Vintage Baby Doll Crib

Isabella and I were walking around a quaint little antique store today when we came across the CUTEST little doll crib.

As soon as you walk through the doors of this old rustic cottage you are hit with the small of old books and wood! The smell reminds me of the past and my imagination starts to run wild with excitement! I look at things not just for what they once did, but what I can use them for today!. Antique stores are like a treasure chest waiting to be opened! 

My eyes land on a small, round glass container with a specked gold lid on it! I start to think about the vanity it must have once sat on and who must have owned it! A gentile southern woman who must have taken a lot of pride in the way she looked and smelled like! Her house was once adorned with lovely glass and gold objects and she sat on her porch with her husband every night talking about the days passed!! I had to have it, it was just too much so I walked over to the shelf hoping it was not overly priced and was shocked to see a five dollar sticker on it! It was MINE!!!

Bella and I slowly walked around the cottage and looked at every booth. We have a rule of thumb we walk around looking at all the wonderful things in the store then we take a second trip around getting down and looking under shelves and in those hidden corners! That is when Bella found her treasure!!!

"AAAAWWWWW!!!! Mommy, look at this bed, I SO think Kit could fit in it!"

I walk over to were Isabella was standing and look down at this cute, but not so sturdy doll crib. It looked like a crib from the 50's error and all in all was in good shape considering it's age! One of the side boards was going to need to be replaced and for the right price it would be a good toy for her! 

I reached down to flip the price tag over and said, "It's twenty dollars Bella, and I am not sure we can fix the side panel right away."

Bella pulled her beaded green purse up and pulled her money out. "Five, ten, eleven, twelve! I have half of the money Mommy, can I get it?"

"You know if it going to take almost all your money Bella and like I said I am not sure we will be able to fix the crib today, we might have to wait till next weekend."

"That's okay Mommy, I really want to get it for Kit," in a sweet yet overly excited voice.

I picked the crib up from the floor and walked over to the counter with my five dollar treasure and Bella's treasure. Behind the counter was an older woman in a flowered shirt and jeans. She had the cutest long gold chained necklace on with a flowers adoring it! She reached down over the counter hitting the edge with her gold bangle bracelets to take the tag from Bella's hand.

"Um, can you ring those up separably please? My daughter has to pay for half of the crib and I want to have an accurate price for her!"

"Oh, my she is going to pay for half?" then she looked down at Bella and said in the sweetest, southern voice, "You are such a responsible young lady and since this is going to be yours I am going to give it to you for fifteen dollars with tax included! Do you think you can pay your mommy the seven dollars and fifty cents?"

With her big green eyes staring up at her and a huge smile on her face Bella softly said in her cute little voice, "That's so nice of you, thank you! I can give you the seven dollars and fifty cents if you want and then my Mommy will only have to pay her half!"

With a chuckle and broad smile on her face she looked at Bella and then at me and said, "I'm sure Mommy can pay for the whole thing and then you can give her the money later on."

Her laugh lines were like a map of the many laughs and smiles she had given to people over the years. Her demeanor  a gentile one and she had the warmest, most welcoming eyes! She then took the five dollar tag off my wonderful treasure and added up my total.

"That's going to be twenty dollars and forty-one cents."

I pulled my card out of my back pocket and handed it to her! She carefully wrapped my glass cotton ball holder and stuck the recite in the bag! Before taking the bag I thanked her and walked out to the car!

All the way home Bella could not contain herself she was so excited she had bought this crib and couldn't wait for Daddy to see it!

As soon as we walked in the house Bella was bustling with excitement telling Jason all about the antique store we had gone to and what she had found. After careful examination he determined with a little TLC and some creativity on my part we could fix the crib for her and Kit could sleep in it tonight!! 

So here are the pictures of the before and after of Bella's treasure!!! ENJOY!!!

The crib minus the broken board

The board that the doll lays on I decided to refinish it 

by adding some left over batting I had!

As you can see I folded the batting to make it a little 

thicker!

I then put the fabric over it and flipped it over.

I hot glued the fabric down and did one side envelope 

style. By the way is not so very easy on an old 

piece of wood and a hot glue gun!

The other side I pulled over tucked the end in and 

hot glued it! Very easy and the best method if you ask me

Here's the finished mattress for the doll crib.

Since we had to repair the side board

it looked very ugly. So I picked out

the Pairs theme paper since the blanket

is Paris and glued it with decoupage on

both sides!

Here's Kit sleeping in her NEW bed!!

Bella is very happy with her purchase! 

Cori Sue

For those who don't already know my sister-in-laws niece was diagnosed with MLD!! For those who don't know what MLD is I would like to give you a quick education!!

Definition:

               MLD is short for metachromatic leukodystrophy. Translated from doctor talk MLD means: meta - change, chromatic - color, leuko - white matter, dystrophy - degeneration. MLD's name therefore comes from degeneration in the white matter of the brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) which has a color on staining that should not be there. Staining was how the disease was observed before the advent of the MRI. -


Biochemistry:

                Basically people who are affected by MLD lack an enzyme in their blood called Arylsulfatase-A, (ARSA). Without this enzyme, sulfatides are NOT broken down and instead build-up in the white matter of the brain and CNS causing destruction of the myelin sheath, or demyelination. Without an intact myelin sheath there is a breakdown in communication between the nerves and the brain. This loss of or miscommunication - accounts for the loss of acquired functions paralysis, blindness, seizures and eventual death seen in MLD.

Types of MLD:

                Generally, there are considered to be three main types of MLD that have different ages of onset: late-infantile, juvenile, and adult. The late-infantile form of MLD is the most commonly observed form of MLD. The most common gene mutations have been identified for both the late-infantile and the adult onsets, however, there are many other less common mutations. MLD is not contagious and can not be passed to others through any sort of contact - it is a genetic condition.

See more at: http://mldfoundation.org/MLD-101-what.html#sthash.S1WX146C.dpuf


Cori Sue is a two year old little girl with MLD and it just happens that she is also my sister-in-laws niece, her brothers little girl. They live here in Houston and are such an inspiration to me. When most would have found tragedy and hopelessness with such a diagnosis they found love, and companion! They trust in God and His will and charge forward with a strength that could only come from the love they have not only towards Cori, but God as well! My heart breaks every time I read about Cori, but then I rejoice in the love and faith her parents have! They have truly inspired me to be a more faithful servant and enjoy every minute of everyday I have with my kids!

Cori Sue and her family need our help to get to Pittsburg for an MLD convention and to have a follow-up with her specialist! I pray and hope that we not only help them meet this goal but far surpass it to help cover any medical bills and things Cori Sue might need!! Please follow the link below and if you can't give SHARE on Facebook, twitter, heck smoke signal if need be just please SHARE!!!

CORI SUE's Story and Fund