New Shoes

 

This is one of those scenes completely inspired by a Re-ment purchase. It has certainly happened before and will happen again!

This time, it is #5 from the "Department Store Shopping" set, which includes a Louis Vuitton-style pair of shoes, suitcase, datebook, and pen with case. All very realistic!

Obviously, there's lots of brown going on here, so I chose a masculine paper to complement the pieces, and accessorized the room from there. I like this little spot in the Bodensee -- a nice corner room with a view!

By the way, if you are interested to see Re-ment sets compiled, Renatta has developed a wonderful resource at her webpage, iamneverbored. Go and have a look!

And...if you are looking to purchase Re-ment, Jane of Harapekodoggybag has an amazing selection and her prices are fair, even with shipping from Japan. The quality of her pieces is pristine, and she has many older, discontinued sets. Warning: you will buy something!

Stay tuned for my recap of the New York International Gift Fair and the Toy Fair! Posting soon!

Credits: Chairs are Bodo Hennig; table is Petite Princess; storage unit is vintage German, likely VERO; Rug is a cut piece of embossed felt from Michaels; light is vintage German; planter is by Lene of Dragondee Modern Miniatures; wallpaper is scrapbook paper from DCWV "Downtown Loft" stack. Accessories are Re-ment, Petite Princess, AG Minis, and random dollhouse store finds.

The time it took me: 42 minutes

Hanging Around

Well, here's a lounge scene in my Kaleidoscope House, which I have not used in quite some time. I do so love this house. It's great fun to decorate, and I like the effect of the color panels on scenes, especially when I use the fluorescent lighting in my basement room.

My recent cleanup meant that I could have easy access to the house, including a clear perimeter, which is necessary when turning it around to get to your desired room. Before digging into my scene, though, I tried out the new replacement roof that I bought some time ago on eBay for $20. My original roof does not sit completely flush, as is the case with many of the houses. This one worked quite well, I am pleased to say!

Now on to the scene...I decided to travel upstairs to one of the bedrooms, and got started with the wallpaper. I chose a piece of scrapbook paper from my DCWV "Serenity" stack (JoAnn has them on sale for $9.99). I chose a bold lined paper, and meant to have the lines running vertically, but I cut it the wrong way while distracted doing something else (duh). Yup, I used it anyway!

The flooring is a cherry wood paper from the Paper Source. I love these specialty papers; they really add warmth and realism to a scene, and helped to offset the colors of the desk (makeshift combination of a brinca dada kitchen island and a vintage Brio office shelving).

Now for the lounging...I got the Reac cowhide chair from Toy Tokyo for $17, which is a great store in Manhattan chock full of "designer" toys, mini figures, and action figures. And, they have a small selection of Re-ment and usually some Reac chairs, all blind boxes. I got lucky on this one, and also got a black ball chair! By the way, it looks like Reac has come out with a new "Assorted" line, which includes a selection of existing chairs.

Photo courtesy of Reac Japan

I'd love it if they came out with new ones too. Although, I am still pining for a La Chaise...

Photo courtesy of Reac Japan

Dreamy...but I digress!

The lighting in this scene is the result of a little repurposing. I was in Lowes last week an saw these pull chains by Harbor Breeze in the lighting department. POW!

It was almost *too* easy to come across these, given they are sized so nicely for mini use, and are about $4 each. I looked forward to using them here, but quickly came to realize that I had no way to suspend them into the scene. I scrambled around and rigged them sloppily!

Yup, that's a piece of balsa wood and a binder clip!

Worked, though!

Speaking of hanging around, look what I found guarding the last of our garden tomatoes!

I'd not mess with her!

Miss spider is actually a nice segue to the end of this post: I wanted to remind you all that I have a great giveaway going on RIGHT NOW with Safari Ltd, which makes incredibly realistic replicas. While they are known for their animal replicas, I am offering two of their TOOBs that may appeal to you miniaturists out there: trains and buildings! To enter the giveaway, go to this post on my blog and leave a comment. The giveaway closes on September 15, so head on over there! GOOD LUCK!

Credits: Lounge chair is Reac; office chair, planter, and Asian shelf are Re-ment; desk is a brinca dada kitchen island and vintage Brio office shelving; lighting are pull chains by Harbor Breeze; ball clock is handmade by Pubdoll; wall art is a charm from Michaels; wallpaper is DCVW; flooring is the Paper Source. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, doll house store finds, Gigi N Studio, handmade by the Shopping Sherpa, Playmobil, and made by my son (the origami crane on the top shelf)!

Re-ment: The green painter's palette is from Black Cat Italian Restaurant, #4, and is a bit large for 1:12, but works. See my Mini-Sizer wiki for more on Re-ment!

The time it took me: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Symbols

Never forget. Confusion. Contact. Reminiscing. Life. Work. Darkness. Light. Time. Bright. Shadows. Moved. Shaken. Changed.

