HI everyone,
I am so humbled at all of your kind comments and thoughts you shared yesterday about what you like when reading my blog. I think the general consensus was the fun we have with each other… how everyone shares stories or what’s happening in their lives and others just chime in and give the ideas, or suggestions, or share links, or just give a kind word. It’s amazing when I read the comments… and 8 years ago I never dreamed it would turn out like this… I am so thrilled and it makes me want to do an even better job from now on. I read the comments to my hubby and he was blown away… When I finished, he just said, “Honey, that’s fantastic!” I couldn’t agree more! So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Oh, I guess you might like to know who won the drawing from leaving a comment about what you liked when reading my blog. I put everyone’s name on a piece of paper and had my hubby pick one… He picked….
Yep, that’s Ingrid! I was working on your gift today and will send it out today or tomorrow… and when you get it, let me know and I’ll share a picture of it with everyone… :o)
I had to go to town this morning and stopped by the Goodwill just to check out what they might have… I found this American Girl locker from 2013… and it’s super heavy metal… not a cheapy piece with this…
The inside has all these places where things can be hung or clipped to, or little pockets… It’s very cute… and I thought it might make a fun back to school prop.
The only thing is… it’s WAY too small for the American Girl dolls, in my opinion… It think it looks kind of silly in fact, next to Molly…
So I tried it with the 14.5″ Ruby Red dolls…
I still think it’s too small for them too…
So I tried it with one of my 13″ Dianna Effner Little Darlings, Janie…and it’s better for her size or even smaller dolls. Maybe it would work well for the 12″ Ruby Red Fashion Friends Siblies I just got… (Sydney) I didn’t try her…
Anyway, I have it for 2 weeks unless I decide I want to return it…
When I got back home, the winner of the Camo set hadn’t paid yet, so I decided to go ahead and make that little backpack I was debating about. As far as I know she wasn’t a subscriber to my blog (yet)… but I decided I probably wasn’t going to use that little “Born to be Wild” patch for anything else, so I decided to make the backpack. I just made a simple pack from some olive green linen I had and used some elastic cords for the straps. It’s easy to put on and looks pretty cute with the set…
Her doll can carry the camera in there if she likes… :o)
After I got it all finished, I realized I probably should have added some straps on the front that tucked into a loop or something to hold the flap down a bit, but it was too late… there wasn’t any way to stitch something on and the insides were all serged and handstitched down… Oh well…
She paid and it will be off to her house Tuesday morning…
Well, that was part of my day… Hope yours was good too!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Congratulations, Ingrid, on your win!! How nice. I wonder what Jeanne made for you….
And congrats to Jeanne for all the nice comments you got. I read them a bit ago, and lots of people mentioned lots of things. There’s just lots to love about this blog!!
What a great find, Jeanne–that little locker, I mean. You’re right, it’s really way too small for the American Girl dolls. As I recall from when I was in HS, the lockers were tall (except in PE, where they were short, about 3′ tall) and a skinny person could probably just about squeeze into one. Using that as the criteria, no way is that locker big enough to look “real” with any but the smaller dolls. Still, it will make a wonderful back-to-school picture prop–in the background, perhaps, if not up close.
The little backpack turned out darling with that patch on it. A good addition to the outfit!
It has finally started cooling off out here in the Seattle area. Today it was only in the low 80s, and tomorrow is to be a little cooler yet. I actually SLEPT last night, a solid 6 hours! (When it’s that hot, I wake up every hour or two, trying to find a cooler “spot” on the bed.)
I’m so glad you got to hear all the sweet comments from all of us yesterday☺️ You do wonderful things for the Sofa Sisters…keeping us anxious for what is to happen next and letting us visit the life happenings of your family. It could be a TV series😉”The life of Jeanne Marie”
I really had to laugh at Paula’s comment. She is “not going to like summer anymore and staying in the house”……LOL
I go to the basement and work on dolls, do laundry and wear a big sweater because it is soooo cold down there. This week is to be 100’s… in fact 104 today.
You are welcome to visit Paula 😀
Jeanne, after reading all the lovely comments from yesterday, I realized mine was too short and I left out a lot of things that I love about your blog! Each person added something that I would have added too, so I’m glad you got the “whole” picture by the time the last person had commented. Your blog is really the only one I follow, and it my start to the day!
