Josefina's World

Voir has been hanging around resting this week

after our busy trip to Taos.

She was pretty quiet until today's ADAD theme

came up. Today's theme is "work".

One thing she has learned from visiting historic sites in New Mexico

is that it was a lot of work to live life during the Spanish Colonial era.

Voir asked if she could use some of my Josefina items

like those she saw in the Martinez Hacienda to demonstrate

the theme of "work". I pulled out a paper doll book called

Josefina: Play Scenes and Paper Dolls

to use a backdrop. I used a few items from my 18 inch Josefina

as accessories.

People living in earlier times used rocks to grind their corn

or grains into flour used to make the bread, tortillas,

and other similar foods. And that is just the beginning

of the work needed for them to grow and make the things they

used to live, or trade for things that they needed.

I turned the page in the "scenes and settings" portion of the book

that I had used as a background. Voir was excited because she

had seen real kiva fireplaces in adobe homes. She had seen

real woven rugs and blankets!

And her shorts even matched the blanket on the

banco (built in adobe bench)!

Then she stopped and thought a moment.

She asked about the other pieces that go with the set.

Maybe they would work better than the pieces for 18 inch Josefina.

Hey, can you cut these pieces out to play with?
They have serrated edges. It wouldn't even be so hard....

Many of the pieces shown in the paper doll set represent
pieces once made by Pleasant Company

and are a part of the set for 18 inch Josefina.

Other items are appropriate accessories for a Spanish home of this era.

The interesting thing about being an adult collector

is that I want to keep these items in their original condition

even if I have no intention of ever selling them.

I purchased this set more recently, and it is now a discontinued

item that needs to be purchased 2nd hand.

Also, it would take a lot of WORK to cut and punch these all out

without mistakes or tears.

I guess that Josefina is bigger than I am.

I guess that means that her things would be too big for me, too.

Look, Josefina's Mini World magnetic play set is more my size and it is not

as much work to punch out so I can play with them!!!!

Groan...maybe.
But it brought me to another subject.

I actually have a Josefina and her entire Pleasant Company collection

and many Hallmark collectibles as a part of my living room decorations.
There are two more recent outfits that I don't have,

but other than that, I have the complete collection and then some,

including old catalogs, articles, etc.

I find it interesting that Josefina as an American Girl doll

is my most easily identified play doll meant for children,

but in my apartment, she is a display doll and not a play doll.

Voir enjoyed finding Josefina's things in the Martinez Hacienda,

but they are all here, including the chile ristra.

Josefina's Bed, Bedside Table, Piano

Josefina's Desk and Book Collection

Josefina's Chest

contains her clothing, paper items like catalogs,

and items that are not on display like the chicken cage

and tray with the biscochito cookies.

Josefina's Dining Room Table

So I confess that I am not much for housekeeping.

Dust is noun, not a verb. I have cleaned the whole set

 off from time to time, but New Mexico 

and my vent systems are very dusty.

Keeping Josefina's World clean is a lot of WORK!!!

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