The Dorothy Dollhouse- FINISHED!

I've done it! I've finally done it!

I finished that "simple" Greenleaf Dollhouse (The Arthur) that my mom has had since, oh, the 70's.  If you have spoken with me about it, you know that it has been the biggest pain in my patootie.  I mean, I've had fun picking out colors, wallpapers, etc., but when it comes to the whole "insert tab into slot and BAM! You have a dollhouse"- that is baloney.  Sheer lies.

Here we have the painted exterior (pink) with interior walls wallpapered.  In the bottom left you can see the start of my many attempts to get some sort of skeleton put together. With plenty of help from Marzipan.

There is so much wood glue and hot glue on the Dorothy Dollhouse that it better stay together.  Oh, did I mention I also used right-angle brackets to hold the base together with welding glue?  Slot-Tab design my foot.

 I've learned a lot in this process. 

I should mention I made it for my 18-month-old neice, but she's a bit too young for it.  That's gives me plenty of time to get some interior peices for it.

I tried so many different ways to keep the dang walls together at the start.  I had it balanced perfectly, propped up with the fan blowing to dry the glue, then crash.  I'd hear it from the living room.  My hard work falling to peices (again).

Finally,  I got the main walls secured (somehow).

And next were the additional walls and roof peices.

Oh, by the way... this was all in February.  I finished it in mid-May.  Why?  I got so frustrated I took a break from it around mid-March.  The smile up there... very fake.

And with the roof (minus shingles):

That brings us to April, the month the Dorothy Dollhouse got its name.  You may remember I mentioned a tornado that bizarrely swept through our yard at 2:00am?  I have not posted about it.. just don't really feel like it. 

Surrounded by pillows in tiny bathroom during storm.

But on that horrifying night, my studio window was evvver so slightly open (less than an inch).  The dollhouse was facing open side to that tiny little opening.  Since the tornado caused the rain to swirl, it came in horizontally.  I discovered this the next evening when I noticed the window.  I checked the dollhouse to find all my wallpaper and flooring were no longer flat, but wavy.  But luckily, that was the only damage!  It's relatively ignorable (word?), so I chalked it up to a story and named it the Dorothy Dollhouse (...Wizard of Oz).

I took the wood glue back up in May and started attaching the decorations and shingles. Shingles take forever!  I tried to be as neat as possible, but I know deep down it probably looks sloppy.  As Greer says, it's "perfectly imperfect."  He's such a sweetheart.

See the wavy wallpaper?  Ah, well.  I'm not re-doing it.  I purchased a little Hoosier cabinet and chairs, but I'm afraid the chairs may be too big.  I had fun added a mini mailbox and mini portrait.  Why are miniature things so fun??

I had some fun taking pictures.