Discovering the Source of that Funny Smell: 2nd Edition

You may or may not recall that a few years ago, I had a propane leak that easily could have taken out my entire house (and my life). Good times. Since then, I've been VERY diligent about checking the stove on a regular basis. So when I started to smell something funny the other day, I checked the stove again. And again. And again. Hmmmm. It kinda smells like gas, but it smells WORSE. I wonder what it is?

No, it's not the dead deer in the ditch. Speaking of which, I ran into some firefighters at the watering hole the other night and asked them to come burn it for me? No. But go right ahead. Use diesel and light 'er up. They laughed at me for leaving it there so long. They would have burned it LONG AGO they said.

Sigh.

It's been fairly warm, and the smell of the dead deer has gotten less potent, so I decided to give it a few weeks to see if it could burn itself out on its own. I also noticed that the New Smell is very different than the Dead Deer Smell. It was more gas-y.

I've been in and out of the house a lot lately, so I only noticed this smell upon entering the house at night. I cranked open the windows and looked in the sink. I washed all of my dishes recently (every dish in Farmhouse Villa, thank you very much), so I didn't think it was a standing-water odor, but I couldn't be sure. I checked the sink again. Ah, there was one pizza tray in there. I lifted it up. There was a weird rusty water stain in the sink. That must be it! I have a 900-year-old porcelain sink that gets rust stains from any water touching it and metal for like 5 minutes. It was a REALLY old pizza tray. Rusty. I tossed it and cleaned out the sink. Problem solved!

Nope. Smell is still here.

Hmmmmmmm.

I recently purchased some new orchid bark. I put it in a baking tray filled with water to get it moist for repotting some orchids. I sniffed the bark. IS IT THE BARK? Nope.

I cleaned out the cat litter. I sprayed smelly spray. I showered myself. Hmmmm. Smell keeps coming back.

WHAT THE F*CK IS THAT SMELL?

Yes, it's spring. Maybe something died in the basement and it needs to "burn itself out," too? But surely it couldn't be THAT smelly. All of the raccoons are hanging out on the front porch. Surely they aren't living in the basement?

The smell made me feel kinda sick. I felt light-headed. Kinda barfy. Am I gas poisoning myself again? I checked the stove over and over and over. Nope, not the stove.

When I came home from having dinner with my parents last night, the smell hit me like a ton of bricks when I came in the door. THAT IS F*CKING DISGUSTING! HELP ME! AM I GOING TO HAVE TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? I WONDER IF THEY'LL BURN THE DEER WHILE THEY'RE HERE?

I called Pa.

I explained that I thought maybe I somehow knocked out the pilot light on the stove when I made pasta the other day. It spilled over a little bit. Then Pa reminded me that I have electric igniter lighter thingies in my gas stove. Oh yeah. So WHAT IS THAT HORRIFYING ODOR?

Then Pa reminded me that I've been finding my toilet empty a lot lately. Like all the time. See, when you live on the farm and the wind blows hard enough, the wind can suck all of the water right out of your toilet. SLURP! I've woken up in the middle of the night hearing it happen multiple times.

I've lived in this house for YEARS without this ever happening, but this spring, it happens about once a week. BIG WINDS. Toilet water goes bye bye. Once, I put toilet cleaner in the bowl, walked away, and came back an hour later to a blue streaked empty toilet. I poured in more water. I let it sit for a while. I came back. EMPTY TOILET AGAIN. The whole process is very bizarre. Even though you think you refilled the water, it can empty out again in no time at all. You have to stay on top of the toilet.

So then Pa explained the P-trap. Water is in the P-trap to keep the sewer gases down. If your P-trap empties out, the gas backs up into your house. I had a vague memory of Pa pouring water into a P-trap in my basement the week I moved in. He told me to come down and fill it every 6 months or so. But moi? I NEVER go in the basement.

Oopsie.

Pa told me to turn on all the taps and let them run and flush the toilet a few times.

