Most of you know that I love dolls and especially cloth dolls and very especially cloth Sasha dolls. 🙂
My first doll was given to me as a baby and it was a Raggedy Ann doll. I am fortunate to have this photo, albeit faded and fuzzy, of my family on Christmas morning in 1955 with my beloved Grandparents, Harold and Adeline, and my loving parents, Mary and Bob and of course, Raggedy Ann is front and center. 🙂
Now, 60 years later, there is no surprise to see the lovely Abby gracing my bedroom chair and looking so young and fresh and lovely. ❤
Hello there Abby! 🙂 I redressed Abby in a very pretty dress and pinafore made by Thu Cuc Faes. Abby’s brown leather shoes were made by Jean Jensen. 🙂
I was feeling very sentimental while taking this photographs and my mind was reaching back in time to many childhood memories and those days that I lived happily with wonderful, loving people. While thinking of these days long ago, I remembered this very special scarab pin that was given to me from my Granny and my Mom when I was thirteen. I wore and wore and wore this pin, for most of my school years, on all of my round collared blouses. 🙂
I keep the pin in my jewelry box and it is a treasure. It seemed the perfect addition to Abby’s outfit and taking in the beauty of it as I pinned it to her round collar, a tear was brought to my eye….a happy and yet a poignant moment. ❤
Abby, I think you are so very lovely with your yarn plaits and beautifully painted face. What a joy you bring to me and all of us here at Sasha Shangri-La. ❤
This photo and the next were taken with a flash and so appear much brighter than the other photos. I think it is nice to see Abby up close. 🙂
Abby, my well-loved special girl. ❤
A last photo of sweet Abby. Abby and I are sending you hugs and happy wishes for the rest of the week to come. 🙂 xxx
A couple of waterlogue images for you to enjoy. 🙂
Thank you for spending time with us at Sasha Shangri-La!
Sasha Shangri-La 
What a really lovely post Ginger, such wonderful memories and sentiments of your childhood and the special Abby. How lovely to also have that sweet pin brooch as well, very special indeed. Thank you for sharing this with us. 🙂
Thank you so much Lorraine. I seem to be steeped in memories lately. When I redressed sweet Abby, seeing her pretty face and that “empty” round collar, it just brought about the perfect time to display the scarab pin once again after all these years. 🙂 xxx
Indeed! Funny how some things really invoke memories and certain times of the year also seem to do this.
Yes, I find the holidays always bring back wonderful memories. 🙂
Loved this little tale and you’ve inspired me. My mother-in-law died earlier this year and my father-in-law died last month and on sorting things in their home I came across jewellery and brought it home to look through and found a blackened brooch, my mum cleaned it up and it’s a very pretty silver brooch. After reading this I’m going to find a use for it on a doll, possibly in someone’s hair as a makeshift slide, so thank you for this tale as I would never have thought to use it had I not read this xx
Thank you so much Lousie for writing and thank you too for sharing your special brooch that recently came to be with you. I will look forward to seeing how you use your pretty silver brooch and a hair slide is a super idea! You are most welcome and I am glad you loved this heartfelt post. ❤ xxx
Abby is beautiful Ginger and it’s wonderful that you have her and treasure her so much. She is one of the prettiest of this type of doll that I’ve seen. I love her plaits and her perfectly done face. I think the broach sets off her outfit perfectly and every time you look at her and see it, so your mind will be taken back to those days when you lived, as a child, in the bosom of your loving family. I hope she forever brings you pleasure dear lady, because you deserve every second of it.
Big hugs Sharon xxx
Oh thank you Sharon and she is truly a treasure that touches my heart. I think she is just wonderful in every way and would not change a thing about her. ❤
You are so right, when I look at Abby wearing my scarab pin, I easily go back to those days when I wore it and those were very happy days too so it is a pleasant journey for me. 🙂
Thank you too for the sweet and kind words of support my friend. I am sending you very big hugs too! 🙂 xxx
Abbey is the perfect girl to grace your bedroom chair. She looks lovely in her new outfit and wearing your Grandma and Mothers brooch.
Sometimes just a little thing will sweep us with wonderful memories of times and people now gone and although these can be bitter sweet, they are welcome for all that.
