Rain. Torrential rain. All day long. My plans to walk over to Chautauqua Miniatures yesterday morning were foiled. It was raining so hard that a dash over to the theater office to sign out a car was equally impossible.
So I stayed in and read.
My responsibilities at afternoon rehearsal eased up enough for me to grab a car and dash over there around 3:30. They were having a sale.
No big girl camera, but I did have my iPhone with me – however, the iPhone doesn’t handle inside the shop pictures as well as the big girl camera. I got a few.
Does this dollhouse look familiar? This is the Real Good Toys version of my dollhouse. Everything is flipped.
The view inside a display case. I could have gone nuts buying potted plants.
I had to get a photo of this dollhouse that one of the owners made. Very Chautauqua Cottage-like, I think. She made it as part of a contest using a basic unfinished box. She added the strips of wood to make the siding board and batten, as well as all the trim and the period windows and doors and railings. Can you tell I’m thinking long and hard about a Chautauqua Cottage for my next project?
Both of the owners used to work for the Chautauqua Institution and I had the chance to chat with them at the end of my visit. They’re wonderful women who clearly love what they do. And they’re a lot of fun! I wish I lived just down the road from them; I’d be stopping in all the time.
I promised them I’d stop in one more time before I leave. And I will.
What did I buy?
This planter. Roof or porch? I’m not sure at the moment.
Boots for gardening.
Another hanging plant.
And this little sweetie. I looked for a Border Collie like Dame Scout, but came up empty. This little Jack Russell Terrier won me over with the ‘pounce’ stance, something my girl loves to do (though less and less as she copes with arthritis.)
I know I’m probably the exception, but I’m not a fan of dolls in a dollhouse. They usually look out of scale and, frankly, I like the inhabitants of the house to be living in my imagination only. But a little doggie? That I can go for. I haven’t thought of a name yet. When I do, I’ll share it with you.
The sale included older issues of dollhouse magazines – 5 for $10 – so I gathered up my favorites and I’m looking forward to reading them. There were also partially finished dollhouses and kits on sale and if I had a car, I’d probably have purchased something. Ah, well. It’s most likely for the best!
Today – opening festivities. There’s a barbecue later in the day, but I may bow out. I haven’t been getting enough sleep and some restful time to myself looks awfully appealing.
Happy Sunday.
The blue cottage is very appealing. The miniatures shop is a bit like Aladdin’s cave – so many lovely things.
I don’t have any dolls in my dollhouse either, although I have two little cats that were gifts. One is a gray named Jem from my neighbour and the other is a Siamese named Cass from my daughter. (I freely admit to having a mild crush on Misha Collins who plays Cass in “Supernatural”.)
I love all your new acquisitions, especially your new pet – I would call him/her “Skye” after the brown terrier in “Black Beauty”.
I have a feeling the name will come from some character in To Kill a Mockingbird.
What a fun visit. Love the new purchases especially the sweet dog! (well I did smile at the boots also) I already want to live in Caroline’s house can you imagine if you bought that blue cottage…not enough room for all of us there! :) Hope you get a bit of rest.
hugs,
Linda
The blue cottage is so adorable! I’m thinking a little cottage is the best way to go as I really have no more room for a dollhouse….but I think I could fit in a tiny cottage.
Love the dollhouse like yours in reverse..it would have taken me an hour just to look at the plants..you picked a good one..Not sure where I would put the white planter..guess you will have to try both locations and see where it fits best..absolutely adorable boots..I’m thinking the pup looks like a Boo..from you know what..lol..
Cant believe you said that! That’s exactly what I was thinking!
Well…great minds do think alike..lol..
yellow boots…loved them but oh the dog……my fave!!!
Adorable, right?
I would love that hanging plant in real flowers!! So pretty…… and those sweet boots! I think that tiny cottage ~~ a guest cottage for all of Caroline’s visitors ~~ would be lovely! And the pup…. well, a house is not a home without a pup!!!! The white planter is just grand.
Glad you will have time to rest today. Sounds like you are catching up on some reading which is always a good thing! Do you have one or two weeks remaining?
I head home one week from today!
Claudia, I love all the cute dollhouse things. I am amazed at some of the ideas. Hope you can have some time to relax. That town is so pretty with all the old building and homes. So much to see. Bless you, xoxo, Susie
Thanks so much, Susie!
Glad you managed to make it over there. Love that little blue house. I wouldn’t mind a full-sized version. :) Your purchases are very sweet. Enjoy your down time.
I wouldn’t mind one either, Tammy!
Hmm, you could always send home the new purchases you can’t carry! I knew a Chautauqua-type mini cottage would start spinning around in your mind. That would be a fun series of posts to read. The new minis are wonderful…I love the planter’s curves, the wellies had me chuckling, and the dog….well, what can you say about a dog asking to go out and play?!
Have a nice quiet evening perusing your new reading material.
Who can resist a doggie who pounces?
What a fun post, Claudia! I am picturing you settling in with a cup of hot chocolate and your new magazines for a little down time.
How is Scout doing?
