A Gift of a Lifetime

My diningroom table has been turned into a construction zone. Begun during Covid quarantine, my latest project is a Victorian 45" tall dollhouse, complete with gingerbread, period furniture, and all the details any diehard crafter could imagine. For many years, I had seen dollhouse kits and wished I had someone to make one for. My son was never the dollhouse type. In April of 202, my wish was granted in a perfect little granddaughter named Ely. This blond bundle came into my life bringing smiles and laughter and dreams of how will spend time together. Always happiest when I'm working on a project, I knew it was time to start a doll house.

I ordered my kit and 45 punds of wood arrived. I studied the directions. I began with ...Don't Panic! They were reading my mind. What had I gotten myself into? Starting with the foundation, I used scissors and an exacto knife to cut out each piece, carefully sanding and painting both sides before gluing it into place. I felt overwhelmed by the task ahead of my and yet couldn't stop working on it. While Covid left many fearful, lonely and bored, I happily spent time in my construction zone working on my gift of a lifetime.

I didn't always go smoothly. Sometimes you just have to learn things the hard way and this was one of them. Like putting together Assemble Yourself furniture, I found I had to do it wrong before I could do it right. Slowly, the walls began to rise and it began to look like a house. As I cut and glued, my mind imagined Ely and I playing with it. She would study the detailed outside, the yellow clapboard and grey shingles. Two sets of bay windows featured pretend leaded glass and Ely would peak inside wanting to see the tiny rooms inside. There's a big front porch, just like where I sat as a child on hot afternoons. Ely will want to ring the little door bell and go inside this minature world of make believe.

As the house progressed, my minature carpentry skills improved. Just learning to understand the directions was half the battle. Installing the bay windows involved eighty five different pieces and if one of them went in crooked, it had to be fixed. The interior stairway went up three flights, and sometimes looked a little funny. I was so involved, I looked at a crooked step and thought...I should fix that or someone could trip on that! Crowning the house is a third story tower, complete with a decorative round window. I know Ely will be able to use her imagination with this house. No Ipads around here, sometimes the old fashioned toys are the best. Here, Ely will be able to create a world of her own. I can just imagine asking her.. Hey Ely, which room is your favorite? The kitchen, parlor, hall, bath, a bedroom, all good but my personal choice is the attic artist studio. Ely will tell me she likes the baby room the best, with its blue flowered wallpaper in 1/12 scale. My sister is making a tiny rug for the floor and tiny photos of Ely hang on the wall.

Installing the shingles was a challenge. Hundreds of grey shingles, overlapping each other are applied one at a time, with special cutting around the gabled windows, Next applied was the clapboard exterior. On top of that, lots a gingerbread reminiscent of the great Victorians of San Francisco. And all that is only the outside, nine rooms await finishing inside.

Ely is only one year old and still too young for the scenarios I've imagined. There is so much more work to do, but I'm hoping the house will be ready when she is. I have truly enjoyed this creative challenge and know it will provide hours of fun for Ely. I made it with all the love in my heart and think that's truly a gift of a lifetime,