Dear Ms. Ann M. Martin & Ms. Laura Godwin,
Please imagine for a moment that you are four years old and your mom has recently finished reading "The Meanest Doll In The World" to you.
One fateful day, you walk into a thrift store with her. There, in the midst of clothes, shoes and well-loved toys is a dollhouse as tall as you are. (Remember, you're 4...) But it isn't just any dollhouse, no. It is THE dollhouse. You know this because 'KATE' is spelled across the roof in bright red vinyl. (You can't actually read yet, but you're working on it. Your mom tells you what the letters spell but of course, you already KNEW this was Kate's house the moment you spotted it.)
Your mom believes it must be destiny because... I mean, what are the odds? So she texts your dad, because it cost TWENTY-FIVE dollars! (Twenty five dollars that will prove to be only a small down payment in the grand scheme of things... have you ever looked in a minitures catalog? Those folks are serious.)
Here is what she sends him:
It totally works.
(remember this when it's time to get that pony)
You don't realize it as you take the house home, but your mom is about to go somewhere...else. She will spend many nights bent over this house, clipping popsicle sticks for baseboards or 'wallpapering' the small walls. Her neck will hurt- a lot- and she will need massive amounts of coffee when it's time to 'be the mom', but she will proudly show you her latest work like she wants you to hang it on the fridge or something and you two will scour ebay for dolls and furniture everyday for days and weeks on end. She will smile and tell you stories about her dolls and old dollhouse.
She will have so much fun, it will almost be like she's four, too!
BEFORE:
At first you tell your mom that you want black shutters and a black roof, but you both agree it looks too haunted that way. You give your mom creative license but remind her kindly to " Do what the dolls want, not just what we want"
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| Shelf Paper Wood Flooring |
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| STRIPES! |
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| Under Construction |
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| Construction Zone |
The house is a work in progress for a while...a pretty long while. Things in the real house are being neglected. Someone should go buy groceries. Seriously.
Wheels are added to the bottom and a crystal knob that casts rainbows around the room on sunny days is affixed to the door. There's a shiny number four on the front because remember--now we all are four!
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| We have a friend who builds people houses making a front door and more window ledges. |
Meanwhile...
...you're making your way through the rest of the Doll People series... falling more in love with Annabelle & Tiffany, Doll-Kind and most importantly... BOOKS. Books are literally coming to life for you. This makes your mom feel sly; like she served you vegetables instead of Cheetos for once.
You've found the perfect Annabelle and Tiffany dolls to freshen up from eBay Land. You routinely check new dolls for bisque faces. It's amazing the ways that learning a new word like bisque or porcelain affect everyday life, like how slowly and carefully you must now go about your errands with Mom whenever Annabelle decides to tag along in your Dora the Explorer backpack. It is almost like bringing along a newborn baby.
You also better appreciate Annabelle's situations in the books.
So Fragile!
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| eBay listing "Porcelain Doll from Japan" |
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| Green, of course. |
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| Thank Goodness for Ailene's Fabric Fusion- Mom doesn't sew all that well. |
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| Sometimes, as we made dresses or curtains, we could be heard singing "Ailene, Ailene, Ailene, Aiiiileene...please make this fabric stick just because you can!" (Jolene) |
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| Mom had DollyPops when she was a little girl. And now she has them as a big little girl. |
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| DollyPops get some overdue TLC...and paint. |
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| GNARLY |
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| DollyPop Day @ The Ladies' Room Spa |
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| The pink one is our Tiffany |
Even though there are still things to be done, your mom wants you to be able to enjoy the house before that number four on the front grows digits in the front or the back. So, finally, she moves it and your vast and quickly growing doll population in to your room.
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| Remote controlled cabinet lights make the house interactive until we can afford those tiny chandeliers in the catalog ... we've kept the attic dark because you've got to stay true to the book. We are looking forward to Halloween decor coming out in stores soon so that we can add a few spiders too. |
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| See that pink wardrobe? It's NARNIA. Tilly Mae is in her crib. Free carpet samples from Lowes make a soft place for dolly toes. |
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| SplishSplash! |
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| Popsicle stick sofa & perfume bottle-top dolls |
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| Picture frame fireplace with popsicle stick mantel Glitter glue flames are safe for dolls and children alike. |
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| Fresh eggs from HennyBlue, Booster the Rooster helps keep the time, gathered round the table with good friends is always a good place to be.Free linoleum sample squares curl just like the full size version |
Contruction projects ensue.
Stories continue to unfold.
But it all started with one story... yours.
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| Aslan & Pippi too... Cruella DeVille is our stand in Mean MiMi... Bobby & Bailey are having a ball... that handmade ladder may be the proudest thing I've ever accomplished- not counting real live baby humans... Tiffany & Annabelle- BBFF (Bunk Bed Friends Forever) |
So, if you can imagine all of that Ms. Ann & Ms. Laura, maybe you can also imagine how much we appreciate your having sent us on such a fun voyage. It's an ongoing adventure and you gave us the fare. We wanted to send you a picture postcard of the fun we're having and say thanks. So...
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Riley would like to add (in her own voice): "The books are awesome and pretty and they are also pretty awesome."
RyeBird tried to recruit her Papa to read The Doll People books too... Reading Rainbow style:
AGAIN:
Take 2: