I’ve always loved dollhouses.

I remember watching Sesame Street as a little girl, and seeing this video:

Oh! How I wanted to live in that little dollhouse! The little plates, the little spoons…simply too adorable for words.

My older daughters have all had dollhouses…some old, some new, wood, plastic, hand built, etc. My dear husband labored many hours over miniature Shaker dough boxes and hand-tied mattress supports for delicate pencil post beds. I believe I was just as entranced with the little world we created inside those houses, as the girls were. Alas, the girls outgrew their dollhouses and dresser tops were cleared to hold stereos and alarm clocks. The dollhouses were retired to the attic…and unfortunately succumbed to the effects of heat and age.

They are no more…

Last year, Charlotte received a dollhouse kit for Christmas. It is quite intricate and requires Daddy’s expert assembly skills. Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks, Charlotte and Emily will experience the same joy that mommy and their older sisters have experienced.

Mom has been busy at work this afternoon, painting a family of dolls, who are now all ready to set up housekeeping in their soon-to-be-constructed home. And this is no ordinary family…it’s our family! Meet our “family of dolls”:

From left to right: Daddy, Mommy, Clementine, Arthur, Gawain, Galahad, Gareth, Charlotte and Emily. There was a little mishap with Mommy and Daddy…our faces melted off during the clear coating process. Annoying, yet easily rectified.

Briefly faceless:

The big people:

The little people:

With only nine dolls painted, this isn’t exactly the “whole” family. Even though Jane and Elizabeth no longer live at home they’ve only been left out because I ran out of wooden dolls…both Charlotte and Emily were quick to remark on their absence! There’s also been a bit of complaint from Gawain, who feels his doll should be one of the larger ones, since he’s nearly adult sized. Nearly doesn’t cut it when mom only has four large dolls and five small ones.

So…it looks like I get my wish! A miniature “me” will be living in a “little dollhouse.” With eight other dolls! Don’t you just love big families?

Did I mention that this dollhouse only has three bedrooms?

Just the right size…

Blessings,