Harry Potter Theme Park!

Just found a great site for all the Harry Potter Fans. Did you know Universal is opening a Harry Potter Theme Park in Florida??? Here's the link to the site....Go check out some of the pictures, and there's also an area where you can drop off your ideas!! Have fun!

http://www.wizardingworldharrypotter.com/

It came from 1/2 way around the world!

Around the same time I decided to start cooking dinner last night, my Oldest came flying in the house with the mail, Yelling! 'Your box from New Zealand is here!' 'What?? It's here already?!' I couldn't believe it......the pony express must of rode Really fast, huh!!! Coincidence? that I was in the process of writing her an email as well? It had to be fate. I sent her a crazy half written email, and told her I'd be back when I got to open everything, and got dinner cooked.

I still can't get over ALL the cool stuff Mercedes from http://libertybiberty.blogspot.com/ sent! We'll start on the left with the 2 little bedside tables....They'll be perfect in Katie's Corner! On top of the tables is one of the birdhouses she made, and a little pink purse. She sent a baker's rack....a mini game boy....Some great material, An aged dragon fly box.....a few beads, 2 little birdhouses on stakes.....

...She sent these great mini prints for Cora's kitchen. Funny thing is I have these exact same prints saved on the computer for the day I get a new printer....mine died a few months back~and it's killing me not to make any printies.....But like I said, without knowing, she sent me the same pictures I wanted to use!! Again....I'm questioning her psychic skills over here!

Then I opened this. I was so excited to see that she made a bulletin board for Cora's kitchen...But, then I looked closer and saw that her daughter, Liberty, drew a pineapple for us, too! You see it over on the left!!! It actually brought tears to my eyes....That something special there! I never expected something so personal!!! Thanks again Liberty!!!!

....and then just when I thought it couldn't get any better than that, I opened this card. Enclosed I found this:

Now these are the whole reason I got the box to begin with. She had offered to make some for me, and we ended up doing a trade. And I thought I was getting a couple. My jaw dropped when I saw how many she had sent! WOW!!!! And look she even did some for Cora's name!!!! ...sniff! sniff!! How awesome is that! Thanks again!! Mercedes!!! You really out did yourself!!!!!!!

OK...I'll be back tomorrow....I still have blog awards to get to....A blog giveaway to remind you of..........and I still have to go buy some plaster. Turns out that that's not plaster in the bathroom....It's Joint compound. Any one know the difference? Has anyone tried using joint compound for a project like this?? OK, just thought I'd ask....

Until Tomorrow!

A picture for Debbie....

I honestly have to say, Debbie, you made me laugh with you last comment. No, You're not Dense......I didn't realize that I hadn't shown a picture of the back of the toy store. See.....it's completely open...I'll start working on the inside ofter I finish the outside.

Today's Progress....

Well, we went back to the craft store today for another piece of Styrofoam, Yes! Armed with another 40% off coupon. Today's mission was getting it glued down to the big board. This was another piece of foam core, but this one is about 1/2 an inch thick. Then came the Styrofoam. Cameron wanted stairs.....Cameron is my youngest, and very, Very, much into Star Wars. He has been a Big help when it came to doing research...I didn't know the cities' name that I wanted to go off of.....And of course he did! BTW...it's called Tatooine....that kid knows more about Star Wars than most adults. Scary!

Ok.....So he wanted stairs....didn't care that they don't lead anywhere...he just needed stairs....Maybe this is a small part of a bigger house on Tatooine, and the stairs lead to another house or something? Does it sound convincing? Lol! Again, I just hot glued several layers of Styrofoam together......

Then it was on to the right side of the door....I just cut the Styrofoam as I went~ Eyeballed it~ and glued it together.

Then I did the left side. No stairs here....Once I got it all glued, I sanded it with another piece of Styrofoam....yes, it's messy, but it works!

And here's the front door, with new, thicker columns....

Now I just have to wait for the bf to go to work tomorrow, so I can 'borrow' the other jug of plaster that is STILL sitting in the bathroom waiting to be used to finish the bathroom walls. Yeah! Remember how long ago it was that I had a new tub and toilet installed, Well, we still don't have all the walls or a sink! I figure he's not finishing it any time soon, so he won't notice that the plaster will be MIA for a little while. Seeing as I know the bf still has to buy another piece of wall, he can also pick up a new tub of plaster. Cause I'm sure I'm going to use the whole tub to finish this.............

When all else fails....Break out the Glue Gun!

