Dolls on the move, part2... the Georgian manor house.

 As I mentioned earlier we are all moving out in the world right now.. Clearly the most adventurous of my dolls was the residents of my (never quite finished) Georgian manor house. The house was a project of a lifetime..my awesome husband built my childhood dream house, all 3 floors of it, including ballroom, kitchen and servants hall up to the bedrooms and dressing rooms. The dolls were pre-existing creations that I spiced up with new outfits and added some. But when my Lus was born the dollhouse was left in the background..and now the dolls are seeking a new exiting world!

Oddly enough the manor house dolls have been very popular!

 First to go was the Posh family. They never really lived in the house, stayed there regularly. Lord and Lady Posh likes to bring along their little daughter to parade and entertain their friends..a little odd by our standards..but the concept of loving parents does change over time. They're ridiculously rich and likes to flaunt it Georgian-style with their wigs and walkingsticks. No animal or peasant goes safe when Lord Posh goes for his daily hunt! Lady Posh likes to get up late in the morning, eat cake and order shoes of plenty in the afternoon. Little lady Aurora Posh is just wishes for someone to play with..it can be a lonely life as her parents doll..

Isabella

Then of course there's the dolls actually living in the manor house!  The dolls modelled after me and my husband will be the only ones joining us in England..sort of like a memory of it all..but the 2 sisters living there has already found their way out into the world. 

Claudia with the lord and lady of the house.

Isabella and Claudia are the Lady of the house's sisters. They haven't yet managed to get married so they hang around for the next season when the parties will be starting again. Isabella likes fashion and flirting but is a bit too romantic for this world. She trusts she will find true love out there and hopefully see some adventure on the way. Claudia on the other hand is the youngest of them all and has a dramatic side to her. A bit of a lost soul she tries to make a difference by stomping her feet. Her dream is really to find someone who accepts her..and maybe learn horseback riding properly!

But there are also many more dolls living in the house..also known as the servant dolls.These, to me, are far more interesting! They live at the ground floor and some of them never even see the splendour up stairs. Their space consists of the hall, the kitchen, the serving room and a shared bedroom for the female servants..and one for the male servants.

In charge of it all is the butler, mr.Brown, and his wife the housekeeper, mrs.Brown. He is a serious man who believes in structure and rules. When you need a crafty mind to bend those rules the servants turn to mrs.Brown who has become like a mother to them all. 

Then there is the footman Charles. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has a kind heart. Him and the coachman Henry sometimes has a drink in the back ally by the kitchen at the end of the day and dream of a better life. Though Henry is a troublemaker and has a way of getting in his own way so Charles has decided to tag along to clear up his mess..you know..some one has to. 

The maids, Jenny, Millicent and Vera are probably the most exited by the prospect of a new world. 

Millie, Jenny, Vera, Hanna. Henry, Charles, mr. and mrs. Brown

Jenny is tired of washing dishes all day everyday and tired of always sleeping in the top bunk and, as the youngest maid, being bossed around by everyone. She longs for the big city and all the people she might meet. 

Millicent grew up on a farm near the manor house and has never been anywhere else so she's a little worried..she's gong to miss her lower bunk bed and her knitting in the early morning..but maybe she'll mostly miss Henry..they were getting married you know!

Vera's not too worried. She travelled from France as a child and has moved around a lot over the years. Se sees it as her duty to look after the other girls out there. It's a tough world and she intends to use all she has to get by. Besides..the Family was really getting on her nerves lately.

And lastly, no Georgian home is complete without a slave. Hanna. Truth be told the servants adore her and she sleeps in the best place, behind the fireplace all worm and cosy, but she is technically still a slave..

 

Aside from them there's also the street seller, Annabell and her children, Frank..who sadly died earlier this year..and the oh so cute daughter Julie, most commonly known as Honeybee. She sold flowers on the street by the manor house and became almost like one of the servants. The ladies really do like their flowers!

Hopefully they will all find new homes and lots of adventures out there in the world. Good luck to them!

My dolls finding their new homes - the French Theatre family.

Since I will be moving away very soon my dolls from previous obsessions has decided to try their luck at moving out in the world as well. By the world I in this case mean my disappointingly small home town, but hey! if I was 3 inches tall I'd probably think that was enough world for everyone.

First to go was the star of my French Theatre from 2008, Lux Landry ( yes, that is what I named her). She hopes to make it to the big stage and do serious drama. Nothing but fame and fortune is what she's set her mind to! Taking farewell of the little musichall (that quite frankly smelled a bit too much like booze, lice and syphilis for her taste!) and the other dolls who have become like a close family, she packed her bags and jumped.

The rest of the French Theatre-family is still waiting to get their chance.

There is Jasmine, the warm hearted can-can dancer..she was in a bit of a hurry, as most of the time, and forgot her dress! but at least she has shoes on her feet and a smile on her face. The rest will fall into place eventually..she thinks. 

With her she has the theatres handyman and everyone's big brother (metaphorically of course). He had no real interest in leaving at first..the musichall life suited him just fine (apart from the night there was a show going on.) But there comes a time for change for everyone and when Jasmine asked him to join her he felt that time had come! 

