Pretty Mail

When I mail out doll clothes I like to create special packaging.

The first thing I did was ask all my friends to save their paper grocery bags for me.

Then I cut the bag down and sew three sides together.
I like to zig zag in red but any color or good stitch could be used.
I add a few Mary Englebreit stickers to dress it up a little.
And a sticker in the corner bearing my business logo.

I put the purchased doll clothes in a ziplock baggie and put the baggie into the paper envelope, sliding it as far as possible. (Don't want to catch the baggie in the open edge when I sew it shut)
I address it and take it to the post office. (names and addresses erased out for obvious reasons)

Customers love the packaging. It doesn't take long to make up a bunch and have them ready to go. I spend a few minutes cutting out "envelopes", I sew three sides and my daughter, Livia, puts the stickers on for me. Then all I have to do is pull one out, address it, put the doll clothes in and sew it shut. It only takes a few minutes to have cute packaging that 90% recycled materials.

This idea is not original to me. Last year I saw a tutorial on Kats in the Belfry's blog and decided to try it. The idea stuck and now I mail all my doll clothes these types of envelopes.

January Wedding Bells

Our daughter was married back in January and I thought I'd share some pictures and captions from her big day.
The happy bride and groom.
Autumn wanted her first kiss to be sort of private. So we had these parasols custom made. Purchased from a seller on Etsy. When our pastor said it was time to kiss the bride, the best man and the maid of honor stepped forward with these parasols and popped them open, shielding Jason and Autumn from the eyes of the congregation. The whole congregation burst out laughing. It was a lot of fun.

All my daughters dear friends!
My daughter, Autumn. I pray her marriage is blessed beyond measure.
I love the colors in this picture. The white dress, cream roses and the whitish/grayish rocks.
She wore red Mary Jane's under her wedding dress. It was fun idea and made for fun conversation.
The wedding party acting goofy and making faces at them kissing. haha.

The bride and groom. They were married on January 29, 2011. We prayed for an unseasonably warm day and we got it. Autumn really wanted outside pictures. The weather was in the high 50's.
Those fun red shoes again.

The groom and grooms men.
The bride and the brides maids. The little dark headed girl behind the bride is our youngest daughter, Livia.
The handsome groom...Jason.


The tables at the reception. I plan to do a whole blog post at some point on the Luminaries (the vellum cylinder with the scripture and candle down inside to light it up) The Etsy seller I bought the Luminaries from was an absolute dream to work with and ... I better stop or I'll write the post now.

I hope you all enjoyed a look into our lives.

Simple Womans Daybook

FOR TODAY
March 16, 2011

Outside my window...shaping up to be a warm, sunny day! Yippee!

I am thinking...about my sons upcoming wedding.

I am thankful for...my little boys that say they are going to marry me when they grow up.

From the learning rooms...I received (unexpectedly) a very cool book that literally I've been wanting for YEARS.

From the kitchen...beef stew and biscuts for supper tonight.

I am excited about...my daughter coming to visit this weekend.

I am praying...for my grand babies...one due in May and one due in July.

I am wearing...favorite khaki skirt, long sleeved black tee, black socks and sneakers.

I am creating...dress for Livia and dolls and doll clothes.

I am going...to take a nap today. I've needed a nap for 2 weeks.

I am reading...my bible.

I am hoping...to lose some weight.

I am hearing...my dryer squeaking...sort of loud and annoying.

Around the house...there are toys scattered and needing picked up.

One of my favorite things...when babies are sleeping and making the sucking motion with their sweet little mouths.

A few plans for the rest of the week: get another doll in the shop, list some doll clothes, plan a menu (and stick to it) for next week.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...My son, Donnie. Graduating high school this May. He is truly a beloved son.

Felipe, a Red Green in The Making

This is my little man, Felipe. (said Phillip) He is 5 years old.

The arm on my old rocker has been broke for awhile. The arm lifts off the post. This morning, young Felipe said to me that he thought he could fix the arm for me. Me, being involved in giving two, LONG, spelling tests to my older boys, told young Felipe to have at it! I figured as long as I didn't hear electrical tools going or the sound of a hand saw ripping through the wood, he couldn't do much to hurt it. I finished the spelling test to see a very proud Felipe standing at the chair looking pleased with his fixing.

