getting to know you

[christinee]

Here's a bit about me...

I'm 37 years old, married to a wonderful man for the past 9 1/2 years (our 10th anniversary will be this june) that I met through a matchmaking service. LOL they really DO work! We don't have any children...yet...and at the rate we're going, I'm not sure if we will. Our children are our "animals" as you'll soon read.

My hubby and I "finally" bought our own house last summer after 10 years of renting and a bad, bad experience (and lots of lost money) from a failed attempt at buying a house many years ago.

Our new house is on 5 beautiful acres in the middle of south florida. We have 3 mini horses, soon to be at least 2 more since the 2 female minis are pregnant and due in March/April. We also have 25 Fancy Crested Polish Chickens, about 100 "meat" birds (the kind you buy in the stores), and 3 mixed breed puppies that we rescued who were born under our shed the week before we moved here those are the "outside" animals. Inside we have 5 Shiba Inu Dogs (they look like mini Akitas) and 3 Cats.

My husband and I own our own business developing accounting software. We've been doing that for the past 10 years. In April 2004, I returned to school for my Bachelors in Accounting and I'm happy to say that I'm almost finished with graduate school for my masters degree in accounting. I'll graduate in June then it's on to studying for the CPA exam!

The past 4 months have been crazy for us as we settled into our new home, and did a lot of work around the place to make it livable for us and the animals. We are finally fully settled in and are enjoying life!

When I'm not building dollhouses, I'm either studying for classes, helping my husband run the business, or helping him feed the animals / maintain the property

In my spare time in addition to dollhouses and minis, I like to play games on Pogo.com. I also play an online game with my husband called Everquest 2 (similar to Worlds of Warcraft, but with more mature players).

In between that, when the whim strikes me, I love doing everything else craft-related - paint by numbers, needlepoint, cross stich, etc. I LOVE butterflies and anything butterfly related. I also love the outdoors, photography, reading (mostly Stephen King, and horror books), and watching movies (again, mostly horror/sci fi). I don't watch much tv, except for one show - Dexter - which is on season break right now. I'm finishing reading the 3rd book in that series and the I don't know what I'm going to do for my "Dexter Fix". LOL

My tastes in music are very varied. I listen to everything from broadway showtunes, to oldies like Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, to easy listening like Air Supply and Enya to pop music that's on the radio and even some present-day rock, metal, hip-hop, etc.

There's a million more things I could write about myself but I'm sure this post is long enough for now...

Thanks for reading!

Christine

[havanaholly]

5 beautiful acres in the middle of south florida

Where? DH & I were down as far south in the middle of the state as South Bay & Clewiston while he did the "Big O" hike and then we spent a few days between Ft Myers & Naples camped at Koreshan State Historical Site. We'll be back in early April for the Sebring Tandem Rally.

[Wolfie]

A little bit about boring old me.......

I'm single, living in sin with my boyfriend Doug whom I met through a newspaper advertisement in San Jose. It worked because we've been together since 1993. We don't get married because there is not need to! We do not plan on having children (I would rather be dead at this age!) and we both have children from previous marriages.

I had the usual education - including a degree from a business collage, a BA in Physical Anthropology from UCLA, and many many courses in computers from where I worked for a long time - the old Digital Equipment Corporation. I have worked for some very fun companies in my working life! Spent 5 years working at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank California as the secretary to the manager of the Printing Department. Worked for Carnation Research Labs in Van Nuys, California for several years. My best job was with Digital however, and my heart was broken when they downsized most of us out into the real world. At my last position I was a psychiatric transcriptionist for a child psychiatrist and several case workers and nurses. It lasted almost 5 years and was a wonderful position. Most of my life I have been an office manager, legal assistant, administrative assistant and/or a secretary/transcriptionist - medical/legal, a professional dancer that taught as well as performed, etc. Sometimes I worked one job, and sometimes two. I did the mommy routine many years ago. I have two grown children in Massachusetts - a son and a daughter - and a total of 6 grandkids. While doing the mommy thing I sold Avon products, Beeline Clothing via the party plan, Mary Kay, and a short stint with another cosmetic company. I also worked for Color Me Beautiful for a few years and loved that! I did that in conjunction with Mary Kay which was 15 years in total. I retired from the outside working world about 3 years ago and then worked for another year for an online secretarial service doing medical/legal and other forms of typing. Loved that, but it took over my life....I would start working at 4AM and not finish my day until 7 or 8 at night. Long day? Yes, and only one break. I am a workaholic. Now I only do minis and try to be kinder to Doug..... Doug and I live here on our mountain with our furbabies/children - Princess our lovely Aussie dog, and Poetry Man a Bengal, and Tigger, a purebred alley cat!

