Welcome Amelia!

First we found Molly's flight suit on eBay.  

Then, we asked our resident carpenter and handyman if he could build us an airplane.

Finally, doll #51, long on our list of dolls to buy, was perfect to be Amelia Earhart.

And there we had our Instagram story!  With a new character, Big J.  Who knew that the minis had an underworld presence.  No surprise, since they are also pirates!

Read the story on Instagram @pawsonkeys

Paws on Keys Dollhouse

So it doesn't work to try to duplicate our Instagram on the blog.  

I'm thinking behind the scenes at the dollhouse.  What we do to produce the stories, make our props and just general doll stuff.  Things I would like to share,  but just doesn't fit in on our story account.  

Besides we lost our domain name.  We will let it go.  But we need a new blog address, so we will now be pawsonkeysdollhouse.blogspot.com  

Meanwhile, I'm going to do a little tweeking :-)

                                                                  Karen

Our Picture is in the Catalog!

Look who is in the catalog!

Janet, the picture I took of you is in the American Girl Catalog!
Minis:  You know what this means?  Today the AG Catalog, tomorrow the world!!!

Retirement Party

Today, we got together to hold a retirement party for our Rose.  Yes, Tammy crashed the party!

L-R:  Nannerl, Tammy, Vivian, Lula, Rose, Lissie, Elizabeth, Ivy and Céce.

Our Fourth of July Parade

We Love A Parade!
Our Spectators: Mini-Rebecca, Rose, Mini-Caroline, Tammy

Karen with Mini-Addy in the front seat driving the Grand Marshall car.

Elizabeth, Liberty Day Princes with Mini-Felicity and Mini-Elizabeth as her attendants.

Our Float with Lissie and Lula and Mini-Kaya and puppy, Mr. Duffy!

Our Equestrian Riders, Mini-Josie and Janet, followed by cyclist, Kitty.

And PDQ Bach, our beloved bulldog

Be sure to check our Instagram and see our Flipgram, "Happy Fourth of July"

A Very Punny Fourth!

We have been busy all this week preparing for the Fourth of July!

Karen:  It's almost the 4th of July!  You excited, Sylvia?

Sylvia:  Yes, but fireworks scare me.  I've never seen a fire work before.  What kind of Jobs do they have?

Karen: No, you got it wrong!  It's not fires working, it's fireworks!  Like when you finally get the BBQ fire going and you're ready to grill the hamburgers, you say see, the fire works!

Lissie:  Are you guys ready for.... What are you wearing?!

Cecie:  Red, white and blue for the Fourth of July!

Nannerl:  It's a little warm but as long as we got the colors right it's all good!

Bach:  Woof!  Woof!  *Fourth of July Fail*

*****

Ivy:  Kitty!  You're late, our Fourth of July picnic is all ready!

Kitty:  Girls!  I have terrible news!  I just got the RSVP from the ants, they can't make it!

Karen:  WHAT?  We can't have a picnic without ants!  It's against the law!

*****

Rose:  Ok, Mini-Caroline, hold your flag up high.

Mini-Caroline: Got it.

Rose:  Now wave it back and forth.

Mini-Caroline:  Got it.

Rose:  Now put your hand over your heart.

Mini-Caroline:  You're joking right?  Our arms don't bend!

Rose:  Yeah, I'm just messing with you!  You're ready for the parade!

*****

Bea:  This is turning out great!  It was a good idea to use the carriage for our float in our Fourth of July parade!

Sylvia:  What?  No, it wasn't!  It's a terrible idea!

Ivy:  Why do you say that?

Sylvia:  Don't Get me wrong, it's turning out lovely, but how on earth are we going to get this carriage to float?!  It's so heavy!

Have a Merry Fourth of July!

Exciting Times Ahead!

We are making a few changes here at Paws On Keys. We are expanding and branching out and in the process this blog needs to grow a bit. Please be patient while we make a few changes. We can't wait to share with our new and exciting adventures!

Addy's Valentines

"I'm so excited for Valentine's Day!" exclaimed Mini-Addy.  I'm going to make Valentines for everyone!  Let's see... theres 11 big girls, wait! no, 13, because our new friends, Vivian and Sylvia! And 18 minis, well 17 if I don't make one for me.  Wow.  That's a lot of Valentines."