ME: I'm so tired. I'm too lazy. I'll run everything in the morning.

PA: (calmly) Oh, you'll want to do it now because that's how people accidentally kill themselves.

ME: ...... (silence) ..... GREAT! I suppose I shouldn't light this cigarette then?

PA: Probably not until you run some water.

ME: (takes cigarette out of mouth; puts down lighter)

So I turned on all the taps and the shower and flushed the toilet three times. I cranked open the windows, and Gretchen almost got eaten by a large raccoon that was RIGHT OUTSIDE the front window staring at her through the screen from a foot away.

SERIOUSLY COULD THIS NIGHT GET ANY WEIRDER!!??

So there I am at 10pm on a Friday night SCREAMING at a raccoon out the window with all of the windows open and all of the water running in the house. I slammed down that front window because the raccoon showed No Fear. It didn't flinch. I banged on the window and waved the flashlight all over. Who KNOWS what the neighbors thought I was doing if they heard/saw me.

But after enough time, the fresh air came flooding in and the house smelled MUCH BETTER.

Learn from my mistake, people. Whenever you hear your toilet slurping, flush it or fill it quickly. Or else your own Sh*t Gas will filter into your home and almost kill you while you wonder how many dead critters are in the basement.

Here lies Blondie Blonderson, who died in her sleep because of her own poo gases.

You're welcome.

Plugging the Depression Dam

Well, it was bound to happen. I've been on a high high high mental health-wise, so it was only a matter of time before I tanked. Yesterday was that day. I woke up Blue and went to bed Blue. Throughout the day, I struggled to keep my hot cheeks from erupting out tears all the way down my face. It was awful.

My Depression Brain has been distracted for quite some time by the reintroduction of dollhouse miniatures into my life. I've barely had any down time because I've been reading about minis, building minis, buying minis, and talking about minis all the time. I love them, and I'm so happy and grateful to have FINALLY figured out my true hobby. However, no hobby is large or strong enough to tackle the chemical storm that happens in my head. It's a disease, and it's not going to go away or "get fixed." So just as those with epilepsy have to wonder when their next seizure will happen, I also know that just because I go for quite a long time feeling fulfilled and content and happy, the Blue or Dark Times are always right around the corner.

Instead of giving in to my depression yesterday, I fought it. It's fine. This is just the way your brain works. Just ignore it. It will go away. I was attempting to treat my body and mind like machines -- like I was just having a hiccup in the system that could be explained away by biology. Yeah, that didn't work. Spending the whole day trying not to cry took its toll. I wish I'd just been compassionate with myself and let it all flow out. I ALWAYS feel better after a good verbal vomit about my feelings. I get all refreshed and flushed. I just didn't want to admit that it was happening.

I feel sad.
I'm p*ssed about this.
I like being the Happy Girl.
Why do I have to feel SO F*CKING SAD?
This is ridiculous!
YOU'LL BE FINE!

I think I was having a birthday hangover. After feeling OK about turning 36 and embracing it, I got to the other side and had a meltdown. I'm 36 years old, and I have nothing to show for it. I have no life partner, no offspring, no property, no nothing. I'm a failure. I'm a loser. I have no path. Surely, there was supposed to be more to my life than this? What did I do wrong? Am I being punished by the Universe? How come all of my friends get Happy Things, and I don't? Why am I so Alone?

I wanted to once again mourn the loss of all of those childhood dreams of marriage and wee babies and someone else carrying in the groceries, but I wouldn't allow myself to go there. I'm so mean to me. It's Stupid.

I think I was negatively affected by traveling to see all of my parents' old haunts. Seeing the bar where they met, the houses they lived in, the church where they married. All of those things happened over 40 years ago. They were younger than me. Much younger. It all added up to a LOT of WASTED TIME on my part. I didn't know seeing all of those things would affect me that way, and my parents certainly couldn't have predicted it. It was a fun trip, a wonderful trip, and I don't regret it at all. But in a way, it made me feel tiny and insignificant. What about me?

