We’ll start off with the “more” pictures first. Who doesn’t love tulips? Linda was at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, a couple weeks ago and took these. She said she had never seen so many tulips blooming all at the same time. Aren’t they gorgeous?
If you click on the pictures, they will enlarge.
Okay, now I’ll show some dolls in sweet dresses!
Molly’s Birthday Dinner:
Molly is turning 10 and still waiting for guests! (Feast your eyes on this picture… there are SO many things to look at!)
Playing Party Games:
Here is Molly with her guests! Betsy is trying her hand at Drop the Clothespins in the bottle, while the others await their turn. (I do believe Betsy has a “slight” advantage being so close to the jar…)
Modern Girls:
Ivy, Scarlett and Emmy went to the Dog Show, where Emmy’s pup, Biscuit, won Best in Show!
Here is Kaya, one of my dolls you don’t often see! (That’s a VERY pretty outfit, Linda!)
Here are the 40’s dolls in their First Communion attire. Just sending some pictures of what has been going on here at the Doyle household in the past month! Busy as ever!
Most so called rosaries for dolls are not full rosaries, so I bought real ones for babies at Catholic Supply. (As if a baby could say the rosary!😊). I think they are more of a keepsake if anything, but are a pretty good size for the dolls.
Well, that’s all the dolly pictures for today… hopefully that will hold you over the weekend… Thanks so much Linda.
My sister Cindy and her hubby are coming in Saturday and I’m not sure when we’ll leave to go see Deb… I’m so excited for Sister Time!
See everyone Monday!
Blessings, Jeanne
First of all, Ingrid, I’m so glad to hear your husband is home, and all went well. Every now and then you hear of a body doing that–rerouting a blood supply from a blocked artery. I call that one of God’s miracles!! Yes, do find out if that condition could be hereditary–your son (and any males in the family in future generations) will want to know that.
Linda, thank you for the wonderful pictures! The tulips are so beautiful! About 48 miles north of us is Mount Vernon, which is famous for its tulip fields. I remember riding past them on my way to/from college up in Bellingham, back in the 1960s, and seeing all those lovely bands of color. These days, they have a big tulip festival, but back then, it wasn’t as big a deal.
Now, the dollies. Well, happy birthday to Molly!! She is definitely ready for a party! And *I* remember playing that drop-the-clothespin-in-the-bottle game at my own birthday parties, back in the 50s! Only we had to kneel on a chair facing the back of it, and drop the clothespins from that height. Back in the day when milk came in bottles and everyone used clothespins!
Congratulations to Emmy and her pup!! That was so exciting for her, I’m sure.
Kaya looks lovely in that outfit. I seem to remember it from the AG catalog back in the day, but don’t remember what it was called.
Your girls look so lovely in their First Communion dresses. I think I like Betsy’s the best.
Thanks so much for sharing. Jeanne–have fun with your sisters! You are fortunate to have them.
Thank you for showing my pictures, Jeanne! I always have fun dressing and posing my dolls. However, after taking pictures, I find the mistakes in them, and see that Betsy’s dress in the birthday scene, shows only one button at the top of the dress, but there is another on the other side! Her hair is hiding it!
Thak you Charlotte for the kind words! Yes, I too, played drop the clothespins in the bottle, and also Pin the Tail on the Donkey at my birthday parties. We always had a milk bottle handy, since the milkman brought our milk.
Kaya’s outfit is called somehting like Pow-wow Dress of Today. There are several of them, all different, but this was a newer one, since Kaya doesn’t get many outfits anymore.
I wonder how many of you will be watching King Charles coronation? I am recording it, in case I miss something!
It was so good to hear that your husband got through his procedure with a good outcome, Ingrid. The wonders of modern medicine!
Have a good time with your sisters, Jeanne!
Lovely pictures, Linda, I enjoyed them all! The tulips are beautiful, I have always wanted to go to Holland to see the tulips there, but maybe I could just go to Missouri someday!
I really liked the First Communion dresses on your dolls, did you have made by someone?
Have a nice weekend, everyone!
Thank you, Terri! None of the dresses were commissioned by me, I just saw them on EBay and bought them, the veils were a different story, I found different pieces, and just made my own, for the most part. Betsy’s. And with her bride dress, which to me is ridiculous for a little girl to be wearing! She has yet to find an occasion for the dress, but I was able to use the veil with her lace dress.
