The Promise Room - A Sweet Layaway Plan

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I have always loved that my work is all around me; not only the messes I make, but my inspirations, my work in progress, and my finished products. There are dolls everywhere since our Gallery is in our home, but display is kept to three rooms. That's usually about 100 "people."  Some are here longer than I'd like. Maybe they just don't want to go away. Sooner or later each Bundle finds a home; some just take longer to be chosen. Why is that?

What I did during my school vacation - an essay!

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Joyfully, the week began with a Valentine's Day party with our special SCA families - calzones, pizzas, two salads and a heart shaped white chocolate cake with strawberry icing. Yumm. Both the food and the company. Don't forget the pretty handmade valentines.valentines.jpg

The Two Doll Birthday

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In mid-January Vermont had a big snow.  Five years ago in a similar snowstorm, our Beatrice was born.  The midwife did not quite make it in time, so daughter Kara delivered Beatrice herself.  The first girl after three boys - a wonderful treat--for all of us. 

Done!

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Lew and I thoroughly enjoyed "The Musical of Musicals" at the Weston Playhouse this summer. The finale was a parody of "One" from Bennett's A Chorus Line.  The audience is still sitting there and the cast sings "Go home. Done."  As an aside, for the first time in a year, we have put musical tapes in our entertainment center and are singing. (I normally work in quiet.) But I should be dancing, because those last commissions are done. I won't even go into the details of the Matt doll for Myra's giving to her fiancĂ©, but I will tell you Lew took out his wood blocks to help make this a sensational gift. Commissions, you say, how does that happen?

Sales just for you!

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I think it was Grace K., a realtor in N.J. who was trying to sell us a house in Bergen County back in 1971. "Remember, Mr. Watters, the house priced right will sell!" On Norman Rockwell's print the saying goes, "You can't sell from an empty wagon." Both true. Remember then that a spool of thread was 25 cents; today it is nearly $5. Fabric was 50 cents to $1 a yard, now it's $8 to $10! But what can we offer you now?  

Remember Snow Days?

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Heavens, when I was a kid I loved them even if I had to clean my toy box and play with my little brother, John. As a adult, I loved the cancellation of school to spend quality time with my three daughters who all benefited from my individual bonus attention to their creative paths. When they said to me, "I'm bored." I replied, "No, think, are you boring? Make something." God bless them. They did. So what did Lew and I do on our first snow day?
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Green is Good

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The Annual Holiday Sale was green. So was the cake. We had local and returning customers - just like we might have expected.  One trunk doll (Virginia) is gone; one Attic Girl is gone (Erika).  Two special pickers and choosers are the subject of another blog. But first...

Retrospective

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What a week! Grandson Isaac celebrated his first birthday with lots of help from siblings openingshiloh8333.jpg packages and blowing a candle! We spent the night but left before being awakened by the children to attend a workshop through the Small Business Administration lead by Jane Applegate.  Driving there Lew and I sipped daughter Kara's great coffee and talked candidly about business.  How do people get lost from Main Street? Should we say we're in Chester Depot, not Chester? Do we need a state directional sign? Should we offer a rainy day special next year? Do we have too many dolls offered on the web?  The answers?

Pretty in Pink

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You've heard me talk about Matt and Myra before, friends who put me onto blogging.  Their commissions have resulted in some interesting Bundles like Daisy. She wanted a doll to decorate a "diaper" cake for an auction that had the breast cancer ribbon for eyes and everything pink. How did it turn out?View image

Happy Home Town Days!

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After 35 years, is it really fun to pack up the Bundles and trek them over the hill to The Green in your favorite Vermont town for two days? You bet, especially that the portage could be made in two trips and under ten miles. Who did we see?