Madelon on Making a modern OG set retro

I bought the OG Way to Grow set when it was on deep discount for a little over $6. It is a modern set, but I thought it worked as retro. It comes with everything shown plus some vegetables and a bag of organic soil. I can't resist doll sized food!

Look how cute these little tools are!

Karen's personal favorite is the little gnome! 

What gives it the vintage look to Madelon's set? Her new Maryellen's Vacation Playsuit outfit...

It comes with the bandana, romper, skirt, and shoes. It is perfect for 1950's play. The romper velcros at the neck.

Thank you Madelon for sharing these sweet sets with us today. Happy Spring!
We would love to hear from you all so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Friday Reads

This week's #fridayreads is Like Sisters Emma Moves In by Clare Hutton. I love early readers and this series is one your young reader may also enjoy.

Emma's big move is changing everything.She's always fantasized about living in the same seaside town as her twin cousins, Natalia and Zoe. But now that she's there, things aren't going quite the way she expected.The beautiful old mansion the girls' mothers are renovating together isn't finished yet, and Emma misses her dad, who's stuck back in Seattle. Worse, the twins lead different lives at school, and Natalia's close friend Caitlin is giving Emma the cold shoulder.But Emma and her cousins have always felt just like sisters, so Emma is determined to make her new start a big success -- if only she can figure out how.
Find this book in store, at your library or you can find it on Amazon.com by clicking here. 

Thank you for joining us here today we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmia.com

Need a doll table under $5? Check out Madelon's Fun Find!

Today Madleon has a great idea, tip and fun find for us! Finding everyday items and making them into doll play items is one of Madelon's specialties and I think she has a great one today! 

"Love these $4.97 wooden crate decor at Walmart. Turn them upside down for a cute wooden doll table!"

Thank you Madelon for these truly fun finds. We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Easter Doll Size Fun From AC More, Madelon's Fun Finds

Madelon is sharing some of her recent AC More fun finds. I am jealous of her store! These bunnies are so cute and the mini eggs are adorable!

I love the choices in colors

How adorable are these tiny lambs?

Carrots and Chicks!

Thank you Madelon these are truly fun doll sized finds for Easter! Check out your local craft stores or dollar stores for Easter items you can add to your doll play collections.

Thank you for joining us here today we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Knit an Easter Basket for your dolls

Craft Gossip  has the cutest suggestion for us 18 inch doll lovers and I had to share. These tiny baskets are perfect for our dolls! Knitters will love making these. They would also make great place setting decor as well at your easter table or even as an item for a holiday themed advent calendar.
Click here for the knitting pattern and the link that Craft Gossip sent me. I love getting their emails!

Thank you for joining us here today we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Karen's Adventures Back To Barbie...Dolly Swimsuits from Balloons!

This weekend three of my nieces are staying with me and we have spent lots of time crafting. The Barbies I bought my niece PB all had bathing suits but the one I bought this summer who is curvy and the ones we got second hand of Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea (Kelly) did not. I do know how to sew but I am an impatient crafter so when I told the girls we could make bathing suits for the other dolls with party balloons they did not believe me.

I have to say after showing them youtube videos of how too I was myself a bit not sure if it would work but the investment of $1.25 on a bag of balloons proved to be a good investment. We fit all the barbies, regular, curvy and the smaller dolls using the same bag of balloons and lots leftover to make more outfits for future dolly swim parties.  The girls were very impressed and so was I. I also like that we can leave these on the dolls and put the clothes over !
This was a fun adventure back to barbie and a trick I wish I knew when I was growing up.
Thank you for joining us here today we would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sew This Sunday- Dolly PJ's

I found another fun Sewing pattern this one from Shwin Designs. This tutorial and free Pattern PDF download makes me want to sit and sew for hours!
The tutorial is easy to follow and the results are so cute! Click here for this weeks Sew This Sunday Pattern from Shwin Designs. Visit the website here.  We can not wait to see what you make. Feel free to post us a comment or email us a photo at karenmowen@gmail.com

Toys we used to love and an Etsy shop with a special coupon code for our readers, Smiling Memories...

Smiling Memories is a great Etsy shop for those with a passion for  70's/80's toys, one I have spent lots of time looking through and today the shop owners have created a coupon code for our readers! 20% off on anything in shop. Use code 20FORU   

Tops on my list is the New in box Barbie Play Horseback riding pack! 

Click here to see this accessory set in store.

I could write an entire post about just the Barbie items but they have some of my other favorites too. I remember spending hours with my little people! They have some great finds. I loved this bus and all the people in this, its like looking at old family photos. Click here for the listing.

Oh the Oodles dolls, these were the shopkins of my day. I had so many of them I loved them so much I wish I still had mine! So fun to see them in store. Click here to see them for yourself and so much more! 

Smiling Memories has Vintage Barbie, Sindy, Accessories and so much more in store! Don't forget to use the coupon code that is set up for you good until the end of May!

Thank you to Smiling Memories for this wonderful offer for our readers. 

We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

#fridayreads

This weeks #fridayreads is from a book Madelon loved and recommends.

"We had a n'oreaster today with lots of snow so I decided to read book number 4 in the Tenney series. Set at Christmastime, this story deals with Tenney and Logan's continued partnership and the struggles of performing during their week long holiday tour. It even had a bit of snow. The meaningful novel offers a positive message. I enjoyed the story and recommend it."

Buckle your seatbelts--In this fourth book in the series, Tenney & Logan are taking their show on the road! Christmas is just around the corner, and Tenney can't wait to share their music with fans all over Tennessee. But being on the road is harder than she expected--she's missing out on her favorite holiday traditions at home. . . and why is Logan being such a scrooge? After a series of disappointments, the duo begins to crack under pressure. Can they save the tour--and their holiday spirit--in time for Christmas?

