Status Report

This weekend I attained my goal of finishing ALL of the window mullions! What a Labor of Hercules that turned out to be. Guess I just hate repetitive chores.

My utter relief at reaching this minor milestone was rather short-lived. Because I soon realized that now I have to PRIME & PAINT ALL SEVENTEEN WINDOWS (plus one door). To the uninitiated, this might not seem to be such a horrific task. But these windows happen to be working, double-hung (wink) components that slide up and down in rabbited tracks. Thankfully, they un-assemble to make the job slightly more easy.

I am debating whether to spray or brush on the primer and subsequent top coat. Problem is the weather here in the frozen hell that is Minnesota is only 20 - 30 degrees. And my primitive basement/"workshop" (and I do use the term loosely) is not ventilated well enough to spray-paint indoors.

Guess I'll be using a brush.

In other news, the aforementioned balustrade arrived in the mail today all the way from England. Also, an Empire-style mirror I picked up for a ridiculous price from Swan House Miniatures. And tomorrow the elusive quoins are scheduled to come.

Speaking of which, it was pointed out to me that the reason my order took so long to be processed might be because the company was re-casting the parts. Which I suppose could be true and it got me to thinking, "oh my god, I'm turning into one of those detestable, whiny, unreasonable customers with an inflated sense of entitlement." Of course, if they had sent a simple email letting me know my order's status, (which I don't think is asking for too much), I wouldn't be writing this at all...I'm just sayin'.

Success!

I finished four windows today! Woo-Hoo! As Ella the waitress would say, " Hon, things are lookin' UP!" (Don't ask)! I also FINALLY received notice that my quoins are en route and should arrive on Tuesday. Not sure exactly why it took THREE WEEKS for them to stick them in an envelope and throw them in a mailbox, but whatever.

Procrastination

Not much progress to report. My faux-copper roofing arrived on Monday and I cut it to fit the pediment. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to stick to the wood sheathing with carpenter's glue. So that project is on hold. Oh! I found my missing balustrades on a website in merrie olde England. Also classical urns (from Scotland)! to sit on the rooftop pedestals. But they are on back order. Oh well.

My Georgian rosettes for the cornice frieze arrived on Tuesday, so naturally I set them in place the second after I ripped them out of their packaging. They are from Sue Cook Miniatures in England and they are exquisite, as are the Regency cast-pewter railings for the balcony. STILL WAITING for the aforementioned quoins. I waited six or eight weeks for my last order from this particular company so hopefully it won't be that long this time around! Funny thing is, on Sunday night I found on-line the perfect Bespaq table at a crazy-low price so naturally I ordered it AND IT ALREADY ARRIVED TODAY! So I HIGHLY recommend Handworks Miniatures & Collectables for fair pricing and FAST SERVICE! Check them out.

www.handworks-miniatures.com

Still have EIGHT windows to make mullions for! GOAL: Finish all eight this weekend. You read it here, first!

Raising the Roof

First Things First

So I decided to move ahead with finishing the exterior of Merriman Park before I try tackling the wiring. I know, I know --chicken! But at least this way I will have the gratification of seeing some progress. So I ordered my quoins from Lawbre and the rosettes for the cornice from Sue Cook. Nothing but the best! God, this is getting expensive.

Of course the balustrade for the roof I found at my local dollhouse shop that was actually reasonably priced is NO LONGER AVAILABLE! Which means, I suppose, that I will have to fork over yet more big bucks for a replacement that looks exactly the same but is FIVE TIMES THE PRICE!

More frustration: I need just a few more inches of 1/4" quarter-round and I shlepped over to Home Depot and of course they didn't have any. So I stopped at the lumber yard by my house and they closed at noon for the weekend! Foiled, again!

I guess I could work on the window mullions --only eight more to go! WHEEE! THIS IS FUN!

A Room With A View

Here's a few shots of some of the rooms. That's my Sue Cook fireplace I got all the way from England. I also got a door surround from the incomparable Miss Cook which I am placing in the Entrance Hall (top photo). Still trying to figure out the electric stuff. Wish me luck! I thought that I would run all the wiring under the basement and/or up in the attic. There are also hollow chimney breasts in each room that would naturally house wiring. But since I have a "front-opening" house, maybe it would be better to run the wires out the back?

My electrical dilemma is made all the more complicated by the fact that my house is going to be lit up like a CHEAP VEGAS BROTHEL! I've been looking at 12-volt transformers (which I guess is what you're supposed to use in a dollhouse) and they recommend you add up how many light bulbs you are going to be using throughout your house. A 20-volt transformer is supposed to be adequate for a "large house" of eight to ten rooms." But it only will service a fraction of the seventy count "em bulbs I am planning for six-room Merriman Park!

On to the electrical system...

I'm not gonna lie to you, I am sort of terrified of electricity. Maybe it stems from the fact that when I was a kid I witnessed my brother Greg sticking a fork into an outlet. The result was not pretty: black soot trail from outlet to ceiling... brother shot across room, laying motionless on the floor, eyes like X's, mother running around in circles screaming, "Oh, Lord Jesus! God damn it! What were you boys thinking?"...Thing is, I knew, even at the tender age of five, that he shouldn't have done it --I knew, almost instinctively that something terrible would surely ensue, and as the older sibling, I probably should have said something like: "dude, don't stick that fork in the outlet," and yet I sat there silent as the grave and just watched the drama unfold.

So flash forward and here I am about to electrify Merriman Park, my first dollhouse. Hopefully I will be able to accomplish this daunting task without burning it, and my own house, down to the ground!

I have read a few books on the subject and --OK, I might not be the brightest star in the constellation, but I'm not a complete moron, either. ( Even if I do say so myself). But every time I try to get through these books I am like , "Oh, god, I'm bored!" Amps, watts , volts --might as well be talking about --well, sports, or something. Just don't get it.