I’m not sure when the tradition started, but about 20 years ago is a good guess. A friend had a daughter in a local school and solicited donations for their holiday auction.

I volunteered to donate a dollhouse, and promptly enlisted my creative niece MES to help me fulfill the promise. Over the years I’ve enlisted other help, claiming it’s more fun than working alone. (Never mind that my friends and relatives are much more creative than I am. I do supply the furnishings, however!)

Here’s the “before” for this year’s house. It’s small enough that I can lift the job by myself! Maybe next year, it will be safe to have a full team working on a mansion!