gift my mom received.
The hummingbird egg was the last Easter gift my grandmother gave to me. She had bought it months before and my grandfather gave it to me on Easter after she died in January. It’s super precious to me.
Finally, the painted glass and pewter vase belonged to someone on my grandfather’s side. Sadly, we’re not certain who as we can’t match a middle name and there are two Carolines. It is engraved 1861.”
Thanks Laura! You always know so many details about the things you own… Good for you! Thanks for sharing… and Happy Easter to you!
Next up are some sweet Little Darlings of Marilyn’s, dressed and waiting for Easter to arrive…Kate and Sophie and (?) are ADORABLE!!! Thank you Marilyn! I think they are SO pretty!
Okay, I thought maybe yesterday just wasn’t a good day for taking pictures of the dress I’m making for Isabelle. I guess this is my “Belated Easter Dress!” The dress that “should have been” but wasn’t! It would have been a beautiful Easter dress…all minty green and sweet, but things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to, so it will just be a Spring dress, I guess.
I tried placing Isabelle in a few more random spots in my house to see if I could get ONE picture to look mint green and not aqua, but NOPE, it didn’t happen… anyway, here are a few pictures showing you how hard I was trying…
Finally I gave up and just started working on it again… I’ll just have to say in BIG BOLD letters, THIS DRESS IS NOT AQUA…IT’S MINT GREEN and hope I don’t get a disappointed buyer!
I decided to mimic the flowers in the dress fabric and tried with silk ribbon but couldn’t get it to conform like I wanted it to… I needed it to be a specific shape not just some random flowers like I generally do… I had much better control with embroidery floss and this is what I came up with… I wish I had had some matte tiny pearls… my white seed beads didn’t lay right… some stood up but most fell over on their sides…and I didn’t like that look. Rebecca didn’t have any tiny white Delica beads, so I just used the tiniest white pearls I had…
I was going to put a piece of lace around her waist, but the front of her dress is cut slightly on the curve, so my lace didn’t conform to the shape of the bottom of the bodice. I made a red with white dots sash and cut it on the bias so it would work. I took a few more pictures of it…
Then I found a sweet little “flexible” piece of trim and think I like this better. It’s just wrapped around her waist but not sewn on yet.. . I think it looks a bit more delicate with the embroidery work on her jacket.
A few more…
I changed her shoes to white after I did the handiwork on her jacket… and made white the predominant color…
I plan to make her a sweet bow for her hair and most likely a slip…
I’ll see you tomorrow…
Blessings, Jeanne
It would be just wonderful if that roofer could fix your roof in such a way as to remove that trouble spot there in the front! Sounds like he really knows his job, to be able to come up with a solution for the problem!
Laura, I loved reading about and seeing all your special items in the Easter display! I trust you have things written down somewhere about those items, for those who may inherit them some day! I have things I need to somehow label or at least put notes in/on, for those that come after me, too. I started that once, and need to get back to it.
Marilyn, your girls look lovely, in their pretty Easter dresses! I think my favorite is the all pink one.
I think, Jeanne, that you are just going to have to concede victory to your fabric, when it comes to trying to get it to display a true color! It would be great if the picture you take of the fabric for the border around your auction would come up pretty close to true mint green, wouldn’t it? At least you could then say, “look at the frame around my listing for the true color!”
I love how you have embellished the jacket; it looks really wonderful, with the flowers so closely matched. I also like the little white tatted lace edging you put around the waist; the red polka-dot might have been okay, but it looks a bit too orangey to me, next to the dress. And of course adding white shoes just brought everything together. It’s really a lovely outfit!
Thank you, Charlotte. Yes, I do have detailed information written down on the items. My mom and I put little notes inside of things. I’m a fanatic for labeling and connecting items to family members.My daughter grew up seeing these things and hearing whose they were each time they came out. She has a great memory once she is told something. My grandfather lived until she was four and a half, so she saw a few of these items and the Christmas things I shared while they were still at his house.
That’s wonderful, Laura!
My great-grandfather lived until I was almost out of high school, so I remember him fairly well! (He was kind of a character!)
