Bringing back a 1974 memory....

Almost a year to the date, a friend of mine, Tina Leger

sent me a text:

"Would you consider remodeling my childhood dollhouse?"

Whether she reached out to me because of my house portraits 

or of other crafts I have done, or if she knew I had a love for miniatures

and have a wide collection and a history of mini building,

I am so glad she did.

I almost immediately said, "I would be honored."

Last June I picked up her childhood dollhouse built by her 

GodParents when she was 5 in 1974.

Right away I was excited, loved the build, knowing it was not built 

by any kit I had worked with before.

Tina had made notes for me of things that she would like to have

me add to the home but other than that, she gave me free reign

saying "I trust your judgement, your talent."

I did not work on it for almost a year.

It was protected in my back yard shop.

The shop however, was a small mess. 

Not an area I was crazy about working in at the time.

It was filled with things I had made and was more storage than shop.

Even though I was not working on it, my mind was thinking 

of things I wanted to do with it, looking at miniature magazines again,

looking at on-line sites, storing ideas in my head.

Window boxes, shingled roof... but I still did not start it.

Then the pandemic started, Quarantine began, I still had over

90 home portraits to do but I felt it was time to get my shop in order

as well. I knew my friend, Tina was like me, missing her little grand girl.

She was this sweet girls every day sitter as her Mother taught other

people's children. When schools closed down, this little Momma

was able to be a stay home Mom for a time and she had to be so 

glad for that aspect of quarantine. Not so much for her Lovey.

I am proud of her son and his little family as I am for

my son and his family, taking this quarantine serious,

but has us grandparents lonesome.

So, in that aspect I needed to start the dollhouse for myself as well.

So the shop got put back in order, I primed the whole house and 

began an old craft that I had put on the back burner a time ago.

I split my days partly doing the dollhouse and the other part painting

my  home portraits. Yet, was getting drawn into this house.

As I worked on it, adding shingles, wall papering the inside,

building and filling window boxes, I thought

of the little girl who had loved this little house

and that same little girl, now a grandmother, Lovey, and the

memories she would be making with her sweet Grandgirl.

I remembered my own little dollhouse I had as a child,

nothing home built such as this, just a little plastic house

that I absolutely loved. I remember putting the little house

in sunlight so the light would come through the windows

and my little family had sunlight to live in.

I prayed for Tina and her family as I worked and 

enjoyed this project.

The inside of the home had never been more than white painted walls.

So I began doing all those things I used to do,

wallpaper, make wood floors, moldings,

I was finding another love that I had put on the back burner

for too long.

I put all Lovey's ideas she had sent with the house on sticky notes

and incorporated them into her house.

She wanted me to also do something I had never done before, 

that was to merge my dollhouse reconstruction  with my

painting.

I could not wait to complete the inside, paint the outside,

add roofing shingles so I could start painting trees, shrubs, etc.

A dog house was needed I made one and added it to the side.

window boxes were filled with little flowers I had been saving

for years waiting for a project that needed them.

I made curtains, sealed walls and floors so that

a two year old sweet pea could play with it to her

hearts content.

I began sending photos to Lovey and with each photo

came a compliment or admittance of tears being shared.

A text saying,

"I am so happy with my dollhouse. You brought it back

to life and its much prettier than it was from the day I 

got it. This was enough to now make me shed tears.

This was a challenge of the heart. I wanted to give

Lovey all she wanted so she could share many years with her 

Sweet Pea....

And as I always try to do, I pick up things

at thrift stores, garage sales, etc. I save them because

I know a time will come that it will mean something

big to someone else. One of Lovey's notes were

to add something like the flower, sweet pea or 

something to remind Sophia that she was her Lovey's 

Sweet Pea. Then I remembered and I hunted...

for a pure silver small top that had a sweet pea

on it......

... and when I finally found it, it was perfect! 

A perfect fit behind the dollhouse right below the chimney!

Not only are there two little peas that move around in the pod 

but the saying was perfect for Lovey and her little Sweet Pea.

"SHALL WE STICK TOGETHER AS LONG AS WE LIVE?"

Yes, with every piece of work I do, there is at least one

of these small miracles/coincidences that are hard to explain.

With that the dollhouse was finished and delivered to 

my wonderful friend. What an honor to be such a big

part to such a wonderful piece.!

Thanks, Tina!

Addendum:

"What so ever you do for the least of your brothers, that you do unto me"

It has taken me some time to write this blog.

I was missing my grand girls as Tina was missing her Sophia

so it was hard to find the things I wanted to share here.

As I took upon this project another dear friend,

JoAnne Kauffman, was looking for someone to gift 

her miniature collection to. Another friend, Gloria

told me about Jo's post and I immediately sent her a message.

I am the chosen and I am overwhelmed that as I finished

this project, having me follow my love for miniatures once 

again, here was someone who I have known since her daughter

and I were friends in middle school, who I then worked with for

many years at Lady of the Sea who wants to gift me her 

collection! Saturday the boo and I will pick up these 

kits, and tools, and books all about Miniature world

and I am just so very excited! 

When you do for others, things come to you.

I don't know how I will ever thank JO enough...