Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas and A Very Happy Anniversary.

Dear Friends,

This Christmas Day marks 7 years since I began this blog.  Truth be told I did not know what to expect nor could I have imagined what was to come, in those last few minutes before I hit publish just a few minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve.  I am today looking back on what I feel has been an incredible journey both professionally and personally.

Personally, I started this blog on the eve of the first Christmas I was facing without my mother. She died rather suddenly in September of 2010. In my grief I began sewing as a way to keep my hands busy and my mind focused on something other then the absence in my life. 

At the time I had a 5 nieces all enjoying dolls and sewing for them for Christmas, knowing they were going to be getting American Girl Dolls that year was very soothing. As three of those nieces lived in Montreal, I began taking photos of my work to share with my sister in Montreal and I posted them on Facebook. After many likes and inquires into my work it was suggested that I start my own blog. Not really knowing what I was doing I stumbled into blogger and set this one up and named my blog after a title I hold very dear, Karen, Mom of Three.

Writing the blog helped me in so many ways, creatively, through the grief process, and it helped me work on my own reading skills, and I found it greatly helped with my profound dyslexia. I guess there really is something to be said for practice.

My photography improved as well. My doll collection grew, and grew and at one point I had a sign up that said "My doll room runneth over"
I have had in the last 7 years the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of doll lovers and those who love them. I have attended 7 American Girl Doll Stores, two openings and participated in media events that related to doll releases and events.

I have managed to gift dolls and products that were sent to me to review to families of doll lovers who were much less fortunate than myself. Over the years my collection massed more than 30, 18 inch dolls and it is currently sitting at around 12. Each smile of the families who were recipients of dolls I donated stays with me and makes me very proud that as a community of doll lovers who give to me their attention and take time to read my work, helped put dolls into the hands of those who needed it most.

I tell you all of this today to thank you for taking your time to join us here daily after all this time. While some of my original readers have perhaps outgrown their hands on doll play days, I hope that the creativity and the love of dolls stays with them for a lifetime.

I have also had the amazing pleasure of working with and sharing ideas with the team here. Madelon, Brandy, Jessica T, Jenny and Nikki (from years ago) give their time and ideas freely to all of us, their photos and their research and I am thankful for each of them today as well.

Thank you to all those who have advertised here with us this year, who make it easier for us all to enjoy doll play through their vision, patterns, hand craftsmanship and ideas.

I hope you will take the rest of the day and the upcoming days to spend with your families, your dolls and the things that make you the most happy.

I will be taking some time off here, don't worry just a few days to reflect and prepare for 2018.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas from all of us here and look forward to spending more time with you all again very soon!
Best Wishes,
Karen M. Owen and the team here at Karen Mom of Three's Craft Blog.

4th Blog Anniversary, A few days late

Well it is now 4 years and 2 days since I started this blog. I have each and everyone of you to thank for encouraging me with your comments and emails over the years. Thank you for making me feel like a sucess. When I started out I really never thought anyone outside my family would read my blog. This journey has been very surreal to me, I am in awe of how much it has changed my life for the better.

If you had told me 4 years ago that I would be writing this blog daily (sometimes 3 and 4 times a day), that I would be recognized in the doll and craft industry for my work, I would never have believed you.

But you all believed in me and for that I wish to thank you. To all of you, I wish to thank you,  for all you do to keep this dolly on line world going. To all my sponsors and  advertisers thank you for your faith in me and for joining me this year to share the very best of what you do with all of our readers. To the Etsy shop owners and crafter's who I have featured both with and with out your knowledge thank you for creating handmade items that make our doll play and our collections so much better.

To Char at Doll Diaries, (with whom I had the great pleasure of meeting this year) I can not thank you for taking a chance on this dyslexic, Canadian, mother of three boys. Meeting you was spectacular and I hope that I will get to meet you in person again soon.

Thank you to Laura Kelly, Brandy, Anna, Natalie and Meagn, (my team at Doll Diaries) for your encouragement and teamwork and pushing me to do my very best.

Thank you to Jessica T for all her wonderful fun finds this year, you helped keep us crafting and busy!

To Madelon with whom I do not think I could do this blog daily with out. Her fun finds and her photos really help to make this blog something special! Her emails inspire and keep me going! Her friendship I treasure. From one very busy mom to another, I thank you!

To my family and friends on Facebook who have put up with my constant Dolly Updates, those who have stopped by my house, tripping over doll items as they enter and exit my home and to all of you who make me want to keep writing, creating and playing...

I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
I can not wait to share more wonderful doll play ideas, shops, items, crafts and so much more in the days and weeks to come.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com