9.11.01

Credits: Chair and mirrored planter are vintage eBay finds; desk is composed of two lucite boxes from Muji; flooring is scrapbook paper from Michaels; Manhattan skyline is a card from the Guggenheim; clock is Lundby. Accessories are Re-ment, from our local toy store, ELF Miniatures, Mighty World, AG Minis, and doll house store finds.

Re-ment: The Rubiks Cube is by Megahouse, from the Family Game Collection #6, and is large for 1:12. Totally realistic, even turns!

The time it took me: 33 minutes

Citadel Rink Table

A trip to the Crate & Barrel outlet in Cranbury, NJ, never disappoints...for 1:12 and 1:1!! We were shopping for some new pieces for our kids' rooms, and I left with a few cool items to repurpose from the clearance bins. I cleaned out the main living space in my Citadel house and set up a scene guided by a new silver and bronze-edged metal circular votive holder ($2.50). Looks like a magical skating rink! I filled the center hole with a vintage wooden bowl and moss, and for a base, I used a lava lamp cover, which suited it pretty well (its previous incarnation was as a modern pendant light fixture).

I wanted to bring together all sorts of textures, so I added a piece of burlap from the Paper Source and covered my Kaleidoscope House kitchen counter unit in one of my favorite papers from Kate's Paperie. The artwork on the wall is a silicone coaster from Crate & Barrel, also on clearance (.75). For the other side of the room, I used a vintage German table and chair and some Fisher Price tables on the wall, with a sweet Eames elephant and an AG Minis plant.

Like it? The lighting was totally rigged, by the way. One of the beauties and challenges of the house is the dramatic overhang -- the space below can be a bear to photograph without some light through the windows. So...

Ugly, but it works!

Credits: Table and wall art are from Crate & Barrel; chairs and kitchen counter are Bozart; bike is Maisto; desk table and chair are vintage German; Eames elephant is Reac; light fixture and green rug are by minimodernistas; burlap rug is from the Paper Source; plant is AG Minis; wall shelves are vintage Fisher Price tables; magazines and file holder were handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; books were a gift from Margaret. Accessories are Re-ment, doll house store finds, craft items, Mighty World, ELF Miniatures, and vintage German eBay finds.

Re-ment: The water bottle is from Sushi Bar #2, and is good for 1:12.

Opposing Views

Once my TOMY Smaller Home and Garden came to live in my dollhouse room, it ended up facing my Kaleidoscope House. They couldn't be more different, of course--not only in scale and shape, but color. The K House is a multi-colored gem that shifts hues as you play in it and move the plexi panels, while the TOMY is a study in neutral yellows, tans, and browns.

I worked on a scene in the K House that was all about bold strokes of color. This is a case where I would only do this in 1:12 scale, instead of my 1:1 life. I picked up the table base in the clearance section of TJ Maxx for $2, and have no clue what is supposed to be. I am sure that there are pieces to it missing. It has the word "limonata" on it, which I know is a tasty fizzy drink, but who knows.

See the blond wood flooring (it's actually a sheet from the Paper Source)? What do you think of this look for the K House? This is my first time experimenting with any wood-type flooring here. I think I dig it.

After finishing that scene, I decided to throw a very quick one together "across the street" in the TOMY. Thus far I have only set up scenes in the upstairs, so I decided to use the living room space. Really only 1:16 or smaller works in this room -- most of the 1:12 pieces I tried looked so gigantic. So in went my vintage LISA set and a diminutive 1:12-scale PRD Miniatures coffee table along with some other neutral pieces.

Quite the opposite of the limonata, eh?

Credits: K House: Table base is from TJ Maxx, and top of the table is a holiday ornament from Crate and Barrel; Eames molded chairs are Reac; desk chair is vintage Wolverine; desk is a plastic box; plant is vintage TOMY; wall art is a jewelry charm from Michaels, and the wallpaper is also from there; fixture is by Bozart; record player on top shelf is from a set of Japanese magnets; wood flooring is from the Paper Source; rug is Peppercorn Minis. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, beads from Pubdoll, ELF Miniatures, and dollhouse store finds. TOMY: Couch and chairs are vintage LISA; standing lamp and plant are vintage Lundby; coffee table is PRD Miniatures; side table is vintage German, as is the table lamp; logs are a train layout accessory from Michaels; picture on fireplace mantle is by Gigi N Studio, and vase is from a dollhouse store, don't remember which one.

Re-ment: I've written about the Re-ment in these scenes with one exception, in the K House scene. The flower pot receptacle on the desk is a tea pot from Fairytale Tableware #4, and is good for 1:12.

Aloft

A quick post to share an exciting new purchase: an Arne Jacobsen-designed 1:16 couch made by Brio in the mid-1960s. In addition to being lovely to look at, it is heavy and quite surprisingly substantial for a somewhat small perch. This is one holy grail that I can now happily cross off my list!

While the upper level of my Citadel house is not necessarily the obvious location for this diminutive piece, I think it works. There is some sewing going on here, with a neat Re-ment machine, which I got as a blind box from Toy Tokyo. Lucky! This set is from 2006 and tricky to get; when you can find it, the price tends to be much, much more than the $7.99 I spent...love when that happens.

