I have been lusting for quite some time for an old German kitchen roombox. Sometimes I have to sit myself down and say, "Remember now, you're an adult. You have children and a job and a big-girl house with a real kitchen. And four dogs. Life will go own if you don't get this toy." But Myself just wouldn't listen. Oh, sure, for a few minutes Myself would listen, or at least play like she was listening. She would nod her head sadly and sigh and as if she was making a concentrated effort to be brave. Myself would even tut tut disgustedly when looking at the exorbitant price tags on these roomboxes, as if to say, "What fools people are to pay good money for old, whipped up looking junk when new is so much cleaner and nicer." Myself even had me fooled. Then one night, when I wasn't looking, Myself went on Ebay and bought a lot of German kitchen furniture and a German stove!
We almost came to blows! When I confronted her, I was told that Myself would be building her own roombox for a fraction of the cost of the ones we had seen for sale. What could I do? So the illicit booty arrived yesterday and Me, Myself and I convinced Jim to help us cut the wood (from old shelves I once had in the pantry) to size for a roombox. Fortunately for us, Myself had tucked away some old, antique dollhouse wallpaper from Germany she had bought on Ebay some years back. It would seem that Myself had been plotting this for some time.
I went to Staples and made color copies of a border I found as a free download from the internet (www.kawarthalakesminis.com/1920samples.html). I blew it up some so it would work with the walls. Most rational people would have taken measurements and thought things out, but Myself was so excited, she didn't. She found two boards of equal length and said, okay, these are the sides. She found two other boards that were the same size and said, okay, these are the back and bottoms. She then got Jim to cut off the areas she had marked on these two pieces.
I wallpapered each panel before putting all the parts together with wood screws. The two sides were a little warped and bowed outward, but we were able to pull them tight and put in the screws and it all worked out. I've got to find some finish molding to put along the front and top. I considered putting in a door or window, but decided as I didn't have a clue how to proceed that it might just be a bad idea (although that normally does not stop Myself).
However, I couldn't wait to put in the furniture. I used brads to mount things on the wall. Myself is still on the lookout for a sink and another kitchen shelf.
Now I have to make little towels, a tablecloth, chair cushions, and a rug. I get all swoony just thinking about it!
And now, of course, I need a doll to go in it. I'm trying very hard not to put too much stuff in there, but Myself can't wait to cram it full of interesting junk!
Here's a link to the Museum of Childhood: http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/collections/dolls_houses/index.html
I haven't been to the beach for a full day in years, probably 30 at least. I've never been a beach person and get bored lying in the sand. However, my children adored it.
Except for the fact that my daughter got 10 mosquito bites when we hiked up to the rocks and she and I had to do a drugstore run for benydral spray. And that turned out to be quite fortuitous because my son then got stung by a bee on his hand, his first bee sting ever, and that benydral spray came in quite "handy." 
Their friends taught them how to go crabbing and catch little crabs that hide in the rocks, using hot dogs and string. They saved them in a bucket and then let them go when they were finished.
They swam in the sea for the first time, clambered over huge rocks, dug in the sand and picked up seashells. I had forgotten how much fun it was to be a kid at the beach.
