I think I’ve got a touch of what Don has – the jury is still out, though. He feels pretty crappy. I feel pretty crappy. And wouldn’t you know it? Just as all the snow has melted, we’re due for a storm tomorrow that will bring us what could be several inches of snow, and in keeping with our track record from last year, we’ll be out there shoveling while feeling under the weather.
Good times!
Ah well. Such is life in the Northeast/Hudson Valley.
This morning, while we were sitting on the loveseat having our second cup of coffee, we were talking about the ‘new’ dollhouse and how much we love it on the kitchen table. (I know you know this, but we’re truly offbeat and funky and eclectic by nature.) Anyway, Don said – out of the blue – that he wished that we could put his miniature studio on the blue table in the living room. He never really sees it upstairs, as he’s usually there only to sleep and change his clothes.
I initially pooh-poohed the idea, saying that I wanted to keep the surface more open. But he kept at it and suggested that he bring it downstairs to see if it worked there.
To my surprise, it did.
Surrounded by that greenery, it looks like it could be sitting in artsy Topanga Canyon (Los Angeles). And, because of the open back and roof, so much light comes in! Plus, the splash of red works along with the other touches of red we have throughout the main floor.
It has a gold Christmas tree.
I was so touched. That, three years later, he still loves it and wants it right there where he can see it, means so much to me. It’s the only house – so far – that I built from the ground up. It was made from a kit supplied by miniatures (dot) com. Everything – the board & batten exterior, the design of the interior of the studio, and the decision to dispense with the roof – is mine. I furnished it with things I knew Don loved, so that, even if we couldn’t afford a real studio for him, he could have one in miniature. I made the Adirondack chairs, the desks, the fireplace, and the microwave cabinet. Everything else was ordered from artisans or was a gift from fellow miniaturists/blog readers.
So, now we have four dollhouses on the main floor of the house. Hummingbird Cottage, the vintage dollhouse in the den that I found last year, Don’s Studio, and the house Don is giving me for Christmas. I told Don that not many guys would go for this kind of thing, and his response was, “Are you kidding? I love them!”
May I say once more how lucky I am that this man is my life partner?
I spent a few hours cleaning the interior floors and walls of the ‘new’ house yesterday and it’s still dirty! I’ll go at it again today. I imagine it was stored somewhere for a long time; an attic or a barn. I can see it sitting there, ignored for years, and it makes me sad. I’m so glad we rescued it.
I want to share part of a comment from Liz that was on yesterday’s post:
“A few months ago while at an antiques show I had looked at a sweet dollhouse in a vendor’s booth. The house had interior rooms which could only be viewed by removing the roof and some of the sides. I thought this was a very unusual design, and the dealer explained that many dollhouses were made in the exact floor plan of the child’s home – hence the interior walls & rooms.”
Now, that makes sense, doesn’t it? It confirms our instinct about this house; that it was modeled after a real house. What an amazing creation!
Happy Monday.
oh, hope you’re not getting sick and that you and don both feel better … and you don’t get clobbered with a big snowfall!
don’s studio looks great there with the light shining through, showing all your hard work (the details look awesome) and the plants around it mimicking trees. you, don and your guests will see and enjoy it more often = perfect!
with four on the main floor, it’s like your dollhouses and studio are a neighborhood … a very nice neighborhood!
happy monday.
kathy in iowa
Love the idea of a neighborhood, Kathy! Thank you.
I think you and Don were absolutely meant to be together. Two creative, kind, smart and adventuresome people who found each other.
Take Care,
Kaye
Park City, UT
agree! i am happy for both of you to have found each other.
kathy in iowa
xo
And to think I planned on remaining single! Thank you, Kaye!
It is a beautiful day in that neighborhood!!!! Perfect!
I remember the creation-process of the studio as you constructed it. But, 4 years ago!!?? Wow, time really does fly!
I will wish and hope that the snow flies in other directions and away from you and Don. Happily, we only have about a 4% chance of having a white Christmas. I am extremely happy about that knowing that we will more than make up for it in the months ahead. Nice to know as our kids are traveling here and to their “other sides” that the roads won’t be an issue.
Take care and get some good rest today!
I take that back – 3 years ago! It was for his 65th birthday. I worked on it for a long time, but stopped for several months because of my dad’s death, as well as Scout’s. I didn’t have it in me.
I pulled it together in time to finish it for his birthday. Thanks, Chris.
P.S. I’ll edit that number!
I remember all that was going on and how hard it all was. And the “reveal” was amazing!
I think Don’s BD is the same day as our wedding anniversary ~ June 24th. ??
Yes. Also Little Z’s birthday. With both birthdays and your anniversary, that’s a pretty stellar day!
Absolutely perfect! Don’s studio looks absolutely perfect in front of the window with the plants around it! And what a treasure your gift is! I am so glad you two rescued it. I can’t wait to see what you do (or not do) to it. Hope you both feel better.
Thank you, Dottie!
Love, love your “new” house. It is perfect. It speaks to the soul somehow.
That’s lovely, Lynn. You’re right, it does. Thank you.
Thank you for doing a whole days report on dolls houses. I have a removable roof on my dolls house too but like your idea of beams across the ceiling. I like the modern look too. I can’t wait to get home and work on it. Hope you feel better soon. – Elaine
Thank you, Elaine! I wish I felt better because I’d like to work on one of the dollhouses!
Your new house is an unique work of art. Absolutely stunning. According to the unusual ground plan I guess too, it was a smaller built of the home in which the artist was living. Maybe this is a starting point for some investigation? I would of course appriciate to get a glimpse of your miniature houses everytime you make a picture of your interior home.