A reminder to cast your final votes for Call of the Small as Best Miniature Blog in About.com's Readers' Choice Awards! Voting ends on Tuesday, March 8, so cast a vote *daily* until 11:59 p.m. that day! Vote HERE. Thanks so much for your support!


Credits: Couch is by Brio; bench is a drawer pull; Barcelona chair and zigzag chairs are Reac; console is by Paris Renfroe; rug and Japanese pillow is by minimodernistas; sewing machine and basket by Re-ment; plant pot is Manor House Miniatures and plant is an aquarium plant; wall art includes charms and scrapbook paper from Michaels. Accessories are AG Minis, ELF Miniatures, Manor House Miniatures, and thrift store finds.

Re-ment: The retro sewing machine and basket are from Retro Electrical Appliances #7, and are good for 1:12.

Repurpose

When I first got into modern minis in late 2008, I was in awe of the cutting edge style of the Kaleidoscope House and its furnishings, the sleek minimalism of the Villa Sibi, iconic Reac chairs, and vintage pieces from Lundby, TOMY, Brio, and others, which looked so incredibly fresh at 30 or 40 years old. As I continued to collect, I realized that actually there was a serious lack of modern furnishings, and I quickly sought out the work of artisans such as Elizabeth Le Pla (ELF Miniatures), Paris Renfroe (PRD Miniatures), and Doris Nathanson (minimodernistas)--all of whom were brought to the fore by Mini Modern in particular--and accumulated Re-ment in the hopes of a good fit for 1:12.

While I was (and am!) grateful to collect the aforementioned work, I gradually felt inspired to create modern interiors by repurposing commonly found items. So, you may have noticed that I often use place mats, coasters, dishes and bowls, ornaments, charms, scrap book paper, and many other odds and ends. My latest repurpose activity is a room box of sorts, constructed from four white lacquer tissue cover boxes ($7.99 each on clearance at my beloved Crate and Barrel outlet). I had the four pieces on my mantel for quite some time, trying to figure out how I could configure them. My hope was that I could fashion a minimalist haven like Pubdoll's Lego and Lundby masterpiece, here. No such luck. Then I thought I could do something that fanned open, but then they just looked like tissue box covers at awkward angles.

Then I came up with a square shape out of the rectangles, and I challenged myself to furnish each room, as if a house. Since I had the boxes sitting in a room that I pass through many times, I always thought of new things to place or add, so, I'd throw things in here or there and hope that I'd sort them out later.

Well, here are the results...a "house" with a kitchen, living room, bath, nursery, and bedroom!

I considered adding a Lundby patio set on top, and still might. I did the finishing touches today, including coverage for the open "window" panes. I used Chilewich place mats for the living room and bedroom, and a West Elm place mat for the kitchen shade. The nursery has something a bit more unconventional --  a tree! Flooring in the house is embossed felt and scrap book paper.

In the kitchen, did you notice that I mixed vintage Lundby with the new Lundby Stockholm accessories? The cup for the espresso machine is impossibly tiny, even looks small for 1:16!

The sculpture up in the bedroom is a memo clip (with the clip taken off) strung with beads. Other beads and jewelry were used on the walls there. The bathroom light fixture consists of two beads glued together.

This was challenging and fun. I am toying with entering this into an exhibit at an arts center nearby that has a call for any type of sculptural work...but then I would have some serious tacky waxing to do!!!

UPDATE, 2/8/11: I always upload my pictures to Flickr after I post on my blog, but this time, I noticed that one of the pictures of the whole tissue box structure kept getting views and comments. It was "Explored" by Flickr, meaning that it really resonated with viewers on the site! My photo was one of the top ten most "interesting" on February 6 -- you can see it listed with others here: http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/2011/02/06/. Go minis!

Credits: Kitchen: Stove and sink are vintage Lundby; light is minimodernistas; shade is a West Elm placemat; dog is from a kid's game called Lucky Puppy Math; flooring is scrap book paper from JoAnn Fabrics. Living Room: couch and lamp are vintage Lundby; side table is Re-ment; cork table and scrap book paper flooring is from JoAnn Fabrics; carpet squares are by Paris Renfroe; window treatment is a Chilewich place mat; wall planter is from Manor House Miniatures. Nursery: crib and rocking horse are by brinca dada; lamp is a vintage eBay find; shelving is Re-ment; flooring is scrap book paper from Michaels; tree and sandcastle are Jolees. Bath: sink and toilet are vintage Lundby; carpet square is Paris Renfroe; light is made of two beads from JoAnn Fabrics. Bedroom: bed is vintage German; coverlet and pillow are Bozart; file boxes are ELF Miniatures; sculpture is a memo clip from Crate and Barrel with beads from JoAnn Fabrics; flooring is embossed felt from Michaels; window treatment is a Chilewich place mat. Roof: the planter is a napkin holder from Bed, Bath, and Beyond with an aquarium plant from Petco. Accessories are Lundby, Re-ment, ELF Miniatures, Manor House Miniatures, Japanese erasers, and random toy store and hobby store finds.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with one exception: the loaf of bread in the bag in the kitchen is from Natalie's French Goods #4, and is good for 1:12.