Congrats to Ingrid! Can’t wait to see what you get!
Yes, that is a cute locker, but way too small. However, if it were the right size for an 18 inch doll, think how expensive it would be! Then too, things the “right” size would take up too much room, although a locker isn’t too bad. But yes, it is a cute prop, so maybe you could incorporate it in a back to school theme sometime. Schools here are starting August 22nd, or around there, so not far off!
What a cute little backpack! How nice of you to include it and I’m sure the buyer will be completely surprised to get it, unless you have told her!
A big congrats to Ingrid. It will be a surprise to everyone when your prize arrives. 🙂
I’ll bet that locker is pretty heavy and shipping now, expensive. I see lots of decorating using lockers and not just for back to school. It would be a great addition to a dolly bedroom for storing toys/books or even in the kitchen where food supplies or other items could be displayed. Outside, it would be perfect for dolly garden tools and pots. I’ve always wanted one. Your find might end up in a creative way in one of your next photos. 🙂
And what a delightful comment from George about your hard blogging work. Congrats again on your achievements. 🙂
Congratulations Ingrid B. Can’t wait to see what Jeanne comes up with. Jeanne’s drawings are
always fun.
It was nice to read all the heartfelt comments everyone sent in. I agree with all the comments too. You are a very important person to us all.
Do you remember who started the “ sofa sisters “ name? Dorothy was it?
Jeanne, you find the neatest items at Goodwill. I keep telling myself to stop in at the one that’s south of us in another city, we only have a drop off Goodwill.
This locker is a nice find with school coming up and looks great with the Diane Effner dolls. Wonder who might get a new school dress!
The back pack is a nice plus for Stella’s outfit. With all the photographs Stella is taking, she’ll need a little snack at some point!
I’m hiding in the house and not going out side in this heat. I don’t like summer anymore.
Hi Paula, yes, Dorothy named us the “Sofa Sisters”. I love it.
I thought so! Thanks for clearing that up!
I want to elaborate a bit more on your blog and what brings me here every morning. I look forward to each new outfit, doll, home improvement project, seasons in the garden, even a wedding! When the duties of the day are done I check back in to see what is happening from New Zealand to the west coast to the Rocky Mts to the mid west to the south, back east and on to Poland. As Sally said yesterday it is a comfort to share this affection for dolls and meet their owners and share in your lives. All of this because one day I searched for “Kirsten”.
Oh my word! I’m flabbergasted… Thank you sweet Jeanne!
I read all the comments this morning and like a few of ladies, I too got to thinking when it was I started reading your blog. I realized it was just after my back injury. That was more than six years ago. Reading Elaine Hoffman’s words made me tear up because I relate so much… You sweet Jeanne bring me here each day! Your blog brightens my day/night. I can’t go to bed unless I’ve visited with you and all the sofa sisters. I mostly read very late in the evening although there are days here and there when I get to have a cup of morning tea with you and usually Charlotte and Linda. This is one of my happy places and I appreciate it so much! Thank you for sharing all that you do and thank you again! I love surprises.
Jeanne that locker was a really neat find. I think you are correct, the LD’s and Siblies dolls are the perfect size for it. Can’t wait to see what you make that includes a photo session with your new prop.
That born to be wild back pack is adorable! Won’t the winner be surprised?!!
Hugs
Ingrid
Congratulations, Ingrid. 👏 A “JM surprise “ is always fun. Part of what we love about this special spot and this special woman. All of us can’t wait to hear what it is. ☺️
Jeanne, I am really happy that you made that cute backpack to include. It is the perfect completion of the set and the perfect venue for that patch. I was watching that auction, as most of us were, and I have to say, while I know very well how the auction process goes, I felt very sorry for the person who put in the first three bids. Obviously she/he really wanted that set and perhaps had gone as high as she could. I guess I feel her pain. 😣 Congratulations to you, Jeanne!
What a find of that locker. Must be very heavy, but the scale for AG is so wrong. Happily, you have other young ladies for whom it will be perfect. Congrats on another gem of a Goodwill find!