This morning, I feel better. I remember that I no longer want my own babies (but I suppose I will leave that door open just in case someone else really does -- maybe). I remember that I have a great life with good friends and a wonderful family. I have a roof over my head even though it's creaky. My life is NOT horrible. I know this.

But I still feel tender. A little bruised. I don't have tears waiting to burst from the dam today, but I do have a sense of being let down. I wanted some nice man to take me to dinner on my birthday. Someone I loved. I wanted a sweet birthday card from him or at least a hand-hold while we walked down the street. I wanted someone to have a funny conversation with so I could laugh and laugh. I wanted someone to lean on.

Yes, I am an independent, strong woman, but I'm still looking for someone to hook arms with. As each year goes by, I get reminded of all that I've missed out on. It's easier to ignore it when there isn't some kind of milestone happening. I've been enjoying my 30s because I'm much more comfortable with myself than I've ever been, but they also bring on an increasing awareness of mortality. I only have so much time on this planet, and I wish I could spend it with a like-minded soul. I'm worried that's not my destiny. Sometimes, I feel OK about that, and sometimes I don't.

I don't have any way to fix all of this, but I can do one thing in this moment to make me feel better. I'm giving myself permission. The next time I feel like crying, I'm going to do it. I'll let all of that ugly right out no matter what. Usually, I won't cry unless I can talk to someone while I do it. It scares me to cry alone because I feel like I will never stop. But my parents won't always be around to comfort me in those moments. I'm going to have to learn how to tackle my emotions Solo. I suppose I'll be brave and give it a whirl next time. The only thing worse than letting it out is holding it in.

Farmies Invade the Quad Cities

When I asked my parents to go with me to the Davenport miniatures show, I had an agenda. My folks met and married there, so I wanted to see all of their haunts. I made a list of places I wanted to see. The very first place on the list was The Tiddley Tap, which is where my parents met. Yes, it's true, my Perfect Non-Drinking Non-Smoking Non-Drugging Lutheran Angel parents MET AT A BAR. ON A WEDNESDAY. And now they've been married for 40 years. In June, it will be 41. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up.

We drove over to the Tiddley in Bettendorf. I was so happy it was still there. It's somewhat of a dive bar (my favorite kind), so you never know if these places will still be around 40 YEARS later:

Wee dive bar in Iowa, or Love Den of Ma and Pa Blonderson:

I went inside to see if I could get a T-shirt or a napkin or something with the name on it:

There was one patron there and a nice bartender. I asked her for something with the name? All she had was beer tokens, so I bought one from her and took it to my parents. (They waited in the car because they are not the kind of people who mosey into a bar in the middle of the day, but I am.) Ma gave it back to me, and now it will become part of the Beacon Hill. Awesome:

My father worked at Alcoa when my folks met, so we drove past it. It's HUGE. They make aluminum there, and they have these huge machines that are like 20 miles long INSIDE the building. OK, they aren't that long, but they're close. We drove past Alcoa for like an hour because it was so giant:

Then we went around to various other places where my parents had lived. I took a bunch of pictures, but I can't post them in order to maintain my parents' privacy. I saw the famous house that was surrounded by an onion field where Pa lived. So ironic because he gets HORRIBLE heartburn when he eats onions now. I saw where Ma had her first teaching job. I saw the church where my parents got married (SQUEE!). Then I saw Ma's apartment building and where my folks' had a little condo and then their Very First Grownup House. There was a girl playing in the yard when we drove past that one, so I had to go all ninja and shoot photos out the window without all of the neighbors noticing the psycho in the car. The Quad Cities of Bettendorf, Davenport, LeClaire, and Moline really do all run right up against each other. We were able to drive from one to another quite easily to get all the pictures we needed. It was great. The Nerds looked pleased to see their old haunts. I was, too.

