Wired

We're wired for anything today -- computer, bath, sleeping!

The scene started with the bath, which is actually a very inexpensive bowl from Target. I usually put greenery with my bath scenes, which is funny considering I have never had such a bath, but I guess a lot of what I set up is not true to life :)

The sink is totally makeshift! I used a lovely silver bowl received in a swap with Oese and then fashioned a faucet out of a vase from a Re-ment set. The white consoles and table are vintage VERO and were all purchased in two separate auctions from a German eBay seller for 1Euro each total (shipping was extra of course). Their condition is excellent, and they also came with a duplicate couch that I already have in my collection and seen here.

The Mac on the other side of the room was handmade by Lilushop on Etsy, and is amazing in its attention to detail. It's a bit large, but dominates in a good way! My obsession with the Re-ment My Favorite Stationery set continues with the globe and colored pencil set. They just make me smile.

By the way, I purchased some vintage Marx furniture from the Imagination doll house [fellow blogger Rebecca wrote about it back in March] and the pieces are too small, closer to 1/2 scale. I did use a piece as a "trellis" in the bath, but will likely not use the rest. Anyone interested in swapping? There are 20+ pieces and they are in good condition; some need small repairs. Let me know!

Credits: Bathtub is a bowl from Target; bath platform is from the Villa Sibi; plants are Playmobil City; green trellis is vintage Marx; towel rack, bed coverlet, and lamp are AG Minis; white consoles and white table are vintage VERO; mirror is vintage from eBay; cowhide rug is handmade by Oese; bed and vases are Bozart; artwork is from my VERO house; Mac is by Lilushop; cowhide chairs are Reac; globe, pencil set, and shampoo/conditioner are Re-ment. Accessories are Re-ment, Marimekko, and Manor House Miniatures.

Re-ment: I've written about the Re-ment in this scene with some exceptions. The globe and pencil set are from My Favorite Stationery, #7, and are good for 1:12. The shampoo, conditioner, soap on sink, and rubber duck are all from Puchi Drugstore, #1, and are a bit big for 1:12, but workable.

VERO Revealed

I have done a little extra detective work on my new VERO house, and think I have found some original wallpapers under the more recent wood grain papers. They are not in good condition, so I may cover them unless anyone has any bright ideas on some restorative touch-ups for water stains. There are also parts that unfortunately stripped down to the wood wall.

The worst room is the "fresco" room. The overlay of paint and paper is pretty bad, and I could only strip down to the walls themselves with just shreds and glimmers of what was original. What a shame! I am still very pleased to have the house, however. I think I will tackle the front door next.

On a house note, I wanted to share some snaps of two vintage 1/144 houses I just received in the mail. I love the details of the windows and patios!

When One Door Closes...

another one opens!

My VERO doll house from Germany has finally arrived at my door, just as I mailed out my vintage Brumberger Tudor, which sold on eBay -- the guilt of the VERO was somewhat alleviated and justified by the selling of the Brumberger :)

Acquiring this VERO house entailed a nail-biting bidding process, then a more hellish payment process (wiring funds, trying to locate seller's bank in Germany, etc.), and then what seemed like a endless shipping process. And, perhaps the most expensive package to ship that I have ever received.

Alas, it is here, and quite dirty! After I made myself a nice cappuccino...

I proceeded to carefully unpack it down in my work room in the basement. Here are some pictures of how I "birthed" it from its box, little by little:

Now some shots of what I found:

It looks like the blue and yellow flooring is original to the house. I don't mind them, but they are not in the best shape. One of the downstairs rooms looks like it is filled with ancient frescoes, I swear -- layers of paper and then a cobalt paint. I have started stripping some of the paper and have cleaned the ceilings, which were filthy. The windows on the top corner of the house is actually very thick plastic and it is ripped in places. Not quite sure how to replace it altogether or fix those tears. Any ideas? It's such a nice part of the house.

I set up a quick scene, too. As cool as the wall storage panel in my work room is, it is visible in the background. So, I put up an "awning" of some Marimekko fabric to create more of an outdoor space and hide it a bit. There is likely a large window missing from this part of the house.

Lots more work to do here...!

Credits: Couch is vintage VERO; boomerang table, chairs, and two small consoles are vintage German; coffee table is Ryan's Room; Barcelona chair is Reac; wall painting is original to the house (or at least to this house); ball clock handmade by Pubdoll; lamp and wastebasket are AG Minis; plant near Barcelona chair is vintage TOMY; plant on patio, small frog sculpture, bowl and fruit, and potted plant on coffee table are Re-ment; tea service is vintage MAR Toys; rug is by The House That Jacq Built; fabric "awning" is Marimekko fabric. Accessories are MAR Toys and from France.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with two exceptions. The frog scuplture and potted plant on patio are from the Room series, #3 and are a bit small for 1:12, but work.

WorkMom

Yes, it is a little workroom for a Mom's hobby :) Inspiration for this type of scene is always present! I decided to use this room off the main living area in the K House, which I have adopted as the default garage. I am trying to use all the rooms in the house, so now I have officially done this!

I must acknowledge the amazing custom work of Susan Karatjas of SDK Miniatures, as seen in the wonderful 1/144 white modern couch and chair. Her attention to detail is amazing. I also bought a 1/144 room box and shelving unit, but need to put them together (with large amounts of time for tiny, tiny work)! Susan is just one of the many reasons to go to the Philadelphia Miniatura this weekend, and I am going to try to get there.

I found the N scale yellow house on eBay -- it is by Bachmann and is made for railroad scenes. I was looking for a while for a modern structure (I love vintage ones too), and think this looks pretty neat.

