Decades ago, when my cousin Amy and I were first allowed to take a city bus to the local mall without our moms, we each purchased 6 inch tall anthropomorphic pigs. These tiny stuffed creatures instantly enhanced our adolescent once-a-year-at -Thanksgiving cousin relationship as we spent several subsequent holidays building their worlds.

We made clothes, furniture, rooms and accessories for each of them and even began a newspaper dedicated to the pigs’ activities. Looking back, I think those pigs were a safe way to stay both a tomboy and young–after all, they were pigs, not dolls!

Recently, the desire to build a world in a small scale returned. I spent lots of time on the internet, exploring the incredible creations of miniaturists all over the world. I’ve been in complete awe of the artistry and perfection of the dollhouses I’ve seen and overwhelmed by the time and money that must go into them. I know my limitations–precision and large budgets are not in my wheelhouse.

Then one day I saw it online: the Mouse Mansion in Amsterdam. Built over four years by Karina Schaapman and currently displayed in the Children’s Library in Amsterdam, this wonky, quirky, messy creation instantly ticked all of the boxes and I knew immediately that this was the style I wanted to adopt.

It’s a world of make-do, of crooked floors and peeling paint, of questionable scale and anything goes. It’s a miniature mansion that speaks to me in so many ways and building something similar is my new obsession. This blog will document my progress as my own Mouse House comes together.

And take note….I still won’t play with dolls!