Anniversary Dinner At The Doll House!! YouTube Video Too!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

Recently, when I was 'researching' on eBay about dolly 'food', I ran across something that surprised me. I have always admired the American Girl Doll Lasagna Dinner Set but never enough to spend $24.00 on it (plus shipping). So I was very excited when I happened across an actual AG Lasagna set for $6.00 with free shipping! What?!

Well, I should say 'a lasagna set' because the items included were not exactly the same as the ones in the AG set. The lasagna and olive oil were included but also a salt shaker and no plates, forks or spatula. I didn't care though because it was the actual lasagna I wanted anyway. So I was totally stoked. I would link to the sellers information but it appears that it might've been a one-off  because the cheapest 'set' I found when I just looked was much more money...? I tell you eBay is a strange place sometimes. The same seller, at the time, also had other adorable sets that, had I known it would be a one-off, I likely would've bought. Oh well.. Such as the nature of eBay. I'll just be glad I got this set. Right?

I decided the moment I got it that I was going to feature the set into a scene of Heather Doll making dinner for Josh Doll. In real life, my husband and I celebrate 26th Wedding Anniversary in early July. So I found the lasagna set just in time! 

Isn't it adorable and real looking! So fun!

I had recently gotten the pasta plates as a thrifty find as well as the cute candle holder so it all felt like it was 'meant to be' for my dollies special dinner.

The candles being lit make it look so warm and sweet, right? Those are birthday candles and so I had to take the photos as quickly as possible before they burned out or dripped!

For desert Heather decided to serve banana splits since it's summertime and hot outside. She served coffee on the side out of the cute mugs I got the other day at a garage sale. It's so much fun putting it all together to make scenes!

After dinner Heather and Josh decided to play Monopoly because it's one of their favorite games!!

When the game was over, Heather served some scrumptious peach tart! Sadly they were both still much too full to eat any so they decided they'd have to cut it later. 

What a great evening!

Happy Anniversary Heather and Josh Doll!! If you're interested, I also made a little YouTube Video of Josh and Heather's dinner date. Go check it out if you have time!

Better run!
Have a great day!
XXOO
Heather

Melissa and Doug Washing Machine Find At Goodwill! Perfect for 18inch Dolls!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends,

I went into town for work yesterday and, you guessed it, stopped by the nearby Goodwill. What did I see but a cute little washing machine that looked, literally, like it was made for 18inch dolls. Score! Then, when I picked it up and realized it was actually made out of wood I was even more intrigued. Looking closer, I realized it was a Melissa and Doug toy. Nice!! I love their toys because they are always made as if to survive the end of the world or something. By this I mean they are very sturdy and hard to break, as all toys should be really. My own children had a number of their toys when they were smaller, all gleaned from Garage Sales and Thrift Shops because, especially when the kids were little bitty and I was staying home with them, there's no way I could've afforded the new prices. Are you kidding me? Hahaha. Luckily, because they are so well made, they oftentimes make it to the second hand market and so I found my kids quite a few of them. I digress... But suffice to say that Melissa & Doug toys are top notch. 

I was so happy with the price on this piece too! It was marked only $3.99! WOOT!! Especially when I went to the Melissa and Doug website and found out that this is called the "Lets Play House! Wash, Dry, Iron! set and it retails on thier website for $39.99!! So I got it for 10% of the new price! Of course I didn't get any of the accessories that came with but who cares when it's 90% off, right? After looking around the internet I found you can find it cheaper at Walmart where it was more than $10 cheaper at $28.47. By the way, what is up with Walmart and their oddball price points, eh? I digress again but how weird is that? Hahaha. I am too TypeA for Walmarts weird pricing! Now I am giggling at myself. At least someone is amused, eh? (Can't tell it's Friday and I am so happy that it is?) 

Back to the washer! So the one I found was in nearly perfect shape. It could afford to be wiped down but this is literally how I found it. 

Here Annie is modeling by the newest appliance in the Doll House! The dolls were all very excited! They had been hand washing all their dolly clothes and what a lot of work that was. 

