A doll house. A contemporary, offbeat doll house.
Last night, Poseidon asked what I wanted for my birthday, and I said, "Hmmm, I dunno, I'll think about it." My birthday is less than a month away, and I assumed, being a Pisces and all, I would find something au courant, the newest wrinkle, to pass along to Poseidon (I'll pick it out, he'll pick it up--or have it shipped--and I'll open it with an open-mouthed surprised look on my face).
Well, not even 24 hours after Poseidon's question, and I know what I want for my 44th (God, can it be true that I'm really going to be 44?) day of existence: A doll house. Not just any doll house: This doll house! A coffee table/doll house, all in one!
I found this beautiful mod doll house, handmade in the UK by Amy Whitworth Design, on Qubisdesign.com today and I want it like mad. But, with a price tag of £400 (plus shipping of course, and that my friends isn't going to be cheap from the UK to North Carolina), I've landed safely again on planet earth, and will be happy with a new pop up book or whatever gift Poseidon deems all the rage.
I've never given dolls the boot. My twin sister and I had our Barbies and their houses and cars until we were 15ish (then we reluctantly gave them to a younger cousin), and driving and high school moved to the forefront. I actually have a few Barbies now that are hanging out patiently in their boxes, in a large, comfy closet, including this Versace Barbie (a Christmas gift from my sister several years ago), this Bob Mackie Sterling Silver Rose Barbie (also a Christmas gift from my sister), and the Japan Barbie (a Christmas gift from Poseidon one year, based on my desire to be a Samurai), to name a few. I bet my dollies would love to see the light of day every once in a while. That is a topic for another post...Poseidon complains that I never take those dolls out to play. I know he will demand a tea party, thrown by me, with every doll in the closet present, chewing on scones and gabbing about who knows what, before he accepts another doll (or doll house) into our home.
I can't help it. I am fascinated with dolls. In addition to Barbie, my sister and I have also collected porcelain dolls since the age of 7 or 8. These dolls too, unfortunately, are boxed away in the attic, planning their escape and my punishment. I rue the day they learn to climb out of those boxes. It will not be pretty.
In 1999, I started collecting Tyler Wentworth dolls. Tyler Wentworth is made by The Tonner Doll Company. I was (still am) in love with these dolls. I have several Tyler dolls, and rather than looking for specific photos of them to include, I'll post a link to this awesome Pinterest board filled with Tyler pictures...OK, here is one picture, Tyler Wentworth "Opera Gala" doll, one of my favorites from my collection:
Now it seems I'm turning my attention to doll houses, mostly the mod, contemporary styles, and I've seen some truly first-rate doll houses lately, but I have to admit, this Amy Whitworth Design, on Qubisdesign.com is by far my favorite!
I have no real point to this post, except that I love dolls and now apparently doll houses, and I can't seem to grow out of them, but I don't want to. One can never be too old to make believe, and this 40-something Gen xer is happy to be able to solder wires, use a drill like a champ, change my own flat tire (if I absolutely have to...I can call AAA now), but still gush over the prettiness of my doll's hair before her big night at the opera.
--Amphitrite
