Bears, Blogged and Bagged

Posed shoulder to shoulder, united in bear solidarity.

I have a teddy bear collection...not a huge investment, just an accumulation: grandma gifts to my little girls, gifts from my teenage girls' long-forgotten boyfriends and garage sale finds for $1.00, too cute to not rescue.

(Do you know how hard it was to line up these bears so their faces were showing and sort of looking in the same direction--have you ever tried a bear photo shoot?)

While I have admitted previously that saving for use in a cottage is no longer a viable excuse, saving for FUN with BEARS and BABIES or TEA with TEDDIES and TODDLERS, is a good enough excuse, as I keep my hopes and dreams for grandchildren alive.

Yes, I have dressed some of the bears--old infant clothes work well. One has a 3-piece set in college colors that was previously worn by Marissa. The bear on the far right models a vest knitted at least 20-25 years ago by Aunt Jean who is now 89. It is a perfectly knitted piece, but I preferred a  more "pretty in pink" look for my girls. It was never worn, but it has kept a bear warm for years. I discovered that another bear had a herniated butt with white beads hanging out--I poked them back in but didn't feel like doing surgery today. There is a doctor bear with a stethoscope, intended as an inspiration for Erica and one with a hemp and bead necklace that was all the rage in the 90's.

Some of the bears have been machine-washed in a pillow case, sealed with a knot or a large safety pin, but all are now snugly in those wonderful XL-size Ziplock bags. I have yet to clear a shelf in the basement where they can rest comfortably, but they also could easily be shipped off to Goodwill just as they are, so I don't see a problem with just keeping them!!

The bagged bears

Some of the bears had been hangin' out on a shelf in the spare bedroom, but since December, the room has been dominated by a large whirlpool bath tub and is in the  process of becoming a full spa/bath. The bears needed to find a new space to occupy and are now bagged and ready for storage.

COMING SOON: MY MARUSHKA COLLECTION

Marushka bear on canvas--ready to be stretched for use in a grandchild's bedroom!