A Castle Modern #MiniMe: @ModDollHome -- a Staging Showcase for 18" Scale #DollhouseDecorators #Hobbies

I've collected miniatures since I was a young child. Tiny (working) versions of actual objects have always fascinated me. I never played with these items as "toys," preferring instead to setup elaborate still life stagings of the dreamscapes in my mind. As a child who viewed much of the world around her as nonsensical and alien, collecting and later crafting my own miniatures allowed me to fashion my own world, one that was natural to me. Dolls were always secondary to the miniature landscapes, buildings, vehicles and furnishings. (Seems I was a budding home & garden enthusiast even then.)

The recent Spring Break visit of my little niece, who is absolutely gaga over all things American Girl, expanded my miniature horizons into the 18" scale. (I was rather strictly a 1" scale collector prior to our various toy bonding sessions, which included a trip to the American Girl store in a nearby town.) During our far-reaching chats, I was peppered with questions. I was asked why I had all this "little furniture" when none of it fit American Girl dolls --- as if no other toys could dare exist --- and then it was inquired whether I could make "bigger" things for American Girl dolls. I'd never considered it, but then thought, why not? And so, virtually overnight I became a budding collector of 18" scale miniatures.

Toy Horse on display at the American Girl Store

As a creative side (or sub-) project to this blog, I'm now also developing ModDoll (as in model) Home, which is also all about "making a dream home" --- except in 18" scale, a sort of Castle Modern mini me, if you will. (As is often done in Architecture, in Design and in Fashion, I plan to demo some of the things I'm working on in real life at Castle Modern in miniature at ModDoll Home, thus, it will serve a practical purpose. However, I also plan to use ModDoll Home to stage whatever ideas strike my fancy.)

Overall ModDoll Home will showcase the latest in dollhouse decorating, employing a combination of things that I personally design & make along with things that I buy (or otherwise acquire), exactly as in real life. It should be fun!

NOTE: The ModDoll Home mini blog is currently under construction. In the meantime, I've registered Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram accounts to get things going (and protect my extended brand), using @ModDollHome on each platform. Not much content as yet, but eventually....

#PeriodicalsBrief: Quick Notes from #Magazines #GetCaughtReading #Reader #WrittenWord #InPrint

Spent yesterday afternoon catching up on my magazine & journal reading. I still receive quite a few magazines as (free) print subscriptions, instead of those increasingly popular digital editions. (I do plan to have a private library, after all.) One occasionally comes across worthwhile nuggets of information even in "fluff" magazines, and there are a few publications which still bring a hefty plate of solid articles and readily digestible blurbs. Without further ado, here are a few orts that caught my attention.

A Periodicals Brief

The December 2016 issue of Cigar Aficionado had a nice little Good Life Guide article on collecting maps with a couple links to check out:

1) The web store of The Map Man, a fellow named Murray Hudson, who "owns the largest private cartographical(sic) collection in the world" and who is also a purveyor of items of cartographic interest. www.antiquemapsandglobes.com.

2) An online Antique Map Price Guide published by Marti & Curt Griggs. www.collectingoldmaps.com

I love cartography (this rather goes hand in hand with being a history buff) and have a fledgling map collection that I hope to expand, so this was right up my alley.

NOTE: I don't smoke personally, but I have a certain fondness for pipes and cigars --- preferred vices of a favorite uncle --- as opposed to cigarettes, which I loathe, but really it's a lifestyle mag that covers more than cigar ratings.

The December 31 2016 - January 15 2017 issue of Wine Spectator had an interesting blurb titled "Clash Over Wine Merchant Shipping Laws Grows" which highlights the fight to allow interstate wine sales at the federal level, i.e., across the entire country without individual state restrictions. (Many states bar shipments of wine and other alcoholic beverages directly to consumers from sellers outside the state. Some also limit what can be shipped intrastate by local retailers just as many states had so-called Blue Laws which prevented or restricted the sale of alcohol on Sundays.) A team of lawyers is filing suits in some of the most restrictive states challenging the laws with the hope that the fights will eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

This was good to hear. As someone who enjoys alcoholic beverages, I've always thought states barring direct-to-consumer shipments from out of state merchants was a little too "self-serving." As a consumer, of legal age, I should be able to order beer, wine & spirits and have them delivered to my house, regardless of which vendor I choose. (I LOVE red wine, by the way.)

