All Dolled Up

I sometimes wonder about myself. I am 72 and I play with dolls, like this morning as I photographed dolls for this post that will ask the question: Do you like to put people AKA dolls in your miniature projects?

I couldn't help but wonder if I could be doing something more significant with my time than playing with miniatures, like volunteer. I do volunteer in the Writing Center at my Alma Mater, University of Northern Colorado where I taught freshman writing for nearly twenty years. I spend two hours each Wednesday working with students, helping them solve their writing problems. It is most rewarding and satisfying. No grading, no planning, no troublesome students, but two hours a week? I could do more. I think of my friend who volunteers at the Refugee Center working with the little children and tutoring the adults in English or a friend who is active in her church, but I prefer the quiet of my basement listening to the radio, maybe, making tiny things.

I openly admit that I am living in a sort of second childhood. I grew up on farm and had a horse and played outside with my brother and worked, but I loved dolls. I had a couple, one has survived, but I always wanted a dollhouse. Anyway. I am digressing, back to my question.

One blogger wrote as she showed off her dollhouse that she didn't like dolls in her house, that she had instead created a mental persona who lived in the house, Caroline. And I got to thinking about whether or not to put dolls in the dollhouses. I am wondering if dolls spoil the illusion of world that dollhouse represents or do the dolls personalize the house?

Here then is my small collection of sundry dolls that may or may not work in a little house.

This is Lily's family that will live in her house. A large family that will give Lily hours of imaginative play. Her house will be added to her already large collection horses, unicorns, and fairies.

Here an another family that I acquired when I purchased a metal dollhouse. I once passed on a whole bag of these dolls at a thrift store. They are vintage and can be found on eBay, but I don't think that I'll be using them. I am surprised at the anatomical detail, too. My daughter wouldn't let her girls play with these dolls, dressed or not.

Not sure where the baby came from, but perhaps he could find his way into a house. I did buy the vintage doll at an antique store, but I've not found place for her. 

But some of my houses do have people.

The Ballet Studio

This was my first built from a Real Good Toys kit. It is a ballet studio inspired by granddaughters who were taking dance lessons. Today they are cowgirls and take riding lessons. I began collecting the little McDonald's Madame Alexander dolls that fit nicely in the little house. 

This little girl is always late for class.

                         

Alice works upstairs making the dance costumes. 

The dancers are a combination of dolls and Hobby Lobby Christmas tree ornaments. Their favorite performance is, of course, The Nut Cracker.

 The Mooshka House

This house is the little Dura Craft Lafayette that I bought for $5 at a sale. It was a bit beat up, but I fixed it up. I fell in love with a series of imaginative little dolls at Target called Mooshkas. Each cute little girl came with an animal friend. 

I still need to do some work on the house. The furniture was bargain find someplace that a I quickly pinned some "slipcovers" on it. 

The Toy Store

I am taking applications for the store, now.

You have already met this little girl, my eBay purchase. She and the chair will be in the Toy Store.

And who does not love Buzz Light Year from Toy Story?  You don't bend, Buzz, so you won't very useful and you are a bit out of scale.

Buzz! This was not your shot.

Pink is one of my favorite dolls. She is a thrift store rescue, and so is Buzz who doesn't seem to be bothered that she is so much taller than he is. And that is a problem for him, so he will remain on the shelf. 

Tinker Bell came down off of the shelf, too, to try-out for a place in one of the houses.

She is quite the show girl.

Pink is pretty confident, too.

Really, Buzz?

Tink, I think you are too large for the toy store.

Pink has returned, this time with her purse. She is a serious shopper, you know.

I can tell that Pink will be the best customer for the toy store.

The Texas Farm House

Pink may shop at the toy store, but I think that her home will be the Bellingham farmhouse. She just seems to think that she owns it.

The Blue Farmhouse Now Pink

My first renovation was this huge house that I bought at a junk/antique store for $100. It required months--years--to complete. 

I am not remembering where I came by these two kiddos, maybe with a metal dollhouse. They spend their days in the porch swing.

These are just little decorative porch people. They remind of a couple that I know.

There she is, Pink in the Blue Farmhouse bedroom. She is visiting her friend. They share the same secret. They are thrift store rescue dolls. They were in the same plastic bag at the thrift store. I original bought them for the granddaughters who didn't seem to like them. They, too, were McDonald's Happy Meal Toys--poor girls, but their story has a happy ending.

This lovely lady lives here. As a mom of 4 kid, she is very busy. She is baking birthday cake for the twins.

The twins are a handful. They spend all of their time in the Peter Rabbit nursery in the Blue Farmhouse (now pink)

They have a lot of toys

These girls were bag mates with Pink and her other friend. The hang out on the balcony of  the Blue Pink Farmhouse.

So there you have it my little collection of dolls that may or may not live in my houses.  Pink obviously is my favorite. 

And what about you? Dolls or imaginative personas for your miniature projects?

Thanks for visiting. 

(I am so glad that I ordered different wallpaper for the toy store!)