STUBBORN SASHA HAS A ZIT

Poor Stubborn Sasha has a boo-boo on her cheek and has to use OXY-10 to remove it. I had not noticed it until the other day while photographing her. At first I thought it was a spec of dirt but alas it is a bit more and needs deep cleaning. Luckily, I had ordered some OXY-10 to remove a fabric stain on the belly of one of my Gregor triplets. So now we must all wait to see if this stuff really works.

CALEB'S NEW LITTLE SISTER

Caleb is delighted to have a new baby sister and she is making friends quickly. The Sasha babies are so delightful and are wonderful models to photograph. While the older kids keep encouraging me to adopt more friends, the babies have not been so aggressive in their demands except they do seem to acquire more stuffed critter companions

STUBBORN SASHA

Here is STUBBORN SASHA who is also known as MY FAVORITE SASHA. Our story appears in the current issue of SASHA WORLD.
I call her "Stubborn Sasha" for a couple of reasons. First, she has that persistent stray strand of hair that always falls in front of her face no matter what I do. I think it was actually intended to be part of her fringe since it falls between two sections of her fringe. However, it does give her a distinct attitude and contributes to her personality. The more obvious reason she is called "Stubborn Sasha" is that no matter how hard I try, she refuses to pose in any other position unless I strap her to a doll stand -- which she hates.
She is also known around here as the "innocent twin" since she is almost an exact duplicate of my "naughty twin" who has a somewhat arch expression and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
There are pictures of them together on earlier postings of this blog.

RUPUNZEL LET DOWN YOUR LONG HAIR

"Rupunzel, Rupunzel -- let down your long hair."

My Sashas love fairy tales and this little girl has found a way to be one of her favorite characters -- RUPUNZEL. This is a beautiful wig that I purchased several years ago for one of my BJD dolls. At the time it was pretty expensive -- as almost everything was that came from the Asian BJD companies. It is a beautifully crafted wig and the curls are in perfect doll-size scale.

Rupunzel is hoping that a Prince will climb up the tower and save her. Perhaps my Prince Gregor will accept the challenge.

THE TRIPLETS MODEL NEW SWEATERS

My blonde Gregor triplets are always on the lookout for fabulous new sweaters. They already have an impressive collection. Recently they added these three sweaters and matching hats. The turquoise sweater, hat, and trousers were created by Nikki at SASHA DOLL STYLE. The other two sweaters were created by Patricia at KNITS BY TRISH and were discovered on eBay. Nikki is in the UK and Trish is in Australia.
The three boys are delighted with their new autumn sweaters and will certainly enjoy them well into the winter months.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The kids gather around the pumpkin that they just carved into a Jack-O-Lantern in celebration of Halloween. Now is the time for Trick or Treat and saying BOO to all their friends.

MY FIRST SASHA HALLOWEEN

A few months after I adopted my first Sasha and Gregor dolls I created a Halloween window for "dollsandreams" -- the shop where I first discovered Sasha. I dressed several dolls in various costumes including a Sasha witch and a Gregor scarecrow. One of the most popular costumes among the young collectors was a simple white ghost sheet with patches made of small print fabric. For whatever reason, these Halloween sheets were a big hit and there was a lot of noise as the kids played with their sheet clad dolls on the shop floor.
"BOO"
"BOO"
"BOO" they all cried out as they menaced one another.
Children never cease to amaze and bewilder me because their joy with simple things often eludes our adult understanding.
My beautifully crafted costumes just appealed to the adults. The ghost sheets were made magical by the imaginations of the children.

BRINGING HOME THE PUMPKIN

Gregor and Sasha are bringing home the pumpkin that will soon become a Jack-O-Lantern to celebrate Halloween.

GATHERING AUTUMN LEAVES

Sasha and Gregor go autumn leaf gathering and return home to share their discoveries with Teddy and Baby.

AUTUMN DAYS

The kids love to look out the window at the autumn leaves. Life in the country suits them -- and me. Later today we will go leaf hunting.

FREE "TRICK OR TREAT" TOTE BAG

Sasha and Gregor are all set to go TRICK OR TREAT Halloween goodie collecting with this cut-and-assemble printable tote bag.

If you would like your kids to join them just send an e-mail with the word "HALLOWEEN" in the SUBJECT line and I will send you the printable art. Just use the e-mail link below.

SashaStreetNYC@aol.com

SASHA & TEDDY TAKE A STROLL

Sasha and Teddy love the lawns and gardens around my new apartment building. Today they are playing among the autumn leaves on a sunny afternoon.