Elaine, I read your post this morning. I’m sure the “sisters” join me in sending a hug and share in the excitement of your new puppy. Super news that the time isn’t too far off for you to welcome it home.
Great locker Jeanne! The scale is a little off but I think you will find a way to use it as a prop.
Congratulations Ingrid – a special treat will surely brighten an August day.
First, I want to tell Elaine how happy I am for you that you will soon have a darling new puppy to love. Pets brighten our days immensely. I hope to see a photo of your little sweetheart when she comes home.
Congratulations, Ingrid! Can’t wait to see your special surprise.
The locker is cute, but yes, way too small for a PC/AG doll. It is perfect for the RRFF Siblies or smaller. AG has made quite a number of things out of scale.
The backpack is so cute and just what Stella needed for her photography. She can carry nuts, seeds, etc. in it to entice the animals closer for even more lovely photographs.
Good morning all
I know I haven’t been commenting for a while but I read the blog every day. I too love how you all care so much about each other and how we share Jeanne’s life with her, just like real sisters.
It was manic here for a while with the exhibition, I had 4 entries and Sam had two and we were frantically trying to finish everything. I’ll send photos to Jeanne. I was especially proud of Sam’s quilt. She made a hexagon quilt for Ashley all hand pieced and she quilted it herself. I’ll include a photo of me trying to quilt my hexagon quilt that I started in 2019 as my hand project on my trip to UK and USA. (I wish I had been on the blog when I was in US I could probably have met up with Barbara as I was based in Houston). To get back to the quilting it was like fighting a giant Anaconda and took two of us to pull it through the machine. We had to rearrange the sewing room and Sam sat on the table and pulled it through as I sewed. I had done a diagonal sewing line and planned to do another to make a trellis design but after the first part was finished I put it on the bed and we thought it looked fine as it was so didn’t do the cross hatching, much to Sam’s relief, it was very uncomfortable for her on the table!! Neither of us won a prize, we didn’t expect to but I sold my two smaller quilts. Only for $50 NZ each which is about $40 US. I was told off because they were two cheap but they were both made from scraps, the backing was very cheap (I think $3NZ a metre) and about 12 years old. They both went to a lady from our guild who bought them for her two daughters. If they had been $150 each which is what I was told they should have been she probably wouldn’t have bought them and maybe no one else would have and they would have been given as charity quilts so I was happy.
Joy, I wish I could share some of our rain with you but then I guess Kentucky feels the same. This winter has been dreadful all over. Last week it just rained and rained all over the country, lots of places were flooded, a couple of streets near us were closed, fortunately not deep enough to swamp the houses. My friend has to wear gumboots to get to the car every time it rains heavily but last Tuesday particularly was exceptionally bad. Jono is sleeping in the kitchen part of my workroom behind the garage and couldn’t get out to get to the house. Fortunately there is a toilet out there but no food! In the 11 years I have lived here I had never seen the garden so wet. Yesterday was lovely though. The first time in 10 days we were able to dry clothes on the line. We don’t have a dryer so had to hang them all on the clothes horse every night. Today till Friday is supposed to be even better.
Tomorrow (Thursday) the sleepouts go in YAY!! The kids can’t move in yet until the power is connected and that can’t happen until the main power supplier can connect it to the street. We have had to have a switchboard upgrade since in the 1950’s no one knew that in 2022 we would have heat pumps/air conditioners, x boxes, mobile phones, tablets, computers, dishwashers and electric cars! Still at least the buildings will be there so that is progress.
I had better move will send the photos soon
Oh yes, we would love your rain. The last few days, we have had some tropical thing coming in causing it to be hot, but muggy. Don’t appreciate that at all.
I had a great memory hearing about your drying clothes. When I was little, we had a wooden rack set over the floor furnace filled with clothes my mother was trying to dry. In the summer there were the clothes lines, but not available in the winter here. That, and my mother’s mangle ironer which scared me to death. At some point, we were able to get a dryer. But, I still remember those sheets hanging on the line and blowing in the wind. 🙂 Looking forward to your photos. 🙂
Jeanne, I really enjoy reading your blog every day and laughed today when you said you wished you would have added something to hold the flap down on the backpack! But it’s cute anyway!
Can’t wait to see what you make for Ingrid.