Or what happens when you think of The Count from Sesame Street while blogging.

I typically, like many people, I guess, have ambitious ideas about what I’d like to have ready for Christmas. This year I’m doing better than usual as I’m limiting myself, more or less, to one project. This year, Katherine has asked for a dollhouse. And a flashlight. (The thinking parent would have fixated on the flashlight, but I’ve never been that foresighted.)

When I was a kid, my father made me a dollhouse, the plans for which are actually still available for purchase. At the same time, my friend Hannah’s father made her a very similar house from the same set of plans. The roof of mine lifted up to reveal an attic in which the furniture could be stored and the front panel came off for easy access. My grandmother contrived to provide a set of furniture for the house. It was built out of 1/2 inch plywood and therefore could easily withstand the onslaught of three kids. Anyway, to cut this story short, mine ended up in a fleamarket when we moved house. The woodstove from the kitchen has survived, but that’s about it.

Hannah’s, however, was still at her parents’ house. It was filthy and ratty, but the shell was structurally sound and Hannah was more than happy that a child should play with it again. She gave it to us to fix up for Katherine and I’ve been working into the nights on fixing it up (can’t do it while Katherine is around, of course). It was cleaned, stripped of paper and trim, primed, the ceilings are painted, the walls are papered and I’ve been working on the floors progressively. The exterior has had several coats of the final colour. The next big jobs are to finish the floors and to put in all the trim. I’ll try to take some photos later on today, during her naptime.

I’ve been making area rugs out of old, small-scale tapestry fabric. I have a bunch of odds and sods left over from when Grandma was into doing dollhouses (she did them on a much larger scale – photos at a later date!) and am collecting thisses and thats whereever I can find them. Various relatives are providing furniture and accessories, although I did order a Christmas tree and am making a few decorations for it. All in all, it’s going really well and should be no trouble to finish before Christmas (famous last words).

So I’m getting there. Everything we have bought thus far is wrapped and there are only three more things to pick up. Since I know what they are, where they are and who they’re for, the rest of shopping should go smoothly…..

I can’t believe we’re actually prepared this year.