Your Nest Deluxe Vintage Lovey Doll Review
Once in a great while you come across a toy that your child loves more than any of his or her other toys, and you know this is something that will last even beyond childhood perhaps even passed on to your childs children. Im looking into the future and guessing that Emmas new Lovey Doll from Your Nest will be one of those beloved toys. Why? Just look at this little face.
I dont know about you, but seeing this little dolly makes me think of a loving Victorian mother carefully hand-stitching a dolly for her little one. I thought of the delight on the childs face when she saw the perfectly-placed little blue eyes and pink mouth, forever smiling. My daughter is too young to completely appreciate the beauty of this little lovey right now like I do, but I have watched her treat it with more care than her other toys and stuffed animals. Once when I told her no, she could not take the book that I was reading away from me, she got very upset and went straight to the dolly and held it up to her face in comfort. Thats something I havent seen her do with anything but her soft blankie. Ever since we received the dolly, Ive been trying to teach Emma to care for her like a baby, showing her by example how to rock the baby and sing to it, and pointing out the fact that both of them have eyes and a mouth. I think she understands that this toy is extra special now. 🙂
One of Annas Lovey Dolls with a little embroidered heart (so cute!)This is what Anna from Your Nest says about her Lovey Dolls:
This sweet dolly has the potential to grow with your baby for an infant it makes a wonderful lovey; the baby will enjoy feeling the different textures of the ribbons and grabbing at them, and can begin to play with and hug on it as she grows a little older. My daughter is 10 months old and she had an immediate connection with her little doll. She loves the embroidered face and the grab-ability of the ribbon tags.
Once your baby is older and enjoys more make-believe, he/she can use the Lovey Dolly as a traditional doll, or even as a smaller doll for their own dolly.
Features:
Stuffed with a special stuffing made of bamboo fibers (naturally antibacterial)!
Adorable hand-embroidered face.
Blanket part is about 8 square. It is backed in silky soft grey faux fur, with a soft argyle patterned flannel front.
Conclusion:
Love love LOVE these dollies! I think every child should have a keepsake like this! 🙂
Can you introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?
My name is Anna Warren, and I have an Etsy shop (http://www.YourNest.etsy.com) and a blog (http://www.AnnasNest.com). I love to craft sew, paint, knit, you name it! My husband, Brian, and I have been married just over 7 years. Brian is a big-shot web guru guy. He codes websites and is really really good at it. We have a little girl, Bridget, who just turned 17 months old. I am so fortunate to get to stay home with her. She is so sweet and fun, and getting to that stage where shes really excited about communicating with us. We live near Denver, CO, and go to church nearby at Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church even though we arent greek, this is where we feel the most at home! We love our life together, and having kids adds an amazing dimension to it.
Your little loveys are super adorable! What inspired you?
I wanted to make a good first doll for my daughter. Something soft and cuddly and cute that she could enjoy as an infant, but also something that had the potential to grow with her. The idea is that the lovey can be either a cuddle doll or a dolly doll.I also wanted to make something that wasnt too large or unwieldy I already have plenty of gadgets in that category, thank you very much! I added the ribbon tags partly for that reason; theyre so nice to grab (for me and her!), and also because I remembered how much she enjoyed mouthing the tags of her toys when she was a baby.
When did you first learn to sew?
Im pretty sure it was my grandma that helped me get inspired to sew for the first time, although I think my mom (who was quite the crafty gal herself back in the day) helped me along there too. Ive always been drawn to creating things as a kid I always had a sketchbook out, and I actually majored in Illustration in college. Recently I was helping my mom to sort through some toys and came across some very badly designed and sewn doll clothes that I had made as a kid everyone has to start somewhere, right?
How do you find time to sew?
I heard someone say recently that you can always find time to do the essentials. Thats how it is with my crafting. Not only do I really enjoy doing creative things, but without a creative outlet I get kind of grumpy and stressed (that alone is a good incentive for my hubby to help me make time to craft! Haha!). So maybe my home isnt as neat as Id like it to be at least its happy! And since the things that I make often end up decorating the house, I like to think that its not a bad deal for my little nest.
Do you have a day job or other hobbies that keep you busy?
Hm. Well, like I said, Im a full-time mommy. So there is that, and it does keep me quite busy. I also enjoy blogging, painting, sewing, gardening, and doing other miscellaneous crafts. Lately all my free time (a.k.a. Bridgets nap time) has been consumed with gardening (yay for Spring!), and consequently my other hobbies have been a bit neglected, but I hope to get back to the craftiness soon.
Tell us how you got started selling your loveys, and about any honors or accomplishments you are proud of!
I came up with the idea of the lovey dolls around the same time that I opened my Etsy shop, so it happened pretty naturally. When I first opened up my shop (the first official selling day was November 10, 2008, although Ive had the shop name for a bit longer), I really wanted to make a business out of it, and made a big effort to spread the word about it and make a lot of sales. I did okay, but it ended up stressing me out a ton, and since then Ive begun taking a more relaxed attitude toward it. I know there are a lot of people out there who do a much better job of actually selling their stuff and even making a living from it, and I think that is really really cool. Maybe someday Ill be one of those people. For now, though, Ive realized that I should just focus on having fun making stuff and sharing the things that I make with other people.
Tell us one little-known or interesting fact about you. 🙂
Im kind of a farm girl at heart. Both of my parents grew up on farms, and were able to transfer a lot of that mind-set on to their kids. For awhile we even had a little mini farm of our own, with goats that we milked, and chickens, and even rabbits, as well as a couple of dogs and a few cats. Taking care of all of those animals instilled in me a great work ethic, to say the least! :u) Also it has fostered a love and appreciation for animals and nature that I enjoy to this day, something that I hope comes through in my work.
Anything else you want to add or say to our readers?
Etsy is a really cool place, and when I buy from an Etsy seller, I love feeling that Im actually making a difference to them! Also, its really fun to have a more micro experience in a world that can seem so big. I encourage you to visit and check out some of the things people are offering. I dont have a ton of time to browse around and look for stuff, so I really appreciate the Etsy Finds newsletter service its been a great way for me to build up my Favorites (in preparation for the day when I come into a mysterious fortune and dont know what to do with all my money, of course!).
Also, Ive recently reduced the price of my Lovey Dolls, and would love to send one to you or a new baby you know! :u) Please feel free to stop by my little shop and check them out for yourselves!
Thank you sooo much for sharing this post! 🙂
