Love is ALL Around

We don't decorate for every holiday, but Love is All Around our home, everyday.

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Kisses abound in the kitchen.

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Open Hearts serve...a dish perfect for treats here. 

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The back stairs, says it all,  "Home is where the heart is."

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My only purchases for Valentine's day this year---two sets of measuring spoons from WorldMarket for my daughters-in-love, 6 vintage Jell-O molds from the 1950s or so for 50cents each at GoodWill, a Mrs.Fields vintage tin, I will fill with goodies for our Grand.

I will make crispy treats--in the molds with sprinkles---and everyone will feel the love.

Baking here is done with lots of butter, and lots of LOVE.

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In the living room, the obvious LOVE all around is not always subtle. This statue a gift from my husband when he used to travel for work. The candlestick was a wedding gift from great-great-great-or more family hand-me-down, hallmarked back to the 1700's.

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This card from my son. Nothing shows LOVE more than your children growing 

to be caring and thoughtful adults. 

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Another fixture of LOVE  in our home, the Jule Haerter from Denmark. 

Though it reflects Christmas, 

to me it means LOVE all year round. 

More family photos are in the living room, all precious to our hearts.

In the hall, a shelf with old toys welcomes all ages. 

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A treasured, hand-stitched Raggedy shows off his heart and the sentiment, we are celebrating.

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Hard to read, but none the less loving, I Love You!

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Long story---my son loved frogs as a little boy, he's transferred that to me---by gifts over the last 30 some years. I have 'croaking LOVE all around me, several in the main bathroom. 

More than a dozen in the yard. 

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In the master bath is a framed Rilke quote about the lesson of LOVE, a gift from a friend. 

I read it every day at least once.

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A plaque with hooks, hopefully saying the truth...I try.

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The master bedroom is filled with old things. My great grandmother's LOVE of Pansies, 

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My mom and dad, and one of her treasured glass baskets.

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This odd piece of German unmarked porcelain, a favorite of my mom's filled with feathers from a treasured family trip.

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A sweet book, gift from a friend. A quote from inside says it all.

"I never knew how much like heaven this world could be, 

when two people LOVE and live for one another!" Little Women, Amy

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Out on my dresser for the month is my heart jewelry and the mermaid piece from Hans Christian Anderson's, Little Mermaid. In the original tale, the mermaid sacrifices all for the Prince, who then marries another and she becomes foam on the sea.

Vintage pieces, a pewter Jule Heartier, acorns on porcelain set with pearls, a bakelite heart, an 80's contemporary heart, and beaded bracelet from the 90's.

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A the cosmetic bag, a gift from my d-in-love and my mom's dresser mirror---a gift of LOVE from my dad.

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Cupid on a brass lid to a crystal cut glass jar, circa 1880's. 

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An old Valentine, I LOVE to use to cover the black TV. 

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It's beginning to fade, but I think I will copy the design for a fabric drape over the television. 

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My husband's office has an old Grandfather's cup==and a plaque from the early 1970's about LOVE. 

I'm blessed with a real romantic for a husband...he will watch, "Sleepless in Seattle" and the original "An Affair to Remember," with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr with me an infinite number of times.

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Our engagement dinner, 1967.

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He made this collage for me way back when----all the photos are pre-1985. It hangs in his office. 

I always forget it is in here, and then wonder who all those girls are?

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We will celebrate a 50-year marriage, next year(2018)---really, it's hard to believe. 

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Our extra bedroom, or Grand's room as it is beginning to be called is filled with antiques, toys, and books.  Here my grandmother watches over all in a photo from the 1990's.

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This sweet little quote picture was from a friend. It's from the 1920-30's. Two words have faded at the top, You and I.  LOVE the sentiment and the stylized artwork. The background is metallic gold---seasoned and in the original frame.

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The Grand has the Barbie houses in here, toys and her stash of  toy jewelry. Here is one of her creations of beads and "Tangled" Princess in a necklace. I do love how Disney Princesses have become more self-reliant, and not just something to be rescued and possessed. 

