Hi everyone,
I looked it up, just to make sure I was spelling it correctly, because it IS recognized as a real word, but today is my 11th Blogiversary! That’s the “anniversary of the day a blog was first created or when the first blog post was published. It’s a way to commemorate the start of the blog and reflect on its journey over time. Essentially, it’s the birthday of a blog! :o)
How can it be that eleven years ago… on August 1st, 2014, I wrote my first blog post and am still finding things to write about? It’s been a little “iffy” lately as I’ve been WAY TOO busy to suit me and am going to have to ease up things I’m doing in order to get back to what I love… which is sewing, spending time with you, commenting, and sharing fun dolly posts with you! I really do enjoy it and so glad to have so many of you joining me each day!
I have several notebooks with the dates and names of the posts I wrote and how many visitors I had looking at those posts. I copied the month of August, back in 2014, and my first day I had 15 ladies reading it! I had 503 views that first month… then I looked at my notebook a year later and in August 2015, I had 5832 views for the month! Pretty nice increase of ladies visiting my posts! Thank you if you were one of them! :o)
I have been blessed with more friends than you can imagine and enjoy your comments and how you all interact with each other! I am still saying it eleven years later…I have the very best ladies on my blog that anyone could ever hope for!
This is what it’s all about… the love of dolls and having a fun place to share your stories and pictures of yours. I also appreciate the help you’ve given me when I’ve been stuck “more than once” with a dress I was stumped on how to finish.
This is a prime example of what’s most fun about my blog… when someone gets a new doll and has a place to share it. I just received a new picture from Joy with her latest doll… I’ll let her tell you about Alice!
This is Alice by Tonner. I think in conjunction with Mary Engelbreit as a large Ann Estelle doll. She is 18 or 19 inches. I don’t even know her date, but perhaps someone on the blog might know. I don’t have her white rabbit, but plan to find another similar one. So, she has a substitute fox as a pal. 🙂 She is a doll I’ve always wanted and only found recently. I think Tonner also made a few other character dolls as well this size. She is not ball jointed so posing is interesting.
Joy
Isn’t Alice pretty? I remember when Tonner introduced her and I almost bought one of them… but ended up not.
August 1st kind of snuck up on me and I really wasn’t prepared for something special today… so AFTER the wedding, I will be having a day to celebrate with a GIVEAWAY! :o)
I have lots to do tomorrow, so I’m going to call it quits for today!
Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you Monday!
Blessings, Jeanne
Happy Blogiversary Jeanne. Spell check doesn’t like the word much but I think it is a good one.
Love your new dolly, Joy, such a pretty dress.
It was a big and very long day yesterday and very tiring, so will be in touch and send some photos of the quilts I saw, later.
TKS Anne. Alice is pretty special. I’m so happy to have her. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your visits with us.
Looking forward to seeing those quilts, Anne. I am sure it was tiring, but I hope you got some rest later.
Happy Blogiversary from me, too, Jeanne! I’ve told a number of people about your blog, and how we all chat when you get busy, and how we all pray for each other at times of illness or loss, and sometimes even send each other cards and even gifts when something happens (such as when my darling Ron died, almost a year ago now), and people I tell are so amazed that a bunch of “strangers” can become connected so closely, “just” thru a blog! You have really created something wonderful here, and I do thank you for that. The amazing thing is, of all of my friends on this blog, I’ve only ever met one or two of them–Sissy, of course, and a friend in California, Kathy, who sent you some laces I think one time.
Joy, your Alice is just beautiful, and I can see why you wanted her. Yes, that does look like the larger Ann Estelle body (see http://www.justmagicdolls.com/meet/tonner/AnnEstelle/AnnEstelle.htm )but her smile reminds me more of his Betsy McCall, I think.
Whee! A giveaway coming up!!
Sarah is to see the heart surgeon in the morning (8/1), and a decision will be made at that time. Isaac is keeping me in the loop, and I’m also in touch with Lily (these are two of my five grandchildren). Thank you all for praying. I–and they–are very appreciative.
Thanks Charlotte on the Tonner dolls. I’ve seen it before and tried to find it again but couldn’t. I believe that it also showed several other of his dolls the same size at one time. But, I can’t print or download it as my computer says it is “hot.” Well, might have a virus. I think she reminds me more of Betsy too. 🙂
Betsy was the first thing I thought of when I saw Alice’s face I love the Tonner dolls – all of them. Alice is so beautiful and I love her outfit. Hopefully you can find a white rabbit for her.
Charlotte if you have any updates over the weekend maybe you can post again, hope Sarah is fine, tell her we’re all here for her.
I posted an update at the very bottom of all the replies, so it would (hopefully) be easy to find. Thank you, Dorothy.
