Wednesday, April 01, 2020

American Girl House Tour 2020

Welcome, I'm Molly. 
I was told that many of you 
wanted to meet us and see
more of our house, so Mom has 
arranged this tour for you.

Here is our kitchen.
This is my favorite room.
You see, I like to bake and prepare
treats for my sisters and brother.
The tea cups are the Colonial Williamsburg
tea set for Pleasant Co.

Inside the cupboard are some of the Pleasant Co.
Felicity Colonial Tea Set pieces as well 
as some other lovely items.

This is the top of the pantry.
The flower vase is another Pleasant Co. Felicity piece.
I think all kitchens need ceramic chickens.
Don't you?

Here are some fresh apples and the stove of course.
Next is the Living Room.

Oh, hello Martin, Maybe you can
Continue the tour from here?
Sure Molly, no problem!

This is the Living Room.
It's a little girly, but I guess it's OK.

We can see the ocean from the window.
That's the best thing about it.

In this corner is our bookcase.
We like to read in this house.

We also keep our radio here for listening to music.
(This radio really works!)

In this other corner is our grandmother clock.
It has to be wound, but keeps real time.

HEY JULIE! YOUR NEXT!!

Hi, I'm Julie.  Sorry about that. 
Boys can be so loud sometimes.  

This is my room.  It's right above the Living Room.

These are my plushies.
You can see "Totoro" in the back and "Pusheen"
in front.  On the left is Duke from "Pets".
On the right, I'm not sure, I just call her "Kitty"

This is my dresser top.  I love photography.
And that's Sophie, my girl.

These are Lalaloopsy dolls.
Candy on the left  is Grace's doll, and 
Plum on the right is mine.

And, that's my room!
Grace! You're next!

Hi, I'm Grace. Welcome to my room.
This is Pooh bear.  He's been with me
as long as I can remember.

This is my whole room.

This is our Dachshund, Missy. She likes my room best.
Maybe cause I rub her belly?

Here are my other plushies.
On the far left is my unicorn, in the middle
is "Squashy cat" and on the right is
My Pusheen cat "Minty"
You've already met Pooh bear.

This is my dresser top.
That's me and Sophie and Emma
in the photo.

This is Sophie and me when I was
first adopted, Christmas 2011.
I was first, but Molly is the oldest.

OK, I'm next.
Hi, I'm Emma.

This is my whole room.
It's one of the smaller rooms, 
but I don't mind.

This is my Lalaloopsy doll Polly.
I love her long yarn hair.
That's the quilt Mom made for me.

This is my Pomeranian Missy Pooh,
She loves my Pusheen plushie.

This is my reading corner.
I love Jane Austen and Miss
Suzy is my absolute favorite
kids story!

This is my dresser.
The photo is of Mom and Sophie.
Mom made my lamp,
I'm sure she'd share how she did it if you ask.

This is a purse my best friend gave me.
Her name is Savannah Ann, she lives in Georgia.

Here's a photo of me and Savannah Ann shopping.

Well, it's me again, Molly.
This is my room. It's next to the kitchen.

I love to sew and crochet.
So, I have my sewing machine and 
yarn basket here in the corner.

This is my dresser, it's just like Shirley's.
I'm reading the Wizard of Oz right now.
I think it's better than the movie!

These are my Colonial Williamsburg dolls.
That's Sarah on the left and Betsey on the right.
I do love History.

This is my dog Bennet.  He is a Terrier.
And he's NOT supposed to be on my bed!
I think Martin is expecting you next.
(Get down Bennet!)

Hi, Martin again. This is my room.
Molly wanted me to point out my quilt.

This is my guitar. It's a Fender Starry Night.

Listen to this riff.
-Squeee wee weet!-
Pretty cool huh?

I really like Harry Potter.
So does my best bud Kurtis.

That's him dressed as Harry Potter.

This is us taking a walk.
That was a long time ago though.
sigh

This is my Star Wars collection.
Kurtis likes Star Wars too.
We both like the same things really.

This is my skateboard.
So cool.
Next to my room is Betsy's room...

Hey Betsy, just doing a house tour.
Hi Martin.

And this is Shirley's room.
Hi Martin!

And that's the WHOLE HOUSE!
Thanks for coming!

