Sharing the linky love........

Although the blog is still really young, I want to try to link with all the other great blogs and resources online that cater to doll lovers.  I have created a page called "Links and Resources" where I plan to list things like links to doll clothes patterns online, Etsy shops with doll-related items, and blogs and websites about dolls.  Please head over and check out what I've collected so far.  I would really appreciate any feedback and comments.  Please email me or comment if you know of a resource I haven't included.  I'll be happy to add it to the growing list.

Also.......I have interview questions sent out to SEVERAL people.  I'm hoping to be able to do my first interview post VERY SOON! 

And........I've been spending quite a bit of time trolling the web for more people to connect with and have discovered a few doll lines that are new to me that I really like.  So the list of "Laura's Dolly Wishes" continues to grow.  Be sure to check it out.  If you have any suggestions for things I might want to add, let me know! 

I'm looking for a few good people...........actually a lot!!

I really want to grow this website into a place where people can come to reminisce, to learn, to share, and to get to know others who love dolls.  I'm hoping to feature several interviews each week.  ANYONE (and I mean absolutely anyone) is welcome to contact me to be interviewed.  I will certainly seek out certain people in the online community to interview, but I also want to feature "regular" people who are not in the online community but who would love to have their doll stories shared with others.  The only prerequisite is a love of dolls and/or great memories about dolls.  You don't need to be an artist or collector to be featured.  So.........I'm asking for your help.  Please contact me (see link on the sidebar) if you or anyone you know would be interested in participating in an interview.  It's very simple.  I will contact you via email and send a list of question for you to respond to.  I'll ask you to include a photo of yourself and/or some dolls you love. Then, I'll include your answers in a post for everyone to see!  Can't wait to hear from you soon!

Dolls in Literature: Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

This is another book I loved as a child.  It describes the life of a little wooden doll over the course of one hundred years.  The doll changes owners several times and travels the globe.  This is one that I would enjoy reading again as an adult.  Not only is it great to have a doll as the main character, this book contains a lot of historical information that is really interesting.  Definitely a must read for all doll lovers.

I did a bit more online searching and found a site dedicated to Hitty Preble.  The Great Cranberry Island Historical Society in Maine has created a wonderful website with LOTS of information about this book.  CLICK HERE to check it out.  You can even purchase your own flat Hitty doll that has slept overnight in the Preble house.  (The Prebles were the first family Hitty lived with in the story.)  HERE is a link for you to explore.  Good stuff!

Meet two of my friends

I received this little sibling pair as a gift when I was a child.  If my memory is correct, my paternal grandma and my Aunt Ruth made these for me.  As you will see from the close-up photos below, these two were very well loved as evidenced by their stained faces.  I remember bringing these friends with me everywhere I went, including outside.  Now they sit in my craft studio and serve as my inspiration for creating dolls of my own.  You can check out some of my creations in my Etsy shop, Walnut Hill Handmade.  I will treasure these two forever.  I love that they are handmade.  I love all the details from their hand-embroidered faces to their clothing and their yarn hair.  I wish I could remember what I named them as a child, but I really have no memory of it whatsoever.  Do you have some special, much loved dollies from your childhood?  If so, I'd love to see photos and hear your story.  Contact me at the link on the sidebar and send me your story and photos.  You might just find yourself featured right here on the blog!!

