Sasha Festival 2021 - post 10

It’s always hard to say goodbye on Sunday, but we also learn the details of the next year’s festival so instead it becomes ‘I hope to see you next year’. Sharon and Carol, the upcoming hosts, made the announcement after breakfast.

Sasha Festival 2022 will be held July 21-24 in Syracuse, NY. The theme is “Sasha Celebrates Christmas in July”. Start making your plans to be there!

A huge thank you to the Sasha Festival 2020/2021 hosts Lauri, Gee, and Gabrielle Bolland! Hosting a festival is a lot of work, made even more so by the pandemic and postponement.

The raffle baby is on his way to a new home with a delighted winner. This was a lot of fun to pull together and I hope he and his bounty will be enjoyed for many years to come.

And then it was time for the goodbyes, or should I say ‘hope to see you next years’. I’m terrible at selfies, but thanks to the generosity of friends I have a few pictures with me to share.

I’m at the airport now, waiting at the gate for my flight to start boarding. I will try to find time in the next couple of weeks to post more of the CFA items, but life is crazy-busy so no promises. It has been a lot of fun blogging from the festival again, a gift to anyone who was unable to attend this year. I hope to see you next year - Syracuse or Bust!

Sasha Festival 2021 - post 9

We had another group dinner last night and received another souvenir festival outfit: overalls with “PEACE LOVE BOOKS” on the pocket, a t-shirt, and colorful Marti sandals. I also saw overalls with a dark blue background, and there may have been other colors as well. Coincidentally my overalls coordinate with yesterday’s turquoise clothes.

My table hostess gift from Florence is the cute yellow summer outfit (I believe she said made by Anita in Australia) - check out the pocket/collar color; I am on a roll here. I was also gifted one of my dear friend Ann’s table hostess gifts. She sat at my table Friday night, and like me she didn’t have a full table Saturday night and thus had extra gifts to give away. She made the sweet bookbag which included the Hand Shadows book.

I have so many things to stash in my suitcase before heading to our final group meal - breakfast.

Sasha Festival 2021 - post 8

The Dress-A-Sasha contest was held this afternoon. I didn’t enter, but I had fun viewing and photographing all the entries. There were two themes this year.

Sasha & Gregor Read: “We engage in reading and literacy activities every day in many ways! How do Sasha, Gregor, toddlers, and even babies show how much they walrus reading?”

Neighborhood Helpers: “We interact with community helpers every day. Show how your ‘kids’ engage with their favorite helpers in the neighborhood!”

The entries were divided into three categories:

JUNIOR MADE/ASSEMBLED

(1) “Trip to the Sasha Rainbow Library. Big sister Bella took her little sister Charlotte to the library. The nice librarian Mr Luke read them some books and Charlotte played with the felt board. Now, Mr Luke is putting on a puppet show.” (All the kids won a prize, but #1 received the most votes - Benjamin W.)

(2) “Bedtime reading includes dressing in literature themed clothing. Sasha is wearing her Wizard of OZ dress. Baby is wearing a Beatrix Potter themed nightie.”

(3) “Sasha loves Reading and Dr. Seuss”

ADULT ASSEMBLED

(1) “Let’s all come together right now, and stop the spread of COVID. Sashas are doing their part to help medical helpers stop COVID.” (2nd place - Elizabeth H)

(2) “Millions of Authors Throughout the Ages. Millions of Literary Titles On Every Subject Imaginable. and these Groovy Cats Teach Our Children to read!

(3) BLANK

(4) “As you read my stories of long ago I hope you will remember that things truly worthwhile and that will give you happiness are the same now as they were then. It is not the things you have that make you happy. It is love and kindness and helping each other and just plain being good.  ~Laura Ingalls Wilder”

(5) “We help babysit and read while Sasha mom works at the hospital. I’m reading Mr Rogers.” (1st place - Jeanna B)

ADULT MADE

(1) BLANK

(2) “Sasha loves the library… where she travels the world and through time.”

