doll | Love The Giver

Last week on the way to Hartselle with my parents to pick out a puppy, (more later when they bring him home) we stopped in at a favorite antique store. Sophie’s Sisters. But I call it Two Sisters. It’s too far a drive to go regularly but anytime I’m down that way I like to drop in. The owner, Neita, has the best selections of 1940’s tablecloths I’ve ever seen and always is so friendly and has everything looking so organized and nicely laid out.

She had the sweetest display of doll and baby dresses hanging from an old doll bed. The lace trim and tucks and tiny buttons were just too much for me and I gathered up two with my other goodies to buy. I bragged on her display and she told me she had bought an old lard bucket from a festival and it was full of doll and baby clothes nicely folded and stored away. The lard bucket had been found in an old barn stored away for years and years. The contents were covered in dust and being so delicate she had washed them all by hand.

She showed me a baby bottle that was in the tin bucket too. It dated 1885. I had never seen one like it before. Beside it was a sweet little bonnet, from the bucket but she hadn’t washed it yet. That much I could tell. I asked her how much it cost. She said, I want you to have it. I told her I couldn’t take it and she said I wasn’t taking it, she was giving it to me. (Then she said something about because I bought so much from her already. haha) BUT does THAT really matter. NO!! It was the sweet gesture and I had not bought all that much from her. She was just making me feel better about taking the bonnet.

I gave her a big hug and took the sweet bonnet. On the way to the car, my dad said she couldn’t have found someone who would appreciate it more to give it too. I was happy with my purchases and my little gift. I soaked the bonnet in hot water and oxy-clean and biz for 2 days and it’s come so clean. It’s hardly looks like the same little bonnet.

The sweet little dresses and bonnet inspired me to decorate a spot so I decided to redo my mantle in my keeping room. I gathered several of my bonnets in drawers and off of doll’s heads and put together a little happy space.

I am quite taken with it and found myself admiring it all day. Neither Kevin nor Chad have noticed it, while I can’t quit looking at it. Drew is in town this weekend and his sweet girlfriend was over last night and noticed it right away and loved it!! These sweet dresses are not but 3 inches at the waist. TINY buttons and delicate lace and teeny tiny tucks. Some mother loved her little girl very much to make these for her dolls and I’m so happy to come across them now to be loved again.