Work from Home

If I did work from home, I'd want a space like this. So light and airy, and it looks productive. My husband sometimes telecommutes, and he might wish for this space too; instead, he's in the basement looking at my dollhouses, which lie in view just beyond his computer monitors!

The desk unit is from a lot of vintage German items that I purchased from Oese (thanks, Oese!). I don't believe that this particular piece was meant for work, likely sleep. It appears to be a headboard with built-in side tables for night reading. I could be wrong, but this is what struck me at first glance. It it is very sturdy and well-made, and I love the look of the wood.

I had fun accessorizing here with books, knickknacks, and office items, but it took a bit of time. The plant was quick -- made with a Playmobil pot and a new aquarium plant! I've used the drawer pull before, but this time it is a peaceful perch for a lunch of delicious noodles.

I decided to throw in a picture for scale with what looks like my giant hand. I never do this, and it never occurs to me to do so because I am wrapped up in a much tinier space, but people do sometimes ask me about the scale in this house.

Now if only I could shrink my workload... :)

UPDATE, 12/13/10: Rebecca and other fellow bloggers have kindly identified the desk piece as a headboard unit by Bodo Hennig, so I have updated the credits below accordingly. My desk, which has been in my collection for a while, is also Bodo Hennig. Please see the comments for links to other pictures of this lovely piece. Thanks, all!

Credits: Desk unit and desk are Bodo Hennig; lamp is vintage German; chair is Reac; bench is a drawer pull; plant is a Playmobil pot with an aquarium plant; rug is made by Oese; wastebasket is Re-ment; bead sculpture next to green file folders is by Nancy Tobey. Accessories are Bandai, Re-ment, beads from Pubdoll, AG Minis, Hallmark, Bozart, handmade by me, Barbie by Jonathan Adler, and random dolls house and craft store finds.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with one exception. The three files and holder are from Girls in the City #6, "Office Supply 101," and are good for 1:12.

Keeping House

An older style iron inspired this scene, along with its compact flowered ironing board. I decided to use the bathroom in my large VERO for a cleaning room, complete with a sewing kit, a chair for knitting, and a vacuum should the need arise for further tidying up.

Some flowers brighten things up while keeping house.

Speaking of keeping house, I wanted to share a very neat set of Keystone Village houses, purchased on eBay recently ($29). This set appears to be complete, with trees, grass and cobblestone squares, brick walls, and a complete complement of houses: cape, garrison, colonial, etc., as well as a garage, church, and restaurant. Charming, right?

Have you seen Rebecca's post about her Keystone mini houses? They are slightly different, but equally lovely, and she even paired them with some N scale Preiser figures. Rebecca also posted a very interesting and thorough history of the Keystone company, here.

On that same scale....a custom mini train display in a larger train display in a "pop up" Lionel Train store in New York City. The train was motorized!

We visited there for Thanksgiving, and did a lot of walking with the kids. The train store was a major highlight, especially for my littlest. We all love trekking along the city streets, with the towering buildings, and gorgeous scenery, like this lovely tree by Wollman Skating Rink:

New York City is also home to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which in all my years a city kid I had never seen it for real, just on TV. For those of you who may not be familiar with this event, Macy's department store sponsors huge parade of MAMMOTH balloons that fly uptown, along the New York City streets, on Thanksgiving morning to the joy of many, many onlookers who line the sidewalks 15 deep! The balloons are often popular cartoon or book characters, and they are held by trained string operators. Marching bands join the fray, and their ordered lines look fantastic from above.

This year, my brother and his family invited us to watch the parade from their apartment roof, which was a treat. Now that I look at things a bit differently through mini eyes, the whole experience struck me as both amazing and...odd!

On a final note, my sister-in-law and brother are in the garment business, and I could not resist photographing the lovely spools attached to their home sewing machine, by one of their windows.

Credits: Ironing board, iron, flower pot, watering jug, cleaning supplies and basket, and vacuum by Re-ment; clock is Bandai; cabinet, sewing box, table, and chair are vintage German; pillow is by minimodernistas; basket is by Peppercorn Minis; light is AG Minis; folded shirt is a dolls house store find; "rug" is an envelope from the Paper Source.

Re-ment: The ironing board and iron are from Nostalgic Household Goods #8, and are large for 1:12. The flowers and watering jug are from Pure Flower, Pansies, and are slightly large for 1:12.

A Quick Study in Orange

I was walking past my large VERO and the orange patterned curtains in the bedroom popped out at me. I had just received two vintage Bodo Hennig Panton chairs in the mail and thought they might make a match with these retro curtains. In went a new green psychedelic lamp and some accessories to show the contrast of a sunny inside to a cloudy outside :)

Credits: Chairs and table are vintage Bodo Hennig; credenza and couch are vintage German; stools are vintage Lundby; plant is vintage TOMY; boots, umbrella, bowl, and crate are Re-ment; table lamp is an eBay find. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, LiLu on Etsy, and Manor House Miniatures.