Laura, thank you for providing all the details on your picture. You have some true heirlooms displayed, but it is often hard to figure out what is what in a picture, and your detailed description helped a lot. I love that paper egg, and to think, it is more than 100 years old. I couldnāt quite figure out which item is a perfume atomizer. Is it the girl with the umbrella?
Marilyn, your girls look beautiful in their Easter dresses. I am quite partial to the pink one with the pinafore.
Jeanne, I really like the embellishments on the jacket. I can see how you used the embroidery floss to mimic the flowers in the fabric. I liked the red sash when I first saw it and was a little disappointed that you changed it, but after I looked at the pictures some more, I think that the lace is more in keeping with the style of the dress. The red makes the outfit look a little more casual. With the white shoes, the white lace ties it all together.
Thank you Carolyn. Yes, the girl with the umbrella is the perfume atomizer. It was made by the company DeVilbiss. I realize I forget to Capitalize the V in my description. They made all kinds of perfume atomizers including the ones with the woven satin bulbs. These umbrella girls were available in dime stores like many of the adorable 1940’s- 1950’s decor like the Gurley novelty candles and those sweet milk glass spice jars with the red metal lids. Those were very inexpensive at the time, but now are coveted collectors items.
The umbrella girls come in all colors and designs. I just happened to find this one that is nearly identical to mine except the umbrella placement is different.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-50s-DEV-Devilbiss-Lady-Perfume-Bottle-with-Girl-Umbrella-Spray-Atomizer/293716959129?hash=item4462e51f99:g:lr4AAOSw1~ZfTwSG
Very cute. I can see why people collect them.
Laura’s Easter treasurers are wonderful. What great memories. š
Marilyn’s girls certainly have it together for Easter. Beautiful dresses. I love the bunny print in the last photo, and that sweet pink sweater is perfect. š
Love the red belt/sash on Isabelle’s dress. It picks up the dominant color in the fabric and adds pizazz. Not a fan of the lace which just sort of hangs there. Maybe a solid white sash might work for me. š The embroidery on the jacket picks up all of the colors in the fabric, and the white pearls mimic the dots in the fabric as well. Love it. I think the jacket would be cute with a pair of white shorts for another look. I’m much happier with the white shoes too. š
Thanks for the front house view. Think I’m getting the layout now. Still not sure what room has the bay window? It kind of looks like the entry with the flat roof was an add on somewhere in the past. I would love to see your drawing of a possible change. People around the corner from us are remodeling and had a straight roof run with no detail. Since, they have added a triangular roof overhang which frames the front door and shields it from rain. Really looks better. It did take them three tries though to get the right angle. If you change the roofline there, maybe something like that would also work for you. I’m going to snap a picture. Hope one of the roofing groups comes up with a good plan and a reasonable price. š
Itās always so nice to see the special things the sofa sisters cherish, and of course special outfits. Marilynās dresses are too cute to pick a favorite. The minty fabric has so many possibilities, I can see a pink or yellow sash, the red looks nice too but the dots are too āpatternedā for me. Lace is always a great look, but what about points up? Iām sure you tried it. Maybe Iād you showed some aqua fabric to point out the color difference.
Happy Easter Blessings to all.
My first thought, “What the heck is that thing in her hair?”! Just a place holder, maybe?
Happy Easter to all!
Iām finally here this morning! Had a charging problem, but now itās fixed.
Laura, you must be an only child to have all those wonderful treasures you have! How wonderful to have them, and even better, to know where they are from and who had them originally! You are certainly the right person to have and care for them!
Marilynās dolls are just adorable in their Easter finery! I love the āapron dressā the best, whatās not to love about the other two dresses?
As I write this and look at the clock, the other roofer must be at your place now. Letās hope you find a reasonable solution without breaking the bank! It seems to me that your house must have been added onto through the years. I am surprised that you donāt have a front porch like so many houses of that era do. I see the second chimney now!
As far as the dress, still in lovely aqua for me, the embroidery on the jacket is the perfect touch, but I am not a fan of the red sash. It just seems too strong of a color to me, and takes away from everything else. I much prefer the lace, since it adds to the daintiness of the rest of the outfit.
