Barbie DIY Dream Ballroom Complete...a thrifty furniture and topiary how-to

I must be in denial about my winter lay-off time coming to an end, because I'm getting silly things done and not the big, important things.  

The silly things are much more fun.

This is one project I've worked on this week.
Sara's Barbie ballroom is finally complete with furnishings and plants.

But now that I'm looking at it, should those topiaries have one more ball of green stuff on the top, or would that off-balance the room? Maybe they would just look like green snowmen.

Turn This Into That: Ideas to Upcycle Toy Packaging

I'd like to invite you to play the youtube link below... to listen with me as you continue to read...

This is a song we toy-buying people can relate to...

Last night I did something productive with the toy packaging.

Turn This Into That-Water Into Poop Charms and a DIY Desk Project

This summer Sara and I were shopping at a Target.  It was one of those days when we had time to go by the toy aisle.  You know what I'm talking about.  The toy aisle is the place of dreams, and when your child is along for a trip to any of the Stuffmarts, at some point you will either hear yourself say, "We don't have time for the toy aisle today," or "Okay but we can't stay long, and we're just looking!" "Yay!," they exclaim, as they bolt ahead of the sucker mom.  

This was one of her yay days, as we were out of town and had no place to go.  

Do you know what pediophobia is?

(Parents: you may want to ask your children to look away.)

What is happening here?!  This baby thing.   There could be an entire future generation suffering from pediophobia if they keep making these dolls.  The big black eyes are upsetting right? And then it has a what, a muffin hat?  And this muffin-wearing baby, Sugar Cookie, holds a mouse with equally scary buttons for eyes? And what is the mouse's hat? Oh my goodness. That's the baby's bottle!  right?  I just don't know.

The diaper is cute.

Sara and I were in the Walmart yesterday, and it. got. worse. Maybe you've seen them.This is something.

I just don't know.  The pooping/peeing dolls never did make much sense to begin with really, and now The Scary One is peeing and pooping out collectible charms for our children to pull out of a diaper, wipe down, and then keep them on a bracelet, or share them with their friends.  Sara scored two charms, since this lady, who was a very good sport, went through it two times with us.

She was lots of fun.  The diapers at the display were cute.

Moving onto a project.
We found this desk with a hutch at a yard sale. I made the desk into a desk, and the hutch into the beginnings of Sara's Barbie house. Both pieces together were 20 dollars. 

 

I scrubbed them down, and removed one of the shelves from the hutch.  This week I painted the desk drawers with a glossy paint.  

 

Sara would like the desk to be painted pink all over, but I don't really want to do it  but I think this looks pretty good like this.

If you remember this post, you know that for the past year, the Barbies have enjoyed the top floor of the hutch as their very pink ballroom. Here they are last Thanksgiving eve, preparing for Christmas while Sara was sleeping.

There is also a pool.

as seen here,

a garage,

and a horse pasture which has yet to be photographed. 

Here are some photos of the Barbies' life today. 

Ready for the ball, Sir Galahad the Pure  Ken got a new tux.

There's a new guy in town, though he doesn't seem to be trying too hard for the Barbies attention. Barbie and the Rockers Ken was found in his original box at a thrift store by brother Jason and Krystal-in-law. 

Mullet still going strong. 

He'd rather hang out with a little girl cardboard figure (a cut out from the tiki bar packaging), here at the tiki bar, than go to a formal.  He's dreamy like that.

This is how I found them today.

When the tree isn't up, the ballroom chandelier is hanging center from a Christmas tin attached to the hutch ceiling.  This way it hangs at the right height, and the batteries are easy to switch.  It's a locker magnet with a motion sensor and an on/off switch. The motion sensor works great for a dollhouse.  When Sara plays with her dolls in the ballroom, the light goes on, then turns off automatically when she's done.

Some of the ladies are relaxing on their temporary furniture. Eventually they will have couches and chairs to lounge on. Quite possibly when Sara is 17. 

I don't know.

They seem happy.

Now Barbie and the Rockers songs are going through my head. Ken didn't come with the cassette tape, and my childhood tape is long gone, but at least two of the four songs will remain forever within my heart.   "I'm dressin up....ooouuuooo I'm dressin up......"

