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desertdollranch · 2 years ago

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Lyra’s Journey

Once upon a time, a young princess named Lyra lived in a tower that was very far away from everything and everyone.

She had been born in the tall, thin, windowless tower, and had never been outside of its thick stone walls. Before her birth, the Goblin King had declared that if he was not given the lands bordering the great river, he would steal away the Queen’s firstborn child and turn her into a goblin. So the princess had only ever known life within the tower walls, with no knowledge of the world outside. She didn’t even understand the concept of things being far away. For her, the entire universe was in this small place. Anything in that universe was always close enough to touch.

At the top of the tower was one small window, but for many years Lyra didn’t know that. She was not permitted to open the door that led to the highest staircase. But a fortnight before her eleventh birthday, a newly employed servant carelessly forgot to lock the door after passing in and out of it to shake the bedsheets, and Lyra found the passageway wide open. She cautiously looked beyond the door, and the staircase was lit with a light much brighter than that of a torch or a candle. She followed the stairs, wanting to see why the light of that torch was so bright and so colorless. She walked up the staircase until it ended. And there, in the wall of the tower, was a hole in the universe.

When Lyra looked at the hole, she saw a blue tapestry above a yellow carpet woven with a single silver thread, and a large, bright lantern above them. When she reached out her hands, she couldn’t feel these things, and that troubled her deeply. How could something exist, but not feel like anything when she touched them? Staring at the lantern hurt her eyes. It was so small, yet was casting the brightest light she had ever seen.

Of course, it was the sky and the sun and the river and the surrounding grassy hills that Lyra had discovered, but she had no words for these things. She didn’t understand that they were very far away from her, or that the sun only looked small because it was far away.

The sound of footsteps behind her turned Lyra’s gaze away and to the servant, who had suddenly remembered that she had not locked the door, and had returned to do so.

“What is this?” Lyra asked her. “I’ve never seen it before.”

The servant had been told not to speak to the princess about the outside world, so that she wouldn’t be tempted to leave the tower and make herself a target for the Goblin King. But her heart softened at that moment for the captive princess, and she couldn’t bear to lie.

“It’s a window,” the servant said. “And out there is the sun, the sky, the clouds, the wind, and the beautiful earth. The silver thread is the river that flows from the mountains.”

Lyra didn’t know what those words meant, so the servant explained how this tower was only a small place inside a much larger tower, called the world. Above was the sky, too far away to touch. Clouds were not as high as the sky, yet still too far away. But the ground could be touched. Lyra wanted more than anything to touch the ground.

She and the servant spent time every day of the next two weeks visiting the window. Sometimes they would look out at night, and Lyra would gaze at the thick curtain of stars that had been hidden behind the light of the sun. And on clear days, Lyra could see some small, dark blue clouds in the west. The servant said that those were the mountains, where the ground is tall and slopes upward toward the sky, like a spiral staircase.

“Is that where the sun goes at night?” Lyra asked one day, suddenly enchanted with the notion of the sun hiding in the mountains.

“Maybe,” the servant said. “All I know is that the mountains are the kingdom of the fairies. But I’ve never been there. I hear it’s a place where magic rules, and the laws of nature are unpredictable. Few people who visit the realm ever return.”

The princess couldn’t stop thinking about it. She thought about it all through the day and through the night. The next day would be her birthday, and she would be eleven years old. Her mother the Queen would come to visit Lyra for a few hours. Then, the servant explained, the Queen would leave the tower, and travel back to her own palace.

Before her mother left, Lyra left a wooden pencil between the door frame and the door, so that when the Queen departed from the tower, the door didn’t close all the way. And that’s how Lyra finally left the tower, in the early hours after sunrise. She left the tower and began walking west, following the source of the river.

She only wore her fancy gowns once a year, on her birthday. All other days, she dressed in the same simple woolen and linen clothes that the servants wore. Certainly nobody who was looking for a runaway princess would think to notice the girl in peasant’s clothing.

How strange the forest seemed to her. She knew the sun was shining over her head, but the trees covered the light and separated it into small sections. Music flowed from the treetops, and she knew she was hearing what the servant had called “birdsongs”.

As the day began to grow dark, Lyra realized that the sun did not hide in the mountains at night. It disappeared below the horizon, just like she had seen it do from the tower window.

The forest was colder than she had thought it would be. She wished she had brought a blanket to keep herself warm.

Instead, Lyra crawled under a bush and lay down on the pine needles. She thought she’d never get to sleep, but eventually she must have fallen asleep.

Because she was woken abruptly by the sound of footsteps on dried leaves.

Before her stood a fairy girl, clad in silk and gold.

