Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Boudoir Doll Love.....

Hello wonderful friends!

As ya'll are probably well aware of if you've ever visited my blog .....I LOVE.......ADORE......OBSESS...over boudoir dolls!
I don't know what it is about them that draws me like a magnet? Perhaps it's that they represent one of my favorite time periods in history.... the roaring 20's.
 Outside of 18th century France, the 20's are my favorite time period. It was such a period of change with the "flapper" redefining womanhood and the dawn of jazz and art deco. (two of my other favorite things) 
 These lady dolls were not created for children.  They were often naughty minxes smoking cigarettes with "come hither" eyes and lounging silk pajamas. Every chic Miss of the 20's would have had at least one (or more) adorning her bed or vanity. One could often purchase the doll unclothed and then demonstrate one's fashion sense as well as sewing accomplishment. I look at each doll as a little piece of art. My favorite dolls are those that resemble Marie Antoinette (combining both of my favorite time periods *winks*)
  My little collection has grown since my last post about them HERE so I would like to share some more of my dolls with you.

There are a gazillion pictures! So I hope you don't mind?
 If you love dolls please go grab yourself a cuppa and relax for a while! If dolls aren't your thing I'll be back to my thrift store finds next week *winks*

I'll start with one of my newest dolls, this wonderful smoker. I had long wanted one, but the prices can get fierce. I finally got lucky and "Genevieve" came home to live with me! I love her sultry devil may care expression, the feather in her hair, and her smoking pucker! Remember in the 20's smoking was seen as the height of sophistication, and thought to be perfectly fine for your health.....We've come a long way huh?


Just lounging elegantly in her silk pajamas *winks*
Here in my guest room armoire is where I keep most of my dolls. I've currently run out of room so if a new doll comes in, an older one will have to go to a new home. I'll start with the group views.

Top shelf......
And bottom.
OK lets zoom in on some close ups of some of my favorites. This darling Marie-esque doll is my version of DIY *winks* I already had the little bust, and I found another doll at the Goodwill that had on this lovely silk dress (for $1.99) but a really ugly plastic head (New and made of some dense plastic resin... ick!) So I cut off the old bust and glued this 20's lady to the base and "VOILA!" Another Marie for me! WHOO HOO! I LOVE her!! Isn't her dress perfect?! Usually DIY is NOT my strong suite lol! I tend to fall somewhere bellow "awful" and "hideous" but this vision actually worked out! Yes there really are miracles! *winks*
Moving on to my favorite Marie...this amazing paper mache doll bedecked and bejeweled in splendor!
She has the most exquisite details from the little rose in her hand to all of her bracelets, rings and necklace.....

to the string of pearls and rhinestones on the back of her mile high hairdo.
I only wish I had a Louis to go with her!
This is another of my favorite Maries in her tattered blue silk sitting on an antique couronne de mariee chair.
This is my newest Marie. She was a birthday gift from my sweet hubby. She is a Lilli Bates German doll. I adore her beautiful gown! Doesn't she look as if she has been running through the gardens at Versaille?


Her nose is chipped and she's a little shabby, but beautiful none the less!
And this Marie is more casual in her peasant style gown and flower covered hat.
This little lady bust is just a little bit Marie too don't you think?
This sweet lady is another one of my favorites. Her dress is silk and her bodice was made from some old beaded lace. Her nose is chipped which seems to be what most often occurs with these. I really need to learn how to fix them....... I could probably do a brisk business *winks*
Here she's sitting on another antique French couronne de mariee chair.
This little lady is also charming in her purple gown!
Another one of my favorites....
A sloe eyed beauty....                                                
This is my only couple.... I think they look like George and Martha Washington. Male boudoir dolls are quite rare. I think it's interesting that the same face that has been used for so many of my lady dolls has also been used for this male doll?.....Or perhaps it's supposed to be a woman dressed as George Washington? (His chest is flat) The jury is out on this one. 
I love the outfit and expression on this lady. Did you notice she has the same face as the sloe eyed beauty? It's amazing what a difference a hairstyle can make isn't it?
This lady was feeling a little shy about being nekkid so she's hiding behind a ribbon....
This chalkware doll has such a sweet face.
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This is a rare candy box doll.
I believe this sweet lady head was part of a boudoir pillow at some point.
This one is a lingerie bag.
A pair of Victorian clad composition ladies in green out for a stroll.
A darling little girl hat stand.
A blond vamp?
A sweet senorita.
A fiery redhead holding a bird...And yes she has the same face as George Washington! Did you notice?
A couple of bed lamps.
And finally a grouping of some of my larger girls.

Well that's all for now. Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the tour and I didn't overwhelm you? If I haven't already burned your retinas with all these pictures you can find more boudoir doll beauty HERE.....But I think I might have.......Lol!
 I hope you'll leave me a comment. I LOVE to hear from you even more than I love collecting boudoir dolls *winks* 
Vanna

I'm joining the sweet Paula and Patti at Ivy & Elephants for:

Debra at Common Ground for:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

And Honey at 2805 for:





Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A Dream Sedan Vitrine And A New Obsession......

Helloooooo beautiful ones!!

I'm trying to get back into the blogging grove.....It's been so long I've forgotten how anything works!

I'm so thankful and grateful to all of you who emailed me and left me a comment to see if I was still alive. I missed y'all more than I can say! Thank you so much for your kind wishes for good health. I'm doing much better. It's still a struggle day to day....... But enough about that......On to the Finds!

I do have something wonderful to share this week (well it's wonderful to me anyway *winks*) It's a 19th century French sedan chair vitrine. I have wanted one of these little buggers for years! I would spot them in magazines and dream of finding one at an estate or better yet..... a garage sale! They're not very easy to find.....

Sedan chairs (the full size version) were commonly used in the 17th century to carry people around the streets and paths of Europe too narrow for a carriage to navigate. As well as helping to alleviate some of the street traffic. Some things never change huh? *winks* I found this littler version on ebay and for a steal of a price! And because I'm a blog that does share prices (I always wonder what others have paid for a cool treasure?...Don't you?) I'm gonna tell you with shipping from France it was only $270. Yes I do know that that's a lot (It's a lot for me!) But not for one of these cuties this large (15" tall) I'm still doing the happy dance over finding one that I could actually afford!...Even if it does possibly mean more boxed macaroni and cheese....It'll be worth it!

Covered in a quilted silk brocade with gold metallic trim and gold cording...Isn't it fab?!


The glass is beveled.
The front door has a little handle latch that opens up to two small glass shelves for display. I had a hard time actually finding little things to fit in here, so please excuse my less than stellar composition....I needed to use something!
The little figurine couple at the top are Nymphenburg (History HERE if you're interested)
They're so sweetly detailed for only 3.5" tall
At the bottom sits this cute little nude bronze lady with a French trinket box. Doesn't it look like she's gazing fondly at the beach and chateau? *winks*
Now on to my latest obsession........these vintage porcelain stem flowers......I just LOVE em! Can't get enough of them! They probably date from the 70's and were also probably really inexpensive back then, but now they're getting dear! I'd love to have an ENORMOUS bouquet of these beauties!
This pink vase is Victorian bristol glass and came from a local garage sale for $15.

And in a twist of perfection......I had listed this 1920's wicker vase in my etsy store HERE when I found these large Capodimonte blooms also on etsy. They were so much prettier in person, but I didn't know what to do with them? I searched the house for inspiration and finally tried them in this wicker vase and "VOILA!" Loved them! So I pulled the vase off etsy faster than you can say "match made in heaven" Lol!
Chippy shabby tattered love......*sighs*
The leaves are made of foil.
Another wonderful garage sale find was this 1920's wicker barbola vase for $7. (They were asking $10 but I wheeled and dealed) *winks* I've never seen another like it. You might have already guessed I'm crazy for the 1920's AND for barbola! Old flower swags make me swoony! I think this is one of the neatest vases I've ever found and it's a keeper!
It stands about 10" tall. Have any of you ever seen a barbola vase like this? Just in case you didn't know, barbola is : the decoration of small articles (as of wood or glass) with colored models of flowers, fruit, or other ornamental objects made from a plaster paste
Well....... did I tempt any of you to look for a sedan vitrine of your own? Rubylane has some cute ones HERE. Do you already have one? Below are two examples that have me drooling!
Or how about the porcelain stem roses? Mounded together like this don't they make a luscious picture? *winks* The carnations are my favorites.
Here's a group shot.
Thanks again for stopping by!
I hope you'll leave me a comment and I'll do the same.
I LOVE hearing from you!
Vanna

I'm joining my sweet friends Paula and Patti for:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

And Courtney at French Country Cottage for:

And Common Ground for: