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It has always been my parents' dream
for the family to own a plot of land
big enough to build everyone's home on.
Although it is a near impossible dream,
we talk about it often.
And SuZ knows exactly how our houses will be built.
My parents will have the grandest one of course.
With turrets and chimney and many many rooms.
This is because they often insist :
Home means always having a place for our children
With turrets and chimney and many many rooms.
This is because they often insist :
Home means always having a place for our children
and our children's children.
It will be built like a castle with plenty to eat.
Then there's the eclectic one for the eldest, Sans!
It will be old and quirky, maybe even a little broken.
Not spick and span for sure.
SuZ wants her home to be post modern in style
but traditional in substance.
And if you are confused what that is,
then you are just as baffled as me.
Shir and her family of five
will have a house with balconies all sides.
This is so she can yell at her kids
when they are outside playing,
from wherever she is in the house.
Last but definitely not least,
there's the home for Win and his family.
Masculine and sturdy,
spacious but fuss free.
It must be easy to clean!
Now, what shall we do with the spare house?
A museum perhaps?
It will be old and quirky, maybe even a little broken.
Not spick and span for sure.
SuZ wants her home to be post modern in style
but traditional in substance.
And if you are confused what that is,
then you are just as baffled as me.
Shir and her family of five
will have a house with balconies all sides.
This is so she can yell at her kids
when they are outside playing,
from wherever she is in the house.
Last but definitely not least,
there's the home for Win and his family.
Masculine and sturdy,
spacious but fuss free.
It must be easy to clean!
Now, what shall we do with the spare house?
A museum perhaps?
Yes! A dollhouse museum and guesthouse.
Where the exhibits are by friends of Sans!
And the guests, miniaturists, enthusiasts or artists.
And since I am the one dreaming this impossible dream,
the estate shall bear my name.
And whether our homes are in Suburbia heaven,
Or nestled in a mountain called Sans!
Each evening will mean a gathering of loved ones at one of our cluster homes.
Postscript:
A surprise present from Helene came on 12 April. Helene is like my sister, someone who knows what I will like very well. These six houses together with the palm plants (bottom left of 3rd last pic) and the brass statue of Lakshmi (1st and 2nd pic) were all from her. The houses are 1:144 (I think) measuring about 2" wide and high and are made in China. I love them and I intend to use them when I build the Indian home for my European architect. These houses will be used as scale models made by the architect and will be displayed proudly in the studio.
Thank you, Helene !
56 comments:
Sin duda un regalo hermoso de parte de Helen, pero la historia que has armado alrededor de esas mini casitas, es preciosa!
Un abrazo
Ok, now I know where you will put all your guests to sleep for the next years to come. Hoping they will not hurricane your bedroom ;o)
Helene definitely knows what you like, the little houses are so cute and they open too, really a lovely gift. Have a nice day, Rosanna
I wish your impossible dream will be possible one day, dear Sans:)
Beautiful gifts! The houses are so pretty.:)
And thank you Sans, for writing such a lovely story about the houses!
Suburbia Sans seems like such a nice, loving place - I never realize how brilliant my gifts are before I read about them in your posts and see what you do with them! :-)
Scale models for your European architect, (we're still in the 19th century right?) why didn't I think of that? Oh, you say I did - great!
Wonderful idea if a family really is close to each other. There is something called a "Vierseithaus" in Germany (farmhouse with four sides). One house with four equal parts for all family members.
It is a great concept ... in theory. But sadly it hardly ever works in reality.
But your dollhouses are fantastic ... and I wouldn't mind moving in there. No matter who is my neighbour ... lol.
Christine
What a lovely dream!!! And I would love to come and stay in the guesthouse/museum!!! :-)
What a sweet gift from Helene and you made another wonderful story!!
How good it is to dream and every family carries this dream, to live in harmony close to each other. Lovely gift and so nicely displayed.
Hola Sans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me alegro de tu vuelta y espero que todo te haya ido bien.
Me encanta el regalo de Helena, son preciosas y seria genial tener un pedazo de tierra grande en donde juntar las casas de todos tus seres queridos y estaria genial que el sitio se llamase como tu............pero hasta que el sueño se haga realidad, quedaran genial como maquetas de tu casa india.
Me alegro tanto de volver a visitar tu blog y ver nuevos post jejeje (....te echaba de menos)
besitos ascension
Love them all dear Sans, but the one that stole my heart was the one with the balconies---I'd use it for exactly the same purpose, to rein in my brood (of one!) from wherever I am in the house. If it ever goes up for sale/rent, do consider me! (I already know I'll love the neighborhood and the neighbors!!!! :D)
I'm glad to see you up here, where had you disappeared??
I think all parents would like to have a suburb like yours....
I am dreaming now to be part of your suburb for few days ...:) :) :)
What a lovely and warm story Sans!
Such nice gifts from your friend Helene. I sure do want to come and visit in your dream 'village' and stay at the museum/guesthouse.
Thanks for again a wonderful story :)
Hugs, Jollie
Sans you never fail to delight and entertain! The houses are such a lovely gift from Helene and the story they've inspired is a lovely gift to us from you :) What fun - and I'd like to book a room in the guesthouse too, but perhaps not in the mountain location - I think my mountain climbing days are long over!
What a nice gift. I hope everyone lives happily ever after in San's Suburbia :)
Hugs
Victoria
I fear that guesthouse must become very, very BIG - I bet we all would like to move in and share that dream... I could give your European architect some good advice - he should plan something typical for my area for you, it's called a "Klönschnacktür". It's a two-parted door, similiar like in a horse's box. You can open the top part, lean on the bottom part and talk to your neighbour, friend or whoever passes by. "Klönen" and "schnacken" are words for talking in our common dialect in Northern Germany, and those "Klönschnack"-doors are still very common in Friesian houses along the North Sea... You would like to have doors like these, especially Shir could have an eye on her children when not on the balcony but near the door (LOL).
Thank you for this (as usual) wonderful post, you made up the most fabulous utopia around this very nice gift. And best of all - your're back! I really missed you and started to worry about you because you've been quiet for some days. It was really good to hear/read from you - in any way!
Have a nice week!
Birgit
Un regalo precioso,las casitas estas
son artesanía,muy apropiadas para hacer tu escena,tus deseos son geniales,poder reunir toda la familia
alrededor de la casa del patriarca.
Quizá tu sueño se convierta algún día
en realidad.Besoooooos.
here, where you were finished! play hide and seek, in small houses? :))
I like the castle, but most of all, I love your home, especially because no will ever be clean, like mine! :))))
if my mother reads this post, began to cry ... she only has two children, me and my brother, and both live away from her ...
unfortunately, life forces us to make bad choices for the family, but your dream is great!
kisses, and take care of yourself!
Caterina
This is a very sweet story and lovely photos. Helene is a really good friend! You are lucky! :-)
Gracias Rosamagarita!
Yo estaba leyendo su blog ayer, pero no pudo dejar un comentario. Se han publicado acerca de la planta de su madre y un lindo vestido rosa. Se han preguntado si había demasiados rizos? Yo quería decirle el vestido era perfecto y no tenía demasiados rizos! :)
Abrazos y besos
Tee hee, Rosanna. Tell me which one will your prefer? Sleep with me in the next room or sleep with dollhouses and all things mini ? My guestroom is so small after I put all the dollhouses there, I am surprise there was no tsunami , just a hurricane!
I am missing you loads, my dear friend. When I was walking to work this morning, I was thinking about how good it would be to see and chat with you again. I actually thought about taking another European holiday.
Last night I started my email to you. It's not complete. Will do so by tomorrow. It's Vesak Day and a holiday tomorrow..yippeeee, more time for minis :).
Thank you, sweet Ewa :).There is actually one way we can do this. It's if the whole family relocate to another country like maybe a remote part of Indonesia where the cost of a few hectares of land plus construction of 6 houses with a landscaped garden equals to the price of 2 houses in Singapore. Construction time may span years though :) and I am not sure if we will have internet services. No contact with all of you??? Nawwwww.. I don't think so :)
Hi Sans!
So adorable and perfect tiny houses! Just Love them! Your Friend knows what you like!
In the "daydream travels" of mine to different countries, it is good to know that you have this Guesthouse! Who knows if you find me sleeping there one day ... I am having my Pillow with me :)
to dream an impossible dream....well I have already a plce to stay when I visit you...I love the mountain display
hugs
Ana
If the world was tailor-made to Sans, would certainly be a better place!
But now I am calmer, now that I know that there is a small town quite fitting to my friend :-)
Lovely, lovely houses !!!
Mini hugs,
Flora
Love this post and those houses!
Hi Sans,
Loved the story and the wonderful houses!They are all so unique. May your REAL DREAM become a reality in the near future.
