Kid Kraft Modern Luxury Dollhouse

 

Got another project.

Picture from Internet 

This is the Modern Luxury dollhouse by Kid Kraft.  

Mine looks like this.

  That silver thing is what's left of the elevator.

It's got stickers and scribbles.

 

Side views for the sake of completion.

The back is blank except for an unhelpful manufacturer sticker.

Third floor has a serious sag issue and a stain.  

This isn't an issue for my plans., since it's not mold or mildew.

Second floor has a sag issue beside the elevator shaft.

On the work table for cleaning.

Yes, most of the third floor is gone now.

Contact paper for cinderblock walls.

Elevator shaft covered with strong cardboard.

Push pins and duct tape solve the sag problem. 

A bit of the ugly "linoleum" floor is visible.

And I forgot my camera existed.

One side of the first floor is papered with assorted scraps.

I left the pink side as it was.

My "bleachers" went on top.

It solved more of my storage issues than I expected. 

The classroom's bin and the playroom shelf are now free.

I need a few more desks for my classroom.

And some educational wall decor.

First floor is now a playroom.

Two playrooms if you wanna get technical.

All told, not bad for trash picking and an afternoon's work.

Clean up might take longer than the actual project did!

Doll Dramatics: Shirley Jackson's "Charles"

 This story is the property of the Shirley Jackson estate.  I am doing this as a homage to one of my favorite writers and making no money from it. 

Charles was first published in 1948.  I've updated certain details and altered it to fit this format.  

Mother: Do you think kindergarten is upsetting Laurie?  All this tough act, bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a bad influence.

Father:  He does.  Cussing, hitting the teacher, bouncing a seesaw off someone's head, disrupting lessons, and throwing chalk.  But it will be all right.  Bound to be people like Charles in the world.    Might as well meet them now as later.

Laurie: Charles yelled.  The teacher from first grade sent a boy to tell the teacher to keep quiet and Charles had to stay in at recess.  

Laurie:  Teacher had a friend come to see her at school today.  It was a man who came and he made us do exercises, we had to touch our toes.  Charles didn't even do exercises.

Father (coming in): Didn't Charles want to do exercises?

Laurie: Hi Pop, ya ole dust mop.  Charles wasn't allowed to do exercises because he kicked the teacher's friend. 

Mother: I want to go to the PTA meeting but the baby and I are sick.  I wonder what they're going to do about Charles. 

Laurie: Throw him out of school, I guess.

Father: What else has Charles gotten up to? 

Laurie: He yelled during story time and hit another boy in the stomach.  

Laurie: Charles was so good today the teacher gave him an apple.  

Mother: Really?  Charles?

Laurie: He gave out the crayons and collected the books and Teacher said he was a helper.  

Laurie: Yesterday, Charles told a girl to say a bad word and she said it! Charles told her to say it twice and she did. She had to sit in Time Out.  

Father: What about Charles?  

Laurie: Nothing.  He was passing out crayons.  Then, today he said it a few times and threw chalk.  

Mother:  I'm definitely going to the PTA meeting, cold or no cold.  

Mother looks for Charles's mother at the meeting, but no one looks haggard enough.  No one stands up to apologize for the way her son was acting.  No one mentions Charles.  After the meeting, she seeks out the kindergarten teacher.

Mother:  I've been so anxious to meet you.  I'm Laurie's mother.

Teacher: We're all so interested in Laurie.

Mother: He certainly likes kindergarten.  He talks about it all the time. 

Teacher: We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so, but now he's a fine little helper.  With occasional lapses, of course. 

Mother: Laurie usually adjusts very quickly.  I suppose this time it's Charles's influence.  You must have your hands full in this kindergarten, with Charles.

Teacher: Charles?  We don't have any Charles in the kindergarten. 

