After stripping the walls, putting a fresh coat of paint on the front with some sassy new shutters and we were moving along. My ex (seems a bit harsh to call him that so for the rest of the blog I’ll refer to him as J) cut the front of the dollhouse off so it was the same but now we were able to actually hang it on the wall. The front door is exactly the way it was when my parents made it for me. My mom cut the door frame out of the front of a JC penny Christmas catalog and glued it to the front. That thumbtack door knob? Proudly in place.
I’m not sure where they came from, but I had found a box filled with Italian clay flowers and tiny medallions.. I painted them all gray to bring out the texture and to not take away from the house itself. It worked out perfectly and I’m so glad that I found them in my box of goodies tucked away.
Over the years the original furniture and little knickknacks were lost. But instead of purchasing a bunch of new things for the dollhouse I wanted it to be filled with my things. I had so many things in boxes. Reminders of those who have left us, memories of childhood friends and things that are kept for one reason or another.
Remembering back to the first Christmas with J in 1987, the first gift I had received from my then best friend, was a giant inflatable Gumby doll. You read that correctly. A 6 foot tall Giant blow up Gumby. And yes it was that awesome. Gumby was our mascot, our greeter and our bathroom attendant. He was especially good at scaring you in the middle of the night and was our faithful companion until an unfortunate incident with tequila and a safety pin. The small Gumby is to signify a beginning and at the other end of the dollhouse is Mr. Rogers. That would be from the last Christmas J and I would spend together. Bittersweet, but a badge of honor in the quiet gloom that was the end of our marriage.
The small white beaded flowers in the centerpiece were from a larger arrangement that my son gave to me when he was little. The photo on the wall is a magnet from my beloved New Orleans. The chandelier is made from a pair of my grandmothers earrings.
Cat woman. Oh man how I wanted to be her. That’s me in the photo on the wall around the age of 5 dressed like her. My mom, ever so creative, made my costume. She attached finger nails cut out of a plastic milk jug to leather driving gloves for the claws. Dixie cups spray painted black with a bit of elastic were the ears. My dance leotard, a black mask and my super evil briefcase (look closely it’s my doctor set, the Red Cross gives it away.) complete the ensemble. The green shamrock pin above Princess Leia (childhood idol right after cat woman), was my something green for school when I was in kindergarten and I wore it every St. Patricks Day. The other picture on the wall is a photo of a special painting given to me by my soul sister and Ursula in the tub. Why? Well because why not?
My mom and I. Still the loveliest creature I have ever seen. I’ve been in awe of her beauty since I was a little girl. I’ve also been aware for my entire life that I look just like my dad……….Don’t get me wrong, I’m unique and proud of it, but she is a beauty and you can see just how different we look in this picture. It hangs proudly in the foyer underneath a wire chandelier we made together. The painted furniture and the rug are my design and similar items are available in my miniature line.
My dads belt buckle is displayed over the fireplace next to a photo of my dad and I in the mountains by Albuquerque, New Mexico. The buckle itself is quite unique as it features a scrimshaw carving of a grizzly bear and a bejeweled bear claw. As a kid that claw looked huge and ferocious. It is a spectacular piece of art work, tiny scratches in bone to create a fierce portrait. Set in a traditional Navajo setting. It is a piece of art, each element of the buckle has meaning. Skeleton earrings from an amazing trip to Puerto Rico set on the mantle.
The master bedroom of my dollhouse is filled with meaningful items. Jack and Sally represent my boyfriend and I. On the bed is an acorn and a thimble which represents the story of Peter Pan. If you met Mike you’d realize that he’s essentially a kid at heart. To this day when we travel I collect thimbles as a reminder of Peter and Wendy’s first “kiss”. In the middle photo above, on the dresser is a cameo ring, my mother has the other one that matches it. Next to it on the clock I attached a gold watch that had been my mothers then was given to me, the band of the watch hanging out of the drawer like a belt. Just out of the photo is a picture of my grandparents which adorn both walls.
The most precious room. The irreplaceable room. The children’s room. I have given birth to 3 children. My oldest son and a set of twins in September of 1998 that lived until 2 and 3 months of age. Simply put, there is nothing worse than burying a child. Let alone two. This tiny room holds some items that are irreplaceable and most precious to me. The doll, the mini china plates and the kitten are all from my childhood and given to me by my grandmother. In the drawer are my angel pins that I wore in Cameron and Chloe’s honor. Seated in the rocking chair and another on the small bed, are two Sapphire bears (their birthstone and my birthstone) for the twins. The saxophone pin was Logans, a gift from his grandmother. Most precious of all are the two limoge boxes, one being the baby in the pink cradle and the other is a bear sleeping on top of the book case. Each one holds locks of their hair. Irreplaceable indeed.
I can’t remember who gave us the angel statue but it’s been placed here and there since forever. The picture on the wall is of Logan and in his hands are the Cameron and Chloe’s shoes as he sits in their memorial garden. In the center of the chandelier is a pendant that was a very special gift from my mom. It’s a hollow piece of silver with the moon on one side, and the sun on the other. Inside the pendant are tiny metals balls that when the pendant is dangled it sounds like a wind chime. She bought it with the idea that her first grandchild would play with it like a rattle and he sure did!
Small details. A few Mardi Gras beads from past trips to New Orleans and my favorite Disney Villains perched on the balcony. Keys and lock from an old charm bracelet, Courting benches and the tiniest personal detail. My great grandmothers butterfly hair clips adoring the front landscape.
Attached to the wall in the midst of mementos, albums, rock memorabilia the grand lady is the center point of the room. Here she is all lit up in all her glory. She is also as monumental to my life as the Statue of Liberty is to America, an actual miniature account of my life. When it was finished, J moved out and on with his life. After 30 years together we became strangers, but in those quiet moments working on the dollhouse together, before the bitterness set in, he was my high school best friend again.