That, I learned from Mom! When I was about 8 or so, My Mom brought home a gingerbread house for us to build and decorate. LOL...We had the worst time trying to even get the walls to stick together....And after many failed attempts....Mom said, "I'll be right back!" .......Yup! She came back with the glue gun and we glued that son of a gun together. I don't think we've ever laughed that hard! Good times! Good times! LOL

OK.....so Debbie asked me yesterday, what the thickness of the foam core was, and instead of answering with a 'I dunno', I figured a picture would be worth a thousand words....It's somewhere under 1/4 inch, if that helps? LOL~ Can you tell that I'm not good with measurements....hahaha...... (Foam core is on the right, the 1 inch thick Styrofoam is on the left)

I was very productive yesterday!! And if I hadn't run out of Styrofoam and Plaster, I think I woulda worked on this all night. It helped that yesterday was beautiful outside, so I was able to sit on the porch when I plastered. LOL~I sanded inside~Not recommended!!

Alright, so first we have the 2 end pieces of Styrofoam being glued to the ends of the foam core box. Then I glued on the front piece of Styrofoam and flipped it upside down. I placed some heavy books inside to help set the glue. I also taped the outside of it together to hold it all in place.

Yup! I even remembered to cut out the holes before I glued!

Last was the first top piece. Even Otis came to test out it's durability.....
.....and it's still standing! Woo-Who!! It's cat proof!! Well, kinda.....until he sinks his teeth into that inviting Styrofoam....that's gotta be more fun than eating the toilet paper.

Here's when I realized that I was either too impatient, or the tacky glue that I was using was not going to work when it came to gluing the Styrofoam together! That's when I broke out the glue gun. And Ta-da.........It worked! I figured since I was going to be coating this whole thing in plaster in wouldn't matter what kind of glue I used to hold it together.

After it was glued...I started carving and sanding. Again, I don't suggest doing this in the living room like I did, LOL.....The bf just shook his head as he walked by yesterday afternoon. He's learning to leave me alone when I'm on a roll! The kids just laughed at me, like I was in trouble or something......

So, this is where I was at when I took a break yesterday to fix dinner. I still have to do the bench thing that wraps around the whole house, and the 'columns' around the front door. Like I said, I'm outta Styrofoam again.......

Then, after dinner, I decided to start plastering the top......You know, 'Just to see what it will look like', LOL.......and plastered till I ran out of plaster. Funny thing, I started by using a spatula to apply the plaster, but then soon realized how much more fun it was to use my fingers! And it made a better looking surface! As you can see I have those front 'columns' and the bench propped up against the house, This is just to give you an idea of where I'm headed with this.......

I'm thinking the front columns needs to be thicker, and taller......Time will tell.

Ok, and now one more quick story before I go. I'm normally the last to go to sleep around here, so I'm normally the one to hear and see all the strange things that go on in the middle of the night. Well, last night, as I was laying in the bed, cuddling with Otis and listening to the bf breathe very loudly...I heard something run across our roof. It got Otis' attention....he perked right up and looked at me as if to say 'What in the Heck was that?' ......and then there it was again, running in the opposite direction...this time, it woke the bf up and I told him it must be the squirrels running around up there.....As he rolled back over..He mumbled, "That's a really big squirrel!" And as it ran across the roof again, I started thinking...That is a really Big squirrel! So I put my robe on, and headed outside to see this really Big squirrel. As I walk far enough away from the house to see on top of the roof, I can hear it. It was No squirrel...Just my stupid cat! Jd had gotten himself up there, but was freaking out about getting down. ??? Never mind how he got up there? Why, was he up there???? Who knows?? So, I came back in the house and woke up my oldest son, Drew......The bf would of just told me that the stupid cat got up there somehow and that he'd figure out how to get down eventually.....So I didn't even bother waking him up to help. My poor half asleep kid drug himself outside with me, To lift the ladder up, so I could climb up there to get that Darn Cat! ..........At midnight............. in my pj's..................in a flooded back yard- thanks to the week long rain spell we've had! Fun, huh! Stupid cat!

And the Saga Begins....

Hi! Sorry, I've been away for a minute.....I've been hanging out with the kiddos. I decided to jump on the computer real quick and show you that I was to impatient to wait Any Longer, LOL. However.........when I signed in, I found 2 blog awards awaiting me....Thank you Casey and Doreen!! I promise I will come back to this early in the week!

BUT....First......welcome to the beginning of The Star Wars Toy Store. I went yesterday and picked up some foam core board, and Styrofoam! This is when having 3 kids comes in handy, too. You can hand each one a coupon and walk out with 4 items at 40% off. I know, it's a little like cheating...but when you have 3 kids, You need to cheat sometimes. LOL....So far I have spent less than $15 on this project. OK....So, here's where I'm at.....

Here's the sketch I started with....really simple! The measurements I used are in the right hand corner.

I'm using foam core board as my base. Here's one of the side pieces....I've leaned it up against an old toy chest so it would glue at a straight angle.