Re-ment: The crate and rain boots are from Storage Beauty # 9, and they are large for 1:12. The umbrella and change purse on the credenza are from Oriental Season "Spring," and are good for 1:12. The yellow bowl is from Grandmother's European Dinners #7, and is large for 1:12.

More Complete

I finally got to address the double-height wall in my Citadel, the last to get renovated in that part of the house (the room on the bottom right, formerly the kitchen, still awaits an identity, and there are still rooms on the other side). I received a lot of great feedback in the spring on the wall, and the ideas I kept coming back to related to adding texture.

On my great adventure with Pubdoll, I found some "pebble" paper in a rich creme color at Kate's Paperie. I also bought a few sheets in silver. I decided to go with the creme and then went about setting up the space with the large window and sliding doors in place. Here's a closeup of the paper:

My DIY moment this time around involved the art display on the overhang. This started as a key hook from the clearance bin at Bed, Bath, and Beyond!

The living area shows an arc lamp -- not my favorite one from minimodernistas, which I am attempting to touch up a bit, but a vintage chrome one I bought on eBay recently. It's neat, but I was disappointed to see that the head had some yellowed glue residue. I wonder if it was handmade. Hope it doesn't come across too much in the photos.

I decided to use yet another drawer pull from that thrift store in Chicago. This one is larger.

I flipped a AG Minis couch for a little eating area. I did this once in my Lundby Stockholm for a bar. That Chilewich placemat continues to come in handy. Please try to ignore the utilitarian mess in the background...!

Upstairs is my first attempt at a bath in this space -- searching for some serenity.

I may still change this double-height wallpaper if I find something different, but I think I'll stick with it for now. I intend to move onto my VERO next!

Credits: Arc lamp is an eBay find; couches are Bozart; side table is an artisan-made piece from Frida's Fancy doll house shop; rug is embossed felt from Michaels; coffee table is by Ryan's Room; lucite bench is a drawer pull; moss pots are made by me with craft items from Michaels; table is an AG Minis couch upside down; tulip chairs are Reac; pharmacy light is minimodernistas; art display is a key hook turned upside down with charms from Michaels; bath tub is a dish with a Mighty World funnel as a spout, and bath platform consists of two coasters from Crate and Barrel; bath throw is handmade by Oese; sink is an eBay find; pixel side table is by minimodernistas; clear plastic chairs are from FAO Schwarz; pouf is Lundby. Accessories are charms from Michaels, beads from Pubdoll, Gigi N Studio, Chrysonbon, Barbie by Jonathan Adler, Re-ment, and Tynies.

Re-ment: The bath flowers in the white bowl, four plastic bottles on the ottoman, and Burt's Bees-looking container on the sink are from I Love Hawaii # 7, "Looking for Souvenirs," and are good for 1:12. The black mirror on the sink and the purse on the chair are from Oriental Season, "Spring," and are good for 1:12.

Fall in the Large VERO

The trees in their fall glory and a full moon inspired me pull together a quick autumnal scene in my large VERO. When I last worked in the house, I shared its new wallpapers, but upstairs. So, downstairs we go into a kitchen/living area.

See those lovely glass pieces? These were custom made by artisan and teacher Nancy Tobey. Aren't they stunning??? Nancy wrote to me about how she was inspired to create work in 1:12 or smaller scale for her new Keystone dolls house, and wanted to share with me some of her first pieces. These are truly gems...you may be on to something, Nancy.

By the way, if you are like me and are always on the lookout for nice retro or modern wallpapers, please check out this new resource, Doll House Retro Mania, run by Madeleine. Justin A., whose house you project you may have seen on Modern Mini Houses, clued me into Madeleine's treasures (thanks, Justin!). She has a wealth of designs, for both 1:12 and 1:16 scale, and also offers flooring, rugs, and wall art. Here's some of my favorite wallpapers:

And here's some great 50s flooring!

Sign me up!!!

Credits: Living room: couch (VERO), chair (VERO), clock, bookcase, lamp, sideboard, and leaves in vase are all vintage German; boomerang table is by Paris Renfroe; glass vases by Nancy Tobey. Kitchen: table is vintage Bodo Hennig; lucite chairs are eBay finds; MCM shelf is by Paris Renfroe; copper pot and small side table are Re-ment; logs are from Michaels; cat and hanging lamp are Playmobil; cat dish is a dolls house store find; rug is by Peppercorn Minis; flower vase is vintage German; glass piece on table is by Nancy Tobey. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, Manor House Miniatures, Barbie by Jonathan Adler, and random doll house store finds.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with some exceptions. The apples in the glass bowl are from Grandma's European Dinners #1, and are slightly large for 1:12. The copper pot and canned jam on the bottom shelf are also from Grandma's European Dinners, but from # 7. The copper pot is large for 1:12, and the jam is good for 1:12. The blue jug on the top shelf is from Megahouse Pop 'n Kitchen #4, and is a bit large for 1:12. The two blue sugar and flour canisters are from Kawaii Kitchen #7, and are a bit large for 1:12. The blue biscuit package on the top shelf is from Black Cat Italian Restaurant #8, and is good for 1:12. The blue fish-shaped dish on the second shelf is also from Black Cat Italian Restaurant, but from #4 and is good for 1:12.