Thank you Madelon for this weeks recommendation! We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Great Spring Break Project! A kit from Tea Time Fabric Panels...

Spring is here and the return of flowers and birds and butterflies! Tea time fabric panels has a great kit that would be fun to do with the doll lover in your life over the spring break holidays. The Easy Birdhouse Dress comes with everything you need to make a great outfit and it will look professional!

Fitting most of your 18 inch dolls this kit is perfect for those who want to start sewing and you will have a great sense of accomplishment with these kits!

Quick, easy and fun! Click here for this pattern and the Tea Time Panels Etsy Shop. 
Thank you for joining us today, we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Madelon's Easter Etsy Finds

Today Madelon shares some of  her favorite Etsy finds for Easter!
 Tina Marie's Treasure Co Etsy shop  has three of Madelon's favorites and one look at the Etsy shop you can see why! I love the Jelly Bean Print and the belt!

She also found this fun Easter outfit for Tween Doll lovers, with the casual top and sweet skirt this is sure to be a favorite as well! Click here for listing.

Another pretty find in store is the blue and purple floral dress! I love these colors together! Click here for this listing. 

Thank you Madelon for sharing your etsy fun finds with us today. We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Easter is right around the corner, hooks at the ready! Thank you Red Heart Yarns!

Hooks at the ready! Time to go! With Easter sneaking up on us our Friends at Red Heart Yarns have a perfect outfit for our 18 inch dolls. This is a free pattern and one that will delight the doll lover in your life. I love the ears and the basket with eggs!
Click here to get started! 
Thank you for joining us today we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Karen's Adventures Back To Barbie- Three ideas for your Barbie Lover this Spring Break...

This week three of my 8 nieces are going to be staying with us for a few days and I was looking for some Barbie themed activities to do and craft with them. LB is 10 and very much into knitting so I found this one on Craft Gossip to do with her. You can click here for the tutorial.

All my nieces are crafty, they get it from their aunt and we will spend some time looking at this Craft Gossip site as well. Click here for 21 Do it Yourself Furniture and Accessories from Craft Gossip.

My younger niece PB loves to put the Barbies to bed and sewing so we may try our hands at this one too! Click here for the tutorial. 
Thank you for joining us here today for our look at three things you can do with Barbie fans this Spring break!
We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sew This Sunday! Skip To My Lou's Sew Easy Doll Dress Pattern

One of the first things I learned to sew for dolls was this type of doll dress. I love how easy this tutorial is offered by Skip To My Lou. These dresses are quick easy and fun to make. If you are someone with lots of left over holiday fabric consider making this pattern in your holiday prints and present them to the doll lover in your life at the next gift giving occasion or sew it together for long lasting memories!

Click here for the Skip To My Lou Pattern. 

Thank you for joining me here today we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment below or email us at karenmowen@gmial.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Free Crochet Pattern For A St. Patrick's Day Themed Hat for your Doll or Dog!

Today I am sharing a free crochet pattern that I am going to ask you to think outside the box on. This pattern is for a hat that would fit a small dog, but I also think it would be perfect on your dolls as well. So hooks at the ready and happy Crocheting to you on this St. Patrick's Day! Click here for the poshpoochdesigns.com pattern 
We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmial. com

Crafting For St. Patrick's Day?

Today I am sharing a look back at some of our favorite Doll Crafts we did for Doll Diaries. I had so much fun over the years coming up with holiday crafts and today I wanted to share with you the round up that Doll Diaries did. If you are looking for some fun craft ideas do click here and see what we have in store for you.  
Thank you for joining us here we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Madleon's Mini Stamp Set Fun Finds!

With Easter creeping up on us earlier than normal at the end of the month, we are seeing lots of fun basket stuffers that are fun for kids and that would make great doll play accessories too! Just look at the Peeps stickers and stamp set, this would be hard to resist. Madelon found these recently at her local Walmart and it is easy to see why she would love these and want to share for doll play.

"I like these mini-stamp sets for the dolls for Easter. The Peeps set is my favorite. The stamps and stickers are just right for the dolls hand."

I know my nieces would love the Shopkins Stamp Set.

We are also big fans of Peppa Pig in this house!
Thank you Madelon for these great fun finds.
We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Madelon's Look At Maryellen's Airstream

Recently  Madelon went to American Girl to see the new releases. We  are so excited to see the new Airstream and now we get a closer look with Madelon's photos. 

"I am in love with Maryellen's Airstream. Although it is made of plastic, the Airstream is beautiful and large." 

"Currently priced at $350.00.  The campfire is sold separately for $50"

Thank you Madleon for sharing these with us. We would love to hear what you think. Leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Loving the My Life As Skating Outfit From Walmart!

Today Madelon shares with us her new Skating Outfit from Walmart!

This My Life As set comes with a skating costume, hair clip, and plastic skates. 

The skates have a slit in the back and go on the doll easily.

Thank you Madelon for sharing this fun find with us today! We would love to hear from you so please leave us  a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Karen's Adventures Back To Barbie

This week I surprised my niece PB with an outfit for Ken. Now I find that the $7 Walmart Canada Charges for this outfit a bit high but I will say I was actually impressed with how well made it was and that the shoes and clothing were easier to put on,  (for my niece who is 3) than I thought.

Our Dollar Store Ken was $4 if you remember and he came in just his swim trunks. I thought it would be fun for him to have shirt, pair of pants and a change of shorts. PB agreed that this was a good outfit for him.

Mind the mess in the back ground but we think Ken looks rather good in his new outfit!

A very happy adventure back to Barbie play time this week. Thank you for joining us here today we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com