The Smithsonian

After Shale went to her friend Olga's house and I went to my elder assistant's apt. we met up the next day for the last trip of our journey.
We wanted to see the Faith Bradford House at the Smithsonian Museum. SOMEHOW I got off at the wrong metro stop so we met up at the Hay Adams Luncheon room which looks out on the White House. I'm sorry but I only know a few landmarks in DC. that being one of them, the Hay Adams tea room...

After being fortified by some delicious Australian white wine they were serving, we took a walk through Lafayette Park in front of the White House. Spring was in the air, tourists were everywhere and the sun shone while the breeze blew our hair. Yes I am waxing poetic.

We passed this building with a plaque commemorating the great friendship between Canada and the United States. We thought it was very thoughtful of them to put it up for us.
Photo attributed to anonymous Washington DC native.

In front of the Smithsonian Museum whose mission is to record American life.

There were many people interested but I would say Shale and I paid the most attention. Giving Colette a look, and yes we got stares...

photo by Shale

I am very enamoured by grandparent dolls. Look at theese two.

One good mother held up her rather older child so she could inspect the upper rooms.

The following is a portrait of me by Susan Hale at the Smithsonian Musuem.

They had nice cold stone floors!

I purchased the book "America's Doll House" by William L. Bird, Jr. but have only browsed through it. It seems to be the story about how the dollhouse survived and made it to the Smithsonian. I cannot wait to read Shale's blog about this dollhouse as she knew more about the furniture than I did and was a wonderful guide. CM

See the Smithsonian dollhouse tour Shale found on Tulsa Tiny's blog here: http://tulsatinystuff.blogspot.com/

Rebecca we are thinking of you! C

Easter at the farm in New Jersey.

More to follow, packing to fly home.

Once upon a time....

There was a beautiful and special dollhouse that became available. It was well made, a charming gambrel style house and the perfect showcase for a Tynietoy collection.

So an intrepid first time buyer joined the bidding with her

heart in her throat. And she won! With her heart beating wildly she paid for the item and arranged for her elder assistant who was visiting the East that very next weekend to pick it up. She did not want it shipped to the West Coast as it was for the daughter who was planning to settle back East.
The kindly seller arranged for the heavy house to be left at the local postal service she used where said daughter would pick it up. Unbeknownst to said daughter her fiance planned a suprise party for her to meet friends and family that weekend and the house was left abandoned with no explanation.

After a few frantic phonecalls a new plan was made. A few months later after my elder assistant moved back East she and her fiance arranged to travel 3 hours each way (in the snow) to pick up the dollhouse from the seller. Somehow wires were crossed and when they arrived at the  site this house was not there. So they travelled home empty handed.

Yesterday the intrepid yet exhausted collector and her valient friend drove hours to the seller's and laid their eager hands on that very house. ( the beautiful red roofed Schoenhut is the valient friend's. Who is that Californian shivering in that coat? And who is that hardy Canadian in a cotton jacket????)
Plus a third one, that caught the valient friend's eye they were all packed in the back of the rental car.


And so the very special Dollhouse was welcomed to it's new home.

And it will be saved someday for a new generation of  little hands.

(except for Nana's Tynietoy until the "age of reason" is reached...)

 

Here it is and I could not help playing with some of the other treasures we found!

And they lived happily ever after.... CM

On the Road again

Beautiful Farm country

Spring is on the way

Shilos (ok my friend Susan who grew up on a farm pointed out they are called Silos...)

Dollhouses begging to go to Toronto...

Do not tell my little assistanst but I resisted buying "Mr and Mrs. Bunny" as they were called, and believe me they were reasonable!
I was just afraid I might have to buy each of them their own seat home on the Jet Blue  flight back ... really, that was the only reason, really... C

Oh Daphne thank you for the hat! It is so COLD here!

So this is Pennsylvania, Daphne. Boy even though you are Canadian you sure know a lot more about this state than I do! Thank you for the hat from Peru, it's really cold here.

Well, I guess we better get going if you say there are that many places to hit.

Find of the day, Colette's been looking for a chandelier for her grandest house.

"Colette! Colette! Can you hear me? I know 75 places to go tomorrow!

Please Colette, this store looks promising...

                 OH Look! There is another one over there!

"I KNOW you can do it, Colette, I'll just put it on the top...."

(For explanation see post below...)

Ring, brrring!

The sun was pouring into Colette's kitchen in California.

 "Daphne, Hi! How are you.. Guess what? I might be coming back East. Would you be up for a visit???"

"Yay! I have to go to D.C. and visit C.M's older assistant and see how the wedding plans are going."

"OK, but once I click this... we're on. Do I need a passport? Click"


credits: Princess Patti by Ideal kitchen set, paper background from sink box. Cell phone, coffee cup, Rement. Laptop Delph Minis.

UPDATE: I hope Daphne knows I'm used to sleeping with doll houses!