dollhouse — Page 127

Opening Night, A Dollhouse Shop & Scarves For a Cause

June 28, 2009 at 2:33 pm by Claudia

Cyrano de Bergerac opened last night and is a resounding success. What an absolutely beautiful production, in every way – costumes, set design, sound, lighting, music – and if I may say, beautifully spoken. It helps to have an outstanding Cyrano. We do. And to be perfectly honest, I didn’t have to do too much in the way of coaching him. He is a wonderful actor with an amazing voice. My colleague has directed it beautifully.

Everyone who works on each production always gets a single long-stemmed rose on Opening Night. The brilliant costume designer gave me a copy of one of her designs, another wonderful colleague gave me a plume, handkerchief and a lovely quote – all of which figure in the play. One opening down, two to go. Then I fly home.

I found the most amazing dollhouse/miniature shop the other day: Miss Peggie’s Place – located in Pacific Beach. Why oh why can’t I plop this place down in upstate New York? I could have gone nuts there but was saved by three facts: I haven’t even seen my dollhouse in person, I already have too much to pack and I do not want to spend too much at present. I did buy this mini sewing basket because I fell in love with it ~ and I plan to have a craft/sewing room in the dollhouse (since there is no room for one in the cottage.) Isn’t it sweet?

Miss Peggie’s Place has been in the same location for over 30 years! Miss Peggie ran it for most of that time until it became too much for her. She died a few years ago and there is a new owner. I lived here for 8 years but wasn’t into the dollhouse thing then or I would have been there all the time.

These are the scarves I decorated for Design Gives Back at Kelee’s blog. I used scraps from the Quilt Along quilt and cut out circles with pinking shears. Then I glued them on with fabric glue, sent them home to MHC and my husband took a couple of photos of the dogs in their new scarves. It is such a great cause. Just click on the link and you can read all about it.

Don tells me the dogs wouldn’t stay still – they had just had a walk (hence Scout’s pink-rimmed eyes – she was excited) but I think they look pretty cute!

Have a great Sunday!

For My Dollhouse

June 17, 2009 at 4:29 pm by Claudia

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The people I have met through blogging are the most generous, giving people. Case in point: after I blogged about my dollhouse, I had a message from a fellow blogger, Marsha of Sassy Mini Dolls. Marsha is a miniaturist who follows my blog (and I follow hers.) She said she wanted to send me a couple of things for my dollhouse to welcome me to the mini community.

Look what arrived today!

She was going to shabby up this coffee table, but thought I would enjoy doing it. She’s right! Look at the little pitcher, the glass jar of seashells and the blue bowl. So sweet! Marsha made the cheesecake under the dome. I am amazed that someone can do this. Oh, I have much to learn!

Here is a lovely blue hutch, two yellow pillows along with a blue flowered pillow and two mini books, Jane Eyre and Aesop’s Fables.

Inside one of the drawers in the coffee table was a copy of Little Women.

I gathered everything together and was going to put it all back in the box for safekeeping, when I realized I had missed something – this sofa! Marsha, Marsha, Marsha (I bet I’m not the first to say that) you are generous beyond words and I am so grateful for this warm welcome. Everything is perfect and I can’t wait to get home and start work on the dollhouse. I am well aware I have much to learn, but I love a challenge!

Thank you, dear friend.

Update on the previous bird feeder post – there are 15 in the photo. Today I stopped by the tree and counted 18 and they were full of little birds and hummingbirds – I think it was lunchtime.

There’s a House Inside My House

June 14, 2009 at 1:36 pm by Claudia

Look what I found! I have mentioned wanting a dollhouse several times in the past…you remember, right? During one of my every-once-in-a-while searches on Craigslist, I found this. I was searching in the area of New York state surrounding Mockingbird Hill Cottage. (For those of you who are not regular readers of this blog, I am working in San Diego temporarily and my home is in New York.) After researching this style, I realized it was a dollhouse manufactured by Real Good Toys – they make high quality dollhouse kits. But – lucky for me – it was already assembled and the ad said it just needed some TLC. And even more lucky for me, it was $30. The unfinished kit alone is just under two hundred dollars!

So, I contacted the woman selling this and after peppering her with questions, asked her to hold on to it until I spoke with my husband. Would he do me a big favor and drive to a neighboring town to pick up a dollhouse? The first words out of his mouth were “Where are we going to put it?” It was a valid question. Our cottage is small, small, small. I said I didn’t know, but how could I pass this up, and you know I’ve been wanting a dollhouse, and please, please, please?

I even went on Mapquest and printed out the driving directions and emailed them to him.

Bless his heart, he drove out there the next day and loaded it into the car. He even called me after he got it and said that he thought it was really cool. Yippee! It needs some repair and of course, the inside is totally undecorated. That gives me the chance to wire it, paint, make and buy furniture….I get excited just thinking about it.

$30? I mean, I would have to be crazy to pass that up.

(Pardon the photo quality – I took this photo from the Craigslist post.)

Opening Night, A Dollhouse Shop & Scarves For a Cause

For My Dollhouse

There’s a House Inside My House

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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