Yesterday Wrap Up and More on the Room Box

Everyone in my family is doing the dance of joy for me! I went out to my friends' house after work and we all had celebratory tacos. If anyone knows how to make you feel celebrated, it’s my friends! I swear they get more excited for you than you yourself are. :^)

But yesterday really was a red letter day! I had a smile on my face till I went to bed. I mean I got my step increase, the new job within my office that I wanted, I ordered cable (the very basic – I’m having issues with my rotary antenna and now I will have a clear picture on all stations. WHOO HOO!), my truck will be getting an oil change and a front end alignment next Tuesday and by the end of the month, I’ll have more than enough money to buy 4 new tires for my truck, which will make it pass inspection! I know, those sound like minor things, but when they weigh on you like a lead brick because you’re worried your vehicle won’t make it through a Maine winter – it’s a major thing. I feel like I can breathe now!

I also wanted to share picts of the “test” room box that I made, the completed cutting table set up and the finished magazine spinner:

This was made from fairly thick MDF that I had out in the garage. I want to increase the length and depth of my room boxes, so I think I'll have to head to the Big Orange Box (Home Depot) for some 1/4" MDF or plywood to make the real boxes. I haven't decided if I'll paint the inside or "wallpaper" with some scrapbooking paper, yet. I'll get a square of peel and stick linoleum for the flooring.

(Click on the pictures to make them bigger. I can't put them on Flickr yet, because my mother and aunt both look at my photos on that site - they don't read this, so I can share)

I was hoping to make these roomboxes up this weekend, but Mum and Dad are coming up to help me sheet rock. Guess they'll have to wait until Monday!

2

#1: As promised, the forgotten "What I learned Wednesday" photo

"Paper bags" - pastel charcoal and willow charcoal

It isn't really done; there are a few things that I need to touch up and erase, but I ran out of time in class. I was so shocked at how the erasing of certain areas really makes it pop out!

#2: The Dollhouse

So I'm making a dollhouse for my best friend for Christmas. The story is that when she was little (long before we ever met), her grandmother had this beautiful, huge, old dollhouse that my friend spent hours lovingly playing with every time she visited. She was absolutely in love with this dollhouse.

Secretly she thought of it as hers and knew in her heart that her grandmother, seeing how much she loved this dollhouse, cared for it and played ever so gently with it, would one day give it to her.

During one visit, while she was playing with this dollhouse, my friend let slip how one day she would love to have this dollhouse as her very own, but her grandmother exclaimed, "Oh no, this dollhouse isn't intended for you - I plan to give this to your cousin!" This cousin was mildly mentally challenged and always threw pieces around, trying to break things. My friend's little heart was broken, her spirit crushed and the next time she visited her grandparents, the dollhouse was gone, never to be played with by her again.

Upon hearing this story, my heart broke. After all these years, she still lamented the loss of that dollhouse (she's thirty now). I decided a few months back that I would find a dollhouse kit and make my friend her very own dollhouse. I found a kit for a Lafayette house on Ebay in September and little by little, as I can find what I wanted, I've been buying furniture.

I sat down last night and started to read the directions and familiarize myself with the pieces. As I looked at it I thought, "Well, maybe I'll just start the first couple of steps", then I did a couple more and a couple more until the first floor was almost finished! I'm so impressed with how easy it is! Take a look:

I just love the design! I'm thinking that I'll have to get another one and make it for myself! It's only 4 little rooms with a little spiral staircase and I'm in love with that little window seat (which will be the kitchen). Once I get the first floor partition in, I'll start to paint the downstairs. I'm thinking yellow for the kitchen (it'll go well with the green seat of the kitchen chairs) and the living room will be a victorian red. I haven't figured out the 2 upstairs rooms yet. Before I paint anything I really want to find out what colors she would like, but how do I do that without letting her know what I'm doing? I thought of posing the "What If" question of "What if you owned your own house, what colors would you use?" and follow up with "What would it look like? How would you paint the outside? How would you decorate?" etc. etc. but I couldn't just come out with that question. I need to be sneaky about it. I'll keep thinking on it and figure out how to get around to the House Color questions. I think I need to get her family involved!

Personal Notepad

As I catch up with everyone's blogs, I've been noticing a trend - that of busyness. So many comings and goings and crafts to make and goodies to bake. And it doesn't seem relegated to just those bloggers in the US who are celebrating Thanksgiving; it seems to be a worldwide occurance.

This time of year just seems to be a flurry of activity; preparing for and celebrating the various holidays, executing the many projects that have been planned for so long, getting the handmade goodies ready for selling, trying to carve out time for friends and family. The lists are miles long and time is flying away from us by leaps and bounds.

On any given day during this season, my arms and hands look like a mass of handwritten tattoos...my own personal notepads when I don't have a piece of paper nearby, spelling out the places I've been and need to go, things to remember, things to do.

October, November and December just seem to whiz by with little feelings of accomplishment. When it's over, I have mixed feelings. Relief that it's over, but sadness too; all that anticipation and the joyous feeling of the season. But I often wonder, did I take any time for myself during the hustle bustle? Who did I neglect? What did I forget? And every year I make the same resolution - start early, get it all prepared ahead of time so when this time of year rolls around I can sit back and relax, visit more, and feel like I'm enjoying the season rather than feeling the anxiety of the looming "To-Do" list. Then, if I take a class (like Drawing), I can enjoy it more and not feel like it's cutting into my "getting things done" time.

But I have to admit, I've gotten smart and started an assembly line process for the craft fair things - it's making it much easier. I have 1 lap quilt to make for a friend, my nephew's gift to buy and a dollhouse to make (I really, really hope my best friend doesn't read this blog - as far as I know, she doesn't because I've posted about her before and she's never mentioned or commented, so I think I'm safe). I'm really looking forward to working on that. I've been picking up little pieces to go into it here and there and just received the kitchen set in the mail yesterday, all the way from South Carolina (Ebay - gotta love it!) It's so totally cute! And I'm so impressed with each piece! The doors open, the drawers move.

I picked up the living room set about a month ago, it's all red velvet and victorian looking. I also have a bedroom set and a writing room set (well, it's stuff that will be used in the writing room that I will create).

If I didn't have the craft fair to prepare for, I'd so be working on this dollhouse! I love it! I'm going to hate to give it up when I'm done, but the look on her face will be the best reward for my work!

Alright, I've rambled enough. I have to check out of here and run errands, grab lunch and head off to an environmental meeting in Freeport - yay!

If I don't get a chance to post tomorrow (though I will try), Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States and have a great rest of the week to everyone else!