Well, well, well! 

Here we are in a brand new year...

and I'm already deep in dollyland unearthing my treasures of pattern, yardgoods and trim. Are you encouraged? I certainly am! I'm finding all sorts of interesting things—dress forms for Gene et alia, a couple of Kentucky Derby winning horses, also their accompanying red rose wreaths (that's alliterative, isn't it?—even though it doesn't look like it!—good old weird English-language spelling) for their necks. That Louisville (Kentucky) Gene Marshall convention was my first! I went because I was born in Kentucky and got a chance not only to go to the convention but also to visit relatives—a lovely double-header. 

Back to the dolly part of the post, I also am pretty sure the trophy is hanging around here somewhere. Want to find that so I can present the horse, the blanket of roses, the rose bouquet for Gene and even her field glasses to you all—in time for the Derby. Perhaps I could even be persuaded to part with Gene herself in her lovely '50s-style pale green silk full flared-skirted suit with the big matching hat. 

Hats are always interesting at the Derby. The ladies go all out to get the most outrageous but becoming hat possible. Big competitive thing, that. The guys are interested in the horses and the mint juleps, not necessarily in that order. The girls are sometimes into the horses and juleps as well but the guys are interesting too... Back to the horse part: Gene also showed up at one point in a set of jockey silks! Everything from hat to boots. Wouldn't she just! They presented her with an honorary Kentucky Colonel-ship too. What a gal!

I went to the Derby once when I was in college. However, my fella and I sat in the bleachers as opposed to the ritzier, more expensive (by, to use horse racing lingo, a long shot!) grandstand. But at least we didn't have to stand in the sun in the midfield. Even on the first Saturday in May it can be very hot in Kentucky. However, snow showers have shown up a time or two as well!

Anyway, I had a very nice but quiet and reserved hat. But Gene, whose hat was much bigger (in proportion of course) than mine obviously, sat in one of the most important boxes in the front row of the grandstand and wouldn't really have needed those field glasses. They looked nice against her pale spring green outfit though. 

It's such fun getting into the dolly boxes again. It's been a while—you all know how long I've been promising to do that! It's truly wonderful to dig around. I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt, and I guess I am, no? I'll post now and then when I find something really amazing. I know there must be a lot of amazing lurking about in this room. I mean, the boxes and boxes and boxes! There has to be treasure hidden in all that trove—no? Stay tuned.