Love and hugs
Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Helene :) and hee hee hee :). You know the bit about you and I thinking of using the houses as scale models ...that was a typo mistake. Meant to write that you are like my sister etc.. and when I edited that paragraph I forgot to delete the words "(Helene and ..." . I have deleted it already of course.
And I think the statue is not Lakshmi but Kali . I just saw that the Goddess is standing on someone and this is a typical pose of Kali who has a very ferocious expression. But yours is very gentle, thats why I thought it was Lakshmi. You have one right?
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. I need a Lakshmi (maybe I can bash your Kali? kidding) for the Rolla's kitchen :) and I think I have one in my stash.
Christine, I must agree that living with family members can be very very trying:)! I told my mum when I was 12 that I would move out when I turned 18! Haha! And I did when I went to university :).
Even now, I don't think I really want to live with my family members under the same roof although I have lived with my sister SuZ before and for a very short stint, with my bro Win :). That is why we thought it best that we have our own houses but close enough to each other.
I googled "Vierseithaus" and you know what? It is as SuZ has envisaged for us. Houses in a circle with a common courtyard where we will have a dining room. :) But in reality, apart from my bro Win and his family, we all live within walking distance of each other already :). And still we don't see each other everyday ! LOL!
Margriet, not only are you welcome at the museum/ guest house . I too will gladly put you up in the eclectic old house of mine :).
Thank you Drora :). In a way, our dream is coming true as my sis, Shir has just moved into the "neighbourhood". She is now about a 15 minute brisk walk or jog away :). Now if Win and his family will move closer, our dream will be sort of complete.
But on Mother's Day, my mum was just talking about this "plot" of hers again. She wants to move to a remote part of Singapore as land is cheaper there!! But I don't want to move out of Little India!!! :)
Ascensión Hola! Estoy muy contento de volver y ver a todos mis buenos amigos (como tú, mi querido Ascensión) aquí! :) Acabo de visitar su blog y ver sus características del agua de nuevo. Usted es mujer increíble, querida! Me encanta el amor los amo:).
He estado trabajando en mi casa india el fin de semana. No estoy seguro de si yo sé cómo hacer cualquier otro tipo de casas ahora! :):)
PS I write "water feature" in English that translated funny. I meant to say "little water fountain"?
Besossss :)
Gagan :) you must meet my sis, Shir. I think in some ways you are quite alike ;). I was just at her home on Saturday . They live on the 3rd floor and her apartment has 2 balconies, one from her bedroom and the other from the living room . Her kids and I were swimming at the pool at the courtyard and she was "spying" from the balconies every 15 minutes and a few times, she was talking to us from where she was..lol!
I had been busy with our General Election, dear G . I volunteered for one of the parties so had little time for anything else except work , running and getting ready for a dance competition! tee hee :). I even missed the royal wedding but actually, even if I had plenty of time, I am not sure if I want to watch Kate and Will (;p) on TV kissing at the balcony oops, did I just mention balcony again? :)
Oooooooh Eva, I am sooooooooooo excited!!!! When can I tell the world ?? (Ok sneak preview here:) You will get to visit allllll of us if you want to but the eclectic house is yours ! Mi casa es tu casa, dearie!
Jollie, a huge welcoem mat has been laid outside each house for you as well.
Another dream of mine is that I will get to meet all of you some day. And that dream is being fulfilled more and more each year :)!
Ok Norma ! Suburbia here we come! :)
Victoria, thank you :). I think we will live happily ever after :)
Birgit, it is blog friends like you who will keep me blogging and who will make me come back no matter what :). How can I bear staying away for long? ;)
I have googled Klönschnacktür too and I LOVE IT! Isn't it a great kind of door to mini? Will you build one just like this in your tower?
You know Nathaniel, Shir's youngest is so small and very cheeky. I am not sure if Shir can find him if she looks over a Klönschnacktür :). teehee :) but I think it is a great idea. I tell you if I show this to my mum, she will insist we build the Klönschnacktür for all our homes at Suburbia Sans! :)
I love how I have learnt so many building terms in German with this post :).
A great gifts from your friend. I love it!!