Thank you for sharing your memories and the lovely Abbey with us and I wish you joy and happy memories for the rest of the week :)xxx
Thank you Dee for the lovely comments. Yes the memories are most welcome and I am happy to share Abby on the blog. Thank you too for the lovely week’s wishes my friend. ❤ xxx
I forgot to say I love the ‘water colour photo’s too :)xx
Thanks Dee, I know you really like the waterlogue images. ❤
Ginger I love your personal glimpses you give us into your life and home. Like you I’m sentimental and to have treasured items to use with our dollies is wonderful. I welled up reading your latest input. Memories. Beautiful and yet catch us on the hop. How wonderful to integrate them with Sasha! Xx
Hello dear Sarah. The memories do seem to reach out to the beloved Sashas especially when I have time to pause and reflect. During those times, it seems easy and a pleasure to write about it. I am touched that you like the glimpses into life here at Sasha Shangri-La. Thank you for the very kind comments. ❤ xxx
Lovely girl, lovely story – thank you
Hi Tricia! You are very welcome. Thank you for writing. 🙂 xxx
What a beautiful post Ginger, your memories of childhood are so precious and I love that your beloved Scarab pin is now a part of dear Abby’s outfit. She is such a special doll, you are blessed to have her. I loved the photo of your early Christmas and seeing Raggedy Anne sitting in the front ❤
Thank you Janet and I am so happy you enjoyed the “Abby” post. Honestly, that pin just belongs on Abby, no question now! You are so spot on, I am very blessed to have Abby and am so fortunate to see her every day. As you can see, she is a favorite of mine. ❤ xxx
Hi Ginger once again a lovely post and Abby is beautiful x
Thank you Theresa! I am glad you enjoyed seeing Abby and it is always a pleasure to hear from you! 🙂 xxx
How wonderful to have that very special 1955 Christmas Day photo of you as a baby with your parents, grandparents and your first rag doll. Unfortunately we here haven’t any photos of my family at Christmas times as cameras weren’t around so much ‘in those olden 1940s years when WE were young.’
Your story did though bring back memories of our next door neightbour’s daughter who had a lovely rag doll called Matida that I used to love to play with when we were round playing at her house. I never mentioned to my mother about how much I loved this doll (well we didn’t ever actually ask for anything living during the WWII {and immediately after years} so it wasn’t until I was nearly 20 that the mention and remembering of Matida was ever bought up…. and so that year at Christmas my mother made me a rag doll of my own.
She also made Chon a smaller version when she was born and Chon loved her ‘Manthy’ so much that it had to eventually have a new replacement arm and hand made as it had disintergrated from being lovingly held and carried around by this one arm.
Abby is a truly wonderful doll with her long blonde wool plaits, that these dolls always seemed to have had. She is wearing such a pretty new outfit which is now adorned with your heirloom scarab pin broach (given to you on your thirteenth birthday by your mother and grandmother) to remind you of those special past years.
Many thanks too for your’s and Abby’s good wishes for the coming week.
PS. I too like Denise, adore your water coloured doll photos.
Hello Kendal and good morning! It is pouring rain here at the moment and still no daylight. I do treasure my photos of days gone by and when I look at them today, I better understand myself and some of my preferences. The background in that old photo shows books on the shelf, a fireplace, and two wingback chairs surrounding us and the Christmas tree. Today these are major points of comfort in my mind and in my home…books, fireplace and cozy wingback chairs. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. My Granny’s taste to a “t”. ❤
Your rag doll story warms my heart and to have a doll made by your Mother is very wonderful. I hope you still have her with you. It is so special that Chon had her rag doll made by your Mother and her Grandmother. Warn and replaced arms are the best sign of a well-loved doll. I hope she has "Manthy" today and maybe a photo or two. ❤
Abby was worn too! She was sent to Trudi in Switzerland in order to replace her worn limbs using the same material and patterns. I have her original limbs safely stored. Her face, hair, and torso held up much better. Abby was made in the early to mid 1950's and that makes her about my age. Placing my treasured pin on her collar truly pinned us together…for time now past, for today and for tomorrow. ❤
Thank you for the lovely comments which I always love to read and reread. I will keep up the waterlogue photos for you and Dee and I love them too! 🙂 xxx