Dolls!

It must have to do with that when I was a child, my sisters and I made paper dolls and assigned them lives, complete with high-power careers and furnished apartments, that up until now I have a fascination for these make-believe creatures. It was a happy surprise when I learned that an old friend, Cez Nunez-Uhing, is into doll-making these days; and when she sent me pictures of her creations, I just went, "Wow!" The details on her dolls are exquisite. Look:

Find the chicken!

Somebody needs to go on a diet...

Cez says that she began making her dolls because she couldn't stand having her son play with mass-produced toys that, according to her, "did not teach him a reverence for things." Her dolls are inspired by real people; in fact her first dolls were modelled after neighbors whom she describes as "chismoso" (rumor-mongering).

Her stuff is sold in stores in Manila and Tagaytay, in the Philippines; and she is setting up a doll shop in Sagada where she lives. I am not sure if she accepts orders from foreign countries, but if you are interested you can try. E-mail her at cezgroup@gmail.com. Otherwise, I think looking at photos of her works is pleasure enough.