Credits: Figures and clear chair are Bozart; N scale house is by Bachmann; 1/144 white couch and chair are by SDK Miniatures; curved couch and dollhouse table are vintage Fairline; tub stool is vintage Lundby; shelving unit is made of two vintage Fisher Price beds; blue wall covering is scrapbook paper from Target; dog is from my daughter's collection; pillows are handmade by Tarkus; green and orange stools are Lil' Bratz; accessories are Re-ment, Elf Miniatures, and Mighty World.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in the scene with the exception of a few things. The two pink filing boxes are from Beauty Storage #10 "Pretty Placement," and are good for 1:12. The flowered three drawer box is from I Love Kyoto #7 "Candy Treasure Box," and is good for 1:12. The little stool on the bottom shelf is from Dogs Enjoy Life, #8, and is too small for 1:12, but can be re-purposed.

Mini Meaning

Not that I need more excuses to like minis...but my nine-year old daughter and I are able to have fun and connect through them. I think she is genuinely curious about my hobby, she knows how important it is to me, and in general is pretty careful with my things.

I stayed home from work on Monday since I fell down a flight of stairs (don't ask, it's been a crazy few weeks), and she was feeling a bit punky, so we stayed home together. I was cleaning up the carnage from three different scenes, and she suggested she do a scene in the Villa Sibi, but NOT with too much of my help. It's hard to resist my control freak mechanism, but I did indeed let go and she set up here very own scene!

I did not move anything around or switch things out, even though I was tempted. :)

Credits: Could I pass on credits since this is not my scene? I feel very lazy tonight. White sectional couches by Bozart; wooden stool is made of two salt cellars (OK, that had some help from me); "rug" is origami paper; Eames elephant is Reac; dog is my daughter's; guitar and piano (check out her sheet music!) are Nodameggaki; Hello Kitty light is Sanrio; Easter Island head is from Barnes & Noble; plant and small round table by dog are Re-ment; table and chairs are vintage Topper Toys; Mini Sibi is handmade by Oese; Mini Sibi table and Easter Island head pedestal are from the Villa Sibi; and artwork is gift packaging. Accessories are Re-ment, our local toy store, Manor House Miniatures, and handmade by Oese.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with a few exceptions. The place mat, knife, and cups on the table are from Megahouse Pop 'n Kitchen #5 and are all good for 1:12. The chair and light in the Mini Sibi are from Beauty Storage #10, "Pretty Placement" and are good as minis in 1:12!

Skeleton Crew

I find it very hard to pass by the $1 bin at Target (or walking out of there without spending $75 on things I did not come there to buy). I recently saw these skeleton party favors and while not a big fan of Halloween, thought I might put them to use in one of my houses.

A $1 package of scrapbook paper also made it into my bag, so that has shown up as a "carpet" for these carousing and contemplative skeletons and their spider friends.

Credits: Skeletons and pumpkin "carpet" are from Target; orange chairs and couch are vintage Bodo Hennig; guitar is Nodamegakki; Nelson couch and black lounger are Reac; fuzzy cabinet, orange flower side table, and bar are AG Minis; gold ball chair is Lil' Bratz; white round table is vintage Lundby; blond wood coffee table is vintage VERO; checkers table and striped lamp are Bozart; orange dresser, tiny "egg" stools by fireplace, chicken phone, and s'mores set are Re-ment; large orange vase is vintage Fiestaware; small yellow and white chairs are vintage Fisher Price; Ibsen book is handmade by Oese; orange polka dot pillows are handmade by Tarkus. Accessories are from my kids, Re-ment, Manor House Miniatures, Ryan's Room, and Mighty World.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with a few exceptions. The s'mores set is from Mini Sweets #10, and is a bit large for 1:12, but works. The fish-shaped wine bottles on the bar are from Black Cat Italian Restaurant # 6 and they are good as large bottles in 1:12. The Pellegrino bottle is also from Black Cat Italian Restaurant #1, and is good for 1:12. The orange dresser also comes in white and is fine as a large piece in 1:12. It also comes with a workable lamp, which I have not used here.

Typing Time

Seeing this typewriter reminds me of being in high school (before the age of personal computers) and typing out my papers. I kind of miss the simplicity, but appreciate the (simple) complexity of today's conveniences. :) I am motivated by color, so the yellow and black set the tone for the scene, hence Mr. Penguin had to make an appearance!

You'll see some photos with a wall covering, some without. I decided to put up some strips of origami paper, mostly to see if I could succeed in hiding the outlets!

Pubdoll is a wonder, and has created this beautiful ball clock for me. It is amazing and looks fantastic. I am so pleased to have it. Now I need a 1:1 one!

Credits: Bed by AG Minis; Eames elephant by Reac; table is vintage Bodo Hennig; chair and lamp are vintage German; small table is vintage Petit Princess; typewriter, coffee pot, storage unit, plant, crayons and sketch book are Re-ment; "wallpaper" are strips of origami paper; artwork is a tarot card; cowhide rug and books are by Oese; ball clock by Pubdoll; pillow is by Tarkus; small instrument is by Nodamegakki; vases at foot of bed are Bozart; glass vases are beads; clear shell was a freebie with a Re-ment order. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, Bozart, Mighty World, and our local toy store.

Re-ment: I've written about the Re-ment in this scene with a few exceptions. Coffee pot is from Black Cat Italian Restaurant #5, and is good for 1:12. The storage unit is from Storage Beauty #10, "Display Shelf," and is also good for 1:12. The plant is from the Room series # 3, and is a bit on the small size, but good for 1:12. The plant pot is actually a cooking stand for a pot from I Love Kyoto #1 "Traditional Conger Cuisine." It works for 1:12 as I have re-purposed it. The typewriter is from one of my favorite sets, Natalie's French Sundries # 5, and works for 1:12. The crayons and sketch pad are from another terrific set, My Favorite Stationery # 8, and are good for 1:12.