Our generation of girls, and our brothers, despite these Jem look-a-likes gems, seemed to navigate through to adulthood well enough, so maybe the group of kids who get pooping charm babies with matching bracelets on Christmas morning 2014...well, maybe they'll push a belly button and be okay too.

How are you making your today world beautiful?

Turn This into That:A Pool Table and Swimming Pool for Ken and his Barbie Wives

If you've read yesterday's post, you've seen this amazing little dollar toy found in the grocery store.  Why so amazing?  Because it is perfect for Ken and the Barbie wives!  and because it was a dollar.  Today was the day to turn this...

Into that...

Pretty great, right?!

Click here to see how.

It's set up in the doll ballroom for now.  I taught Barbie everything I know.  She won the first game.

And since we're talking turn this into that, have you seen this?

Friend Bev posted it to my fb wall.  I kinda looked like that earlier today.  except my hair is brown.

Daughter Sara and I have been working on our little garden, but we needed more good dirt.  I was on my way home from getting that dirt, when behold....two large yard sales making me stop to buy stuff.

One of the sales was at our church.   I knew the money spent would support our youth ministry's missions trip. Also I still owed youth pastor J.P. money from their last sale. It was only right to pay off my debt...and buy more stuff.

While rooting through a box in the corner, I found this.

I attempted funniness by placing it on the counter with my other fine purchases. Friend, youth pastor, and fellow junkaholic J.P. asked if I was serious.

"Are you serious?" he said.

"Pshh," I said, "no. What could I possibly do with that?  pshh."

He said I should be able to do something with it.

Because that's what friends do.

They remind you of your greatness and potential when "facing" a challenge. 

I remembered my superpowers.

I took the headless lady who carries a bunny in her basket.

What would you do with it?
Most people would do this.

So far this is the best I've come up with...

  chore list--Sara will think it's funny.

It's not going to last, because although I don't know what it is, that's a living something on top.  Well it's dead now, but it was living, and it will rot if we don't eat it first.

At the second sale, there was a "5 dollar fill a bag" sale on clothes.  Okay.  I'll do that.  I can get all kinds of stuff into a plastic bag.  When we do "5 dollar fill a bag" at our sales, and I see people stuffing it in, I think to myself, "good job yard saler! go for it!"  5 dollar fill a bag is no time to be shy. 

So I sat down on the grass, and filled my bag.  I asked for two bags, trying not to appear too eagerly greedy, but deep in my heart I was certain one bag was going to work. I would make it work. It worked.

Some of the clothes didn't fit me, but there was a nice coat for husband Dion, and a great vintage shirt that will go well with these shoes scored at goodwill last weekend.

cheetah heels/$3...black/white heels/$5

I also put in a soft, cream-colored, winter scarf, two pair of sandals, and these vintage scarves and belts.  fantastic.

Okay, here are a few more doll house progress pics:

The new pool with real water and optional fountain is a spinach container.  The dolls can cover it with a lid when using the space for outdoor, not-pool parties.

 Check out the air plant in the seashell planter on the left.  Next-to-no maintenance, they are 3 dollars and some cents at Walgreens...or free in Florida.  :)

She doesn't want the outside of this pool painted, because it's much deeper than the last one, and she likes opening the garage door and looking underneath the water.  The light also shines down into the garage this way.

Instead we put in pretty rocks and plastic flowers.  This winter, we'll bring the fountain motor in so the water can flow all the time.  

Here the Lalaloopsys are enjoying the sun and pet/kiddie pool.  Do you know what's grosser than a kiddie pool?  A kiddie pool that's shared with family pets...or in this case a pet pool, shared by the kiddies.  Still, the other pool is too deep for Loopsys.
I like the little safety board.  The image is a temp tattoo. Reach or Throw. Don't Go.  It's made out of cardboard and duct tape.

Now I'll leave you to dream of the treasures you would squish into a 5 dollar fill a bag.  But first, see this pretty mushroom?  The humidity has been making it not-so-great for working in a garden, but it does make it great for this mushroom to grow here.  It was a gift that added beauty and happiness to this day. I hope you like it too.

