trading summer

i was a partner in a special trade last month (well, two trades... but this is the first... the second isn't over yet and i will share about that soon). an amazing woman, summer, with an adorable etsy shop, the knothole tree, asked me if i would make her some stamps for her sweet little shop. 

oh yes, i suppose i should tell you that summer and her daughter made ollie's gift in the children's blog swap... that is how we met. we have been following each other's blogs ever since. 

anyway, summer had been watching my stamps and asked if i would make some for her shop and offered to pay me for them... but i had also been watching her hand painted peg dolls, and really wanted a set of my own. i had actually been very intrigued by a doll that she made for her daughter... well... it was her daughter... and after seeing that i became in love with the idea of having a set that was my family. so, i told summer that i really wanted a peg doll set of my family and how about we trade. she loved the idea and asked me to send her a picture of my family.

i was so impressed with her attention to detail! we are all wearing the same outfits that we were wearing in the photos i sent her (i posted the photos below so that you could see just what i mean). my favorite detail though... hands down... is that she included my little ollie's monkey. that monkey is like an extension of my daughter... he goes absolutely every wear with her.... and i love the way that summer documented that here.

the family photos were taken by my AMAZING sister in law, rebecca. we literally stepped out in my in laws backyard for a few minutes and smiled. we were sweaty and dirty from playing outside. i did not think the photos would turn out this good... but that is part of why i say that she is AMAZING. 

i enjoyed this trade so much!! thank you summer for the fabulous peg family... we love them so much! 

if you are interested in your own peg family... i encourage you to check out summer's shop.... https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKnotholeTree?ref=l2-shopheader-name

... but i also encourage you to check out summer's blog http://summerplayshouse.com/... she doesn't always keep her shop very stocked but i have noticed that she does a lot of special orders... so you can get a better idea of what she is capable of by looking at her work there. (she has made many of my favorite story characters... max and the wildthings, ms. rumphius, and some sweet little women... and of course elsa and anna from frozen, and all of the super heros you can imagine).