2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: D for Half Scale Decorations

 It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days from A to Z, excluding Sunday.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

Today for the Letter D:

One of the best parts of working on dollhouses is the decorating. I like it as you get to work on many crafts in one project: decorating, designing, crafting, color-coordinating, building, etc. Well, to be truthful, building is not my favorite thing to do, (there is a lot of cutting, measuring and gluing of trim wood when doing a house.) My favorite part is thinking up the theme, the colors, coordinating ideas, designing the decor, deciding what fits in, and making the accessories. It also results in a lot of changes as the thing you thought would fit sometimes doesn't, so you have to decide on what to make or use that looks better instead.

* Here's a past post on some of the assorted decorations I've made and how I decided to use them when building a wall shelf for the den in my Victorian dollhouse. 

Above: Here's the finished shelf. I loved making this bookshelf as it was fun incorporating the tiny charms in with the travel theme using the same world map scrapbook paper I used on the room's walls. * You can see the video of the full house here in the right column. (Scroll past top blog link.)

Here are the other bookcases and handmade seat by the window. I use and make a lot of books as they always look cool. The curtains are handmade. The bookcases are from kits. The bookcases and seat also use the same scrapbook paper background so it all ties in together.

* Next: A to Z Letter E -Every Kind of Dollhouse Food.

* Thanks for visiting. Be sure to come back for more photos and info! 

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: C for Dollhouse Collections

 

It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days from A to Z, excluding Sunday.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

Today for the Letter C:

When you are into a hobby, you end up with a collection of all kinds of things. ha! Dollhouses, like real houses, need everything you use in real life, food (fake of course!), accessories, furnishings, pets, etc. 

So for the Letter C, here are a few groupings. See more photos of my houses and collections in the left column archive or on the tab under the top banner, My Dollhouses. 

* Next: A to Z Letter D for Half-Scale Decorations.

* Thanks for visiting!  Come back for more photos! 

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: B for Fairfield Boy's Room

It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.(*Start here at A. See archives in left column for all posts.)

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

Today for the Letter B:

Decided I'll share a couple pix from the boy's bedroom in my Fairfield half-scale, (1/24th, 1/2" to 1 foot) dollhouse, a Greenleaf kit. I've been working on the dollhouse kit for the past year. I'm a DIY'er so I made most of the furniture myself from kits and also made most of the accessories and decorations.

See more photos of the house in the left column archive or on the tab under the top banner, My Dollhouses. More photos of the boy's room can be seen here. Click photos for full size.

* Next: A to Z Letter C  for Dollhouse Collections.

Thanks for visiting! Come back for more photos and such!

2023 A to Z Blog Challenge: Fairfield Dollhouse Attic

 

It's time for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge!  

The concept is simple - blogging for 26 days (except Sunday) from A to Z.

* See A to Z Instagram - Facebook - A to Z Blog Master List of Participants

I forgot about this, but saw it at the last minute, so I'm rushing to get things scheduled.

When I checked I last did this in 2015 and also in 2013, so I may rerun a few older posts since they'll be new to me - and to you- and they're on my favorite subject - dollhouse miniatures!

As I'm a big collector (no pun intended!), it's fun to go back and share older projects and new ones as well.

So for A:

Funny, as I jumped the gun the other day, not realizing this was coming up and posted  - two days ago!! - on Dollhouse Attics! So here's another look and be sure to check the link at left for more attic photos.

Portion of Fairfield attic

Fairfield attic sitting room 

Background: 

I recently finished working on the half-scale (1/24th, 1/2" =1 foot) Fairfield dollhouse kit from Greenleaf. This was roughly a year-long project, with the kit house built by me and hubby, with me doing the designing, decorating, and renovating. I'm a DIY'er, so I make most of the furnishings from kits and make most of my own accessories and decor.

 I am still scheduling other posts and photos on rooms I haven't shared yet, too, so stay tuned!

You can see links to various parts of the house and the house exterior on the tab under the top banner, My Dollhouses. Other posts can be seen in the archives list in the left column. Click photos for full size.

 * Next: A to Z Letter B for Fairfield Boy's Room. (Live day of link- on Monday.)

********

* Here's a list of all the posts, daily except Sunday. Links live on day of post.