“Welcome, Princess Lyra,” the fairy said. “I too am a princess, the heir to the realm of the fairies. My name is Moonchild. It’s a pleasure to meet my counterpart from the kingdom of humans. I’m so glad you’ve found your way to us.”

Lyra didn’t know what to say. She gave an awkward curtsy.

“I was just like you,” the fairy continued. “I didn’t like the human world. I was hated and hurt by the people who should have loved me the most. So I ran away from them and came here. The fairies and the elves took me in with love in their hearts, and gave me a new name and a new life. You can do it too. Your heart is free.”

“Will the Goblin King find me here?” Lyra asked.

“Never,” Moonchild replied. “You’re safe among my people.”

“Then what do I do now?” Lyra asked.

“Anything you would like,” Moonchild said. “The forest will grant any wish you make. What do you want most of all?”

Lyra thought for a few moments. She looked into the face of the rising sun, which had broken out from behind the clouds and the trees. It was the same sun, the same sky she had seen from the tower window. But this was not the same world, and she was not the same person.

“I don’t want to be a princess any more,” she finally said. “I’ve had enough of that life. Now I want to meet people. People who are new to this world and are discovering it for the first time.”

“Then you might find happiness with the midwife,” Moonchild said with a smile. “Look over there, that’s her cottage right behind you.”

Lyra followed Moonchild’s gesture, and approached the little house with the wooden door.

She knocked. The midwife opened the door, and invited Lyra in with a smile.

And that’s how Lyra Meadowlark became the midwife’s apprentice. No more a princess, she lives simply and by the seasons of the forest.

Even in the realm of the fairies and elves and other magic folk, babies must be born. Lyra and the midwife travel often, helping welcome them into the world, the way the fairy princess and the midwife had done for Lyra. There is so much knowledge and skill involved in being a midwife, but she learns quickly.

While their mothers rest, she brings the new babies outside and introduces them to the sky, the sun, and the wind.

“It’s all yours,” she says to the babies.

“There’s so much world out here, and you’re free to live in it. All you have to do is walk towards the sun.”

#lyra meadowlark #g��tz dolls #moonchild mossyroot #our generation dolls

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desertdollranch · 6 years ago

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Tour of my doll room + all my dolls (2023)

I usually do an “all my dolls” post at some point in the first few months of the new year, and this year is no exception. I’ve had some additions and subtractions since the last time I posted an official tour, and I’m ready to introduce you all to everyone. Follow Addy through the door and meet each and every one of my dolls!

This post is already long enough, so I'll keep all the introductions brief. If there are any dolls of mine you want to know more about, they’re all individually listed on my Meet the Dolls page.

Part 1: The Doll Room

I got really lucky finding a house in which I can have a dedicated doll room. It’s one of two bedrooms in the house. If I have guests, I can move stuff around to make room. There are two windows, one facing east and one facing south. The room gets lots of nice morning light all year.

The large majority of my dolls are secondhand, with probably half of those being thrift store rescues. You may also notice that American Girl dolls are a minority in my collection.

This picture shows what you’ll first see when you walk through the doll room’s door. Historical AG dolls are on the wall shelves. Our Generation, Karito Kids, and My Twinn dolls are standing on the bookshelves below the wall shelves. Above my comfy chair is the shelf of mini AG dolls and my porcelain fairies. Sitting in the chair are my Cabbage Patch babies.

Here’s a view of the crib.

But let’s start at the door.

This is facing the door, and the wall immediately left of it. On the shelf closest to the left side of the photo are historical American Girl characters Eugenia and Rebecca, with Minuk in the middle between them. Eugenia Holland is my original character from 1934, and she’s a Truly Me #57 wearing a dress I made. Rebecca Rubin is from 1914 and is wearing a dress I made.

Next to them are Moonchild and Lyra. Moonchild Mossyroot is an Our Generation doll I customized to look like a fairy, wearing an outfit I made. Lyra is a Götz doll and I also made her outfit.

Hanging on the wall are some of my handmade (not by me) dolls. The two hanging dolls in the middle are Tilda dolls made for me by my aunt. The one above Eugenia and Rebecca is my Navajo doll.

Below her and next to Eugenia are my American Girl original characters. From left to right they are Sariah Solomon from 1984 wearing an outfit I made, Harmony Rivera from 1995 wearing an American Girl outfit, Antonia Snow-Flores from 1978 also wearing clothes I made, and here’s another look at Eugenia Holland from 1934.

On the left side of the photo are my 11 inch toddlers. Their brand is Llorens. They’re such delightful little dolls with superb quality and the cutest little faces. I wish there were more to buy than just these three. From left to right: Frida, Mari, and Evelyn. I have them as little sisters to some of my modern characters. I made their outfits, including Frida’s and Mari’s shoes, and Mari’s little bear hat.

