Moving On In

This picture of me is dated March 1980. I was on the cusp of ten years old, perhaps around the time TOMY put out its 1:16 scale Smaller Home and Garden dollhouse. Instead of coloring a picture in my striped pink suspenders (WHAT was I thinking???), I should have been begging my Mommy for my very own Smaller Home and Garden.

So...for quite some time I have been keeping my peepers out for one. One of the first scenes I did on this blog was with the bathtub and living room chairs-- just some of the many pieces that were manufactured with the house-- so I have a special fondness for this gem. As a child of the 70s, it speaks to me! For a time warp, check out this YouTube video of the original TV commercial for the house.

Well, the big day arrived and I now am movin' on into my TOMY. Mine came in its original box (with directions):

Here is the front of the house after I put it all together. It's crammed next to my large VERO.

The construction is very straightforward, but the directions were helpful when it came to the smaller roof...tricky, tricky. The chimney is still not completely flush, so I still need to fiddle with that. I was pleased to see that the second floor piece was not warped; I often see these houses for sale with sloped or buckled flooring.

The house is in used, but very good, condition, and I purchased it from a seller on eBay from whom I have acquired other TOMY items, such as my beloved rectangular potted plant. I think I have used that thing in more scenes than any other accessory! Despite my leanings toward complete laziness about the original adhesive wallpaper (not to my liking), I forced myself to address the upper floors over the Christmas holidays. The ground floor does not have any papers at all, which is nice.

Here's what the upper floor pieces looked like:

The papers were in OK condition, but preferred not to leave them. I decided to stay true to the creme and blue color scheme, and used some very nice vintage textured wallpaper that I purchased at a dollhouse store on Long Island for the long bedroom wall (I cleaned the store out of every sheet-- about $3.50 per sheet, on sale).

I love the neutral tone and subtle texture. The small bath adjacent to the bedroom needed a little blue "pop," though. So, I used some Japanese folding paper for an accent wall, and papered the other two with the creme paper.

I neglected to paper the fair right wall by the stairwell, and have left it for now. I'll likely use the same creme paper.

This is a very fun house to photograph. The windows and flooring are great. You'll see that I used a "rug" of sorts in the bedroom -- this is a cut up place mat from West Elm ($4.95 on sale). I finally got a pair of Reac zigzag chairs, too! Love them, but they are smaller than 1:12 scale, which is why they work well here.

Thanks for tuning in to my retro moment! I hope to set up the bottom floors soon.

A reminder about my Love Giveaway: it ends at midnight (EST) TOMORROW, January 15, so hop on over to that post and comment!

Credits: Bath: sink is Dolls House Emporium; light is Lil' Bratz; rug is a window shade sample from Lowes; tub is a soap dish from Crate and Barrel with a Mighty World funnel; table is Re-ment. Bedroom: bed is vintage German; rectangular rug is by Peppercorn Minis; green rug is a West Elm place mat; chairs are Reac; plant and lamp are vintage Lundby. Accessories are minimodernistas, Re-ment, and eBay finds.

In the Spirit of Love...A Giveaway!

Plywood Prints LOVE by Alexander Girard from All Modern

If I do not say it enough, let me say it now: I truly, truly appreciate my followers and the community of ideas, support, and group love of things mini. January marks the start of my third year of blogging (you can see my very first post here), and of course the start of a new year. I am offering a giveaway for all of my followers in acknowledgment of and thanks for your enthusiasm and encouragement!

You are likely aware of the fact that I like to repurpose everyday items in my dollhouses. This inspired the majority of this giveaway -- I offer you a selection of items that I would absolutely use:

The photo shows a stunning vinyl Chilewich placemat (14 x 19"), a set of colorful plastic coasters, a 1:87 Schuco love Bug, magnetic geometric shapes, and two boxes of Re-ment. With the exception of the Re-ment and car, which both come from my collection, the items were purchased at the gift shop at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. Some closeups of the freebies:

And here's the individual sets you'll receive from the Re-ment "Bread and Butter" and "I Love Kyoto" sets, which I have used many times! Both sets will come in their original box and sealed packaging, and have only been opened to check the contents.

To enter in the giveaway, you must be a follower, domestic or international. Please leave a comment on this post by midnight (EST) on Saturday, January 15. I will then choose one winner using the Random Integer Generator, and will ship your items off. Have fun and thanks for entering!  GIVEAWAY CLOSED

On the topic of love, I wanted to share that one of my photographs was accepted into a juried art show at my local coffee house, Small World Coffee, in Princeton, NJ! They are having their second annual Love Show, and I entered on a lark on the last day they were accepting submissions. The theme is yes, love, so I set up a very red scene in my AG Minis room box. The photograph they chose is entitled, Love is Color, Color is Love.

If you are in or near Princeton on Friday, February 4, please come to the opening reception (8-11 p.m.). There will be work by local artists on view, music, and food, and all the proceeds will go to a wonderful local organization, D&R Greenway Land Trust. Let me know if you'll be there! And if you cannot attend the opening event, the exhibit will be on view through March 1.