Transition

This is a scene of transition. I did not quite know I was creating a scene of transition until I looked through the images tonight. As I uploaded them, I thought that this place belongs to a young person, perhaps in his/her late teens who wants to hold on to childhood (video game, soccer ball), but knows growing up is inevitable (coffee, iPhone, books).

And then I realized that this whole scene likely was a subconscious commentary on losing my dad as an eighteen year old. The anniversary of his death was Friday, and while I think of him often, that date always has an extra weight. A lot of great things have transpired in the past two decades, making his absence all the more sad. Miss you, Dad.

Not wanting to end on a totally somber note, I share a picture of the vintage Brio Mobilia bed in its package, purchased on eBay as a lot along with a dining room set from the same era. I hope to show that in my Brio house soon.

Credits: Video game is Re-ment; bed is vintage Brio Mobilia; "lights" above bed are actually two vintage Fisher Price chairs flipped upside down; wallpaper is scrapbook paper from Michaels, and the rug is embossed felt from there too (thanks, Mini Modern!); desk is a plexi case from Oese; standing light is vintage Lundby; chair is Reac; mid century couch artwork is a birthday card from my sister-in-law; bird artwork is a postcard by Nikki McClure; iPad and iPhone are two new purchases from LiLu Shop on Etsy. Accessories are Re-ment, Japanese erasers, beads from Pubdoll, AG Minis, Ryan's Room, and toy stores.

Re-ment: The video game is from a really neat Megahouse set, "Amusement Rides" #1, and it works for 1:12. The detail is amazing.

Lazy Sunday

I know, it's Monday, and frankly I really don't have any lazy Sundays. But, after putting together a quick scene in the Stockholm it just looked like a lazy Sunday.

If I had a lazy Sunday, I might dip into my Scandinavian dream sauna, perhaps like this one I just saw in Dwell's Tenth Anniversary Issue...

photo courtesy of www.dwell.com

Heavenly, right?

Instead, I have a nice new (vintage) Lundby one to help me dream.

Notice my new Lundby lamp? I bought it in its package last week from the famous toy store FAO Schwarz ($12). While a lot of the items are more traditional and pretty pricey, their racks have finds like these.

Next door to the sauna I decided to unpack another doll furniture find, this time some vintage Lisa of Denmark furniture (purchased on US eBay). The box is in bad shape, but the furniture is in good stead. The back of the box is interesting, as it shows pictures of the furniture available for a variety of rooms.

I WAS lazy in setting up this scene (no artwork or many accessories) and it WAS Sunday, so perhaps my post title qualifies!

Credits: Sauna: sauna is vintage Lundby, as is lamp and wooden side table; bench is a thrift store find ($1); statue is vintage Petite Princess, and its base is a Japanese eraser; plant is a rummage sale find and its pot is from Manor House Miniatures; tea accessories and lamp table are Re-ment; pillow is by minimodernistas; mat is from a window shade sample card from Lowes (free!). Living room: chairs and couch are vintage Lisa of Denmark; side table and lamp are vintage Petite Princess; stool is vintage Lundby; TV stand and table are vintage German; vase is by me, made with two crafting beads; plant is vintage TOMY; rug is from a window shade sample card from Lowes (also free!); accessories are Elf Miniatures, Mighty World, Re-ment, AG Minis, and my local toy store.

Re-ment: The tea treats in the sauna are from I Love Kyoto #9, and are good for 1:12.

Rec Room

This vintage Lundby ping pong table brings me back to the 70s. We had one at our summer place and it was endless fun. My brother and I would play constantly when we were smaller, and even our older siblings wanted to get in on the action! While all the ping pong memories are happy, I do recall my Mom not being too thrilled when my brother and I would try to burn the balls on the grill (I guess we got bored...).

The table really set the rest of the scene. I recently won some AG Minis 50s diner seats on eBay, and was wondering if and how I'd put them to use. Well, they seemed to fit right in here!

The flooring consists of tag sale finds -- they are trivets. Looked like they belonged underfoot to me. :)

Credits: Ping pong table, crystal side lamp and standing lamp are vintage Lundby; diner seating is by AG Minis; table and three chairs are vintage German; white shelving is by Re-ment; wall art is a card from the Paper Source that I colored to bring out the pattern (thanks, Henry!); ball clock is handmade by Pubdoll; flooring/trivets and fabric visible on right side through the sliding panel were bought at a tag sale; purse is from a swap with Oese; chess set is from eBay; plant is vintage TOMY. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, Mighty World, Playmobil, Tynies, Bozart, Manor House Miniatures, and random eBay finds.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with one exception. The lovely green covered bowl in the shelving unit on the right is from Tea Time #4, Antique Japanese Glass, and is good for 1:12.