And LeClaire? Oh yes, we HAD to go to Antique Archeology, or the business of My Fake Ex-Boyfriend Mike Wolfe. I emailed Jodi before I went, but sadly, she was in their Other State. Someday, I will go meet them in LeClaire, but for now, I went to the business by myself and gathered around with the other tourists to take photos. It was a total Nerdfest and we were all very happy. I've decided I'm officially finished publicly torturing Mike Wolfe with stories of our Fake Courtship and Fake Breakup, so he's off the hook. Instead, we will go back to being what we really are. Mike Wolfe: Total Celebrity; Blondie: Writer/Editor; Mike Wolfe + Blondie = Mutual Iowans.

We were not the only fans standing around waiting for them to open on Saturday morning:

Here I am with the car. I would have been Stunningly Beautiful in this photo, but the power went out in our hotel that morning, so none of us got showers. Stupid Thing Happening When I Travel = Typical:

I really love the paint colors on the building:

Does this guy look familiar?

How about these silly dudes?

The building itself is actually really small, but it was jam-packed with goodies. I got a T-shirt and a little rooster sticker that I'm hoping to make into a framed work of art for the Rooster/Chicken Room in the Beacon Hill. The girls working there were super helpful and nice, and I was happy I finally got to see the shop.

And the wee car:

The riverfront in LeClaire is STUNNING. There are a ton of cute shops and restaurants. If you like antiquing, this is the place to be. We had a mission, however, which was to get to the mini show. We stopped for some super yummy popcorn at Kernel Cody's Popcorn Shoppe and then went to lunch at The Crane and Pelican Café. The food? It was SO GOOD. It's in a historic house that was built in 1851. I love history like that:

If you're ever in LeClaire, I highly recommend that you go to all of these places.

Dear Ma and Pa,

Don't worry, no one is going to judge you for meeting at bar. We all know you aren't raging alcoholics. Well, most of us do. Thank you so much for taking me to see all of your special places. I had a wonderful time, and I'm so grateful that I got to see these places with you before you go dying on me, and I forget all of your stories.

XXOO,

Blondie

Embracing My Age

Today, I am 36 years old, and I feel just fine about it. Last year right about this time, I was having a regularly-scheduled mid-life crisis (they come to me on the 5s). But today I feel just fine about getting older. I'm wiser, I'm stronger, and I'm more comfortable in my own skin than I have been in a looooong time.

Happy birthday to me.

*pats self on back*

Metro Mini Makers of the Quad Cities Haul

This weekend, my parents and I went to the Metro Mini Makers of the Quad Cities Dollhouse Show & Sale in Davenport, Iowa. I WAS SO HAPPY! I have been looking forward to this show since the beginning of the year when I found out about it. I didn't think I'd be able to go because Davenport is quite the drive from Farmsville. There was no way I'd be able to drive over there, enjoy the show, and drive back all by myself. So I gently nudged my folks to come with me? They met and married in the Quad Cities, so they agreed to come and do a tour of all of their old haunts (that tale is for a separate post). But the most important goal was to mini myself into a frenzy. I totally did.

Taking pictures to show you all of my goodies was an exercise in patience. Miss Gretchen wanted to eat EVERYTHING. I was able to distract her a few times and eventually shoved her out of the home office in a somewhat forceful manner. I'm realizing that after construction of the Beacon Hill is finished, I'm probably going to have to buy stock in the Plexiglas company.

Brae and April both purchased these little French knot rug kits at the Three Blind Mice show in Chicago. They are working on them now (see here for Brae and here for April). I've been eyeballing these jealously. When I saw the real deals all done up and looking PERFECT at the show, I had to get one. I chose the Jacob Bean Tree. These are made by Theresa Layman, but we all bought them from Jacqueline Deiber (no web site listed). They are amazing kits:

I can't remember who I picked this up from, but these are laser cut place mats and napkins along with a table runner by Jeanetta Kendall. My miniatures guild is planning to make a bistro for Nebraska NAME Day this fall, so these will work nicely inside:

