Structures: Grand Hotel, an Overview

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I'm very anxious to get this project up again...it was hastily taken down when we had a flood. Basically the entire doll room was packed up in less than 2 hours, I had 5 helpers...and well...life, the dollroom got really scrambled. 

I'm doing an overview to show you the project's inception and some finished bits, before I unpack the "Grand Hotel" which I renamed the GrandView.

This takes up so much space, an entire 6 foot table with the bakery kitchen extension that no one has even seen yet, just some posts on working on it.

The Grand Hotel I found for $10 was faded in poor condition with dead electrical, doors missing, no accessories, but the elevator worked.

Wood laid out to increase the height of the first floor. Blue tape is where the new wall will be constructed. Pillars are Cake pillars which will support the new second floor.

I wanted to make a couple of condo's upstairs and two shops and a small office downstairs, also a lobby area across from the doors.

Since all Mattel structures are stingy on space, I started to plan a deeper building. Here you see the structure opened flat out with some of the existing floors removed. I built new floors to make the floor 22" deep instead of the barely 12" it was. 

I added a wood 2"x4" wood foundation made to look like concrete to raise the main floor and increase the height to the ceiling. The new outside walls were to be created by foam core. the entire piece rests on a plywood base.

To keep the construction process entertaining I had Lara as overseer of the project and Russell the contractor participating in the design and problems.

I even had guys working on the building...that post is actually FUN!

I even did posts of the dolls...on and off the job. LOL.

Adding that 'footing' of wood  made all difference in the height.

There was tons of measuring and lots of trial and error...here the floor is laid out before gluing to the new plywood floor. The wood 2x4's are trimmed and painted to look like concrete.

 The  small white blocks are for the pillar bases to make pillars line up  to evenly support the second floor.

This shows you what had to be added to create the  lobby of the building. The blue tape defines the open atrium area on the second floor. 

Of course I made poster board patterns...the elevator had to be left open to function. The right side would become a 'studio' condo.

Russell and Lara checking out the new floor. Note how the elevator levels to the new floor---WIN!

Which ended up looking like this when 'tiled' to match the downstairs.

The atrium was filled with plants windows and railings on the second floor.

The condos were restored with cobbled parts from thrift store Barbie structures and windows.

Side and back walls were foam core and secured with velcro as well as the pillars. This is still early in the construction...the hole in the wall is for a built-in cooler for the bakery.

my tile...I tweaked until I got just the shades of color I wanted.

Bakery window and outside eating area.

Old Mattel counter redone....and lit with battery lights. The upper shelves are a makeup organizer from a thrift store.

A two story stained glass window was 'uncovered' in the demolition..a supposed restyle that was covered it up in the 1920's.  The 'window' was printed on pieces of vellum and mounted on plexiglass which filled the back atrium hole with a planter and an added settee.

The atrium becomes a meeting place to share a cup of coffee and some delicious bakery from Sindy's Patisserie.

The Grand Hotel restoration into the GrandView. BMR Ltd. decided on a refined palette of colors... lengthy posts on painting are available at the end of this post.

Salon Jacquie before finishing the remodel. All fixtures were from thrift store finds and redone.

Nail station...repainted from YUCKY Barbie pink.

Remodel of chairs was simply a repaint of acrylic mixed with lots of medium to 'stain' the fabric.

Sadly the opening of the GrandView coincided with the shut down of the US from Covid and all the ramifications of no business operations in Chicago at that time. 

Since I have many young viewers...I did stories with dolls masked...trying to solve their life's problems.

If you are interested in the actual DIY construction and the planning process...simply search  Hotel or follow these links.

Grand Hotel REDO:Stickers,Cleaning,Masking, Painting. (part 1)

Grand Hotel Painting Part 2

Hotel Project Part 1

Hotel Project Part 2
Demolition: Men at Work
Grand Hotel:Lara surveys Progress
Tutorial:Grand Hotel Demolition
Grand Hotel: Grand Hotel Demolition Secret

Grand Hotel Walk Through

Sindy's Patisserie Opens

Salon Jacquie Can't Open (Covid)

Hotel Condo's Moving In

Hotel: Foldable Plywood Walls.

