Dimond Crest Manor: a doll house for blythe and friends

I have wanted a dollhouse for Blythe for a long time.  I have looked online and around here for so long that I almost gave up.  Then I found my dream house listed on Craigslist!

 Okay, I know it needs some work.  But seriously, it's a diamond in the rough.  It is the Playscale QuickBuild Townhouse Dollhouse Kit by Real Good Toys.  They are still available, but I found this one used, locally.  Obviously, the railing above the second story windows is partially broken off, only a small section remains.  I ordered another from RGT.  And pink and gray?  I don't think so.  It needs some paint.  Spray paint is the way to go.  So first I masked very well.

I masked both the front and back.  Don't want any accidents to happen to the interior! I used Frog Tape to mask everything.  It worked out very well.  I recommend it.

And I discovered a hidden talent of my husband's after 20 years!  Who knew?  Spray painting is his job from now on!

We laughed while painting:  I talked to a painting contractor for advice while at Home Depot.  I should have answered a classified ad for paint contractors - "No job too small!"  LOL.  "Yes, I have a small house that needs to be painted."

I got the good (highest quality) spray paint from Micheal's.  Next I masked again, to paint the porch.

Finally, the unmasking.  Time for detail work.  I bought scrapbooking stuff for architectural details and white and gold paint for brushwork. 

Time for the unveiling!

I'm so happy with the results!  Here are some more detail shots--

 The new railing is in place on the porch above the second story windows.

Gold detailing on the windows to mimic the tops of the porch rails.

 The fabulous interior!

A three-story townhouse!

Top floor / attic

Second floor

First floor

"Yay!!!" 

"A home of our own!"

Alright girls!  It's time to stop lounging about and get to work.  There's lots of moving to do!

 

More details to come. . .

Guard cat on duty

"Barbie is Moving" Event Review

This is a great event for young collectors with lots of fun activities.  The whole event is free!  The event we attended was at a parking lot in an Oakland Walmart store.  There were two large trucks and a house set up as the staging area.

A poodle shrub!

During registration, they give you a goodie bag-- a reusable Barbie tote, flyers, coupons, and a DVD. 

A Mega Bloks Dreamhouse!

A lego throne bed!

Building. . .

This event seems to be centered on advertising the Barbie Mega Bloks and Dreamhouse toys.  Kids build with legos and are given a mini-starter set for their goodie bags.









And we got to color a dress to take home---

And a  life-size version of the dress project!

Project examples. . .

I heard several girls ask about Barbie, and sadly, she was not in attendance.  But there was enough to do to fill an hour or more of doll play. 













There was a dress, runway, and photo session inside the main staging area.  And two face-painting tables!

We had lots of fun!  There are two weekends remaining in the tour in the Los Angeles and Phoenix metro-areas.  See the site for details.

Take your young collector for some moving fun!