On the up side I have finished adding bricks to the front of the house. I still need to grout/mortar them but I LOVE the way it changed the look. I also added some dentil crown moulding to the top of the front wall. It needs paint but it finishes it off nicely. I plan for 2 window boxes on the bottom two windows and touching up the carved trim on the bottom and the front will be complete. Now I am begging family to eat more eggs so I can finish both sides. I still have the back roof to shingle but I am working my way there. The back of the house is up against a wall and I don't foresee that ever changing so doing the back to match is still up in the air. I don't know if I want to tackle that much for something that is completely hidden...we'll see. I placed one piece of trim on the top floor edge to cover the plywood and to hide the wires on the inside but otherwise the inside hasn't been really touched. I did get a nursery set from my mom when we went to Tucson for the annual show and sale. It's perfect. I'll post pictures a little later when there is more to look at on the inside.
On the Pickett Hill I have started the landscaping and worked on the bathroom. For the landscaping I have the flowers and vines to do but the large pieces are finished. I love this little house. I have an Avalon kit waiting and I want to do that in a fall theme.
Since I had to scrap my Arthur Christmas house, I won't go into the details of the demolition of it, I have decided to transform my 1/2 scale Colonial into my new Christmas house. Plus side to that is it is small enough for me to work on. I have picked out the main color of the outside, Aging Barrell by Behr LOL with cream trim work and dark shingles which will be mostly hidden by permanent snow. I want the exterior landscaping to have the appearance of a nice snow fall, the perfect white Christmas. I ordered all of my lights, and the electrical supplies I need and am just waiting for those to arrive. I also want to install a second staircase to go to the top floor. I have it planned out, bottom floor will be kitchen with small a small table and chairs and a living room. Second floor will be the Master Bedroom and bathroom with a hall and second floor stairs to lead to the third floor which will house the kids room (boy and a girl, thinking twins or close in age like my two) and a laundry room. I have found some lemax yard lights and fencing that would be perfect. For the base I want to find a picture frame, removed the glass and replace it with piece of wood. Then after the house is placed cover the whole thing in snow, except the edges of course, and add a walkway that looks like it has been freshly shovelled. Excited isn't the word for it. I have a very strong image of what this house will look like. The outside I'm hoping will have a night time feel to it with the brown exterior and snow but the inside will be light and cozy. There is a fireplace Christmas village on Etsy I am eyeing that is darling. I am having an issue with the fireplace. There is a chimney in the center of the house, however below that is nothing. No wall, no column or illusion that it reaches anywhere. Am I crazy or does that bother anyone else? I'm think I have come up with a solution involving a fake chimney breast that leads from the first floor, to the second and then continues up through the third floor like a brick column. Maybe like an attic that was refinished into the childrens room. Not sure how I'll flesh that out but will try.
