BARBIEOLDNEWGREENREDO--JUST A GRANNY HAVING FUN WITH DOLLS< DIORAMAS STORIES AND DIY

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Its' Summer at Trish's Garden Center and Shop

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It's a Summer morning at Trish's Garden Center and Shop...and she is busy watering the plants!

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Trish: Hi, it's early morning here, and all the plants and pots need some serious watering. This Chicagoland heat wave is such a change from our cold late Spring.

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We finally got the roof frame up on the shop---though all the roofing hasn't arrived, but at least we are dry inside the shop now and open for business.

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El stopped in on her way to Vickie's for work. 

El: Trish, could you pot up a rose bush like this in a white pot for my mom. This is exactly what she needs on her apartment patio and her birthday is Sunday.

Trish: Sure, how about for tomorrow, I'll call the farm and Ben can bring it in on the truck tomorrow with the weekend's supplies.

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El: Wonderful...so much to look at...

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...and you still have seeds. You have something for everyone.

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Trish: You know how eclectic the neighborhood is...I just bring in a little bit of everything and what I really like.

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Zoe: Well I love all the blues...what an assortment, and that cute little gnome.

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The girls continue to browse as they wait for Vickie to show up and open the door to Vickie's Vintage.

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Lots of supplies and cute garden accessories. 

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The Green house is full of heat loving plants and flowers.

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Carly: You have so many different green plants this year.

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Carly: I've always wanted a greenhouse.

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Carly: So many ideas! I love the donkey pot---!


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El: I love the natural vibe inside the store!

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El: I think you everything a city dweller would want for their home and garden. 
There's Vickie, we have to go.

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Carly: Trish, is mid-July too late to book our wedding flowers?

Trish: Since your wedding is in October, that would be no problem. Just start clipping ideas from the internet and magazines, so I can get an idea of your taste, and we will start from there. How about the week of the 15th?

Carly: Great I will get Jeffrey to get an afternoon off---so we can really concentrate and I'll let you know.

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That was fun...I love when the girl's stop and chat, now to get ALL these flowers watered. It's supposed to be in the 90's again today.

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Always good Planting at Trish's --
Please Come Again!

Author Note:
My own garden, yard, and Father's Day swallowed up my time last week. I hope you all had a lovely week. I'm also working on a huge project for the NBDCC (National Barbie Doll Collector's Convention) to be held right here in Chicagoland in Rosemont. The Theme is 'Decade of Destiny' which is the 1920's. 

I'll be traveling back and forth for the 5 days of the convention + some volunteer time as our local doll club is host this year. I can't share much on this until after the convention. But, I'm so excited and the workroom is a certified disaster.

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Here's a sneak peek....

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The garden will have to wait, I'm back to my dungeon workshop, tons of paint, Modge-Podge and itsy-bits and pieces.

Do You have any HUGE projects going on?

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A Little Fun with $$Store Doll Furniture

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FUN in the SUN!

Well, this is a NEW, OLD and REDO post.

I was host for the June Meeting of WindyCity Barbie Doll Collectors Club last night, I think I have that correct. The night's theme was "Fun in the Sun and Beach Fun".

When I bought these $ Store Sets, it was because they looked so cute. I wasn't disappointed as they are very well made, easy to slip together and mostly white. 

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Wanting also to have a Beach diorama to share at our online meeting, I used an 18" doll backdrop (bought a few years back on clearance). I used muted gold glitter paper I had in my stash from clearance pads bought at Tuesday Morning. The Kids'Craft Foam Sheet in rainbow was bought at JoAnn's back in March ($1.99 for a large sheet). The red Umbrella and the pink table top really clashed, so a rainbow circle was cut to use as a topper and made the colors work.

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The same craft foam was used on the lounger, the placemat was a Post-It note, the grill is a thrift store find (KidKraft-I think) I could have done a better job of taping the 'sand' together...lol, it sure photographs nice, though.

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Add a potted plant, two dolls, a thrift store Tiki Bar and you have a PARTAY!

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Carly: What can be better than a cool drink on the beach?

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Vickie: How fun are these thrifty buys for a great party setting!

How $Thrifty$ was this Diorama?