That has changed from my childhood.

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Lurking on the shelves, drawers and closets are 

old Valentine's and "I Love You" cards from our lives of over fifty years together. 

Maybe even one or two belonging to a parent or grandparent. 

A sweet bear bank, my mom purchased with LOVE for an unborn grandchild. 

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So I don't decorate for Valentine's Day because...

Love is all around our home, everyday.

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Nifty Thrifty Things
Creative Mondays
Finding Silver Pennies
Amaze Me Mondays
Busy Monday
Show and Share
Inspire Me Tuesday
The Scoop
Wednesday Blog Hop
Dagmars Home Link Party

All About Home

Sandi

Tea in the Mansion

While the DIY Barbie Mansion waits for the total REDO, 

we must still must be civilized and have late afternoon tea.

Some of these photos are with natural northern light, and some are not.

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The existing cottage colors---really show up in these photos taken on my 

Macro setting on my 'Photography for Dummy's' camera. I'm not going to even list the make, as it is ancient by today's camera standards--a point and shoot.

The NEW color scheme will be a bit more restrained. 

Traditional biscuits (Danish Maria cakes) and assorted layer cakes are on the menu.

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One of the guests arrived early, 

 bringing a delicious Chocolate Charlotte Russe, the recipe is HERE!

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The flowers chosen are Faux roses, but the vase is perfect with the blue tea set. 

The layer cake is has strawberries and a chocolate ganache layer---YUM! 

The vintage red table, is on the list of REDO's in the future. 

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Waiting in the wings is a Danish Layer Cake, in case the boy's wander in. 

A stash of beverages is in the background, sparkling waters, 

sparkling fruit juices and of course, cans of iced tea!

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The OLD Table cloth is 1950's Danish homespun with a counted stitched edge and cut-work. 

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Here's Ryan getting ready to have a beverage, he wandered in with a hot cocoa. 

The boys are always eating and drinking something. Most of the accessories are vintage.

 Hot dogs are in the microwave---those aren't on the TEA, menu, Ryan!

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Ryan rearranged the table? The kettle is hot...tea anyone?

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Cut-work on the edge of the OLD cloth. I think this is the wrong side.

 Amazing what you see when you take closeup photos.

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The OLD silver tray is vintage! 

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The boys are gone---we are now ready for a real tea! 

May I cut a piece of the Chocolate Charlotte Russe for you?

I was practicing with the Macro setting on my camera, and this post just---happened. 

Hubby stopped by my computer screen and asked, when did I get the blue teaset. LOL.

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Nifty Thrifty Things
Finding Silver Pennies
Amaze Me Mondays
Creative Mondays
Best of the Weekend
Snickerdoodle Party
One More Time
Busy Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
Show and Share
Inspire Me Tuesday
Bernideens TeaTime
Celebrate Your Story

Sandi

Part 2: DIY Barbie Remodel Paint Reveal

Sorry if anyone had trouble viewing this, the original post disappeared?

Our DIY barbie Mansion Townhouse redo, to be joined with the Victorian Mansion.

I really wanted them to blend and look like one large dollhouse.

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Great weather is wonderful for painting. I quickly taped up everything I didn't want

 painted on our first day of beautifully weather.

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This is the original house at GoodWill in all its magenta/hotpink/lavendar glory, for $7.99.

Since I am the one that has to live with it, between the Grand's visits, 

most of the hot pink/magenta had to go.

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First was gloss white on the magenta shower stall.

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Then the same on the Hot pink flooring on the third floor I sprayed in ivory. Worst part was underneath the ceilings were that dark color making the house very dark.

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The grid ceiling on the top floor, took the ivory spray paint (for plastic also) very well.

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This is the original graphics I didn't paint over on the third floor, even this is the room for the guys. 

You will see later what we did to preserve this.

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The backside exterior has so much detail, eventually we will work on that. I blocked the windows, with paper to preserve the graphics inside. 

