What little girl doesn’t want a dollhouse to play with?  When I was 3 or 4 I had a metal one that looked a lot like this: 

In addition to the painted on furnishings it also had a collection of plastic furniture that I spent hours arranging, although the painted on toilet paper roll in the bathroom always seemed to dictate where the toilet should go. 

I’m not sure what happened to the metal dollhouse but it didn’t last long.  I then spent several years with dollhouse envy.  One of my friends, an older girl named Lisa, had an amazing dollhouse for Barbie built by her dad.  It was three stories tall with curved staircases and carpeting.  It was open with no exterior walls and very few interior walls.  It was very modern looking, of course since it was for Barbie.  I didn’t spend much time at this girl’s house but when I did I could not be pried away from her dollhouse. 

Another friend, also named Lisa, and her sister Lynda had a beautiful dollhouse built by a family friend.  This was a more traditional looking dollhouse with partitioned walls and one side that opened.  It looked like a traditional farmhouse, painted white with green shutters and it was beautiful.  I don’t ever remember playing with it and I often wonder if Lisa and Lynda ever did. 

Seeing the dollhouses of these lucky girls only made me want one of my own.  One year my father did make one for me out of left over paneling.   It had no windows or or doors or even a staircase accessing it’s three floors.  The bottom floor was tall enough for Barbie to stand it but the top two floors where only tall enough for a Dawn doll.  I’m not sure why the inconsistency and when I pointed out that Barbie was unable to stand up on the upper floors Dad told me “Those are the bedrooms.  All she has to do is lie down and sleep.”  I solemnly played with it for a few years until one day I admitted to myself that it was not pretty at all.  (Sorry Dad!)  It was simply a bookshelf with a peaked roof, so that’s what I ended up using it as. 

When I was 12 Grandma Teetsel finally got involved.  We were having one of our talks one day and she asked me, “If you have anything your heart desired what would it be?” I told her and two years later she presented me with this:

This dollhouse, called The Harrison, was built from a kit you can still get today.  It wasn’t a complete surprise. We picked out the house style together and in the two years it took her to build it Grandma sought my counsel when picking out paint colors, shingles and wallpaper. She even added extra rooms. We were both troubled by the fact that by designating one of the rooms as the nursery we had sacrificed a bathroom. 

So Grandma built a new one.

She also added a kitchen with see through walls so as not to impede the view to the dining room.

By the time I got the house I was too old to play with it but it did spark a passion for miniatures. I started collecting furniture and even made a few pieces from kits. Then real life happened. Boys, then college and then career took over and The Harrison kept getting shoved aside and for years was ignored entirely.

Last month, shortly after the two year anniversary of Grandma’s death The Harrison came back home and just like that first time in 1982 my passion for miniatures has been reignited.  Unlike before I have a great new source for ideas and pieces: the internet!  There are tons of blogs and websites about miniatures and of course eBay, oh my!  I will keep you updated as I furnish the rooms of The Harrison.  You can be assured, it will be done pursuant to it’s intended glory and in honor of Grandma Teetsel.