NOTES ON FURNISHINGS:

Things WE made...
Let me just say that my husband is a wood worker
 and he built the room boxes that make up the house.
He also helped me with the wood projects 
by teaching me how to use his tools and other times
he cut out things and built them for me.
 
The kitchen stove and counter as well as 
the sewing machine we made. 
The 2 twin beds are 100% made by me.
The armchair and couch were made by me.
The bookcase was a box I found and remade.

These lamps were made by me.
They hold an electric tea candle so they really light!

Things from Thrift Stores...
All these dressers came from thrift stores.

I made the stove and counter.
Almost everything else in the kitchen except the
Pleasant Co. items ALL thrifted!

Martin's bed and Julie's bed both found in
thrift stores.  All the bedding was made by me.

Betsy's doll case room came from a thrift store
and was restored and remade by me.

I can say at least 70% of ALL my doll items came 
from thrift stores, including a LOT of my dolls!

Bonus Thrifted Pleasant Co. Item!
Recently found this Pleasant Co. bunk-bed.
It had no mattresses or ladder.

I made all new bedding.
(we love dachshunds here)
I'm not sure where to put this yet, it's kinda big.

I have one more question...
Why does everything around here 
have to be so dang girly?

18 comments:

  1. Hi Brenda!
    What a beautiful home your dolls have, mine should be so lucky! :) I absolutely adore the kitchen ... an was amazed that you had made it yourself, how clever you are. And I must add so very pretty as a child.
    These are lovely photos and such a wonderful pick me up at this time when the world is full of doom and gloom ... thank you!
    Big hugs,
    X

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Xanadu!

    I must admit I like our doll kitchen too. I based it on a 1930's era kitchen design. The child photos are of my daughter Sophie, but thank you, she is very beautiful :) If you look closely at the photo on Emma's dresser, you will see me and Sophie as a baby. Emma and Molly are my dolls, Grace and Julie are Sophie's dolls and Martin belongs to my son.

    I hoped that this post would boost morale a little. We certainly need it right now.

    Big Hugs
    Brenda

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  3. Thank you Sandra!

    I enjoy makeovers, not just dolls, but all kinds of items I find thrifting. I am always 'seeing' things in a different light. I repaint, rebuild and remake all kinds of things. I'm always on the look out for miniatures and I have built up this dollhouse from the time my daughter was 9 years old. She is now 15. I am SO pleased that you enjoyed our doll house tour. I plan on making our American Girls regulars at the Savage Pea.

    My kids have had a LOT of playtime with the dolls and their house. We all played together for several years, but kids grow up. Sigh. Someday they may be old enough to enjoy playing again.

    Big Hugs
    Brenda

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  4. Brenda, the tour was fantastic!! I wish I could make the tour in person. And oh! if only I had room for such a place as this! My doll is Isabelle, one of the "dolls of the year". I've always liked Molly, maybe because she is a 40s girl as I was. I'm sure I'll be back to take the tour again, and drool. And thank you so much for sharing this with us.

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  5. Thank you Charlotte (Lil red hen)

    I am so pleased you enjoyed the tour! I love Isabelle, she is SO lovely! I now have a strict "no new AG dolls" rule. We used to have around 10 AG dolls, but I had to pare down our collection. I love Molly, when I found her she was covered in dust and her hair seemed to have been pinned up for years! She is so lovely now.I'll maybe post her makeover story.

    Come back and visit as many times as you like.

    Big Hugs
    Brenda

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  6. Dorothy In PA10:27:00 PM

    Oh, I had so much fun on the tour! The children are such great tour guides.

    I love seeing how you put everything together, mixing the vintage pieces with the revived pieces.

    I just love the fabrics you chose for the bedding. They help to bring the room alive.

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful rooms with us.

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  7. Thank you Dorothy!

    I am glad you had fun on our tour. I like to take lots of things from different eras and use them all together. I enjoy mixing fabrics and figuring out how to make things 'work' together in the house. It's all mix match, make and change.

