How Did I Get Here - Part II, with Paintings

Today's post is dedicated to my talented and generous cousin, Ronnie.

The song "Thank You for Being a Friend" is of course the opening theme from The Golden Girls, one of the best TV shows ever. (When I took the Facebook quiz, "Which Golden Girl Are You?" I was Dorothy). Searching YouTube for this song, I enjoyed some great clips from the show, including one of my all time favorites - the one where Rose throws Dorothy a birthday party at Mr. Ha Ha's House of Hot Dogs. "I'll punch your heart out, Ha Ha!"

Love it!!

Back in September when the Mini House bug first got me, I wrote this post: How Did I Get Here? where I wondered if there had been a dollhouse in my past, something that I forgot about but that still lurked in my subconscious, waiting for a chance to burst forth into my current obsession. I asked everyone I could think of but forgot to ask Ronnie, until a recent email exchange. She sent me the following reply:

Okay, let's set the record straight...I don't think you ever had a doll house, I'm sorry but someone had to tell you. On the bright side, neither did I but I always wanted one, SO, I made my own!! My mom had purchased something in a big cardboard box approximately two feet long, 18 inches wide and about 6 inches high. I had little dolls and little pieces of furniture in it that I may have borrowed from my barbie doll set. I even remember using these little metal squares that I got from my parakeet, Tweety. It originally had a bird treat in it and when Tweety was done, I recycled it and used it as a bed for my cardboard dollhouse. I even cut out little doors and windows. I have no doubt that we both played with this makeshift dollhouse together.

Now, THAT triggered a memory, and not just of Tweety the parakeet.

In that earlier post, I mentioned that when we were children, I used to follow Ronnie around like an adoring puppy, and anything she did, I also wanted to do. So now I remember that similar to what she describes above, I made sort of room boxes for my dolls. I had the boxes laying flat on their backs, not standing up on one side, dollhouse fashion. I used my old wooden blocks and stuff for the furniture.

This also reminded me of something else I haven't thought of in years and years and years - the dolls that I made the boxes for - my Dawn dolls! I was never big on Barbie. I think even as a child, Barbie's physique made me feel insecure. I loved Dawn, she was smaller and cuter and not as centerfold-y.

Sadly, Dawn did not have the longevity of Barbie. I found this description from Wikipedia, and a picture:

Dawn dolls are small fashion dolls that were made by Topper between 1970 and 1973. They measure 6.5 inches in height and have painted eyes and lips. The girl dolls feature rooted hair and eyelashes. The boy dolls have molded hair.

Dawn dolls 

Wow! I remember now like it was yesterday. In what looks like a police lineup above, my Dawn was the one in the blue and white dress with the snazzy gold belt - it kind of reminds me of the dress that Carrie wears in the "Sex and the City" opening credits. But I had tons of other clothes for her, too. (I wonder what the heck ever happened to all that stuff? My mother insisted that my siblings and I clean up the attic a few years ago, and it wasn't there. I know I never took it. I suspect mom threw it away while I was at college, apparently to make room in the attic for important things, like every water bill she's ever paid since 1950.)

Anyway, thanks for that walk down memory lane, Ron!

But wait, there's more. After opening up this door to the past for me, Ronnie went on to enhance my present as well! I wrote about how she loves to paint, and I posted pictures of the beautiful glass items she decorated with flowers and vines. She has since moved on to painting on canvas, and here is what she had to say on that subject:

I have no idea what your taste in art is but if there's anything here that speaks to you, please let me know and I'll get it in the mail framed and ready to hang.

She attached the pictures below - aren't they all beautiful?!!

I love them all! My taste in art runs to a deep appreciation of anything beautiful and handmade by a friend, so this was a really tough choice to make. I love birds, so this was the painting I ultimately chose, Chickadees in the Snow:

And sure enough, it arrived on my doorstep - faster than Amazon Prime. I don't know how to thank her enough, but I will always treasure this generous gift from the heart!