The Haunted Dollhouse

Happy Halloween bloggess! May you give out tons of little cock (the bird, get your mind out of the gutter) shaped candies!
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Oh – and “Insomnia” by Stephen King.

Yeah, yeah ,go ahead and judge, but he DOES tell a good story.

Hope your spirits lift soon.

See what I did there? NO? Okay.
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Don’t have da sads, Bloggess lady! We love you, Bloggess lady!

I offer you flesh face meat skull to admire, Bloggess lady? It cheer you up? Then you have good dreams about prosciutto faces? Bloggess lady?

http://www.badmamagenny.com/2011/10/27/boo-mama-genny-the-flesh-face-meat-skull-or-well-hell-that-pretty-much-says-it-all/#axzz1bwGd1syH

Yay, I fixed everything! And also, have developed a pervasive speech impediment named after you!

You are really moving up in the world. Bloggess Lady.

Bad Mama Genny
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Have you read anything by Poppy Z. Brite? Or Caitlín R. Kiernan? Their horror stories are pretty good.

I love your doll house, Jenny. I wish I had the dedication to do something like this!
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That is amazing. It’s like all of my nightmares took over my biggest dream (Barbie’s Dream house).
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Ammmaaaazzzzing!!!!
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That is A MAZ ING.

Is there a beating heart under the floor boards?

(Holy crap. I can’t believe I forgot that one. Adding it to my MUST-ADD list now. ~Jenny)
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I’m just positive this will end up in the Smithsonian one day.
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Hi Jenny!
I was wondering, are there any Coraline references in your dollhouse? I’m sure there must be, as you and Mr. Gaiman are such buds.

PS, I had a dream with you in it last night. You were wearing a confidence wig, that’s how I knew it was you. You had taken over a commuter train on its way into a city by virtue of your awesome superpower (you could shout so hard you reduced men into fine powder, but only men). I was really glad that you had, since the train was moving fast, so it meant I was going to make my appointment.

I am not even making this up, I really did have this dream. I like to think it was my subconscious reaching out and giving you a fist-bump.

How the hell did I never see this before? That’s a kick ass haunted dollhouse! Thanks for sharing.

The Death Gate Cycle series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Definitely heavier into fantasy than horror but there’s some pretty creepy stuff that happens, none the less! I love them dearly.

I agree with StephanieC… Insomnia is one of my favorites!
No need to defend Mr. King, the man knows what he’s doing

Happy Halloween! Hope your weekend goes well and you are feeling better. Amazing Doll house!
Phantasm (movie)- stainless steel flying sphere in a mortuary still haunts me to this day…every time I a see a stain steel flying sphere that is…joy.

Is Pet Sematary in there because that movie still scares the bejesus out of me.
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Happy Halloween! I’m pretty sure you’d love these: http://www.brickels.com/gallery/index_buildings.html
We had one of these in my house growing up and I was pretty sure tiny little ghost people lived in it. I even set up our video camera one night to try and catch them.

I’m currently loving the Abarat series by Clive Barker. Not his usual horror stuff at all.

I imagine I could spend a few hours staring at the pics of the house trying to name the story. Can I tell my boss it’s your fault I’m not working?

The Stand is why I cannot drive through tunnels without having a panic attack. The Handmaid’s Tale (not specifically horror, but certainly horrifying) kept me from using my ATM card in stores instead of cash for several years. I should probably find some things to read that don’t add to my neurosis!

Beautiful house. Thank you. The scariest horror film I ever saw was The Innocents, with Deborah Kerr, based on the novella, The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, which I read, trying to figure out what the hell happened. I could not figure it out, which, I guess is why scholarly types love it, though it IS a ghost story. I saw The Innocents again recently, and was still scared. The Others, with Nicole Kidman, also scared me, and I had heard it was somehow vaguely based on the James thing…but…well, no. I don’t buy that.
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That is like a work of art. I think you should curate a novelty museum of haunted things. It could be a tourist attraction like those wax museums only way less creepy.
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I now think you are even more awesome. Since you love minis, you may enjoy this virtual exhibition I curated when I worked at The Kruger Collection; a museum of miniature furnishings and decorative arts: http://krugercollection.unl.edu/gallery/simpleviewer_v17/gallery.html
Each image will link to an object description, detail shots of the furniture, and a quicktime movie that allows you to grab and turn the objects and watch them animate their functions: such as a concertina-action card table folding and extending. I got to be pretty good at stop-motion after this. I was almost tempted to have little skeleton warriors make an appearance.

Every now and then I think ‘How did the Bloggess become so famous?’
And then you post shit like this.
And I remember.
Because you are a GENIUS.
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I’m in the middle of Lovecraft’s “At the Mountains of Madness” right now and it is buh-lowing my mind.

I was obsessed with the movie/book The Dollhouse Murders when I was a kid. For serious.
Which is really weird considering I hate all things scary now. Maybe that’s why?!
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The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I prefer it to all her Vampire stuff. Witches, ghosts, and assorted creepiness in New Orleans (which is creepy enough by itself), plus some good smut to boot.
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Wonderful! So creative and imaginative. Loved all the pics! (You’re probably right about cutting out all those tiny tarot cards!)
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I’m pretty sure American Horror Story deserves a Cameo in that creepy little house! I’ve never really liked horror until just recently. It all began when I started watching Supernatural and I realized “hey, this is about ghosts and poltergeists and shit, and I’m not scared!”
Then my wonderful boyfriend drug me to see Paranormal Activity…and let’s just say if you can sit through that whole movie, you can watch any level of horror.
So now I’m completely obsessed with American Horror Story…and I think you should make a creepy latex suit guy to stick in there!!
http://eatwatchrun.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/2011-08-22-american_horror_story-533×394.jpg

The dollhouse is STUNNING! Do you make all the dolls, furniture, and accessories yourself? What an extraordinary project.

Are there any Coraline references in there? I find the Other Mother with the button eyes particularly horrifying.

(I’ve made, collected or bastardized all of the pieces in the house, but only a few are completely made from scratch. For instance, I bought the witches head and hands already cast, then I made her wig, body, and clothes. But Ichabod Crane outside the window was bought pre-made. And all of the really intricate furniture pieces are bought. The house itself was built from a kit (it took me a year to build it) but I bastardized it so much it’s almost unrecognizable from what it was supposed to have been.~ Jenny)
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The Ring. Creepiest movie ever. Period.
Oh, and The Raven, High Tension (excellence in gore), MINE (Robert McGammon), The Picture of Dorian Gray…shall I go on? But I swear if there is one thing in there from that hommage to crap, Twilight, I will personally find that house and destroy until it changes it’s basic makeup to a liquid. Then I’ll throw you down, grab your hair and call you Sally. I’ll do it. Don’t test me on this.

I think that just about covers it…

Hmmm…horrror/fantasy suggestions, huh?

If you’re including classic Fantasy, how about Mrs. Who’s glasses from A Wrinkle in Time? On the horror side, I was always freaked out by the images of Gary Oldman (in Bram Stoker’s Dracula) licking the blood off of the razor and later floating outside the window. Haven’t seen it in 10 years and it still creeps me out.

Your magnum opus?
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Every time I look through those pictures, I find more and more literary awesomeness. These pictures make me #FuriouslyHappy. Thank you.
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My very favorite (possibly first) fantasy book that I read as a child was Timothy and the Two Witches by Margaret Storey. I want my very own tree that grows cakes in my kitchen. And I want my bed to turn into a boat every night.

I read a Stephen King short story, The Boogeyman (from the book Night Shift) when I was 10 or 11…still creeps me out to this day. Probably because, like in the story, my sisters and I had a closet door that was always popping open…just a crack.

Have you ever read “The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty” by Anne Rice?? It was the most FUCKED UP book I’ve ever read in my entire life! I read it when i was about 22 years old and it made me realize that there was so much more to sex than I had even known. I will never be shocked by anything again after reading that book. There are two more in the series and I think I am only just now mature enough to read them.

My first two thoughts for additions were (i) windchimes from The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and (ii) popcorn on the stove like in the original Scream. But maybe those are too modern/not classic?

Also, PLEASE tell me you are watching American Horror Story on tv. It is the creepiest show in the history of television.

LOVE the dollhouse!