I do think that ābowā in her hair is just to give an idea of what a bow would look like, not the finished bow at all!
thank you, Linda. Yes, sadly, I am an only child. My mom had a miscarriage when I was seven. I treasure the things, but I would have dearly treasured a sister or two. Always felt like I missed out.
I loved seeing Laura’s heirlooms and am so glad she labeled everything. It’s great knowing the history of the items. My mother was never one for saving and labeling, but my mother-in-law sure was. After she passed away and we started opening boxes of things we inherited, I noticed that the papers she had put information on and included with the item were fading and it was starting to be hard to read things. Since my hubby knew the people involved, I decided to type everything and seal it to make sure people in the future who didn’t personally know or know of the people would know the history. I’ve always tried to label pictures too. I get pictures handed down to us and they are not labeled. Once I thought I had a picture of my grandfather and his brother but when things started showing up on Ancestry.com I discovered it was a picture of my grandfather’s brother and a friend. They were all decked out in formal attire and looked quite handsome. My mother-in-law was also good at labeling pictures so I only have one side of the family to try to figure out.
Most of the pictures of the dress look aqua, but believe it or not the final ones look mint green. But I love the fabric no matter what. But the red sash caught me off guard. I love combining different fabrics and textures, but it does tend to take away from the serenity of the outfit. The lace is better but it seems to need more. I keep seeing the pink in the dress and wonder how a pink sash would look. Like I said before, it takes me hours to get all the parts together when I make something because I keep trying this or that. And I usually go with what makes me relax when I see it. I guess you could say I listen to my gut on that sort of thing. But I only have my opinion to deal with. You get opinions from all the sofa sisters and there’s sure no way to please all of us. That’s what makes it fun for me. Seeing everyone’s perspective.
Marilyn’s young ladies look absolutely lovely and so spring-like. All the outfits are beautiful but I love the first one. I love the fabric and the sleeves. I love the wig on the first Little Darling. Simple but sweet. I have one of that sculpt and have had two different wigs for her and I’m still not pleased with her look. Maybe I’ll try something shorter like yours.
I sure hope you can reach a resolution on your roof. It’s hard to put off redoing when you need a new one but the cost is always scary. Got the same problem myself. Can’t wait to see the “real” hairbow.
Thank you, Barbara. We do unfortunately have some old photos unlabeled. At the time, even my grandfather didn’t know who they were, just from his side of the family. I’m a real stickler for dating and labeling as well.
Kate’s blond wig was originally long. A friend had a similar one and cut it — I liked it and copied it. It’s possible for a doll to have too much hair.
Laura’s Easter treasures are real treasures. It’s lovely to have things from your family where you can see them and be reminded of what a friend calls “the march of the generations.”
My blonde doll is Chloe Catherine, after a lovely neighbor, who was Mary Catherine, a staunch Republican of whom a neighbor said, “No one can out-liberal Mary Catherine.” We had a very conservative, gun collecting, environmentalist neighbor who approved of her because her brother died after fighting in North Africa, where Doc had fought, and decided to like me because when he mentioned that he had served there, I knew the casualty rate. My dad joined the Air Force to avoid North Africa. Flying a B-17 wasn’t exactly safe either.
The dark-haired doll is Sophie (Sophia Alexandra). She was painted by Lana (the other two were painted by Diana). Most people like the pink dress best — a lacy apron is a sure winner.
The red-head is Samantha Amanda, who was my first LD. When you open the box, LDs look like pixies — they really are amazing. I have no RRFFs, but to me they seem similar but are jointed and much less expensive, not to mention the wait time on an LD. Jeanne, did you show us a comparison photo?
That roof is going to be an interesting challenge, and I must agree that if that much time and money are going into it, you might as well get the changes you want. It will make the house prettier and the entrance worthy of your beautiful new kitchen.
There was a better picture of one of the shooting victims from our neighborhood King Soopers, so now I know there is a victim I knew. She was developmentally impaired, which would have slowed her reaction time and nearly inevitably made her a target. She often sacked my groceries — I didn’t really know her as a person, but her death does underline the unfairness these situations. She took what she was given and served her neighbors while the killer took what he was given and destroyed lives, including his own.
Thank you, Marilyn. I like that, “the march of the generations”.
