Meet Hayley (before)

I wanted a Redhead Dungarees for quite some time before I managed to acquire one. Whenever I found one online it was already 'sale pending' or I was outbid at auction. I finally managed to purchase this doll, from 1969. She's far from perfect, but I think she'll clean up nicely. She has all her original clothing which is in good condition. Since this picture, I've cleaned them in a perk/boost solution from Twin Pines of Maine. Her stringing is loose so she doesn't stand well, but I know that's a simple fix (now I have two dolls who need to head out for some Sasha spa TLC). Her hair is a mess, but fortunately it doesn't look like it has been cut anywhere. I think it will be much improved with a good wash and her original braided hairstyle. I just purchased some shampoo and conditioner designed specifically for synthetic wigs, so hopefully I'll find time for that project soon.


UPDATE #1: Here she is with washed and conditioned (but not braided) hair.

Meet Rose

I bought a 1980's Blonde Gingham on eBay specifically for my daughter. Unfortunately when she arrived she smelled a bit smokey. I set her aside figuring I'd see what I could do, and gave Calla to Boo instead. Fortunately the smell wasn't too bad, and the doll was fine once I'd washed her hair and left her to air on the screened porch for a while. I knew Calla would need a friend eventually, especially once Boo started talking about wanting a doll named Rose. Well, she now has a doll named Rose (officially Ceres Rose, in keeping with the naming theme of the other 80's dolls).

The first thing Boo did was redress her, settling on this lovely pink "princess" dress, a Nellie-Rose creation from eBay seller maudie-mays. Bee-you-tee-ful!


Here's what I found in Boo's room the next morning: Princess Rose, still dressed in her finery, tucked into Calla's bed. I had Paul McCartney's "After the Ball" stuck in my head for the rest of the day...


UPDATE: I've discovered that Ceres was the Roman goddess of the harvest/agriculture (Demeter is the Greek equivalent). So perhaps I should be referring to her as Goddess Rose instead of Princes Rose. :-)

Boo's Second Sasha

After taking the photos for my last post, I presented Boo with her second Sasha doll. I purchased this doll intending for it to be her first Sasha, but wound up giving her Calla instead. She's a blonde like Lucinda, though a more common doll from the 80's. Boo checked her out ...


... and decided that she passed muster.


Boo has decided to call her Rose. I'll make her official introduction in a future post, hopefully within a few days.

Meet Lucinda

The Sasha dolls that I knew growing up were those that were readily available in the US, the English Sashas. Until I went searching for them as an adult, I didn't even realize that there were other different-looking Sashas that were made in Germany. Many people love them, but I don't find the Early Gotz dolls particularly appealing. Then I discovered the no-navels. To me they look a lot like an English Sasha with an upturned nose and thicker eyebrows. It wasn't love at first sight, but the look grew on me and eventually I decided to purchase one. I'm very glad I did, and ultimately would like to own more -- perhaps a brunette and a redhead to make a trio. Lucinda is from 1969, and is currently wearing a coral corduroy dress from Dayzees.




I am particularly enamored with her hair, which is thick and soft.


Boo is enamored with it too. She was watching me take pictures and couldn't keep her hands off Lucinda between shots. I think she thought the name Lucinda was just a variation of Cinderella, her latest fixation.