If I could only shrink myself……..I’d like to live at Zanadu Mansion!                               

{John 13-14:2; Jesus states, “In My Father’s house are many “mansions”; *if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”}.  I believe Jesus, Aman. So, this mansion is mine in Heaven!

Where do I begin? This dollhouse is such a beautiful place now; it has a spiritual-ness about it and a peace worth exploring. I always wanted a dollhouse since I was a young girl. My grandfather built one for my cousin and I asked so many times if he’d build me one and that never happened. When we were young I remember the dollhouse at her house in the basement, in a corner just sitting there in need of attention. It made me so mad and just hurt that our grandfather made her one and not me. So, about fifteen years ago my aunt asked me if I wanted the dollhouse or she was going to throw it out. Of course I wanted it. The only thing was the dollhouse was not what I had remembered  and it was smelly from being in the basement and had absorbed a musty oldness odor. I truly wanted to cry when I seen it again after all those years.

This smelly dollhouse now sat in my living room on the floor for about a week, I was not even sure if I could do anything with it? It just brought back so many memories of wanting a dollhouse and here it sat on my clean rug stinking like mold! So, then after saying a few more not lady like words I just begun to tear it apart and try to repair it the best I could. The problem was the wood was no longer good on most parts and needed to be replaced. The only original section part left is the main house floor. I designed and built new pretty much from the ground up. The dollhouse named Zanadu Mansion has grown into this wonderful place to spend time in. The name means God’s peace, grace and love; a place filled with the only complete peace He can give. The name says it all. I know my grandfather never meant to hurt my feelings by not making me a dollhouse when I was little, so I needed to let that go. I know God is about beauty from ashes and here I had a chance to make this dollhouse beautiful once again. It has been a lot of work, time and patience, but it is worth the time. It is not complete, dollhouses seem to become a life project, at least ones of this size. Like I stated it has grown through the years.

I will add more photos as I take them. Zanadu Mansion is still under construction! Zanadu sits on a 6.5 foot by 4 table! At one time the table was 2 feet longer, but in order to fit in my work space it needed to be downsized.  Here are a few pictures.  These are under construction pictures, these rooms are almost done. Third and forth floor. The dollhouse is in three large sections.  Here looking through the window of the fourth bedroom, top floor.This is peaking through the bathroom window on the top floor. Above picture. The picture below is a picture of looking in through the balcony to the top bedroom. Eventually the door in the background will lead to the spiral staircase to exit the bedroom.The above picture is a peek into the fourth bedroom. The picture below is the top floor bedroom. The above picture is the top floor bathroom. Notice the toilet paper! The picture below is a second floor bedroom. The ceiling is hand done. The following picture is the second floor. Notice the hand painted ceiling with angels.

This is a picture of the fireplace in construction. It’s finished now. The picture below is the third floor bedroom. Just simply beautiful. I love the way the room came out and the walls. I made everything, even the frets work.This way the light hits the walls.The picture above is a view of top of the marble stairs looking into the second floor sitting room. The view from above. The following picture is the stairs being built. A view before walls and a chandelier in progress. The next picture is the staircase and this is a view directly from the second floor looking over the parlour.Oh, this is how the place looks at the moment. In need of attention. Eventually there will be a spiral staircase to reach the third and top floor. The entrance door is sweet and took time to make. I was going to put windows next to the doors, but reaching in there is next to impossible. Above the door huge windows will go. Since I shortened the table by 2 feet the kitchen will now be where the family room would have been. There should be enough room? If I only had more time to work on it. one-day.