    Big hugs
    Brenda

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  8. Anonymous11:24:00 AM

    Thank you girls and Martin too for the lovely tour. Brenda I love all the accessories in the kitchen and the bedrooms. You as well as your husband are multi talented. Sophia is a pretty girl. Thank You Brenda for sharing your treasures. Molly is my favorite . I have the original one(pleas.
    Stay safe and well.
    Joan

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  9. Thank you Joan!

    The girls and Martin were happy to share. I must admit the kitchen is my favorite too. My husband has been such a tremendous help to me. Sophie is a very lovely girl. I am so proud of her.

    Molly is definitely one of my favorites as well. I will be sharing her makeover story on here at some time in the near future. My Molly is also a Pleasant Co., but not a white body.

    Big Hugs, stay well!
    Brenda

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  10. Thank you Linda!

    I agree the house is wonderful and I love it too. Sometimes I sit on the bed and just look at the rooms. I added the photos of my daughter since she was their best-first friend, right?

    I think our dolls are lucky too. I think I am lucky to have this attic space for my use! I am even happier that I have friends here that enjoy my hobby as much as I do. :)

    Big Hugs
    Brneda

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  11. Hi Brenda,
    I was so excited to see this today.I spent the day yesterday sewing for my new Kirsten doll and nothing seemed to go right, but seeing this has inspired me to pick it up again today!
    I just love all the items you have either thrifted or made.I love shopping in thrift stores as you never know what you might find!
    As always your attention to detail is spot on.You are so lucky to have the space for such a wonderful house.
    Thanks again for adding a bit of brightness at the moment.
    I hope you,your family and readers are keeping safe and well.
    Anna

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  12. Thank you Anna!

    I am so pleased that you feel inspired! That is why I have this blog, for other doll lovers and collectors to get inspired or just enjoy sharing. Thrifting is one of my favorite things. As you say, you never know what you will find! I do feel very fortunate to have this finished attic space for my collecting.

    I am glad my doll house could add some brightness to our lives at the moment.

    Big Hugs
    Brenda

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  13. Anonymous1:43:00 PM

    Hi Brenda;
    Your doll rooms are every doll collectors dream. The furniture and all the quilts not to mention the kitchen articles are so special. I have quite a few of the Pleasant Company/American Girl dolls. My favorite is Kirsten , The original books are better than the newer version ones. The original follow the reason these dolls were made.
    Stay safe and well you and yours.
    Marion

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  14. Thank you Marion!

    I had a Kirsten for a time. She is such a beautiful doll. I read all of Felicity's and her friend Elizabeth, but others I just skimmed. Julie's book is downright depressing - in my opinion. I have heard the earlier books are best.

    I have had a lot of fun gathering together all the kitchen items. I have been doing this for several years and we had an American Girl Doll blog for several years. It is nice to re-introduce our AG dolls.

    Big Hugs and stay safe
    Brenda

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  15. Anonymous5:17:00 PM

    Hi Brenda Thank You for sharing this special place for your dolls/children. I am always delighted to visit your blog. You make every thing so special. I love all of the rooms but the kitchen is a gem. The furniture is so realistic. I have quite a few Pleasant Company dolls. Samantha was my first and is my favorite. The original books are special because at the end of the story is a history of the era with pictures. I feel the new books are a disappointment. Kudos to all the dolls/children and how professional they were during the tour. Your daughter is a beautiful young lady. Stay well and safe.
    Marilyn

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  16. Thank you Marilyn!

    I too am partial to the kitchen. I modeled it after a 1930's era kitchen. I have been very fortunate in finding so many miniature pieces that make it all so special. I am so pleased you enjoyed it. The kids are all very happy to hear the nice things everyone has shared. They love showing off their rooms.

    Samantha is very beautiful, I can understand why you like her so much. The Pleasant CO. Dolls have many superior qualities, you are fortunate to have them. I only have my Molly. I will have to go back and re-read some of the Pleasant Co. books.

    Big Hugs
    Brenda

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  17. What an amazing dolly house! So fun to see everything. Thanks for sharing with us.
    Blessings!
    ~Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Carolyn!
      I love our doll house. I am always on the lookout for miniature items for the dolls. I also enjoy sharing all our doll fun with our friends.
      Hugs and blessings
      Brenda

      Delete

Hello all! Please sign your name when you comment as anonymous, so I know who to reply to. Otherwise you are just "Unknown"! Sigh :(