Much to my delight, my fellow Omaha guild member was selling goodies at the show. Her name is Wanda, and she runs Miniature Home Interiors (no web site). Wanda makes over 400 miniatures, and they are all AMAZING. I'm planning on buying more things from her in the future. I have my heart set on one of her rooster pie tin cabinets for the Beacon Hill Rooster/Chicken Room. For now, I got these adorable soaps:

Wanda told me she didn't have a lot of money when she started mini-ing 30 years ago, so she taught herself how to make everything. She taught herself VERY WELL. I have a LOT to learn! Here is a cute, little doormat and a rubber hose:

And I almost died when I saw Wanda's baby chicks. There is even little chick food in that food holder. SO CUTE. And of course, Dorothy's ruby shoes:

Here are some items for the Heritage Room. My mother has this exact same bowl set for popcorn. I have many, many, many memories of eating popcorn with Gran, Ma, and my sister out of bowls just like this. I also picked up a pin cushion to go with Gran's wee thimble. The fan is to represent my California auntie. After Grandma Blonderson passed away, my auntie sent me a photocopy of a beautiful paper fan that she'd sent to Grandma. There was a lovely letter on the back. I still have it around here somewhere (anxiously wonders where...). I later purchased little paper fans and wrote letters to Ma and all of my aunties on them. So the fan brings back warm memories of maternal love. All of these goodies are from Hartland Miniatures (no web site):

I got a bunch of fun things from T&D Miniatures. This little angel will go in the Heritage Room to represent my female California Cousin. Kira and I went to visit her over spring break in San Francisco one year, and she had a little angel like this in her back yard. It had been bonked by a ball or something, so its head was broken at the neck. Poor angel. The one here is just fine:

Anyone who knows me in Real Life will laugh when they see the Diet Mountain Dew cases. I lurve me some Diet Mountain Dew. The bleach is for the Crime Museum. Chickens for the Rooster/Chicken Room. Popcorn for Ma, of course. Crest and a yardstick for fun. All from T&D:

Ma won a door prize. How ironic. The ONE person who is not a miniaturist wins a wee pan with eggs and sausage in it. It was fitting for her though because she loves breakfast. The Bridge set is to represent my mother's sister, who was a wickedly good Bridge player back in the day:

Before I got to the show, I squealed with delight when I saw this miniature oriole feeder online. My mother is OBSESSED with orioles, and she does everything possible to attract them to her house. She does a great job because they are out there all the time. Here we have a bluebird, a woodpecker, a tufted titmouse, and an oriole on a feeder from A Little More in Miniatures. I LOVE THEM:

Before I went to the show, I looked at the flowers kits on the site and conferred with April. She is SO good with flowers that I knew she would help me find an "easy" kit. I thought I would have to paint these, so I was thrilled when I discovered they were already colored. SCORE! These are Gerber daisy kits from A Little More in Miniatures:

Brae reminded me that A Pocket Full of Wishes (no web site) had these fantastic little votive candles and holders. I also got this little bird feeder with a cardinal on it. The owners were fantastic, and Pa actually chatted with them for quite some time because they had some things in common. Great people, great minis:

Can you see the fake water in the birdbath? This wee precious thing made my day:

I got a few furniture kits from William Cambron Designs. I plan on putting these in the the Orchid/Plant Room:

He also had these little paddles that reminded me of my sister. They shall go in the Heritage Room to represent her because she loves everything ocean/lake/watery/sunny:

I think we all have The Item after a shopping spree, right? The one that makes your heart sing and the sky look perfectly blue? This is that mini. It's a stunning flapper from William. I love the way she's all stretched out:

She gets two photos because she is Just That Cool. She's actually really heavy for being so tiny:

To wrap it up, here is a cute little sign for the Heritage Room from A Little More in Miniatures. If you can't read it, it says: "Home: Together is a wonderful place to be."

So true:

I got a few other goodies, but I can't show them to you because they are for the Greenleaf Spring Fling 2013, so you won't see them until Halloween... Hey. That all rhymed!

