On the first day of Christmas my Nana gave to me

A box filled with little Christmas trees! (or three)

Sorry this is blurry, it is an action shot. As soon as my little assistant saw the box she dug in.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my Nana explained to me how the skirt fit around the Christmas tree.

OK. Before I pass out from the tryptophan...

YUM YUM! Maybe a day late but SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it! C Good night! (and we havent even had pie yet!

It's looking promising

And that first Thanksgiving dinner?

Well, if you look closely there are deli sandwiches on the plates. What happened to the turkey and all the fixings?

Yes we took it out to defrost from the freezer in the Trellis room and Jessy put it in the refrigerator part, BUT it was 34 degrees here last night, very unusual for California, and as that is a  semi outdoor room the turkey was hard as a rock this morning, Frozen solid. So we brought it into the house and are cooking it tomorrow.

Jessy doesn't care, she has her ring and Andrew who comes with it! So really, to them it is the best Thanksgiving dinner ever!

Jessy's surprise

Engaged to be married!!!!!

The best part of this ring is that it comes with Andrew. Calling his family on the East Coast with the news! The funiest part was the texting, facebooking and tweeting that ensued and is still going on today!

Holiday Baking

Gracie Grecon loves to bake. Mrs. Grecon tells her neighbor Mrs. Felt, "We can hardly keep

enough flour in the house!" Mrs. Felt replied "She'll make someone a fine wife some day". Little did they know Gracie, with the precision she learned in baking would go on to become a corporate ligator and choose not to marry any man she met.
Brimtoy tin kitchen appliances, Barton pots?, Grecon dolls, love Mrs. Felt's suit and handbag. Dol toi table, small strombecker chair. German plaster cake. Pie, American Girl,Yum! Flour is Jean Nate dusting powder.

Turkey time

Well, I searched for an appropriate turkey for the Celluloid family and this is what I found. I think it is "Loving Family" which sounds good for Thanksgiving. Are those cranberries or yams around it? Love the Blue plastic platter with the raised motif on the rim. It is an heirloom from Mrs. Celluloid's family, the Ebays.

The maid joins the family at the table for the feast.

Truly no dollhouse meal would be complete with out a German plaster cake!

Mother gives Floyd the eye for showing up at the table with his helmut on and carrying a football. Lloyd says, "oh let him wear it", Boyd gigles, and Floyd wisely remains silent.

The Girls' room, ah Strombecker!

This is a little strombecker set with red and yellow knobs. It originally came withis this ducky rocker, which Boyd loves!

CC and her kewpie doll. Look, Shale! It's the tiny doll houses we found in Alameda.

Cecile tells the younger children a story.

The signature ducky rocker.

More of the Brother's Bedroom

Last time I blogged here, my mouse cord wrapped around the bow of my shoe and when I stood up it ripped the cord in the socket and ruined it. I had these pictures to add for the boy's room in the Triang, Judith's House, and was unable to put them up. My buddy Lisa brought me a mouse today and I'm back in business. So. I think the cupboard is Dol toi and the Bureau small Strombecker. The trophy is an old crackerjack prize.

I love these old "tobacco rugs" I guess they came with cigarettes long ago. There are many available. I can't imagine why they chose to put them with cigarettes. Did people use them as coasters? Did everyone really have a little girl with a doll house??? We like this Virginia one, as my elder assistant will be living there.

I love this little plastic bed with the sprayed on chenille bedspread. I am not sure what he wooden sidetable and lamp are.  Now I am going to say goodbye and get up VERY CAREFULLY, C.

Update: Christine sent the following article that tells about the history of these rugs and how they were used,Thank you. C

It is very interesting, enjoy!        http://www.fabrics.net/LauretteTobaccoQuilts.asp/

Brother's room

Clearly I have been reading too much Bearenstain Bears...

1950's postcard my Grandmother Muriel

sent me. Vintage cats playing. CM

No more Monkeys jumping on the bed! From 2009

the upstairs bedroom.    Strombecker flocked yellow chair, unknown side table, German tin phone, strombecker dresser missing mirror with a tiny picture of each of my assistants.

homemade bed from a cardboard box and material scraps, Strombecker vanity with brass lamps.

with strombecker floor lamp and Museum post card for screen in the back. Vintage crocheted square as rug.

Judith's house

Here is the Celluloid's Triang. One of the things I love most about this house is that a little girl scratched her name in the cardboard roof. I think she was little because it is printing, though very neat with good eye-hand coordination. So this is her house and forever after will be called "Judith's House" to honor her.

I like how she circled it to make her point!

The Triang Livingroom

Strombecker and Dol-toi furniture with a Tootsietoy piano bench for zest. Notice the Dol-toi fireplace. It is wood mimicing tile. The pictures are contemporary.

This house is old but I love the straight lines. The deco furniture by Strombecker and Dol-toi are just the right scale. I chose a yellow and blue color scheme and the 1930's wallpaper is Jennifer's free printables at http://www.jennifersprintables.com/. What do I have in mind for the unfinished wall? Who knows.