"I've so got this!  Thirty Valentines by February 14th.  That's seven days away.  I've so got this!  Maybe I can even make Valentines for the cute little kitty family and bunnies we met on the way to Friendship, and all the pets, too!  Wow.  I have a lot of friends.  Maybe... too many friends."

"Oh, no!  I have to start over!  All m hearts turned out unevan and I don't have any pink ribbon!  And my scissors are too big! I can't find my little scissors I JUST HAD!  And now there's only 6 days until Valentine's Day.  What am I going to do?"

"What'cha doing?" asked Mini-Kirsten.

Mini-Addy jumped up.  "Nothing."

Mini-Ruthie asked, "Are those hearts?  Are you making Valentines?  We want to make some too!"

"What are you girls doing?" asked Kitty.

"We're making Valentines!" said Mini-Kirsten.  "Want to join us?"

Mini-Addy exclaimed, "Mini-Kirsten!  I told you it's a surprise!"

"It's just Kitty," said Mini-Ruthie, "she won't tell anyone."

"Of course not," said Kitty, "and I would love to help!"

Mini-Addy sighed.

"I can't figure out how to spell Nannerl," thought Addy.  "I don't want to get it wrong on her Valentine.  I better ask Karen.  I'll just wait here until Lissie is finished with her hair.  I wonder what they are talking about.  I can't quite hear what they are saying."

".....Addy....," whispered Lissie, "...."

Karen said, "I know!..... surprise....."

"Oh, no!  They already know about my surprise Valentines!"

"I just wanted to do something nice for all of my friends!" cried Mini-Addy.  I love them all so much, but I'm so small!"

"There, there," cooed Mini-Ruthie, "dry your eyes."

"Oh Mini-Addy, it's going to be okay," comforted Mini-Kirsten.  Your Valentines turned out lovely!  And everyone will love them!"

"But it won't be a surprise!" weeped Mini-Addy.  

Mini-Kirsten said, "Mini-Addy, you need to come with us.  There is something you need to see."

"SURPRISE!  Happy Valentine's Day Mini-Addy!!!"

"F-f-for me?"  gasped Mini-Addy.

"Yes," said Mini-Kirsten.  "We all wanted to be your Valentine this year so we threw a surprise party for you!"

"And here is the key to our hearts," said Janet.  

"See we got you the biggest box of chocolates," said Mini-Ruthie, "because you have the biggest heart!"

"F-f-for me?" whispered Mini-Addy.

"Yes, we love you so much, Mini-Addy!"  

"We had a wonderful Valentine's Day Party for Mini-Addy, and she surprised all of us with thses wonderful Valentines she made," said Karen.  "Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Paws On Keys and Friendship!"

The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, my minis gave to me: A critter in a pine tree!

Karen:  You naughty Minis!  Get that kitty out of the tree!  She's terrified!

On the second day of Christmas, my mini's gave to me, two turtle dogs, and a critter in a pine tree!

Ivy:  Oh my gosh!  You armed the dogs!?

On the third day of Christmas, my minis gave to me....

Nannerl:  Oh, look Ivy!  Three French loaves!
Minis:  On the third day of Christmas the Minis gave to me:  Three French loaves, two turtle dogs and a-
Ivy:  Stop right there! No repeating!  No one likes the endles repeating!
Mini-Josie:  But it's traditional!
Mini-Ivy:  Yeah! Traditional!
Ivy:  Tradition?!  Critters in trees and turtle dogs are not traditional!  And as for French loaves, that's not even that creative!
Mini-Marie-Grace:  Do you know how hard it is to find hens this time of year?  Then catch them and put berets on them!!!
Minis:  And a Critter in a pine tree!

On the fourth day of Christmas....

Cecie:  Oh my goodness!

Lula:  There goes the phone bill.

On the fourth day of Christmas, the Minis gave to me:  Four Calling Birds, three french loaves, two turtle dogs and a--

Lula:  Wait a minute! Is that hen wearing a beret?

And a critter in a pine tree!

On the fifth day of Christmas, my minis gave me....