My adopted dad was a WW1 war vet (Army) , my biological father a WWII vet (Tank Corp fighting Rommel), my 2nd husband was a Korean war vet (Air Force), and Doug is a Korean War vet (Air Force). I tried to join the service to go to Viet Nam but was turned down because I was pregnant. Poor excuse! I actually started sort of a riot at the Van Nuys California recruiting offices way back then. A long story.

As you know I make porcelain dolls, dollhouses and now roomboxes. I dabble in floral and clay items..... Love to play!

I've lived in Maine, Massachusetts, California and now here in the last place - Montana. This is where we will be until the end. I hope...one never knows what adventures await you down the road!

Other hobbies I used to have or still dabble in are resin casting with the older smelly stuff, sewing (always), knitting, crochet, and others that came and went like raindrops in the spring..... I've always loved crafty things and have tried many - some I stayed with and some went by the wayside long ago. When I grow up (which I hope is never) I hope to have accomplishing doing all the minis I have set myself to do!

[THmini2]

Hi I am Teresa

I am married to Jeff who is 9 years younger then me. We have been married for 5 1/1 years.

We have two dogs, Tanner who is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and is 5 1/2 years old and Murphy who an English Cocker Spanial and is 6 years old. We have 2 aquariums. One 40 gallon salt water tank and a 46 gallon fresh water tank. We love all animals. I seem to draw them to me.

I LOVE miniatures of any kind. I get excited when I find something new. We have "finished" the Victorian Cottage Jr and am working on The Newburg. That one is about 3/4 done. I also received a 3/4 built Bellingham Farmhouse from a friend, which probably be the next house to work on. I also found a scale model building in someones trash that will work well for 1/2 scale. I found a score sheet in it to show that it was built for a articital class. Everything is framed out. I want to make removable walls on each side and make it into a ranch home. (pictures in my albums). My husband bought the Victoria's Farmhouse a couple of months back. It is one he has always wanted. We work on them together.

We also garden. We have 3 huge perrenial beds and he has his veggie garden. He love to grow heirloom tomatoes. My favorite flower is anything in bloom. I really can't make up my mind. I also have many houseplants.

My favorite colors are green and burgany.

I love to read. 2 of my favorite authors are Beverly Lewis and Debbie McComber among many others. All of my family loves to read, well sisters anyway. We share alot of books.

I have 7 brothers and sisters. They and my mom all live around here. My dad passed away 2 1/2 years ago.

I work as an housekeepeer at one of the hospitals. My Dh works at a grocery store.

I guess that is about all I can think of. I hope to meet some of you some day.

[Lindsey]

I am a Mother of three grown children and five grandchildren. My husband and I have been married almost 48 years and have retired several times and we still at our age dream of other businesses we would like to start up and run. We owned a photography studio, a gift basket business, an engineering firm and had rental property. I live right down the street from our youngest daughter and her two children and really enjoy having her so close.

My husband has to go in for heart surgery the 4th of March and we both are really dreading that. He has had heart trouble for years, but is still very active, walking, traveling and playing with our puppy.

We love to travel in our RV and have a trip planned for May and June (if surgery goes well) to see the Northeast and maybe up into Canada. We hope to go out West next fall as we love that area and there is so much to do and see there. We live in North Carolina and love this part of the country, but the West has a place in my heart.

I am brand new to dollhouses, but so far really enjoy building or should I say attempting to build them. I am finding I have a lot to learn and this first one has a lot of mistakes in it, but that is part of the fun, trying to create ways to cover the mistakes.

I make jewelry, do scrapbooking and also enjoy knitting and chrocheting (sp). I also love to read and enjoy all types of books including mystery, romance, biographies and some of my favorite authors are Dean Koontz, James Paterson, Debbie McComber and Mary Higgans Clark.

I thoroughly enjoy this forum and feel I have learned so much and everyone is so willing to share their knowledge and ideas.