I’m so sorry that you’re battling depression. It is a ruthless enemy. I fight it, too. Had a bit of a setback this week, but I’m on my way back up.

Last spring I read Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. It is now one of my favorites. I really illustrates that it takes a village to raise a child and not everyone in that village has to be alive. Or human. I cried at the end of that book, but not because it was sad (it was a little bittersweet), but because it was over.
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Oh, and I know it’s not exactly Horror, but the kids book A Wrinkle In Time is seriously freaky. A brain kidnapping people and enslaving the kids who come looking for them? Yikes. Seriously warped for a little kid.
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This haunted house of yours reminds me of how little I do. Thanks for that.
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You are brilliant! My mind boggles at the brilliance of you. I may have missed it but are there any Elder Gods running around in your haunted house? Cthulu would be right at home there.

@Samantha – Ye gods! You’re right about “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Anyone who wants to get seriously creeped out can read this: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/wallpaper.html
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It’s not scary, but I loved the YA book “Summers at Castle Auburn” by Sharon Shinn and read it like some sort of fanatic. I didn’t spot golden shackles or a gold key in your dollhouse, but tons of other literary allusions. Lovely!
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Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Wizards, vampires and zombie dinosaurs. What more could you need?
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The swan bed from Children In The Attic. That was the scariest book I ever read when I was a kid. A mother who locks her kids in the attic and poisons them to death…all while sleeping in a fancy bed?

Or…

Anything from Neil Gaiman’s Coraline…which was the scariest book I read as an adult. People with button eyes living in a super spooky mirror of your own world. I couldn’t sleep for days.

Love the house! I read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson to my daughters at bedtime. I’m already saving up for their therapy.

I have a book coming out next May, The Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide. Would you like an ARC to learn how to find ghosts yourself?
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Definitely The Shining and Children of the Corn
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You know… Ms Havisham at her dining table with that rotten wedding dress and one shoe is also a strikingly terrifying image in my head. So Cthulu or Ms Havisham

And now 7letterDeborah is my favorite, because we posted the same thing at the same time.

I was looking for a Psycho reference in the house, maybe with Copurnicus as Janet Leigh, and Posey as Norman. Then just for shits and grins, Beyonce outside the window dressed as The Raven.
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What a super idea! I love it. Stephen King has been my go to author since I was a teen, so I guess my little brain is thoroughly twisted!

Two more- from above – Lois Duncan (I can’t believe I forgot that one!) and as others have said, Shirley Jackson.

Definites.
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Have you or Hailey ever read “Bony Legs”? It was my FAVORITE book as a child. It’s a scary children’s book. It’s about a witch who lived in a house that stood on chicken feet. You should check it out…..

My co worker emailed me about cool dollhouses first thing this morning. And I was all “OH! Do you know about the Bloggess?”

And she was all “What’s a Bloggess? I don’t know these new blog terms.”
And I was all “It’s a who. You’d love her. Read this: *link to ‘Pick Your Battles’*”
And she was all “BWAH HA HA HA!” with coffee leaking down her chin.
And I was all “SEE! anywho, she has a dollhouse.” So I scrolled ALLL the way down your twitter feed to the link to the dollhouse picks, sent them to her, only to see that you just posted this.

Bottom line. You owe me an hour for the twitter stalking. And my coworker some coffee and a keyboard. She’ll take payment in the form of dollhouse advice.

Also. I’m sorry to hear about your depression. You make all of your readers furiouslyhappy, so let’s just hope karma is real.
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I’ve been obsessed with your awesome doll house for years. My obsession has now expanded to include the plexiglass box. Where on Earth did you get that thing and how can I find one for my own dollhouse?!

(Victor had it made for me at a plexiglass store for Mother’s Day last year. They added a plexiglass door in the back so that I can open it and move things around. It keeps the cats out, but it attracts dust and fingerprints like mad. ~ Jenny)
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That house is freakishly amazing! As for scary books… Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. Anna, the leading ghost, was murdered when she was a teenager and now she brutally murders anyone who enters her house.
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Can I just say I am in love with your doll house. I love whenever you post pictures of it, I could spend hours looking at them. I’m amazed at all the things you have created for it. That dollhouse is truly an amazing piece of art.
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SO. BADASS.

Holy shit Jenny you are amazing. When I was a kid my parents promised a dollhouse if I kept my room clean for a week. I did and they upped it to a month because they hadn’t expected me to manage it. I did. My mom claimed it was 6mo/1yr or something like that. So I got pissed off and quit keeping it clean. I’ve always wanted to have my own big dollhouse to decorate up in miniature.

I saw Fawkes and doubted myself until I saw you mention “fantasy” books along with horror. Sly. The room with the pumpkin-headed man sort of looks like the attic in Charmed.
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oops… typo on “voice”

that’s freakin fabulous…. I wish I had skill enough to make something like that.. I’m super jealous! My first horror movie… “The Candyman” … bees are creepy, ok.
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My therapist would give you kudos for having a hobby while depressed, even it does include imagery of death….

Exquisite and awe inspiring. It’s gorgeous and I want it, or I want to be able to admire it close up and squee over little details.

Also I don’t know if you’ve read any John Bellairs books? His books are aimed at the young adult market but I found him by accident when I was a teen and fell in love with not only his ability to write stories that made my skin crawl and leave the light on, but for his ability to write coming of age stories about awkward teenagers at the same time!

Worth a look if you want a creepy story that isn’t as heavy as some adult books.
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Book that you need in the library: The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs.

This is simply amazing! I’ve always been fascinated by dollhouses and miniatures, but not enough to really get into them– so many of them are so twee. This totally rocks!

LOVE IT!! Seriously, it is AMAZING

You probably have this….but…..IT.

Seriously, clowns are scary – but killer zombie clowns are scarier…(zombieland, funniest zombie movie I’ve seen so far)

You need an old antique wheelchair in the attic along with a red an white rubber ball sitting in it for the best ghost movie ever THE CHANGLING starring George C. Scott. Love the house by the way I always wAnted to do one up like that.

Another of the many, many reasons I have a Girl Crush on you. I love that you have found a way to express your darker side without being dark (even though I know you are depressed), you know what I mean?!?!? Hope the funk (what I call depression) passes soon!

I know it wasn’t the most popular of movies – but Bedknobs and Broomsticks was always a favorite of mine as a kid – the trippy flying bed, the animals of Naboombu and of course, the reanimated suits of armor, which fight back the Nazis. If you don’t know this film – you certainly must watch. And I think it’d be the perfect edition to your “haunted” house.

One of the scariest books I ever read was Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination (available on Kindle too) – short horror stories from Japan, where things are just weird in general. The Human Chair and The Caterpillar are two tales that have stuck with me since I was young. Perhaps your dollhouse could use a human chair…. yeah, it’s as creepy as it sounds.

By the way, I meant to mention Terry Pratchett. Any of the Discworld books would do, but his series on Tiffany Aching, young witch, is particularly appropriate (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight). Also the Lancre witches (see Equal Rites). I also enjoy Sharon Shinn and Joanne Harris (Chocolat et al.).

The carpet from Clive Barker’s _Weaveworld_ would be an awesome addition, though I’m not sure how you’d do it. That book scared me on a much deeper level than most horror.

Can a haunted dollhouse be delightful? Because I’m in delighted aw over this whole thing. You’re super talented.
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How about a Langolier eating through something. Or a Tremor coming through the ground?

I read Stephen King’s The Mist…. a short horror story where this dense fog envelopes an entire town — and then eats people. I was young and developed an irrational fear of fog. Needless to say, your photo of the Haunted Dollhouse captures that foggishness perfectly. I’m now curled up in a fetal position under my desk.
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Do you have a Pet Cemetary? That scared the poop out of me when it came out. Stephen King himself scares the poop out of me normally, he’s one messed up dude.
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I came to your blog recently, so I’m still catching up on things and still getting to know you, but … can I just say … you keep getting awesomer and awesomer!

I can’t believe you know what a bezoar is. Our last gerbil was named Bezoar. I thought that outside of doctors, I was the only pedestrian who knew. But of course you knew. Kudos.

Here’s another one for you: teratoma. It has teeth. I once made a mobile of styrofoam teratomas (?). But I bet you already know all about them, too.

(I learned about bezoars from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. And I learned about teratomas from Lucy, Daughter of the Devil. I can’t recommend either of them enough. ~ Jenny)

You are a genius. This is the most amazing (and probably most time-consuming) project I’ve seen in a long time. And a pretty cool one, too.
I hope you made a list of all the references you used in the house so far so that you can keep track (and share it with us, of course!).

Holy fuck-fuck, that’s fucking awesome!!!!

I agree with Becca

– Jane Eyre. It’s supposed to be a love story (and by love story, it’s one real fucked up one). But the guys “wife” lives secretly in the house, and Jane swears it’s haunted. She (the wife) even goes so far as to attempt to burn the place down. She dies when she makes a final attempt (successful) either by jumping out a window while it’s burning, or she burns to death. I can’t remember which the book says, but the movie death is different than the book.

Anyway, the honey-do husband locks her in a room in his mansion, which she sneaks out whenever the maid gets drunk. I’d drink heavily if I had to put up with her, too. She realizes that Jane and her husband are in love, and she does crazy stuff around the house in secret, trying to drive Jane away.

I’m sure you’ve read the book since it’s considered a classic… so I have no idea why I thought the need to rehash the whole story here.

For horror that affected me, I would say the Stephen King story ‘Grandma’. Not so much his story, but the creepy as hell short they did of it for the new Twilight Zone series in the 80′s/90′s. It was in the pilot episode and really got me.

For the dollhouse, I keep watching to see some Weeping Angels from Blink.

This is ridiculously, amazingly detailed. And it could never live in my home unless encased in glass because every item in that home is a potential toy for a certain kitty and it would all end up lodged under the fridge or stove.

Seriously, this is really really cool.
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The Creature Wasn’t Nice. It might not technically fit your theme but it is the scariest thing I’ve ever seen. Think Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba dancing and singing show tunes about eating you piece by piece. “I Want to Eat Your Face.” Gave me nightmares as a kid. If the creature doesn’t scare you the movie certainly will. It’s that bad.

Did I mention it stars Leslie Nielsen?

http://youtu.be/BEyEL-BvbqQ?t=2m24s
You can thank me later!
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No book is as totally horrifying as Pet Sematary but it is so horrifying that it has no place in a doll house…or, does it?

Your creations are amazing…but I even find friendly doll houses scary.

Happy Halloween, Jenny!
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The Haunting of Hill House. Book by Shirley Jackson and an amazing old movie. Don’t watch the remake. There are lots of elements in the movie that would be fabulous additions to your doll house, which is awesome, by the way.
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In The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, there’s a character that builds a miniature version of the circus so he can control magical aspects of it remotely. I’m picturing a miniature of him in the room, looking down at the miniature circus. IT’S SO PERFECT!

o.my.gosh. This is easily the coolest thing I have ever seen. I feel like a kid in love with a boy band. Except I am the kid and the boy band is a haunted doll house. Ok. So, with that being said, I really hate new horror movies. They just don’t have the same pizazz, and they freak me out. I do love old horror movies though. So, if you’re looking for suggestions, here you go:

1. wire hangers in the closet (Mommy Dearest)
2. animal topiary in yard (Edward Scissorhands or Shining too I guess)
3. Room 217 (or 237 if you’re going by the movie) (The Shining)
4. a Bad Seed or Omen or Evil Dead reference maybe?
5. prom crown or vat of pigs blood

Jenna
callherhappy.com
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_Boy’s Life_ by R.R. McCammon. A set of stories from the view of a 12 year old boy. The writing is excellent, the story is horror and mystery and fun.

The photos were fascinating. Love the detail. Such a great project!
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I realize I’m probably not looking hard enough, but where is the monkey’s paw, Jenny? Hmmm?

(It’s in a wooden box on the shelf. ~ Jenny)
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Wow. I am speechless. Amazing!
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If you want a scary book, read House of Leaves. It’ll FUCK YOU UP. I actually got dizzy while reading it, which is not something you can say for many books.
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I’ve been afraid of closed closet doors, raggedy ann clown dolls and puddles of water in those big concrete parking garages ever since I saw the Poltergiest series.

I am sad to hear you got that depression thing to shake … Chin up and hang in there. Your dollhouse is just amazing. I have been following for a while, so I am always happy to see updates on your progress.

I am in love with this dollhouse. There are just so many intriguing pieces in there! I didn’t spot any references to Carnacki the Ghost Hunter (one of my favorites), but I may not have been looking closely enough.

Carnacki is the subject of 6 short stories by William Hope Hodgeson, some of which result in a mundane explanation of a haunting and some of which uncover malignant supernatural forces. His electrical pentacle is used in several of the stories, and I love it as a conceit. Probably too big to be included, however, since it’s large enough for a grown man to sit in the center of it when it’s laid out.

My favorite story is probably “The Whistling Room.” PodCastle had a reading of it in October of last year, which is how I was introduced to Mr. Thomas Carnacki. I’d really encourage anybody to listen to it, it’s a great story for this time of year. I won’t spoil the ending by telling you what you could add to the dollhouse from this story.
An easy Carnacki reference to include would be the Luck Ring from “The Gateway of the Monster.” It’s a five-sided ring, sized for a man and made in a dull silvery metal. Just don’t put it on anybody’s hand unless you plan on including the monster as well. =)

I am always so inspired with your doll house. I could look at it for hours!
Your miniature places must be better than mine! You have such awesome stuff!
Someday, someday…..mine will be done…..
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Suggestion for an addition: How’s about one of those creepy syringes the Stagers use in Dark City?

Also, that thing is GLORIOUS! Well done!
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That is gorgeous and amazing.

Purple waves!

Have you ever read The Westing Game? It’s not a horror story, but there is a supposedly-haunted house that figures importantly in the beginning. Two adults tell these kids a scary story about two people who had gone into the house on a one-dollar bet, and weren’t in there for more than five minutes before fleeing in terror. One ran right off a cliff and died, and the other sits in a mental hospital staring at his hands (which were dripping with blood when he came out of the house) and saying “purple waves” over and over again.

Thanks to this story, Turtle Wexler goes into the house on Halloween, finds a dead body, and the plot begins.

It’s a fantastic book, and if you haven’t read it you should. Put purple waves somewhere in the dollhouse!

Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but when I was a little girl I had an old fashion dollhouse that actually WAS haunted. Things would move around on their own and I would see weird shadows on the back walls. Some of the shadows were normal, human shaped, but some were animals. It scared me so much that I made my mom give it away. Your dollhouse is awesome compared to that one.

I ADORE your dollhouse!!! And if you’ve never read it, China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station rocks and is quite creepy.

Dear Jenny:
Please, adopt me. I’m 14 and love Halloween, but my parents think I’m insane. The whole creepy magical aura of Halloween, or, National Cosplay Day, is my favorite time of the year completely misunderstood by my Christmas-loving (understood but still) parents. Not only is there free candy and being able to dress up like how I wish to all year long without funny looks I also get to see a more creative side of people. I read your blog often and you actually prompted me to write my own, not that it turned out well as each post leaves me with nerve-wracking pain that I am no where near the awesomeness that I see is you from the brief glimpses I get online. The dollhouse in question is something that makes me want you to adopt me, or, if that doesn’t work out, threaten Victor to be crushed to death by a giant metal chicken until you give me it.
Or just adopt me. Because that would be amazing.

If you do a tilt-shift picture of a dollhouse, does it look full-sized?

Way too cool for words. I’m a King fan, early stuff, favorite The Stand but the story that has made a lasting impression on me is Whispers by Dean Koontz. Read the book and every time you hear the song Hell Is For Children by Pat Benatar you will think about Bruno.

Oh oh oh! Something from Good Omens! But I guess an ordinary bike and an ordinary dog named Dog wouldn’t quite fit…
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“Don’t be afraid of the Dark” is a cheesy yet horrifying made for tv movie I watched in the 70′s as a kid. Yes…my parents allowed me to watch inappropriate things such as this, as well as The Exorcist and Apocalypse now….but I had 5 older sisters who taught me many things way early, and a younger brother I enjoyed torturing who had to sleep with the hall light on.

