Hello All

[ADayInTheMiniLife]

Hi, I thought I'd actually introduce myself. I've followed the forums and whatnot for a while, but finally made an account. I also started a blog two days ago to follow my mini's and crafting accounts and trials. XD I have a few houses i'm waiting on atm, and bought a Pierce off E-Bay. They sent it to me just as the actual box, with 4 pcs of tape to keep it closed and was not wrapped or protecxted in any shape or form. Opening it up there is broken wood, tons of missing parts and a wreck. And it was stated brand new unopened. So needless to say that't not being started. But hoping to have the others soon. Stop by and check out my page if you'd like. I'm gonna go nosy around here for a while. Nice to meet all of you who're reading this.

Kris

[mesp2k]

Hi Kris, welcome to the group!

[WyckedWood]

Hi Kris, sorry about the kit that you bought, I think u can buy individual sheets if u need to from Greenleaf. Anyway, welcome and glad u decided to join in

[Patsea]

Hi Kris! Glad you joined up. I see you are from N.J. I was born and raised there. If you have any questions, plenty of people on here to help you out!

[Dalesq]

Welcome!

[havanaholly]

Welcome to the little family, Kris. I had begun to rehab a Pierce (her name is Mildred) before we moved 200 miles and in the move DH piled a bunch of flat, heavy stuff on her second floor which was not all that securely together, and one of our campsites involved going over very rough RR crossing. I have nowhere in the new house to work on anything building-wise until I get the workshop I was promised for Christmas of 2011, and am NOT looking forward to inspecting the damage! so know that I feel your pain!

[jrchob]

Hi and welcome Kris! Sorry about the kit. Hope you had some recourse.

[mariawicz]

Welcome and what part of NJ are you from?

[Jo Med]

Hello Kris nice to meet you. Sound like the kit you bought is a write-off, can you get your money back?

[ADayInTheMiniLife]

Thanks everyone for the Welcome!

Wycked, Jr, Jo, I think I spent too much on it. It was $65 + S+H. And was told it was brand new in package. I took pics and told them they lied and I'm getting my money back. If it was only a few bucks and it was stated that it was used or open or had probs or something, I wouldn't mind and prob look for the missing sheets to purchase individually. But this was beyond and I was taken. When I wrote them telling them the problems and what-not, they told me it was brand new and that they were "Distributers for Greenleaf and all their items were new"... Blatant lie. And I'm not sure about this, but I don't think that Greenleaf hires people to sell their items on ebay. Esp when you look at the persons page and there is NO other dollhouses or items. So I'm getting my money back and will be buying a house from here. Just need to decide which one now.

Holly, sorry to hear about your Pierce. hopefully you get your workshop soon and get her back into shape and give her a new "facelift" hehe. I had other dollhouses, but when I came up to NJ from FL where I was born and raised, the friend I left them with had moved and told me she's not sure what happened to them. So they're all gone. I'm still devastated about it. But no help or use crying over gone dollhouses.

Patsea and Maria. When I first moved up here in HS, we lived in Brick NJ close to Toms River and Seaside and whatnot. Then moved since my mom got a job with USPS being a carrier and the drive was too far. So moved to Hamilton NJ right by Trenton. Then when I was married I lived with my husband in Bordentown which is close to trenton and Hamilton. I'm now back in the Trenton/Hamilton area. Not too thrilled. it's a completely different beast living up here. Especially in the Trenton area. It's like Hell compared to being born and raised in Daytona Beach FL most of my life. I've also found that I haven't found any clubs or people interested in DH or mini's anywhere near me. I'm still trying to look. If I tell people, I get strange looks, asking me how old I am again, "Aren't you too old for that?" And other stuff like that. But I don't mind. It makes me happy. And to each their own. I would love to find people to get together with and maybe do projects together and have people to talk about and whatnot. Even like once a month. I wouldn't mind traveling, but would need it to be near a train or bus area since I can't drive due to MS and my seizures.

Anyone know of any clubs or groups in the NJ/close to PA border area? Or ways to find out?