Too cute.
I do want to say though, that I'm glad he hasn't discovered duct tape.

Confessions of a Pattern Junkie

I confess that I have "vintage smocked dress pattern" saved as one of my favorite Ebay searches. I bought this little dandy 4-5 years ago. How fun it would be to have a little girl again to make this New England style coat and bonnet. I can see it in a deep blue woolen fabric, smocked with light blues and vintage white, bullion roses scattered across the pleated, semi bishop shape of the coat. Well there are always grand babies, a girl can dream!

Check it out. McCalls 1311, copyright 1946.
At the bottom of the pattern the writing reads:

Toddler's Coat and Bonnet
A delectable coat and bonnet for your Very Young Pet. The dainty smocked coat has semi raglan sleeves and a nice fullness. Smart in pink, blue or white. The bonnet may be ruffle trimmed or plain.

How is that for a description.

The pattern construction is actually quite simple. The smocking is what dresses up the coat and makes it look stunning. I taught myself to smock around 10 years ago and have made lots of smocked dresses for my youngest daughter and lots of other little girls too. Once the basics are figured out it is an easy and an enjoyable past time.


I call this coat and bonnet a "New England" style coat and bonnet not because I know that to be true but I have several friends that are from the New England states. When I've seen photographs of them as children or their children, I have without fail seen little coats and bonnets just like this pattern.

Meet Chloe

Sweet little 12" doll. In my shop now. :)

Chrissy

Dolly Day Friday is being hosted by Jenny of the lovely Little Jenny Wren blog. Stop by and have a look at her blog. Be sure to bring a hot cup of tea or coffee because you'll want to stay awhile.

My fourth birthday stands out in my mind as one of the best birthdays I had as a child. My grandparents lived several hours away and had sent my parents money to purchase a gift for me. My parents took me to the store and allowed me to pick out my own gift. Destine for domesticity, I picked out a child's size ironing board and iron and a mop, broom and dust pan set. It was a fun day at the store. I remember loving that both my mom and my dad were there and that their attention was totally centered on me. I can remember clearly thinking when we left the store that the gifts were the only gifts I was getting and how happy I was with them.

When we arrived home there was a birthday cake and another gift on the table. This gift was from my mom and dad and held the most wonderful doll....CHRISSY.
She was about the prettiest doll I'd ever seen and I still think that. Its strange to me that I can remember the feeling I had when I looked at her. I was the type of child that had a real affection for my dolls. My life at 4 was not overflowing with dolls or toys but the dolls that I had, I loved with everything in my 4 year old heart.

Her hair could be lengthened or shortened. There is a button on her back that can be turned one way to let the hair out and pulled another to pull the hair back in. I prefered her hair long and my mother showed me how to take a hair brush and a bit of her hair and "finger curl" Chrissy's hair.

I turned 4 in 1973. I'm not sure how long Chrissy was on the market before that but I know that she is at least 38 years old.

Sadly, a year of so later when my parents separated and then divorced, Chrissy was lost in the shuffle. I think she was left behind in our old house. I asked my dad several times about her but I'm sure at that moment in his life...his wife leaving and taking his children, finding a lost doll was not weighing heavy on his mind. I never saw my Chrissy doll again.

Fast forward 35 years. I was a visiting a dear friend and fellow doll lover...I mean this lady really loves dolls, she happened to ask me what kind of dolls I had as a child. Chrissy was the first doll that came to mind and in the conversation, my friend asked if I still had Chrissy. When I told her I did not, she excused herself for a moment and brought back the Chrissy doll in the pictures and gave her to me.
Getting this Chrissy doll filled in a piece of my missing childhood. Divorce is hard on children. My dolls were my friends and in the raging storm around me, my dolls brought me comfort. Perhaps that is why I tend to say "special dolly friend" when talking about dolls or describing dolls. I know the power of having a special dolly friend and that is what Chrissy was to me.