Oh brother, I mean that Betsy’s veil came with her bride dress!Sorry!
It’s always a treat to see Linda’s doll pictures. I love all the details in the kitchen and getting to see Molly’s table all set up for her birthday on the pretty table cloth, I really like her red kitchen set because i think the AMG kitchen sets are weird in color. I’m sure little girls don’t mind.
What a cute idea that some of the girls went to a doggie show- and Biscuit won! I see his blue ribbon!
Kaya looks beautiful in her costume too. What AMG costumes she has are very pretty and interesting.
The girls look lovely in their First Communion outfits/ such beautiful dresses. What a clever idea to use those baby rosaries too. I have to say, Betsy’s outfit is really pretty, She always looks so darn cute with the other bigger girls. That cute little face always looks so happy!
Thank you for sharing and also the for showing us the beautiful tulip gardens!
Jeanne, have a great time with your sisters!
Thank you, Paula! That so called “pretty tablecloth” is actually a kitchen towel! It worked out perfectly for a 40’s birthday party! As far as the kitchen goes, I still don’t have a sink for it, but I guess the washer will do for now!🤣
That blue ribbon came with the AG Pet Show set. It includes the clip on ribbon, the trophy, the vase of flowers and the silver leash. It’s retired now, but EBay has several and they aren’t expensive. It’s something the modern girls can do on that little shelf without getting too crowded.
Kaya does have some very nice outfits, and I have just about all of them. She shares a shelf with Josefina in the family room.
I think Betsy gives “something” in the scenes she is included in. She is a cute little thing, always smiling!
Thank you again!
Needed a party scene this morning. Looks like Molly’s was a success. Love those lanterns.
There is a Kaya living here too. Although she doesn’t have all of the fab accessories. Love the staging for this photo. 🙂
The girls in their white dresses for their special day are lovely. Might be fun to see them wearing them again for summertime. Like a bandstand/picnic scene with red/white/blue ribbons and flags. Just a thought. 🙂 I remember the scene from the Pollyanna movie where the girls wore flags over their dresses for a performance. Boy am I getting old. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your oh so fun photos, Linda. Loved them.
The Botanical Garden photos look like postcards. So well done. Amazing display as well. Around here, we had one tulip. Bright red. From a few planted some years ago. 🙂
Have a nice time with your sisters Jeanne. So nice of Cindy and husband to drive down to visit everyone. 🙂
I had to laugh at your “one red tulip”, Joy! The tulips here were pretty good this year, but not my azaleas. Not sure what happened, but lots of people are complaining about their azaleas not blooming. Must have been. Cold snap we had.
Those lanterns are from Kit’s party accessories. They always add a festive look to things.
That’s a good Fourth of July idea you gave me, although I have no bandstand. I also remember the Pollyanna movie well.
As I mentioned above, Kaya shares a shelf in our family room with Josefina, and has a lot of her accessories along with Josefina’s together. They are my “western girls”, I guess!😊
Hi Joy, I love the Pollyanna movie. In fact I watched it just a few months ago when I wanted something just sweet while trimming kitty nails etc.. Another one of my favorite old Disney movies is “So Dear to my Heart”.
Loved the movie too. The dresses are so fun to see. Love the styles. And it was filmed not too far from our place, here in Santa Rosa. 🙂
Joy, I loved that Pollyanna movie with Hayley Mills too. I remember the girls wearing the parts of the flag on that stage. My favorite part was that very celebration they had. It was so festive and reminds me of a very similar 4th of July celebration in a little town my family lived in.
I remember you telling me about the mansion that I think you said is somewhere up by you in California.
Good memory you have. 🙂 Yes, the McDonald mansion as we call it, was the backdrop for Pollyanna. Lots of locals were actually in the movie as well. It was filmed here in Santa Rosa. 🙂
So glad to hear that Ingrid’s husband is doing well. I do think that the heart problem is hereditary. Doing family history, I found that my grandfather’s father died very young, not even 40. Then, my grandfather died at 50 of a heart attack. The widow maker kind. And both of my grandfather’s sons also had heart problems and died suddenly before their time. Their sons, my cousins each had triple bypass surgery. So, the heart problem runs in my family on the male line at least.
