Our new neighbors, the Clompys
January 29th, 2006
Sophie was losing her patience, so this weekend I hammered and glued and painted just enough to get the old dollhouse into ready-to-play condition. I’ll sneak it out of her room at night to feed my obsessive need to add more trim, like painted wooden butterflies and stars and hearts and tiny red lanterns. Can’t. Help. Myself.
Despite the fact that it’s a fixer-upper with some problems (a toilet with no pipes; no banisters; doors that don’t open; no staircase to the attic; no screens or glass in the windows; an entire side of the house missing), the house was only on the market for an hour. There was a brief but intense bidding war, which ended with the Calico Critters losing the house to a nice multiracial family with big clompy wooden feet. The Calico Critters were understandably disappointed, but the Clompy family graciously invited them to visit anytime. No hard feelings.
Sophie took the next two pictures: the Clompy family’s younger daughter, Shaniqua; and the sunlit kitchen, a major selling point.
More shots of the Clompy family enjoying their new home. The movers didn’t break a thing. The Clompys are hoping to throw a housewarming potluck next weekend, if you’re free. Shaniqua can’t eat walnuts, so no pesto.
The Clompy family’s prized heirloom: a tobacco felt butterfly rug that used to belong to great-grandma Clompy.
Home sweet home. Congratulations, Clompys!
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized, Because I said so. (Parenting), Scribbles. (Writing & Art)
26 Comments
1. JustLinda | January 29th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
My children have been obsessed with dollhouses. The one at Grandma’s? They play with it for hours. There is one in the lobby of my 4 year old’s preschool and sometimes we must forcibly remove her from it when we’re trying to get home at the end of the day.
Santa brought a lovely dollhouse just over a month ago. I’ve not seen them play with it once. Sigh….
I did step on the little pokey wooden dollhouse lamp in the middle of the floor once in the middle of the night. Crushed it like a bug.
2. tracy | January 29th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
it’s lovely! i have a battered old doll house that i fully intend to fix up someday for my children. assuming i ever have children. who want to play with dolls. i will MAKE them play with it if i have to.
and did you make those tiny quilts? because DAMN.
3. JenfromBoston | January 29th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
“Despite the fact that it’s a fixer-upper with some problems …an entire side of the house missing), the house was only on the market for an hour. ”
Ha. Awesome. You should really re-think the writing career and go into real estate. If you can move a house like that that quickly, imagine your potential if you had a piece of property that had all the amenities, i.e. a house with all 4 sides. You’d be a mogul. Like The Donald - but only with better hair. And lots more charm.
4. the Mater | January 29th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
I have a very good friend who may be relocating for a job in the Outer Hebrides … trouble is she couldn’t find a decent property this past week. Do you think we can send the dollhouse as temporary living quarters?! Of course, we’d have to shrink Louise ….
5. sogal | January 29th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
the outer hebrides? does she need a maid? seriously the one place i dream of moving to.
hum we were talking of dollhouses?
oh yes, love it - its lovely and arent they lucky to have it made specially for them!
6. Ana | January 29th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Sorry my first post has nothing to do with the story above. I just couldn’t go any longer without saying how glad I am to have found your blog, Jenn. And I only found you last night.
I could easily spend way too much time here than is healthy. Well, it would be very healthy for me but not so for the state of my home, husband and son!
7. s | January 29th, 2006 at 9:47 pm
Love Baby Clompy in his (her? hard to tell with bald babies wearing red) huge snowsuit. Which he (she?) is wearing indoors. Good thing the hood’s off. For ventilation.
8. TRF | January 30th, 2006 at 3:44 am
Checkerboard floor, stenciled ceiling, wide screen HDTV plasma screen on the wall. WOW!
9. geogirl | January 30th, 2006 at 7:24 am
It’s beautiful Jenn!! You should be very proud. I know your grandfather would be!
10. roo | January 30th, 2006 at 7:36 am
Wow, the picture Sophie took of the Clompys’ kitchen is really beautiful! I love the light cast through the little window across the table– a perfect breakfast nook!