*giggles*

As you can see on the dial, it's meant to be a washer and a dryer. How convenient and space saving! The top of the shelves is meant to be an ironing board. I have to say I really love this piece! I think it could likely take years of play and still look just like this. A lot of the toy appliences actually made for dolls are made of plastic and not nearly as sturdy as this is. This reminds me of the toy kitchens I often saw in churches when I was little bitty, all made out of wood and sturdy like this. So totally cool that I have it for the dolls. I've hinted that I may be doing a bit of 'traveling' with my doll house in the near future to bring the doll house to real live kids to actually play with... (Not all of it mind you, the breakable bits will stay safe at my house!) So I think this will be the making of a whole laundry room for that venture. So excited!!

As you can see, you can fit very large loads of laundry in the machine! I love high capacity washers! I have one of my own! 

Uh Oh! The laundry fell out! (Kidding!)

Annie is ironing a skirt! (I got all the accessories you see here at thrift stores and garage sales. The iron is a 'wind up toy')

I also love that you can store all the accessories in the washing machine when you're all done playing. I took a photo of that but forgot to upload it apparently.... So I'll come back and update with that photo from my phone soon.

Better run!
Till next time!
XXOO
Heather

Recent Doll Sized Dish Thrift Store Finds!

Hi Doll Friends!!

When you're out and about thrifting, don't look only in the toy section for doll sized accessories... Often times you can find 'real' dishes' that lend themselves to work really well in the Doll House. Then again, always look in the toy section because you can often find 'toy' tea sets that are perfect for 18inch dolls as well...

See the table above? All the dishes are thrity finds. 

Here is a mixed-lot tea set I recently got at my local thrift store for only $1.00! As you can see, it's is a mix of items from two or three different tea sets... But plenty and perfect to mix & match with doll sized dishes I've thrifted before. You see what I mean? Just because a set isn't complete, don't write it off! The clear oval 'bowl' in the corner of photo was only 5cents! I think it's meant to have had a lid but I think it'll make a pretty serving bowl for fruit.  

I also recently found these 'real' dishes for the doll house. I had found two of the depression glass bowls the week before at the same Goodwill but must've missed these two. Now I have four of them and they could make really pretty plates for a fancy party. So gorgeous! The two little cordial goblets are so pretty and only 39cents each! My favorite of all are the little sushi plates. I am not sure what they are actually made for? Sauces? To lay your chop sticks on? Not sure. In the Doll House they are going to make the most adorable sushi plates though!! 

Here are the dolls with some of the tea sets... I also recently found the little 'bowls' they each have some fruit in... They are actually called 'salts' and that is exactly what they held on fancy tables in the old fashioned days. They were only 25c each. The little butterfly tea pot also came from a thrift store... Again, not 'made for' dolls but nearly perfect for them, right? See the fruit in my 5cent bowl? So pretty!

Since I had gotten all the new dishes I decided it was time to sort out and re-organize the doll dish hutch I got for free once at a garage sale... Sometimes it pays to go while people are packing up! I was looking at it, wondering if my husband would think I was stark raving mad to bring it home (this was back when I was first getting 'in' to dolls and worried more about such things... Now my husband knows I am Doll Crazy but he doesn't mind... Hahaha!) Anyway, so the guy who owned it saw me looking at it and nearly walking away from it (even though it was probably only marked like $5, I was thinking of the 'space') and he said "You can just have that if you want it, I don't want ot drag it back in the house." Well.... For that price... how could I not? So glad I did because it's the best little dish cabinet for my dolls! I actually very rarely photo it because it's more where I store things and less 'doll furniture'. After I got it all sorted and re-organized I thought you might like a peek. 

Here is Angel Doll (Madame Alexander) showing you the dishes... I have quite a few as you can see. 

See how 'tall' the cabinet is? Even so, I think it looks cute with the dolls because it just looks like a huge 'built in' cupboard like in a 'real' house. It holds a ton, which is good. As you can see, there is also storage below but I didn't sort that out and so we'll save that for another day! Hahaha. I am reasonably sure the cabinet was 'made' for the bathroom of a real house. Isn't it neat how 'non doll' items sometimes lend themselves perfectly to doll needs? I love it.

