Long story short:
1. The two family members survived and are perfectly fine now. They only survived due to being in great shape. I am not in shape. So I need to make some life changes to be healthier.
2. Yes, my beloved miniature/dollhouse shop (Happily Ever After in Virginia) will be closing it's brick and mortar shop at the end of the year; Starting in 2020 we will be an online only shop. No one shops retail like they used to, especially when it comes to miniatures. I was sad about it at first, but am slowly realizing that I will be able to get back to what I love: creating miniatures! And I will be able to focus on making the website STELLAR (i.e. I will only have 1 full time job instead of the 3 I try to do now: brick and mortar shop owner, renovations/repairs, and website; it was all quite exhausting).
Now for the long story:
3. My basement (dark dank spider hotel) is finally getting finished! In anticipation of this event I have begun to clean up and organize my miniatures. Over the next 2 months they are slowly being brought up out of the basement. And I want to document them before I either pass them along to others or box them up for the 3 or 4 month long basement renovation.
First up is my Tissue Box Vignette. This "tissue box" kit by MiniGraphics was an ideal project 22 years ago when my newly married self lived in an apartment, and then in a townhouse with no yard, and I had to walk my baby dog multiple times a day. It was made from foamboard or poster board to create a small space for a scene in the front and a lightweight cover for a tissue box kept in the rear. However, I never used it for tissues. I kept plastic bags in it so that when I walked my dog I could grab a baggy for picking up after her.
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| Plastic bags sticking up, ready for use. |
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| The outdoor scene was very appropriate! |
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| And the dog lifting his leg gave everyone an idea of what the box is used for. LOL |
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| Dog always cracked me up. |
I haven't needed/used this "tissue"/doggy bag box in over 16 years now so it's time for it to move on...however, I am keeping that dog for a future project where he will fit perfectly. So that's one project documented....only about 85 more to go. LOL
Hi, Lori - I'm very happy to hear that your family members survived and are now fine. You're so right that having healthy, fit bodies is of utmost importance for many reasons. It's sad that your shop must close. I admit that I haven't even seen a brick and mortar miniature shop for years and years! Our Lincoln and Omaha areas have been without for a long time, but even when I travel, I always check for miniature shops to no avail. Online shopping is necessary now; but I do miss the real shops! Your basement work sounds exciting! Creating useable space from unusable space just satisfies my soul somehow, so I hope you'll post some details about the basement's progress. I love the little Tissue Box Vignette that you've brought up from the depths; I've never seen anything like that before. It was a clever idea to use it for plastic doggy bags instead of tissues. That dog cracks me up too - I'm glad that you're keeping him!
ReplyDeleteMarjorie
There is a website, www.ministores.org that pinpoints miniature brick & mortar shops that dedicate a certain square footage to miniatures and are open at least 30 hours/week. Used to have over 120 shops listedas recently as 8 years ago. Sad to see how few are left there now.
DeleteI am looking forward to getting the basement finished, but we may have a two month long delay before it can be started -- which gives me more time to organize the shop closing before I have to deal with my own house organization! I'm sure the basement's progress (or lack of progress) will creep into future blog posts! LOL