11. Mir | January 30th, 2006 at 8:43 am
OMG, I now have to retire as a mother, as I am sadly lacking the Martha gene that would allow for something so intensely cute to be part of my children’s world. Their dollhouse is plastic and mass-produced, because I don’t love them. Alas.
12. Patti | January 30th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Would it be creepy weird if I came over and played with the house too?
What about if I brought some homey items….maybe a nice potted plant or a bag of cheetos…..
13. Diana | January 30th, 2006 at 10:07 am
okay, Patti just rips the words right out of my head. Every. Time. (Patti- are you psychic? are you doing this just to mess with my head? LOL)
Well, I wanted to come over and play with the house because I never had a real doll house growing up- not even the plastic mass-produced ones. So when I went to my cousin’s house (who had not one but TWO Barbie mansions, spoiled bitch) I would be the robber who burglarized both mansions. and broke the elevator. Eventually I would play nice…
For the housewarming I will bring a bigger fridge. That baby (in the red snowsuit)looks like it will starve…
14. Spot the Wonder Dog | January 30th, 2006 at 10:14 am
Dare you to use an invisible UV marker to draw a pentagram on one of the floors and write “REDRUM” on the bedroom wall.
15. geogirl | January 30th, 2006 at 10:23 am
The cutest part….
The miniture chew toy that comes with the three little dogs in the 7th picture.
And of course, the book on the coffee table. No home is complete with out books!!!
16. Dawn | January 30th, 2006 at 10:38 am
I may have to braid a tiny wool rug for that house.
17. Patti | January 30th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Diana…psychic…psychotic…what’s the difference?
And why have I been thinking about all of the cute little things I could put inside a dollhouse of my very own? Is that why you decided to share your dollhouse stories; so that you don’t have to be alone in your obsession with all things miniature????
Well, regardless…its working. I want to make little DVD movies to put on a bookshelf and shrink a Picasso replica down to hang on the wall….and make a little bowl of fruit from clay and maybe even fashion a satellite dish for the roof. The Clompys surely have cable.
This is not good Jenn…..not good.
18. Victoria Winters | January 30th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Shaniqua!? hahhaha!
19. the Mater | January 30th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Patti: “Well, regardless…its working. I want to make little DVD movies to put on a bookshelf and shrink a Picasso replica down to hang on the wall….and make a little bowl of fruit from clay and maybe even fashion a satellite dish for the roof. The Clompys surely have cable.”
I seem to remember that the original did come with tiny little paintings that Grandpa Joe also made to hang on the walls. They may have been lost after all these years. A Picasso replica, huh? I wonder if the Clompys are into modern art or more at home with Norman Rockwell. I’m sure all contributions will be gratefully received. Now Jenn will have to keep a playdate calendar for her friends as well as for the kids’ :>)
Oh, they may not be into cable (or HDTV, TRF) as much as settling down with a good book. Besides the book on the table, did you notice the bookcase at the far corner of the room? Definitely book lovers! Of course, they would be watching a Sound of Music dvd on the telly! I can hear those tiny little voices singing in chorus right now ….
20. capello | January 30th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
How about pesto made with pine nuts, instead of walnuts? Would that work? Or would you prefer a jello dish instead?
21. mom on a wire | January 30th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
You did an AMAZING job on that, Jenn! Wow!
22. Tree | January 31st, 2006 at 11:40 am
Oh my GOD how cool is that? I would be playing with it all the time.
Shaniqua! Love it!
23. R J Keefe | January 31st, 2006 at 12:22 pm
That’s great!
24. Geoff | February 3rd, 2006 at 7:16 pm
Gosh this post is like watching HGTV. And a very salable house too.
25. kris | February 8th, 2006 at 11:51 am
How on earth did I miss this
Jenn, that house is adorable.
26. bon | February 9th, 2006 at 11:46 pm
I am twitching with a strange nervous tic now…. must.play.dollhouse.
I’ve got three girls and a jones on. I vow someday to have a dollhouse like THAT! Beautiful.
Trackback this post