Lights ON!

Whew!  What a whirlwind weekend...figuratively, and literally.  The weather changed abruptly and overnight here in Minnesota we went from sunglasses and tee-shirts to knit caps and flannel!  The wind is making quick work of the remaining leaves in the trees, much to the consternation of my Shetland Sheepdog, Miss Edie.  Edie is ever so slightly OCD, she barks at any and I mean anything that's even slightly out of place.  And the new swirling spirals of russet and orange autumn leaves drive the poor, persnickety pooch mad, mad, mad!  

After much tinkering (and a few colorful explicatives) I am pleased to report that I finally got the electrical system working in the Entrance Hall of Merriman Park!   Thank you, gentle Reader, for your polite applause at my success.  Of course it couldn't have happened without a heaping helping of major drama, now could it?

First off, I needed to visit the local dollhouse shop on the other end of town, to pick up a few odds and ends.  It's a pleasant jaunt down meandering  Minnehaha Parkway (gorgeous in its seasonal autumn splendor) which turns into 50th Street and on into the suburban hinterland of Edina, where the aforementioned shop is located.  After jumping into the car and turning the key and hearing no familiar 'vroom-vromm' noise it was determined that the car's battery was dead.  Drats!

After a jump-start from Neighbor McFriendly, and a trip to the automotive shop for a new battery, it was off, at long last, to Edina!  But by the time yours truly finally made it home, the sun was already dipping behind the horizon.  And there is no way on Earth, dear Reader, that I would even attempt to wire Merriman Park in the dim, yet decidedly glamorous evening light of my 'real-life' house!  Oh, well, "tomorrow is another day," as Miss Scarlet used to say. 

Up, today, at the crack of noon (I need my beauty rest --don't judge me)!  And after a cafe au lait, I begin the lighting project in earnest.  The chandelier wire needs extending but --no worries!-- I bought some of those shrink-tube thing-ies so I'm good to go!  But do you think I could find them?  Hell, no!  I turned the entire house apart and they were nowhere to be seen.  Double-Drats!

And the local dollhouse shop is closed on Sundays!  This is getting so complicated...

The huz comes up with a brill idea:  a Hobby Shop!  So after a quick Google search it's off to Scale Models in St Paul!  

OK, if you ever have the misfortune of finding yourself in St Paul --I'm not dogging it, but I once lived there briefly and it can only be described as a cemetery, with lights.  But please, please, please do yourself a favor and head over to Scale Models on Lexington and University Avenue!

If you dream of  starring in a John Waters film --and who doesn't-- just run on down to Scale Models!  From the outside, the shop looks to be about six feet wide, but enter and make your way down the creaky, water-stained stair and in the dank basement you will find a model-makers Paradise!  It's huge!  It goes on and on and on for like, forever!  (Sort of like this post, but I digress).

Sitting on a bench at the base of the stairs is the strangest apparition:  I swore it was an old man, but the huz insists it was an elderly woman!  And he/she just sits there with a preternatural, evil grin on his/her face!  It's just like the creepy chauffeur in Burnt Offerings!

Anyway, long story short:  I got more shrink-tubes.  Then the Real Fun began.  It only took several attempts to get everything working, but I did it!  I really did it!  I am pretty and I am smart! AND I made my own lampshades...OK before you look at this next picture, please keep in mind that I am new to this and don't laugh!  This is sort of embarrassing, but I made the lampshades out of toothpaste caps!  Is that too ghetto?  Painted black with the inside gold I hope they're not too obvious.  Of course right after I finished making them, I got an email from Clair-bell and they do carry black shades for only three bucks a pop, so maybe I should just spring for it and get them!

Toothpaste cap lampshades: ghetto or gorgeous?

All I have left, is to finish a few miters to the cornice and glue everything down.  I'm not going to post any more photos of the Hall until it is once-and-for-all complete.  (Just a few more days, my my estimation).  I don't know about you, dear, patient Reader, but I am getting a little tired of looking at this room.

And so then, it's on to the Drawing Room!