Don’t be afraid of the Dark starred Kim Darby, the guy who played Ellery Queen in the tv series, and cranky old Uncle Charlie from My Three Sons (he was the groundskeeper who knew all the secrets of the house). The premise is this: a young couple moves into an old house; house gives wife the creeps; husband has to leave on a business trip; wife decides to open tiny, boarded up door near fireplace even after Uncle Charlie warns her not to; wife ends up dragged down into the tiny door pit of he’ll by tiny little demons with sewn shut mouths!

Still gives me the creeps today. And yes, they made a remake starting Tom Cruise’s wife…..horrifying!

My boyfriend LOVES miniatures. I can’t wait to show this to him! Also: Scraps is ADORABLE.

I was always scared of “The Watcher In The Woods” as a kid, then again in college when I wrote a report on it. All you’d need to add is a triangle to one of the upper floor windows…or some paper-cut-out men… But that’s just me. And your dollhouse is AMAZING as it is.

Jenny, where did you get the original dollhouse? And do you find furniture and stuff online or in stores?

I ALWAYS wanted a dollhouse, but I think a really creepy, haunted dollhouse would be so cool and awesome. Any tips for getting started?

(I bought the Apple Blossom kit at a hobby shop. It took almost a year just to get the bones of it built. Then I started scouring antique stores, thrift stores and dollhouse shops. Also, railroad and model car shops can have some cool stuff. And wood shops for finishing, shingles, etc. There are a lot of great vendors online now that give great tips on building stuff. For example, the books are just squares of wood I painted gold and then I glued covers on them and burned the edges to make them look old. The hard part is making hundreds of them without going completely insane. ~ Jenny)
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I don’t know why, but I’ve always been fascinated by the scene in “Legend” where the girl ends up magically changing into scary goth clothes just by dancing with some freaky looking thing in a glittery black skin-suit! Maybe some doll dressed as her or someone killing a unicorn would look good in the basement of your dollhouse!
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Oops, sorry, I see that you built the dollhouse from a kit and turned into your own.

Do you remember the Trilogy of Terror shows that came on television back in the ’70′s? There was this doll with a necklace on and if the necklace fell off, it would come to life and chase whoever owned it around with a little knife or something. Can’t watch horror ever since then and it still gives me the creeps!

Also, the Exorcist scared the holy crap out of me. After someone made me watch it, I never watched another horror movie again – unless you count The Shining and other Stephen King movies, for which I make an exception. Best story teller ever.
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Just started reading your blog and I LOVE this house! It’s so dark and twisty-just like us! And is that the Pumkin King in the attic? LOVE!

You should include something from the Pit & the Pendulum and perhaps something from the Cat People! Like a mini statue of King John of Serbia (stabbing a leopard) and maybe an iron maiden!

Jenny, your haunted dollhouse is way nicer than my actual house!
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Jenny,

Have quietly lurked and laughed for a while. Amazing dollhouse– the layers of meaning and symbolism that have been laid down are impressive. It’s clear that it took years of care and thought to make. It does seem unfair that you should be talented in so many areas.

Sorry depression has you in its grip; do what you need to in order to hold on, hold out, and emerge on the other side. Thank you for regularly brightening my day with your blog.

I love Neil Gaiman’s “god” books – Anansi Boys and American Gods. Not horror, but Gaiman always explores the dark side of things. Reading is my vice ,and a book that has stayed with me long after reading is Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell. It’s not horror or fantasy, but doesn’t flinch away from the ugly, but real aspects of life, while ultimately celebrating our ability to rise above them. The movie was almost as good.

That is possibly the coolest thing I’ve seen this Halloween. I love it and wish I had one!! Great job.
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the hound of the baskervilles (does that even count as horror? clearly not my forte) I read it for school and wrote a whole essay on how it was not the dog’s fault but was all due to his upbringing…. I started to think I was a bit weird back the. my class mates agreed.
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Dear God, please tell me you’ve read the Kushiel books! Totally rocked my world, totally need to read them!

Memnoch the Devil, is the best Anne Rice book in the Vampire Chronicles, by the way.
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Oh! Alias Grace by Atwood
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Since I got married to my wife some 15 years ago I stopped watching scary movies because she is a great big scaredy cat. However, there was this space movie that came out a few years ago, Event Horizon, that we saw that turned out to be a cheesy horror/suspense flick. It gave us both nightmares for years. It may have had something to do with our washer made the exact same noise as the evil spaceship but who knows?
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Northanger Abbey

OH!! i forgot!! i also thought it would be cool to see an Alice and Wonderland reference in there!

maybe the cheshire cat? or the tiny door and a key on the table with cakes??

Just a suggestion

Love ya Jenny!!

This is freakin’ amazing. I am in AWE. Such creativitiy, talent and cursing all wrapped up in one person. You are da shit. In a good way, of course.

Suggestions? Sounds silly, but…How about a video of Michael Jackson’s Thriller on a very old TV in a corner somewhere.

Thanks for sharing Jenny!

Your eye for accessories and interior design is phenomenal. You need your own HGTV show.

Angie

P.S. Kiss the Girls (the book) by James Patterson and Desperation by Stephen King. Creepy.

This is utterly fantastic.
Tell Tale Heart by Poe would be a wonderful addition. I’ve loved that story since I was little, so maybe a lantern for it?
And absolutely anything to reference any of H.P. Lovecraft’s fine works.

Oh, for me its House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I can’t say its straight up horror but its certainly eerie and I’d give it a few points in fantasy or at least magic. Turned my world upside down.

Oh and strictly fantasy: Sabriel by Garth Nix
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God, that’s cool! I’ve always loved miniatures (ever since childhood visits to Colleen Moore’s fairy castle at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago) and have gone to miniatures shows, etc., but never really picked up the hobby. Now that I’ve seen your house I want to do something personalized like this! LOVE it.

That’s so amazing! And it’s great to hear that you have a way to cope. Hope things get better.
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You are absolutely brilliant! I hope the depressions go away soon.

OK, I don’t know if it would fit your theme but the one movie that really freaked me for some reason, and even as a little kid I could handle scary movies, not like my scarey-cat little brother, was “The Legend of Boggy Creek.” Some reason that really freaked me out.

I love this! Wow! You mentioned Ruth Chew books the other day in you Good Mom/Bad Mom post and that brought me back! I love her books as a kid! If your daughter (or you) are ready for some creepier fare, you should try out Mary Downing Hahn. I teach third grade, and I have several of her books. Seriously, they can still creep me out, even though I have read them all about a bazillion times! Thanks for being here!

For all you Coraline fans, be sure to read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Wonderful story about a baby who is raised by the ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered. Think Jungle Book, but with ghosts.

Also I love Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series. It’s a fantasy series that focuses on the fairy kindgdom and the horrible things some of the fairies do.
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Totally (1) When a Stranger Calls – was to this very day the scariest movie ever, and (2) Something Wicked This Way Comes.
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To call you creative is an understatement. Yours is the only one I’ve ever seen.

Does it have to be book references? I’m more of a movie gal and love the old horror flicks. Something in your dollhouse reminded me of the old Ray Harryhausen movies like “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad”, “Clash of the Titans”, “The Three Worlds of Gulliver”, and “Mysterious Island” and Ray Bradbury’s and Harryhausen’s “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms”. And of course Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” and “Nightmare Before Christmas”.
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I was neither here nor their about clowns growing up, but then at 18, I read Stephen King’s IT, and am scarred for life. Thankfully I’ve never cared for parades, and circuses, otherwise, that book would have killed fun for me. Oh, and I have never read Stephen King again. So from a book, I developed a fear of clowns, and Stephen King novels. Does that phobia have a name yet? I’m gonna create one, but I’m tired tonight, so I will do it tomorrow…Maybe. I’ll probably forget. I forget to do a lot.

Wow, Jenny, your haunted house is incredible! If you’re looking for any additional creep factors, might I suggest clowns? From the clown doll in Poltergeist to the clown in King’s IT, they’ve been terrorizing us all for years. But if it needs to be a pop culture reference, how about the Gentlemen from the Buffy episode “Hush”? You could include a mini music box that plays that creepy song from Buffy’s dream. *shudders* Fantastic. Now I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.

