What a Summer or What Summer??

What Summer? is pretty accurate. Weather has been strange everywhere. Some places have had record temperatures but here in the Great Northwest it has been a very mild summer with very few hot days. I like the cooler temps so I'm really not complaining.
I did have a busy summer with family visits, canning, berry picking and projects around the dollhouse. But my latest activity includes a promise to myself... I promised to take better care of ME!!
I've been walking 3 times a week and following a very scheduled and strict diet plan... no, I'm not starving myself... actually, I'm eating more often just smaller portions. I haven't been hungry yet!
Mike goes with me on a walk at least once a week and the following pictures are from a couple Sundays ago when we had quite the adventure along the Lewis River.


I had to take a picture of my new walking shoes. They don't look that nice anymore.

The day was beautiful and the river just invited us to walk along the bank... more like hopping from rock to rock! It was so much fun! I haven't hopped rocks along a river for 30 years at least! It wasn't as easy as I remember it! Hahaha!

This shot was not so bad but then Mike snaps the real glamorous me! Don't worry I made it.

When river rock hopping, it is important to stay on the dry rocks. The wet ones are slipperier then snot!! I found that out the hard way. I'll tell that story next with pictures. I have to run some errands right now so until later...

I loves ya!!

Grandkids are so much Fun...

I got to spend some "quality" time today with my grandson, Isaac, a feisty 7-year-old and ALL boy!!! He gets his curly locks from me, of course. Mom was busy doing some paperwork for us so Isaac and I did our own thing. We had a busy day that included him patiently waiting for me to get a new tail light bulb for the car, going to the bank and to the store for a key and to pick up a container of broken ceramics for making mosaics, cruising a garage sale, and picking up a few groceries. He was so good, so, of course, he made out like a bandit!! He got a pop at Burgerville, a new toy machine gun of some kind that is like 4 different toys in one, two really cool tee-shirts at the garage sale, a Sponge Bob Calendar, and then a fabulous lunch at home, turkey sandwiches. After lunch, I told him that we would make one of his stuffed animal friends a gi (gee). So, here is the final result. This is "Barf" who is now "Barf the Ninja" wearing his new gi and black belt. Isaac helped with the pressing the seams and he dressed Barf. His mom helped tie the belt since neither of us knew how it was done. I learned it is wrapped twice! Cool.

Isaac poses with his Barf. I don't think he knew I was taking his picture too or he would have hammed it up some.

"Barf the Ninja" seems appropriate. For a Beanie toy, he seems to have the look for a ninja, or at least once the gi was on he got an attitude!!

Don't mess with this mutt, he just might hurt you!!

Isaac was very pleased. One down, two more to go!! I need a nap!

Where does the time go!!!

Wow... July was here and gone before I knew it!! What a great month. Very busy with family visits and yard work!! It really hasn't been a terrible Summer so far. It has felt more like Spring and since we didn't have a Spring, I think it is wonderful. Makes me wonder about Fall and Winter though.... hmmmmm....

So, to share some updates... not much in the fashion making, except I did create a couple little numbers for my Miss Piggy doll that are very cute and totally left Mr. Kermit completely smitten.

Here she is in her pretty pink polka-dot pinafore pampering her prized petunias in a precious piggy pot. Kermit was so taken by her beauty that he went down on bended knee and... yup! Popped the big question!!! Miss Piggy was so excited, but she kept her poise, (between you and me, you could have knocked her over with a feather!!) She, of course, gave a positive answer to the proposal. (Did you think she would say no??)
" OH, Kermie!"



Then Piggy paraded her pleasingly proportionate posterior proudly in her sexy 2-piece bikini.
It pack a powerful punch!! Poor Kermit, he didn't know what hit him!!

Things did get a little steamy, so much so that I had to make them stay on different shelves. Kermit just couldn't get over his lady love looking so scrumptious. He almost fell off his perch!

Makes me worry about leaving these two alone. I might have some surprises!!

Awesome New Bed

This is the bed Ron designed. It is made of cherry wood and is very solid. It is one sixth scale to a queen size bed. I just finished the mattress pad here.

I went on to make fitted sheet, flat sheet with embroidery along the edge, two pillow cases with the same embroidery and a retro coverlet/spread.

Notice the side tables go very well with the bed and create quite a beautiful bedroom. I then added the coffee table to the end of the bed and the wall table became a dressing table by adding a framed mirror Ron also made, (as he says "it's just junk wood, just to see how it would do". If all doll furniture was made like his "junk wood" we would all be happy!!) He will be adding the mirror to his line of fine furniture, made of course with the finest of wood too.

It is a pretty little bedroom and so much fun to decorate. Notice Tinker is checking everything out to make sure it is all right.

"Yikes!!! I didn't know you were coming to visit!!" Oh dear, Samantha just got out of the shower and was planning to go to bed early. "I wasn't expecting anyone until tomorrow! Look! I'm all wet and my hair is a mess!!"