Querida Maria Luisa,
Mi madre me llamó ayer y me dijo que me había perdido:). Me pregunto que todavía me dicen que me extrañaba, si se quedaban cerca. jajaja
Creo que voy a ir a tomar un café con ella este fin de semana:).
abrazos
Jennifer, Helene is indeed a sweetie and a dear friend :). Lucky lucky me :)
Kikka, I hope to meet at least 3-5 mini friends every year whether it is at their home or mine. It is just about will and some part destiny. I look forward to meeting you and your pillow. :):)
Ana, I can totally understand why you like the mountain pic. The article on Portuguese castles you sent me blew me away. And so many of them built in the mountains.
Although I don't live in the mountains, my address has the word "Mt" meaning Mount on it. teehee :) so I think you will like it too :).
Flora, I am glad the world is not as I will want it or they will be no surprises, ups or downs :).
I often think it is best when we don't get our way, that's when we get creative ! :) Of course, then we have reasons to grumble as well. hahaha. Some grumbling is good for the soul I think.
hehe..must be getting sleepy again :)
Thank you Heather!!! Good to see you again after so long!
I will check out your blog tomorrow :)
Hi Norma Soulet! :) These houses are quite unusual aren't they? I tried to google to find out more but could not find anything ! :).
Helene is just such a sweetie to give them to me.
Thank you Kathy (WLW) :).
Ah, Sans! I see I am lat to come and comment... I read this post the other day and was very moved by the dream to be close with family... but not too close! Do we all dream that dream? Some days we want to have the comfort and familiarity... but others we want the anonymity and independence! My family is "clustered" in areas very far from me.... but they used to be clustered near me.... they have been migrating to the Southwest and the Northwest of this huge country! But I don't want to go where they now live... so there is a very big distance of Thousands of miles between us! Alas... the common neighborhood is such a lovely dream!
And Helene is SUCH a wonderful friend! Those little houses are so sweet! and they OPEN UP!!!! As you know.... I love architecture.... my Daddy is an architect.... I would not be able to choose a favorite house.... and I wish we could relocate to Sans Suburbia and share our creative mini worlds!!!
As for traveling..... you have a welcome mat at MY door any time you are in this part of the world! :)
UWAHH you are back!! i wondered where you went to, somehow my chrome didn't refresh (i checked yesterday you were still at the cactus post L:( ) and now i see TWO POSTS!!! i chope one room in the guest house hokays.....
son una monada. yo tambien tengo de esas.
besujis!!!
Too bad it turned out to be a Kali and not a Lakshmi, I hope you find one for your Rollas! After reading what you wrote, Polly Line is now even more happy with her Lakshmi!
These are so cool. I had just seen a tiny house like this at a thrift store, but, couldn't think of what I could do with it, so I passed it up. After reading your post, now, I wish that I had bought it. :)
How sweet of Helene to send you these. :)
We've often gone camping with my husbands entire family and have quite a compound fo assorted tents and what not. We call it Chimplex Complex. ;)
Bets, one more similarity for us, we both have an architect in our family :). Because my sis was in architecture school in the uni, I too have many architect friends :). Although Architecture was my 3rd choice for uni (we have 4 choices, if we don't get our 1st choice, we go to our 2nd or 3rd or 4th), it was the choice made with love. The 1st and 2nd were what my parents wanted. :)
Even today, I am still interested in the subject of architecture. I think that's why I love dollhouses with the passion of a volcano :). It encompasses architecture.
And yes, the houses open but I will have to be an ant to be able to build anything for the inside.:)
You know, at various points of time, me and my sisters have thought of migrating to another country but its the family that's keeping us here. Thank goodness Singapore is such a small country :) so we can still live"near" each other no matter where.
Cindy, one room in the dollhouse is permanently yours if you will honour us with being the curator of the museum :).
En realidad, Virginia? Usted tiene las casas también? Usted debe mostrar en tu blog! ¿Tiene algún otro dato acerca de estas casas?
Even as we type, dear Helene, I have already found a Lakshmi in my stash :) and yes, I think next to Ganesha, Lakshmi is my favourite Indian deity so tell Polly to treasure her :).
Also, I was looking at your Kali and I really like the intricacy. The statue is made in Thailand and I think the Thai people made her wear a very benevolent expression.
I am quite excited at making an architect's studio for the next house, Indian style ;) Thank you, dear friend for the inspiration :).
How fun to be camping at the Chimplex Complex :). The weather in Singapore is so hot (and mosquitoes too) that camping is usually not very feasible here.
I am watching Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves on HBO now. My goodness, what a dork Kevin Costner is as Robin Hood! They will be playing the Russell Crowe version next. What a contrast! :)
curator huh! sounds like a lot of research and hard work T-T :P *lazy*
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