My windows arrived today! I'll be trying to get some in later tonight. I'm so pleased to have them right now it's disturbing. But, with all the other things going wrong, it's nice to have something go right on occasion!

The single windows don't actually "open" there is a slot instead that allows the acrylic (so different from acetate windows!!) to slide up. The double windows do open, but I think I'm going to glue the upper window into place.

Window SCORE!!

One of my many complaints with the Storybook Cottage is the windows. It's not they are bad. They aren't. For this dollhouse they are perfectly fine. However, when you are kit bashing like I am, they won't work. You recall I lowered the floor considerably, creating a more realistic floor and ceiling height, which means that the oddly shaped triangle windows won't work.

Enter the seller number1service4u. For about $33 I now have 14 windows and 2 doors. Now, this set was actually intended for the Duracraft "Alexandria", but I know of no rule that says you MUST use the windows for the intended kit. I'm not sure that I will be using the doors, I actually saw some French doors that I'd like to use in the side where that huge bay window is, and a nice French style single door for the front door. My intention is to create not a true Victorian cottage, but what a cottage could look like today if remodeled by a modern owner. Which means that you aren't going to see a ton of "original" things. Like in a modern home, the new tiny owner will take pride in putting up new molding that looks like the real thing, and putting in a tiny deck just for some tiny moonlit night with a tiny margarita glass in each tiny hand.

My next step is to get the windows and then the new doors. Stairs are the next one after that. I'm thinking two ways on the stairs. The traditionalist in me want to simply get a set of really narrow stairs, the modernist in me wants to grap some circular wooden ones. I will more than likely get the super narrow straight wooden ones. Only because it would look nicer.

I also need to grab some wood panels. I want to toss a wall up in the upstairs and I'm not convinced I have enough scrap to make a wall, sand it then paper it.

I'm not papering for the most part though. I'm going to use milk paint. Clapboard siding (my last purchase probably) and a nice rich milk paint to create that old restored look and yet many modern touches like the new windows, doors and deck.

I've been BASHING!!

I've never really "bashed" a kit before. Although, when I think about it, I probably have, although it wasn't called "bashing". It was simply taking needed parts, making things work and continuing on.

So a few months back, I bought Greenleaf's Storybook Cottage. I think it's cute, petite, and incredibly badly designed.

For a few extra cents, or a little bit more effort, a realistic height for the upstairs could have been made. For that matter, stairs included. But, I'm not complaining, just pointing out the obvious.

So, I put all sorts of work, first kit in years, did the "duh" slap to the head. WALLPAPER!! For the love of God! Put the wallpaper on BEFORE you begin putting the damn kit together!! Epic fail. I've got twice as much work to do now!!

Meanwhile, so as I've said, the thing is put together, very fast in fact. But I'm sitting gazing at it, and am unhappy. Enter, my MIND....

Pop the floor out (damn my supreme gluing skills! Damn YOU!!) sand like mad, and add left over scrap to old floor and make the new floor level with the line around the top that seems the more reasonable place for the floor.


Next up...new windows that have nothing to do with the ones in here now!!