Will keep praying for Sarah that this is resolved soon. I’m terrible at the waiting game myself so I know what they must be going through.
Praying that the decision will be made and the results will be perfect!
Thank you, Sissy. I posted an update at the very very bottom of all the comments.
Happy Blogiversary, Jeanne! What a long way you have come and how many lives have you touched with your blog! Mine for sure! I have known you before your blog ever started, and you are still the sweetest person yu were at the start! I so look forward to reading about your adventures in sewing and other things every day! My day just isn’t right without a dose of “I Dream of Jeanne Marie”!
Joy, your Alice is adorable, and what a pretty little man outfit she is wearing! I certainly can understand your thrill at getting her!
Looks like tomorrow will be the perfect day for a wedding, Jeanne, since the weather will be wonderfully cool! I guess it pays to be marrying a pastor!😊
Thanks Linda. I really do like her and the outfit is quite elaborate. Wish that it showed up better. 🙂
Alors,joyeux anniversaire de blog,Vous êtes toutes formidables…J’aime lire les commentaires de vous toutes;vous êtes presque une famille.Quand une à des soucis,il y a toujours quelqu’un pour la soutenir ! J’aimerais vous connaître . Je vous lis tous les jours et c’est un vrai bonheur…Amitiés à vous toutes .
Chère Georgina, j’apprécie toujours votre publications. Je peux ainsi pratiquer mon français ! Merci d’être l’une des Sofa Sisters. Bon week-end.
Dear Georgina, I always enjoying your postings. I can practice my French! Thanks for being one of the Sofa Sisters. Have a nice weekend.
It’s wonderful hearing from you too, Georgina. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary Jeanne! I remember when I found you I was so thrilled to see the beautiful clothes you made for dolls, especially the American Girl dolls. And it was great to meet other ladies who loved their dolls as I do. Plus great stories from the Sofa Sisters ( thank you Dorothy for the name!) and finding the sweetest little sister- you know who you are! Bless this wonderful blog!
Joy, your new doll, Alice, is beautiful. I like that she’s a bigger doll too. I know you’ll have fun with her and creating clothes for her.
Charlotte, glad there will be a plan for Sarah. I wish her the best.
Finally got relief from the heat and humidity. Despite the rain which was great for the creatures around here, it cooled us off. hope the sun and weather behave themselves for awhile.
Thanks on Alice. She is really a fun one. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary, Jeanne!! I am sure it takes a lot of time and effort!
Nice to meet a new doll, Joy! She is pretty. I like her dress.
Thanks Karen. I really like her and her special dress. 🙂
Happy joyful 11th Blogiversary!
I feel like it was longer ago… I thought I started reading long before I was caring for my parents, but I guess it was pretty much the same time frame, hence my infrequent visits initially. I love your blog, I love you and I love all of your readers.
I have shared your blog link with dear friends.
Joy your new doll is a beautiful new addition!
Thanks and Alice thanks you too. 🙂
A big Happy Blogiversary to Jeanne! We so appreciate your weekday words as a way to start the day. Good job! It’s been great fun meeting your readers and hearing about what’s happening across the country and around the world. 🙂
Thanks for sharing my Tonner Alice today. She is a special one. 🙂
Here, it’s lumber time. We’ll be moving the vehicles so the wood delivery can be in the driveway around noon. Then, the work begins as we will have to haul all the boards around the house to the backyard. Won’t be the first time as we had to do the same when we replaced the lower deck some years ago. We were younger then though. 🙂
Looking forward to hearing about the big wedding. Hope there will be a few pics of the cake. 🙂
Can’t believe that August has arrived. Grands have their big county swim meet this weekend and then it’s back to school for them next Wednesday.
Keep cool and fall will be here soon.
Joy, when you first wrote about the doll you were getting, I thought It was the one you got. I have had that doll for many years. She came with no clothes, so I got some for her and sewed some for her. I also have one of the others that size with a different face, also came nude. If you are interested in either one and the clothes a have I would be happy to send photos to you. Yours is lovely, she looks brand new!
Wow about the lumber. Y ‘all don’t over due it, take your time!
Have a good weekend.
I would love to talk to you about what you might have for Alice. I think that there were at least two maybe three other dolls that Tonner had as characters. Can’t find any pics though. She is a big girl and after reading Charlotte’s information, 19″. So, yes, photos would be great.
I will try to do so next week, we have to travel this weekend for a funeral. I won’t forget but it can’t be right away.
I wonder if she would fit the patterns for the Gotz Hannah dolls. They are 19.5″ and there are some wonderful patterns out there for them.
You mentioned in your comment to me yesterday that I do a lot. Yep! That is true but most of it does not involve physical labor. That started to really concern me so I’m increasing my time on my rowing machine and longing for cooler weather so I can walk outside.