Start 4/1: A - Fairfield Attic

4/3: B - Fairfield Boy's Room

C- Dollhouse Collections    D- Dollhouse Decorations E- Every Kind of Dollhouse Food

F - Fairfield Dollhouse and video   

G-H - Good it's Halloween!      4/11 I-J-K- Just my Fairfield Kitchen - first photos! 

4/14 L- Fairfield Living Room - first photos!  M: Miniature Kits

N-O-P  4/17 - Other New Project - Cottage 

Q-R 4/20-21: Quietly Working on Another Roombox

4/22: S-T: Some Miniature Toys           4/25 U-V-W  Invitation to Dine: Fairfield Dining Room

4/28 X-Y-Z: Month's recap: favorite photos & posts

Thanks for visiting! Come back for more photos and info! 

Fairfield & Other Dollhouse Attics

The unfinished Fairfield attic before.

 Today's topic: Attics!

Feeling a little lost as I finally added what I intended for now to the Fairfield and covered it up. But I will be showing you the rooms you didn't see yet, so stay tuned for upcoming posts.

(Click photos for full size; see other posts in archives in left column or tab on top. * See last post: Fairfield Plants, Additions & Hall and the annual Half Scale Swap. Bonus: Check Emily's blog tutorial to make a beaded curtain.)

For now, thought I'd share something I seem to be hooked on. No matter the house, lately every one has to have an attic. ha! It's fun to have an area to store things and have another room you can use for any purpose. So here's a look back at some different attics I've finished:

***

In the first half-scale house I did, the Country Dollhouse, I used the attic as one large room with extra beds (made from those inexpensive wood punch-out furniture kits) and a craft area. The room was painted "wood" paneling made from strips. (*See all photos of house on website.)

***

In my fairly recent large Victorian house, I decided to add an actual small attic space for storage. I like how the brick paper looks with the wood. (See video of house on my website. Scroll past blog section at top.)

***

The haunted Van Buren house also has a full attic space on the third floor. I really like how the brick looks here. (I always use the textured brick paper from Starboc2 on Etsy, who's from Greece.)    * See other photos on top page tab: My Dollhouses.)

***

For fun, here's how the Fairfield attic space started. At this point I wasn't sure how it would turn out!

Now it has both an attic sitting room and a tiny bathroom next to a storage-attic space, the best of both worlds! I normally don't add bathrooms but this house had enough room to add two, one on the second floor and I squeezed one in the attic space.

Sitting room and bathroom:

Attic space:

After putting some things in, I decided to add an extra bed in there, too. Why not have somewhere a guest or one of the boy's friends could sleep? The bed was a simple make using end pieces also from the cheapie punch-out wood furniture kit plus a piece of matboard and foam for the mattress. I love the tie-die-type fabric. I was lucky to find a whole bag of different colors and prints at Goodwill a while back.

I added the Western art above the bed, which is from the recent half-scale swap. Also put other art and a teensy barometer (also a previous swap item) on the wall. Though the vintage metal camera isn't half scale, once I found it in the stash I wanted to use it. Thought it too cute not to add in next to the vintage radio. I have one of those folding cameras in real life, and they're fairly large.

That's it for the moment! Thanks again for visiting. 

* Next: A to Z Letter B -link live day of post. Come back soon for more photos!

Houdini's Fabulous Magic Blog Tour

 Decades since he first appeared on a stage, Harry Houdini has continued to mesmerize generations of new magicians and those fascinated with magic. Now, his's magic skills have

About the Book:

Incredible escapes, fantastic sleight-of-hand-Houdini's most challenging performances are dramatically portrayed in Houdini's Fabulous Magic. Walter Gibson, co-author, was in close touch with Harry Houdini for a number of years before his death and worked with the master magician in preparing material for the book. It is with the aid of Houdini's own scrapbooks and notes that this book was written.

 The spectacular highlights of Houdini's career are described-and explained-here. Included are the famous escapes: escapes from a padlocked milk can filled with water; from locked jail cells; from a water-filled Chinese torture cell while suspended upside down; from packing cases weighted under water. Again, in this book, Houdini walks through a brick wall, vanishes a 10,000-pound elephant and is buried alive. Once more, Houdini and his wife Bessie mysteriously exchange places in a locked trunk-in three seconds!

