Saturday, April 19, 2008

Every Girl Wants Her Very Own Playhouse

A doll house. What a thrill for a little girl. Jan's darling four year old grand daughter, Sabrina is clearly proud of hers.

Think of the hours we spend in childhood playing with small scale versions of home sweet home. A place for our dolls to have a tea party and our imagination's to dance. What little girl doesn't love to play queen of her castle and while-away the hours practicing for a one-day future role?
Time passes, little girls grow up, graduate from high school, hang the college degree on the wall and lo and behold find themselves smack in the middle of the real thing-- married to Prince Charming, living in the castle and raising babies. This seems to go on for a long time and involves a few minor challenges, like: no sleep, diapers, sore throats, car payments, birthday parties, little league, soccer, music lessons, mortgage payments, broken pipes, weeds, school functions you've volunterred to manage, lots and lots of cookies, adolescence, chauffeuring kids everywhere, insurance, IRS, and a variety of other issues no amount of "practicing" could ever prepare you for.

Then one day, before you know it, you find your self launching the last fledgling out of the nest. This is a marvelous moment, the culmination of all your hard work and sleepless nights, the pinnacle of Mount Everest you've been climbing for years. So, you throw a magnificent party and invite all your friends. The following morning you look in the mirror and marvel at the woman staring back. She looks suspiciously like your mother: the crows feet , the wrinkles, the age spots, the grey hairs. You think to yourself, hmm....I'm more than halfway down this garden path. What great thing am I going to do next?

And then it comes to you. Yes! PLAY HOUSE!!!!! Only this time, you'll fore go the dolls, because you've been there and done that, and there are so many other toys you'd like to play with--tile clippers, glass cutters, ceramic kilns, soldering irons, and a Taurus 3 Ring Saw.

Tea parties will still be on the agenda, but forget the tiny teapot--likewise the practical, everyday dishes and the good set of china. No, you'd much rather collect dishes in every color of the rainbow; and if one of them should break, you can calmly say, "Oh well," and put the pieces in a tuperware container for later recycling.
Decorating your playhouse will be summed up in two words: Eye Candy. That way you can have every style you want, all at the same time--paint the walls fushia and lime green , set out lovely jars of glitz and glitter, bottles full of baubles and beads, plaster the walls with crazy mosaics. And here's the most wonderful thing: nothing has to really match because you're not trying to impress anyone, but your own childlike sense of delight.
You can even ignore the dust bunnies for a good long while, because you're always remodeling and the maid is on vacation. Better yet, you can make a great big mess, shut the door and walk away, and no one, not even your conscience, is going to give you a bad time for being a less than perfect housekeeper.

7 comments:

Geri Rincón said...

Jan & Julie,
You ladies are absolutely amazing!! The studio and the blogsite along with all your creations are fabulous.
Congratulations!!!! Geri

Alx Bear said...

Mom and my second Mom,
Your blog is amazing and if I did not know any better I would never believe you were technologically challenged. It looks beautiful- the color combination, pictures, and explanations really reflect your personalities. Congratulations!
My only problem with it is, where's the picture of me?

xxxx Alx

tbroback said...

This is truely amazing! I am trying really hard to be inspired and not jealous :-) Do you ever teach classes out of your studio?

Julie Nunez said...

Hi Tracy,
Just yesterday I was showing Jan Stacy Alexander's Blog on you and your wonderful work. I wanted Jan to see your quilts. She's a quilter too and belongs to a quilt group here in Morgan Hill whose members are always taking home the big ribbons in the annual quilt show. I've always said quilting is just mosaicing with a diifferent medium. No, we don't give classes here, although we have a great set up to do so. Both of us were actively involved with our kids in school functions,(I homeschooled mine for 11 years) and we are done with that teaching/hours of volunteering part of our lives. Now that the kids are off to college, the only people we are interested in teaching these days is ourselves.
Julie

Anonymous said...

Jan and Julie,

Unbelievable job - both the blogsite AND your studio. Maybe you'll let me play some day.

Mary Ellen

Cara said...

Moms;
WOW. I can't believe all of the work you have done. It is so beautiful and I am so happy that you both are having fun. You have clearly found yet another thing you are great at doing. Tell Alx that the important ones have their picture posted. If she wants to make it on the blog she will have to be featured at Bryant Park and earn her spot. After all.. MOM still likes me (and my offspring)best. XOXO Cara

wendy said...

Recently I had the good fortune to meet Julie and see some of her artwork. She's truly amazing. Her work is not only beautiful but inspiring. I'm left wanting to see more!

All the best,

Wendy