Today has been a very rainy day and not much to do in the office, so I took some time out to 'organize' my doll room. A few months ago, I had made plans with hubby that we would revamp the house a bit and get rid of items that collected dust, get some new furniture, redo the floors, etc. That takes more work , time and funds than one might expect. It was never more apparent when I started work yesterday evening on the doll room.
It has been a pigsty for a few months now. Things placed here and there, the shelves are FULL...and some items I cannot even reach unless I spend a great deal of time moving dolls and diorama sets in the way...One main concern was to be able to get to the window - there is a 1:12 scale dollhouse in front of it- and change the room around a bit too.
Here is the picture that speaks volumes...
And it was more piled up on the floor in front of the cars before I got to this picture! There is a shelf that is vacant, but two lower shelves are full of boxed dolls and props. My camper which appears to be on top of the cruiser is actually on top of a box of props and clothing. The trees are grouped together. The haunted chapel is on top of the diner. I had actually moved a ton of foamcore walls, the happy family living foldup house, and another car before this pic was taken and cleaned off that shelf. Those props are in my dining room. You can see the disorganized dollhouses and bakery shop in the background.
So I can see where people would, er, uh, might think I might be a hoarder. But I'm not! Very fact I am organizing I think hastens to welcome me back to the fine doll collecting world. Yeah, I have a weakness for props, furniture, accessories, trees, and er, anything that can be used in a diorama...lol
The plan is to clear out the desk the 1:12 dollhouse is sitting on, move the dioramas on the floor, and the cars, take down the crayola plastic shelves- don't laugh- I bought these several years ago at BJ's for $12 each and they have worked. I have two more sets to the right as youcome in the door and I'm thinking of doing away with them and getting a larger set from Home Depot that are deeper. Then a 6 ft table will be put in and the 1:12 dollhouse(this is my very first wooden dollhouse my dad built when I was about 10) will be pushed underneath on that- it's on casters so it moves easily. That way my shops can be on the table top off the floor. LaBelle's is very large and takes up a huge amount of room, as does the bakery and the diner.
Hopefully, with time, the doll room will be moved to a larger bedroom in our home. I would simply love to take over the garage but that is not in the cards yet...My problem that is my biggest one is I hate to take my dioramas down. And I LOVE to build!
This is a long post, I know. But I think part of what seperates us from doll collectors vs. hoarders is the perception of people if that it is not organized, it's clutter, useless, etc. and so on. On one part of that I agree, the other- let's face it, life gets in the way. I know it has for me these past few months. But cleaning out my dolls and props did cause me to reflect on why I buy what I buy-and maybe get a control on my collection. Maybe it's time for some props or dolls to move on. (maybe not- I have four pieces arriving for the Chateau project for the King's bedroom, oh dear. )
Hopefully with this organizing more dioramas /scenes will be coming soon.
Lisa
It has been a pigsty for a few months now. Things placed here and there, the shelves are FULL...and some items I cannot even reach unless I spend a great deal of time moving dolls and diorama sets in the way...One main concern was to be able to get to the window - there is a 1:12 scale dollhouse in front of it- and change the room around a bit too.
Here is the picture that speaks volumes...
So I can see where people would, er, uh, might think I might be a hoarder. But I'm not! Very fact I am organizing I think hastens to welcome me back to the fine doll collecting world. Yeah, I have a weakness for props, furniture, accessories, trees, and er, anything that can be used in a diorama...lol
The plan is to clear out the desk the 1:12 dollhouse is sitting on, move the dioramas on the floor, and the cars, take down the crayola plastic shelves- don't laugh- I bought these several years ago at BJ's for $12 each and they have worked. I have two more sets to the right as youcome in the door and I'm thinking of doing away with them and getting a larger set from Home Depot that are deeper. Then a 6 ft table will be put in and the 1:12 dollhouse(this is my very first wooden dollhouse my dad built when I was about 10) will be pushed underneath on that- it's on casters so it moves easily. That way my shops can be on the table top off the floor. LaBelle's is very large and takes up a huge amount of room, as does the bakery and the diner.
Hopefully, with time, the doll room will be moved to a larger bedroom in our home. I would simply love to take over the garage but that is not in the cards yet...My problem that is my biggest one is I hate to take my dioramas down. And I LOVE to build!
This is a long post, I know. But I think part of what seperates us from doll collectors vs. hoarders is the perception of people if that it is not organized, it's clutter, useless, etc. and so on. On one part of that I agree, the other- let's face it, life gets in the way. I know it has for me these past few months. But cleaning out my dolls and props did cause me to reflect on why I buy what I buy-and maybe get a control on my collection. Maybe it's time for some props or dolls to move on. (maybe not- I have four pieces arriving for the Chateau project for the King's bedroom, oh dear. )
Hopefully with this organizing more dioramas /scenes will be coming soon.
Lisa
6 comments:
As I read your post, a Michael Jackson song kept playing in my head. "You are not alone. I am here with you..." I have the same drama going on over here. On top of the doll room being in disarray, I had new flooring put in, so the rest of the house is now in disarray, too. I feel you girlfriend!
Oh my! I've been asking myself the "hoarding" question lately because there's so much dusting! so many projects!
But also so many tempting things that cannot be ignored!
Every time I think about cutting back on something, I feel like the cutback wouldn't last.
That could be my doll room LOL (I have that country camper too). I am in the middle of the process of organizing my doll room too, and I find it very hard to get everything in order, especially the little accessories. There is just so much! :-)
You are preaching to the choir! I feel you. As long as I keep it organized and pretty, it's not hoarding.
Not me, no, I am not hoarding, I am collecting! I have that same feeling too! My doll room is in disarray as well. But making tiny steps of progress. My worst thing is all of the materials -- like cardboard, foamboard, etc that I have waiting for a project!
Oh thank youeveryone! I am so relieved that everyone did not take one look at that photo and say- what a kook- all those props piled higglety pigglety all over the place....
Today I made great progress- I got to the window! I moved the dollhouse on the desk and the table in front of the desk and took down one set of shelves in the way....
Sadly, my den and dining room are full of boxes of barbie stuff- props, clothing, dolls, little tiny accessories, fabric, floral stuff, foamcore sheeting walls that are for temp dioramas and cannot be thrown away, cars- um, I counted four without the camper! (the horrid part is I am always on the lookout for cars- the volkswagon I got at a sale for $2 so now I'm addicted.) Hoarding or collecting?? I dunno...I just know I can't live without my dolls! When I get up in the morning I usually have some photo or prop or doll that needs its photo taken or tiny food that needs to be made, and so on. The BEST part apart cleaning up is finding props you forget about and it'slikeChristmas all over again...
Vanessa, the doll room needs new tile flooring as the old is coming up...I'm waiting to redo floors in my house once we get back on track. It is such a huge job and the cost is going to be difficult to come up with. Who knew flooring could cost so much?
Smaller places- I have asked myself that question - but then I keep buying more! In one week Scarlett Ohara in the white gown, mini american girl doll, Victoire Roux lottery doll, all arrived. go figure!
Night Owl- the mini accessoriesand 'found' rement drives me nuts- the little pieces scatter like bird seed!
Muff, like youradvice...now if only I weren't somessy- guess I'm just a hoarder of dolls!lol
Phyllis..don't worry there is support and online shopping to hide our urges and craft store discounts that we hide from well meaning family who go- not another doll! Not more foamcore- WHAT are youbuilding now???
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