Both the January/February 2017 issues of Martha Stewart Living (MSL) and Cooking Light featured some interesting recipes that I want to try. MSL is also showcasing its American Made Awards, while the December/January 2017 issue of Garden & Gun is showcasing its Made in the South Awards. Both publications gave me a new set of places, stores, restaurants and/or goods to check out.

I'm big on supporting artisans, love slow food, local food, organic food. I support health- and environmentally conscious movements. I am a firm believer in "being a good steward" of this planet to insure the health and quality of life of future generations. So I appreciate awards series like these which shine a light on talent, craftsmanship and the desire to have a positive impact on the world around us.

Well, that's it for this edition of Periodicals Brief. 

Living #History: #BingeWatch #SleepyHollow #Kurgen #AmericanRevolution #Armory

I never particularly liked the history courses in school. History was, unfortunately, a staid subject in the hands of the old hat teachers from whom I took classes. Thankfully, I did not allow this to deter my personal perusal. I sought and read far-flung (and at times far-fetched) missives of our past. Enmeshed in journals, diaries, maps and correspondence found through my own tutelage, I became a History buff.

I am overly fond of the Gilded Age, the American Revolutionary period, and the American Civil War/Reconstruction era, my favorite trio of historical epochs in modernity. (Periods of intense struggle and periods of enlightenment & growth speak to me.) I'm the sort of geek who would participate in historically accurate re-enactments of major events. History must remain alive to us, lest we forget it, and carelessly repeat the bad parts.

Occasionally, society requires a memory jog. This may take myriad forms; some of which employ a bit of a license, as is the case with historical fiction. If reading a trumped up story about what might have been makes one curious about what actually was then I'm all for it. If being entertained by borrowed elements of history, intermingled with Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Action/Adventure, gives one any sort of clue that the History of the World is alive and ongoing, it's a win for humanity.

I am not naive enough to believe everyone is interested in History as a subject, but in order for our society to progress, in order for humans to evolve, the layman should have some inkling of History, be it only glancing. (There is a reason history is generally a required secondary school subject.) It is when we live in obtuse denial that we get into trouble.

As important as it is to understand History, there's also nothing wrong in having fun with it, which brings me to Sleepy Hollow (2013-), the television series that I started watching yesterday.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820) by Washington Irving is a favorite tale that I first encountered as a young child. I also adore the Disney animated short (1958) based upon the story, it was often shown on television around Halloween when I was a kid.

When I first heard about this new Sleepy Hollow TV series, I didn't rush to watch it, exactly because I so love Irving's short story as well as the imagery of the Disney short. I wasn't certain I wanted updated visuals (and a divergent storyline) tampering with my cherished childhood memories, so I stayed away. In the intervening years since the series debuted, I kept hearing good things about it. I became curious. When my sister mentioned she'd bought the first season of the show during her Black Friday shopping forays, I decided to take the plunge and asked to borrow it. (She loaned it to me on Boxing Day.)

I've only watched a couple episodes so far, but I'm glad I took a chance on it. It has proven to be both interesting and entertaining, which goes to show that challenging one's comfort zones can be a good thing.

An aside: Fun to see Clancy Brown, whom I've adored since he played the Kurgen in Highlander (1986) turn up in Sleepy Hollow. By the way, I'm fascinated by weaponry (and the associated defensive mechanisms), especially historical items like swords, battle axes, bows, maces, etc., and collect them. I have quite a nice little armory. I also have a particular affinity for the Scottish Highlands, in part due to my ancestry. I love the idea of the supernatural and am a rabid Sci-Fi fan, so obviously Highlander is my kind of flick.

Well, I'm off to watch the other episodes and enjoy the remainder of my holiday vacation before getting back in the saddle of the workhorse next week. Toodles!