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On the second floor, the fireplace has electronic fire and crackling 

noises and got three coats of gloss white. That's what it took to completely cover that hot pink. 

My opinion is pretend play should relate to real life. 

Really, no one would live in an all pink/magenta house, especially Ken dolls. 

A little pink goes a very long way. 

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Heres the completed shower, original floor we left in lavender. The shower magenta floor is original. When someone takes a shower, you get water sounds and singing in the shower while standing on it.

This goes well with the original graphics I kept on the second floor

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We had to paint nothing here, I simply papered and taped it off and the very pretty 

original fixtures. The toilet, makes a flushing sound when you press the button.

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Here is the second floor bedroom next to the bath. The fireplace has two small pink tiles, one is actually the press button to start the fire sounds and the light. 

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Here's a close-up. I have a tiny bit of touch up to do on the lower left. 

But, it is awesome in cottage chic white.

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Vintage Barbie furniture looks great next to the shower wall.

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The fire looks real, almost. Puppy enjoys it.

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I would love to paint the details in the faux book case, but it is really bolted in there, and will have to just stay that way.

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The best is the white ceiling instead of pink. Makes the room bright. 

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This room has become Chelsea's, which is nice because her clothes can be separate from the Barbie's.

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Back down to the bottom floor, you can see the pillars all covered and most of the elevator. 

Excess overspray was easily  cleaned off. The elevator just wasn't able to be completely covered.

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It did clean up very well after the tapes were removed. Like I said, a little pink goes a long way.

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I taped off all the cabinetry/stove/refrig/sink, so here it is all original surrounded in ivory to blend with the Victorian Mansion. Ryan is all ready to serve the crowd for Chelsea's birthday party.

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The large kitchen above is perfect for breakfast and doing laundry. 

I painted over the graphics, waiting to do

wallpaper and accessories here. 

We will retile the floor, I didn't want the hot pink glowing through the white tile contact paper.

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Here you can see the dining room with the tile paper, this will extend to the left.

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The old kitchen in the back, may just become an entertainment bar, with a little tweaking, and some wall paper to tie into the mansion kitchen to the left.

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Next will be the void above the dining room---and a new second floor in the Victorian mansion and removing the existing green/tub-vanity to make room for a closet.

 Lots of dolls have to find room to sleep and store all their clothes.

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Nifty Thrifty Things
Finding Silver Pennies
Amaze Me Mondays
Creative Mondays
Best of the Weekend
Snickerdoodle Party
One More Time
Busy Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
Show and Share
Inspire Me Tuesday
Bernideens TeaTime
Celebrate Your Story
Talk of the Town

Sandi

Part 1: Another DIY Barbie Remodel

First of all, I really am not a crazy obsessive Barbie or Mattel collector. 

I'm a Grandma, who likes to play pretend 

with my granddaughter and a few other little girls. 

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Here is the Barbie Victorian house we have been using, that is a bit cramped for all the dolls and activities we have been doing.

My son texted me this from the local GoodWill. I had been whining that I was having a hard time finding a 'toilet' for the Victorian house, expensive, or only available with pieces I didn't need.

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My son texted me this from the local GoodWill. He said, "This one, everything works and has a full bathroom, the toilet flushes and has sound-it's $7.99, do you have room for it."

OF COURSE WE DO!

Without the furniture it was a steal, at $7.99. Everything functions, the elevator, a doorbell, a singing barbie/water sound in the shower, flushing toilet, roaring fire in the lighted fireplace, a timer in the kitchen the tick-ticks and rings, and two slots for lighted chandeliers 

which I can order from Mattel at $3.00 each. 

Only drawback was the color scheme of magenta, purple, and that horrid pink.

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Here is the Victorian Barbie house from the same GoodWill, I paid $4.99. 

We have been playing with this one,  but really isn't big enough

 for the 'family' (12) of dolls that are involved in our pretend games, or their wardrobes, 

accessories and pets, which has now grown to two dogs, and a cat. 

