A "Bear" of a Collection...

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

 

When my daughter was very young, Santa left a teddy bear for her under the Christmas tree. 

Stitches

She named him 'Stitches' - he is red and has distinctive 'X' stitching.   A few years later she noticed a pattern of Santa leaving a teddy bear under the tree every year.  I'm of the opinion that Santa didn't plan to do it - I'm quite sure of it. Actually, I'm positive he didn't plan it - LOL - it just happened.  There was a noticeable collection of darling teddy bears starting to gather on the book shelf in my daughter's room. 

 

Meet the Nursery Bear Babies...

Nursery Bear Babies Sextuplets

Left to right: Hush-a-Bear; Alpha Bear; Honey Bear Girl Twin; Honey Bear Boy Twin;

Ginger Bear; and front center Sleepy Bear

There are six Nursery Bear Babies in the Lee Middleton collection designed and created by bear artist Linda Henry. The bears are of 100% German mohair and exquisitely made.  The bears from the Nursery Bear collection were only issued for a short period of time.  They are proportioned to the Lee Middleton doll line, so the bears can wear the same clothing as the dolls. .

My daughter has five of the six from the collection.  Meet her nursery bear babies.

Sleepy Bear...he is always lying down and sleeps most of the time. He sleeps on the book shelf behind the clock.  I think he ignores the time.

Hush-a-Bear... She loves her pacifier. 

She is a real sweetheart and wears pretty ruffles.  She would be the prissy one of the sextuplets. 

 

Honey Bear Twin Babies - Girl and Boy

They love honey and put their paws in their mouth often.  They must be checking to see if there's honey on their fingers to taste.   

 

Ginger Bear -- he loves his ginger color fur

and his soft yellow sleeper. He is very casual and laid back with an easy going personality.

The one Nursery Bear Baby not in my daughter's collection is the Alpha Bear Baby.   

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Here are a few more favorites - which are not part of the Lee Middleton Nursery Bear Baby Sextuplets - but none the less much loved.

"Benni" - Bennington W. Bruin

Boyds Bear

Benni is classic - a stately kind of bear. 

Buffy

A lovable bear with beautiful champagne color fur.  She is a poised and gracious lady of a bear.  Kind of like champagne - very fine and classy! 

Stitches

(The Red Bear and the first bear

Santa left under the Christmas tree) 

You met Stitches in the beginning of the post.  He is a favorite - not necessarily the most handsome - but a fav for sure.  He's hugable and lovable.  He is faithful and always there when you need a hug.  He is much loved and he loves ya back too!

 

Pooh Bear

The adorable Winnie the Pooh Bear.  Who doesn't love Pooh!

 

Paddington Bear

He isn't a Santa Christmas tree bear - but part of the group anyway.  He has definitely been looked after in our house. 

Vera

(Vera Bradley Bear)

Vera, like Paddington, didn't join via Santa under the Christmas tree.  She came home with my daughter from a trip with my husband's mother and sister.  Vera is in the same yellow Vera Bradley pattern as my daughter's collection of Vera Bradley bags / totes / etc.  Thanks mostly to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who also loved items by Vera Bradley. 

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If I have my math correct, there are about nine years that Santa left a teddy bear under the Christmas tree.  He must love teddy bears, too.  What is it about teddy bears that we love?  I don't know - but I do know that these teddy bears are much adored and loved.  My daughter is no longer a little girl and these bears wait patiently for her visits.  And, guess what, I bet Santa still yearns to give her a teddy bear every year.  

 

A collection of teddy bears which came about by accident. 

 

 

Hugable and Lovable,

Gayla