Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Other Benefit, or a tiny-bit insane

My poor husband. This is the state of our kitchen counter and he hasn't complained once!

So I mentioned that the low cost of firewood (really, cost of living in general) is one of the two benefits of living in Scottsbluff and my friend Holly wanted to know what the other one was. I was going to post about this in a little while when I have accomplished more, but since I am bored, and sick with my 32nd cold of the season I thought I would do it now.

I tend to pick up weird hobbies. Weird in that they are more appropriate for a 122 year old retired great-great grandma who grew up in 1890. I have taken up knitting (luckily no doilies as of yet), I can embroider linens with the best of them, and now I have become obsessed with building a dollhouse.

It all started while I was reading one of my favorite blogs and she shared pictures of her "haunted" dollhouse. It was a little on the creepy side, but it was intriguing. I have been thinking of how I would have done it differently. More spooky than truly scary. More like the silly parts of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to do it. I love Halloween and it would be a fun centerpiece.

I've been perfecting the concept, drafting ideas, reading everything I can on the web, and trying to scrounge up what information I can about a very outdated hobby. Unfortunately dollhouses went out after the 80's as a popular hobby, so there are almost zero supplies in the Scottsbluff. Luckily (and here is the other benefit to living here) we have a library that has incomplete current best seller book series, but a very well stocked 1970-1980's hobby section. There were over 20 books on dollhouses! I may not be able to read the entire Sookie Stackhouse series, but man, I can learn a lot about antiquated hobbies anytime I want. Woot woot!

Here is the first design I was thinking about using for my custom piece, a replica of the Disney World Haunted Mansion in Florida. The only problem is when I got the proto type finished I did some measuring and the real wooden dollhouse would be over 7 feet long. I'm thinking something more along the lines of a French chateau that Lady Tremaine or Maleficent moved into to go into hiding after their various princesses triumphed. More a misunderstood "evil" sorceress abode.

I have lots of ideas (literally a notebook full), and now I am practicing on a small Christmas village and then a dollhouse for the girls before I start on my masterpiece. So far I have most of the carriage house for my village completed. Hopefully I can get the whole village done by...May-ish?

2 comments:

Diane B. said...

Oh, I loved this post! I can't wait to see your "house". You are so talented, and you are such an entertaining writer! Love you!

Holly said...

So nifty that you try these new things. A bit of your dad in you? Sounds super fun and can't wait to see more!