The Boxer

I have a shadow box fixation. I blame my grandmother, Nonnie. When I was a little girl, Nonnie had these delightful little shadow boxes hanging in her entryway. The dioramas depicted primitive country kitchens with a charming little mouse featured prominently in each one. I adored them and never forgot about them. Unfortunately, my grandmother hadn't kept them when she moved to a new home, so I had to turn to Ebay in my quest for replacements. Ebay rarely lets me down, and that time was no exception. They were made by Enesco in the 1970s, and even though a lot of them were made, there are surprisingly few on the resale market! But Ebay came through for me, and few clicks later, I had adorable mouse dioramas on their way. They've been in my kitchen ever since, and I never tire of them.

How cute are these???

You'd think that two kitchen dioramas would be enough. After all, how many tiny rooms in boxes does one girl need? So far, the answer appears to be four- though I'm not ruling out future acquisitions.

This cheerful Southwestern scene joined the collection after I found it in a junk shop. It's nothing particularly special or valuable, but it's colorful and fun, and that's good enough for me.

I love the dried chili peppers!!

This is my latest find. My mom and I wandered across it this weekend as we were exploring one of my favorite antique stores- the awesomely named Junk in the Trunk. It's missing a couple of pieces, but at $9.50, I consider it a steal. It's (probably) a German Black Forest piece, probably from the 1940s. In great condition, they can go for around $150. This one isn't in great condition, but it's still totally cool, and well worth $10. I wish I knew more about where it came from, but I'm glad to have it either way.

Junk in the Trunk also yielded this really cool cork carving. These were really popular souvenirs in China in the 1940s. My other grandmother, Mimi, had one that now lives at my mother's house. She refused to let me steal it, so I had to buy my own. Then, a year later, I found another tiny one that I picked up for the low, low price of $1.

A whole tiny world in a box!!

My collection of tiny worlds makes me ridiculously happy. Maybe it's because they're so calm. There are no kids arguing, no laundry piling up, no floors that need mopping. Other than an occasional dusting with a paintbrush, they don't need anything to stay serene and lovely. And who couldn't use a little more serenity in their hectic lives!