Vita Plastica

Hi you guys. Tell me: How did you get into doll life? Leave a comment or blog about it. For me it was Indian Barbie. This was about 14 years ago: Being at the time obsessed with India and having never grown up with a Barbie that wasn't either black or blonde, I was amazed by her. I was just walking through Target minding my own business and there she was. I thought she was gorgeous. I named her Pria. I took a few pictures of her but without proper furniture it looked silly. And without fellow dolls, she was a useless knick knack. For the next several years, I would buy lots of dolls and furniture, then get sick of it and give them all away to my niece. I did this 2-3 times. Finally my niece grew up, packed it all up and gave it back to me. I did a couple of silly photostories, but mostly just posed them and didn't name anyone. I moved to NY and started doing a couple of silly photostories and making oh just the saddest looking sets ever: Then I found Fashion Royalty. I was sudd...

You guys, this summer has brought some very unusual bugs to my home. I can't even identify all the species. It's somewhat expected in the kitchen and maybe the bathroom but once they breech the perimeter of the three bedrooms (ours, baby's and dolls'), I go into some kind of a manic cleaning frenzy. One such incident in the doll room caused not only a cleaning but a much needed reorganization. Since I'm pregnant and had to take momentary breaks, it took all day with frequent breaks. I've eliminated my box-keeping fetish. Now only the fashion royalty boxes are still around. Nearly all the doll rooms are set up, the dolls are dressed for Josephine's dinner party, the men have their own pad which my husband calls the "gay bathhouse" seeing as they're all undressed right now. And as I suspected, purchasing my gypsy doll has revived my interest in my caravan. I've done something I've never done before. I undid work that it took me time and...

So I was all excited to show my mom my Gypsy caravan and the "Versailles Sitting Room" I'm working on. She's a seamstress, has been known to just reupholster a couch just for a change (no slipcovers for her). She makes her own tablecloths, drapery and loves a craft project. I said to her, "Here's the dollhouse I'm decorating." She says, "Oh the one you already decorated?" Touche, Mother, touche. She's right: First life: Then, Living Room Close up: Then I made Josephine's apartment more New Yorky by moving her up a level and putting a store on the first level. Which has now been a new age store, a cafe and just a place where random items hang out en route to another project. And now the former kitchen, now sitting room getting its final (?) makeover. Dudes, I have a problem. I'm so terrified to commit. I envy those of you who build a diorama, then take it down after you take photos. I can't be that girl. I agonize for ages ...