My Spare Room After The Oregon Antique Mall Closing

Okay, the mall will be completely closed to business on May 27th. But in the meantime, I have pulled a number of items that I just felt like keeping. When push comes to shove, one's heart beckons certain things, and for me, it is almost invariably, dolls.  And, yes I prefer very early dolls that are sprinkled about throughout the house, but still, the ones from the twentieth century also touch me with love, and so, my spare room has many new occupants. Hey, judging by the wear and tear, one can see that these little beings were once very much loved, and so that residue of love calls to my heart

I am so not a purist anyway.

This little baby in the buggy was left behind at a recent estate sale, and my heart had to have him in my home. He was terribly inexpensive, and that made it even sadder. I love this baby. He is a boy to me, even though on a cold night, I put this little pink covering on his head. I even brought back from the mall, my buggy for him to have a bed, and those little toys around him are what I call "leavings" from estate sales. I go in on the last day when often everything is half price, and I buy what I think is wonderfully old and good and ignored completely by other shoppers. It amazes me! But face it, the little girl in me, the little "mommy" loves the dollies. I've named this little boy Gregory after my dear little grandson, Gregory.

Sarah, a Currier & Ives print, is the real mother in this room.

Hannah, my dear first Greiner, sitting in the very same chair I painted her in for my little book Eliza Sewie  affords much love to all of the dolls. She now has a little bevy of twentieth century dolls who were "leavings" at estate sales. My most recent acquisition of these dollies is the little Holly Hobby there to the left. Holly Hobby cost me a whopping $1.00.

My dear little Lily sits in the center of friends. Of course Lily, like Gregory, is not for sale. Lily is named after my beautiful little granddaughter of the same name. Lily-doll's eyes move from side-to-side.

Look at that delightful little rubber girl doll in blue. Another $1.00 purchase last week. She is the sweetest baby, and is so happy that I cleaned her up, clothed her and gave her a place in which to live in love and joy.

There is my Marie Antoinette on a box residing on my dresser among many of my old creations as well as little things I've picked up here in there. Robert Louis Stevenson was so right-on when he said:

"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."

Prue, AKA, Prudence Jane Plumb, is my first carved penny wooden, and she basically runs the spare room with as much love as can possibly be felt.

Robin is my doll from childhood. She has always gone wherever I have. She sits among past creations that no one wanted, as well as more "leavings" that I have grown to love even more for their having been rejected at sales and such. Robin takes good care of them.