Shiny and New

I built Grandpa this shiny red tool chest this weekend.


The drawers don't open, but the top does!

The little casters work too. :D


I learned something about myself while doing this. I like shiny new things!
So does Grandpa.



I've decided that the garage will look new, not beat up and weathered. Grandma agrees. She would have had Grandpa repaint the garage if it didn't look as nice as the house anyway.

So no shabby, no weathering. Just fresh paint and a shiny floor.

Grandpa bought more tools. He is concerned that everything is not going to fit in the garage. He's asking for a separate garden shed. I told him we have to finish the garage first!

Then I overheard him mumbling about a "man cave." Something about the space in the attic. I think Grandma has claimed that space for a sewing room. There may be trouble ahead?

Hope you have a nice evening. I'm going to go make sure Grandpa doesn't buy more tools or another television!

Panda Bench

When I read Kat's heartfelt post this morning, I immediately thought of the little blue and green bench that came with my Craig's List dollhouse.

I sanded it and put on a new coat of paint. Then I made a little panda face out of woodsie circles and stuck it on (temporarily). This one is only an idea.

If you would like to have this Kat, I'll send it to you. I promise to finish it nicely first! It is 3 12" long by 2 1/2" tall. It might be too big for what you're doing?

Thank you for making a special gift for this sweet baby's grandmother. I know she will treasure it!

Garage Floor and More

I'm working on the floor today. Literally. I've got the garage floor painted and sparkled. I still need to coat it with something to make it really shiny.

I think I'll make a tile border for the room. It won't show much, but I think it will look better than a solid floor.

I'm also trying different colors for the walls. These are just some pieces of card stock I had. I'll paint the walls once I decide what color to use.

Not sure which combination I like best?

I may go with something entirely different, I don't know? I'm also thinking about making a wave stencil to use instead of straight white trim?

I really need to get my printer working again so I can make Grandpa's Navy signs for the walls. This is fun, but there are SO many decisions to make!

Hope you have a good day!

Weekend Projects

I found my tiny turnings. I've decided how I want to do the garage floor. I got the little hinges and casters I needed. Now I just have to get to work!

There will be a LOT of sanding going on here today.

Hope you have a very nice weekend!

No Room For The Car

I just had to prop the garage up to see how it is going to look. Nothing is primed or glued yet.




I would like to add a dormer to the roof where there is a second floor loft. I have no idea how to do that? This "window" is the one that goes on the side of the garage.

As you can see, there will be NO room for the car!

Sure wish I could stay home from work. I hate it when ideas are blooming and I can't continue!

Hope you have a good day,

Garage Floor

I want a terrazzo or epoxy granite floor for the garage. It has to be durable and very shiny, but not too slippery. :D

I painted some card stock, sprinkled on different glitters, then spattered and dabbed. I'll need to paint or spray it with clear varnish. Lots of it. I want a very smooth floor.

Do you think ModPodge or Gesso would work better? Check out this post about using Gesso! It's by Mel Stampz. Amazing stuff!

I also have to decide what color I want to use? I'm leaning toward the gray, but I do like the green too. You'll see why later.

I may put a stripe and/or checker board pattern around the edge of the room where the wall meets the floor? I don't want anything too fancy. This IS a garage, you know.

Just thinking out loud here. Thanks for listening!

Email Idea from Lowes

When I checked my email this morning, I found an idea for the laundry area in the garage.

Image from Lowe's Creative Ideas

Here is my mini version. I need to get some tiny chain for this project and another one I'm working on. Then I can hang it in the laundry room like Lowe's did. :D

Mini laundry is so much more fun than the real thing!

Garage Dreams

Here is what the garage kit looks like unfinished. I have my own dreams, but now I've found more at ideas at this great website!

Image from Garage Plans


This one is from Shawnee Structures.

I'm planning on painting my garage the same color as the beach house. I want to try a weathered finish on the garage. Like this, but not quite as rustic.

I haven't seen the front of the Adelaide Beachy for months! There is still a lot of work to do here. Maybe I should finish it first?

Hope you have a beautiful day!

It's here! Now what?

I received my Houseworks garage kit today! It was on my doorstep when I came home for lunch. Of course, I had to open the box to see what was inside.

I've never built a house from a kit before. The instructions look fairly clear and there are not too many pieces to the puzzle.

