First....Ester has completed her round of antibiotics and is feeling better. Thanks for the well wishes. I feel better not having to force medicine down a cat.
Now...the washer/dryer. It turned out pretty good, thanks to Husband's metal ring-thing. But next time I build the drum and toss some mini clothes into it..
Yesterday morning I assembled the oven front. I made it a bit different (taller) than the directions indicated as I wanted to see more of the black acrylic. I placed the handle on a wee bit crooked, which ticked me off, but there's nothing I can do about it. Hopefully once the room is put together nobody will notice.
As soon as I got home from the office I started building a washer/dryer from scratch. I bought the whole dishwasher unit from ELF when I really only needed the front, so that I could use the body for the washer. I had intended to finish it with aluminum sheet, but Husband led me in a different direction when he handed me the scrap box from his locksmith van to pick a metal ring-thing from to set my acrylic dome in...I've got a lovely pearlescent white paint I'll use instead.
I had the cabinetry built Saturday by noon, except for the door and appliance fronts, which I could have finished that afternoon had I not got badly sidetracked. I got it into my head that a stainless steel stove, oven, dishwasher, sink, faucet, and laundry machine might be too much stainless for one kitchen, so I decided to use the white sink from Shapeways that I didn't use in the bathroom because it was too large. It isn't a square sink, it's rounded, and angular, which demanded complicated cuts be made to inset it into the counter and jutting from the cabinet face a bit. I spent the whole afternoon trying, but couldn't get it quite right enough to meet my standards. All I accomplished was ruining three pieces of wood (now I have to buy more) and exhausting my vocabulary of curse words.
I bought tickets ages ago for Husband and I to see Umphrey's McGee in concert Sunday night at the outdoor amphitheater at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. We left after breakfast Sunday, made the two hour drive, visited the Grand Rapids Art Museum, checked into our hotel, then ate a fantastic meal at Gravity Taphouse Grille before attending the concert.
Monday we spent five hours at the Gardens and Sculpture Park before we drove home. If you live within driving distance of, or are ever in the area of, Grand Rapids, Michigan, I highly recommend you go. It was great.
This post is about to get picture heavy....if you're not interested, you can stop now, there is no more talk of miniatures....if you are really interested (or very bored) you can click here to see all 325 pictures I took. I'm a bit camera crazy.
At the GRAM....
Umphrey's McGee, my favorite band to see live....
At Frederick Meijer Gardens, in the Sonaran (North American) desert conservatory...
the Kalahari (African) desert conservatory...
the carnivorous plant room...
in the Victorian conservatory...
the tropical conservatory was my favorite...
outside...
in the Japanese garden...
There were lovely waterfalls, streams, and ponds all over the park...
zen...
part of the bonsai collection...
the Michigan Farm Garden...
I thought the farmhouse looked too fancy to be realistic, but they said it's a 3/4 scale model of Lena Meijer's childhood home.
The animals were all bronze sculptures, which seemed fitting...
Does anyone know what this plant is? It looks like a rose, but it is most definitely not. There was no tag, and google has been no help at all.
in the woodland shade garden...
we probably could have spent another hour touring the children's garden, but we only took a few steps in before we turned around because, well, children...
gorgeous flower beds with great color combinations...
A couple of my favorite pieces at the sculpture park...
I will end your brief tour at the koi pond...
It's pitiful. (It's also disgusting, the bottom two feet of everything in my house is covered in a mist of cat snot. I need to teach Ester how to use Kleenex.) My poor, furry, snuggle muffin has an upper respiratory tract infection. All she wants to do is curl up on my lap and sleep. I'm letting her, so haven't done any work on the house this week.
I'll show you my new goodies instead of a progress report.
I bought brackets in two sizes and palm leaves in three sizes of two styles, from JMG Miniatures (I blame Nancy). The copper pot and glassware are from Happily Ever After. I love Lady Fanaberia's kitchen appliances, so treated myself to a toaster and blender for the new build. The elephant and owl doodads I picked up at the local Hallmark store when I was buying a greeting card. I purchased kitchen appliances and a chocolates tin from ELF Miniatures. I hope to build the kitchen this weekend. I've got it sketched out, because that I can do with a lap full of sneezing cat, but I haven't cut the wood yet.
The owl opens. I bought a handful of them....certain someones will get owl surprises in the near future.
Pepper and I did a little swap. Well, I did a little swap, she did a big one. She was far too generous, sending me way too many goodies in exchange for what I sent her.
The taller acrylic table is a timely godsend. It's the perfect height to fit the three dining chairs for the beach house, and also the correct diameter to fit the room. I was planning to make my own but couldn't find a glass or acrylic circle the right size and didn't have the right tools to cut the legs I wanted.
Oh dear, my alarm went off, it's time for Ester's medications.....let me hit the publish button then wake her up.
There was the most beautiful, violent, awe-inspiring, damage-causing thunderstorm here last Sunday. Our electricity went out just after it started and just came back on an hour ago.
This picture of the storm rolling in was taken by staff at the airport, which puts the ominousness right over my house...
There are more pictures here, and here, if you're curious, or bored, or .......
The superglue has cured, it's time to play!
There are a few things I wish I had done differently (of course, and with everything), but all in all I'm very pleased. I'm not going to tell you what those few things are, because I don't want to spoil the picture for you.
There are two things that must be addressed. The first is simple...I need to paint the inside of the battery area black. The second will be more difficult. The faucets are a pretty color in my hand, but blend right into the gray walls and get lost...more so in pictures than in person even. I will tape them off and paint them in place, as soon as I figure out what to finish them with. My daughter pinned a picture the other day of fingernails coated with a mirror-finish chrome-looking polish, maybe I'll see if I can find some. I bought four faucets to install two, so I have test subjects. If you have any suggestions please let me know.
That was a lot of work for a room that you'll only catch a glimpse of through a doorway, but what a nice surprise it will be when the back of the house is opened up.