Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A Tale of Two Houses



Look: a dollhouse for Clementine!

No, really. It is for Clementine. Really.




See?

Surely you aren't suggesting that I would buy a dollhouse for myself. 
That is a heavy charge, my friend. And besides, Jim ordered it.

For Clementine.




What's that you say?

Did Clementine put pictures on the wall, and rugs on the floor? Don't be silly. She's 18 months old.
I mean, really. I did that. For her. Not for my own enjoyment. I didn't enjoy it in the least.




And after Clementine was asleep, I did not put all the clothes back on the elephants (after a certain tot stripped them all and left them in a naked elephant heap) and arrange them in the living room. 
Oh. Wait. Actually I did do that. But I didn't enjoy it. 




Much.

And I most certainly did not set up this strange tableau.




Barbapapa serenading Barbamama on the toilet? That's just weird.

And this? Danger! Who put that teeny infant elephanty all alone on the top bunk?




It's making me nervous just looking at her!

Okay. Okay. You got me. I might have played with the dollhouse a little bit.

But I was just playing. I wasn't sublimating my nesting impulses in this tiny, tidy environment as a result of a certain other house looking like this:




And this:




And this:



This ...




... having morphed into this ...




And this ...




to (ulp) this ...




Eeek!


If only it were as easy as this ...




Ha ha!

Seriously, though, progress on the house is amazing and terribly exciting (with the first and hopefully last infuriating DIY mishap under our belts), and as for the dollhouse, it is crazy-cute, and Clementine is having a blast with it. It's from Magic Cabin, and that elephant family is by Calico Critters, which I am IN LOVE with. Have you seen what they have? My goodness! I want it all! Ahem. For Clementine, I mean. Of course.

I have a beautiful dollhouse my dad built for me when I was eleven -- it's in the garage in need of renovation, a bit more like the *real* house above, ha ha. I also have boxes of great stuff for it, but there's lots of little pieces and fragile bits, and it will have to wait till the Pie is a bit older. And I am so going to paint it pale pink. Its future is guaranteed pink. But first: there are ample *real* walls to paint. Oh my yes. And paint. And paint. And paint. Look at that pea green and shocking yellow above! Enough said.

Have a lovely day!

16 comments:

tone almhjell said...

You know, I had a feeling the Barbas were into that sort of thing. Hee hee.

But the house! The big one! It's so exciting. And I just marvel at the amount of energy you guys must have. I find laundry a monumental task these days.

I do love how your writing room is begieged by old trees. They're probably already gearing up to scratch at the windows so you can show them your working doc.

Sophia said...

Once again, just yesterday I was thinking of making my bedroom desk into more of a dedicated writing space and now you have come along and set off my interior design siren. Le sigh...
- Sophia.

Shveta Thakrar said...

This whole post made me grin. Thanks, Laini! So glad you're enjoying the dollhouse on behalf of Clementine, and I can't wait to see your own house come to life.

Unknown said...

I had fuzzy animals like those elephants when I was little and I LOVED them. We used to get them as gifts and they would come in these adorable little boxes...[[sigh]] Now I want a grown-up dollhouse.

storyqueen said...

Love the Calico Critters!

My name is Shelley and I played with my kids toys. (Isn't that the first step or something...admitting it?)

I can't tell you how many things I bought for "them" just because I thought we should have such things in our house. I mean, we NEEDED an Indiana Jones Potato Head. And we needed a Lego Hogwarts.

Truly needed it.

Shelley

Laini Taylor said...

Tone, you know those kinky Barbas :) As for the [real] house, *I* am not putting much energy into it at this point. It's all the contractors and Jim! I just go see the progress about once a week!

Sophia, I can't wait to set up my desk area at the new house! i have all these plans for new organization!

Shveta, thank you :)

Nameless Wonder, I am such a nut for little cute things and miniatures. I adore this elephant family. Most actual dollhouse people aren't that cute. I prefer critters!

Shelley, ha ha! No recovery needed from this ailment, though! I think it'll make us live longer!

Anonymous said...

The first time I noticed Calico Critters I was pregnant with my daughter, and in my hormone-addled state I literally stood in front of them and cried at the cute.

I love your dollhouse. Your big house is going to be AMAZING.

dawn said...

ohhhh laini! so excited to see that rob and i can learn from your adventures (and mistakes)...i'm dying to hear of the "the first and hopefully last infuriating DIY mishap under our belts."

ahh the plastic "drapery" and painters tape.

can't wait to see it.

megwrites said...

I had tons of those little animals when I was a kid (back when they were called Sylvanians)! My best friend and I would literally spend hours setting up the houses and families and then our play time would be up and we would be whine, "We haven't even started playing yet! We just barely got things set up!"
My four year old just got some of my old ones and she adores them.

, said...

THE PINK BLOBBY GUY PLAYING THE CELLO, HAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA

This is adorable. I especially like the baby elephant in the top bunk. And the little cupie doll thing with the strange headgear.

You and Clem make me want kids so bad. And I NEVER say this...

Commander Kip said...

Aw, that's adorable. I had this Magic Cabin magazine we got in the mail when I was like ten, and I've read it back to front literally a hundred times. I love all their stuff. XD

Anonymous said...

What is creepy mini baby doing in Clementine's house????Who invited 'it?' that house is so cute! I like all the big house pics wrapped in all that Saran wrap. Looks like someone gave you a staircase as a present!
Auntie

Laini Taylor said...

dampscribbler, ha ha, I would totally have reacted the same way!

dawn, believe me I will blog about the DIY disaster (warning of severe not-interestingness to most of my readers!) -- can't wait to hear more about YOUR house!!!

Meg, I don't think these were around when I was a kid, but I would have been the same way: the set-up is the best part! We used to build these huge complexes out of books for our stuffed animals. I think Calico Critters furniture and accessories would have made my head explode.

Heidi, that's Barbapapa -- isn't he weird? I never hear about them in the States but they're apparently huge in Europe. We saw them EVERYWHERE in Italy this winter (which is where we got these), but strangely, Jim and I both had the books as kids, here in the States. I don't know any other Americans who did. As for kids, I can't speak in generalites, but Clementine is SO MUCH FUN :-)

Commander Kip, nice to hear from you!! I didn't know Magic Cabin HAD a magazine. Do they still?

Anonymous, do you mean the naked baby with the mouse hat? I love him! He's like the love child of Kewpie Doll and Chuck E. Cheese, ha ha. Or something like that, only funnier.

Orchid Witch said...

I LOVE this....and yikes, the sunporch??????

Commander Kip said...

I've been failing at comments for a while, sorry... and I'm not sure. The magazine I have is seriously like ten years old. I'll look into it.

(Your word verification gave me 'Threka' on that last comment. This time I have 'poismon'. I love word verification.)

Amber said...

Wow! Your house is going to be wonderful! I can't wait to see what you do.

;)

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