 And Houdini the man is not ignored. His impact on the world in the early years of the twentieth century was enormous. He was a public hero who, in his own way, helped sweep out the cobwebs of nineteenth-century thinking. While doing so, he distinguished himself as a patriot, writer, collector of magic, aviator, movie idol, philanthropist, and crusader against fraudulent spiritualistic practices.

 This is a technical manual for magicians, complete with illustrations and diagrams, but it is also an astute analysis of the best of Houdini's magic and a readable biography of a man who turned himself into a legend. It is a book for would-be conjurers, for professional necromancers, for those curious about the methods and means of one of the most enchanting men of the previous century.

  ** BUY: Get Houdini's Fabulous Magic on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

 Review: 

What's not to like? I've been fascinated with Houdini and magic tricks since I was a kid, even at one point getting one of those kiddie magic kits. I read magic books, trying to figure stuff out, and I'm sure at some point I also read the older version of this book. For anyone interested in magic and the life of Houdini, plus a behind-the-screen peek at the tricks, this is the book to read. Besides, who can resist a book endorsed by Teller of Penn & Teller? 5 stars. 

* Comment on this blog or email me your mailing address and what fascinates you about Houdini via my website contact page to be chosen as the winner of a copy! Continental US mailing only. Comments close at midnight CT 3/28.

About the Authors

 Walter B. Gibson (1897-1985)

​Walter, a graduate of Colgate University, was a prolific writer including The Shadow novels under his pen name Maxwell Grant. For a time he was Houdini's personal secretary. Following Houdini's death, the attorney for the estate permitted Walter to examine many of Houdini's private scrapbooks and notes from which Gibson wrote Houdini's Magic and Houdini's Escapes. Houdini's scrapbooks, papers and other documents form the background for Houdini's Fabulous Magic. Also a magician, Walter toured with and wrote for magicians such as Blackstone (Sr.), Thurston and Raymond. He was a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the American Society for Psychical Research, the Magician's Guild of America and the Magician's Club of London.

 Morris N. Young, M.D. (1909-2002)

​Morris, a graduate of M.I.T., Harvard and Columbia University was Director of Ophthalmology at Beekman Downtown Hospital in New York City. Aside from his numerous professional memberships, he was a member of the Society of American Magicians (to which Houdini had helped him join as a young man), the International Brotherhood of Magicians and a member of the Inner Circle of the Magic Circle (London). He was a founder of the Magic Collectors Association including their publication MAGICOL. Along with his wife Chesley, he established the largest private holdings on memory and mnemonics which now resides at the University of San Marino. Along with his friend John McManus, in 1955 they established the McManus-Young Collections at the Library of Congress, The University of Texas, Austin and the University of California in Berkeley.  Morris' other book publications include Hobby Magic, Houdini on Magic (with Walter Gibson), Presto Prestige, Bibliography of Memory, How To Develop An Exceptional Memory (with Walter Gibson), The Complete Guide to Science Fair Competition (with John Stolzfus) and Radio Music Live (with John Stolzfus).

 You can visit the website created by Morris N. Young's children, Charles C. Young and Cheryl L. Young: https://www.musicmagicandmore.com/

 Advance Praise of the Book

 Teller of Penn & Teller says: "I've loved this books for sixty years. My first copy was borrowed from the Philadelphia Public Library when I was fourteen, and I kept renewing the loan till I could afford to own my own copy.  Houdini's Fabulous Magic has just the right blend of history, technical secrets, and romance to fire the passion of a young magician.  Four pieces of the Penn & Teller repertoire were directly inspired by Houdini's Fabulous Magic--four times more than any other book in my library."

 John Cox in his "Wild About Harry" website (​Wildabouthoudini.com) and blog said of the earlier editions:  Houdini's Fabulous Magic by Walter B. Gibson and Morris N. Young is the best forgotten Houdini book. I say that because when one thinks of books on Houdini's methods, one tends to turn to Houdini The Key by Patrick Culliton, The Secrets of Houdini by J.C. Cannel, or even Gibson's earlier work, Houdini's Escapes and Magic. Maybe because Fabulous Magic contains some reprinted material from the earlier Gibson book it tends to be thought of as a somewhat recycled work. But it's actually one of the very best books on Houdini's major feats and methods and maybe the best book for the layperson. It also contains historical tidbits that aren't found elsewhere. So let's remember it today!"

