The View From the Shelf: Dreams

As I was preparing my lesson plan for tomorrow's evening class, I was thinking--for the millionth (well, no, probably billionth) time--that I wish I were self-employed. It would be so wonderful to, yes, still have to work, but to do it for myself, really and truly for myself, and not some higher-up. To wake up in the morning and know that, while there may be a long day ahead of me, it will be a long day spent fulfilling a dream.

What dream is this, you ask? Well, I have a lot of dreams--to become a published writer, to be a great sculptor/dollmaker (that one's never gonna happen, haha)--but the one I'm talking about right now is the dream of owning and running my own children's bookstore.

It would be beautiful--like The Shop Around the Corner in You've Got Mail (not the store in the old movie actually titled The Shop Around the Corner, that You've Got Mail was "based" on--ugh). I know it probably wouldn't do very well, because it wouldn't be a used bookstore--oh no, all the books would be new and glossy and lovely, except for rare and first edition copies. And I would stock out-of-print books that I loved when I was younger, too, and those phenomenal volumes that I've picked up here and there that were hidden gems, just waiting for me to find them and expose them to young readers (and older readers, too).

I would bring back all the L. M. Montgomery books, the ones you don't find anymore on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and Borders; the out-of-print Sandra Boynton books (Chloe and Maud, for one, in hardcover--oh, how I love Chloe and Maud--I named my first two hamsters after those absurdly comical little cats); all of Tove Jansson's Moomin books, including the first one, The Moomins and the Great Flood; more of Dare Wright's Lonely Doll books, most of all Edith and Big Bad Bill (Big Bad Bill was a gruff old bear, but I had a crush on him when I was little); Marianna's Flora McFlimsey books; and, oh--Mariette Vanhalewijn's Princess Penelope's 365 Dresses, which I adored when I was little for both its story and beautiful illustrations, and which I would give quite a bit to have and read again (and, yes, I had to look up the author's name to see how to spell it).

So it would all cost a lot of money, and probably wouldn't make much money, but this is a dream, right? And while we're dreaming big, here's what else I would have in my children's bookstore:

Dolls.

Oh, yes, dolls--and animals. Storybook dolls and fairy tale dolls and dolls that just plain look old-fashioned or unique or worthy of my "vision." There are so many versions of Alice to choose from, so many princesses and fairies and dragons and the like. And, if I could have unlimited funds and could decorate my shelves with any dolls I wanted (for sale and not for sale), here are some of the ones I'd include:

This Peter Rabbit and other needle-felted animals from Little Elfs Toyshop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleElfsToyshop?ref=seller_info)

Bears like this one from twinklehooves' Miniature Crocheted Bears and Friends (http://www.etsy.com/shop/twinklehooves?ref=seller_info)

Tiny Dolls by madebyjoy like this doll, that I in fact bought and now own :)(http://www.etsy.com/shop/madebyjoy?ref=seller_info)

Fabric fairies and pixies such as this one (that I also own) from The Poppy Tree (http://www.etsy.com/shop/thepoppytree?ref=seller_info)

The little stoneware animals by C. Bunny Binx (http://www.etsy.com/shop/cbunnybinx)

Little bendy dolls like this from Princess Nimble-Thimble (http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dannielle)

This sweet ballerina, and other dolls like it, from las sandalias de ana, or handmade cute gifts (http://www.etsy.com/shop/lassandaliasdeana)

These Wizard of Oz figures, and other little gnomes and such, from humbleBea's (http://www.etsy.com/shop/humblebea)

This fox from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince (I own one of these foxes, too) by Belcast Curiosities (http://www.etsy.com/shop/anitabelcast)