May the first. .

Composition doll Ruth. This is my first doll of this type. I have Just bought her even though I should be paying off my council tax bill. Council tax is not as addictive though.
I have lots of Barbie monster high Bratz dolls and a few plastic and vinyl dolls from 1950s and 1960s . This is my first composition doll. I was bidding on another Italian doll but I dare not rebid after I was outbid. Pox to money.........


This is why I wanted this doll

The writing on her back. Ruth  and I think New Baby?

I have looked to see if I can find another like her and perhaps identify the maker......
below are the two I think she MAY be......


horsman.                                                         Effanbee



Effanbee is my favourite as they did a Ruth doll in composition. Any way we might never know as she is not marked apart from the writing on her back.

So I have done it. She is bought and paid for. So it is too late to worry about it.
So on to my days off this week. Monza kindly reminded me that the sun comes up now at 5.30am and that it is the first of May and I should get my back end out of bed and go out.
So I did.

 Just in time I was . Just me a few dogs and very very cold atmosphere.............

 The swans out and about and the full moon still out......

 I managed to walk around the Tarn and get a shot of the moon and the Tarn ....with the sun rise reflected in the Boat house windows.

 The three Gemima ducks were out and about having an argument they were....

 Sunrise reflected in the windows.....

 And this morning I found the Swan's nest.......

 may the first. the sun is well and truely up and out. it is to be a gorgeous day.

I have no work until Friday. so I do not need to bother about not wanting to go in to work....one less thing to bother with. So off we go as Monza the dog has got us up now, Haworth here we come.  Just wondering if I can persuade Lee to go to Heptonstall as well to find the grave of Sylvia Plath?

Bought when I thought I could.

 Some little dolls I found lately in charity shops. It is yet another Monday and I have to go out to work. I do not want to go this day. Needs must. as money has to be earned. little as it is. It would be a whole pile worse without. I can tell you all about being in debt and going to the food bank. That is depressing and so is a poxy job too. take your choice! I keep thinking there must be more to life than waiting for old age and death working a check out.
Work a check out or sleep in a box on the streets? I will take the check out then thanks.

 I bought these old dolls before I could not afford them. So that makes it okay then? no. Still can not afford to pay everything as well. Oh well it is too late now they are mine and live in my house such as it is whilst I still own it!!!
So what do we have here? a 1950's hard plastic walker doll with no working Mama box. in original clothing after a clean and wig removal. I discovered moulded hair...so I am going with it.
The lady on the right is 1960s Rosebud doll in original dress also after a clean.....

This is how she arrived. the wig had to go. firstly it was a rangy old thing with most of the hair missing and it looks creapy. I was going to restyle it. but it disintegrated.

So off I go. Monday morning again. No photos of the dawn. in fact no new photos at all.I just cant be bothered. No days out this week either so don't get excited.

Marilyn.

This may bank holiday. Is it a bank holiday? I just asked Lee. He thinks it might be next week. But  hey. It is Sunday and I have work for this day anyway.
The Goth week end is going on in Whitby and other things keep popping into my head about bank holidays...like in May there are two and in the old days and another life I would have been going to Corfu. Absolutely loved Corfu. I do not expect to ever see it again but that's another deal. I will not be going to the Goth Weekend either .
So onto today. Today is a really pretty and what looks like a spring day. It is cold. Cold enough for me not to go out in my pyjamas and coat. there was Beautiful light but I could not be bothered with it.
I am having a downer on myself I guess. I have "painted myself into a corner " again.
That is because we started to get happy, buy stuff for the house and finally go to some of the places with paid entrance that we could never afford.
I got all excited and started to make plans in my little head for outings and summer days. Then bad luck takes over as ever and work have no more extra hours. Therefore I have no more extra money and we are getting into debt again.
So yes I am about as pissed off as I can get and I have to find a second job to fit in with this crap as well. So yes. downer it is today.

Never mind all that. I  acquired this doll the other day. I always want Marilyn dolls but can never afford them. This one is not magnificent but it is okay if I photograph her from the right angle!

This one is Marilyn Monroe collectors series . Spotlight splendour by D S I.  This is part of a six part series. I have found one ! One is better than none!
I have seen these dolls on Ebay. they are usually the cheapest of all the Marilyn dolls but I still did not buy as I do not like the face much. from a distance it is not bad...but close up...sorry it is horrible.
I have done what I can with these photos however.