(3) “A Quiet Evening at Home”

(4) “When you open a book you become part of the story — open the book and rest on side of garden.” (2nd place - Geraldine M)

(5) BLANK

(6) BLANK

(7) “In memory of Eric Carle (1929-2021). It’s ‘Eric Carle Day’ in the nursery. Irish is wearing his Brown Bear, Brown Bear costume and George is wearing his A Very Hungry Caterpillar costume. George has settled down to read his book, but, as usual, Irish can’t find his book. I see a massive temper tantrum brewing if he doesn’t find it soon!”

(8) “Sasha loves to read to her baby brother. They are both wearing outfits made from small scraps of fabric with Alice in Wonderland prints.”

(9) “Dedicated to the man who taught me that my Neighborhood Extended to the whole Planet!” (1st place - Judanna C)

Sasha Festival 2021 - post 7

This morning was the sales room. I did not sell as much as I’d hoped, but I guess that’s to be expected with my random selection of items and fewer attendees. I will probably be listing items for sale later on the blog or Facebook, including a few dolls and a RED pram (pale blue/gray hood and cover). Here is my table before the sale began, a few dolls, two prams, toys, books, and some clothes:

I bought clothing from four different sellers: rainbow leggings, a rainbow heart t-shirt, a cat baby outfit, and a Rose & Hubble dress. My dolls already have mountains of clothes but it’s hard to resist buying things in the sales room. Like the CFA, there are so many nice items to chose from.

I’m not participating in the Dress-A-Sasha so had some downtime to blog during lunch and set up for that, but it’s almost time for voting so I’m going to head down and check out the entries.

Sasha Festival 2021 - post 6

The Children’s Fund Auction was the highlight of last night, but we also had a group dinner beforehand. I was one of the table hostesses. We were told there would be nine people per table so I brought nine gifts - eight for the others at my table and one to swap with another hostess.

Inside these party bags was a t-shirt purchased from A Passion For Sasha, a rainbow Care Bear, a Little Golden book, and a Sasha-sized Skittles box made by my husband (with rice inside so they rattle like the real thing). Probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but related to the Sasha Reads a Rainbow festival theme.

It turned out there were only eight people per table so we had two gifts we could swap, and my table only had five people; I gave the three extra to some of the girls Boo usually hangs out with. I did my original swap with Janell and received a cute outfit of jeans and a turquoise shirt - I saw this outfit with a dark green shirt later, so apparently the shirts were in different colors. My second swap was with Sheila who made a rainbow striped dress, panties, bow, and psychedelic fringed sandals. The stripes have the same turquoise color as the other swap’s shirt so I wound up with coordinating his-and-hers outfits. Sweet!

As if the fantastic hostess gifts weren’t enough, we also received a festival outfit at Friday’s dinner. Of course it was rainbow-themed: a shirt and top made from white or black color-speckled fabric with suede trim in a variety of colors, plus panties and socks. So cute! I originally opened an outfit with a black background but wound up with one with a white background and turquoise suede (three coordinating outfits!).

We have another group dinner tonight and who knows what other treasures I’ll wind up with.

Sasha Festival 2021 - post 5

The Children’s Fund Auction was last night after dinner. It raised over $9000 for Save the Children, and I believe there is a 10X match which would mean $90,000+! There were 83 items, which is a lot of  items to picture individually. I may do another auction post when I return, but for now here are pictures of all the tables of items along with what I won.

I was excited to win three of these auction items. My first win was a unicorn dress and JJ shoes made and donated by Ann Chandler. This was the item I really wanted; I’m a unicorn and rainbows kind of girl and I love Ann’s hand sewn Sasha clothing.

My second win was a gingham dress, sweater, socks and shoes donated by Dawn Law. Sadly she could not be at the festival due to UK flight restrictions so she is going to mail the item. The picture looks red, but it was described as fuchsia so maybe bad printer. I will see when it arrives. Knowing Dawn, I’m sure it is lovely.

My third win was a sweater and socks knit by Sara Hart, a pair of boots by Allison Seaman, and a dress donated by Kathy Weisner. This was originally flat lay on the table where it caught my eye, but I knew I had to bid once it was modeled on a doll. 

Sasha Festival 2021 - post 4

I promised, and here is is - the second raffle at this year’s festival. It is “The Mary Frances Sewing Book” themed and was donated by the Central New York Sashaholics. I believe all the clothing was made from patterns in the book - so cute!