How are you making your today world beautiful?

Have you turned a this into that?

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The Story of an Adventure Back to a Water Park

One might think adventure would happen in the water park.  But in this story the adventure began after the water park.

You know, the part where you walk out of the park with your kids, exhausted after a few solid hours of water parking, ready to pack it all up in the mini-van. You smell like you've ingested one of those chlorinated pool tablets, and as you walk, you're looking over your kids, questioning if the seventh coat of sunscreen was enough, while announcing a prompt "rest time when we get home", followed by a "where did we park?!?"
 

That pretty much describes us today...us being daughter Sara, who is a ten-going-on-sixteen-year-old, and was suffering through a no talking until we get home time-out, and daughter Siri, who was being pushed in her wheel chair, looking beachy in her larger-than-life, sun-protective hat.
  
Reaching the mini-van, I rooted for my little water-proof carrier thingy that keeps my important things like i.d., park tickets, and the mini-van key.  As I pulled it out of our beaten up Old Navy tote, I realized something.

 

I realized the car key was in the water-proof carrier thingy.  That wouldn't be a problem if we were driving the car, as we had been the day before at this same water park.  But today we were driving the mini-van.  So that meant the mini-van key was...in the mini-van!

Oh no.  What are we going to do?!!!

We are going to think and act a little too quickly.

We are going to say..."Don't panic 10-year-old-going-on-sixteen.  This is a time for an adventure (yay!) and not a chance for a bad attitude.  We are going to walk the short distance to daddy's work and ask him if we can take his car.  We will figure it all out with him, because your daddy knows all things.  Also.  You're still on time-out." 

Something like that.

3.3 miles and an hour and 5 minutes of walking later, according to google maps, we arrived at husband Dion's workplace.  It was maybe the hottest part of the day, and the humidity has been something this summer.

Once there, husband Dion said, "You cannot take the car.  If you take the car, the water park will be closed by the time I come home, and we will not be able to get the mini-van."

"Oh. (pause for thinking)  right."  I said. 

Husband Dion said, "Do you have any money?"

"No." I said.

He counted out and handed me three dollars.  

"Say whaat?" I said with my facial expression, and something like it out loud.  

I don't know.
I guess I thought it would probably be good to have a little more than three dollar bills.

He gave me a ten dollar bill.

okay.  I guess. 

We ended up making it back to the water park 15 minutes before closing.  

Now.  Since good stories have a take-away, I'd like to share with you a few lessons learned from this adventure.

Lesson 1:  Put correct key in the water-proof thingy.

Lesson 2:  My feet will begin to blister within 5 to 10 minutes of continual walking in my new flip flops.

Lesson 3:  If walking in the heat, it is a good idea to stop by a grocery store to cool down and to buy something to eat...like 2 cans of Pringles even if they are not on your diet plan.  It's good to take full advantage of these justified, stress eating, carb-laden moments, and for me, more often than not, those moments are with the white potato.

It is also good to buy a head of cauliflower for later.  Because buying a head of cauliflower helps one feel better about buying, and then immediately consuming 2 cans of Pringles.  

(Buying a head of cauliflower does help me feel better about myself.  "How are you today?" the cash register person asks.  "I am healthy and well," I reply and continue, "as evidenced by the purchasing of this head of cauliflower, thanks for asking.")

Lesson 4:  When buying 2 cans of Pringles, it would be helpful to also buy a drink for the remainder of the walk.  We, being on a limited budget, did not get the drink.

Lesson 5:  If you're in this, or a similar situation, and there is NO money...and if checking out the thrift store you're walking by with blistering feet is still a level 9 temptation, there may be a problem...

Lesson 6:  I thought I knew more people.  
You probably know more people. Husband Dion probably would know more people, but along this highway, nobody recognized me and the girls.  If they did, I'm sure they would have stopped to ask, "What are you doing, walking along these four lanes of busy, eating 2 cans of Pringles, while carrying a head of cauliflower?"

Lesson 7:  There are trollies that go from the water park to husband Dion's workplace.

Lesson 8:  Take time to think through all of the potential options before walking. 
Ask questions.  For example,  "Are there trollies?" (see Lesson 7)  "Do you have friends who might be available to help?" And I don't know, maybe, "Did we renew our triple A road plan for moments like these?"  (yes. we did.)