Gee, I wish I looked that good coming out of the shower!! Com'on Sam, just do a pose or two so I can take some pictures to show off the bed.

"What??? I'm in a towel!! What can I do in a towel??"

"How's this?" I think she is being a little snooty but then again, I did catch her at an awkward time. I'm really sorry Sam. "Well, stop taking pictures then! That's enough, I want to get in bed..... turn around please..... I sleep in the buff so TURN AROUND!!!" Oh!!!!

She is so fast!!! Just that quick she was under the covers with her dignity safe.

"Say 'Goodnight Sam'" Okay... Goodnight Sam...

First Day of Summer..

I know, the first day of Summer was yesterday but I was a little busy to add this. It is so cloudy and cold it is hard to believe it is summer anyway! I'm sure it is going to turn blazing hot and we will have something else to complain about! Hahaha... Natural complainers we humans are!

This is Summer, my newest add to my bikini line. She was actually created for a customer but I haven't heard from him yet so if she stays she has a place in my family of dolls.

This was such an easy hat to make! I should make a video as it would be a fun project for kids.

Summer looks great in hers. Turquoise just seemed bright and sunny, even though we didn't have any sun to spit at...

The set is made to either be a bikini swimsuit or could be lingerie. I made a pair of skinny pants to go over the bikini bottoms and the cover-all jacket and hat are made from the same netted fabric. Summer comes with her own beach bag that holds her embroidered beach towel, that my grandson helped to cut out, and of course, one of her favorite magazines. Shoes to match complete the look.


So if summer ever arrives at least Summer will be ready!!

Second Guest Room

So, this is the second biggest bedroom upstairs, where Mike had his office but then wanted to move to the smallest room. The window here faces the front of the house, over-looking the driveway. You can see the river when the trees lose their leaves but the view in the smallest room is beautiful a year long as it looks up the hillside with all the huge rocks and ferns.

Anyway, this room is big and can handle color. We bought a bedroom set off of Craig's list that we both thought would make a wonderful guest room. It had presence, if you know what I mean. I never in my life thought I would ever choose any form of orange to paint a wall but this was a color I was moved to get. It is a burnt orange or sunset orange and warm and rich. The adjacent walls will be painted a toasty mocha to compliment the warmth.
This is my daughter, Dori, and her husband, James, making it look easy. I painted too, I just had to stop and take pictures!



Two coats later, we moved in the furniture. Mike hung a picture of "Sleeping Beauty" that we made the frame for a few years ago. I put the new mattress pad and sheets on, added the pillows and...



Voila! A lovely room to share with our guests.



We still have a few things to add. The rest of the bedding, a nice quilt and I'm looking for a vanity to match this set and a sitting chair and maybe a couple more pictures will finish it perfectly.

Vamping up at the Dollhouse

Mike decided to take this room as his office. It is the smallest of the upstairs room but it has a beautiful hardwood floor. So the first picture here is of the before and as you can see the previous owners tried to be creative. But this wasn't going to do for Mike's office space. I asked him what colors he would like and he surprised me with wanting a red, yes, I said "red", wall for accent. We went and looked at paint colors and he picked this one.

It was a chore to cover that mural and repair the damage from taking the scripture of the wall, it was glued on then painted over. So on with the red. I was amazed at how much depth it created. So on with the second coat and it warmed up even more. We choose a moss green for the other wall but the paint I bought was too blue so with my daughter, Dori's help, we used what was left over from painting the guest room downstairs and it turned out perfect. As you can see, Mike was happy taking it all in when he came home to a ready to set up, freshly painted, office space just for him.

The desk was a little too big to get through the door, the top of the desk was removed and that still wasn't enough so the door frame had to be chiseled away. Mike can repair that later.

The set looked wonderful and went well with the color of the walls.

Mike had to test out his chair. Of course, his kitty, Sophie, had to invite herself to join him.

I need to take a photo at night or at least later in the day so you could see the view of the hillside out back. It make this a great space and will make things more pleasant for Mike when he has to spend time working on his computer.

Now on to the next room!!

Second Furniture Design

At first glance you might think this is the same furniture as before but look closely at the legs and that is where you will see the difference. Ron made this set in hopes to offer top quality craftsmanship but at a little lower price. This is still heirloom furniture and will last for generations.

As you can see, it works well with the couch. This set is made with black walnut and a small band of maple for highlights all in a natural finish. Nothing is stained, just rubbed with tung oil to bring out the natural beauty. All the drawers work smoothly and have a beautiful sterling silver pull knob. Ron will be making these sets in many different types of exotic woods as they become available to him.

I think it makes a beautiful room.

It is a perfect set for setting up dioramas, for just play and pretend time. And as you can see, it is ageless as far as how old you are.

If you are interested in this furniture and any other items Ron creates, you can find them on my website, http://dollyknickers.org under the heading "Furniture".