Barb

[havanaholly]

Welcome, Barb. The first year DH & I were retired we took our RV up the east coast into Quebec & New Brunswick. The people were delightfully friendly and it took us a couple of weeks to get used to the Canadian currency (the loonies & twonies weighed down DH's pocket so bad he developed a starboard list before we figured out to $pend those bad boys!lol); I never did knock all the rust off my highschool French (not having used it in nearly 50 years!lol), but it was fun to try and gave the francophones we met encouragement to try their equally rusty anglais on us, so we got along just fine. We took our tandem Cannondale bike and rode from Ville Ste Catherine across the lock bridge over the St Laurence Seaway down to Ile St Jacques & over to Montreal for lunch and foot tour of la vielle cite & back. In New Brunswick we stayed in Moncton and rode along both shores of the Petit Kodiak River (raced the tidal bore one day) and spent a day at Hopewell Rocks watching the tide come in after shelling on the beach (not much in the way of shells, but gorgeous rocks & pebbles!). On the way home we stayed S of Amherst, visited Earth & Tree & rode a rail trail into Connecticut & back & toured the Yeungling Brewery in Pottsville, PA.

I hope the surgery goes well so you & your DH can spend many, mini more years of happy togetherness; you've had four more years of it than we have.

[ItzKathyP]

For the last hour when I should have been working on my Pierce I've been reading all about everyone & have enjoyed it so much. Here's my input:

I'm 62 years old & living in my little retirement house in Florida with DH of almost 32 years. I was married once before to a jerk (aren't 1st hubbys usually jerks?), but with him I had a wonderful son named Edward who died at the age of 23. I'm now stepmom to 2 beautiful girls & stepgrandmom to 5.

I was born in Chicago and have lived in Minneapolis, St. Louis, South Florida, and several towns in the Houston, Texas area before moving here.

I'm an only child and most comfortable being alone, though I can be pretty extroverted in a working environment. I work on my dollhouses alone and value this forum as a way to interact with people who enjoy the same things I do.

I've done secretarial work forever and I can type like crazy. I've worked for Polaroid Corp, Owens-Corning Fiberglas & Honeywell, which is where I met DH. I've picked up a little knowledge at every place I've worked, and find it really neat that secretarial skills are beneficial everywhere. I love to learn.

I'm now semi-retired in a 3-day/week job at a great little commercial insurance company that's 1 block from the Atlantic Ocean (you can see it from the parking lot.) Fortunately for me I worked for 7 years with a bunch of young computer geeks who trained me well so I'm now able to contribute to my latest employers in setting up a more up-to-date working environment.

My favorite colors are yellow, green & red, and they are also the colors I've decorated my (real) house in.

My longest hobby has been reading. I love to read books about WWII and mystery / detective stories. I've gone through series by such authors as Dorothy Sayers, Martha Grimes & Elizabeth George, and actually met P.D. James in person at a book signing. I've read all of Sherlock Holmes several times and believe I've read every book Agatha Christie ever wrote. Current favorite is John Grisham. I love to read the first book first & in order after that.

I've done embroidery, counted cross stitch & made HOM miniatures before I ever had a dollhouse. My mother taught me to crochet when I was about 10 years old and I can knit also, though I'm not very good because I'm left handed & knit righty. My dad was a lefty & was forced to write right-handed in school - he could write right-handed forwards & left-handed backwards at the same time.

I look forward to going back to this thread again and learn more about all of you!

[AuntDee]

[

.I own all of Dean Koontz books but Ill read most anything.

[Mar]

Mmmm, love it to know you better so here is something about me,

I'm married with Arne, has one daughter Iris and a grandson Kay. When Arne is not at home I got compagny of my dog, an Ungarian Sheepdog, called Henry. Not our idea, his name, but that was his name when we got him from the rescue service, sometimes we call him Sir Henry.

I love to read and have to many books, also many favorit writers. I always have the radio on, so yes I do love music too, hicking in France, shopping in Paris and I never get out without my camera. And when I have time left I do also a lot of altered art like ATC's and make art journals. My garden is my little green paradise.

I have a few large collections, many different mask's, old postcard especially the flappers, old photographs from 1850 - 1920 most of people. I feel a special connection with the long gone past, have made a large family-site and be the keeper of our family-archive and the genealogist of our family.