The boy dolls had been banished to two shelves on a printer stand, with the dolls wardrobes on top.

Almost everything used in the house is vintage, except a kitchen, a bunkbed set, and a tea cart. Everything else was purchased at thrift stores, online- or garage sales, super cheap. 

The rest is hand-made or 'pretend'. Double bunkbeds will be hand-made. 

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So, last weekend we had one gorgeous day---

almost 60 degrees, (in January in Chicagoland???) sun, and very little wind. 

Regardless of what else I had planned, I grabbed the opportunity to paint!

TIPS FOR PAINTING Barbie PLASTIC.

1* First I scrubbed the entire mansion down with degreasing kitchen cleaner--with attention to detail.       I used que-tips to get into all the tight places and inside the appliances.

2* Then I wiped ALL down with alcohol, very quickly and---wear gloves for this. 

3*  I spent 3 hours taping up the pillars, electrical connections, the lavender second floor, the clear shower door and the pink shower floor(where the switch mechanism worked by the doll standing on the tile for the sound, the toilet and bedroom/bathroom walls, fireplace small facing bricks(one-is the switch to turn the fireplace on) the sliding up and down large screen tv, and the kitchen appliances. (It has a very nice sink, dishwasher, stove, oven and refrigerator (refrigerator and dishwasher were things on the search-for list.

4* I sprayed light coats with sweeping motions ending past the surface you are painting-this way you aren't double spraying when you move back over a surface, starting with the ceilings first from every possible angle. Wait 10-15 min between coats on a dry day. We had warm sunshine and a very slight breeze.

5* After 3 hours I removed maskings or covered areas, where I could. Then, allow paint to cure for 12-24 hours depending on humidity. Touch up by spraying paint onto a non-porous surface and applying with a brush or que-tip. (still have do this), but I know this works from past projects.

Investment- 2 cans of ivory spray paint at $3.87 each, 1 roll of blue painter's tape- I used maybe $1.00 worth.

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The plan is to have this house slide up next to the other one. Sort of an inner city 

add on--mansion. 

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So 1/2 can of white gloss on the pink bathroom shower.

Hard to see, but the rafters were all HOT pink, the colors of the floor above. 

Not my favorite color, and certainly not realistic, plus it gave everything a hideous pink glow.

So ivory spray paint on the ceilings. The graphics on the walls are kinda cute, so I covered them all with paper to preserve the graphics.

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Here is the fireplace/TV above taped off. The Pink glow---is really mostly from the ceiling. But a second coat of white completely covered it.

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Here the is a shot of the downstairs floor and how well the ivory paint covered. LOVE the spray paints for plastic, as Barbie would say---Totally awesome! I use satin, though it doesn't look like it, the satins have a tight finish.

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The back side has lots of detail which we will eventually get addressed,

 but for now it is no longer magenta and blends with the Victorian Barbie house.

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The elevator was too hard to cover, though I blue taped the pillars and the guide rails.. I was afraid of running out of sun and warmth outside, so the elevator got dusted with some spray. This I removed with que-tips dipped in alcohol. 

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The elevator really works well and the grand can operate it. The crank elevator in the old house works, but is difficult for a child to use, so we will be placing a bunk bed right over the elevator space  on the second floor!

On the first floor a rug will cover that space. 

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The Barbie family can't wait to move into the remodeled digs, but as it is a project remodel, ya just have to live 'in' the mess.

We are planning on gutting that green bathroom and making a walk-in closet, and adding a 'hot pink' tub to the new bathroom in the Dream house. 

Maybe the green tub can become a hot-tub in the yard, 

Another project will be new floors for the second floor in the Victorian house, 

and the new first floor dining room

 and two new double bunkbeds! 

Lots to do, stay tuned for the painting reveal.

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Finding Silver Pennies
Amaze Me Mondays
 Creative Mondays
Best of the Weekend
Snickerdoodle Party
One More Time
Metamorphosis Monday

Sandi