Another snow day/another project (Caution: very picture heavy)

 I needed a project for the day. I did laundry, too, so I could play without guilt. ;-) I started with a large boot box, some foam core scraps, and a couple of pieces of cardboard.

 That led to a basic half scale house.

 I used one inch scale shingles as cedar shake siding...

 ...and two sizes of half scale shingles for the roof.

 The attic family room - The TV was missing the screen so I cut a small piece of vellum and a matching piece of black cardstock and wedged them in through the back of the television. I am very pleased with the result. The wall and floor are both covered in scrapbook paper. Some of the furniture pieces are Blue Box but the couch is Superior.

 The bedroom -all but the nightstands are Blue Box furniture. The dresser drawers open. So tiny but very detailed. I think the furniture is a bit under scale (for 1:24) but it works. The wallpaper is actual dollhouse paper and the carpet is scrap of printed felt. I still need to add artwork, accessories, and maybe a window.

 The bathroom set is Blue Box. This room needs rugs, towels, and something for all those shelves.

 This is the dining\sitting room. The china cabinet is a no name but the other pieces are Blue Box. (I am not sure about the fireplace.) Scrapbook paper wallpaper and carpet (suede paper). This room needs art and maybe a window. A few accessories to make it look lived in would be good, too.

 And, last but not least, the kitchen. I love these appliances! I think I need to add open shelving above the row of appliances. I also need rugs and pans, dishes, etc.

The base trim was the last to get glued on. Please excuse the clamps. If you don't see the back of the house, I don't think you'd know it was made from a box. This was a really fun project - and it didn't cost a dime as I already had everything I used. The best kind of trash to treasure project. :-)

Another day off and I made some time to mini!

 Valentine's Day is fast approaching. For some reason, that inspired me to make mini lingerie. I used some more of the vintage lace that was my grandmother's.  The bodice of this long black gown was made from it. The robe is soft black tulle and lace.

 The bra and panty were also made from Grandma's lace. She'd be horrified but they turned out really well.

This pretty chemise gown was made from iridescent lace and ivory satin. I really like this one - it looks more like something I would really wear.

We've been under a windchill advisory most of the day and are expecting more snow over the weekend. I love winter but I'm not a fan of this extreme cold. We've now had seven days off due to the weather.I may still be working in July at this rate. :-)

Stay warm my friends!

Not really mini but at least it's crafty

 As you know, my daughter got engaged on Thanksgiving Day. The wedding will be November 1, 2014, and will have a rustic feel with accents of camouflage with real trees and leaves in the design. K and I have spent a lot of time on Pinterest searching for ideas. We found a pinecone bride and groom used as a cake topper. That was my inspiration for this one.

 The groom hasn't seen it yet, so it may not be their actual cake topper but K likes it so it likely will be. He likes to make her happy. :-) The camouflage is the only thing he's insisted on and K likes it, too.

The bridesmaids (in chocolate brown dresses) and K will all have ribbon sashes in the pink camouflage. The groom will be wearing a white snow camouflage vest and his groomsmen will be wearing vests in one of the brown camouflage patterns. Decor will be pinecones, white pumpkins and other readily available natural things. I think it will be really pretty.

K says that I am the wedding planner, florist and maker of the invitations. I am excited about all of it but it seems likely that mini time will be taking a back seat to wedding for awhile. The things that I can make ahead, I want to work on before garden time. I am usually canning through mid October and I don't want to be frantically finishing up wedding things with only two weeks to spare. The plus side is that all of you will get previews of all the fun stuff. ;-)

Tea Time

I just started following KathyB.'s blog, Spot On Cedar Pond. Her most recent post is about her own time for tea. I was inspired to brew a little pot of tea and enjoy a snack. My tray is vintage, the cut glass dish was a wedding gift, and my teapot and cup are a stacking set from my mom. I am enjoying English Breakfast tea and flourless coffee cake. It's my variation on a recipe from a good friend.

I hope you can take a bit of time to catch your breath and enjoy the moment today.
Blessings,

The promised photos

 This the view across our front yard. Just beyond the barn you just see on the right is our vegetable garden. We used raised beds and they aren't visible at all.

 The snow has drifted up against the compost piles behind the barn.

 Hubby walked out so that you could see how deep the snow is. It is up to his knees all across the yard.