So, as you can see, despite not having 'complete' sets for much of these, by combining sets here and there I can serve the multitudes of dolls who come to parties  and dinners in the doll house. 

So here it is, all sorted out... But what is funny is later in the day yesterday after I got it all sorted out, I ran by the thrift shop again (I'm telling you, you never know!) and, recalling I'd wished I had better 'crates' to sort with, I was on look out for wood boxes to use as shelves. I found one!!

So I brought it home and re-did the top shelf. Much better! Do you collect doll sized dishes too? I'd love to see your collection!

Better run!
XXOO
Heather

Spring Cleaning In The Doll House!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!!

Recently my sweet sister-friend Frann sent me another amazing care package of beautiful doll clothes made by the amazing and talented Goofy, our favorite Doll Clothes Designer! The parcel arrived just in time for the Fashion Show in the Doll House and were featured in it. 

Also tucked into that parcel was this adorable vacuume cleaner!! It is perfetly sized for the dolls! It makes me grin when I look at it because it is just so clever and cute. Dolls have a house and houses have to be cleaned, right? It's handle is perfect in that you can put the dolls hand in it and it looks almost like she is holding it to push it along. So cute. 

Bernie Doll (Custom OG) volunteered to do the first go with it on the carpet. She really loves to tidy up and vacuuming is her favorite chore of all because she likes to leave the 'lines' and make it look just perfect. 

It works like a charm! It actually has a place in the bottom for batteries and I don't have the right sort but when I get some, I'll come back and let you know exactly what it 'does' when it it has batteries... 

Isn't it the cutest? What's neat is that the colors are perfect to match the Walmart Doll Kitchen we have in the Doll House. Matchy-matchy is always fun! So, thanks again Frann!!!!! You spoil me and the Doll House but we love all the sweet things you sent! (Oh! Lil's said to say she loves the soups!!) 

Since she'd cleaned the floor in the living room and bedroom, Bernie decided the kitchen may as well be next. 

I found this adorable little doll sized mop at the thrift store just this week for only 50cents! It is made to be a 'real' duster but was basically brand new I think it makes a perfect doll mop. Now all I need is a broom! Haha. Need. Ok... I suppose that's relative but... 

Better run!
Till next time!
XXOO
Heather

Our Generation "Master Baking Set" For 18 Inch Dolls and Queen's Treasures Cupcakes!

Greetings Doll Friends!

As you may have guessed, doll accessories have become a great weakness of mine! So when Our Generation came out with the Our Generation Master Baker Set and it went on sale for like $25 shipped, I had to buy it. It comes with a working mixer and a working timer (well, it spins anyway) and all manner of adorable kitchen food and accessories. Just the cutest set ever. 

I love how it comes with 'cookie dough' all rolled out and 'cut' with little imprints and one cut out cookie. I love the zebra brownies! One is even cut and can be removed from the pan. There are cute measuring spoons, a rubber spatula, a rubber basting brush, a 'glass' measuring cup, a rolling pin, a pastry bag, two attachments for the working mixer, a cookie sheet, a cake cutter, a timer (that spins!) a scale, a cookie jar and like six cookies, a bag of 'flour' and a bag of 'sugar', a cute apron and a chefs hat!

I ordered mine online and so I think it is packaged differently than the ones at the store will be. It was just in this simple box with the contents in photos on the sides. 

Here is back of the box. 

Then all the items were carefully packaged in differing plastic bags in the box. 

Here is Susannah making some cookies!

The set didn't really include anything to 'frost' with the pastry bag... I'd recently ordered some cupcakes from the The Queen's Treasures and decided this was as good as time as any to show them to you while I pretend that Jen is decorating them with the pastry bag. 

Here is how they arrived... They are very heavy and sturdy and oh so pretty! Don't you think so? 

What is your favorite item in the Master Baking Set? Mine has to be the mixer but it's got so many cute items in it!

Till next time!
XXOO

Heather