 

Blog Tour Calendar

  February 27th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Houdini's Fabulous Magic. Follow along our tour and you'll have the chance to win a copy of the book too.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

   February 28th @ The Mommies Review

Join Glenda for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic. You'll also have the chance to win a copy of the book too!

http://www.themommiesreviews.com/

   March 1st @ Word Magic

Fiona will be featuring the book Houdini's Fabulous Magic on her blog.

http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

   March 6th @ One Writer's Journey

Join Sue for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

   March 8th @ A Storybook World

Join Deirdra for her feature of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

   March 10th @ Reading is My Remedy

Join Chelsie today for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://readingismyremedy.wordpress.com/

   March 12th @ Joan P. Nienhus

Joan shares her thoughts about Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://www.facebook.com/joan.nienhuis/

   March 15th @ One Sister's Journey

Join Lisa for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://www.lisambuske.com/

   March 20th @ My Beauty My Books

Join Nikki for her feature of an excerpt of Houdini's Fabulous Magic. You have the chance to win a copy of the book too!

https://mybeautymybooks.com/

   March 23rd @ Knotty Needle

Join Judy for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

   March 25th @ Choices

Visit Madeline's blog for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic. You also have the chance to win a copy of the book too!

http://www.madelinesharples.com/

   March 27th @ Candid Canine

Join Chris for a review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://candidcanine.blogspot.com/

   March 29th @ World of My Imagination

Visit Nicole's blog for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://worldofmyimagination.com

   March 30th @ Silver's Reviews

Join Elizabeth for a spotlight of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

http://silversolara.blogspot.com/

   March 31st @ The Faeries Review

Visit Lily's blog for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

   April 2nd @ Jessica's Reading Room

Join Jessica for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic. You'll also have a chance to win a copy of the book too!

https://www.jessicasreadingroom.com/

   April 2nd @ Coffee And Ink

Visit Jan's blog for her review of Houdini's Fabulous Magic.

https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

2023 Half Scale Dollhouse Swap

 

Every March-April means not only Spring is coming. It's also  time for the annual swap via members of the Half Scale Group. (Click photos for full size.)

Been doing this for years and it always results in a nice assortment of accessories and things to use in my half scale houses. It's great as the swappers always come up with some interesting and unique items, too. (Here's last year's  Antiques swap and previous plants and toys swaps.)

There's a theme each year, which is a guide or suggestion but swappers are free to make what they want. I was surprised as for fun I suggested "Kitschy" and that was chosen. Weird theme, I suppose, but it certainly is wide open to some different ideas, those "trendy" every-man-type treasures and mass-produced art and stuff we all had at one point: black velvet art, Elvis pix, big-eyed animals, poker-playing dogs, etc. Some call it tacky art, but it's all in fun. Here's the definition of Kitsch.

The fun was a lot of this brings back memories. Once I saw those big-eyed animal pictures, I knew that's what I was making.  I also added the tiny bag of chips. If you don't know, the chips are actually dried green pepper seeds. (See top photo.) Cute craft apron and tiny magical cat with hat (and a larger pic to show his friend in his hat) from Gail.

More art: Western art (Ruth G.) and fun that Terezinha framed and printed the Poker Playing Dogs. ha! Assorted books and cookbooks from Bea. Too bad, no one did the black velvet Elvis picture or the giant fork and spoon everyone hung in their kitchens.

Cool, or should I say, Groovy, beaded curtain from Emily. (Be sure to check out her half scale houses and projects at her blog. Update: See her tutorial to make your own beaded curtain.) I feel a '60s-'70s room coming on which could be fun to do....

Some nice brackets and tea candles, a teensy elephant and crystal ball from Paula W. 3D-printed mugs and lanterns from Jen W. The "metal" glass is part of a set (below) from Annilee T. Remember those? And the utensils are part of a set from Terri C.

The rest of the set from Terri C includes more wood utensils (from MiniEtchers), canisters, Kleenex box and cups 3D printed from MiniDecorandMore on Etsy.

Cute cat items, sculpture/clock, apron, towels from Cyndi M. Meow!  (I think the girl artist in my Fairfield is claiming the cat for her bedroom wall!) The mat makes a good floor mat in front of the kitchen stove, too. 

And the fruit bowl (remember when plastic/wax fruit was the thing to display?) is from Sydney. The pretty bread box and bread board is from Karen Crawford at MiniEtchers. 