All in all, it was a good day.  That's what daughter Sara said when we arrived home.  She was going on about how this is how storybooks end...a good day was had by all...or something like that.  So it is fitting to end this story in that way.

And really, it wasn't a total loss.  We got to eat the white potato, see husband Dion unexpectedly...and a ground hog.  also unexpectedly.

And while at the grocery store, convincing myself that Pringles are completely acceptable in this moment, this gift appeared directly before me.  

for a dollar!  A few revisions and this toy will make a pretty much perfect pool table for Ken and his Barbie wives.  So really, it was ALL worth it.

That's the thing with adventures.  Many times they come unexpectedly.  They come with the chance to make memories.  Sometimes they come with a chance to take ourselves a little less seriously.  And I suppose in the end, a good day may be had by all.

What are you doing to make
your today world beautiful?



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Turn This into That: the one dollar (and ten cents tax) boy

Welcome to the very first storybook cottage

"Turn This into That" post

...where I attempt to use magical powers to turn something into a different something.  So if you like this kind of thing,

check back for future somethings

turned into different somethings.

Once upon a time there were a whole lot of girl barbies.

and one ken.

Here they are, up late on Thanksgiving night, decorating the ballroom for Christmas...while Sara was sound asleep.

 In our defense, we've bought maybe two barbies.

Neither of the two was ken, so they shouldn't 

be multiplying this quickly.

Ken is happy about this arrangement, being the only guy. But at the same time, it has to be somewhat stressful.

I like to think of him as

 

("Sir Galahad! You would not be so ungallant

as to refuse our hospitality.")

She also has three little girls.   zero boys.  

So this past Saturday we were

window shopping at ebay for boy

dolls, when I had an idea.

 "Ah ha!" I said,

"The Dollar General sells little girl

princesses for one dollar, and ten cents tax.

Off we went to buy her.

 I could hardly wait for the magic to begin.

First her ponytail came out.

Second, I got creeped out.

you can too.

AHHHH!  I KNOW, RIGHT?!

Then I cut her hair, and superglued it 

back on, starting from the bottom up,

covering the glue as I went.

 

equally disturbing.

(I dare you to pin it.)

There wasn't quite enough hair, leaving some

exposed, dry glue residue at the top.

 

So I took a brown sharpie to it.

If sharpies teamed up with duct tape,

there's an 86 percent chance they could

accomplish a pretty great something.

at least win bingo.

Then I brushed this paint 
over the eye make-up. 

 

(any light color could work)

Now she was a boy.  a naked boy.  

I'm not a seamstress.  I do simple sewing, but

making teeny, tiny shirts is out.

Having a naked kid lying around,

also not acceptable.

So he will like swimming...all the time. 

And he will like swimming in jams.

I took apart one of these for swim fabric.

from the Dollar Tree.

These were in my craft closet; they're the right size for

beach balls in barbie's pool.

Hopefully by winter this kid can find

himself a sweater and pants,

or a warmer climate.

Now for his before and after.

Introducing Alex...

  Once an ordinary, dollar store princess, he's now a nice, young boy BROTHER, with somewhat feminine eyes, who will make trouble for his sisters in the barbie house.  (It has been made clear to Sara that he was not

created for boyfriendship.)

  

Here he's swimming with his sister.

She stole his dress and shoes.

(it may have been Sara who stole them)

After cooling off, he wanted to play mini-golf.  I reminded him to wear sunscreen.  But he just said, "yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Okay," I said.  "Live and learn," I said,

"Live and learn." You know, sometimes when we want "that", but can't have it, we shut off our brain in defeat...pretty much making it a for sure no.  But if we can creatively pursue paths that

open ourselves to possibility, while accepting the "this" in front of us...
maybe we'll discover an effective way
to turn our this into that.

Sure, there are times no substitute will do, but sometimes, not always, but sometimes, the substitute ends up being better than what we thought we wanted.  right?  yup.  maybe not so much with brother Alex here; he's a good enough substitute.  but sometimes.

How are you making your 

today world beautiful?