Another year, another huge leap forward on Victoria's Dollhouse! Um. Not really. Maggie and I joke that since the box said, "Ages 13 and up" we shouldn't finish it until she's thirteen. She's eleven. We're right on track!

We did make some progress. Actually, looking back at where we left off last December, I'd say we made a CRAP TON of progress. All the trim, the ceiling, painting the interior walls (priming only) and ceilings, wow. I sort of forgot we did most of that!

The roof, for example, is completed. Ten zillion little shingles and enough liquid nails to adhere, oh, a real roof to a real house. And after at least six months of being taped in place, the porch rails were finally attached with permanence. Which the cat immediately tested and so they were re-attached with even more permanence.

At present we're finishing up the exterior. Stone foundation, anyone? This tip involving old fast-food drink carriers ripped up and painted proved invaluable. Look at that foundation? It looks like real stone! One more side, then a few coats of polycrylic and we'll be done.

If anyone else is equally insane and is mid-dollhouse, here's a tip for the foundation. Take all your little ripped cardboard pieces, put them in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Add 1/4 cup or so of coffee, a few squirts of paint in just about any color (drizzled down the sides of the bag), and a shake of extra fine glitter. Zip that bag closed. Shake and squish the heck out of it. Lay out the squishy, muddy pieces in a single layer to dry (can be done in the oven in very short order!). You will have truly authentic-looking stones with granite-like gleam. So very cool.

Enjoy! And may your dollhouse construction go much more quickly than ours.

P.s. I'm not sure how much the interior has changed beyond the attic going up. Although the wiring may be closer to completion? And we expanded a doorway to fit a taller door for the main floor. So there it is!