First of all, I'd like to dedicate it to my grandmother Maria Iacobucci who passed away on January 7, 2004. "Nonna" was born near Rome, Italy on Valentine's Day 1922. She had a heart of gold along with the strength, determination, and resourcefullness of no one I have ever known. She was a seamstress who made religious vestments for priests for many years. When I was a little girl I used to watch her make clothing and decorate "Infant of Prayer" dolls that were sold in the religious shop where she worked. I also watched her knit and crochet clothing and afghans for the family. I'd like to think I inherited some of my love of making things from her.

I'd also like to dedicate this site to my Mom who is fortunately still with me. She came from Italy to the United States with her family in 1958 when she was 18 years old. She had the courage to learn how to live and work in a new country. When she was young, she worked in a dress shop that sold evening and bridal gowns. Because she was so lovely, she also modeled the clothing for buyers who came in to purchase the outfits. She made almost all of her own clothing during that time period including suits and coats. She told me that she used to dream about going to Chinatown after work to buy fabric to make new clothes. I like to think I inherited some of her sense of style. The time she worked in the dress shop was around Tiny Kitty's time period, so I can kind of see a little bit of my Mom in Tiny Kitty. In fact, I think the new 2004 Forever Yours Bridal doll greatly resembles my mother.

I dedicated my "Doll Memories" website to my Dad, but I'd still like to make a special mention of him here. My father passed away in February 1996 from skin cancer. He was 54 years old. He gave me my love for computers which has provided me with a successful 15 year career as a systems analyst. He encouraged me to study technology although I don't think it was necessarily the "girl" type thing to do. What I admired most about my father was that his hard work and dedication to his career was driven not by monetary success, but by doing what he truly loved. I feel his spirit with me every day, giving me the strength to carry on when things are tough, and the ability to find love in everything I do.