My Dolly Week....

This week we went to a local castle/fortress which is just about 15 km from us and yet we'd never visited there before.  We did actually try to go there last week but loads of roads were closed due to a cycling event.  So we tried again and this time our satnav took us somewhere entirely different.....and then finally we just took a chance on directions and found the place!!  But I must say it was a bit stressful as the roads we were sent down by the satnav were really scary, very narrow, very steep and some with sheer drops with no barriers.  One paved road was so steep that as I turned into it, still in 1st gear, our tyres just started to spin on the road surface, they just couldn't get a grip on such a steep road!!!  Never again!

Anyway, as I say, we finally found La Fortaleza de Velez Malaga and it had beautiful views and you could see the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, as well as several churches and the town of Velez Malaga from above.  You can read a little bit of history here:  (If you click on the photo it will enlarge)

I took two dolls with me; Claudia by Bonnie & Pearl and my Gotz Happy Kidz Emily from 2015.  I walked up to the top of the tower to take some more photos, there were about 100 narrow winding steps to the top and fortunately no-one else was there because there's no way I could have got past someone coming in the opposite direction whilst I was holding a big bag, a camera, a handbag and two 19 inch dolls!!!!  It was definitely worth climbing those stairs, the views were wonderful.

Claudia, from Bonnie & Pearl,  enjoyed her morning out.....

The gardens outside the castle are very pretty and nicely laid out, the shade from the palms and the olive trees was very welcome as it was quite hot up there....

Claudia and Emily...

Resting at the top of the castle....

Although it's a little hazy, in the distance you can just see the Mediterranean Sea....

Evidence of the Moorish architecture....no, not Brian, the archway behind him! ;) 

The red and yellow Spanish flag and the green and white Andalucian flag, flying in the breeze.....

Views north towards the mountains....

Church of San Juan Bautista....

I hope you've enjoyed seeing our local castle and the girls who visited with us.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Hugs Sharon x

Gotz new hair!!!

I would like to show you the results of some 'dolly recycling'!  In August 2013 I adopted my first Gotz Slate Eyes Sasha, a sweet little blond who came with a 'come over' because the seller said her hair had been cut at the front by a budding young hairdresser!  Unfortunately though, her hair was worse than that, it was actually all snapping off at the roots so in the end, when her hair was completely gone on top, I decided she should lose the rest of her thin, dry, brittle hair, and be wigged.  However I could never quite find a wig that suited her.  Here is how she looked when she came here, before her hair came off.

Time moved on and another Gotz girl came to live here, this time it was a more modern Gotz Happy Kidz Emily from 2015.  In contrast with the girl above, she had beautiful blond locks and plenty of them.  But for some strange reason I decided I'd like Emily to have a fringe so I cut her hair into one......but it was an awful cut and I was disappointed in my hairdressing skills,

so much so that in the end I cut off all her hair and wigged her.

I decided to keep her hair though, I thought it might come in handy, I'm sure you crafters out there will know what I mean by that!!!  And lo and behold at the weekend I got the idea that this hair might well come in handy to reroot Lyric!!!!

The hair, having been cut from the head of another doll, was a lot shorter than I'd usually use for a reroot but I was determined to make it work.  I started working on her on Easter Sunday and finished her reroot last night.  I worked with the existing holes and then added extra ones around the crown and the hairline at the front. 

I'm really happy with her, she looks just how I'd hoped!  I love how the hair, being shorter, hangs in great layers, like as if it's been professionally cut that way! 

I haven't used any hot water on it, I actually like the way it's lying now, all I've done is just trim a few stray hairs at the back.  My friend said she looks like a little 'surfer girl' and I know just what she means!  

I love how the sides 'flick' back.....

And how the back hangs down in nice layers.....

And how, when the wind blows it about, like it has done today.....

......it falls nicely back into shape again without the use of a comb..... 

Well I hope you've enjoyed seeing my doll hair recycling job!

Thank you for visiting, I hope you all have a great weekend ahead and that the weather is good for you :)

Big hugs, Sharon x

Wig changes....

Today I got all my wigs out, and my goodness I have loads of the darn things!  I thought I'd change two of my Fairyland girls wigs.  My normal skin Ante, Fiona, has nearly always had short hair, I love short hair on her, but today I changed her to a long wavy mixed blond wig.  I like it but not sure how long it will stay!  I also tried a short wavy brown one too but decided that she really is a blond, or at least fair haired child!  Forgive the poor photos, I was sitting in the shade as I didn't want my BJDs in full sunshine, and my camera wanted to use the flash so I had to turn it off.....I really need to get my tripod out!!

The second girl to get a wig change was Chloe, my tanned Fairyland Mini Fee.  She has already had a few hair colour changes since arriving here but I wanted to try her as a brunette. 

I really liked the one above but finally settled for the wavy brunette one below.  I might go back to the plaited one at some point, but am happy with her new look for now.

Thanks very much for stopping by, I hope you all have a really lovely Easter which hopefully good weather and loads of chocolate!!! 

Big hugs Sharon xx

Beach babies!

Well not really 'babies' at all but definitely the beach!  The last week has been beautiful weather-wise, so I thought I'd take full advantage of the empty beach before people head to the coast for Semana Santa.

My two little Elfdoll Monnaemi Sisters (14cm tall), who I call Sunny Song and Minx, wanted to take their horse to the beach and ride him in the edge of the surf.  The waves were a bit too choppy for them to get too close to the water but they enjoyed taking their 'magical' horse for a trot along the sand.  Magical?  Well if you look at my photos you might spot one glaring error on my part!  The horse doesn't have any footprints!  LOL!  Oh well, next time!!

The girls did have one little 'mishap', a wave came further up the beach than I anticipated.....

Fortunately no harm done, just a bit wet....and they soon dried off on the sand!

Two other little girls wanted to join us on the sand, my Fairyland Little Fee Antes, Fiona (normal skin) and Tyrone (tanned).  They were a little disappointed that they couldn't go in swimming but it really was a bit rough and they are not strong swimmers! ;)

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the girls at the beach, and that you're all having a lovely weekend.  I hope the week ahead, leading up to Easter, is a great one for you :)

Big hugs Sharon x