MY TWO TREE HUGGERS

After living most of my 77 years in New York City I recently moved to Chestnut Hill Village -- a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. While there was some culture shock involved, the Sashas and I have adjusted nicely.
Now we wake up to clean, fresh air and look out the windows at beautiful trees and lush green lawns. This little community is beautifully maintained and the apartment is all brand new.
Now the Sashas and Gregors can play outside and, as you can see, even climb a small tree. Life in the country has many advantages and I am learning to take advantage of all of them.
The great thing about this complex is that there is a mini shopping center directly across the street that includes a Post Office and a UPS store. And the train station is there as well and in Philadelphia all public transportation is only one dollar for senior citizens. You can buy a ten-trip ticket for $8.50 so every ride is just 85 cents.
So I don't need a car and can just hop on the train and be in the city of Philadelphia in 30 minutes. The train station there is right under The Gallery -- a huge shopping mall. And a charming doll shop, Happily Ever After, is just a few blocks away.
I'm still unpacking and organizing but I wanted to start posting on this blog again plus all the kids are anxiously waiting to be photographed enjoying their latest adventures

SAY HELLO TO GREGOR

Say hello to my newest blonde GREGOR. He was "born" in 1974 and arrived MIB from a very nice eBay seller. His box is a bit worn but still had the punch-outs inside along with his booklet. He was still secured with the original white rubber bands which had not rotted or melted. His only "flaw" is a tiny green spot on one ankle from the snap on his sandal.
Sometimes destiny takes a hand in our adoptions. I was outbid for a similar doll the previous week. I found this charming chap early one morning just minutes after he was listed with a great BIN price. I adopted him on the spot.

GREGOR AS "ROCKY"

Here is GREGOR all dressed up as "ROCKY" and ready to rumble. The boxing gloves were purchased from Shelly in England. The trunks were a birthday gift from Andrea at THE DOLL WORKS.

DOES SIZE MATTER?

My first Sasha dolls were all adopted from "dollsandreams" back in the early 1970s. They all came in tubes and were all the same size.
My second Sasha family was created a few years ago when I decided to replace my first family that was lost in a move to California.
This new family spans several years of Trendon production and so my kids are all different sizes.
On the far left is my new MARINA who is the tallest. On the far right is CALEB who is the shortest. He appears to be as tall as my blonde SASHA but he is just slightly smaller. This range of production sizes has been a favorite topic among collectors and a bit of a problem when attempting to date the "birth" year of a particular doll.
My blonde SASHA is from 1970 and her brother, GREGOR, is from about the same time. The two brunettes are obviously from very different production periods. The PINAFORE has lighter brunette hair and softer coloring. MARINA has very dark hair and brighter coloring as well as a lighter complexion.
I like this new group because they actually resemble the variations that occur with children in real life.
Like MARINA, I was the tallest kid who was "big for my age" and always put in the back row or last in line.

SAY HELLO TO CALEB

Say hello to my new CALEB who came from a wonderful eBay seller. He is an early Caleb with tan suede shoes. He is mint and came with his original box which was a bit shabby from time on a shelf.
I love his face and tight curly hair. Sadly, these photos do not do him justice because he is very dark toned and photo lights do not really illuminate his handsome face.

MY BLONDE TWINS

I first began collecting Sasha dolls in the early 1970s when I discovered them playing in the window of "dollsandreams -- a toy shop in New York City. It all began with a brunette Gregor who looked like my son, but quickly escalated into an obsession that ended up with my little family becoming extended into over a hundred "kids"
Sadly, none of them survived our move to California and several years ago I rediscovered Sasha dolls on eBay. Since that time I have found many look-alike dolls that resemble my first family.

Here are pictures of my original blonde twins (top photo) and my new twins (middle and bottom photos) I think the new girls really resemble my first twins. One of the new girls came from Shelly in England and the other one came from Kelly in America. Of course both originated in England, but now they are reunited.

I am still searching for the elusive brunette Sasha that will resemble my first family brunette. I think we should all have a wish list, so I will continue my quest.

Meanwhile, all the new kids are getting to know one another.

HELLO "PINAFORE"

Please welcome my newest Sasha - brunette "Red Pinafore" - who just arrived. She is factory mint and has beautiful hair. I think she is a real charmer.

THE GRANNY DRESS

In the 70s the "Granny Dress" was popular among young girls who favored ironed hair and folk songs.
One of the clever sewers who made dresses for "dollsadreams" created this version as well as dozens of others that were an immediate hit with the young collectors who gathered in the shop every Saturday to play Sasha.

LONG LUSTROUS CURLS

I have designed two new wigs especially for Sasha. Remembering that childhood nursery rhyme -- "There was a little girl with a little curl..." I created this platinum blonde wig called VICKY that has a loose curl falling over one eye. The basic wig has long soft curls that can be combed out and styled easily.
The redhead wig is called SARAH and is a typical schoolgirl look with soft fringe and two curls pulled back from the sides and tied with a blue ribbon. For a more contemporary look you can let these two curls hang free in tendrils framing her face.
These new wigs will come in several colors.

SASHA IN OZ

Sasha has donned her blue gingham dress and red shoes to celebrate the arrival of my new WIZARD OF OZ paper doll book published by Dover.
Sasha is delighted by all the bright colors and her favorite character - The Cowardly Lion.
This is not just a paper doll book but an interactive paper doll book because all the characters have outfits that allow you to reenact the entire story. It is designed so that Dorothy and Toto face all the other characters and can play out all their scenes together.
"Look," says Sasha, "I can see Dorothy throwing water on The Wicked Witch and there is even an outfit of the Witch melting."
The book is $7.00 plus $1.00 for shipping. If you are interested just send an e-mail to SashaStreetNYC@aol.com