My Doll Haven

Everyone Needs Playtime

In our hectic, modern lives, many of us focus so heavily on work and family commitments that we never seem to have time for pure fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stopped playing.

When we carve out some leisure time, we’re more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than engage in fun, rejuvenating play like we did as children. But play is not just essential for kids; it can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults as well.

There doesn’t need to be any point to the activity beyond having fun and enjoying yourself. By giving yourself permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, you can reap oodles of health benefits throughout life.

Monday

Poor Patsy

I thought I'd share someone different today, she is a doll from my childhood which I discovered in a box, (recently delivered to me from my mother). There were three and this is the one who is most in need of tender love and care.

She is a 15 inch Palitoy Patsy drink and wet baby doll from the early 1950's. Her head is marked, "MADE IN ENGLAND PAT. NO. 535811" and her torso is marked, "BRIT. PAT. 600270, MADE IN ENGLAND, AUSTRAL. 135724, S.A. 813/46, CANADA. 466981".

The doll's head is made of hard plastic and her body a soft rubber. She used to drink, cry and wet, however, this is no longer the case.

Patsy has brown moulded hair, a very cute face with light pink rosy cheeks and a feeding mouth with faded pink lips, nice eyebrows and blue sleep eyes. I think her eyelashes are missing, but maybe they are just pushed in and could be pulled out with tweezers to normal length. Her eyes are pushed back slightly into her head and could use a little adjustment.

Patsy's cute, chubby rubber body really needs a good clean, her crier is missing from her back, but her fingers and toes are good. Although she's a little a worse for wear, I think I will give her a bath and knit her some pretty clothes. I might even have a go at fixing her eyes.

Wednesday

Lazy Days and Daffodils

I have been feeling like I needed some R&R this week, so today hubby and I decided to take a drive through Gippsland to one of our favourite towns . . . Yarragon. It has some lovely shops, amongst my favourites are Candleberry Country where you'll find a vast array of pretty fabrics to tempt even the most discerning sewer and Carousel Cottage a lovely shop full of decorative items for the home. Needless to say, I made a small purchase from both of them. :)

We then lunched at Gippsland Food and Wine, where my sweet little Pippin (LF Pipi Girl ~ Tan Skin) became very curious about everything.

After lunch we drove down roads we hadn't travelled before and came across the Blyth Brothers farm . . . and what a spectacular sight to behold it was!

Row upon row of magnificent yellow daffodils and fragrant jonquils. It reminded me of William Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud".

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Little did we realise that this beautiful farm in Ellinbank is Australia's largest daffodil growing business, family run and dating back three generations to 1947.

New Wigs

Monday I received my latest order of wigs from For My Doll. I couldn't quite remember which I ordered for who at first, but it finally all fell into place.

Four of them were for PukiFees. The pink updo was for Macaron, the yellow pigtails for Cookie, and the other two for the PukiFee faceplates I have yet to find bodies for. One 8/9 Carrot wig ready for Verity Delamore-Larkin (April Story Ishyllia) my #2 steampunk sister on order and a 6/7 Pink for Atargatis (Impldoll Baby Gela), my mermaid, who I am currently making a tail for.

Today, I gave Macaron (PF Dony), Cookie (PF Bonnie) and Biscotti (PF Cony) a sort of makeover. Firstly, I swapped Macaron and Biscotti's eyes over giving Macaron the blue and Biscotti the green. Next, I added kips to both their necks as they were nodding quite uncontrollably and then I trimmed and styled the two new wigs. Finally I brushed Biscotti's hair and added a hairclip to keep her hair in check.

I also finally received the boots that should have arrived 15 days ago. Makes you wonder about these postal services and whether they travelled via Austria to get here!