Don’t put your precious work to near to the window because of the ultraviolet radiation. I made painful experiences with the durability of plastic and print colours vs. sunlight.
Healthiness for you both!
Helga
I don’t know whether it will be there permanently. We may get tired of it there. I plan to cover the top and back when the sun is shining brightly, Helga. Thank you!
VERY interesting about a doll house replicating a real house to the ‘t’. Precious and personal.
Don’s studio is indeed light-filled where you’ve put it and I have SO enjoyed seeing it again. It’s a masterpiece, Claudia.
The last time I was in the big-time doll house/miniatures store in a neighboring town, I’m not kidding, there were more men in there than women and they were ENTHUSIASTICALLY sharing with the owner and other customers, info about their current projects, long conversations ensuing. Under the guise of “I’m doing this house for my granddaughter”, it seems they were mostly enjoying, perhaps in the retirement years, the hobby of crafting and construction.
Don’s an artist, you’re an artist; it makes sense to me that both of you are drawn to the art of doll houses. My own husband is mesmerized by the miniature train villages, sometimes available to see and tour at this time of year in our area (table-top trains, sometimes vintage like Lionel, with intricate villages built around the train tracks and depot). I’m sure it also speaks to childhood.
Yes, have your stunning houses out where you can delight in them every single day. Perfection!
I don’t think Don has any interest in working on one, although he might help me with furnishing the newest dollhouse. Or he might now.
I think I come by this via my father who had an elaborate train set up downstairs in our house when I was growing up. And he added to it when they retired to Northern Michigan. He made houses, roads, trees, signs – it was amazing. So I’ve always been around miniatures of some kind.
Thanks, Vicki.
Oh, you were lucky to have that! It fed your imagination. I saw something on TV once, can’t remember the celeb whose house they were showcasing, but the guy had a train set weaving thru several rooms of the house, like on elevated tracks along the walls just above eye level. A neighbor of mine has the same thing with little light-up village houses; they’re on a high shelf (year’round) that completely wraps around the entire living room. I think my dad tried to help my brother set up his train tracks around the Christmas tree and it was a bust, but I don’t remember all these years later WHY! The most we ever had was a little vignette under the tree with a motley assortment of wee figures and a house or two, but the dogs would usually knock everything down!
I got bored watching the train run over and over, but I loved the miniatures! Dad’s were HO size, so they were tiny.
Dear Claudia,
My friends and I are all enthralled by yourDollhouse tour. It seems that all six of us secretly wished for dollhouses as little girls. Regretfully, not one of us ever had one as a child. I was chagrined to find out that my husband, John shares the same birthday as Don. My husband was born June 24, 1949.
Now, I am questioning, “Why can’t he be more like Don?” We have two sons and one grandson. I showed him Don’s studio. His attempt at humor was, “Well, if you want to build us a man cave-go for it.” You are one lucky woman!
It’s just not his thing. That’s understandable. It wasn’t my thing at all until I was in my late fifties and early sixties. We’re all different – that’s what makes the world interesting!
Both Don and I are artists and are drawn to the off-beat and to whimsy. And dollhouses are full of whimsy!
I do believe you’ve found the perfect spot for Don’s studio….now you can both enjoy it. Actually, I’m glad to see it again…I had forgotten many of the details. And it’s nice…you have multiple rooms with houses in them. You are spreading the smiles that they bring around!
Hope you aren’t getting sick again. Feel better…both of you! ;)
Well I haven’t been sick since last winter, so I’ve been fortunate so far! Thanks, Donna!
Sorry that you and Don are not feeling well. Hope you do not receive too much snow. So far we are predicted for rain.
Marilyn
We’re getting a lot of sleet, which is very dangerous. Thanks, Marilyn!
I love that little mid century studio! and it’s perfect on that table. the light is wonderful.
and how beautifully you did it! I think it might be my favorite!
Thank you Tammy!
I can’t believe you made that! The interior design is spot on! I can’t believe you found all those tiny instruments!
Thank you, Lynda!
Love Don’s studio there – especially with the light shining through. We have a house that looks like that in our neighborhood; I fantasize about buying it and fixing it up.
As soon as I saw the post on your quandary, I knew it wouldn’t be so for long.
Enjoy!
You were right, Tisha! Thank you.
Merry Christmas
Would love to hear your history!!!!
How long have you and Don been married????
Children????
Love love your blog!!!!
It’s all on the blog, Brenda. No children. We met when I was almost 41 and Don was 43. We married just before I turned 45. We’ve been together for 25 years and married for 21 years. I had never been married before, Don had. It took a while but I finally found my soul mate! Thanks, Brenda.
P.S.
Want to thank you for telling us about Louise Penny. My librarians assumed I had not read her because of the language-i just read past it and loved her books. Thank you again so so so so much. Her books are fantastic and thought provoking. Character driven which is interesting especially to a former educator and teacher of writing…keep doing this blog…you are an amazing person.
So happy to hear you’re enjoying her books. You’re absolutely right: her books are character driven and that’s what makes them more than a mystery!
I absolutely love the “new” dollhouse and cannot wait to see what you do with it. Love Don’s studio in the new space as well! Your love of miniatures and dollhouses is why I was drawn to follow your blog.
I hope you both feel better soon. xo
Thank you, Maureen!
You guys were made for each other. And his studio house blows me away. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I’d have a birds eye view of a home with its roof blown away and all else beautifully intact. Your details are exquisite and it had to be a challenge to create, one board at a time. I love it and I really love that HE loves it so much! Just the best!
Thank you, Jeanie!