Backdrop -$2.50 (Walmart clearance---2- two-sided panels for $5.00)
Tiki Bar (without any accessories) $.99 Savers
Grill (without any accessories) $1.99 GoodWill
2 chair sets-New- $$Store. 1.00 each so $2.00
Umbrella -$$Store $1.25 (price raise-purchased later)
2 Loungers sets (1 lounger-1 small table) $2.00
1 Kid Craft Foam sheet ($1.99)
placemats-small Post-its ?
accessories---from my vintage/thrift store stashes. ?
5 sheets of glitter Paper (12x12) from clearance pads scrapbook paper @30cents sheet--$1.50. Tuesday Morning
plant from my stash of stuff that moves around.

Total $14.22 + tax--NOT Bad...considering how expensive 'sets' are from Mattel.

Dolls and accessories aren't included, just to give you an idea of the diorama costs.

Not bad for something that can be taken down and set up easily for a season. Plus it's lots of fun for kids and a space saver, too.

WHAT DIORAMA FINDS HAVE 
CROSSED YOUR PATH LATELY?

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I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop. 













Trish's New Flower Shop Part 3: Lighting, Fixtures and Cooler

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We finally have some crappy rainy weather, so I'm back in the craft room to finish up the flower shop. On the agenda yesterday was to finish lighting, fixtures and mounting and lighting the cooler.



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Still on the work table, the flower shop is roofless, but I cut down the walls and then mounted some electrical 'ball' lights around the outside and in side. 

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The lighting system is pretty straight forward. As I try to wean myself off battery systems, I pick up electrical strings of lights on sale, that might be used for fixtures. These 'ball lights' were discounted and have been in my stash for awhile. The roof piece is simple foam core, with an eave extension on the front and sides of the building. In the foreground you are looking at the back corner.

I measured and decided where the fixtures might look best. Then I had to layout the wires, zig-zagging between the lights. I cut holes the size of the top of the ball fixture, unscrewed the 'balls' and then inserted the cap through the ceiling. the ball was then screwed back on flush with the ceiling. The tops were then super taped to the foam core to hold them in place straight. Pretty simple and quick and not high-tech at all. I look at the dollhouse lighting systems and shudder.

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This is the cooler mounted on its stand, and all the 'pots' are made from electrical conduit.

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After trimming off the glued felt bottoms, I added a rock or two to each pot to make them stable.

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The cooler was Super Duck taped to the back wall. Three holes were drilled in the top of each section for the same ball lights.  I unscrewed the 'ball shades' and taped the light bases and let the bulbs through the holes drilled into the plastic case. The light is soft and diffused, actually quite nice.

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Trish: Hi, I'm really trying to finish the layout in here. The new shelving fixtures were all made from I-Phone boxes. Super nice finish and very crisp surfaces with some covered in white contact paper. We have faced some of the shelves with left-over flooring (paper). I'm loving my work/service counter, (also a cut-down phone box) which is waiting for it's custom top. My electronic register will be mounted on the wall, to save space. Most of my customers use cards...so no need for a huge register.

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Trish: I love the shelving, I'm not sure exactly where everything will go, yet.

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Trish: The cooler is up and running and will be filled with fresh flowers and arrangements. I have a monster cooler in the back room, as well as a large work area. 

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Trish: Tomorrow will be a very big day of moving in and getting the entire shop up and in place, so we can finally open.

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Trish: I'm very happy to have the huge windows which will be great for displays.

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Trish: Taking photos will be interesting as there is a bit of reflection and bounce back. While the shop is small, we will be able to service customers all year-round now, instead of commuting from St. Charles which is over 50 miles away.

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Trish: I've taken a studio at the GrandView (Lara's old place) which is only a block away. The garden center will be managed by my brother, while I  concentrate on our corporate clients and neighborhood customers. The business grows in leaps and bounds, much like the revitalization of this neighborhood 

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Trish: Outside we will have room for floral containers for fresh flowers as well as plants. This will nicely connect with the Blue Sprinkling Can Garden Center, which will be right outside the door.

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Trish: Well it's getting late, and tomorrow is a big day! Signing off from Trish from Trish's Flowers and the Blue Sprinkling Can Garden Center. I'm loving the outside lights, they will really give the shop a presence. 

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Psssst, don't tell Trish what a disaster the garden center is in---while we've been waiting for the finished building to be slipped into its location! 

Yes, I have a really busy day or two---yet...hope it keeps raining!!


Does the weather affect your DOLL PLAY?

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FOLLOW IT---upper right hand corner.

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop.