Category Archives: Effner Dolls

Rose Garden Promises

Right now in the middle of winter all most of us have are promises and hopes that rose gardens will again be in bloom to mesmerize us with their sweet scent and beautiful blooms.

In the mid 1990’s I had a rose garden made up of a couple dozen rosebushes of all different varieties and types. They were my inspiration for my cross stitch designs. I designed a series of rose bouquets, a series of single rosebuds, a Peace rose bouquet, and a design for brides using some of the pastel roses growing in my garden. I still have stacks of pictures I took of my roses, but sadly my rose garden is long gone.

These days I get my rose garden fix from public gardens. In the nearby suburb of Libertyville there is a beautiful rose garden in the center of town. There is also the Chicago Botanic Gardens which is one of my most favorite places to visit. I’ve written about it a bit here. You can visit their site here. They are even open year round. I’ve never visited in the winter, but I’ll bet it’s magical. And, if you get cold there are always the greenhouses.

If you love roses too, where do you go to experience rose gardens?

I’ve just completed an ensemble made for the Little Darlings. It is filled with promises of glorious roses.

For more information on “Rosy Promises” please visit my “Available for Sale” page on cindyricedesigns.com .

Something (New) for the Little Darlings

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Have you ever had a project that just didn’t seem to get totally and completely finished, which for me means getting it onto my website? “Cozy & Bright” for the Little Darlings is “it” for me. This outfit was made and I even took some photos way back….yes, before I went on vacation…in the summer!!! When I got back from vacation I felt this frenzy to make fall outfits, then Christmas outfits, then some Valentine’s Day outfits. Which brings me to where I am right now. I thought that if this poor ensemble for our Little Darlings didn’t get on my website now the Easter and spring season would push this one aside once again.

So without further ado here is Gina (finally) modeling her “Cozy & Bright” outfit for you.

And, no, it doesn’t look like this outside now. I wish…!

For more information on “Cozy & Bright” for the Little Darlings please visit my “Available for Sale” page at cindyricedesigns.com .

Do You Remember Valentine’s Day in Grade School?

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Gosh, I do. Well . . . sort of.

I remember how much fun it was being allowed to pick out any box of valentines I wanted at the store and addressing them to my friends. I know these days that if you give one valentine, you give to all. I don’t remember that being done when I was young. This is sad, but some classmates wouldn’t get as many valentines as other classmates. Some only got a few. 😦

I also remember the big box with a slit in the top that had been decorated for Valentine’s Day. At the start of the school day, we would “mail” our Valentines in the box. When it came time for our party, one or two students would be in charge of passing out the cards. We would sit at our desks anticipating the delivery of our valentines. I hate to say this, but I have a vague memory of students counting the number of valentines they received and comparing them to the amount their other classmates received.

Thankfully, times have changed and everyone is treated fairly, but the excitement of wondering who you will receive a valentine from is gone. Now it’s all about the candy and who can resist candy?

My Little Darling, Gina, has been “shopping” for her valentines at Grandma’s house. Grandma had all sorts of vintage valentines left over from long long ago. Gina has a bag full and has her pencil ready to start writing out, “Love, Gina”. There’s even one for her teacher.