Kitty:  What's this?  Curly Fries?

Elizabeth:  Indeed.  You know, I could really get behind this one.

On the fifth day of Christmas, the minis gave to me, Five Curled Fries!

On the sixth day of Christmas....

Kitty:  What is that racket?!

Rose:  Looks like day six.

Kitty: At least we are half way through.  I don't know if we can take much more of this!

On the sixth day of Christmas, the minis gave to me:  Six cats-a-wailing!



On the seventh day of Christmas....

Lissie:  Who put the boat in the living room?!  Oh, right.

On the seventh day of Christmas, the Minis gave to me:  Seven pets a-sailing!

On the eighth day of Christmas....

Karen:  You brought the cow into the living room to milk it?

Bea:  The goat, too.

Karen:  Oh, my cow's potatoes!  I wish Christmas would get here so this madness would end!!!

On the eighth day of Christmas the Minis gave to me:  Eight Minis milking...and a critter in a pine tree!

On the ninth day of Christmas....

Elizabeth: Three I think.

On the ninth day of Christmas the Minis gave to me: Nine Minis Dancing! ... And a critter in a pine tree!

Music: The Christmas Can Can by Straight No Chaser

On the Tenth day of Christmas

Kitty:  Aww!!!  They're so cute when they are sleeping.

Ivy:  I don't know.  I still think they're up to something.

On the tenty day of Christmas the Minis gave to me:  Ten Minis sleeping!... And a feeling of impending doom!

On the eleventh day of Christmas....

Karen:  Oh, my cows potatoes!!!!

On the eleventh day of Christmas the Minis gave to me:  Eleven Minis Driving! .... and a critter in a pine tree!

On the twelveth day of Christmas.....

Minis:  Karen!!  Look what we got you!  Merry Christmas!

On the twelfth day of Christmas the Minis gave to me:  Josefina and her collection, eleven Minis driving, ten Minis sleeping, nin Minis dancing, eight Minis milking, seven pets a sailing, six cats a-wailing, five curled fries! Four calling birds, three French loaves, two turtle dogs and a critter in a pine tree!

Merry Christmas, everyone, from all of us at

Paws on Keys!

*******

Special thanks to 

Karen Bush, editor of Paws on Keys

Vivian Bush, ghostwriter

Samuel Bush, producer and general handyman

Christmas Card

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

from all of us at

Paws On Keys Music Studio

and

Vivian's Vivian Doll

Thanksgiving Past

Lula at her typewriter.

Lula:  Hello, there!  I'm just setting up my typewriter to start a new story.  It's all about a Thanksgiving a few years back.  Pull up a chair and I'll take you on a journey of harrowing adventure, romance and heart break!  We'll meet dashing heroes and villains with dastardly schemes!  Near death experiences and far off mystical lands full of unimaginable creatures!

Okay, okay, I might be over selling it.  At any rate, it all began when we needed a turkey for... well, you know....

Karen and Lissie decided to go hunting wild turkey.

"Okay," said Karen, "we need salt, because everyone knows if you put salt on a bird's tail it can't fly away."

"Right," said Lissie, "I'm ready to go!"

"Lissie, dear, that's a pepper mill.  It has pepper, not salt."

"I think it will work better.  Turkeys are big, so we'll need something stronger than salt to keep them from flying away."

"Oh, I see!  Good thinking, Lissie!"

"Besides, Karen, it's always good to preseason your meat."

*****

"I've been looking at this globe to figure out where to find a turkey, and here it is," said Lissie, pointing, "Turkey.  Couldn't be more clearly labeled!"

"I don't know, Lissie." said Karen.  "Hungry looks promising."

"No, you can't find foom in Hungry, otherwise it would be called Fed."

"Are you sure?" asked Karen, "If they were Fed that would mean they've eaten all the food and just have leftovers.  I don't want leftovers for Thanksgiving.  Hungry on the other hand... well, maybe they keep eating but are still Hungry."

"I still think Turkey is our best bet," insisted Lissie.  

Gobble, gobble!  Karen and Lissie looked at each other.

"Maybe," Karen said, "we won't have to go to Turkey after all!"

*****

"Well, I'm pooped!" gasped Karen.

"I know we heard a turkey out here!  But we've been searching for HOURS!  Even Bach is getting tired!" said Lissie.

"It's got to be around here somewhere," Karen insisted.  "I can feel it!  Like it's justs behind us mocking us!"

Lissie sighed.  "Then turn around and look."

"Nope, too tired."

And so you see, everything was looking bleak and hopeless!  Would they ever find a turkey?  Or would Thanksgiving be comepletely and utterly destroyed in the most tragic manner of sadness?

*****

"Well, Karen," said Lissie as they walked away, "we failed."

"But Lissie, we can't give up now!"

Bach turned around and began barking.  "Woof! Woof! (turn around)!!!

Mini-Isabelle exclaimed, "Do you heaer that Mr. Turkey?  We have to get you outta here before they change their minds."

Mini-Josie said, "That's right, bird.  They want to eat your!  Come with us if you want to live!"

*****

And so the minis came up with a plan!

"This coat will cover your feathers," said Mini-Samantha, "although that's a shame because they are so lovely!"

Mini-Josie was cramming a shoe onto the turkey's foot.  "Sorry, but your feet are a dead give-away!"

Mini-Isabelle, struggling to get the other shoe on, quickly said, "Poor choice of words, Mini-Josie!  Anyway, that mustache lookes dashing on you, Mr., uh, what is your name?"

"Gobble, gobble! (Sir Reginald Pluck).

Mini-Ivy said, "That's lovely!  We can call you Giblets for short!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Giblets!" said Mini-Kit, "We won't let the big girls get at your giblets!"

*****

Karen and Lissie came into the room.  "What are you minis up to?" they asked.

Mini-Samantha said, "Karen!  Lissie!  Look, we have a guest!  This is Mr. Giblet!"

"Ta-DA!" shouted Mini-Kit.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Giblet!" said Lissie, extending her hand.  "Do you plan to be here long?"

Karen smiled at him, "My!  You're ever so dashing!"

Mini-Kirsten proudly said, "The glasses were my idea!"

"Shush!" hissed Mini-Ivy.

"Please say you'll stay!" said Karen, "We'd love to have you for Thanksgiving!"

"Gobble, gobble"

"Sounds like you can't wait to eat!" exclaimed Lissie.  "Sorry we couldn't manage to find a turkey this year."

And so, Mr. Giblet had come to stay, and would be a guest at Thanksgiving dinner.  But could he pull off this clever ruse long enough to stay off the table?

*****

What happened next is best described in a montage...

Lula's Story of Thanksgiving Past  Part 8 Lula: What happened next is best described in a montage. 🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀 #flipagram ♫ Music: Banjo Troubadours - Turkey In The Straw made with @flipagram @mionebeast (ghostwriter) @grumpasam (producer) #agig #americangirldoll #turkey #turkeyinthestraw #bulldog #dog #banjobanjotrubadors #minidolls #mustache #cute #funny #lookatthis #dolls

A video posted by Karen Bush (@pawsonkeys) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:42pm PST

*****

"No!!" shrieked the minis.  "Get back!  We won't let you eat him!  We love him!!"  Mini-Isabelle threw herself on Mr. Giblet's neck, sobbing.  

"Eat him!?"  Lissie looked puzzled.  "Who said anything about eating him?"

"We would never eat him!"  Karen exclaimed.

Mini-Josie, gulping big sobs, "But everyone knows you have to have a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner!"

"Yes," said Karen, "but they say nothing about eating him!  Ehy mean have a turkey over as a guest!  We were going to invite him to eat with us!

"Ooooohhhh!" shouted the minis, "Okay, then!"

*****

Some would say Mr. Giblets' had the most to be grateful for, but honestly, it was all of us because we now have Mr. Giblets as our newest friend.  Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

"Gobble, gobble, gobble!"

*****

Pictures by Karen Bush

Story by Vivian Guest

Mysterious Happenings

Having Lissie back home was wonderful, and we became comfortable once more at our little boarding school... until...

"Karen!" Lula exclaimed,  "There's a sewing machine in here.  I've never seen it before and it looks like someone has been busy sewing costumes!"

"I've never seen it, either!" Karen said.  "There's some other things appearing out of no where in the Ice Cream Parlor.  Come and see!"

Ivy threw threw her arms up in surprise.  "Bea!  This state of the art kitchen showed up out of nowhere!  And someone made all this yummy stuff!"

Bea looked around in wonderment.  "It all looks so delicious!  But this kitchen isn't state of the art."

"It was in 1930," said Ivy, "but you are missing the point!  I think we might be haunted!"

"Oh my goodness," Bea squealed, "LEMON MERINGUE!"

"Bea, this is serious!  There could be ghosts... is that a torte?  And COOKIES!!!"

Later, upstairs in the bedroom....

"Have you seen the mask that goes with my hula costume?" Lula asked Ivy, "I can't find it anywhere!"

"No," Ivy wailed.  "My whole costume went missing!  I was going to be the Story Fairy, but now I have to be a cheerleader!"

Then in the living room....

Lissie, Kitty and Karen were getting ready for the big Halloween party when suddenly a lobster jumped out of the fireplace!  And all would be lost, if it weren't for Mini-Josie and PDQ Bach charging to the rescue.

"Get behind me!!  I'll save you!  Just get the butter and garlic ready!"

And in the parlor....

"Oh my cow's potatoes!!!" exclaimed Rose.  Where on earth did this monkey come from!!"

"Get it before it eats the bird" yelled Mini-Kirsten.

"Don't let it get me!" screamed Mini-Samantha.

Bea looked at Rose and said, "This is crazy!  Ghosts don't explain this!  What IS going on here?"

"Ivy, did you find anything?" asked Karen.

"Well, I'm not sure.  There's not much about ghosts that helps us.  We have no way to check EMF readings or find cold spots, and I for one don't want to find bones to salt and burn."

"Yikes!"

"But, there has been three blue moons, a blood moon and an eclipse lately, and I found an account of a little girl who was pulled into another dimension by the magnetic pull of an eclipse.  She switched places with an invisible being from that dimension."

"Do eclipses have a magnetic pull?" asked Mini-Ivy.

"I'm not sure that matters," mused Karen, it's the only lead we have."

"Right." said Ivy.  "It says here we need to look out for people talking backwards and we need to play ring-around-the-roses to send the person back to their dimension."

"So you think invisible inter-dimensional beings are sewing cosstumes for us, making gorumet desserts and sending lobsters and moneys to attack us?" asked Mini-Isabelle.

Mini-Kirsten screamed.  "The monkey knocked over the pitcher and Mini-Marie-Grace is down!"

"We cant get to Mini-Marie-Grace!  The lobster has us pinned!!"

"How does it go again?" Karen said, "Ring around the roses, pocket full of posies..."

Well, the monkey and the lobster ran away, to everyone's relief.  With everything quiet, the girls decided to go trick or treating as planned.

"Wow, what a creepy night to go trick or treating!" exclaimed Bea.

"Do we dare go to that house up on the hill?" asked Ivy.  "It looks haunted."

"I'm game, if you are!" said Lula. 

"Umm..., girls," whispered Kitty, "Don't look now, but I have this funny feeling we are being followed."

Queitly, slowly, the girls turned around and saw two mysterious strangers.

"Happy Halloween!" they said.

"EEEEEEKKKK!!!!" Karen screamed.

And thus we see, a roller-skating car hop costume may not have been the best choice of one who is so easily startled.

Later, at the Paws on Keys Halloween Party Extravaganza....

It was nice of Karen to invite the two new friends to the party, although she couldn't understand why they kept calling her Nerak.  And Mini-Marie-Grace seemed leery of the Mysterious Strangers' monkey.

And that is how Nannerl with her dear little pet monkey, and Marissa with a lobster came to be students at Paws on Keys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Dolloween

Everyone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Credits

Vivian Guest & Karen Bush .............................................Story

Karen Bush ...........................................................Photos

We recommend as a good read, the book A Watcher in the Woods by Florence Engel Randall

for our older fans as well as the Disney movie, Watcher in the Woods 

starring Bette Davis and Lynn-Holly Johnson.  Both may be too scary for children under 8.