Most influential scary movie? Poltergeist, for sure. My parents showed that to me when I was five. FIVE. I think it had a big impact on my personality’s development.
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Amazing house! Have a good Halloween and I hope you feel better If I were you i’d be singing my liver off at my beautiful haunted house
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This short story is horror because it is based in reality, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It is a first person narrative about a woman’s descent into insanity, I think you’ll like it:) Thanks for the great posts!

That’s got to be one of the best works of art I’ve ever seen! All I can think of is the shower scene or the “Mother” outfit from Psycho, maybe you could tie those in? Something tells me this house will never be finished, but I assume that’s the whole point.
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Dear Blogess, the haunted house is awesome. I have a question for you completely off topic and since I could not figure out another way to get in touch wit you I thought i should at least try this way and see if it works. I would like to know if you are thinking of attempting the Christmas gift card miracle thing again this year. If you are please let me know I would like to be on your donors list.
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One of the scariest books I read growing up was The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Especially the parts where the wall in one room transformed into lips that were whistling, and where the girl thought she was holding her friend’s hand in the dark while the ghost banged on the door, but when the light came on her friend was actually across the room. Creepy!

Since you asked, have you read any of the Black Jewels Trilogy (Daughter of the Blood [Book 1], Heir to the Shadows [Book 2], and Queen of the Darkness [Book 3]) By Anne Bishop? They aren’t horror-creepy, but they are very dark fantasy. The world she built is the world I would live in, if I ever had a choice.

I fell in love with Kim Harrison’s Hollows series featuring all sorts of super natural beings/horror/drama/mysteries. It is one of the best takes on the modern vampire/witch. It changed my world view and helped me open my eyes beyond my old world view.
Also Kelley Armstrong’s Women of Otherworld is a strong series.
Thank you for being awesome. Let me know if you’ve read any of the books.
Hope you get over your depression soon. I’m trying to do the same.

That doll house is amazing!
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I personally hate scary things, but your dollhouse is pretty damn sweet.
Since we are speaking of depression I thought I should mention
that my boyf and I live 800 miles apart and occasionally fall into our own bouts of depression because I work with violent abused children and his mom just died.
During his last terrible day I said
“ooooh boyfriend, I know exactly what will make you feel better.”
And we read about Beyoncé. And then we read about the snuffleupagus donkey, and then we read about Copernicus and the weasel/snake attack and we read them out loud together which is such a vomitous thing to do (why doesn’t spell check have vomitous) but whatever fuck you judgers of vomitous behavior. We are combating depression here.
So doesn’t that make you feel better?
You might be depressed, but you helped us not to be!
No?
Well maybe you’ll appreciate this post later then.
Thanks for your amazingness.
Spell check has made it clear that half my vocabulary is made up so I’m going to stop writing now.
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Jenny,

I just read through all 287 of the previous comments, and found no mention of any of the three suggestions that popped into my head. So!… here’s three things to add to your “To Do And Freak Out About” List.

(1) “Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark”, by Alvin Schwartz. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark) I read these when I was 8 or 9. The stories were good and kid-friendly. The drawings were -not-. See the book-cover picture on the Wikipedia page? That’s -nothing-. The other illustrations will keep you awake at night. You go to Google and type “scary stories to tell in the dark”, then click Images. That’ll show you most of them. Oh, did I mention this is a “children’s book”?

(2) Fire In The Sky. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_in_the_Sky) It’s an alien-abduction movie, about a real incident in Arizona in the 70s. The first hour of the movie is no big deal. The last half hour, is the main character recounting his abduction. It was terrifying! I have only watched the movie once since I first saw it at age 13, and that was a decade later at age 23. It still scared me.

(3) Cannibal Holocaust. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibal_Holocaust) No gore/murder/slasher movie, before or since, rivals this one. Not even close. It’s so well-made, so believable, that the director was ARRESTED FOR MAKING A SNUFF FILM. The catch – it’s not a snuff film. It’s just well-done. (Side note: the last scene involves gang rape, dismemberment, castration, and cannibalism… but, because of what happened -earlier- in the movie, you can watch the scene and think “Oh, that’s not so bad”.)

Oh, and of course… I love your work, particularly your real-life stories, and I hope you get to feeling better!

–Wood

Congratulations on completing this marvelous project. It’s a wonderful achievement. Kudos kudos.
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Please tell me you have some Terry Pratchett/Discworld references in there. That house is pretty amazing, I’m in awe

This could be slightly creepier if you added a miniature Dexter Haygood.

Next to Sasquatch the Donkey.
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That is amazing. Well and truly awesome!

My all time biggest horror movie scare is that lanky haired chick who crawls out of the TV in ‘Ring’… Still gives me the heebeejeebies (sp?!)
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I love your creativity; I can think of no one else who would put together a haunted doll house!
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Amazing!
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The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (which you’ve probably already ready) helped change my world. The simple beauty of a boy living in a graveyard, being parented by ghosts and becoming a happy, well-adjusted adult was the epitome of alternative lifestyle for me.

The Chronicles of Narnia were the first fantasy books I ever read; they started my imagination bubbling at the age of 9. They were followed suit by Lord of the Rings and the Neverending Story.

You don’t have to include any of these, but if you require some extra fodder, hopefully I can provide it.

This house is absolutely gorgeous. A haunted dollhouse is such a beautifully twisted idea.
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All I can say is, the Good Lord certainly made you speical. I’m just gratetful he made you weird and wacky too.

I’ve dealt with depression (I like using the phrase “dealt with” in regards to things like this. It sounds like I put on my brass knuckles and/or ran over it with my car. My depression? It’s been…”dealt with”). It’s not fun. I hope that things will start to feel better sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, I thought this post was going to go in a horrible and scary direction – something along the lines of when my sister was a kid and so sick that she was delirious. She thought she heard her dolls (a bunch of them, all lined up along the wall) giggling and then it seemed like they rose and started to walk towards her.
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Jenny, YOu are awesome!

Seriously, a haunted dollhouse would have been the best Christmas Present Ever.

Movies or Books that gave me irrational phobias:
Poltergeist- (There HAS to be a terrifying clown doll under one of the beds)

The Stand- I cannot go into tunnels without having heart failure

Gerald’s Game…not kidding, it gave me clausterphobia and restraint terror

Salems Lot (Original)- Hang Danny Glick out one of the windows, lol

Triology of Terror- The voodoo doll thing scared the crap out of me

Original Don’t be afraid of the dark…still gives me nightmares.
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Fantastically awesome, my small peeps LOVED the pictures and advised that there is always room for more dragons (Eragon is currently a favorite story in our house).

Beyond my tiny imagination. It is beautiful. Your talents continue to amaze me. Here’s to a great holiday.

Damnit – I hit the ‘enter’ button. I also meant to say that your dollhouse is absolutely a work of art. You’ve interested me in the world of miniatures, I’ve already started making things specifically for dollhouses, and for myself. Thanks for that, it makes my days a little bit more interesting, and has made other people happy too.
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Just wondering where Copernicus is – I might have missed him in miniature because there is so much incredible detail, but if he’s not in there, he certainly should be!

This is amazing!! And it made me think of a book I fell in love with when I was in school.

It’s called “The Dollhouse Murders” and is by Betty Ren Wright.

It’s actually about a girl and her sister who witness the decades old murder of a family member by watching it being acted out in the actual dollhouse.

Just seemed somewhat appropriate. Thanks for all your awesome posts!!!

Girl – I am just fascinated by this dollhouse! I’m not really into horror that much (I have an overactive imagination and I don’t need to compound it with scary stuff), but my dad built me a fabulous dollhouse when I was a kid and in the town I grew up in there was a wonderful dollhouse shop that my mom and I would go to and buy all kinds of cool miniature stuff to fill it up with over the years. So I really appreciate dollhouses and things in miniature, and your attention to the tiniest detail is terrific.

Since I’m not much of a horror aficionado, I don’t have much of a really cool horror book or movie to tell you about. However, when I was a very young adolescent girl with hormones starting to rage through my system, I saw Dracula with Frank Langella (you know, the old guy who played Nixon in Frost/Nixon), and let me tell you, girl, back in the day (and even now) Frank Langella was the sexiest vampire on the face of the planet! I’m sorry, but neither Robert Pattinson nor the dudes from True Blood can hold a dusty, cob-webbed candelabra next to Frank Langella in the vampire dept. You need to see that movie if you haven’t already – hell, I need to see if I can rent it and watch it again myself.

