A day at the Pictures, breakfast, a church and a toyshop

So Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother with a Chocolate Pudding got to go for a ride in the car.

It was so early that we stopped on the way for some breakfast. The easiest place is often a McDonalds, 

and even with that stop, and a further stop at the supermarket for some snacks for Ron we were early. (Ron as in later on, not the cat). The Cinema did not open for another half hour, so we went for a walk.

We found a stone called Ebenezer. Is it normal for a foundation stone to have a name? and to be sitting a good metre and a half up a wall? I don't know. It had been there since 1922 according to the engraving.  Trinity was also mentioned on the stone and was quite chuffed. (I did not intentionally name her with any religious intent, it just sounded like a nice name. I know my mother (a christian) was a little taken aback when I told her the name I'd used (and that is a whole other story (not all christians believe in the 'Trinity').).

The girls and Pudding found a seat in the garden just past Ebenezer

The flowers on the hedge had a beautiful smell.

Pudding found a spider (its to the right of the door)

The gates were locked

but Pudding slipped under them.

Pudding come back.

Well, it seemed like fun to be a little bit naughty. The Maitland Post Office.

Are we getting Grace Thomas today?

Not today.

Wow, light shining down from heaven moment -  aaahhhh

We were also too early, it wasn't open yet to make sure. Actually there wasn't much open yet at all, so we walked up the mall a bit further, and back, with heaps of time to spare

and then back to the Cinema, hoping that because it was way off in the distance it would take a while

Winter stocktake required

Australia being in the Southern Hemisphere has all its seasons back to front, so whilst the dolly world is mostly going from Winter to Spring, (there are more people in the Northern Hemisphere) we are sliding quickly into Autumn, and Winter is Coming. Game of Thrones Season 5 starts April 12 :-).

My girls were starting to shiver. Whilst we are still getting the odd hot and humid day, this weekend it's raining, and well I still like having the window open. So it was time to start finding the long sleeves, some shoes or a shawl or two..

Mariana and Josefina, something to drape, as needed. Mariana borrowed back her birthday gift.

Miriam has the long hooded long sleeved shirt from the 2007 Adventure outfit, and decided to wear it under the denim pinafore. She also found the Our Generation sneakers fit very nicely.  Miriam probably has the most pairs of shoes out of all the girls so far. I wonder if there is a wiki for shoes so I can identify a mystery pair.

Llewellyn looks gorgeous in Julie's Tunic outfit that I got from the Hawaii popup shop, I wonder if they're still open?

Emily in the 1996 School Jumper, the boots are not original; Mercedes trying on a baby's pink jacket - her cupboard held nothing winter-ish save her My American Girl meet outfit (True Spirit Outfit) boots; and Antoinette in her Marie-Grace meet dress, a long sleeve pink t, and a pair of pink boots with pompoms.

Hanalei (aka Kanani) is feeling the cold the most, seeing as she is native Hawaiian, so far she is using a baby's jacket, and thinking of going to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. Phillippa has put on her strawberry overalls, and a baby's green jacket, she actually looks like she's in pyjamas and a dressing gown (hmmm there is a big absence of bedwear)

Trinity found a long sleeve shirt and is wearing it under her Rebecca inspired white dress and netted tutu.

and little Aussie Girl Emily is wearing a baby jacket - she is the closest fit with the human clothes, her toes are feeling a little chilled though

 A supply of newborn Baby socks

Ahhh, much better, hey Catherine do we have any marshmallows?

So it looks like I need to opshop soon, or Ebay, what a shame.

Can we get some warm shoes for Horsey too, please?

What Josefina bought at the fair

The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Doll Lovers Society Annual Fair.

http://newcastledollclub.yolasite.com/

http://newcastledollclub.yolasite.com/doll-fair.php

I'm not sure where I had been for the other 30 years, but in 2013 I found a leaflet on the counter at an Op Shop advertising that there was a local doll fair, Well actually I do know where I was, I had just not heard of this before then.

Newcastle and the Hunter Valley are north of Sydney, about 200km north. They have been running the toy fair for 33 years this year, this year it was at Lambton High School, in the school hall. I've been 3 times now, I know I took Marisol the first time, not sure now about the second, probably BFC ink Maddie, I was checking my blog posts for the last two Marches and failed to report, save for some vague reference on the April 1st 2014 post called "Cousin".

Anyway, so 2015 I took Mariana and Josefina. The girls wanted to see the big wide world of doll collectibles, Josefina was missing her dolls.

Mariana, I had the wierdest dream this morning, that we had camped out at the dollfair to try and beat the rush.

Hahahaha, must have been the banana split

was it a dream?

Have we got enough time?

Sure do, it's only 9 o'clock.

Going, in, walk this way...

tickets were at the front door, $6.50 we paid to get in, we could also buy raffle tickets, with proceeds going to the Hunter Animal Rescue

This pretty girl was one of the prizes, along with the little blonde

and a baby, shhhh, don't wake the baby. Is this legal?

It's a doll.

Oh.

First stall, old dolls, I think they're by Pedigree

photo bomb

this was a bronze dragon statue, a collectible, and very heavy.

these are from the 1920's wow their nearly 100!!

Is that Susan Mary? Grandma's doll?

Mare, what's up doc. Baring ones teeth is not a new thing, Mariana's Kaya background got a little scared, actually we all were a little scared.  Grandma's Susan Mary used to have teeth, I wonder if they were as bucky as these. 

A very sophisticated lady.

Gene by Ashton Drake, I think it was Hello Hollywood

The dolls under the table

Would I like to collect dolls of he world?

Or miniatures

look how tiny they are, hmm any goats?

Wow, look at these furniture pieces

so tiny, and beautiful

Norma buys the bare furniture and then does all the covering/decorating

She said it was 1/12 scale. Wow, we are 1/3.

Buttons!

Bears!! This was from a shop in a little town called Morpeth. Morpeth is about 1/2 drive north of Newcastle, on the bank of the Hunter River. It still feels like an 1800's township, I will have to take the girls there soon, and Peggy for the teapot show.

I'm beary lovely

Steiff bears and other animals (German, first made in 1902) 

Harry Potter missin an owl?

A little rest

Claire Bears, based in Queensland, an Ultimate Tour

Dolly Pegs by Shirley

and a very helpful stall holder.  The Peg dolls are all hand painted and dressed, there was even doll furniture

and 3 wise men, slightly lost, Bethlehem is that way...

Chessington Dolls. These are mostly porcelain lady torsoes, that you make skirts for with fine cotton and beads, and display them. Very beautiful. http://www.chessingtondolls.com/

American girl Kailey (doll of the year 2003), she was helping Margaret from Betty Chloe Dolls.

Wow, your human is so clever, and you are so lucky you can wear all those beautiful clothes.

I know. You can even buy one of the models, Margaret has given them new hair and new outfits, look at those shoes.

There was so much more, at the fair, we forgot to take pictures of, it was getting close to lunch time and the small amount of sleep was finally catching up with us.

We saw one other American Girl and that was a little blonde Bitty Twin, feeling a little awkward in a Bitty Baby outfit. She did come over to say hello with her very happy buyer (only $20 and in very good condition). The seller had thought she was a Bitty Baby, the buyer now has the awkward job herself to let the little girl know that she was missing her sibling.

We did not go home empty handed.

Josefina is not convinced that I did not leave them out overnight.