All these things will be found back in my dollhouses, a lot of books, music, history, photo's and art. That's me.

[sunshines_minis]

Oh, How much fun!!! :lol:

We get to learn about everyones interests.

Ok, here we go..

I am a home schooling mother of three and wife to a college professor. I love Purple! My favorite food in hamburger patties in brown gravy with broccoli.I am 32 until June. I listen to classical to punk and all in between. I even listen to country. I dress as I please and do as I please.I Love Jesus!!! I love to talk and also .....

I love animals!!!

I to paint(preferable murals)

I reborn

I make fairies

I crochet

I garden

I water garden

I love to dance

I sew

I sing

I love to cook!!!!!

and

I love to learn!!!(I will randomly research any topic I don't know about.)

[badlilkit10]

ok my turn

my fav color is blue

I love the beach and all things about it except the sun bc im high risk for skin cancer.

I love all animals (my 3 babies Pups)

Making candels (mostly gel ones)

jewlery making,

crotching still learning lol.

I love to collect stuffed animals man to I have lots.

spending time with my hubby, family and friends

reading when i have time

and hopefuly one day soon we will have little ones running around lol

[sweetpeas]

ok here goes...

I design and make primitive dolls.

I originally trained as a costume designer (used to make my daughters ballroom dresses and more recently her stage costumes)

We have a cat, two dogs (one is a nine week old puppy!) and a tortoise.

I have two very talented kids, an artistic 14 year old and a very musical 19 year old.

I love miniatures, chocolate, dolls, animals, music, reading and walking.

[Jeffrey]

I am a huge LEGO fan.

I collect Thomas the Tank Engine trains Die cast metal by ERTL and wooden ones by Learning Curve

I collect Polly Pocket brand Polly Wheels Cars. (similar to hotwheels)

I like to swim, walk, and bike ride

I love Harry Potter.

Im addicted to The Sims computer games.

I have a cat named shadow and another named java

my favorite color is blue

my favorite food is pizza.

[havanaholly]

Jeff, my DS#3 is also a Lego fan, he has built and populated a Mech Warrior base out of them. His future stepsons love to watch him animate his creations (everything is moveable).

[Jeffrey]

Have you ever seen lugnet.com? its like this place for lego. im a member there too. theres lots of cool stuff to see there. I want to (at some point in my life when i have room for both lego and dollhouses) build a lego city with animated stuff like revolving doors on buildings, roller skating people, stuff like that. My dad does model trains and while i really like them, when it comes to cutting painting ang gluing, the trains are too small for me thats why i do dollhouses. The lego version of a train layout is easier for me because you never have to cut, paint, or glue. (some people do all 3 but im a purist so if i have to i only do it to mega blocks )

[etradersplace]

my fav colour is blue

I love to collect toys (especially vintage and retro toys) and miniatures

I love the cartoon smurfs

I love to travel (no tour packages please as I enjoy taking the public transport and eat at simple restaurant like the locals in the countries I visit)

fav fast food restaurant the golden arches (I think I'm brain washed by them after tasting their fabulous chocolate milkshake as a kid :welcome: )

greatest dream? to shed off the unnecessary weight off me :lol

singing? i think i sound off like croaking :lol

[havanaholly]

Hi, Lydia, did I miss your introduction in the newcomers' forum?

[AmyD]

Hi everyone,

My name is Amy and I'm 41

My husband and I will be married for 3 years July 7th

and together we have 3 mini dogs, one long haired mini chi, a mini Italian Greyhound and and mini Poodle/bishon(spelling)

I have always loved Miniature dollhouses and minis but there was a very long time inbetween my building experiences, and have just taken it up again during the last couple of years. But do to a total kitchen redo (real life kitchen) my mini's were up on the shelf again, only to be taken back down again last summer.

Favorite color is Hunter Green

I like to read, mostly fantasty

Comdey--movies and sitcom

Playing the Slots, my husband and I spent most of last July in Altantic City, what a great vacation

One of my favorite downtime activities is just sitting on the couch staring out the window at the Catskill Mountains that are surrounding our house on all four sides.