Downsizing Is Hard (Part Three)

 

I already mentioned that the adolescents in the classroom are either Harry Potter, Creatable World, or Claudia.  My dollhouse family males are hybrids, but the girls are not.  Jeremiah is a Fashionista and the twins are Finnick from Hunger Games, all three on MTM bodies.  Fred is a Kelly on a Zoe body.  Diana is Wonder Woman.  Belle and Hermione are from the recent Harry Potter line. Emma is the Hermione doll from the 90s.  Samara is a Babysitter Skipper baby.  

The children are mostly Chelseas and Kelly/Zoe hybrids.  Dan is the Harry Potter from the 90s.  Roxy is a Gymnast Stacie.  

The shoe holders house everyone else.  Most of the dolls pictured here are hybrids. 

MTM, Inspiring Women Susan B.  Anthony, and two wrestler ladies.  I'm pretty sure the wrestler ladies have the same body mold as Diana.  Divergent couple, Navajo Code Talker GI Joe (broken talk box), and Happy Family Grandma.

Cutie Reveals, Star Wars, and Barbie Extras.  

Fresh dolls, BMR 1959s, and two hybrids.

BTS, Barbie The Look, and a BRM 1959.

Harry Potter adults and a BTS.

Hiding in the bottom of my closet.  Wheelchairs, donor bodies, stands, etc.

Up top in my closet and neatly labeled.  Okoye's box (with all her stuff in it in case I decide to display her) and Western Fun Barbie in her box.  The Western Fun Barbie is notorious for not aging well and mine is no exception.

The display dolls are in the living room.  Two 18 inch Pocahontas dolls, Video Girl Barbie (who does work), Monster High Cleo and Lagoona, and Rusty.  I dress Rusty for upcoming holidays.

Downsizing Is Hard (Part Two)

 

First on the agenda:  All these kids sitting on the classroom floor bothers me.  The desks I have don't match since two of them are Monster High, so I'm not worried about that.  To buy enough for everyone, even at knock-off prices, will cost me at least 30 dollars and include things I don't want.  I decided to try making my own.

I knew the instructions on myfroggystuff would result in a desk that could not survive The Boy, and possibly not even my own use, so figured out a pattern to cut out of cardboard.

It held Tommy long enough to take this picture and make my hands cramp.   Another tactic was needed.

The desks already don't match, so who says everyone has to be at a desk?

Space is limited.  I managed to seat four at the tan table and the remainder on the long bench.  When playing, I'll remove the bench and spread the desks out a bit.  Not everyone has to be in attendance for every class.  At least nobody is sitting on the floor.

Next on the agenda is vehicles. My dolls have a few.  

I kept the two largest horses.  

Most of my doll play is family oriented, which required passenger seating.  My rule is that the car has to seat more than two adults.  Exceptions are made for the ATVs and Volkswagens.  And gifts.

Y'all know The Tank is staying.  It is the only one that's really a storage issue, since I use the first floor of the dollhouse and the space under the coffee table as parking.

Only two went.  The blue ATV and convertible Beetle were broken beyond my abilities or inclination.  I did group them by type when putting them back - here are the SUVs and the camper 

The Vespa got stored with the horse-related vehicles.

The ATVs between dollhouses.  Parking under the coffee table for the rest.

Third item on the agenda: Oven door.  I just cut thin cardboard to fit and covered it with contact paper.  Toothpick across the bottom to hold it in place.  I'll be keeping a lookout for something better.

Doll shelves are done. On top and bottom, set pieces.  DIY supplies in the attic, kitchen/pantry, playground and classroom.  The big clear bin is wardrobe. Part Three will show the finished (for now, anyway) area.  They still use more of my bedroom than I do!

Graduation

Every other parking space in the Barbieville Schools lot has a car in it.  Families are gathered in, on, and around each car.  At least one member of each family is wearing the teal or purple graduation gown.   

Rose-Grace: Welcome, everyone, to possibly the strangest graduation in Barbieville history.  Please remember to stay in your designated parking spaces, just as you would your seats at a normal graduation.  Let's also take a moment to be grateful for the lovely weather today.  (Scattering of applause from the families.)  Each of our graduating seniors has overcome unique struggles to be here today, celebrating with us, but we can't let everyone make a speech.  I give you our valedictorian, Whitney Darling, and salutatorian Edward Dean Junior.  

