Maddie and Rosie are studying together - Maddie wants to be a Vet when she grows up and Rosie is studying Moldavian folk music.

Rosie doesn't really mind when Maddie interrupts her - and has just learnt that a group of flamingoes is called a "flamboyance".

They agree that is Very Apt!

An old photo taken in our hotel room in Florence in 2016. After a day visiting cathedrals and art galleries - Audrey and Margaret did an impromptu 'Madonna and Child' picture.

I'm not religious but many of those paintings & statues are lovely because really, they are depictions of a mother and her babe - and that is a lovely & loving relationship.

----

Also - I did have a Madonna the singer photo planned but I came back from the short holiday to a crazy commission and I just haven't had time to do it. Haven't even fully unpacked yet!

Best be careful Hilda !

Maddie: "Can I lick the bowl when you're finished?"

Margaret (aka Margarita) at Ponte Vecchio in Florence - and that is the Arno flowing by ...

#saturdaysailormoon

🌙 ♥️✨

#sayurdaysparkle #usagitsukino #usagi #luna #sailormoon #sailormoondoll #project #dollproject #ooakproject #customdoll #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #kitbash #vintagedoll #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #doll #dollstagramm #dollgram #bandaisailormoon

Violetta, Edina and Cecelia - in descending order !

Maddie: "OOOPs !!"

Allan: "Let me wipe that up for you ..."

Rosie: "Thank you ... I don't know how that happened !"

Margaret: "Quick Cecilia - I think our flea source is waking up!"

Cecilia & Margaret have a new business venture ...

#rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #sunnymadison #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #2020plans #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

#starla #starlaandthejewelriders #gwenevereandthejewelriders #kitbash #onesixthscale #onesixthcustom #onesixthfigure #faceup #repaint #repaintdoll #2020plans #lockdownproject #lockdownprojects2020

#dollproject #dollcrafts #sewingfordolls #dollsclothes #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #customdoll #dollstagram

⚔️💎

#motu #sheraprincessofpower #shera #princessofpower

#starla #starlaandthejewelriders #gwenevereandthejewelriders #kitbash #onesixthscale #onesixthcustom #onesixthfigure #faceup #repaint #repaintdoll #2020plans #lockdownproject #lockdownprojects2020

#dollproject #dollcrafts #sewingfordolls #dollsclothes #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #customdoll #dollstagram

Edina: "What's that, Mads?"

Maddie: "This is an Australian Snowman ..."

It was Vivien's turn to choose today's little object for the Advent tree. She chose one of the red ones - naturally!

💎

#starla #starlaandthejewelriders #gwenevereandthejewelriders #kitbash #onesixthscale #onesixthcustom #onesixthfigure #faceup #repaint #repaintdoll #2020plans #lockdownproject #lockdownprojects2020

#dollproject #dollcrafts #sewingfordolls #dollsclothes #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #customdoll #dollstagram

❄️🌊

‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️

🐚

#mermay‍♀️ #mermay2021

#mermaychallenge #mermaychallenge2021

#mermaidsofinstagram #mermaidelsa #frozen #elsa #disneydollcustom #disneydoll #disneyprincessdolls neycollector #lockdownproject #reroot #dollproject #dollsclothes #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #dollstagram

💎

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#dollproject #dollcrafts #sewingfordolls #dollsclothes #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #customdoll #dollstagram

Maddie and Edina at Corrimal Beach - south of Sydney.

The flea source woke up and left in a hurry.

Not my picture but my bird! Original artist here: www.flickr.com/photos/dollproject/6252881832/in/photostream

I am so excited about this cake topper! It's only 2.5 inches high and will sit on top of my baby girl's first birthday cake. After that, it will go on display in her room! Her room is whimsical, pink, aqua, and has some birds in it. I'm sooo excited! (It's in the mail right now.)

#saturdaysailormoon

🌙 ♥️✨

#sayurdaysparkle #usagitsukino #usagi #luna #sailormoon #sailormoondoll #project #dollproject #ooakproject #customdoll #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #kitbash #vintagedoll #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #doll #dollstagramm #dollgram #bandaisailormoon

Since I had a few new additions to my Disney collection who needed stands, I thought I would recycle some old ones that were no longer in use. I hope you enjoy seeing these old stands be transformed!

Video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiAQ9jID__Y

Edina: “ Apparently, my name means Wealthy Friend !”

Maddie: “Ooo - I’ll be your friend Always …

Well - Mary Madeleine is in the bible but the lady giant decided to call me Maddie in part because it’s close to ‘middie’ and in part because La Madeleine is her favourite church in Paris … “

“It has lovely angels … “

“Yes - and in part I’m named for one of Giants Great Grand Aunts - Maddalena, who died when she was only 12 yrs old“.

“Oh that’s sad - well I’m named after Edina Altara who illustrated lots of children’s books … though lady giant says sometimes I’m more like Edina Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous!”

Hilda cools her toes in the fish-pond and wonders if she should worry about that goldfish - it is nearly as big as she is.

Margaret: "Hiya MerPeople - How's business? I'm here for the annual 'Pizza Inspection'."

