Okay, with it being Bianca's birthday later this week, I got an idea for a little story.  I don't normally do birthdays for the adults, but with Baron and Monica off to the spa, I suddenly had an interesting idea, and when inspiration hits, it's always best to just go with it.  

The story requires Rex and Bianca to be a modern couple in contemporary clothes - which is also something brand new that I've never done before.  Not a single one of my Fashion dolls has ever been in regular everyday, modern clothes, so what could they wear?   Well, since Steve and Iris were still back in Victorian times, their modern clothes seemed the best bet. They might be JID clothes and probably a little too short, but I didn't have much other choice.

​So Rex and Bianca tried them on, and posed for a family portrait with their cat...

Rags was rather distracting....

After some more formal shots, I thought we'd try some more relaxed poses....

Remember back when Byuri and her friends were baking cookies?  Well, after they were all baked and decorated, she piled some of them on a tray...

"Want to try one?"

"No, I want a heart one instead..."

'They all look so yummy!"

Byuri put the tray down and took a cookie....

Aaron took one too...."I think we all did a really good job..."

"Your tree is really beautiful.."

After some card games, they decided to try a board game....

It's Baron's turn....

Miho is worried....her pieces are very vulnerable....

"I don't think I like turkey. Maybe I'll just wait for the dessert. 
​I'm really looking forward to the pie Santa - I  mean 'Nick' -  brought..."

*The entire Victorian Christmas story is now up in Favourite Photos 2019, so you can see it from beginning to end without interuptions.

I figured Lawrence could use some kind of animal companion, and since I already had a big black wolf figure, I thought that would be perfect. It was gift from Jan some years back, and I had always intended to paint it up some and use it for scenes with Little Red Riding Hood. 

So I printed out some pictures of 'black' timber wolves as a reference....

I spent all afternoon one day this past week, trying to paint him up. Then as luck would have it, one of the outfits that I still needed to photograph for old missing Gallery photos, was the BID size 'Mini Jennet', which just happens to come with a red bonnet. So I dressed Nami in it, and took her outside with the wolf for some photos....

But I didn't like how he photographed - too flat and contrasty - so I darkened him up some...

That looked a lot better....

"I think I'm lost.  Do you know the way to my grandmother's house??"

"Why yes.  Just follow that path, and it will take you there..."

The wolf's eyes were still not quite right, so I redid them today. Now Lawrence has his pet...

Eric was intrigued by the new train cars from Nick, and wondered some more....

Nyssa was showing her Mom how her snow globe worked....

While the guys played with Eric's trains....

When Lisa came in...."Dinner is almost ready."

"...It's time to set the table..."

So Nick took Sena and got out of their way...

Iris got the tablecloth and cutlery...

"I've got the Yule log centrepiece..."

Eric was still wondering about his new train car...

'Eric dear, could you please play with your train on the floor? We need to set the table"

Everyone gathered round, excited to receive yet another gift

"Thank you so much!"

'Eric and Nyssa couldn't wait to open theirs....

"And for Sena, I have a little giraffe..."

She loved it....

"Look, it's a snowman in a snow globe!"

"And I got.......more trains?!?"

I'm sure many of you have seen this image before.....

Well, that's definitely me on the right right now.  So many different things going on, with doll stuff everywhere, that I feel like my house has been taken over with dolls and their stuff.  There's not even room at the kitchen table to sit and eat....

I'm still working on processing photos taken at Christmas, and there's a new theme coming this way, which I already did a photo shoot for, and now I want to build a castle interior so I don't have to get down on the floor every time.

The only chairs I have that look remotely medieval are two with woven seats, but the bright red one won't do, so needs repainting. But first the woven seat needed to be pressed down (it was bulging way up) so it was soaked and pressed down to dry.

I borrowed the medieval banners from the Barbie castle in the basement, and used one for a throne room scene already, and now need to remake some of the brighter coloured ones in duller, more appropriate colours that won't stand out like a sore thumb. Plus, they are way too 'cartoony'. I also need a proper medieval table, which will get made from one side of a wooden box we picked up at Value Village this week.

I decided Lawrence could use a pet, and what better companion than the black resin wolf I've had sitting around here for years. So I printed out some Timber wolf pictures to help with painting him.

My granddaughters were getting rid of a lot of their dolls tuff, and I was invited to look through the props and furniture to see if there was anything I could use. I took home, amongst other things, a wooden cabinet (in photo), but it needed some white paint smears covered up.

I'm trying to catch up with old Gallery pages that were never made, finish off Favourite photos albums from 2019, start new pages for 2020, shoot some photo contest entries, and start some new doll costumes. I did a google search for medieval tables, and the food they ate back then. I'd like to make several food items for future medieval photo stories.  Could be fun.

But first I need to strip down four dolls that are going away tomorrow - Baron, Monica, Layla and Hope - for various body blushing, manicures, and faceup work. And it's finally time for all the Christmas decorations to come down. So, never a dull moment!

​So, I better get back to it.....although I feel tired just trying to decide what to do first.....

Nick, from the Toy store, had brought along some gifts for the children...

"That's so kind of you..."

"Now let's see if I got everyone's names right...."

They started out playing some card games....