I have been a housewife for the last 2 1/2 years, but due to the high cost of life in general I am not looking for a job. I am going to miss staying at home very much, but the brighter side of this is, that I have for the first time in my life have gotten a brand new car. I just got an 08' Aveo. A little red Jitterbug, as my hubby calls it. So I guess going back to work isn't going to be all that bad.

I also like to crochet, cross stitch and do word puzzles. (even though I can't spell that good...lol). Enough about me. Have a great day everyone.

[Esther]

I can't believe I've never seen this thread. I've been a member of this forum for quite a while, too.

I work as an accountant by day now. I formerly went to nursing school and had my LPN (was one class away from getting my RN, but realized that if I made a mistake, I could cost someone their life. So I quit) In accounting, I can fix mistakes if I make them, and nobody gets hurt. My Hubby and I have been married 20 years this fall. He's a computer programmer. Two children. Daughter is 31 and is married with a fifteen month old daughter of her own, and lives in New Mexico. She and her husband are both air traffic controllers. My son is 30. He and his wife live in Holland, Michigan (about an hour away), they're expecting a daughter in late September.

For other hobbies, I make bead jewelry and crochet (mostly afghans). Hubby and I are both active in our church. We both teach Sunday School, he is editor of the monthly newsletter, and I sing with our worship team.

I love reading. Romance, mystery (but the calm stuff...I want to be able to sleep). I love childrens books. I own all the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mystery books.

My favorite colors are green, then blue.

I have one very spoiled cat named Romeo.

oh...and I'm told I make the best peanut brittle in the state.

[honeybunny]

My name is Loretta.

I am turning the big 50 this year, and have about 17 years before I get to retire!! Yipeee!!!!!

I have a both full-time job and a part-time job, so when I have time at home I turn into a hermit.

I am single, with a very spoiled furbaby!

I enjoy crocheting, knitting, sewing, plastic canvas and cross stitching.

I love to read and have the books to prove it! (My sister says she will take my books and open a library when I am gone. Lately, I have been purchasing a LOT of miniature books.)

I collect cookbooks, but don't cook! (Always told my mother that she didn't use her collection of thimbles, so why should I use my collection. Besides, that's why microwaves were created.)

I prefer to watch comedies, movies or sitcoms.

I come from a large, musical family, although I haven't played the piano in quite some time.

Miniature items have fascinated me since I was young, but have just gotten into making them.

[uppitycats]

Kinda strange to look back through the nine pages here and realize people who are gone (Jimmy), people who haven't posted for a long while..and people who didn't post here in this thread at all, but who are active on the forum...

Anyway. I'm one who didn't post here before. I've been building dollhouses for just over three years. I'm 61, married for 40 years to the first-and-only-man I ever dated (he proposed on our second date; I said, "..yeah, sure..." ). We have no human children but have been owned by many cats over the years, now 4 -- Cindy, her daughter Cassie, Tuffy and TabbyGrey, two unrelated males who "just showed up" at the door one day...

I used to be a weaver, but multiple sclerosis took away my ability to use my legs well. I used to do needlepoint and hook rugs. I still dabble in that a bit. And books. I have "tons" of books. Ive been thinning them out over the years, little by little, but still have shelves and shelves I can't part with. I'll read most anything but science fiction and romance. But some of most everything else, including Harry Potter, mysteries, philosophy, religion, etc., fill up my shelves.

I've been a consultant for people with disabilities for over 30 years, and still do a bit of that, but am more "retired" than active.

I started with the Garfield, intending to only have one house. Since then I have a Brimble and Washington I rehabbed, a Brookwood in progress, two (of 3) Houseworks shops (roomboxes) done, a Greenleaf Greenhouse, a 1/4 scale Greenleaf village..

and an Emerson Row and Country Cottage in their boxes, the third Houseworks shop, another roombox, all clamoring to be built. One of these days. :whistle:

[PATBIDLACK]

I am a widow for 18 years. I live alone but my mother lives across the street. I did a dollhouse with my daughter in the 70's. Sadly it was burned when our house burned down.

Last year I retired and decided to get back in the mini hobby.

I love to read and read almost everything.

I paint (usually with acrylics).

I worked for the state in the dept. of developmental disabilities before retiring.

I am in the process of painting and decorating my house. (the real one that I live in)

I have two children One boy and one girl.