The New Boys

 I wanted to share with you all two recent doll purchases I've made.  And by recent, I mean within the past two decades.   Since I live in an all-boy household, I haven't had much opportunity to buy dolls.  HOWEVER, as I've recently really started to get into Blythe dolls I am spending a fair amount of free time online looking at Blythe-related things.  My youngest son noticed this one day and asked what I was looking at.  I told him I was looking at some dolls that I might want to buy.  He wanted to see, so I showed him.  He does NOT like Blythe AT ALL!!  And he made that very clear.  However, he surprised me by saying that he likes Lalaloopsy dolls.  (He's seen commercials for them on TV.)  So I got on the Lalaloopsy website and we looked at a bunch.  He really liked the pirate doll, Patch Treasurechest, and asked me to buy it for him.  SO I DID!!  I had to order it online from Wal-Mart.  We were both so excited when it arrived.  It really is a cute little guy.  The story behind the Lalaloopsy dolls is that they are made from the clothing of "real people" and they come to life when their last stitch is stitched.  Kinda cute.  Their "birth-date" is stamped onto their underpants on their tushies.  They all have a birthday that relates to a special holiday.  For example, Patch was born on September 19 which is "Talk Like a Pirate" day.   And Forest Evergreen (our other Loopsy) was born on September 26 which is "Lumberjack" day.  Each Lalaloopsy doll comes with a pet.  You can see that Patch has a pet parrot. 

I'm pretty impressed with the quality and detail on the Loopsy's clothing.  I love that Patch has a thermal long sleeve shirt under his Jolly Roger polo.  I also love that he's wearing corduroy shorts.  Great attention to detail.

After we'd had Patch for a few weeks, we were at Toys'R'Us and saw Forest Evergreen.  It is VERY rare to find a boy Loopsy in a store, at least where we live.  They had all the Loopsys on sale, so we snatched him up because my little boy really wanted a friend for Patch and he only wanted boy dolls.  Forest is just as adorable as Patch.  I love his buffalo check shirt with a fleece collar along with his denim overalls with leather suspenders.  His little beaver pet is so cute too!!  I really like the Lalaloopsy line of dolls.  They are super cute and so unique compared to other dolls you can find in the stores.

Since I'm a teacher by trade, I would really love to get Bea Spells a Lot someday.  Her birthday is October 16th, Dictionary day.   Do you have a Lalaloopsy doll?   If so, which one?  I'd love to hear from other Loopsy collectors.

Dolls in Literature: Katy Comes Next by Laura Bannon

I LOVED this book as a child.  Unfortunately, it is out of print and quite pricey on Amazon.  I would love to own a copy of it, but if I have to save money to buy this book or a Blythe doll, I know where my money's going.  Anyway.........in this story, Ruth's parents own a doll shop which always keeps them too busy to repair Ruth's doll, Katy.   When asking for new eyes or a new wig for her doll, Ruth is told, "Katy comes next."  Unfortunately, "next" never seems to happen.  Then one morning, Ruth wakes up to find that her parents have closed the doll shop for the day.  Instead, they have declared it "Katy Comes Next" day.   On this special day, Ruth's parents spend the whole day fixing Katy and getting her a new wardrobe.  Can I just say how much I loved this book as a little girl?  I checked it out from the library MANY, MANY times.  Do any of you remember reading this as a child?  If so, did you love it as much as I did?  The one weird thing I remember, though, is that Katy looked completely different after they were done with her.  She got a new wig, new eyes, etc., and was truly a different doll at the end.  I remember that bothering me on some level.  Still, my overriding memory after reading it decades ago is of complete enchantment.  I think Ruth even got to pick out a really cool doll trunk for Katy and fill it with lots of beautiful new clothes, shoes and accessories.  How fun!!

Blog Launch!!

Hello, fellow doll lovers and friends.  I am super excited to start a new adventure here on this blog.  I'm hoping to make this place where you'll want to spend lots of time.  My goal for the blog is to help doll lovers of all ages and from all over the world connect with one another through their mutual love of dolls.  I've searched the internet for hours looking for a doll blog that has a little something for everyone.  I've found lots of great doll-related blogs which inspired me to create this space.  I'm planning to post a lot of interviews with doll lovers, collectors and artists from around the globe. I'm also hoping to have tutorials for all kinds of doll-related crafting.  Perhaps there will also be product reviews and giveaways. We'll have to wait and see what kind of excitement is generated by this little spot on the web.  Check back soon.........I'll be putting up a bunch of posts about my childhood dolls and memories.  And VERY soon I'm hoping to have some interview posts ready for the blog.  I'm super excited about those as well.  See you SOON!!!!