The Devil in the Details: (Hotel)

Hotel Lighting Upgrade or what I should have done in the first place.

These are all mostly construction information posts, there are lots of story posts of the residents, events, holidays...so enjoy my Doll world surrounding 

the Grand Hotel...renamed the GrandView. 

As, you can see...I can't wait to put it up again!

Any questions, or comments I will be happy to answer, just pop it in the comments or send me an email.

Thanks so much for visiting,

 I will post at the following Link Parties, I hope you visit them.

 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

BarbieOldNewGreenRedo, is an ad-free blog.  

I do not endorse or receive any $$ for any products I may use. I enjoy showing how I use products, 

but I do not receive any $$ from anywhere I shop.

Sandi

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Valentine Desserts Redux

Sindy: Okay, let's see if I can do this in one take, I have to get these desserts packed up and to class for my final. 

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Aidan: Okay, Sindy, remember to smile, and look right into the camera, and I will keep moving to get different views as you speak.

Ready.....Action!

Sindy: Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

I’m Sindy Odders, one of the assistant pastry chefs at the Hyatt Hotel at River North in Chicago. Today, I have prepared for you a selection of vegan and vegetarian Valentine desserts. 

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I have adapted these recipes to vegan and or vegetarian from historical and vintage cookbooks 

for my senior graduation project at the Culinary Institute.

Whether you choose to be vegan or vegetarian for health, personal, or religious issues, 

no one has to deprive themselves of fabulous desserts. 

I have prepared for you a selection of delicious cakes, tortes, tarts, pudding, 

and cookies for your Valentine's Day celebrations. 

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My personal favorite is the Strawberry torte in an almond pastry shell. The Peach Melba cakes are topped with a festive strawberry, and the Strawberry Layer Cakes have whipped coconut milk frostings and fresh strawberries.

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Desserts are the perfect food for entertaining or treating your family for Valentine's Day.

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We have a Chocolate Lady Finger Coconut Cake, a Raspberry Macadamia Nut Torte, a Carrot Cake with a Caramel Vegan Meringue topping. The most unusual recipe on the table is my frozen Vegan Avocado Gelatto Chocolate Cake Roll, topped again with strawberries.

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The favorites at here in my test kitchen are the chocolate, vanilla, or gingerbread heart cookies. 

I make these all year round for my housemates. They never last long.

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We can't forget tea, coffee, or a Lemon Curd Torte and Bon-bons with a Coconut Creme filling.

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The recipe for my Almond Strawberry Vegan tarts will be available on my Facebook page. This is 

 Sindy Odders-TheVeggieDessertQueen signing off from the HFIM test kitchen and have a 

fabulous Valentine's Day Celebration. 

Sindy, that was great, but I was drooling all over your table. Can I please have some of that cake.

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Aidan: "Who said this wasn't a high paying job! I should have your video ready by tomorrow on this sugar high.  Say, let me try the Avocado Gelatto rolly-thing, that looks delicious."

Sindy: Anything you want, you are a real doll for helping me. Now, I have to get everything to school for my final grade. Now, to begin working on my food van, but I really want to have a bakery shop some day! I have all my recipes, just need to get ready to go. 

(PS I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian cook, this is just what Sindy chose...? I've been assured all these recipe's may be possible, though. Much of the food is delicious erasers from Target, cookies are Sculpey clay/fabric paint/glitter, and plastic miniatures from assorted thrift store goody-bags.)

Sindy is a Katniss Barbie, Aidan is a 2004 are rescues from a thrift store. 

This story is originally from 2018, but was one of my favorites to put together. Enjoy.

I'll be sharing at these fine parties:

PLEASE do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission, but Pin away!

All the opinions and photographs on this blog are my own, unless otherwise stated. 

 I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions

 or products shown, or from where I shop. 

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

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