Here both sides glued, and then reinforces with tape. Notice I was smart enough to cut the peep-holes out before I glued!! LOL~ I was impressed! Haha

Next came the top piece, again glued, then taped. (The house is flipped upside down in this picture.)

And the last piece of foam core I used was for the front. Again I managed to cut the door and peep-hole out, before I glued it together! Woo-Who!

Thought I'd show you the inside of the shop...............It still has a long, long way to go.

Next comes the Styrofoam!

20 Loads of Laundry Later...

And I'm still alive! It is so nice to have a washer and dryer...no more dragging the kids to the laundry mat to wash 2 weeks worth of clothes at a time. LOL....I can't lift it, so I have to slave drive the kids! That's when having 3 comes in handy! I know, I'm a mean ole Mom!

~We now have front loaders~ you shoulda seen all of us, Otis included watching the first cycle go Around and Around...... LOL. It's the little things in life! Hahaha

I have been working on a special gift for a friend, so I thought I show you a quick peek...Any guess as to what it's going to be? I can't tell ya yet.....don't worry, as soon as she sees it, She'll know~and she'll guess the right answer.......Maybe she'll keep it a mystery, too? LOL


LMAO.....So, You thought I was done with the pineapples, huh?? Not yet. :) Cora has her's.....and Chris, don't worry~I have a set, set aside with your name on it. This next picture of what I'd like to giveaway...Yes! My first blog giveaway.........

Here's how this is going to work.....If you'd like to receive this Pineapple Polymer Clay Dollhouse dish set......Leave me a comment letting me know you want to enter. On April 3rd....I will put all the names into a hat, and pick a winner. Here's the catch.....If you win, You must do the same......Make a gift and Do a giveaway! Kinda like Paying it forward.....Anyone want to play??


Next, we have a picture of JD's casualties...I didn't realize he'd broken a few the other day........This just goes to show that Sculpy can be very fragile! The teapot is missing the knob on the top, and the 2 pots are missing a handle..


OK *Please excuse my dust bunnies, they keep me company.......So. I forgot to show you this the other day. My oldest picked these up at the dollar store. I want to use the hair dryer trick to see if I can't get the doors off the one on the right...Both will probably get repainted at some point. Good looking out Drew! (Yes! That's the cover to the Big Love Season One DVD on the left!~ I dunno why, but I love this show!!!!!)


*Currently watching My Fair Lady.

And speaking of movies....Mercedes recently asked me What my all time favorite movie is....and well I replied with a long list. I can't just chose one. I watch them every day, Yes.....it's my guilty pleasure. When me and the bf first got together I was bed ridden for a while, so our dates consisted of buying a movie, and cooking a meal at home. And here 5 years later, we have one heck of a collection. I love having them....but they sure are an eye-sore. In my other life, they'd be covered up by long curtains or something.....and, no, I've never counted them....

Guess What?

Yup! More pineapples.......Yesterday was a waste as far as being productive goes. I spent the morning on the computer, and after a doctor appt. in the afternoon, I came home and slept all evening. Of course the bf came in when he got hungry to see 'what time I wanted to wake up'...LOL....Good thing I know how they are, so I already had a pizza ready to go in the freezer. Thank god! to whomever invented the pizza cooker! Plug it in, put the pizza on the tray, and set the timer to 20 minutes...then ding~ It's done! So easy the bf and the kid can do it!!!

After dinner, I did manage to make a few more accessories. I like all of them except the little one in the front with the handles~ the handles are simply too big! Other than that, they'll make a good addition to the ever so large collection of pineapple stuff I have sitting on the coffee table. JD, my black cat, tested their durability this morning when he knocked every last one of them onto the floor! Way to go JD! Thanks for helping buddy!

OK, I'm off to go find a longer dryer cord. Seems the one we got with our new dryer is 2 inches too short to reach the outlet! Just my luck!!

And Even More Pineapples!

Aren't you excited!! Hahaha......Don't worry, I'm starting to get over it myself. Here's what I made today:

I really like the pots with the little handles, too!! I tried to make a cutting board, but it turned out a little too big; although, it will probably work for Cora's Barbies~ looks a little trippy, doesn't it! (You should be able to click on these pictures to make them bigger) Look, I even attempted to make a salt and pepper shaker!

Thought I'd show you the progress so far....It will be interesting to see how many of these we can fit into Cora's kitchen!!

......and it will be scary to see how many of these little things I have left over. Maybe someone out there would like to do a trade? Cora gets first dibs......and then I'll put a set together and post a blog about it.....

Until tomorrow......

More Pineapples!

I made a few more dishes for Cora's house! I even made plates! Didn't get too productive though, you wouldn't believe how bad my hands still hurt from trying to reduce that cane!

I really like how this lid turned out!

