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!

Downsizing Is Hard (Part One)

 Since I came to the realization that Barbieville had gotten out of hand and decided to stop the soap opera, I have been really strict with myself about what can stay and what must go.  I started with the standing sets.

Here we see Bellatrix laying on the floor of Sulu's Greenhouse, the denuded hospital exam/waiting room, and a giant couch in the grocery store.  I'm sure you can guess that I had already started work before thinking to take pictures.

The exam room walls became a wall full of graffiti.  I kept the canyon sunset, as it can be either a mural (as it was in the waiting room) or simply the view.  Green felt for grass, and I have a permanent spot for the playground.  The children will hang out here full time.

Sulu's greenhouse and the Witch's Cove ticket booth combine with the grocery store to become a kitchen/pantry.  New wallpaper and the barn backdrop, cut to size.  (I need to construct an oven door.  Or make one of the refrigerators into a sideways-opening oven.) 

The grocery space is now the classroom for adolescents to hang out.  I kept only the Harry Potter and Creatable world dolls, with the exception of Claudia.  Claudia is a Babysitters Inc Skipper (Asian) on an extra Hermione body.  Classroom is obviously is a work in progress.  Ignore the phone charger cord.

Non-dollhouse-family babies will live in this crib. It keeps getting moved back and forth between kitchen and playground.

It really doesn't matter for the blog, since I'll be doing stand-alone stories with an ever-changing cast and characters, but for simple play off camera, this is the new dollhouse family.

These are the adults I'm keeping.  Before I reorganized, and purged, each of these pockets held two or maybe three dolls.  Granted, the third doll was often a child, but still...  

Honestly, I'm still waffling on a few dolls in the donation bag.  The top of the tall shelf is covered with things like the cash registers from both the grocery store and greenhouse.  But the hardest part is done.  

Funny story: I started my downsize and Sister Number One told me about a convention of sorts, buying and selling "collectables".  I playfully scolded her for undermining my efforts.   Then The Boy's mother made this quilt for my dolls.  So of course I had to playfully scold her as well. 

Then a friend of mine shows up with this! 

LMAO  

 

Meet The Sister

Somewhere between Barbieville and their destination....

Brent: Next rest area, I'll turn the wheel over to you, Nakoma.  Road's starting to hypnotize me.

Nakoma: Even with Kyra talking to you, you've already driven farther than you should have.  I was about to suggest the switch.

Kyra: We're more than halfway there, according to the GPS on my phone.

Eventually, after what feels like forever....

Nakoma: Here we are, folks.  Juniper Hill Campground and RV Court.  

Kyra: Wilma, get out of the way.  Brent and Nakoma are trying to set up the tent.

Wilma: I'm helping!  Why we got the tent anyway?  Lots of beds inside.

Brent: There's five beds and six of us. I'll take the tent since I'm the only boy.  And mind your grandmother.  

Wilma: Boo.  I wanna be a helper.

Whitney: You can help once this hot dog is in your belly.  

Wilma: Mommy said you gotta hold on real tight while we look for your sissy.  

Brent: I will.  Daisy will be in either a red truck or a dark colored car.  Probably the car, since it's hard to cram three grown ups in a truck cab. 

Wilma: Esper ain't no grown-up.

Brent (chuckles): She's as grown-up as your mommy.  

Wilma: Oh, she's that big?  I thought a kid like me or Wendy.  

Brent: Well, your mommy is technically a kid, you know.

Wilma (nearly jumping out of his arms): Car!  Is that them?  Someone is waving real big and crazy.

Brent: That's them.  

Whitney: I'm here to help you down the ladder, Wilma.  

Wilma: I can do it all by myself, Mommy! 

Whitney: I'm here to catch you if you slip.  Is that better, Miss Fussy Britches?

Brent runs to greet Daisy with a big hug.  

Daisy: Wow.  You brought a whole family of hotties.  

Brent: I told you Kyra and her girls were lovely. 

Daisy: Your taste has always been questionable.  (sticks her tongue out at him)  Even that Naomi girl is pretty.  No, not Naomi.  What is it?

After introductions, the party splits into smaller groups.  

Bertie: Brent says you met when he ran against your boss for mayor? 

Kyra: Technically, she's not my boss, the town is.  But she is my best friend.

Daisy (laughs): Oh, that's not awkward at all.

Brent:  Rose-Grace doesn't hold it against me.  In fact, she was impressed that I didn't make the race personal.  This was her third election and last time two people went up against her. Both ran smear campaigns. 

Daisy: We met at my work.  Bertie stops in every morning for coffee and an apple turnover.

Kyra: Whitney's a waitress, too. 

Daisy: It's a gas station.  Hasn't Brent told you anything about us?

Brent: Not about your professional life.

Daisy (to Brent): You're fired.  This woman doesn't even know she's in presence of celebrities.

Brent: Sorry, I don't think of you in term of your jobs.  (To Kyra) Bertie is the anchor for the local news and Esper has had a few roles in musicals.  

Esper: You guys are dating twins?  Are they identical?

Whitney: Yes, identical twins.  Usually we can tell them apart.  Mine is surlier than hers.

Nakoma: Surlier?  Is that even a word? 

Esper: Most of the guys I know are gay.  That stereotype about theatre guys?  Almost totally true.