Takeout

When we lived in "the city" (that's the isle of Manhattan, in New York City), we'd do takeout all the time. We had a great Cuban-Chinese place that we loved, and a burrito place too. Then, there was some tasty pizza and pasta. And the great falafel joint and yummy Chinese. Ahh...the good 'ol days. Nowadays, ensconced in the suburbs, I just get bossed around by my three kids, who tend to demand three different meals. Well, no more of that -- they get what goes on the table! I admit my resolve slips into the dead zone of chicken nuggets some days, but I usually try to steel myself for a food fight and forge ahead on nutrition :)

Takeout boxes never looked like this one from the Crate and Barrel outlet, my go-to discount mecca of choice as of late. I was there looking around for a gift for a blogger pal who shall remain nameless (it's a surprise, folks!), and saw this somewhat dented white box of circles for $6.00. Dining came to mind, and it just looked so chic, peaceful, and quiet, just like those easy, calm, fun takeout days. Not that I'd trade them for now, but I can live temporarily through this little scene. You'll see I tried a few different accessories and approaches -- looks like Asian takeout here!

On more little scenes, a BIG scene will soon bloom with the opening of the Call of the Small exhibit at Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre in Canberra, curated by Anna-Maria, the whiz behind The Shopping Sherpa. Have you all been following the progress of this very neat show to which I happily lent my blog name? Anna-Maria worked her wizardry and encouraged artists working in 1:1 to take it down a notch...and then some. The creations look amazing, and I only wish I could transport myself to Canberra to see the exhibit when it opens on August 12. But alas, this eye candy from some recent posts by Anna-Maria will have to do...

All photos courtesy of http://theshoppingsherpa.blogspot.com/

Credits: Table is by Elf Miniatures; chairs are vintage Wolverine; flooring is green glitter card stock from Michael's; plants are vintage TOMY (yeah! I finally scored another one, along with two other elusive TOMY plants); shelving on wall are two vintage Fisher Price benches; globe light is by minimodernistas. Accessories are Re-ment, dollhouse store finds, and stolen from my kid's goody bag from a birthday party. Seriously.

Re-ment: The plate, bowls, and chopsticks are from Tea Time #7, Nagomi Japanese Dishes, and are good for 1:12. The small blue vase on the top shelf is from Tea Time #4, Antique Japanese Glass and is good for 1:12.

VERO Bath

When I got my VERO House from Germany last year, it was in pretty rough shape. Each room had its own affliction -- torn or damaged wallpaper, wood or window cracks, paint chipping -- likely courtesy of one or a few different owners. I have been trying to piece together its history, but as many of you know it can be so difficult to locate definitive information for vintage houses.

I do know the house was likely made by VERO in the late 1960s, perhaps early 70s. Since I bought my house on German eBay in fall 2009, I have seen a few others come to market that look very similar. One find helped me to see what the rooms originally looked like and how they were decorated. You can see more on that here.

One such room is on the lower left, and is most probably meant as a bath. Here is an example from a very similar house:

In my case, this room was the most damaged, covered in layers of thick, heavy blue paint and papers. It looked as if ancient frescoes had made their home there! Scraping to the original papers was not an option. This is what it looked like:

I scraped the papers and paint off as best as I could and then smoothed the craggy spots. After painting a molding piece along the back wall, I covered the ceiling in a remnant piece of grey-colored wood. I had painted the ceiling white, but that looked completely bizarre and out of place, given the creamy/aged pallor of the rest of the house.

I bought some papers and new paper paste at the Paper Source this weekend -- as part of a very fun mini meet-up with Dale of Dale's Dreams and Paula, who is getting back into minis and just got an amazing modern acquisition (thanks again for a great afternoon, ladies!) -- and tried them out. The results:

I was trying to be faithful to the 1960s/70s vibe of the house -- what do you think? I left the original blue papers on the floor and covered it in some of my favorite Chilewich placemat, hoping for a tile effect.

Next I might move to the main entrance/living area...

Credits: Sink is a UK eBay find; toilet is IKEA; rug is by Peppercorn Minis; planter is a craft store find and plant is an aquarium plant; wastebasket and light are AG Minis; Eames Hang-it-All is by minimodernistas; purse is handmade by Oese. Accessories are Re-ment and Barbie by Jonathan Adler.

Re-ment: The green soap and lotion bottle on the sink are from Cosmetics, Natural #4, and are good for 1:12.

Mellow Yellow

I've returned to my Brio house to experiment with different scales and styles. I have only set up the house once since I bought it, so was eager to return to the upstairs "lounge" room.