Also facing the door, but this is to the right of the door.

Immediately to the right of the door are the two shelves of 14 inch dolls.

The top shelf is Hearts for Hearts Girls. From the left: Nahji from India, Consuelo from Mexico, Lauryce from USA, Tipi from Laos, Mosi from USA, Dell from USA, and Rahel from Ethiopia. I made Nahji’s dress and Rahel’s skirt, but everything else is either original to the dolls or in Tipi’s case, a little dress I bought at a doll show.

WellieWishers are on the bottom shelf. From left: Willa, Emerson, Kendall, Ashlyn, and Camille. I made all their clothes including their shoes.

Between that wall and the bureau niche, I have my doll’s purses/bags/backpacks hanging, clothespinned to a ribbon.

I made some of them and others are AG or OG brand.

The bureau has five drawers, and I keep my doll clothes and some accessories in there. (At this point, I think most of them are clothes that I made.)

On top of the bureau are my modern girls and girls of the year (which I will abbreviate as GOTY).

From left: Kanani GOTY 2011, Saige GOTY 2013, Sierra, and her sister Leanne.

From left: Leanne, her sister Jillian Josephine Sarafina Aurora (who goes by various nicknames), Grace GOTY 2015, Isabelle GOTY 2014, and Luciana GOTY 2018. The only thing I made here is Grace’s outfit, which is based on one from her collection.

Above these girls are my other modern characters, all of whom are not American Girl dolls.

From the left: Heather (Magic Attic Club), Rose (Magic Attic Club), Victoria (Melissa and Doug), Virginia (Götz), Layla (New York Doll Company) and Cara (All About the Doll).

From left: Layla, Cara, Léonie (Maplelea), Ellen (Faithful Friends), Zoe (Healthy Roots).

To the right is where I hang up doll jewelry.

Hung up on the bathroom door are my doll accessories.

It looks random, but each pocket holds a different category of items. Felicity’s accessories take up two pockets since she has so many caps.

Looking to the right of the door will bring you to the wall with my original historical characters, representing time periods that American Girl has not covered.

On the left is Judith Blalock, who is my time-traveling doll originally from 1587. Right now she’s living in medieval Scandanavia and is dressed as a Viking. Next to her is Pauline Leung from 1884. In the blue outfit is Susanna Hanchett from 1664. And next to her is Eleanor Shaw from 1784. All outfits made by me.

Directly below these shelves are more dolls.

Nobody here is historical, they’re all modern. On the left is Kendra, a My Twinn doll who is the mother of six of my dolls. Next to her is Fernanda, who is a Karito Kids doll. Then there’s Jane, Carina, and Kathleen, and those three are Our Generation dolls.

To the right of Kathleen are Iris and Tally, who are also Our Generation dolls. Next to them is Grannie, who is a My Twinn doll with a gray wig and some custom face pain. She’s Kendra’s mother but will be anyone’s Grannie if they need one. She’ll be yours, too, if you want!

To the right of Grannie is the closet.

In the closet, I have shelves set up to hold all of the larger items that I have built or collected for my dolls. Most everything in here was made by me. You can see the hot cocoa stand, Kanani’s shave ice stand, Addy’s spool puppet theater, Antonia’s chicken coop, Sariah’s arcade video games, Grace’s bistro set, and Grace’s pastry cart (currently in pieces since I’m going to remake it with wood instead of foam board, which can’t support the weight of everything). My grandpa made the two log benches, and Kirsten’s blue trunk in the corner.

Moving right again, on the other side of the closet door, are my American Girl historical characters.

This is Marie-Grace Gardner and Cécile Rey, both from 1853 and wearing dresses I made based on illustrations in their books. I also made Marie-Grace’s locket. The little porcelain baby was made for me and given to me by my grandma years and years ago. My mother and grandmother are both doll artists too.

Rotating right again are Elizabeth Cole and Felicity Merriman from 1774, Caroline Abbott from 1812, and Addy Walker from 1864. Addy and Felicity are wearing dresses by American Girl, but I made Felicity’s red cloak, Elizabeth’s entire outfit, and Caroline’s dress and cap.

This shelf is for my mini AG dolls, plus a few other tiny dolls. From the left: 30th anniversary special edition Kaya in her adorned deerskin dress, 25th anniversary special edition Josefina in her Christmas dress, BeForever Josefina, Pleasant Company Josefina, Pleasant Company Felicity, Pleasant Company Kirsten, Pleasant Company Addy, Nellie, BeForever Rebecca, and Luciana. In front of Luciana is mini-mini Isabelle, who was sold as a McDonald’s happy meal toy in 2014.

To the right are my flower fairies!

These are little porcelain dolls that I found at a thrift store.

Turning right again, in the corner under the windows is the crib for my baby dolls.