What can I say about this Strombecker side table and deco lamps! They are made of wood. The style of table is still popular and can be seen in the new Emerson dollhouse furniture by Brinca dada. ( If your Emerson is up and running raise your hand!)

These are the smaller scale Strombecker. The footstool gives it that moderne look.

I love this Dol-toi piano. It is yellow and the sheet music charmingly says "Dol-toi tunes". I think the moderne coffee table is Dol-toi too.

Ruh Roh, Dad had a bad day at work. "It's the ecconomy, dear" Mrs. Celluloid said. "Everyone's suffering..." Notice the gold glitter glued to Mrs. Celluloids's arm. What is that about???

Mrs. Celluloid talked to her neighbor, Mrs. Mergatroid. "Have another Martini dear," Mrs. Mergatroid said, "you'll feel better after that". Please notice the vintage plastic tray and cocktail shaker. About eight months ago the little glass with the cherry disappeared at my younger assistants house. Last week it rolled out of the guestroom closet. Never give up if something goes missing... Let me know if I am incorrect in the credits. Thanks, C

Another mystery

Thank you  for your kind comments on my blogaversary.

A new year, a new challange. I found this pencil marking on the attic floorboard of one of my antique houses.

It is the one that came with the Christian Hacker stove. It is in pencil and seems to say " I  u r f 7" in the european fashion. "J u r g ?"  Any ideas? Thanks C
Update: Well I heard from Diepuppenstubensammlerin who suggested the writing is very old fashioned. She though it might say "roof" as to where that part of the dollhouse components were kept, but the last letter doesn't work.  C

One year anniversary!

 Eek I just realizedI have been doing this blog for one year!

 Hello to all my friends I made this year. I am so happy to know you.

Hmmm I need to think of a way to celebrate, I know I will re run my first post! clik below to see it (as soon as I find it...) It is titled "How did this happen to me?"

CLICK Here
http://myrealitty.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-did-this-happen-to-me.html


I have to mention this year's highlights!
Finding out my little granddaughter wanted to help (my younger assistant)
Learning from pinchofpepper
Getting Minimodernistas furniture
Discovering German ebay
Having Wes Christensen point out I put the chimney in the wrong spot on the beautiful MH1
Trades from Oese
Emailing with Call Small
Doing my first givaway and taking 3 months to finish it!
Receiving my first award from Rebecca
Being interviewed by the New York Times, telling all my friends and then not being used in the article...
Having minidork guest curate
Getting my first PDR item
Realizing my 27 year old daughter was making scenes too (my elder assistant)
Having Shale and Daphne visit
Meeting minimodern
Posting my first video...
Writing an article for next month's "Dollhouses, Past and Present" ezine.


and receiving comments from all of you. That's the best part!  THANK YOU! Carol

Lloyd and and Celia Celluloid

This charming couple is made of celluloid. It was an inexpensive material and not as sturdy as later harder plastics so they are somewhat "played with". Played out, more like it. Celia has gold glitter glued to her arm. I love her yellow silk sheath. She has a very Marilyn Monroe tummy. This doll must have been mass produced. I see versions of her on ebay all the time.

I want you to notice Lloyd's eyebrows. Painted on. Very expressive. His coat is felt, and his shirt is like paper. He is made of a VERY thin sheet of celluloid. Very fragile.

I think brother Floyd is a souvenier from a football game. He was filled with sand and I had to drain some out to make him fit with the others. He is a "leatherhead" because that is what the first football helmets were made of, leather. I thought he gave a nice 1930's feel to the set up.

Big sister, Cecile is a bit more delicate. The elastic holding her limbs together is stretched. I like her little skirt and her red shoes. Nice socks too. Short pin curls were the hairstyle.

Then we have CC the toddler. She is a little kewpie-like. Love the bangs! her little green print skirt is cute too. My younger assistant in VERY enamoured with this little doll. I have to watch her carefully to make sure she survives the attention lavished on her. She fits perfectly in my little assistants fist and is just crying out to be carried around. I have seen my little assistant kiss her fondly. One problem with this material is it can be crushed. She might be a carnival prize.

Lastly we have baby Boyd. His very shiney and reflective. He had a white diaper painted on but the color is worn off.
I had no intention of collecting these. I would see them on ebay and  one doll lead to another and now they are a family. I love them too.  C

Happy November! Welcome to the Celluloids!

Step into the kitchen. Would you like a cuppa?

I think these are the smaller Strombecker stove and sink. 

I love this kitchen stove with the curved shelves attached. The sink is too cute and I wonder if the side board is hand made with a green formica top? I am on the lookout for a celluloid turkey! I don't know who made this table.

This is the maid doll. Her face is dirty but I don't want to wash it. What I love about her is some little girl carefully colored shoes on her feet with brown marker. It probably bothered her that she was barefoot. Notice the crisscrossed straps on the left ! I think the dirt around her eyes is the same brown marker. Probably "make up".

She also makes a mean martini. American Eagle plastic glasses, unknown maker of tray and shaker.