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    Home » Budget Decor

    Oh Deer, New House Dilemmas

    Published by Pam Kessler | 412 words. · About 3 minutes to read this article. -

    Lots of stuff has been going on around here lately, so I thought I'd better get you up to speed.

    I bought a new house. Mid-century two-story with a fabulous nursery.

    Tin, of course.

    Vintage Marx tin dollhouse

    OK, I know this goes totally against the whole KonMari Method for de-cluttering thing I talked about in January (you know, don't buy things on a whim at the thrift store). But, $9.99.

    Nine ninety-nine!!!

    I almost didn't buy it because it is REALLY faded and in rough shape on the front side.

    Retro metal dollhouse

    But the back side makes up for it.

    Interior of tin dollhouse

    And the side with the yellow roses on the trellis. Swoon.

    Roses on side of metal dollhouse

    The last dollhouse I bought, I repurposed into a birdhouse. You can see what it looked like all decked out for Christmas, also.

    So, not sure what I'll turn this one into, since it's only really good from the back side.

    Any thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas?

    Speaking of backsides, another fabulous thing I found this week was my balls.

    Felted wool balls used as garland

    I've been eyeing these little wool felt ball garlands for a while now.

    Originally, I thought I'd buy the wool, felt it, roll it into balls, and then string it onto string. But you know what?

    People sell them on Etsy!!!

    Sometimes you just need to throw some money at it to save yourself time and effort (and they actually cost less than if I had bought the wool and made them myself).

    And my friend, Vickie at Ranger 911 sent me some stuff because she actually takes the KonMari Method a lot more seriously than I do.

    Like this fabulous aqua/turquoise radio.

    Aqua Admiral vintage radio

    And a luscious blue phone.

    Retro rotary dial phone

    Can't you just see yourself lying on your pink ruffled bedspread, talking to your boyfriend on this phone while twirling the cord around your fingers and giggling nervously.

    In case you've never seen one before, you put your fingers in the round holes and turn them around to dial the phone. And it plugs into the wall!!!

    You cannot, however, read your favorite blog on it.

    Or stuff it in your purse.

    Oh, and she included the deer and a few other things.

    LOVE IT ALL!!!

    And best of all, my son is graduating from high school in a few weeks. And this mamma is terrified. Proud, but terrified.

    And busy.

    Have to order a cake, clean up the front porch, buy plants, maybe rent a tent . . .

    It goes on and on.

    What have you been up to?

    « Creative Garden Containers For Your Porch
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    Comments

    1. Sue Pagels

      May 18, 2017 at 12:00 am

      Everything is FANTASTIC! (and congrats on your son graduating! Yay!) I say hang the dollhouse on the wall with the back side facing out and store cute little things in those cubbies. Scissors, pens, pads of paper, etc. depending on where you want to hang it.

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:01 am

        That sounds like a cute idea! Maybe in my bathroom (of course it wouldn't be pads of paper and pens in the bathroom).

        • Sue Pagels

          May 18, 2017 at 7:18 am

          Well, only if you had something important to write down!! 🙂 Cute with towels, little apothecary jars, old tins!!

    2. FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks

      May 17, 2017 at 8:21 pm

      SWOONING I tell ya, over the turquoise radio & phone! The house ain't bad either! Haha, I just KNEW you bought another doll house! $9.99 is an unbelievable price too. What to do with it: Buy vintage Renwall dollhouse furniture on Etsy & make like it's a dollhouse??? Display it? Aww, forget Kon-Mari. Us pickers HAVE to pick, dontcha know???

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:03 am

        I do so well with KonMari and then I backslide. It's a constant struggle 🙂 I'll check into the furniture. I used to have a ton of it when I was a kid, but it all got sold a few years ago.

    3. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      May 17, 2017 at 8:19 pm

      Oh of course you can't pass up a great vintage dollbouse! I know you will find something fun to do with it...maybe some sort of organizer?
      The graduation is a wonderful milestone! Enjoy!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:04 am

        We're very excited about the graduation. Very nervous about what's next, but we'll concentrate on the graduation right now!

    4. Susie

      May 17, 2017 at 8:19 pm

      Wow, an upcoming graduation party! That is going to be exciting.

      I love everything on your post-- radio, dear deer, phone, and especially the house. I had one just like it as a child. I liked to play with some little dolls in it, but I also had a little pet red-eared green turtle. One time I forgot my little turtle in the house for a day or so. Luckily, he survived and we had many other adventures together. I'm not sure they sell those little turtles in pet stores anymore, for awhile there was a big deal about them being carriers of salmonella.

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:05 am

        I've heard the salmonella thing too! I'm picturing you playing with a turtle in the dollhouse. Sort of like Godzilla . . .

    5. Hope

      May 17, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      I had a house like that...minus the attached garage. Alas it did not survive my two little brothers! What a treat to see it and show it to my daughter. Loved the carpets on the floor. Keeping thrifted stuff to a minimum is SO hard.

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:11 am

        Two boys and a tin house doesn't sound like a good combination 🙂 I can picture someone falling into it and then next thing you know it's flat as a pancake!

    6. Lorraine

      May 17, 2017 at 6:14 pm

      I love that the telephone number is still on the phone! Have fun at the Graduation Party! Another exciting mile stone in life! ?

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:11 am

        I'm so tempted to call it 🙂

        • Lorraine

          May 18, 2017 at 7:41 am

          I really wanted to dial it...but I didn't. With my luck it would be a working number and the person on the other end woukd wonder what kind of kook is calling from Mi. Have a wonderful Graduation celebration. I thought of when our oldest graduated from High School. I was up on a ladder scouring our eaves troughs. I was nuts! ???

    7. Cindy

      May 17, 2017 at 4:15 pm

      A turquoise radio...seriously? My heart's desire!! Love it!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

        Isn't that the sweetest radio!

    8. Amy West

      May 17, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      Love the little deer! My mom had a momma deer with two baby deer, guess they call them fawns, oh well, they were attached to the momma with little lightweight chains. They looked just like the deer you have by the radio cept'n there were 3 of them...and they were laying down...and they were chained. Hmmm...wonder why they were chained. J/K Any'who, this post brought back a happy memory. Thank you.

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:12 am

        My mom used to have poodles like that. They were all chained together. I never thought anything about them, but now that you say that it is a little odd.

        • Jenny

          May 20, 2017 at 12:42 am

          I have a sow and piglets chained together!

        • Pam

          May 20, 2017 at 7:28 am

          How funny! I still wonder why they are chained - maybe so the whole set would stay together and you wouldn't lose one of the babies. Sort of like those leashes they make for kids so your kids don't run off from you at the park 🙂

    9. Sandy McClay

      May 17, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      I have that identical doll house but mine is mint! I had a ball getting the Renwal furniture to go in each room! It was 75.00 with all of the furniture and I sold the original furniture for 55.00 so my house was 20.00! 🙂

      LOVE it!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:14 am

        OK, and house shot looking at Renwal furniture on etsy 🙂 So many choices!!!

    10. Shara

      May 17, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      I just found an old 100 foot telephone cord in the garage. I thought about tossing it, but NOSTALGIA! I used to take the phone into my room on the other side of the house and have that cord stretched the whole way.

      Idea for the dollhouse....A DOLL HOUSE. That old furniture is such fun to find and to collect.

      Congratulations to your and your son! Don't be terrified. Just roll with i. YOU the Mama!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:17 am

        Lucky you that had a long cord! Ours phone was in the hallway and the cord was about 5 feet long, so I had to sit on the steps going upstairs unless I wanted to stand (should have had one of those telephone benches). I didn't have a lot of serious phone calls on that thing!

    11. Mary woeppel

      May 17, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      I absolutely am green with good envy?I had the very same doll jouse growing up and remember it so well. What about a succulent fairy garden? I would store it and try to hunt down the original furniture for grand kids?

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:18 am

        Someone mentioned Renwal furniture so I have been looking on Etsy. I had no idea they made that many choices!

    12. VICKI YAWN ANDREWS

      May 17, 2017 at 11:37 am

      YEA!! I've been a little worried about you! 😉 So glad you did a spur of the moment love purchase!! When I first read New House Dilemmas, I thought wonder what's going to happen to her beautiful porch planters...hmmmm Then I remembered it wasn't all about me...haha! I love the dollhouse and remember this style well. Course, my dollhouse was our living room sofa. Barbie's upstairs was the sofa back. Good buy!! Not, good bye though...cracked me up there.

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:21 am

        I used to rearrange the furniture a lot in my dollhouses when I was a kid, but I can't remember actually playing with dolls in them. There's probably some psychological meaning to all that . . .

    13. karen

      May 17, 2017 at 11:37 am

      envy alert...love that phone!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:22 am

        Isn't that adorable! Wonder if I can change the plugin from this big round thing to one of the modern day plugs.

    14. Jamie

      May 17, 2017 at 11:33 am

      "Speaking of backsides, another fabulous thing I found this week were my balls."
      Bahahah! I am dying laughing over here!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:26 am

        🙂

    15. Dee

      May 17, 2017 at 11:32 am

      I just had my husband crush my dollhouse that looks very similar to this . . . I still have the plastic furniture for it!!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:27 am

        No!!! Have you learned nothing from me? Throw away nothing. Save everything. 🙂

        • Jenny

          May 20, 2017 at 12:40 am

          Mail Pam the furniture!

    16. Lynda

      May 17, 2017 at 11:21 am

      OMG! I had a dollhouse like that when I was a child. Love it!

      • Pam

        May 18, 2017 at 7:29 am

        I just love all the little details they put in those houses. Carpeting, wallpaper, toys in the kids rooms. They really put a lot of thought into them!

    Newer Comments »

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