Whitney: Unlike many of my peers, I didn't grow up in this school system.  Coming to Barbieville Schools was a revelation for me - this is a place where education is valued above all else.  Barbieville does have to meet governmental standards, but they don't do it through rote memorization as my previous school did.  My critical thinking skills were challenged here, often, and the faces in the history books became people to me.  I don't think I've met a student who didn't feel valued by the faculty here.  There's a lot wrong with the world, but I'm confident that everyone taking home a diploma today is prepared to make it a better place.

Frodo's cap blows off in the wind.  He sets it on the table before him, on top of the stack of diplomas, before addressing the crowd.  

Frodo: I came up in the Barbieville system, so the stories I hear about public schools seem like science fiction to me.  Some of that dystopian stuff.  Not to say we're perfect, but we pretty much are. (laughter and applause from crowd)  We all have hopes and dreams, and not all of us will succeed in reaching them, but that's okay.  We're human and that happens.  The important thing is that we are prepared to make the attempt.  Look out, world, Barbieville class of 2020 is coming for you!

The graduates are called to the stage one at a time, where they pick up their diploma from the stack.  The mayor bows slightly to them to acknowledge their achievement.  Since this happens in alphabetical order, it's easy for Finnick Pike to rush back onstage when his twin comes out and they hug the mayor. 

Rose-Grace (laughing but annoyed):  Boys!  I told you not to do that!  We have to set an example! 

Finnick (into the microphone):  She's our stepmom, y'all.  We live in the same house.

****

After.

Fred: Kin I see your no-more-school paper? 

Tanner: It's called a diploma, and we still have school to do.  Trade school or college, so we can get good paying jobs and spoil our little brother.  

Fred: But you know how to trade.  You traded me toast for an egg this morning.

Tanner: Trade means job in this case.  We're going to learn how to build and fix machines, like the Windigo.  My ugly brother wants to marry into the amusement park industry, ya know. 

Finnick: I'm still bummed over no prom.  

Tanner (scoffs): Prom.  Maybe you're my ugly sister. 

The extended family makes a conference call to celebrate with the twins.  

Morgan: Candy, you are looking buff.  We're gonna have to start working out together when you're in town.  

Candy: That would be great.  

Pike: Hey, we're supposed to be here for the boys, not a hen party. 

Morgan: Well, the boys aren't here yet.  Should we just sit here and stare at each other until they show up?  (To Candy)  Do you feel old yet?  With your babies graduating?

Candy: Nah, we started young.  I'll feel old when it's Fred up there. 

Pike: I felt old as hell watching them graduate.  I just wish they could've had the giant party they wanted.  It would've been nice to sit with my family, too, but I managed to nab a spot near them.  

Lee: It'll be a funny story to tell their grandkids someday.  Better than getting shipped off to war for your senior trip.  

McG: I'm calling on the land line to find out what's keeping them.  (The boys log in as she rises.) 

****

Whitney's been getting calls all day from unfamiliar numbers.  Distant relatives, mostly, but one in particular stands out.

William: I bet I'm the last person you want to see, but I had to call.  Valedictorian!  That's a big deal even without...  

Whitney (a note of warning in her tone): Without also being a working mom? 

William: I've never been happier to be proven wrong, Whitney.  I won't keep you long, I'm sure you're busy, but I wanted to tell you that.  

Whitney: Wow.  Thanks, Dad.

****

Zenobia sneaks into the break room even though she is still on the clock.

Tris (annoyed): Stop checking up on me.  I'm fine.

Zenobia: Your parents didn't show up for your graduation.  How can you be fine? 

Tris: The only parents I need were there.  Marcus and Esmeralda.  (takes Zenobia's hand)  Honestly, I swear, I'm good.  And I will let you know if I stupidly start missing those xenophobic Bible-thumping losers. 

Zenobia (not really convinced): Okay.  Did you get the text from Midna about when we reopen Sunburst?  

Tris: Yes.  Now get back to work and let me eat in peace.