Cute animal and shaped clocks from Helen S.

Nice plates, vases and love that little wall owl from Sharon J. She said she made a mold from an earring.

The fun mini canisters, book, and Western art from Ruth G. (Dog art from Terezinha.) I put the Western art on the wall in my Fairfield attic. The others will fit perfect in an antique shop idea, I think.

Really like the sheen on this gold carpet. And wow, teensy tiny ducks! from Emily B.

Pretty cool '50s flavored end table from Glenda. Now I'll have to make an ugly "ceramic" ash tray and a cig with smoke! 

I got a big kick out of this Lava lamp from Adrian C. It's larger in size, but too cool not to use somewhere; maybe in that '60s-'70s bedroom, or an antiques shop... The neat thing is she also used a color-changing LED in it. So fun! 

 

 

So, that's it. Smaller than usual (no pun intended), but still lots of fun.

Come back soon for more pix. Hopefully I'll have some more Fairfield rooms photos up and the shows will be taking place at the end of April. Then... deciding on my next project! Maybe... I'm thinking of the Park Ave. Mansion though it's a lot of painting! That's at least another year-long+ project!

Thanks for visiting!

Haunted Lost Rose ghostly mystery Blog Tour

 

Today I welcome C.L. Bauer, author of the ghostly mystery, The Haunted Lost Rose, (Charlotte's Voices of Mystery Book 1). Be sure to check out the excerpt and giveaways below.

About the Book:

Some secrets should stay hidden. If they come to light, darkness could weaken even the strongest of families.

Real estate agent Charlotte O'Donohue never looks forward to Mondays. Usually, a couple cups of coffee will fix her mood, but today an unexpected voice directs her to a dead body. She's going to need a bigger cup, and it better be caffeinated!

When the dead body happens to be your client, the scandal could jeopardize her brother's business, but Charlotte is more worried about a mysterious stranger who decides she's the number one suspect. He seems familiar and dangerous. He knows she has a secret, and Charlotte will do anything to keep the truth from him. How could he possibly understand that she can hear the dead?

Ghostly whispers from a spirit who haunts the large Kansas City mansion warns of more danger to come for Charlotte, her family, and for the stranger. But as Charlotte discovers a key to one mystery, another one appears...one that could reveal more than a murderer but a long-forbidden love.

Buy: Amazon - Other Stores

Excerpt:

“I’ve been busy being a murder suspect.”
      “Well, we could use one of those. Get your tush over here. Sean, Jane, Tom, and Meg are already here. Linda demands you come to protect her from the O'Donohue clan. You’re one of us, but she seems to think you are always on her side. I don’t get it.”
      I got it. Linda and I had bonded from the moment she had walked through our front door. That, and she had me in her wedding as a flower girl. I always sided with her on everything, even those things I didn’t really agree with just to irritate the others. These days, Linda was the one person who reminded me the most of our own mother. She was calm in a storm and bitey when needed.
      “Fine, but I’m not doing anything on the float tonight. I’ll eat pizza.
      “Whatever, just get over here. We aren’t waiting on you to eat.”
      “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I answered as he hung up. He was in the process of yelling at Sean about some pot of gold and where it should go. Only in my family would that make sense.
​Some of my first memories were of the annual Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The O'Donohue family always participated, and Dad was one of the most public personalities. We even won a few awards over the years. I changed my sweatshirt, throwing on a warmer sweater. Paddy’s large garage wasn’t the warmest. I had no plans to be out there the entire time nailing chicken wire in place.
      I parked my car behind Tom’s and headed into the house, but something caught my eye at the end of the driveway. It was a blue Jaguar. What the bloody--

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 
Kansas City, Missouri native C.L. Bauer is the author of three mystery series. Originally a reporter, Bauer worked through jobs in marketing and advertising, to eventually take over the reins of her family’s century old business, Clara’s Flowers. Many of the stories used in her books are based on true events from years in the wedding and event flower world. You can reach C.L. Bauer on all social mediums, Goodreads, and through her website, www.clbauer.com. Check out her flower designs at www.clarasflowers.com

* Bonus giveaway: Message me what you like about ghost stories with the heading, Ghost, via my website contact page to be entered to win  an e-copy of the book. Contest ends 12 a.m. March 23.

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