Evergreens at the south edge of our property with a glimpse of the woods behind the house. You can see some of the piled up snow from clearing the driveway. On the other side of the drive, the snow is piled nearly as high as the top of Daughter #2's Pontiac Sunfire.

We weren't out long as it is so cold but it felt good to get some fresh air and enjoy the sun.

I love being snowed in!

 It's a winter wonderland! I think snow days are God's way of making us slow down and appreciate the beauty and power of His creation. Everything looks so pure and fresh after a storm. This photo was taken from my upper story bedroom window - through the screen. Hubby and I are planning a very short walk (wind chill is -27) to get some photos of our yard.

This is our back deck. The snow drift comes about 1/3 of the way up the door.

I like the slow pace of snow days. The county's been on the highest level of snow emergency so driving for any reason other than an emergency was not allowed. Now it's just emergencies and back and forth to work. We can't leave but we can enjoy time together. If you are snowed in, take the time to relax and enjoy your family. :-)

PS I hope to have some pretty snow pics later today!

Nesting while waiting for the storm

We are supposed to get another big snowstorm this weekend. We got 6+ inches earlier this week. I love the snow but the bitter cold has me snuggled up indoors doing  "projects."

 I made the little "Let it Snow" garland this morning. My friend,  Norene, cross stitched the snowman sampler for my birthday one year. I love it!

 I dug through the bin of my daughter's clothes to donate to Goodwill and found a red and gray sweater. Now I have two cozy little pillows for the couch. The snowflake pillow had lost much of its stuffing so I gave it a refresh, too.

These are some of my other snowmen. The tall, woodsy looking snowman was a Christmas gift from my husband. Isn't he adorable?

We have food in the freezer, fridge and pantry. The house is cozy and warm. Bring on the snow!

I don't like how empty the house looks ...

...after the Christmas decorations are put away so I always get out my snowman collection for the winter. This year I decided to use a narrow, four foot tall, tinsel tree to display the snowman ornaments with my little village underneath. The village was in the bay window for Christmas but "Catzilla" kept knocking houses and people all over the place. This way I can enjoy it and it's easier to set back up if the cats mess with it. :-)

Happy New Year!

I spent most of my day giving my blog an overhaul. I'm trying to shake a cold so I needed to rest anyway. Giving De-Lightful Minis a fresh new look for 2014 seemed like a great way to accomplish something important but still take it easy, lol. I hope you enjoy the new look as much as I do.

Wishing all of you a new year full of all that's good!

2013 in Review

 They aren't in order but here are most of the projects I completed last year. Santa's Toy Shop was a fun one to work on. I collected toys from friends, thrift stores, and dollar stores. The elves are Dollar Tree dolls rewigged and dressed. I am still hoping to find a permanent spot to display Toy Shop next to Santa's house. Here are more pictures of the toy shop.

 This little box was a gift to the teacher I worked with last school year. Even the textbooks and worksheets for grading are mini versions of the work the children really did. See this post for more photos.

 This "baby house" was made in a small cupboard I found at Salvation Army. It was painted light blue and papered inside with full size wallpaper border. I gave it a makeover inside and out. You can find more about this project here and here.

My final project of 2013 was this pink house I made for my future granddaughters.It is always fun to do a project intended for little ones. You can use brighter colors and not focus so much on being realistic. After all, most little girls I know are just as happy to have the toilet in the kitchen as in the bathroom, lol. You can follow the progress on this dollhouse here and here. (The second link is the whole month of November so there are a few posts about other things, too, but I did most of the work in November.)

My biggest project last year was the antique shop, Then Again. The stonework took forever but was so worth it. The shop is loaded with memories. Many of the items in stock were gifts from family or friends. One thing I loved about doing this shop was that anything goes. If it didn't already have a home, there was room in the shop. (That reminds me that I have some pieces upstairs that would be perfect for this. :-D ) I really need to get the back of the shop covered in plexiglass because it is still homeless and sitting on my work desk. I can't set it on the floor unless it is covered due to the four legged members of the family. ;-)  There are more photos of this project in progress here and here.

The final project from 2013 was the scene from Gone with the Wind that I completed for a Small World favorite book and/or movie challenge. I can't find the photos but here is the link to the post.

Thank you so much for following my blog and commenting on my posts. Your interest and feedback means a lot to me. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and blessed 2014!