[ttaraco]

Hi everyone! My name is Therese, and I am very new @ this, i'm getting my first dollhouse kit for my 21st birthday on 20/08 so I joined the forum to soak up on information about this hobby. I've always wanted a wooden dollhouse, since I never got it, I'm making one for myself now. I am on college, still almost 3 years to go and I am studying computer science and electronics. I have a dwarf bunny! I love him! I play the violin but I'm not that much into classical music. I am studying abroad in Mexico, and I started going hiking through the mountains that are near. I like playing soccer, dancing and movies. I learned to sew when I was very young and I appreciate knowing how to do that since not so many girls know about that now adays... I am pretty much into very diverse stuff, from scuba with my firends to reading all day long on a couch :yay:

it's good to read ya all and I'll be posting more as soon as I receive my kit

[Guest Nathaniel]

I forgot about this thread, its such a great one!

Heres a little about myself...

Well I am definitely addicted to miniatures, ive spent more than enough to feed a small country on them, lol

favorite color is currently a light greyish blue color

I also love video games and play Playstation 3 and Sims 2 on the PC alot ( I love Grand Theft Auto and most racing games as well)

I am so intrigued by antiques, particularly antique furniture and vintage collectibles, including vintage miniatures, they are the best!!!

I like to sing very loud in my car and at home when no one is around.

I am a HUGE Mariah Carey fan. I have like 40+ Mariah cds and have seen her in concert SEVERAL times.

I really love surprises and hunting for rare miniatures.

I really love animals and particularly dogs - I have a beagle who lives with my parents, his name is Mr. Bobby Biskit

I have had spiked hair since I was about 13 years old - im gonna be 24 in a little more than a week...

I love sports cars, I have owned 3, including a "pimped out" Mitsubishi and 2 souped up Mustangs

I am graduating with my degree in Human Resources Management this fall.

I work as a Human Resources Assistant for a large corporation.

I already have my own house.

I have an abornmally huge collection of miniatures, and treasure them sooooooooooooooooo much!!!

I have a VERY close friendship with my mom and I love to spend time with her and she LOVES to buy miniatures for me!!! Gotta love her for that!!! Lol

Lets see, what else, oh, I have a real knack for interior decorating. I love to decorate my real house and my mini houses!

I LOVE chicken marsala or steak with A1 Steak Sauce - those are usually my birthday or Xmas meals.

I plan on building furniture kits, making them my own, and possibly selling them online or at miniatures shows.

I love the ocean and the beach and I am lucky enough to only live 15 minutes from a beautiful beach.

I grew up in a very small town in the boonies of Northern Massachusetts.

I enjoy making friends who are into miniatures as much as I am.

Im really bored at work right now, so let see... what else is there to say about me...

I need to be more active.

I watch a TON of movies all the time, but feel guilty cus I know I should be doing more active things, or at least working on my houses...

I really want a kitten but im allergic...

Im allergic to lots of stuff, animals, dust, pollen, mold, etc.

I really enjoy going to antique shops or tag, yard, and garage sales (but I have to take an allergy pill cus they bother my allergies, lol)

I love playing with puppies or kittens (which also requires taking allergy pills)

I sound like a little girl right now "I love puppies and kittens and sugar and spice and everything nice" lol

neways, thats all I can think of to say about myself right now to kill the time.

[nechee]

My name is Kathie and am 29 years old.

My favourite colour is any shade of purple.

I have been married to my husband for almost 3 years.

We are trying to get a house but the credit is killing us there.

We have three kids ages 4, almost 3 and almost 2 as of todays date

We have 2 kittens, Snowball and Stripe

We used to have a dog but unfortunately not anymore. His name was Chicken Little.

I love video games. Mostly for the Wii

My first and only house right now is the Beacon hill and I am still building her.

I had a Duracraft Farmhouse 500 when I was a child and still kick myself over selling it.

I crochet and sew for my kids all the time.

I am hoping to get my Beacon Hill finished this year

I used to own a volkswagon convertible but having kids I had to sell it for a more "sensible" car

I am a stay at home mom and I love it although this forum is my only form of intelligent conversation outside of my four year old son.

I wish there was a miniature store in my town but I have to drive a half hour to get to one so I don't get to go very often.

that is all I can think of right now. I have no life really outside of my kids or my husband. Isn't that sad.