It started when we were reading a paper Tucker wrote for school. They have been studying the story of Peter Pan in literature and they had to write a paper about if they wanted to grow up or not. Tucker picked grow up, so he could study Indians whenever he wanted, so he could get a cool job, so he could boss people around, and lastly so he could get rid of his siblings. Anyway, after some hurt feelings and a little discussionI told them a little story. My sister Maren used to drive me crazy. I had this amazing doll house collection and I would tell her over and over, "It is just for looking, not for touching." We shared a room and more often then not, when I got home from school my precious FRAGILE collection would be strewn across the room. I told my kids, I couldn't stand her! But now, she is coming to town for the weekend and I could hardly wait to see her. Just wait, I said, when you grow up, you will love your siblings and want to spend as much time with them as you can, even if they make you crazy now.
Well this led to me remembering my doll house collection. My Dad made us a doll house for Christmas one year, and slowly I took it over. When I was in fourth grade and we were in England I went nuts and began my miniatures collection in earnest. I think I collected until I was about thirteen. For the last twenty years or so the collection has been boxed up. The kids were curious to see it so we pulled out the box and I showed them all my little treasures. What fun! I'd forgotten all about it. Looking at it brought memories back of scouring Hamley's Toy Store on Regents Street, and all of England for suitable miniatures for my little Victorian doll family. No wonder Maren couldn't keep her mitts of it! (It was fun to see all the wonky things I had made by hand as well).
my pewter obsession began in miniature form. I
still love that basin and pitcher! I bought it in a little shop
in the the shambles in York.
The red Victorian furniture was my first big purchase
from Hamley's if I remember correctly. I saved my pounds
up faithfully!
This is by far one of my favorite pieces.
I love this cake on it's glass stand. So fun!
This set was I think my second big purchase. Maren broke
the sink but I fixed it right up!
Clara having "piano lessons" on the organ my Dad
helped me make from a kit.
12 comments:
Look at that stuff, it is amazing! There is no way I could help but touch it! I am sorry it made you mad though!
I am excited to see you too!
This is so sweet! Both your story about Maren and the collection and your years of treasuring it. I remember that collection well. Funny though, I never remember that we played with it....was I under a "hands off" rule too?:) How fun to have pulled it all out again.
WOW! That was a happy walk down memory lane. It is staggering how much we forget, so it was wonderful to see it all again and have you rehearse the history. Great post!
D.
What a neat post! What sweet stories! Your collection is pretty cool - how fun to be able to show it to your kids. I had no idea you lived in England growing up. Why and how long was that?
That is a beautiful collection! I also love miniatures and wish I could come handle every piece! I eventually learned the hard way and had to box up my old doll house set as things were regularly getting broken. I don't know when or if I will ever feel safe to get it out again - but then I just feel silly for not letting my girls play with it. But maybe it is to be treasured and not played with. Someday I want to come play with your doll house, ok? :-)
What a fun thing to share with your keiki!
What fun memories and stuff! Your story reminds me of the time I teased Terry so unmercifully that he went nuts and started chasing me around the outside of the house with a coat hanger. I was afraid he would kill me!
Wow Anna! What a great collection!! Amazing stuff.
P.S. Uncle Bill, that cracks me up! I didn't know my Dad had an angry bone in his body!
So are you going to box it up again? Or leave it out for your kids?
My Ellie would go crazy over that stuff.
So is Maren mad that you let your kids play with it, even young Clara, but she wasn't allowed to touch it?
How funny, I have doll furniture too! We need to get together and play:) Loved the post.
NO WAY will I let my kids play with it. They were very supervised in these pics. I was surprised that all this stuff was so much nicer than I remembered it!
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