She's my daughter's special lovey, and luckily I was able to buy not one, but two identical back ups from ebay. I don't always remember to rotate them out like I should, though, so the stuffing is a little less fluffy in one than in the other two. So far she hasn't noticed, though.
Each Christmas, I make a photo calendar for my husband and the grandparents using Shutterfly. There are quite a few online services out there like this, and I have used others in the past. I really like Shutterfly's designs best, though, and their service and quality is top notch. If you enjoy scrapbooking, this Karen Foster blank calendar is a great option - you can print your own photos and build around them.
This year, I decided to make a calendar for my daughter with Ruffy, and it will be a special gift from Ruffy herself. I have been posing the stuffed animal once a month in order to capture the "secret life" of the stuffed animal - all the fun things she does when my daughter is a school or otherwise not around.
Here is a preview of the shot I took last December when our Christmas tree was up:
The best part is that I'm not using any special equipment to do it - just my iPhone to take the photos, then I enhance them with Picfx and Instagram. I love the way they're turning out. I have been using a few doll props and seasonal decorations for each photo - things she would otherwise never see Ruffy do or wear.
I'm so excited about the calendar, I really can't wait to see her face when she opens her gift from Ruffy!
