TTFN

When I started this blog, I didn't think anyone would read it. This venture was basically a way for me to catalogue the miniature scenes that I put together. Well, two years later, it looks like I wasn't really talking to myself all of this time. Ha! I have had great fun with this blog. I have also enjoyed meeting other modern miniature enthusiasts. The hobby world would have you believe that we don't exist but here we are! I'm vacating this blog for an indefinite period of time to work on some other projects. Will I return? I do not know. Will there be a book? Maybe. Maybe. I'm still working out the opportunity and all of the issues that come with it.

I do expect to continue watching the amazing things that other modern miniaturists do on their blogs and websites. I also expect to still be buying every modern miniature that I can get my hands on. Ha ha!

Thanks to everyone who has watched my "crazy" at work.

The Goods: Paris Renfroe made the beautiful kitchenette and based it on a transportable kitchen featured in Dwell Magazine (Sept. 2009) by Cecilia Tham and Yoel Karaso of Habitan Architects. Paris made the appliances and cabinetry stainless steel. He also made me the bathtub/sink component featured by this duo. You can see that work on Paris' site. All wood stools are PRD; the natural edge wooden bench is PRD; the daybed is Reac Japan; the desk is Kitty Puppenmobel; the Eames chair is Reac Japan; the room divider is DHE; All accessories are McFarlane Toys (guitar), Mighty World, Plan Toys, AG Minis, Irwin, Re-Ment, Sanrio, Battat, Breyer, Lundby and Character Options. The artwork is Kara Walker.

The Nest

No open flame by the crib, please. Actually, no open flame anywhere in this, um...very child safe nursery. Yeah, there's lots of kindling. Chuckles. I put this room together a few weeks ago, didn't complete it and had horrible lighting for the pictures. Oh well, at least the Argington Eiffel Book Case looks fabulous. Thank you, Jenny!

The Goods: Bookcase is Argington; chair is Reac Japan; the crib is Oil of Olay packaging; the rug is PRD; the large art on the wall is called "Caging the Forest Bird" by kgb; the other art is Anne Geddes and West Elm; All the accessories are AG Minis, Plan Toys, Re-Ment, and random pieces from the craft store and some old potpourri.

Yard Burger

I really like the PRD Freight PODs. I want to get one of the new versions that Mr. Renfroe has designed, but I am quite happy with the original thus far. I started making a nursery with this structure but changed my mind midway and went the burger stand route. I imagine this restaurant to have originally been a popular lunch truck that the owner decided to convert to a shipping container after they bought a vacant lot in the city's downtown. There's always a line at lunch time during the workweek! Chuckles.

The restaurant name is a play on a couple of things: the shipping yards and the slang term for chicken, plus the phonetic similarity between "bird" and "burger". Shrug. Without spending a lot of time on this scene, I worked with standard fonts and images to give the restaurant's branding an industrial edge that is supposed to be reminiscent of a shipping company logo. It didn't come out too too bad considering my half-ass attempt. I had fun putting this one together so I guess that's what really matters. Oh! And man, did I want a burger and fries after!!

The Goods: Counters are Selecta; cabinet and drink maker are Playmobil; seating outside is Bodo Hennig and Sirch; seating inside is Voila Toys; All tables outside are Re-Ment; All tables inside are MegaHouse; All accessories are Mighty World, Re-Ment, Breyer, Lil' Bratz, Playmobil, Lundby, and run-of-the-mill hobby store purchases.

WANTED: Tom Buchta

Mini2b sent me this contemporary dollhouse from the September 1981 issue of Nutshell News. Whoa! It's pretty fantastic. I have never seen this house before. Reminds me of the Brookwood meets the Garden House with a side of Merrimack fries. Hey Tom Buchta! Are you out there?! I'm getting zero leads on a quick Google. Anyone know more?

P.S. Mickey B---is this the dollhouse you were looking for??

Image: Nutshell News, September 1981

Haystacks

Uh oh. I'm back to the restaurant thing. This scene actually started with a trip to the MOMA store. I sometimes browse through the museum's shop after meeting my significant for lunch. During this trip, they had some unusual sponges made out of walnut shells. The woman at the counter raised her brow at how many I was purchasing and asked me if they worked well. I told her "We'll see". So far, I'm quite happy with them, however, I have no idea how well they clean. Chuckles. The Goods: The counter is the walnut shell sponge and a combination of Voila Toys and MGAE; the shelving unit is DHE; the grill is Voila Toys, Streets Ahead Dollhouse and Re-Ment; the tables are Bodo Hennig; the chairs are Reac Japan. All accessories are AG Minis, Re-Ment, Megahouse, Plan Toys, Lundby, Playmobil, Mighty World, and several other run of the mill pieces that came from dollhouse/hobby shops and ebay. The art is a combination of more walnut shell sponges, standard clip and Williams-Sonoma. The figures are Character Options and Underground Toys.

Dear Playmobil

Please make an amusement park theme set product.

I am very tired of building roller coasters for my "mini-me" out of wooden train tracks held together by ineffective track supports, books, sticks...and masking tape.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
I know you can do this well.
I believe in you.

Green Dollhouse: Kitchen

I was able to use the original Plan Toys kitchen that is produced for this dollhouse. It has a very simple modern design, but I wish that the company had put realistic looking fixtures on the pieces and a sink. I'm okay with a painted cooktop, but a painted on sink lacks appeal. Course, these pieces are produced for child's play and made more for durability. However, I'm sure many kids out there would side with me on the alterations I'm chatterin' about.

I'm trying to give this kitchen the appearance of "world flavor". Since the father figure in the house is supposed to be an environmental scientist, you would expect this family to travel the globe quite a bit. Their kitchen is supposed to be influenced by a hodgepodge of kitchens that they have seen around the world combined with a simple style that "green living" suggests. There's not an oven with this Plan Toys kitchen set so I added a wood stove that the family can use to cook or heat the house. The bear rug? It just works for some reason.

The goods: The kitchen center and wood stove are Plan Toys; large shelving unit is DHE; Bear rug is PRD; Art is from potpourri mix; All accessories are Re-Ment, Plan Toys, Mighty World, Lundby, and various action figures. The dolls are Silver Acorn---Hey, there's still passion in a married with children relationship!