THE IRISH CASTLE & DOLLHOUSE STORIES

The Irish Castle is celebrating its 125th year

I grew up in the neighborhood where the Givens Castle sits majestically on a hill

I lived in this old Chicago neighborhood for 20 years

and never went inside the Castle

The Castle has had several owners over the years

It is now owned by a Church

On my recent trip home

my good friend was able to get a tour inside!

I was so excited

These are some of the Pictures of the Castle

from past years

It was a family home

Givens the original owner, a Irish Gentleman

Had many lavish parties, I also found out that the dungeon of a basement once held a Grand Ballroom and beautiful dance floor

I remember the wooden structure on the side

it was a sleeping porch

The Castle was built on a hill top, as with all Castles they can survey the land and see the enemy approaching

Givens had several amazing stained glass and handpainted windows

in the Castle

The Family Crest

Most of the moldings and fireplaces

and the staircases

still remain

the passage way to the Turrets was a hole in the ceiling

and my very serious tour guide

did not seem willing to give me a boost up into the ceiling

and just looked at me funny when I told him that is where the

Dragons lived

but the original rooms have been taken out

to open the space into a large room for the Church

at the top of the stairs a narrow hallway that leads to bedrooms

is now used for storage

the caretaker lives in a 3rd floor apartment

As excited as I was to see the inside of the Castle it was kind of a let down

I prefer my stories of the Irish Castle

As I came in the front door, I would be greeted by an Amour Knight in Pink Metal

Castle Kids would be playing with cats and dogs

and the Purple Princess Dragon

would be licking the faces of the smiling children

and offering rides on her great winged back

and the Beautiful Court Ladies

would promenade through the Velvet Halls

My visit to the Irish Castle will always be special

but I still love all the stories and legends

that I made up about the Castle

Also while in Chicago, I found some pictures of my Dollhouse

from the early 50's

I still have most of the original furniture for the house

and after all my stressing over painting and renovating the house

I feel I have done her proud

my paint job looks almost the same

That is what I love about going home, you always find or see great things

that leave you with a feeling

of happiness!

A WEEK IN THE WINDY CITY

It is always a sweet feeling to return to the old neighborhood

and be greeted by old friends

that are part of my family

Alice in Wonderland Dolls

Courtesy of Grace Hamper (Mom)

My Mother and I have always had a love of doll Making

The family home never looked so lovely

dressed in every shade of green

I set off to visit friends

The Irish Castle

but that is another story

Friends that I grew up with, now live in the same cottages

sitting on the porch

talking about the neighborhood

Many of my friends have adorable old homes

and it is fun to visit

I spent a day in the Great City

Where the hustle and the bustle

and all the fabulous windows

as I wandered about the city

I noticed most people were looking at their phones

not noticing what a beautiful day it was

the best way to walk around Chicago is with a bag of Fanny Mae Chocolate

in hand, phone off!

the River winding out to Lake Michigan

Street Art is everywhere

a Metal Moose?

tulips were in full bloom

and the Chicago Water Tower, was a shinning beacon amongst all the steel and glass

After a long walk, I stopped at The Drake Hotel for afternoon Tea

The shops in the Hotel Lobby were fascinating, beautiful faeries

The Palm Court was dark and cool and quiet

the perfect place to relax

before heading back to the family home

and a big dinner with old friends

Back in Central Florida

the peaceful lakes greet me

and I love visiting up North

But I always love coming home

I guess I'm now, a true

Floridian

MOTHER AND CHILD

This was the picture I used for inspiration for my Mother and Child Collection of Dolls

Me and my daughter Wilhelmine

She is grown now and lives in the big city and has her own life

I kept thinking about all the Mother Daughter things I use to do

Ballet Classes

Swimming in the ocean like mermaids

Seems Mother and Children are everywhere I looked

Then I remember the distance

between us

and how I can't wait to see my Mom

When we can all be together again

I'm off to Chicago for a week, to visit my Mother and family

Happy Mother's Day