This doll came with her shoes and her fur wrap. The clothes and detail of jewellry and gloves are good.....not magnificent but good enough. I found her after a tip off in a cats protection shop in Bradford. She was bundled onto a table in a plasitc bag tied up with an elastic band.

 I also found a Panre Spanish expression doll in the same state........This little girl is a whole other blog on her own!...... AND a monster high Gorgon raggy type doll which I had not seen before.

I spent ten pounds in all. The realisation that I can not afford ten pounds on such things again had not yet set in. This realisation became reality this morning. It has been nagging at me but I thought "it will sort it's self out" ......
so this is possibly my last extravagance. No days out. No visiting stately homes no "going somewhere" and taking photos. That all stops until I can get myself another job.

1993. This doll is from that year. the company who made these dolls specialises in celebrity dolls and also did a passable Elvis. They went into liquidation in 2003.




fur fantasy Marilyn.    evening splendor         silver sizzle              sparkle superstar




emerald evening.          spectacular show girl.







Spot light splendour Marilyn is the one I have. Limited edition of 50,000.and comes with a certificate and a number.

So off I go. I have had breakfast and a lot of tea. So out to face the public and earn a crust.

Junk and recycling. A very good dolly day in Yorkshire.

I have been home most of this week as hours at work are in short supply. Oh well...garden and doll room redesign here I come.
I got up when I woke up and employed the old trick of street clothes over pyjamas and a camera.

These photos are all taken from my camera now as I managed to send my mobile phone to the tip tangled up with ivy and clematis. And yes I am very hacked off by this as the damn thing was a really good camera and had a big screen. Lee bought it for my Christmas present because it is the same as his and is compatible with the drone we got for christmas.

Now I have a pox ridden tiny £11.00 Asda excuse for a thing. It is crap. But it is my fault for loosing mine!
so dawn dawned and then we came up with a plan for the day.
I was tipped off about some great charity and junk shops I had not been to......Allerton cats protection shop in Bradford for starters!!!!
So this is where we started. Eventually....as GPS took us around a few times before we found it all tucked away in an old mill building.

The lady who told me about this said it "was like a rabbit warren on two floors"......It did not disappoint. it is like a rabbit warren and it is stuffed full of glorious treasures.



I was very tempted by this old sewing machine....but I did not buy. Though I will if it is still there on my next visit!

So what did I buy? ...This Monster high doll....

 a small Barbie fold out house in the shape of a castle in a suitcase....a Marilyn doll....in really good condition with shoes and fur wrap....£3.00!!!!

A Spanish character doll from the 1980s. Panre doll an "expression doll" £1.50.!!!!!!! again in really good condition......

This place only takes cash. so we had to go and get some and then go back for these treasures.
Whilst we were out and it was raining anyway we went to Farsley to another old mill to a recyling shop that we had on our list to go to but never done.
It is Friday and we usually go to Otley. This week we went to Bradford and Farsley.

 We parked up in the visitors space at this old mill and walked up through the buildings to the recyling shop......

opened the door and there it all was!!!!!! piles and piles of "stuff" for projects and general addiction twitching....

Stuff!!!! just masses of Stuff!!!! wonderland of stuff...stuff and more stuff.

Loads of old dummies.......I love these......



Things made out of other stuff......













Did I buy anything? no. but I will when I can decide what!!!!!!

I can spy loads of stuff just looking at these pictures.


So whilst we were in Farsley in the rain we went to Bonds Haberdashery. This is an old addiction and I was surprised and delighted to find it moved to the next door shop where it's owner has a proper haberdashery laid out as my old work place Mitchells of Bath was.

 We walked past the husband creche which I noted was still there!!! we have not been to Farsley for a few years. We nearly bought a house here. An old school house......which I noted was also up for sale again.

 New shop!!!! all beautiful and displays include old sewing machines. The owner has abour 150 and "just likes them"

I can tell you the new shop is totally sensational!!!!!








This is the basements. the main floor is even more sensational!!!!


A good dolly day then......

This is the house we very nearly bought. it is old . it is gorgeous. BUT......and this is the but! it has no garden...no parking and the roof was totally shot. I loved it though. It was no use to us as at the time we had a big van to park up a dog who needed a garden and it is too small for my junk collection. oh and it is straight onto a fast main road......