But surely such inexperienced and reckless dolls need some one who knows what they're doing? so Charlotte decided to jump along! Actually she tired of the place long ago, but family is family after all.. Truth is there isn't anything she'd not like to see in her life so whatever comes she's exited to see the world outside!

..let's just hope they don't en up MURDERED like can-can girl nr.2! The road (or in this case fleemarket) is a dangerous place for a young defenceless doll..she expected to get her heart broken when she decided to go on her own..but never did she expect decapitation. It's a good thing she's a doll..a hot night with the glue gun will soon heal that up.

 

Left on the rooftop with a guitar and the last bottle of absinthe is the 3rd and last can-can girl (not yet changed from the last show) and her lover, the play-writer. As the sun sets on an era they soak up the last parts of a truly magical time. Their little son is a sleep in his bunkbed for the last night. Tomorrow morning starts a new life. Together they will concur the world.

And as the French Theatre closes down, the audience will be on the hunt for the next new thing, the next star on the stage, the new entertainment. Strolling along they too hope to be picked up for new adventures! 

Just one last look couldn't hurt though, could it..?

¤

In need of a good cheer-up?

http://www.marriedtothesea.com/

Bel ami..like Dorian Gray but less gay..?

"Now listen carefully: Marriage, to me, is not a chain but an association. I must be free, entirely unfettered, in all my actions -my coming and my going; I can tolerate neither control, jealousy, nor criticism as to my conduct. I pledge my word, however, never to compromise the name of the man I marry, nor to render him ridiculous in the eyes of the world. But that man must promise to look upon me as an equal, an ally, and not as an inferior, or as an obedient, submissive wife. My ideas, I know, are not like those of other people, but I shall never change them."

                                                                                                   -  Bel Ami, 1885

There is no way I will know if I like my new book until I've actually read it, but when I read this quote I knew I had to have it!  I do love it when I come across words that could have been my own.. 

As I've probably mentioned before, there was only one fictional book I have actually liked and that did not bore me to tears and that was "the Picture of Dorian Gray". It's still my favourite book and I have it by my bed always. The other one more recently found is "the Crimson Petal and the White". 

 So it seems like I (just like all of you) only like things I can relate to..and in that case this bods well! 

There's just nothing like feeling like there used to be people out there thinking like me..

Ps.

the dream..

First of all I can't help but wonder if it's a good or a bad thing that my most read post is named "housewife on speed"..in my defends, it was a long time ago during my studies into how the woman's role developed..but it sure sound like something totally different!

 Secondly, I thought I'd do some blog-whoring! Since my date of emigration creeps closer every day and things are looking less bright than hoped for, I'm now asking my dear blogreaders for help. Is there anyone out there living in England..maybe Rochester? or Birmingham? who would know of anyone looking for a super talented and hard working seamstress/costume designer who is moving to the UK very soon? I can do just about anything (except actual whoring) but I do love to work in theatre so that would be a preference. 

..One can always ask!

"3 tickets on the Titanic, please!"

..the Dream.

As probably many of you know (all, if  "you" are female ages 25-30, because Titanic was seriously the awesomest film ever made, omg!)  it is now 100 years ago since the Titanic. On the day actually, this was the first night, the 10th to 11th of April. This has a particular significance to me, not only because the Titanic film has had a defining effect on my perception of love from a way too early age, but also because this year (most likely even this month) will be the year of my own emigration from this frozen wasteland of my emotionally crippled childhood dreams.

This is how I wish It will be.

Without going into too much detail, THIS is my dream, the dream, the "I have a dream" kind of dream! Ever since I was little I've had a restless longing for something indescribable..something like home. Since then I've travelled around and always felt less home when getting back. Now it finally seems like I might get out..finally. It's been a long...long time.

And this is how my mother sees me.

So this April I will be emigrating to the United Kingdom with my husband and son! And I must say, nothing has ever been so insanely complicated! It seems a little like when you first move on your own..you can't get a job without an apartment..and you can't get an apartment without a job. How does people figure that I wonder? Surely they can't all have loving parents? 

Hopefully our strong wills and low expectations will take us far..and then our talent the rest..? and if I could only live in England I'd happily be an underpaid foreigner..one thing is for sure: there's no way I'd ever encounter more language problems there than right outside my front door..and everyday I'd feel free as a bird who is, ironically, looking for a nest. And it would be worth it.

 "To strong wills and low expectations!" chin chin

In a moment of weakness..

Now after recovering from the massive mental-slap-in-the-face-so-hard-it-made-me-throw-up I got from this series half a year ago it is now definitely my favourite series. It's relevant because it's my biggest inspiration for what will be my last non-profit sewing project for possibly a very long time.. After that I can be my own version of Sugar. Sadly..the clothes are just the shell of a very disturbingly close resemblance.

 

I'm not going to offer any explanation to my choice of  video clip. My experience is usually that of "either you get it..or you wont". The clothing inspiration is still awesome though.