I have been stalking the kitchen table (with the built-in flowers) from the Princess Patti line for quite some time. It was manufactured as part of the Petite Princess line (3/4 scale) for one year only, 1965, on the west coast. So, the pieces (kitchen and bathroom especially) are very hard to find, and when you do, they are pricey. I ended buying two of the tables recently and they ended up being relatively reasonable (no more than $20 each). I have used one here with this awesome chair, which is part of the line, but not part of this purchase. The chairs usually go for $40 each or more! I bought this one some time ago for $7 because it was not designated Princess Patti in the listing; I didn't even know what it was until months later. Don't you love when that happens?!!

By the way, there is a 1:144 scale version of the Princess Patti display house now on eBay -- adorable, but outrageously priced: $150!

The couch is vintage VERO and is close to 1:10 scale, but I think it works here. The coffee table is 1:12, and the sideboard closer to 1:10.

It was so much fun setting up this room. I reaffirmed my *love* of this house!

Credits: Couch is vintage VERO; sideboard is vintage German; coffee table and hanging globe light are minimodernistas; table and chair are vintage Princess Patti; green rug is AG Minis; white patterned rug is Bozart. Accessories are Re-ment and Ryan's Room.

Re-ment: I used a few new Re-ment pieces in this scene. The agenda and purse are both from Girls in the City #6 "Office Supplies 101," and are slightly large for 1:12. The lemons in the blue bowl are from Grandmother's European Dinners #6, and are also slightly large for 1:12.

Ceiling for Floor

I continue to be amazed by the quality of the AG Minis line, and it is a shame it was discontinued. I have a fair amount of the furniture and accessories, but do not own any of the room boxes. I don't think I will anytime soon, but I did come across two of the flooring/ceiling pieces on eBay and they arrived last week.

This scene features one of the pieces on the floor; it was meant as a pressed-tin-looking ceiling for the loft room, but I like the effect for the floor. Of course, the shape of the piece was a challenge, since it is customized for the room boxes, which taper in toward the back. I cut out scrapbook paper sheets for the sides and then covered the walls in another brown metallic paper I had lying around. I like how the flooring picks up on the legs of the sofa and coffee table.

Here's a picture of the whole VERO house, still a work in progress. I hope to attack the room on the lower left next, which I will make a bathroom. I have given up on scraping off all the layers of paper and heavy paint, and hope to paper it over. I also bought some balsa wood to create the balcony on the second floor and have a few flower boxes for the front window.

On that sofa...it is a wonderful creation by Annina and I love it -- thanks!!!

The textured ottoman is piece I cut from a natural sponge from the SFMOMA store (on clearance!). I had seen Modern MC use a few in her blog a while ago and loved their organic look. I should have bought more...

I used the Chilewich placemat again for screening in the back -- it is very handy indeed.

Credits: Couch handmade by Annina; chairs and plant are vintage German; lamp is vintage Strombecker; nesting coffee tables are by Paris Renfroe; postcard (featuring paper cut artwork by Nikki McClure), sponge "ottoman," and screen in back are from the SFMOMA store; silver flooring is AG Minis; scrapbook paper from the Paper Source was used on the floor and walls. Accessories are Re-ment and AG Minis.

Re-ment: I accumulated a lot of Re-ment on my west coast trip, but have not yet sorted it all away, so I am too overwhelmed by the choices to use it right now! But, one coffee cup was at the top of the pile, so I threw it into the scene. It is the cup on the table, and it is from Pretty Placement #2, and is good for 1:12.

Stockhome

Ok, ok, it's my little pun on "Stockholm." I felt like quickly setting up the Lundby Stockholm from top to bottom, and the result just felt homey. I already had the living area and "garage" taken care of from previous scenes, so it was the bedroom, deck, and roof.

Why so homey? Perhaps it's those amazing red and yellow handmade pillows by Annina?? Aren't they lovely, and do you recognize them from the New York Times article?!? I know I will be using them many times over.

Or perhaps it is the Lego mini house on the deck created by two of my kids, who saw me playing around with the pieces one weekend and decided to take the matter into their own little hands??

Maybe it's the pizza, soda, and popcorn drawing your insides in from the outside!

Credits: Desk is a clear box from Oese; chair is Reac; curved bench is vintage Fairline; table is vintage Bodo Hennig; toy box is a Re-ment storage unit on its side; plant is vintage German; deck table, lamp, pouf on roof, and plant stand are vintage Lundby; deck chairs are Mighty World; Lego house is handmade by two of my bunnies; mini mini furniture in and on the Lego house is by Re-ment and from Three Blind Mice fair; skateboard is a Tech Deck; roof couch is vintage Creative Playthings; two white lounge chairs are eBay finds; coffee table is minimodernistas; plant is Playmobil. Accessories are Re-ment, our local toy store, Mighty World, and Ryan's Room.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in these scenes with a few exceptions. The soda bottle and popcorn bowl are from Cooking with Mama #10, and are slightly large for 1:12 (especially the soda bottle). The pizza slice is from Puchi Petite Fun Meals # 1, and is also slightly large for 1:12. The toy storage is from Pretty Placement #7, and is fine as a large storage tower in 1:12. The yellow porcupine place mat under the pizza is from Megahouse Pop 'N Kitchen # 5, and is good for 1:12.