11.03.2012

Birthday labor of love

So, your son loves dollhouses.  You decide that's what you will get him for his birthday.  You go shopping.  Every dollhouse is pink, plastic and heinous.    

Naturally, you find a 50 year old wooden dollhouse on Craigslist that is 1.5 hours away each direction, but you MUST. HAVE. IT.    

You get it home and think, oh CRAP, this is going to be a lot of work.  
You spend the next two months using every free moment to "rehab" your son's birthday gift.  

What?  That's not what you do?

This is the dollhouse I bought.  Hard to tell from the pictures but it stands almost three feet tall and is three feet wide.  I still can't believe this sucker fit in my (tiny) car. 
 
I bought a couple lots of old dollhouse furniture from garage sales.
 
 
Then I got to the business of rehabbing.  I will save you the DIY photos, but rest assured, there were shutters and window boxes made, doors installed, astroturf planted, hardwood floors fitted (lol!), and many of my old clothes were upcycled to slipcovers.   I am so happy with how it turned out.   

Most importantly, the birthday boy LOVES it.   He has been spending hours in front of this house making up stories, introducing his dolls to their rooms and showing them where the potty is.  Making them breakfast and getting them dressed.    

I have to say it was a moment of brilliance on my part to take these photos below before gifting him the dollhouse as it now looks like Hurricane Sandy has blown through.  

This was one gift that has exceeded expectations.  He is thrilled and I am so proud.  :)
 

Address is 1031 because his birthday is 10/31.  Obviously!
 
 Abel's room

 Bathroom
 Nursery
 Office
 Bedroom
 Kitchen
 Foyer
 Dining Room
 Living Room



 P.S.  Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for help, power tools, and buying A his dolls who get to live in this house.  :)