I've also found that there's not really any hobby shops I've found close to here. Still looking. I plan on going to the "Dollhouse & Miniatures Show" I got an ad for with something I bought off of Ebay. In Lancaster, PA April 21. It'll be my first "show" and quite excited. Really need to start saving my money now. LOL.

I'm kinda weary about Ebay and minis. I also got a "Leather trunk with "Reutter" Items that was "Discontinued and hard to find". The pic was really cute and had reutter porcelain items in it and the trunk was adorable. Well, I got it and all that I saw was two plastic llooking ken doll shoes, a piece of fabric meant to be a folded shirt, NO porcelain items what-so-ever, the paper in the trunk was stained and peeling. Then I remembered seeing this trunk. Come to find out it was one I saw when looking for working suitcases and trunks. Made in China! SAME EXACT TRUNK! When I contacted the person, they acted surprised, and told me it was new, and that the trunk was Reutter and that they sometimes outsource and use other items in conjunction with theirs.... RIGHT. A company with immacculate items and tea sets that can go for quite a bit of money uses other peoples stuff, nevermind cheap trunks from China. So I will be getting my $24 and S+H back. I need to be more careful. That one I must say I think was my own stupidity for not doin a little research. But they also lied. A case was opened in both and I learned my lesson. So I should have around $100+ back on my card pretty soon. Now I need to decide which house to get on here.

Can anyone tell me when the next contest is? Maybe I'll do that and buy that one. Or any suggestions on any other house? I really would like one with quite a few rooms and attic. The ones I really like are the $high 100+ to 300 ones. I keep looking on ebay for the one I really want atm which is the Garfield. I really do love the Pierce also (by the way the one sent to me was also 1/4 scale. Not 1/12 as stated and what I thought I purchased.) I also like the Glencroft. I like the Victorian looking ones with a nice porch area (I adore wrap arounds) and lots of rooms. Of course theyre the most pricey. One thing I want more then anything is a nice glass greenhouse/terrarium type one. But the few I find are all 200 minimum. I'd love to learn glass work to make my own. Right now I have two black square "candle" holders I got after christmas with the pointed top and little door that opens. both are black and about 4 1/2 inches squared and about 10 or 11 high. Anything else I can really do atm is build furniture, work with clay, do needlepoint pieces, and other stuff like that.

I am working on a few things that I would like to open an etsy store with. Hoping to get it up by Valentines Day.

Ok, I've rambled long enough I think. But I do want to add one thing. On the webpage I started I put a poll up. Eventually I would like to start doing swaps. Be it monthly or bi-monthly or something like that. I would have a price amount, a theme (be it color, for a certain room, holiday, handmade, or bought, etc.) and I know it won't happen anytime soon as not alot of people know me. I may do a tiny one with a person or two I know on Etsy. But what do you guys think? Would you guys be interested in doing swaps? I don't mean just on my page, but in general? Is it something realistic and to work torwards? I think it would be great fun and give people a chance to get items they would never have otherwise from other parts of the world.Let me know what you think.

And please check out my page. I know its new. And im trying to introduce myself to new people and pages all over.

Again thank you all for the welcome and sorry for the long winded response. It's a bad habit of mine. hehe

http://adayintheminilife.blogspot.com/

Kris

[havanaholly]

Where in FL? I grew up in West Palm Beach and when we moved back to FL I lived in Jax for 10+ years and Havana, FL, for 21 before health issues forced us to hunt for a more suitable house in a more medically convenient area; we're in AL, but less than a mile from the FL line & Pensacola; I'll always be a Cracker.

The contest we have here is the Spring Fling and you watch for the announcement.

I discovered a while back that I can make my own items at least as nice as the cheaper stuff available ready-made, although I would like to achieve the look of some of the artisan pieces I drool over.

When the forum was young and membership was manageable we used to do community swaps here. One of the reasons so mini of us were upset and impatient when our PM system went down is that's how we manage individual swaps now. When I finish reading the forum here I'll hop off & take a peek at your blog.

[ADayInTheMiniLife]

Holly thanks. And thanks for reminding me about email on the other post I made. I really wasn't thinking.