So here’s the deal with the bubs. I love my little babies so dearly. Say what you want about me for that, I don’t care. I actually do think real human babies are adorable and I’m happy for people who have them, but I do prefer having baby dolls rather than the real thing. They have the immense advantage of never growing up and staying cute forever.

Most of my babies are “unplanned”, just like many real babies! Except mine are “unexpected surprises” because they’re from thrift stores. I love walking into a thrift store not knowing what sort of baby I will be carrying in my arms on the way out.

This crib was a lucky find for me since it’s got some broken parts and is not safe for real children to use. Which makes it perfect for dolls.

Babies in the back row are all Lots to Cuddle brand. From left, they are: Abigail, Dinah, Robin...

...Juniper, Noelle, Leah...

...Clementine, Hannah, Ruby, and Naomi.

Here is Miss Mischief herself, Julia! She’s a My Twinn baby.

Half of the Bitty Committee is on this side. From left: Heidi and her twin Holli, and then Katie, who doesn’t have a twin yet. But considering how many Bitties I’ve found at thrift stores, I’m planning to just wait for the right twin to fall into my lap.

On the right side are Bitty Babies Betty and Clarissa. Next to her is Kimberly, a My Child doll, a brand that was produced in the mid-1980′s. To the right is Jenni, a My Twinn Cuddly Sister.

The newborn baby in the pink velour sleeper is Vayda. Next to her is her twin Aviva; both are La Newborn brand. The small baby in the pink sleeper with the binky is Polly, Felicity’s baby sister, a Berenguer brand baby. The little baby next to her is Seth, who is Grannie’s only grandson; he’s a mini La Newborn doll.

Big baby on the left is Madelyn, an Ashton Drake doll. Slightly less big baby in the middle is Marigold, and next to her is her twin Violet. Both are Berenguer dolls. The little baby in the red sleeper is Isadora, Luciana’s baby sister, and she’s American Girl brand.

More tiny littles! The baby in the pink robe is an unnamed baby doll that my modern girls share. Next to her is Opal, who is the baby sister of Ellen, Kendall, and Frida.

Part II: Not the doll room

If you’ve noticed a few dolls missing, that’s because they’re not in here! I have some larger setups out in the living room.

I’m reusing pictures from 2022 since nothing has really changed since then with the arrangements.

This is Caroline’s parlor. I built it based on the one in her collection, using foam board and a variety of other materials. Caroline doesn’t live out here at the moment, but if I end up with one or two more AG dolls, she’ll have to give up her space on the shelf and move out here.

Back in 2022 I had my Our Generation girls living out here, but they moved back into the doll room and you’ve already met them.

Here’s Kaya’s tepee and her setup. She also cares for the horses: Steps High, Sparks Flying, Horsefina, Penny, and Picasso. Garnet, Caroline’s calf, is back there too.

Kirsten’s bedroom. That’s baby Britta (another Berenguer baby) in the cradle, and her cousin Anna Larson behind the rocking chair. Anna is an extinct brand of dolls called The Brass Key.

Next to that is Josefina’s room. This is a mix of items from her collection, and stuff that I’ve made. She’s wearing a skirt made by my mom and a long-sleeved camisa (shirt) made by me.

Part III: Books

That’s it for doll stuff. On to my American Girl book collection.

I have a bookcase in my bedroom that holds all my AG books plus my others. The AG books take up about 1 and 1/3 of the shelves.

I have all the historical series up to 2 of Molly’s books, and both of Courtney’s. I have a few mysteries and short stories too, several Girl of the Year books, and two World By Us books which aren’t pictured here since I haven’t yet made room on the bookcase for them.

On the next shelf are activity books, Girls of Many Lands books, History Mysteries, Mini Mysteries, Minute Mysteries, three Magic Attic Club books, one Girlhood Journeys book, and Léonie’s story journal is the thick one with the silver rivets. Past that I have a few other YA and children’s books.

Part IV: Calico Critters and horses

Here’s my Calico Critters setup. My sister has generously gifted me many of my Critters, since she’s a collector, and I adore them all. She built the house on the top left shelf for me. The other houses are all thrift store finds. I’m only showing the exteriors because they’re all under construction while I work on making furniture and such.

The only one fully finished is this one:

The Sweetpea family, the Hopscotch grandparents, and various baby bunnies live here in Casa Conejo (rabbit house). In addition to the house itself, my sister made a lot of the furniture and accessories too.

Next to Casa Conejo is the barn for my Grand Champion horses. I’m not showing it right now because it got dropped while I was moving it and the roof was damaged, so I have to repair that. But here’s what it looks like!

I built it myself from foam board and wooden craft sticks.

And those are my horsies inside!

#all my dolls

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