Miniatures have always delighted me. As a girl, I saved each bit of allowance for rare trips to the little store on Cheshire Bridge Road that housed every type of chair, rug, patio set, curio, lamp, wallpaper, grand piano, and so on – all at 1/12″ scale. I sculpted holiday feasts from colored clay; dabbled in millinery with felt, ribbons, and a messy white-glue solution; wired Christmas trees and hall sconces; stitched rugs in intricate needlepoint patterns, and then backed them with muslin. After years of loving use, my dollhouses and their items were packed in newspaper scraps and stored in the basement of our weekend home.

On the few occasions that I have visited this house recently, my own girls have just as lovingly un-wrapped each worn item and spent hours on their knees, furnishing the rooms, yards and attics. Continue reading →