The siding is already milled in. That will save me tons of time. There are no shingles included so I'll need to decide what kind of roof I want.

The kit is made out of MDF, not plywood. What little I know about MDF is that it can warp and doesn't like water or water-based paint. There are also safety concerns when cutting and sanding this product. I will need to wear a mask and work outside to avoid inhaling the dust which contains formaldehyde. It's already sanded nicely, but I want to sand it some more.

It's almost like getting a new pet. I just want to hold it and pet it for a while before I do anything else. I'm afraid to do anything else! I don't want to ruin it. I want it to turn out exactly like the picture I have in my head. :D

I would really appreciate any advice you have for dealing with MDF wood. I've read some online but nothing specific about dollhouses. Do I need to seal the wood with something before I start painting?

Maybe I need to have a good old fashioned "garage raising?

Little Projects

The good thing about cleaning up is that now I have some space to work. The bad thing is that I put things away and now I can't find them! LIke the tiny turnings I got a while ago.

I needed them for my little sewing cabinet. Remember that? Still not finished.

I want to put a turned handle on the mini dust pan I'm making too. Thanks MiniSonja for the tutorial! I also made a little wisk broom. Now Grandpa has no excuse for a messy workbench.

I'm trying different paint finishes for the garage exterior. I want a weathered look but still want the blue to show through. I used "weather it" from MicroMark and then dry brushed the blue over that. Not quite what I imagine, but I'm working on it.

The "floor" is a free laminate sample I picked up at HomeDepot. I may have to go back and get more.

I also started building a mini tool chest for the garage this weekend. I found that taking some 18 gauge wire and pounding it with a hammer worked perfectly for making the metal drawer pulls.

I have go to work now. Maybe my tiny turnings will turn up while I'm gone?

Drilling Holes

I just had to try drilling my own peg board. I tried, right? I may try again. Now I need to make more of those fiddly little hooks.

Grandpa has already managed to clutter up the work area. Clutter runs in the family, you know.

Thank you for all of your sweet comments and WELCOME to my new followers too!

Hope you have a happy day!

Workin' on the Workbench

I've been working on Grandpa's workbench this morning.

It's not finished but coming along nicely. I still haven't decided how to do the pegboard. It will have a lower shelf for storage and a smaller shelf above the pegboard too.



It's such a beautiful day here. I really should go work out in the yard, but this is much more fun!

The GARAGE should arrive on Monday or Tuesday? Then the REAL work will begin! :D

Hope you have a lovely day!

Saw Horses

Every carpenter needs a pair of sawhorses. Grandpa built a pair out of some scrap wood he found.


He told me that he couldn't build anything without them. So here they are.

Now we can start building the workbench.

Building a Workbench

I found this do-it-yourself workbench at The Family Handyman. Grandpa will be trying to build one like it for his garage.

This is all he's done so far...

This is another idea. I like the extension on the top.

Grandpa is going to try to make some pegboard to hang on the wall too. Drilling those little holes will be a real challenge!

Hope you have a good day!

Thought for Today

Keep trying!

Grandpa's Place

I had a talk with Grandpa this morning. He showed me some of his things and said that he really needs a place where he can get away from the women, work on his projects or just relax.

Grandpa is a retired Naval officer. He has some things from the Navy that he wants to get out of storage and put on display.

Grandma is decorating the beach house and doesn't want any of Grandpa's stuff in there. We decided that Grandpa needs a place of his own.

Can you guess what that will be?

Happy Valentine's Day

May you have the sweetest day ever!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Little Women

I don't know if you noticed, but Sandy was not smiling when I photographed her in her new outfit. She took it right off and tossed it aside. She said it was "too babyish" for her.

I think it was the little bow that set her off. "Bows are for babies," is what she said. "I want a grown up dress. One I could wear on a date!" Grandma was in tears. She just couldn't bear the thought of Sandy going out with boys.

Shelly was happy. She loves to play dress up. She tried on Sandy's outfit and it fit her nicely. She LOVES the little lace collar and the bow!

So to keep the peace... Sandy got her dress. Grandma got a robe to wear so she won't be humiliated while I work on her white dress.



The men around here are no where to be found. There is always drama when you live in a house full of little women.

Hope you have fun today!