If you can get a sexy Dracula doll in your dollhouse, I’ll love it even more. I hope that doesn’t make me perverted.
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On the plus side if there are ghosts in it at least they’ll be teeny.
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O…M…G… this is seriously just another reason why I love you. Love reading your blog, love your insight, and really love your twisted mind that came up with the serious freakiness that is your dollhouse.

Halloween is my favourite time of the year – ever since I scared myself stupid when reading Stephen King’s “The Shining” at age 12, horror has been a part of me. You ever read Ray Bradbury’s “Something Evil This Way Comes”? That started me on my road to spooky in my young and impressionable years. Peter Staub’s “Ghost Story” was next to perminantly align my soul to the dark.

I really hope you start feeling some of the great energy here and that helps pull you out of your funk!!!

H.P. Lovecraft!! In particular, At the Mountains of Madness and its corresponding movie, In the Mouth of Madness (scariest shit I ever seen).
Your dollhouse makes me happy. Reminds me of growing up in England and the abandoned servants quarters attached to the 300-yr-old house we lived in. The creepy cellar so deep & wide (and partially flooded) that we never could find the edges, and the cellar staircase leading nowhere… Oh, yes, we DID decorate that shit for Halloween. Oh yes.
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Love the dollhouse – it is absolutely amazing!

My favorite horror books: The Haunting of Hill House
The Yellow Wallpaper
The Monkey’s Paw
The Dunwich Horror
Phil Rickman is a really good supernatural author as well. I love everything he’s written so far.

Favorite Movies: The Shining
In the Mouth of Madness
Hellraiser (for some reason will give me nightmares every time!)

And thank you all for some great ideas for future reading!

I’ve been reading your blog for some time now and I just have to bow to your irreverent amazing funny intelligent style. I’m a single mom struggling really hard and sometimes your blog is the only thing that makes me laugh and gets me through the day. I absolutely loved your dollhouse but I have to say, the thing that scares me the most in this world is CLOWNS due to a very scary experience at my 7th birthday party. And I’m looking for a great big Beyonce to put on my front step but facing outward so everyone else can get the message.

I think I see a reference to “The Changeling” in there; great horror flick with George C. Scott. But also see so many literary references that it makes my heart happy!

Happy Halloween Jenny! I will have you know that I am wearing a necklace that says “Zombies are coming!” today…I consider it a PSA.

p.s. -always remember just how much you truly inspire so many in so many ways.

this is awesome and creep-tastic! the only things missing are a little mini Copernicus-the-homicidal-monkey and/or mini cobra/mongoose deathmatch…

Thing one: I would like to live in your haunted dollhouse, pleaseandthankyou.
Thing two: Scariest book ever… The Lottery (Shirley Jackson) although We Have Always Lived in the Castle was scary, too.

I always wanted a doll house but my dad wouldn’t build one for me, bastard… I have sons and they’d have NO interest in a doll house… but a haunted house… that ROCKS!!!

this is the most beautiful dollhouse I’ve ever seen… I’m so jealous! it’s those little touches like the snake slithering by on the floor and the dragon coop!

That has to be one of the most fantastic things I’ve ever seen!!!

i LOVE halloween! i LOVE your haunted doll house…i’m very, very jealous…thinking i should make a LEGO version? i hope you have a terrifying halloween!

Hey, you’ve always helped me when I’m battling the curse of depression. I’m sorry to see the references to depression in your blogs and admire your ability to keep on. Just the other day, my few friends were hounding me about not posting to my (boring if you don’t actually know me) blog, and I was thinking: how does the Bloggess do it?

Just wanted to let you know how much I admire you and enjoy your postings.
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Your dollhouse is awesome, and I’m glad it’s giving you an outlet to work out your glooms.

The description of the eponymous doll in Jonathan Coulton’s “Creepy Doll” is quite scary. It has “a ruined eye that’s always open” and “a pretty mouth to swallow you whole.” The song has been stuck in my head ALL MONTH. Apparently I’m ready for Halloween. xD

I don’t like horror movies as a rule, but I’ve just now realized I’m a glutton for many other forms of horror, mostly books and music. I’m listening to a song from Silent Hill 4 right now, as a matter of fact.

If you haven’t read the Shirley Jackson classic, The Haunting of Hill House, you should. Such a wonderful, wonderful ghost story—beautiful, witty, and absolutely terrifying. It is the model upon which all ghost stories ought to be based.
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I started reading the comments, but decided to finish them when I could have my Flixster and Goodreads lists in hand. Can’t let these suggestions get away without putting them on my To Watch/Read lists.
I’ve got my own suggestion for you: Marble Hornets. It’s a YouTube web series. The story has been unfolding for 2 years now, broken up into short 3-10 min. episodes, and it’s just getting better as it goes on. Part horror, part mystery, part puzzle. I recommend using the wiki at marblehornets.wikidot.com to watch it. Start with Intro and keep hitting next. You can find the decoded stuff in the text for each entry, but you can enjoy the story without them. Genuinely scary, mess-with-your-head stuff. Runs a few hours if you watch it in one sitting.

PS. http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/Artwork_Detail.asp?G=&gid=424462699&cid=148091&which=&aid=26681&wid=425787498&source=exhibitions&rta=http://www.artnet.com
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This is the kind of thing that makes my brain tingle in a good (but not sessy) way. For the same reason, I buy vintage photos of people who are probably dead. It sounds really strange to say that, doesn’t it?
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@Jennifer, Comment #347:

It’s from Ray Bradbury’s “Dandelion Wine”, and the killer is called “The Lonely One”.
Rebecca recently posted..This is Halloween:

that’s spooky

[scared emoticon!!!]

This is pretty much the coolest thing I’ve seen all month. I love it, and it made my whiny, pouty, bitchy self smile today.
Thank you!

PS, Your blog brightens my day. I’m sorry you’re depressed.

I LOVE the fairies! I agree w/ the people mentioning Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House.” The original (1963) version of “The Haunting” (based on that story) is my favorite creepy film! Also, how about that horrid creature from “Pan’s Labyrinth” that is sitting at the table and has eyes in his hands. SO DISTURBING!!!

Seriously?! Ah. Maze. Ing. I love the Coraline reference.
You have made my heart smile, once again.

I am so super stoke about this because of MANY things BUT…The Changeling is one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE HORROR MOVIES EVER!! I tried to show it at a sleep over for my 12th birthday and all my friends laughed at me because they were noobs who didn’t get it!!!

Also, is that Jack from Return to Oz in the attic!?
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Check out “Audition”. Those Japanese really know how to make EVERYTHING! lol

A typewriter with the paper in it saying, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” Sorry if this is a repeat of an earlier comment.

OMG! WANT WANT WANT WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!

This house is truly the coolest thing EVER! Thanks for sharing it with your many readers.

As to what movies or books I’ve read that made an impression…

The movie “The Ring” [American version] had me sleeping with the lights on for about a week. So maybe a well out in the yard? Or a picture on the wall with a 3D fly…? You could also get a 1958 Plymouth Fury in red to park in the driveway [from the book "Christine"].

I first found your blog in the process of Googling “taphophilia” to research my creepy childhood obsession with graveyards and came across the pictures you took of Hailey in the cemetary with the angel statue, and her talking about the “peoples” in the mausoleum. (I think Hailey must “shine”.) The photos were beautiful and the rest your blog was hysterical, and I have been a fan ever since. I am 800 shades of green with envy at your haunted dollhouse – it is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I don’t read a lot of horror, sci-fi, or fantasy (although I do have an affinity for haunted house novels), but for me the book your dollhouse most reminds me of is Among the Dolls by William Sleator (the edition with the terrifyingly beautiful illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman). I read it when I was nine, and I never played with dolls again. . .

How about a reference to Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury?
I love your dollhouse!

That dollhouse is amazing. You’ve put a lot of love and devotion into it and it shows. The tiny Ouija board on the desk by the wheelchair is my favorite part. I’m so sorry about the insidious depression; it’s like an unwelcome house guest only by house I mean soul. I hope you have some relief soon. The scariest books I ever read were Helter Skelter, Salem’s Lot, and Pet Sematary. I saw the original Nightmare on Elm Street at the drive-in when I was a teenager and I was so freaked out it gave me a stomach ache.

