Archive for February, 2013

The Thornhill Tool Cabinet, The Sad Lives Of Past Mini Projects, And More

Monday, February 25th, 2013

Some time ago I saw on someone’s blog (I wish I remembered whose!) about a creative soul that had repurposed an old dollhouse and used it to store laundry supplies (I think it was laundry supplies!). Well, I guess I am also good at repurposing. See my Thornhill tool cabinet:


Okay, I confess, it’s just plain sad. I bought this kit sometime in the 1990’s after completing the Beacon Hill Greenleaf kit (which is now covered in cobwebs – haunted mansion anyone?).


I had high hopes for doing a proper 18th Century Virginia house. Then I raised children and dogs and cats and there you go. Sometimes I think about selling it. But it is not really a kit nor is it a full house. Yikes.

Am I the only one that has dollhouses around that got neglected  for new and more exciting projects?

The weather has been a bit gloomy here of late so I was tickled to see this little flower on an impatiens plant I brought in to overwinter in the house.


A little shout out to Menu Plan Monday. What we are eating this week:

Potato and Gimme Lean Breakfast Sausage Casserole
Pasta and Pesto
Tortilla Soup
Ratatouille w/ Cannellini Beans

Extras for this week:

Baked Corn Tortilla Strips
Herb Bread
Berry Medley Crunch Dessert

Have a great week!

Sandra

P.S. If you come just for the blog, please check out all the Springtime Fun and Easter Fun over at Bry-Back Manor!

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The Contemporary Ranch Kitchen, An African Safari, and More

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Still sorting and packing which sounds really boring, but it actually feels good to see the progress. My dish cabinet in the kitchen now looks like this:


The flaw here is the my “less is more” husband stated that he really liked the cabinets like this. Oops!

Before I packed it up, I just had to try out the 70’s kitchen in the Contemporary Ranch.


Okay, picture it with some accessories and flowered wallpaper. Generally, I’m thinking it works. But, and it is a fairly large but, who puts the fridge in front of the window?


I love the outside look of the Contemporary Ranch, but I think if I did it over again, I would have kit bashed a little more to enlarge the rooms and have the windows make more sense. The odds of this really happening are pretty remote, however. It’s always on to the next project!

While sorting, I found some more of these little guys:


I found the antelope before and even put it in the Fascination Station house. It was exciting to see that I had a few more tucked away. African Safari anyone?

Since it is Monday I need to add a little Menu Plan Monday in here.

This week we will be eating:

Macaroni and Cheese
Shepherd’s Pie
Lentil Soup
Beans and Tofu Weinies

So many of my menus of late have been simple, cheap, and straight forward that I got a wild hair and made some Empanadas last week with a dough from scratch and everything. I used the Fantastic Foods Taco Mix for a base adding in all sorts of other goodies and it was a big hit! The one flaw is that now I have the song “Girl From Ipanema” in my head. One thing has nothing to do with the other, but there you go.

Sandra

P.S. If you come just for the blog, please check out all the Valentine’s Day Fun over at Bry-Back Manor, including Valentine Clipart for those last minute cards!

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I Have A New One! (And Other Tidbits)

Monday, February 4th, 2013

No, not a new dollhouse. A new cat! (Not that I especially need a new one of either right now.) I finally caught the little gray girl who I had been feeding since last Spring. I had been hoping to woo her into voluntarily coming in the house, but it wasn’t happening. So, I took the plunge just before a cold spell and here she is:


The picture is not the best because, frankly, I am only allowed to get but so close before she bolts under the bed. But, overall, she is adapting to the household and not just hiding in a closet (like the formerly feral cat I caught some years ago).

My packing is still moving (no pun intended) along. I now have many empty cabinets and shelves and many full boxes. (I thought to take a picture of my empty shelves, but who the heck wants to see that.)

Kudos to all the Creatin’ Contest winners over at Miniatures.Com! I am in awe. I am always impressed when folks find the time to start AND finish their entries. I did manage to finish the Fascination Station house, just a month or so AFTER the contest was over. And here is my unfinished entry for the Spring Fling of 2010 (alas, sitting sadly ignored for the last two years):

Maybe some day…

Because it’s Menu Plan Monday, here’s what we are eating this week:

Spaghetti with Morningstar Farms Meatballs
Can Can Chili
Baked Tofu w/ Barbecue Sauce and Roasted Veggies
Bonus items – Egg Salad and Brownies

Have a great week!

Sandra

P.S. If you come just for the blog, please check out all the Valentine’s Day Fun over at Bry-Back Manor!

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