I was born and raised in Daytona Beach, FL. Left for the first time in 10th grade and went back and forth. I been in NJ this time since 04' and hope to go back. But I'm weary about the heat and how it would upset my MS and if it'd cause more probs. Either way I miss it. That's where my heart is and always will be. And hoping soon to go back and visit my dad for a long while and see how it messes with my MS. Fingers crossed.

I love Pensacola. My Aunt lived there. She just passed last year tho. Lots of great memories in Pensy. I've never been to Alabama. You like it? I've honestly never been off the East coast except for Wisconsin 1 time for a fam reunion back when I was in Elementary school. And to Boston twice to visit friends. That's about it. Never been on vacation. Living in FL closest thing to vacation in my life would be going to Disney Epcot Adventure Island and all those etc. about ten billion times. I don't count that tho. It's like going to the movies. lol. I loved Jacksonville. I was there all the time for concerts. Same with Orlando. I really do miss FL. I miss Steak & Shake (I know you got to know what that is! XD) I'd kill for some tiny fries and a steakburger right now lol. Meh I need to stop thinking about it.

About the swap. I really would love to find people interested. That's why I put the poll. Still I think the blogs only like 4 or 5 days old. And not many know about it. And I know people won't do something like that without knowing me for a little bit. But in making the blog, I from the beginning wanted to do a swap page. And to hopefully make it a regular thing where whoever wanted to, could join in and make it funl Im not looking to make it super expensive. But just small swaps like i said once a month or however often people would be interested. I made a page on my blog titled Swaps. And there I would tell people when to sign up, when the end date is, a round about estimate on price (like i said not looking for massive but fun, and to make it a level playing field), then the topic of the swap, maybe even have people suggest what the idea should be for the next one and have people vote before hand. Then I would just match people up let them know. And make sure everyone sent their items. At least that would be my goal one day. I know I love getting things in the mail, and I know otheres do too. And like I said it could be alot of fun, connect people, and share items with others. Exchanging strengths for other peoples. Like I would love to get a small micro crochet'd (sp?) animal since I can't crochet. I'm trying to learn but find it super hard. And the ones I see on etsy are quite expensive. But if a swap allows for someone to allow for getting something they can't do or not so great at, and for the other person to share what they're strong at, its a win win. I like making my own stuff too. Maybe it can become a reality once I get more followers to my page, and once they know and trust me. I've never done one, and never sent or received anything before. So it would be a learning experience. Is there swaps here still now? Or did they end permenantly? I would like to try a small one with a few people and see how it is and how it goes and what not.

Maybe Ill go add a post on my blog asking if anyone would like to do a very very small VDay swap; Nothing major. Maybe a $10 amount, either made by hand or bought, V-Day related, for any room in the house ( I guess the people matched could speak to one another when giving each other their addresses and possibly ask for which part of the house they would like the item for). I may possibly ask each person to send me a pic of the item theyre going to me to make sure that its fair and being done.) Then I would ask that if people had blogs, to post pics of temson their page. To show what they received. and possibly it in possibly show it in place and whatnot.

Do you still do them here? Where would they be at? Ill have to go look. And yet again I rambled nonstop. Im gonna go now. lol. Sorry >< let me know what yall think.

Kris

[havanaholly]

We no longer do the formal forum swaps with a hub, etc; now if people have things they want to swap for they post in the Community Trading Post forum: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?showforum=49

After spending nearly 20 years moving around the country we moved to Jax and from there it was the Panhandle. DH grew up in Pensacola (they lived in Gulf Breeze but back then all the highschools were in P'cola), so when it was time to look for that "last retirement home" house we got closer and closer, and we are as close to FL as it's possible to get and still have the economic advantages of living in AL on a retirement income. There's an Alabama Trail Association, just like the Florida Trail Association (we belong to both) and many of the wonderful paddling venues in the FL Panhandle are available in AL; plus five rivers flow into Mobile Bay, less than 50 miles from our house; and there are several bicycle trails in south Baldwin County (where we now live). We live less than 30 miles from the most beautiful beaches in the world. So yeah, it's safe to say I like living in Alabama...