Please take care of yourself too, Ingrid. Very happy the surgery was successful.
Always a joy to see your photos Linda! Thanks to you and Jeanne!
Squirrels ate all our tulips. Thankfully they don’t like the daffodils. I do!
Yes, we did “Pin the tail” and “Drop the Clothes Pins” at all my birthday parties too! Recreated a 50’s party with the granddaughters when they were little and played those games. Great fun.
Sooooo…. does anyone else here remember watching Queen Elizabeth being crowned???? Still vivid in my mind on my Aunt & Uncle’s NEW TV!
Enjoy Sister Time!
I watched the coronation. Did anyone else notice what appeared to be big bows on many shoulders. Jeanne was ahead of the game with the bows on the shoulders of the mint green dress.
I noticed them right away too Marilyn. Same design and placement. Thst Jeanne… her king idea for sure🤗
It is great seeing all your pictures, Linda. Thanks for sharing! My favorite tulips are the multicolored ones. I used to use a wringer washer for washing clothes, too. Outside by a river in Missouri when we were first married. We just had our wedding anniversary on May 2nd. I love Kaya’s set up. Is that Josefina’s oven? Your Kaya has very nice braids. Love the pretty Rosries.
Great seeing Charlotte’s dolls the other day. They have really nice hair. Hope you all have a great day!
Rosaries
My mother used to use a wringer washer when i was little. Wash day was an all-day event when you used one of those, but it was far better than a wash tub and washboard. Later on she had an Easy Spindrier. Still took a lot of time but was not as labor intensive. These days doing laundry is far easier but I still try not to do anything I have to concentrate on that day because I’ll forget I’m doing laundry. I’m not a good multi-tasker.
Thank you, Karen! Those tulips were just gorgeous in real life, and we didn’t have to travel far to see them!
My Mother-in-law used a wringer washer until 1970, and also my grandmother. My own mother had a Maytag automatic washer as far as I remember. No dryer back then though.
Yes, that is Josefina’s oven. I have a lot of her accessories, well, let’s say, as many as I can fit on the shelf. No bed, table and chairs, but I do have her beautiful trunk. I have everything out on display, don’t store much of anything, which is why I don’t have Kaya’s teepee.
Happy belated Anniversary, Karen!
Thank you, Linda! That is so neat you have Josefina’s trunk and some of her accessories! I am keeping my eyes open for her trunk at the thrift store, but no luck yet =)
What a fun post😉 The tulips were just so colorful and soooo many of them. Should any of you mid western sisters want the ultimate Tulip experience the town of Pella, Iowa celebrates it every year..the whole town is tulips from top to bottom…it has a Dutch heritage too and the Windmills are huge. My daughter and hubby went this year( cause they also have a great golf course) and she said there were so many nice shops and restaurants. Her pictures look like they were taken in Europe. If you have time Google it☺️
Linda you have such a talent! That kitchen is so freaky cute. Love a red kitchen. I think the mixer is my favorite. The First Communion girls are stunning. Such pretty dresses and your veils are perfect. We had one First Communion dress in our family that my sister and I wore…then most of my nieces…then the grands.. One year two grands had First Communion the same day, an hour apart so I did make one little dress since they couldn’t both wear it😲. I did have to take it apart and bond some interfacing to the bodice pieces for strength. It is organdy and now pretty strong again.
Have a fun time with your sisters…Hope everyone stays healthy time🙏🏻
Thank you, Kathie! I have been to Pella, Iowa, but for a wedding, and the tulips were gone by that time, but I know it is a beautiful sight in the spring.
Thank you for your kind words about the kitchen. I actually had those very Wolverine pieces when a child, ut those were from EBay, since my mother did not keep our childhood toys. I always wanted a little kitchen like that when I got Molly, so found what I have and enjoy it now! The mixer looks just like the one my mother used.
I made my daughter’s First Communion dress, and kept it so that my oldest granddaughter wore it for hers. We still have it, maybe a great granddaughter will get to wear it someday! That’s amazing that so many little girls in your family were able to wear your dress!