Wishing your grands good luck with their swim meet. Back to school so soon. I think my grandkids have at least another two or three weeks before they return. Not sure. They return from camp tomorrow and I’m pretty sure they have at least another two weeks.
You Alice is so lovely.
Thanks on Alice. I really like her. And it will be so nice in the fall for you to be able to be outside. Right now, I’m trying to cool off after helping other person move the deck lumber to the backyard in the heat. We were both soaked and it’s only about 89. Have to go and finish my Pepsi. 🙂
Dear Joy, Alice is delightful! I love her face. I am sure she was worth “the caper” (smile).
Thanks Dorothy. I really like her too. She is just special. I wish that I had more information on all of the dolls that Tonner made that size. Too bad that he doesn’t have an online archive. That would be wonderful. 🙂
Dear Joy, hello. I just found out a few days ago about an online data based called Doll Scroll. There are Tonner dolls listed. I am going to attempt to post the link here.
https://dollscroll.com/results?lang=en_US&description=tonner&title=&mpn=&upc=&assortment_number=&code=&exclusive_to=&mpn_variant=&release_date=
You might find what you are seeking. If not, I can probably track down someone in one of the UFDC clubs who knows about the Tonner dolls. There was a display of flapper dolls at the Convention and all of them were made by Tonner!
Good morning Jeanne! I am able to type now into the “share your thoughts” fields! Happy Blogiversary! You have established a very successful blog site over the years! I am so happy to receive your daily comments and those from the sofa sisters….nice to know that we are not alone in our love of dolls and their outfits! I think one has to understand this “hobby” to appreciate the desire to collect dolls and sew their clothes!
I am starting to return to my love of sewing and crafting for dolls. Since my brother passed away earlier in July, I have felt like a automatron person….just going through the basics of daily life….showering, dressing, eating whatever is fast, napping longer than usual, staring at the TV. I have often said to my daughters….one has to go thru the grieving process to get to the other side of feeling like your normal self. There is no getting around it and you can’t ignore it…just go with the flow.
Two of my daughters were stopping at a few garage sales a while back and picked up a Tomy – Kimberly Doll for 75 cents!!! She was filthy….looked like she’d been played with in a mud puddle and her body and the cheerleader outfit was covered in dried dirt. My youngest daughter had a Kimberly Doll in the 80’s and I always thought she was very pretty with a beautiful smile and well-made…her hair was rooted and had a loose curl to it. So I washed the dirty 75 cent doll and her hair and she looks like NEW! Washed the outfit twice and the top and socks remained with dirt stains…the skirt is decent. The underpants no longer fit and the elastic was shot. So of course I made her a new pair of undies (made a pattern from the old pair) and then made a white tee-shirt top, navy blue shorts, and a red & blue plaid jacket with elastic cuffs and hem….she looks like she is ready to go to camp! I had a pair of red tennis shoes that I’d purchased for a Ruby Red doll and they fit perfectly on Kimberly’s bare foot. (I attended Camp Tannadoonah in Michigan as a child and white shirts with navy blue shorts were the camp “outfit”!) Jeanne….I will send a before and after photo of the doll to you if you wanted to post it.
HI Elizabeth, I’m so happy you are able to log onto the blog now. I’m sorry, I missed seeing your comments were “pending” as I was too busy and not on my desktop at home.
Your rescued dolly sounds wonderful and yes, we love to see her. I hope you did take a before picture too… as well as the after. That’s when you can really tell how much you loved on the doll!
Thanks Elizabeth and welcome back!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I think you said I was one of the blogers that signed up the first day? I can’t believe it has been that long! So many wonderful times and more to look forward to, from you and the others as well.
Have a lovely time at the wedding and be sure to send photos to us!!
Happy weekend, y;all. We are going to my brother’s 90th birthday tomorrow and heading for Gainesville, GA for a funeral Sunday and Monday. Wow.
Wow, Sissy. Your family seems to be blessed with longevity. Happy Birthday to your 90 years young brother. Have a safe trip.
A very Happy Blogiversary, Jeanne. I joined AGPT in July 2014 and I’m certain I found you just a few months later, maybe October 2014. All I remember was I was looking for Felicity summer gown, hat, and brocade slippers as one of my first collecting for myself purchases and one result was a list of yours. It was Elizabeth modeling a white Regency gown. I also found the very best kindred sister friend I could hope for through this lovely place.
Oh, how pretty your new Alice doll is, Joy. Her dress, but especially her pinafore are both gorgeous. Love her little fox friend.
Another lovely day here of temps in the seventies and a cooling breeze. So wonderful to be able to open the house up and air things out.
