A Garden of Virtues

Right now I have Spring Promise, Bonnie and Day Dream for sale. Bonnie is doing very well, and the others have some watchers, and I am hopeful for them. I have found I really like selling things. I have been thinking a great deal about what kind of things I could make to sell for dolls, and what kind of vibe I would like my store to have. It will be months before I run out of things to sell as it is now. I have 21 dolls total to sell, possibly 22, leaving me with 3, perhaps 4. I have been very feeling very perfectionist, wanting my collection to conform as closely as possible to my ideal. This weekend I will be preparing listings for Summer Dream, Autumn Reflection and Ginny.

View my eBay listing here . "Spring Promise," a 21" porcelain doll sculpted by artist Sandra Bilotto, was released from the Ashton Drake Galleries in 1997. The edition for this doll ended in 2000. "Spring Promise" has a porcelain head, hands, legs and bosom with a firmly-stuffed cloth body, synthetic wig in original styling, and comes with her original bouquet, veil, stand and Certificate of Authenticity. Her original box from the Ashton Drake Galleries is not available. "Spring Promise" has been in my collection since my mother purchased her in 1997 from Ashton Drake. She has been carefully posed and displayed intermittently for the past 12 years in a non-smoking home. I have pet cats and birds, but they have only been in the general vicinity of this doll. Sandra Bilotto is a talented doll artist who approaches her dolls as living beings. Her dolls have unique, life-like features and speaking eyes. "Spring Promise" has a unique Nordi...

View my eBay listing here . "Day Dream" is a 17" porcelain doll designed by artist Tom Francirek for Paradise Galleries. She was purchased directly from Paradise Galleries in 2004 and has been displayed intermittently in my non-smoking home. I have pet cats and birds, but they have only been in the general vicinity of this doll. "Day Dream" is part of the "Opposite Reflections" collection. She has porcelain shoulders and bosom and separately set porcelain head which can turn. Her legs and hands are also porcelain. Her wig and wings are synthetic. Her flower-detailed costume is overlaid with pale blue tulle and delicate lace. Pastel-colored flowers and ribbons adorn her natural blond hair, braided at the crown. Her face is painted with fantasy-pink eyeshadow and natural cheek and lip color. "Day Dream" comes with velcro-attached synthetic glittered butterfly wings, a lace flower-adorned choker, and a silver-wrapped staff decorated with ...

View my eBay listing here . Bonnie the Beautiful Bride is a 25" vinyl doll from the Deluxe Reading Company produced between the 1950's-1960's. I bought her secondhand a year ago, and she has since been displayed in my non-smoking home in a display case. I have pet cats and birds, but they have only been in the general vicinity of this doll. Bonnie wears an exquisite vintage bridal ensemble in ivory lace and tulle over a hoopskirt and panties. Her "fingerless" gloves, veil and bouquet are of the same lace and ivory color as her gown.    Bonnie has strawberry-blonde rooted hair and green eyes which open and close. Her arm and leg joints move but are slightly stiff with age.     Bonnie and her ensemble are in flawless vintage condition as far as I can tell. She comes with gown, hoopskirt and matching veil, bouquet and gloves, panties and plastic high-heel sandals. She will come in her original box, which is not in mint condition, but worn with age and marked ...

I scored my first McDonalds happy meal American Girl book. It's awesome! There are paper dolls, activities, a little story. I love the American Girls more than ever now.