Is there room for a carport w/Christine in it? p.s. Just a thought – ever tried Reiki for your depression?

Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. A vampire story (written before Twilight). I never thought I would love a book that used the word “gobbet,” but I could not help myself.
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Simply amazing!
I don’t watch horror films anymore; the psychological analysis I do on myself, family and friends is terrifying enough:)
Hope your spirits lift soon; although your dark mood is well-timed for Halloween and Mexico’s Day of the Dead!
On a serious note, try yoga Jenny. It, too, is simply amazing. <3
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I haven’t watched a horror movie since I was 15… (which is a LONG time ago, but I ain’t sayin’ how long). Ya gotta be careful whatcha put in your head, ya know. Of course, with what you’ve got in there already perhaps I’m too late with a warning ;p I do love your attention to detail though, I don’t have the attention span to stick with anything I didn’t deliver or marry for 11 years.
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Please have the bulging door from The Haunting of Hill House (the 1963 version with Claire Bloom and Julie Harris). Or you could just pick out some wallpaper that somehow symbolicall indicates the simmering unrequited lesbian relationship between Claire and Julia. As you know miss smahttypants Bloggess that the movie is taken from a Shirley Jackson novella of the same name…..

Oooh, cool house. One of my fav books is The Thief of Always by Clive Barker.
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I consider my friend Beth the greatest friend ever for introducing me to your site!
I love dollhouses but spend my time writing poetry — have you seen Colleen Moore’s at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago? Yours is simply wonderful; I hear Halloween-style tinkly creepy music box tunes when I look at your creation!

Awesome doll house. The scariest story I have ever read was Dreams in the Witch House by H.P. Lovecraft. I think Brown Jenkins or the small statue of curious origin would make a wonderful addition. You can read the story here: http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/library/stacks/literature/lovecraft/novellas/dreamswitc.htm

Enjoy!

Love the dollhouse! I’m glad you mentioned it was supposed to be haunted cause frankly, it creeped me out just looking at it.

When I’m depressed I draw or paint, when I’m anxious I sculpt. Funny how we escape the psychological crap by playing with messy shit. This year I scooped the innards out of a watermelon and carved him a creepy face. It worked give it a go, it’s nothing if not tasty

As for your dollhouse…
You need a teeny sewer grate and a miniature IT peeking out. That friggin movie still scares the crap outta me.

Holy hell. How have I not heard of this blog until right now? You are brilliant. This haunted doll house is brilliant. I love that this site exists. I am so excited for a new blog to read and love!
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That is absolutely one of the most amazing things I’ve ever set eyes on. I could spend hours admiring it. WOW

((HUGS)) to you, I hope your spirits lift soon.

The house is BEAUTIFUL! I would never have enough patience for something that immaculate or that detailed. So many little parts…It really is amazing!
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I looked at all the pictures and was amazed at the beauty of your creativity (and everyone that helped you). I wish I could do something like this but with my own twist on certain things. However I do not have the space for such a project nor do I have the funds. I can understand how it took eleven years to get this masterpiece where it is today. Congratulations to you. You must love escaping to your haunted little corner of the world.
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Beautiful dollhouse! And mad propz for being able to work on it through the fog of depression.
Do you read Hyperbole and a Half? There’s a lot of that bad stuff going around lately. Speaking as a lifelong shadow-person, I’m so thankful that people are finally talking about depression and realizing that it’s an illness like any other.
Hope you will soon be out of the shadows.
xxoo

Wowzer!!! But ummmmmmm, Who dusts all of that?

If you haven’t seen Eyes Without a Face, you should. It’s seriously creepy, and there’s some great imagery that you might be able to recreate in the dollhouse of awesome you’ve got going.

I appreciate your cutting of tiny tarot cards. Happy Halloween

I’ve never been one for horror stories, but a fantasy book that I do so love is “The Empty Crown” by Rosemary Edghill (it’s three books! yay!). It is fantastic. It’s got an elf-lord in New York trying to recover his magical sword, which turns whatever human wields it into a Grendel, which eats human flesh. Quite gory and awesome. That and the whole story is awesome. So uh.. yeah.
But it changed my mind in many ways. Especially the third book, with eves, a scifi convention, and a bipolar nurse/SCA member with an awesome sword.
Shutting up now.
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ROSEMARY’S BABY!!! I would love to see the black bassinet from the movie in ;your dollhouse. Complete w/the upside down cross and maybe a butcher knife sticking in the floor next to it!

LOVE the dollhouse! Looks like the perfect home for my Elphaba doll!

And Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”…AWEsomely freaky. Haven’t seen it in years, but from what I remember, FREAKY!

Happy Samhain celebrations!

Prevail~Tattoo Girl
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I’m speechless. I grew up obsessed with miniatures and dollhouses. My grandma and I would spend all weekend on it, every weekend, for most of my childhood. I think I exploited her love for me just to fill the tiny rooms with canopy beds and victorian sofas and really real looking plates of food. When my parents finally decided that they no longer wanted three dollhouses (one had electricity that worked!) in their guest bedroom I told them just to get rid of them, but save all the furniture. I didn’t want to know then, and I still don’t know where they went, but I have a closet full of magical miniature furniture that I occasionally still go through. What really got me about this post, besides the fact that my love of dollhouses hasn’t died – is that I do something similar. Not quite this fabulous or to this extent – but each Christmas, I set up miniature Christmas scenes around the house with all the old dollhouse stuff. It makes me really happy. So did this post. Thank you.

This is incredible!!
…also, love the reminder you wrote to yourself on Twitter today. I keep “This Too Shall Pass” on my computer screen. I don’t always believe it when I need to, but I’m hoping someday I will!
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If you haven’t seen it, watch the movie The Innocents. So freaky.

Shirley Jackson – the Lottery, but really anything; that woman could freak me out without even using any scary words….just normal normal until holy sh*t, what the heck just happened, I need to lie down and cogitate on that for 6 days.

Absolutely fantastic work! I used to “make” my own stuff for my dollhouses when I was younger. But that mostly involved stealing pieces from board games, using them for my own devices, and making my parents angry that they had to keep buying new board games.

Are there Coraline references that I’m missing? I kept expecting to see a box with two black buttons, a needle, and thread…

I hope you’ve read The Yellow Wall Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman! We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson was pretty creepy, too.
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I totally read that as “miniature Victorian vampire killing kilts” and now I want to make some of those!
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first off, that dollhouse is the most awesomest bit of awesome in all the land! as for suggestions, you should either do the well from H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space, or the metal brain containing knob controlled canisters from The Whisperer in Darkness from the same author, i think those would be cool, keep being amazing! <3

Can you post a list of all the books referenced?? PUHLEASE???

That is amazing!
It isn’t horror so much as very black humour (the best kind) but that bed seems made for the Thing from Pat Rothuss’ The Adventures of The Princess and Mr Whiffle.

Perhaps Jareth the GoblinKing’s crystal ball near the tarot cards?

I assume we already have a ‘Turn of the Screw’ reference?

Fantasy wise, anything by Patricia A. McKillip.
I remember reading a book called Brainchild by Andrew Neiderman. I read it once when I was 10-13, and I could STILL give you a pretty thorough summary. I’d highly recommend a little something from the book. The main character was doing experiments on her family, so you’d probably be able to make a little something for your haunted house like the chart she used to get track of results.

Not sure if it classifies as a horror story, but Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery always creeped me out. Perhaps you could add a nice pile of stones in the yard?

i LOVE this. it is the most awesomest thing ever!

My God, I can’t make it through these ten thousand comments, I have to go to sleep before dawn! So apologies if someone has already mentioned any of these…

I don’t do horror, but I do do fantasy. However I once sat through Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and twenty years later it still gives me the willies. Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” did me in, too. Other than that? For fantasy/sci-fi, P.C. Hodgell’s Kencyrath series, Steven Brust’s “The Gypsy”, and Lisa Mason’s “Summer of Love”, though her “The Golden Nineties” might fit the theme better.

Jenny, that’s it…that does it. I love you!

I have to agree with the few others who have mentioned House of Leaves. It’s strangely hard to read, but it will change you. I mean CHANGE you. Somebody mentioned that it literally made them dizzy while reading it. I can second that.
Another freaky fantasy type book is Raw Shark Texts. I look at piles of books in a whole new way because of the imagery in that book.
Your house is amazing!

