The following are this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honorees by Jodie Ingram
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Maya Angelou
Much like a rainbow, the Dress-Up Dolls are a gift from God sent to promote hope, happiness, and positivity. I was fortunate enough to meet up with these amazing ladies for coffee and my cheeks are sore and my heart is full from all the fun and laughter!
The Dress-Up Dolls started in the early 2000’s, they were a group of church ladies that enjoyed scrapbooking together. As they were scrapbooking, they ran into a major problem, they were running out of pictures! They decided they would need to create new content, and that is exactly what they did! One of their earliest memories was going out in the snow to play! They built snowmen in the church yard and had so much fun doing it!
The current group is made up of 5 women Judie Carlton, Becky Stark, Janice Stark, Susie Glascott, and Chris Blue. Four of the five women reside in Vermilion County and they all love frequenting our beautiful parks and lunching at our delicious restaurants. Their main goal however is to have fun and find the humor in life. They will find an event or create one of their own, come up with their theme, and then go rummaging or thrifting to find their outfits. Some of their favorite trips have been paddle boating at Kickapoo, Hippie Memorials, picnics and photoshoots at Forest Glen, Santa visits, and birthday celebrations. Each lady has a scrapbook of their own, filled with all their fun adventures together. The scrapbooks are something special that they will be able to pass on to their grandkids.
The group has grown in popularity since their newest member, Susie, started putting their shenanigans on Facebook. Whether you see these women on social media or see them in person, they bring a smile to your face. They are each other’s support system, they are fierce prayer warriors, and make each other laugh every time they get together. Their nomination stated, “these women are a true testament of love in its purest form. Their love for life and each other is an inspiration to not only me but others as well. When I see their pictures on Facebook, it brings joy to my heart and is a reminder to enjoy the simple things in life.”
Thank you, Dress-Up Dolls, for being a rainbow in someone’s cloud. Thank you for spreading your love, joy, and laughter throughout Vermilion County!
Also, rumor has it, the Dress-Up Dolls might make an appearance at Vermilion Advantage’s next ribbon cutting – keep an eye out for these lovely ladies!!
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
