Miniature Victorian Display House :: {Before & After}

I have a problem.

Its a very problemy problem.

I tend to hoard things I find at the thrift store.

For. Years.

YEARS.

I will see something...NEED THAT SOMETHING...and say to my self, 'Self, I know we don't know what on earth we are going to do with that, but, its just too (snazzy, cute, fluffy, purple, weird, neat, etc) to NOT buy. Soooo we should buy it. Raight naow.'

And so I buy it. And I take it home. And it sits. And it sits and sits and sits and I can't decide what to do with it, but I know I'm going to do SOMETHING, SOMETIME, so I don't throw it away.

This was one of those things. I saw this at a thrift store back in my home town almost 4 years ago. 4. FOUR. And I knew it had potential but I never did anything to it and it has ridden in my trunk (two separate car trunks) ever since then. Its basically traveled the world. Its gone to Connecticut and New York City and Boston and Jacksonville and Nashville and basically everywhere. I may not have had my jumper cables when I needed them when my car went dead, but at least I had THIS with me to keep me company until help arrived. BEHOLD.

Isn't is darling!? DARLING I SAY. I really just couldn't leave it. I finally, FINALLY decided to pull it out and do something with it the other day. FINALLY. FINNALLLLYY. FINLAND. O.O

I knew I wanted to pain the inside cubbies so the first order of business was getting the back off. 

HACK STAB WEDGE PRY.

Aww yusss. So basically here's the rundown of what happened here;

1) Stab hack wedge pry the back off with your husband's knife that he did not give you permission to use.

2) Clean out all the little nooks and things of the various dust and spider webs. 

3) Go to the craft store with your husband to get paint.

4) Realize the error of your ways as he stands in the aisle behind you as recites ALL THE PAINT NAMES out loud and giggles.

5) Spend four hours deciding what color to paint the shingles.

6) Finally start painting.

7) Hate the shingle color and re paint them.

8) Touch up, and more touch up.

9) 'Wallpaper' the backs and insides of the little cubbies with scrapbook paper.

10) Put the back back on.

11) Feel ill from all the glue fumes you used.

12) Yay!

And here is what I came up with! 

DETAIL SHOTS.

Oooo detail-y! 

I used several different 'vintage' inspired papers. What you can't see but actually took the longest is the inside 'walls' that got 'wallpapered' as well. My OCD kicked into overdrive and I had to make sure all the patterns were facing the right way, even though you can only see them if you look. Really. Hard.

In honor of the momentous finishment of it, my husband bought me my first miniature...a sewing machine! AH! So cute! I love that man :)

Moral of this story? HOLD ONTO EVERYTHING FOREVER :D