I always love Linda’s pictures of the Botanical Gardens. The tulips are so beautiful. And her dolls always seem to be having exciting times. What a lovely 10th birthday party. I never had a birthday party with a birthday the day after Christmas but I did attend a lot for friends, and I remember the fun games. Betsy looks adorable as always. My Betsy says hi and says she loves the dress and where did she get it? Congratulations to Emmie and Biscuit. What a fun day that must have been. I’m sure Biscuit got an extra treat for his great performance. The girls in their First Communion dresses look absolutely beautiful. I love their veils. And the baby rosaries is a great idea. I’m sure they’re meant as Christening gifts but they make great First Communion accessories for dolls. I’ve seen dolls meant as First Communion gifts and they always have small rosaries.
I grew up in a Catholic neighborhood. It was a new development and there was a Catholic church and school just down the road so it was a perfect location for Catholic families settling down after the War. On First Communion Day parents were always outside taking pictures before they left for the church and I loved seeing the little girls dressed in their beautiful white dresses and wearing their veils. I remember one of my mother’s friends saying that she didn’t want to pay what she did for her daughter’s dress but when she saw the pictures taken at the church, she was glad she did. Her daughter really stood out. I never thought of it being a competition, but I guess the mothers did. Human nature I suppose.
So glad to hear all is well with Ingrid’s hubby. David had a triple bypass back in January 2021. I’ve never been sure it was really necessary because he had no symptoms and the technician that did his blood work, etc., said that it was likely he had experienced re-routing. We had no idea of such a thing and we were never told until the surgery was over that it was a triple bypass. It’s a pretty risky surgery if you really don’t need it and Ingrid’s husband’s doctor is to be commended for his honesty.
I found my Dupioni fabric and you’ll never guess where? Yup, in the last place I looked. Chuckle, chuckle as Dorothy in PA and the World would say. I thought my plastic storage boxes only contained my knit fabrics but I had one that held some of my overflow and it was in there. Today I’m going to start making a Spring Fling dress for my Maru Mini (Janeen) Joy. Finally I’m able to create again.
You can be sure my dolls have a more exciting life than I have, Barbara! Thank you for the compliments about the pictures. If those tulips don’t cheer anyone up, I don’t know will!
I’m going to have to look up where I got Betsy’s dress, because I have forgotten. I’ll get back with you on that.
We live in what I would call a Catholic neighborhood and every child here makes their First Communion and everybody has parties. Then too graduations are around the same time, so a lot is going on here!that’s why I had a time getting Molly’s birthday in, since her day is April 27 or close, according to American Girl. Poor Molly did not have a party last year, because I did the Maypole scene. You can’t do everything every time!
Thank you again!
Barbara, I looked up Betsy’s dress, and it is from Deb’s Adorables on EBay. Look for Wellie Wisher “Off WhiteFancy Lace Dress.
Watched part of the coronation and will get back to watching the rest. My mom clearly remembers Queen Elizabeth’s and now sees King Charles.
The tulip pictures are gorgeous, Linda. Franklin Park Conservatory has tulips in the spring, but I haven’t been in a number of years. We also went to Holland, MI to see them another time on the way to the UP. They have windmills also.
What a lovely birthday Molly is having. Her table looks so festive and Kit’s lanterns really add to the scene. She and her guests certainly had a fun day.
Yay! Biscuit won!! What a sweet, good puppy. Emmy must be so proud. Kaya looks so pretty in her fancy dress. What beautiful First Communion dresses. The baby Rosaries are the perfect size. Thank you for sharing your cute scenes. Your dolls certainly have the life.
So happy to hear the surgery was successful, Ingrid. It certainly does sound like something genetic to me. I took a genetics course in college and loved it.
Have a wonderful time with your sisters, Jeanne. You are so blessed to have not one but two of them.
Thank you, Laura! I also remember watching Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, since I was 9 or 10 at that time. I also watched this morning, but have it recorded, since I had to run to the grocery store early. I’ll watch later on what I missed.
Yes, seeing all those tulips is a beautiful sight, and I am so glad to be able to live close to the Gardens. Right now they have a Chihuly exhibit, that we want to go see.
I like to use Kit’s lanterns for the 40’s girls, since I remember them when I was little. I have everything for Kit’s birthday party, but no Kit, so Molly gets them!
I love the pet show accessories too! I have so many pets for the dolls, and they will all get their day in the sun and win sooner or later!