Dollhouse: 01

I have always loved dollhouses. I don't think I've met a little girl who doesn't, actually. We had a pretty one when we were kids, and that house got more love than any other toy in our life, except maybe my favorite teddy bear. Every day I would move furniture, and play make-believe with my little toys. 

My dad is a contractor... a very talented contractor who adores his grandchildren. A couple of Christmases ago, he spent who-knows-how-many hours making the most gorgeous dollhouse for my girls. I asked him to keep the inside bare so that I could make it beautiful WITH the girls, so we got hardwood floors and white walls. It's basically amazing. 

I realized the girls were a bit small to play with it gently for any extended period of time when they first got it... Maggie took a pen to the exterior and got in big trouble pretty quickly, so it was a hands-off thing for awhile. Lately they've been gravitating toward it more and more {and not in a destructive way anymore!}, so it's time to spruce up the interior and make it awesome. YES. I'm so excited. Today we got started. 

Wallpaper. I love white for walls in my home, but I love wallpaper for a dollhouse. It's easily mod-podged in there, and removes for a new paper so easily! I don't have a razor-blade even though I've told myself a million times how much I could really use one, so my edges are imperfectly done with a pair of scissors. No biggie! 

I folded creases into my paper {it's this one from Paper-Source}, cut along the creases and hoped for the best. I measured all three walls before mod-podging any in, and then with the window, I just used my finger to indent a tiny bit around the edges, then a scissor to cut more exactly once it was off the wall.

For furniture, we've had this starter set since we got the house, and I got some chair ornaments from CB2 {for like $1 each} at their after-Christmas sale that are the perfect modern dollhouse chairs- the white one in the corner being one of them. Hoping they have more this year and I'll scoop up extra. :)

We used a little candleholder from my shop {to which Maggie also added her artistic flavor with a pen, so it was a good one to keep!} as a plant holder, and we cut a tiny leaf from a fake plant to fill the planter. Sophie and I worked together to make an art piece for the wall with markers, then "framed" with a brown marker on a larger rectangle.

We're down bedding, lighting and floor coverings, but it'll come in time... kind of like my bedroom- one piece at a time, patience is a virtue and all that... 

Have I mentioned how fun little girls are? I mean, I totally transported myself back to 1987 for the morning and it was fun for all! SO, this is dollhouse post 01, and hopefully there will be numbers to follow while we work on it. Dollhouses make me feel like I can decorate as fancy as Emily Henderson but with the tiniest budget ever. I can totally see it being addicting. ;)

Ps. A million years ago I made a vine with the dollhouse in its bare state, and here it is! Pardon the terribly shaky videography, HA:

xoxo.

Home Loving

​I'm in major spring cleaning mode, so out with the old, in with the new. It's funny, when I started the clean-out, I realized there are a few things I haven't used in YEARS, but there are definitely items for every day that I could use around here...

1. Plates. We're down to five full-sized plates here folks. How did this happen? I don't know, but I've been married almost eight years and it seems I've lost a plate per year until this year. Is that a good or bad turnover?​ Whatever it is, I'm ready for new ones. I'm thinking patterned rather than solid this time around. There are plenty of good options, including these beauties from West Elm, of course.... though I may prefer color too.

2. Console. A skinny console table is exactly what is needed behind my couch. I've done away with the hideous side table we were using, which cleaned up the living room look immensely,​ but we're in need of a spot for mugs and such that children cannot easily access. 

3. ​Candles. The house needs to smell good, and I absolutely LOVE walking in to a lightly fragrant home. These brightly colored candles are pretty decor too.

4. Coasters. They are used every.single.day around here (no rings!), so it'd be nice to put out a fresh, cohesive set that wouldn't look bad sitting on our coffee table all day. ​

5. Cutting Board. My cutting board recently cut in half. Weird right? Overuse, clearly. ​It was wooden and it started getting a crack that just kept getting deeper and deeper. Now it's gone and I'd love to replace it. The flimsy plastic ones just don't get the job done as well. I like this one from Etsy a whole lot better.

​Hope your Thursday has been a little more exciting than mine! Back to cleaning...

- Kate

Porch Picnic

A little bit of rain today meant no long walks, but we most certainly can have a picnic outside on the deck anyway! Set a little rug with some fruit and fun and we're good to go. The nicest part is that in case we forgot anything, by all means, run right inside and get them... no biggie.

Add a couple darling friends, and you have yourself a lovely little excursion... right on the porch!

XO,
Kate

Ps. Before we moved to a place with a porch, we set our picnics by the biggest window in the house and looked outside & pretended it wasn't freezing out... in case you don't have a porch at your home or in case it's zero degrees out where you live. :)