It was a lovely sunny day yesterday. It really lifted my spirits and made me feel so much more productive. In the morning I pottered around the garden tidying up with my little friend the fox sitting at the end in the sunshine watching me obviously enjoying the change in weather too. Later on after my lunch I set to on a job I had been planning to do all week. I love collecting old vintage toys and doing them up. I have bought so many at auctions, car boot sales and jumble sales and I get so much pleasure to think I am giving a new lease of life to a child's once precious plaything.
I've always had a love of old dolls houses. When I was little my sister had a lovely dolls house our Dad made for her. It had electric lights, a little bathroom, a kitchen and even a little toy 1960s television in the living room. We would play with it for hours. I remember when I was 10 years old and in the top class of primary school, two of us would have to go to the kindergarten class to look after the little ones on our own when it was wet play. (Yes really!). It was such fun we did what we wanted. I would spend the whole hour sitting down on the rugs with the little girls playing with the dolls house. It was enormous and such fun, they hardly got a look in! Our dolls house is long gone sadly, though I have some bits of furniture given to my daughters to play with when they were little.
I had been looking for a replacement for a long time without success until I found this one at an auction for only £25. It is from the 1940s or 50s and is just wonderful. All the metal windows and door are intact with a little number 9 next to the front door.
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| A 1950s Dollshouse |
The original heavy embossed wallpaper is still on the walls in perfect condition. The floor has a covering that has been made to look like 1950s lino. When you look through the front door you just want to walk up the stairs.
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| The Interior Of The 1950s Dollshouse |
I have a few little bits of furniture but have been promising Scarlett I will get some more. She loves it and spends so much time playing with the few little bits we have. I have decided all the furniture must be vintage 1940s or 50s and I picture it just like the one in the Kindergarten classroom of my primary school. I really wish I could mooch around at car boot sales to try and find some but it's not to be yet so I will get some bits on ebay which of course is easier but more expensive and not so much fun.
Today I stuck down the corners of the flooring and scraped off the ripped brick effect paper on the bay at the front of the house. I'm trying to keep as much of the original as possible so decided not to replace all the paper but just the damaged part and painted the bay cream. I remember ours used to have a little red and white table and chairs in the kitchen and I still have one of the white chairs and a highchair. I have managed to find some old Barton red and white kitchen units and a table on ebay so it will soon be on it's way to becoming a very desirable 1950s residence again!
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| The Newly Painted Dolls House |
I phoned my Dad at the end of yesterday afternoon to see what sort of a day he was having. He can't really get out to do any gardening at this time of the year and like everyone is getting fed up with the same old local walks so I thought maybe me, asking him advice about restoring the dolls house would cheer him up. He had anything but a dull day! Apparently there had been a car accident outside his house. Four university students had been in one car and the the young girl driver skidded on some ice and collided with a lorry. He had been outside helping the people involved, luckily no one was injured just shocked. It had taken hours to sort out and clear all the debris away and being the kind person my Dad is he was involved in it all. Isn't it terrible all I could picture when he was telling me the story was all those people breathing on him! He's so close to having his vaccine on Monday and I keep worrying now. Oh dear.
It's not such a nice day as yesterday today but it is dry. I'm meeting my eldest daughter for a walk this morning which I'm really looking forward to. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you are doing. xx
