RissaRoo

I won't spend money on anything at Wal Mart. No matter how tight money is, the cost of their business impact wins out. Also, I buy local where I can.

Ah, roger that.. I knew about spray starch, didn't make the connection though. Thanks! My generation does tend to opt for the hot-out-of-the-dryer as an ironing method...

Thanks for the tip, Kathy! Is liquid starch a food product, or something I'd find in the craft store?

I'm pretty sure the only difference of being "made in Vermont" is just that. Since some people are insistent on buying American-made, it's nice they give you the option. A quite pricy option, but that's the cost of keeping jobs in the states... I'm pretty sure that to actual put "made in USA" on a product, they are required to actually assemble in the states, and a certain percentage of the materials must be domestic. This does not, however, exclude commonwealths of the USA (ie, Marianna Islands, Puerto Rico, etc.) They are allowed to use the made in USA label. Based on RGT's reputation, and a hunch that it's actually considered fraud to fake the USA label, I'm quite sure these products are actually produced in VT.

I just got this kit and picked paint colors... I'm planning on 3-color victorian style for the exterior (spring green, girly pink and white) and adding some more intricate trim and swapping out the windows for a working set. While the outside will be traditional looking, the inside will be very whimsical and girly. It's going to a 6 year old, so I'd like to leave some room for her to redecorate herself when she gets older. I'm planning on fun splashy scrapbook paper, and hopefully finding a way to attach it in a way that's easy to pull out later. I'm also thinking about how to add "front-opening" feature on the back...to make the house somewhat brother-proof, I'd like to add hinged panels covering the back that fold down to double as a little bit more floor play space. I'm going to leave it largely unfurnished so that she can make it her own.. plus she's really too young to care about scale or nice furniture, so I'll probably just throw in some Calico Critters or something so she can get down to playing right away!

Hey everybody, just wanted to say hi. I built my first dollhouse when I was about 8 years old. When I say "I built" I mean my fantastically crafty mom, dad and Nana did all the important stuff, I "helped"... But many years have past, and now it's time for my niece to get one awesome birthday present (or Christmas, depending if I inherited the craftiness or not!) I think it's going to be the RGT Vermont cottage jr., as it looks durable enough to withstand her baby brothers and still nice enough to be a "real" dollhouse. I'm hoping to do a few adjustments to it, which remains to be seen whether that's within my skill set or not. Things like electricity, a garage, some hinged back walls, secret compartments...we shall see. So... hi!