My hubby’s best friend lives in Stow. I’m surprised he hasn’t called teasing David about your lovely weather while we are still in summer heat. He usually does that. Or sends us a picture of beautiful snow in the winter. He’s hoping at some point we will be able to move to West Virginia so we can get together more often. So are we.
Thanks, I’ll let Alice know. Her dress is of amazing quality. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary!! You are a welcome blessing in my home. I like others, look forward to sharing morning coffee and all the daily life things just like all of us. Here’s hoping you want to continue for a long long time.
Joy your Alice is beautiful. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more dresses for her and I’m sure when Mr Rabbit finds you he’ll have fittings for a jacket and vest and look amazing too.
Have a good weekend all.
Thanks so much on Alice. I have to keep sneaking peeks at her to be sure that she is still there. I’m so glad to have her. She did tell me that she wants a rabbit and soon. The fox just isn’t doing it. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary, Happy Blogiversary, Happy Blogiversary, HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!!!! I’m sure you are familiar with the tune. I can’t remember how I found your blog but it was back when I first got serious about collecting dolls. I must have been searching for clothes for a doll and ran across it. It has been a blessing and a joy in my life. I don’t have anyone around here to play dolls with so I really appreciate all my sofa sisters.
I have really been a baaaaad girl today. I saw the new L’il Dreamer Lyrica and could not resist. Her gown alone designed by Magalie is a must have. But what’s worse is that as soon as I clicked the buy button I got a notice from eBay that I had won an auction for a Kish Riley Recital doll. I was the only bidder so I got her for the asking price. So in the past few minutes I spent over $500 on dolls. I may need some tips from Joy to bring them in undetected. But I did just sell my Kansas wheat so I deserve some kind of reward. Right?! Lyrica won’t be arriving till September but Riley should be here soon. Maru Luna, ordered months ago, should be shipping Monday as well as a Mini Maru. I planned on not buying any more dolls after Maru and Luna. I just seem to have no won’t power when it comes to their pretty little faces.
It looks like some of you are getting the front that we should be getting sometime soon. At this time of year it basically means lower humidity but the temps will be lower too with most 91, 92 and nothing over 95 for ten days. We hope.
Oh, not bad, but needed some new dolls for your collection. 🙂 I can’t wait to see your Lyrica in September and the others too. So fun.
Thanks for telling me I wasn’t a bad girl. I feel better now. I never had such a bad case of dolly fever. I had to send a note to Maru and Friends again asking where my Luna and Maru were. I’m not sure how to handle four dolls showing up in such quick succession, especially when Hubby always finds the boxes before I do. I was so excited the other day I thought maybe Luna had shown up but it was just a seat cushion I ordered. Bummer.
Dear Jeanne, release the balloons! How wonderful, half a score plus one! Yeaaa!
I tried to post a link to a UFDC video about the Convention last week a few days ago but it didn’t go through. I am trying again here.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMgpZ1Hg40L/
Folks can also try the UFDC Facebook page, if they are members. I don’t have FB so I cannot advise how to do that.
The convention was incredible!
Hi all, I thought I’d put my update at the end of the blog, hoping it would be easier to find.
The latest news is, the doctors are discussing transferring Sarah to a different hospital for her surgery, which makes me think it might be even more serious than I first thought (not that bypass surgery isn’t serious enough, but there could be other conditions, etc., that have to be considered). No date yet, as far as I know, but will see if I can’t reach Isaac tomorrow for an update.
Then another prayer request, this time for Ron’s sister and her husband, Jim. Jim has been in failing health for a number of years, no longer able to stand/balance/walk, as he has dementia so his feet aren’t getting the “messages”. They’ve had to bring in a hospital bed for him now. Anyway, Wednesday or Thursday he spiked a temp so was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with sepsis and a UTI. His temp finally broke Friday morning, but he’s still in the hospital. So prayers for them both would be appreciated. (He is 84, I think, and she is 77.)
Thank you all!
Dear Charlotte, I will pray for your family and for you. Wishing you a peaceful August day.
Thank you, Dorothy.
I don’t think of this as a doll blog, I think it’s a life blog. We have many common interests and some common concerns — Sofa Sisters seems right. We celebrate each other and we support each other. Happy 11th Blogiversary! I think the term will catch on.
Update 8/2/25 at 10 p.m. PDT: Sarah has been moved to a different hospital. She has three blocked arteries, so it looks like it will be a triple bypass, if there is surgery done. That is all I know thus far; Isaac just messaged me a little bit ago.
Thank you for continued prayers.
Keep those positive thoughts Charlotte. Several cousins of mine all have had triple bypass surgery and are still alive and doing well. Be thinking of you and family.