And look...I still have ALL this left? Scary, huh?? BTW...I take the ends of the cane that didn't turn out, and put them in my mini food processor. I use these 'crumbles' as the base for all my dishes!

The Pineapple Cane

Sometimes I like what I do....sometimes I'm just not impressed......This is one of those times! Remember how my daughter decided that she wanted her kitchen to be done in pineapples....
Here's the beginning of a pineapple cane......

Which turned into this......

Then I filled the gaps in with a yellow/gold mixture.....Do you see how big it got...Of course my smart *ss boyfriend says..."Why didn't you just make it smaller?" The truth is, I have no idea how big these canes are going to be...I just start building...and this one ended up bigger than the palm of my hand~ and about 2 inches thick!!

....and then you gotta pull and squeeze.......You see the pineapple disappearing....it's ok, we'll find it again in a moment...

See....there it is.......The bottom got squashed, I needed more clay around the bottom of the cane. You believe I probably used 4 blocks of Sculpy just to do that background!

Then I made these with slices from the canes......

...and these.

Like I said, I'm not that impressed...they're pretty and all...Just not as good as I had wanted them.......LMAO, and now I have about 2 foot of Pineapple cane to do something with, lol!!

And the award goes to....

WoW! When I signed in this morning, I had not one, but Two blog awards awaiting me:)

Thanks for The Kreativ Blogger Award Casey and De! You can read Casey's Blog at http://caseymini.blogspot.com/ and De's at http://delightfulminis.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Ladies!!

With this award you have to list 7 things you love and award this award to 7 other people.....

So here goes.........

7 things I love......

1. My family.....Yes, all of them!

2. My cats

3. Bagels and cream cheese....lol.....Can you guess what I'm eating for breakfast??

4. Movies...Disney, Horror...and everything in between! (Currently watching Dirty Dancing!!)

5. Crayons and colored pencils.....I just love coloring!

6. A nice warm cozy bed and a good nights sleep...What? I can wish right!

7. My garden...full of Day Lilies!!





And now for 7 blogs to award the Kreativ Blogger Award to....

1. Chris http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/

2. Tara http://dollhouseatpoohcorner.blogspot.com/

3. Mercedes http://libertybiberty.blogspot.com/

4. Jody http://minileapsandbounds.blogspot.com/

5. Nikki http://nikkinikkinikki72.blogspot.com/

6. Debbie from http://debbiestinytreasures.blogspot.com/

7. Doreen from http://doreensminiatures.blogspot.com/


Thanks again for the award...I hope you all enjoy yours!

Happy Saturday!

I forgot to show you what else Mom sent...(sorry Mom)....She sent Curtains! There's curtains for Cora's nursery, bedroom and the parents room. I was hoping to have a picture of them installed....I just haven't been that motivated, lol. Soon....still have to figure out how I'm going to attach them to the wall. I need to find some kind of bead or something......

Then the other night I decided to make a pillow with some Carebear Cousin material I had. The one on the left was my first try.....stupid me sewed the whole thing inside out!! LOL.....So I had to make another one. I'm thinking it may go to live in Katie's Corner....all things pink go there!!

Cute, huh!!!

Yeah I know...that picture was a little lopsided.......I was trying to step over all this crap to get to Katie's Corner (it's on the left under the blue pillow case~My kitty protector....although it doesn't work, I caught Otis standing in the top floor last night!)...I swear........I do clean this area often, I just can't keep it organized! LOL... I have a mental list of where everything is back here....until one of the little people come along to borrow my scissors or tape or something....Then it may be MIA for a minute, LOL.....Those darn kids! Where's their scissors, why do they have to use mine?? LOL....

I know, I know......I made this mess, can't blame it on the kiddos! LMAO!!

2 Packages.....

Are finally in the mail.......

One is going all the way to New Zealand...

And the other is going 2 states away to South Carolina!

Hope they have a safe trip.......

I gotta package from My Mom today...

Look what she found...Some mini Star Wars figures for the Toy Store. I used a picture out of a book as the background (Learned this from Mercedes, who learned it from San)....Used a box of tissue as a prop, covered that with the part of my jacket that is lined with faux fur....and set up the characters for a group shot.....managed to get one decent picture.......

....before Otis came in and took over. I guess he thinks he's a better subject to take pictures of.....

Here's a few of the figures I picked up at Disneyland this past summer.....

....and one day, I'll build a Toy Store that is a cross between this....

....and this:

Isn't my Mom the Best! You'll have to wait till tomorrow to see what else she sent me.....I'll give you a hint, It's something for Cora's House! OK, see you tomorrow!

Oh Wait! One more fun picture before I go...thought this was funny! It will make a cute poster for the Toy Store, HUH?? LOL!