The LD’s do look like pixies/ fairies. There small size makes them perfect to tuck anywhere. I like them, but can’t have one – initially cost and I just know they would be even more demanding wardrobe wise than the PC/AG girls. My PC/AG’s just demand the historical accessories. LOL
Laura, your wonderful items are such treasures! The pitcher and little dish are both beautiful. Wonderful keepsakes. And what a sweet music box. Iāve never seen one like that. Does it still play the music? Can you tell what song it plays? I like how you set your childhood bunnies next to the music box too. Itās nice that you still have them. I still have my Easter basket from my childhood but the wood is a tad bit brittle.
Love the atomizer. Itās so sweet. They donāt make perfume sprays like that anymore. I donāt believe Iāve ever even seen one like it even at an antique store.
Your other keepsakes, the beautiful glass jar, the hummingbird egg, the vase, the paper egg and paper cross, and the little Hummel bunny, are very special heirlooms and each of your treasures have wonderful family history behind them. Thank you for sharing!
Marilyn, your girls are so sweet in their spring dresses. The second one is my favorite. The apron with the lace is beautiful. All three girls and their outfits… eye candy. Easter candy for sure.
Jeanne, I love this mint colored outfit and I especially like the white trim at her waist. I think the red was a little too bold. Itās so dainty and girlish and spring fresh! Perfect.
You’re welcome, Paula. Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed them. I love that music box. The mushroom turns and the people on the bugs spin individually. It does the most “motion” of all of mine. Yes, it still plays the music just fine. It plays “The Happy Wanderer”.
Here’s a you tube version of the record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPfGL0tDP30
I’ve not seen those perfume atomizers at our antique store either, but, like many things, they are on Ebay. š
Laura! The Happy Wanderer! I didnāt recognize the name of the song until I heard your link to you tube. In grade school, the school always had a parade at the end of the school year, where we walked- marched to a beautiful park near by and to an outside theater in the park. The audience was our parents and we entertained them singing a host of songs. The Happy Wanderer was one of the songs. Boy, thatās a blast from the past. What a happy song to have in the music carousel.
I remember the Happy Wanderer. We used to sing it at camp a lot. However, I’d never heard all of the verses. Thanks for sharing the record version.
I hope your roofer can figure things out for you. All those peaks are lovely, but certainly make the re-roofing more costly.
Thank you for sharing my picture, Jeanne. I tend to have better luck putting out special things for display than getting in my doll storage and dressing my girls for a holiday. Oh, well, maybe some other time.
Marilyn, your Little Darlings look darling indeed. The dresses are so sweet. I especially like the middle one with the pinafore. I have a thing for pinafore dresses.
Oh, I like the ribbon embroidery on Isabelle’s jacket. I think it’s beautiful when you mimic the fabric design in the handwork. I definitely like the tatted edging at the waist better and the switch to white shoes. The outfit looks so fresh and crisp.
Laura your Easter treasurers are fun. Some have so much history! That paper egg?..gosh how it has lasted is a marvel. Thanks for sharing
Marilyn…cannot pick between your LDās dresses. They are all 3 just perfect on the dolls. Spring and pastels just work together.
Jeanne, the roof reminds me of out current house…sort of plain from the front but all kinds of angles from the back. The idea of a different angle over the flat part is good…but that will add to the cost too. Everyone have a nice Easter with your familiesšš
I love that material, you do find some of the nicest fabric. Didnāt like the red sash. That is all you would see when first looking at it. It really doesnāt need any sash but the lace is fancy. Your little jacket always finish off the outfit. Wish you would make one of your straw hats to go with it but that adds a lot more time and effort. What ever you do will be good! You have a wonderful market for those little outfits.
Everyone has said everything Iām agreeing with about the wonderful treasures Laura shared and Marilynās dolls. The mint green shows up best on my screen in the first indoor picture. Lovely outfit. I think maybe the lace at the waist wants to be sewn on upside down of the way it is now.
Thanks for all the details about the items. I looked on eBay and thereās only one Umbrella Girl. Iād never seen one before either. Very nice. Thanks.
I agree with you Susette about repositioning the lace. I think I would like it then. š
Thanks for the vote š³. Ha, ha!