Fionn (the chef) : "Hello, yes of course - would you like a Margarita pizza and perhaps one of our new specials ..."

Margaret: "Yes a Margarita and perhaps I should see the menu - I hope none of your new pizzas has pineapple on it! You know that's against the regulations."

--- --- ---

Margaret takes her job as Pizza Inspector quite seriously. The tiny MerPeople's pizzeria did not have pineapple on the pizzas and they did have a several very delicious seafood pizzas ... so they passed the inspection again this year.

⚔️💎

#motu #sheraprincessofpower #shera #princessofpower

#starla #starlaandthejewelriders #gwenevereandthejewelriders #kitbash #onesixthscale #onesixthcustom #onesixthfigure #faceup #repaint #repaintdoll #2020plans #lockdownproject #lockdownprojects2020

#dollproject #dollcrafts #sewingfordolls #dollsclothes #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #customdoll #dollstagram

#starla #starlaandthejewelriders #gwenevereandthejewelriders #kitbash #onesixthscale #onesixthcustom #onesixthfigure #faceup #repaint #repaintdoll #2020plans #lockdownproject #lockdownprojects2020

#dollproject #dollcrafts #sewingfordolls #dollsclothes #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #customdoll #dollstagram

Edith, Edna and Elaine pretending to be Roman Emperors - getting waited on wing&foot and being entertained by dancing girls ...

Margaret picked the last of the stockings for today and she re-arranged some of the previous days' decorations ... it wasn't an elegant or symmetrical arrangement.

"Our electric Christmas tree is only bright when you plug it in ... " says Léontine.

Edina and Maddie put in their Stompy Boots for maximum bubble popping ...

Hilda (at the back): "Today we are going to explore the South end of the Fish-Pond."

Annabella (in an outfit not appropriate for exploration): "I'll stay here and mind the Base-Camp."

Zucchini Flower: "Well don't eat ALL the food!"

💖

#rainbowhairdontcare #kiahart ☀️

#rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #2020plans #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

#stylequeen

☀️

#rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #sunnymadison #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #2020plans #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

Maddie went with us on a day-trip to the Hawkesbury River / Brooklyn (yes we have a Brooklyn too !)

The Hawkesbury is lovely and picturesque but quite shallow and at low tide lots of sand-bars appear .... you can see one in this photo, behind the cute little fishing boat.

Under the water is quite soft - sand and mud. There used to be oyster farms but a fungal disease put an end to that :-(

Edina and Maddie have found it ! the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

from the left -

Little Victoria (the perpetually napping Pjama Party Petite) and her sister Wilhelmina.

Then Edina and her big sister Pippa.

photo taken by my 10yr old granddaughter - whose name is Blythe.

#rainbowfriends #rainbowsurprisefantasyfriends #littlegreen #fairyboy #kiaheart #rubyanderson #rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #sunnymadison #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

Aurelia boldly wearing yellow (a colour that redheads used to be told they shouldn't wear) tells Maddie that the reason I've not had much time to play with my Blythe dolls lately is because I've been busy painting doors and window frames.

Maddie: "If Lady Giant just painted them all white like everyone else does these days - well it would be much quicker and then she would have time for us!"

Aurelia: "Yes - but all white isn't very interesting - the Giants say that this is 'Heritage' colours."

--- ---

Yes - I have been repainting our doors, architraves and window frames - and yes, I've been painting them in all the colours - and 'picking out' the panels etc It takes ages but I like it. And our house was built in 1886 - the doors were originally painted in 2 colours - a butter / fawn and a mid brown ... I've just gone a bit further than the original !!

#stylequeen

☀️

#rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #sunnymadison #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #2020plans #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

#stylequeen

☀️

#rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #sunnymadison #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #2020plans #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

#rainbowfriends #rainbowsurprisefantasyfriends #littlegreen #fairyboy #kiaheart #rubyanderson #rainbowhigh #rainbowhighdolls #sunnymadison #dollbodyswap #bigeyedoll #dollbodyswap #bodyswap #dollhybrid #customdolls #project #frankendoll #dollproject #ooakdoll #boyswithdolls #toyartistry #toyphotography #toycrewbuddies #dollstagram

Basically - anything that comes with good things to nibble on ;-)

One of the nicest customs in Italy is the Aperitvo ... In the early evening, step into a bar / restaurant and order drinks .... And you also get nibbles ... at a small bar it might be just a bowl of crisps ... at a posh place (like this one) it'll be a wonderful range of things.

Of course the drinks cost a bit more when the nibbles are great like this - but it is a great concept. Alcohol is served with some sort of food unless it is really late at night.

Palazzo Haiadi Hotel at the Piazza della Repubblica (it has the Fountain of the Naiads / Fontana delle Naiadi)

via Instagram ift.tt/2t5d3rK

We are unlikely to get a traditional White Christmas in Australia with snow and all that.

Here White Christmas is a 'slice' that some people make ... based on copha (coconut oil made solid) with lots of sugar and dried fruit ...

Edina thinks it would be sickeningly sweet (and she's right!)