Bingo! Just got back from some obligatory but fun activities and I’m going to make some hot chocolate and dream of minis!
Love your choices, Claudia, especially the cart and hanging basket. No dolls for me in my houses either. I like to use my imagination and have the rooms look “as if” the occupant just left. That’s the fun of dollhouses. I’d love to visit that dollhouse shop one day. Very few of them down South where I live.
Exactly, Sharon! I feel the same way. It’s as if Caroline is working at her job and the house is just waiting for her to come back. The dog will be waiting, too!
There are no dollhouse shops near my house, either! There was one that went out of business right before I seriously started working on the dollhouse. Darn!
I love your visits to the miniature shop! I’ve recently discovered two miniature shops in Oregon, though both are nearly 2 hours away. I’ve never been to a miniature shop before, so I’m hoping to get to one of these soon. I’m with you on having dolls in dollhouses. Frankly, I find them very creepy! It’s so much more fun imagining who occupies the little house. Love your purchases!
Oh, I hope you can get to one, Debbie. You’d have such fun! (Sssh! Don’t tell anyone else, but I find them a little creepy, too, though I have larger dolls that I display in the studio. Much too big for a dollhouse!
I agree about dolls in dollhouses – it is definitely more fun to imagine the inhabitants. I’m picturing Caroline as an early suffragette, with a bit of Dolly Levi in her. A woman with an education who does NOT believe her only options in Life are marriage and motherhood, but with times being what they are, she works in some suitable-for-women-in-the-Victorian-era profession. Was she a dressmaker or milliner? A teacher or librarian? Maybe a professor at Vassar – that’s in your neck of the woods. I love those yellow gardening boots, and the Jack Russell is perfect. In my mind, Caroline certainly has pets. I bet she also has a cat or two, and maybe even a birdcage with some budgies in a sunny window. Hope you get that much-needed rest and enjoy the rest of your time at Chautauqua!
Oh Caroline is living now, Janet! The dollhouse isn’t period, though the house itself is Victorian in flavor! She has a laptop on her desk, remember? She just likes vintage and old things (like me.)
But she is strongly for women’s rights in every way, doesn’t need to be in a relationship to feel good about herself, is independent and multi-talented. She’s a professor at an university – a professor of Literature. She drives a Prius!
I’m so impressed with the detail on the miniatures you bought and the dog is delightful.
You know, you could do a small Chautauqua cottage in the future; it wouldn’t be the size of Caroline’s house and could take up less surface space. You’d have such love for it due to your real-life experiences and familiarity with the architecture. You could put the dollhouse on a high metal or wood stand of some sort which wouldn’t take up too much wall/floor. I have a tall piece like that I got a hundred years ago at Pier I Imports (all wood, made in India, one drawer) and about all you can put on it is a good-sized potted plant or some holiday centerpiece but it doesn’t take up any room and is sturdy enough for something with height/vertical because it’s got some heft. Or, another thing I’m exploring, because we have in one of our bedrooms a ‘platform’ bed frame with drawers underneath, two drawers of which can’t be used because of nightstands blocking them (and I need every bit of storage for our smallish house), are ‘freestanding ledges’ (my name for them) which jut out from the wall and are somehow braced on the wall studs to free up floor space. They’re big enough to hold a lamp et al but I need to investigate further.
I found it so interesting of what you said about your dollhouse being devoid of actual dolls. I hadn’t thought about it but it is true that the dolls you can buy along with the furniture can tend to look caricature/cartoon-like to me….and I haven’t bought any yet, which I guess is quite telling because I’ve sure bought my share of accessories (including a dog and cat!). Maybe I’m more interested in the home-decor aspects of a dollhouse, as I don’t have a Caroline…yet. (It probably would help to buy an actual dollhouse first but, so far, the houses I see for sale in my area are just too darn big; I need a really small dollhouse and plan to talk that thru with my miniatures store when I go over to that town next week.)
A small Chautauquan sized dollhouse would be just the ticket for you, too. That’s why I’m interested. Whatever I do next has to take up very little space.
I have a Caroline, but she’s totally in my imagination. The dolls never look right to me and I want to keep her in my imagination – just like a good book!
Love what you bought…especially those boots…so fun! That cute blue cottage would be a wonderful addition to your collection…very tempting I’m sure. Hope your last week goes smoothly! ;)
I think I’m going to have to fashion my own cottage – whether from a kit or a room box, I’m not sure.
I sure hope my granddaughters don’t fall in love with doll houses because you can go broke with all the cute stuff – and you know I would go overboard with all the cute stuff you have shown us.
Hi Claudia,
Both large and small,those Chautauqua cottages are very sweet to look at.
I hope you enjoyed a little relaxation,a cup of comfort and some pleasurable reading.
My own love of reading is having to be a little in the background for the time being.
There are only so many hours in a day,until i read the book Creating Time,anyway:)
I do like reading your book reviews anyway and
I love how in sharing your interests ,i can imagine and enjoy along with you.
It is quite a discipline on your part and so nice to look forward to.
Thanks for this generosity in your spirit:)