Whitney:  You do theatre?

Esper (shouts down to Brent):  You're fired!

After a long visit, everyone decides to give Brent and Kyra some private time.  Bertie and Daisy take the two youngest for a hike.  The older teens join them for a bit, but eventually wander off. 

Wilma: Help! I climb-did up here and now I'm stuck! 

Daisy: You aren't very high up - just drop and I can catch you.

Wendy (annoyed): She does this all the time.  

Bertie: For the love of God, don't drop that baby! 

Wilma (indignant): I'm not a baby!  Babies wear dipes!

That evening, Esper posts a selfie on her social media.  She couldn't post it when she took it because there was no signal out there! 

Mother's Day Weekend

Friday, before dawn, at Witch's Cove Campground.

Lorina: Stop trying to talk me into staying longer.  I want to spend Mother's Day with my daughter and grandson.  

Albus (making puppy-dog eyes): Well, if you must...  

Lorina (laughing): I must.  It's been fun, Albus, but all good things must end. 

Albus: Bummer, right? 

******

Friday,early evening, at The Overlook.

Jason: I'm sorry I didn't have time to take you home, kiddo.  But I'm sure Pocahontas won't mind if you explore the beach down there.  

Moana: I'll be the best dressed beachcomber this town has ever seen.  

Jason:  Sorry if I'm late.  We went to the graveyard so Moana could put some flowers on her mom's grave and got caught in traffic on the way back.  It is okay for her to go down there, right?

Pocahontas: That's what those steps are for.  I was just telling the others that this month's flowers had a Mother's Day card in it.  I'm not even ten years older than Nakoma! 

Jason: Maybe he knows you've generously given them maternal care even though they aren't your children.  I'd hate to think this guys doesn't know you're their sister if he's courting you.

Pocahontas:  Courting me?  I guess that term works as well as any, if a little dated.  

Nova: Mariko and I are going to do an on-line chat with her mom, and then we're taking mine out to lunch.  What do you guys have planned?

Becky:  Nothing.  The kids are totally bummed - this is their first year without theirs, and my parents expect us to fly across the country just for the day.  With Ron and Ginny's money, you know. 

Ben: Claudia wants to go see our mom, but the prison doesn't have visiting hours on Sunday, so we're going tomorrow. I'd just as soon not do it, but the social worker says I need to let Claudia work things out for herself. 

Nova:  Wait, your parents are in jail? 

Ben: Just mom.  Dad is in the cemetery.  I don't want to talk about it. 

******

Sunday morning, the Pike house.

Rose-Grace:  This might be the most unusual breakfast in bed I've ever seen. 

Fred: Taylor said you'd want boring ole bacon and eggs and I said no way.  Step Mommy likes pizza!

Taylor: He was... um... quite insistent.  

Rose-Grace:  Well, he isn't wrong.  I do like pizza, bear claws, and cappachino.  

Fred: Now eat up!  We got lots of fun on the Jenda for today! 

Rose-Grace:  I hope you aren't forgetting Candy.  She did give birth to half of you.

Tanner: She's still on assignment.  We'll have a belated one for her when she gets back.  

Fred: She likes raw fishies, so we can take her to the ornamental buffet.

New Folks In Town

I did something yesterday and then promptly hid my credit card from myself.  I decided to use my monthly Barbie budget toward said credit card until it's paid back down, and go ahead and get the Harry Potter dolls.  My local Wal-Mart didn't have Ginny in stock, but she's on order.

Imagine my surprise when I saw these!  I didn't even know they were making a Draco Malfoy!  I put the school uniform Harry back on the shelf and got the Quidditch Harry.  

Draco is all done up in his gear and ready to catch the Golden Snitch!

Harry:  Not while I'm around.

Draco:  Joke's on you.  We each came with a Snitch.

Harry: Bummer.

I made them trade clothes.  They are mad at me now.  

The pants and shirts are separate pieces.  The Quidditch boots were really hard to remove, mainly because they go around both ankles and knees, but how often do my dolls even wear shoes? 

Hermione, McGonagall, and Ron.  I'm not going to go into great detail as far as a review goes - lots of those floating around the Internet, but I'll sum up.  They have the five standard points of articulation, as well as knees, elbows and wrists. The vest/shirt/tie combo is one piece but the britches and skirt are separate.

I also found  Fashionista 110 and nabbed her.  After I dragged my 14 year old minion out from under the nearest display, we came home and I head-swapped her.  The donor body is a Liv from the body drawer.  (Let the bodies hit the drawer!  Let the bodies hit....  No? Be that way.)

Nova:  I'm shorter and can't wear my shoes now, but I can move! 

McGonagall will be the matriarch of our beloved Pike family.  This means a Star Wars character and a Harry Potter character spawned a Star Trek character!  (Sounds like a bad fan fiction.)  

The blended Potter-Granger family.  James (a thrift store find) stands behind his sons Harry and Dan.  PJ sits behind younger daughter Emma with older daughter Hermione.  James, of course, shares the name of Book Harry's dad. I've not decided his vocation yet.

Nova and Mariko Nakano.  Nova is Mariko's aunt.  Stay tuned for more details on them.

Ron waits for his sister to arrive so they can join the fun.  Draco wonders what fate has in store for him.  So do I, Draco.  So do I.  Your existence surprised me.