I’d like to suggest a tiny set of handcuffs one end attached to the top of a bedpost and the other dangling with red paint on it to suggest blood for Stephen King’s book “Gerald’s Game.” That book scared the shit out of me when I read it.

You know, I’ve been building haunted houses for charity for as long as have been investigating the paranormal (over 7 years now) and I’ve seen a lot of cool and simply unexplainable things, but the dollhouse just literally makes me drool with envy. I’ve been following your blog (silently…yeah, a bit stalker-ish, but in a good way I swear!) since the giant metal chicken (which, by the way, actually made me laugh out loud for the first time in months) and I simply love your writing style…but the dollhouse…that’s just cool. Really! From the guy who builds haunted houses that have made grown men wet themselves, I tip my hat to you! I love it!

Spooky looking doll house. It definitely looks nice and just in time for halloween. I wonder what would little girls say when they see this? The work is very detailed and I am sure that a lot of effort was put in to finish this. You got a keeper there and nice article.
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Happy Halloween! I thought this dollshouse was fantastic! great work!

i think a shiny red Christine car should be parked out front, or back…i never know with dollhouses.

<3 your shit!

I’ve wanted to build a dollhouse for years! Not a haunted one, necessarily, but this is really cool. I’m again inspired to work on my floorplans. Thank you!

You rock! That is just amazing!

I read a story in a horror anthology once that just rocked my world and has never, ever left my mind. The story was called “Time Heals” (I think) and it was in the anthology “Scare Care” which was put together to benefit child abuse charities.

In the story, a man whose wife is about to give birth contemplates his life of abuse under his mother. Because his mother is in the hosptial dying. When he visits her, he sees all the old bruises she ever gave him appear on her flesh one at a time. He comes to realize she was as much a victim of the cycle of abuse as he was, that she hated abusing him. He also realizes that he does not want to continue the cycle of abuse but he doesn’t know what to do about it. It reminds him of the game children have “pass it on” where you hit someone and say “pass it on” and they hit someone – he can’t figure out how to end it. His wife goes into labor and at the same time, in the same hospital his mother goes into a coma. His wife dies after giving birth to a baby girl. His mother dies at the same time. He goes home and in his grief cannot stop thinking about how hard it is to break the cycle. So he finally pulls out the scalpel he stole from the hospital and begins cutting the tendons in his hand so that he can never make a fist, all the while telling himself “time heals… time heals… heal me, heal me”

I love your dollhouse. It reminds me of my actual haunted house, where I seriously had to have a psychic come ‘cleanse’ so I can put what my husband calls my ‘biggest Halloween decoration’ up for sale!
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Just a suggestion for a book. The creepiest thing I have ever read is “House of Leaves.” Terrifying by far.

I love the dollhouse!! You should really check out A Game of Thrones if you haven’t already. I’m one percent obsessed with the series!

Well, not having the energy to peruse all 448 comments posted here, I find that some may have missed some of the most glaringly horrifice bits of “oh no … noooooo, don’t go in there peeing on the edge of your seat” dark cinematography to come to light on the face of the earth … #1 Hostel and #2 Wolfcreek (?what a bunch of silly gits to go rummaging around the outbackdownunder, at twilight, without a least a tank and a couple of AK-47′s) … which, to me, suggests that you may want to add to your ghoulish collection of hardware, in your fabulously haunted house of horrors, at least a few bloody chains and meathooks hanging from the rafters, and perhaps a fine pair of fingernail extractors resting on the nightstand … ooooh, ooooh, no wait … one of those eyelid gizmos that hold the eyes of the torturee wide open in a tragically unsuitable manner, bugged out and scared shitless, for hour upon unbearable hour, in a fixed state of rapt attention … or how about a peephole in the wall with a slimeball hunkered behind it peeking at “whatever” in an entirely unsuitable manner a la #3 Sliver … did you perchance forget about Hannibal Lecter’s “mouth sewn shut leather mask and skin bodysuit” to hang somewhere near that suspicious door leading to the cement cage in the basement. You know … just wondering and all. Hope all this creative inspiration perks you up a bit. BTW my miniature house is a lovely twee English cottage surrounded by foxgloves, morning glories and Queen Anne’s lace TIC … although it does have a ghost or two lounging in the nooks and crannies … a wee bit of dry rot mould, and some substantial cobwebs dangling from the ceiling. And that noose in the closet … just a prank … really!

have you thought about making a kids book? something like an Edward Gorey style Gashlycrumb Tinies? I think it would be wonderful and I would buy 10 copies at least. Christmas cards too… with different scenes from the house with dolls and the like? I cannot imagine that someone has not contacted you for use as a backdrop in an animated short or something. It is amazing.

Have you heard of the Grimstones? It’s a children’s puppet show about understanding death, there’s a lovely dollhouse inside a book in it. Incidentally, the lady who made the show and all the puppets is deaf. http://www.thegrimstones.com/

I LOVE this project and your blog. I am going to be sharing them both on my Facebook page. I also have an Etsy store you are going to flip for. Most of my 500 different pieces are haunted house or antique themed. They will be the prettiest and weirdest miniature accessories for dollhouses you’ve ever seen and they are super affordable. Check it out!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LDelaney
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Very impressive! – I’ve wanted to do my own dollhouse but I don’t think I have the patience for 11 years

This is an AMAZING project, kudos to you for sticking with it. We’re sharing a link to your post on our Facebook page, Halloween Every Day.

This is the most sensational thing I’ve seen this week and makes me grateful you’re alive in the world. I’m also reconsidering my family (If I’d never had children, I TOO COULD SPEND 8 HOURS MAKING MICROSCOPIC TAROT CARDS, DAMN IT!!)

There is one thing I found myself longing for as I perused the photo album… a Telltale Heart. You know, just pulsing. Beneath the floorboards.

Thank you for this. You’re amazing.

Is there a Pet Cemetery in the yard? Stephen King might find hmself quite at home in your house here. That was one of the scariest books. Oh! And Cujo! You could place a snarling teeth-baring attack dog in the front yard too!

Love your writing…..you make me laugh.

Ellen

This is awesome!!! I have never been a girly girl and my dad and I have joked around for years that the only dollhouse I would ever had would be a haunted house. I have never heard of anyone else even talk about it and here you’ve been making one for many years! I love it!

Some of the things my dad and i discussed were having a graveyard (complete with zombies, etc) and misc moving parts. My dad is into microprocessors, so we thought mini-animatronics would be a fun additions (trap doors/secret passages that open/close, hands that pop out of graves, LED eyes that blink from tiny bushes in the outside. The possibilities are endless.

Great job on this!!!

That house is terrifyingly terrific. Is there a reference to the Exorcist in it? I didn’t see one but I know I lost some serious sleep over that movie.

Wow, inspiring! Suggestion for books, my favorite is “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski. Seriously the scariest and best book ever in my opinion. It took the author 10 years to write it. It is also, sort of, a love story, and many other things. Even though it is a work of fiction it still has me wondering if it might, somehow, be real. Please please read it. It may change your world.

I know this is WAY belated…but I love love love Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the evil side to all of our natures. Excellent and yet disturbing Also, Dorian Gray. Everyone need a painting of themselves that they cannot look at.

This is so wonderfully done – I cannot get tired of looking at it – as many photos as there are, I want more. I crave it with a longing so painful, it’s *almost* happy – if *that* makes any sense.

Anyway, I admire it more than I crave it – which is saying a lot. I note that it’s “still not finished.” Of course – by their very nature, such things cannot be finished, only added to and re-arranged: forever. It’s part of the joy.

I’ve made a tiny 1-room miniature library – not a patch on yours, but it’s fun – and also: never done. It has replicas of some of my paintings, and, of course, books. Please excuse the crappy photos, but I wanted to share w/ someone who knows the joy of combining their love of The Tiny with their love of books: http://www.quotergal.com/goners/photo-dollhouse1.jpg http://www.quotergal.com/goners/photo-dollhouse2.jpg http://www.quotergal.com/goners/photo-dollhouse3.jpg

Thanks for showing yours.
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Can we look forward to some new photos maybe next week?