Oh, Monday.

And then we drove back and I went to my guild meeting and we were having a mini garage sale and I got a whole 'nother haul for crazy cheap and some for FREE. Talk about a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!!! (pix of all that stuff another time -- the beastly kitteh is too fired up now)

And now that I am completely broke, it's back to construction.

------------------------------------

Thank you to all of the mini vendors and Metro Mini Makers for putting on a great show. And a HUGE thank you to my parents for going with me. XXOO!!!

Love,
Blondie

Anticipating BlogHer '13

I'm putting up this unflattering photo of me and my sister because it's AWESOME. Don't you agree? I thought so. I am secretly in the WORLD'S WORST PAIN because I threw my back out (my back that has two herniated disks and joint damage) in the shower of my fancy New York hotel room earlier in the day. I chose to blame this on Dorothy because she moved all of my shower goods to the far back corner of the shower and put all of hers right underneath the nozzle on the little tray. I had to blame SOMEONE. I mean, come ON. Also? I have this same awkward, close-mouthed smile in all of the photos because for the last few years, my niece has been telling me how yellow my teeth are. Good times. Dorothy looks perfect, but she's probably EXHAUSTED because she had been working all day long. But there we are at the BlogHer '12 Sparklecorn party anyway, rocking it together. Get down with your bad selves, sisters.

Right about this time of year, I start to get BlogHer Conference Fever. Last year, it built up to such a point that I had a few nervous meltdowns. I was SO excited go to New York. I was thrilled to pieces to finally meet whooshEr. And the conference itself made me bounce up and down on the couch for weeks in advance as I thought about seeing all of my wonderful bloggie friends in the Big Apple. WHEEEEE!!

This year, BlogHer '13 is happening in Chicago. I'm not quite as bouncy. Returning to my Concrete Jungle is always a bit of a challenge emotionally. However, I've conquered it before, and I'll conquer it again. Hanging behind me on the wall are three BlogHer Conference badges: Chicago '07, Chicago '09, and New York '12. Basically, it's a safe bet that BlogHer will end up in Chicago again at some point in the future. Each time I go, I grow. No harm, no foul.

This year, I came up with a GRAND PLAN to hang out with some people outside of the conference. I started making a mental list of all of the wonderful things I could do, completely forgetting how F*CKING HARD it is to go anywhere in Chicago in less than an hour.

I called my sister to confer. She reminded me how difficult it was to navigate myself over to see whooshEr in New York (which is much smaller spacewise than Chicago). I remembered waddling down the street to catch the subway with my slip hanging out of my dress (which I later threw away in the bathroom of a super fancy restaurant) and my back flaring. Seeing whooshEr was totally worth it, but I did wish I'd been on just a special trip to see her because I felt torn in a few directions. Back at the hotel, a really fun party was going on. And in general? BlogHer is exhausting. My cankles can only handle so much. I overdid myself.

I pulled up a map. I looked at where the conference is being held. McCormick Place. I've been there before back when I lived in Chicago. It's right at the bottom of downtown. People I want to see? They live FAR AWAY from there. I'm not even sure which hotel I'm staying at, but I know there will be shuttles between the hotel and the conference. So how exactly do I think I'm going to get from Point A to Point B to Point Y easily? While I'm going to sessions and parties and giggling in hotel rooms and putting up my weary cankles and having anxiety meltdowns? Yeah, not gonna happen.

*crickets*

Dorothy kindly reminded me that I tend to get overwhelmed easily in large crowds AND in hotel rooms AND at BlogHer. She suggested it might be a better idea to promise to see my friends at another time. Why put that kind of pressure on myself? Just because the cake is there, that doesn't mean I have to jump through 1,000 hoops and ride 4 trains to eat it. Yes? Yes. Thank you, Sissy.

I am having a sad about not seeing some people that I REALLY want to see, but then again, this means I will have to take another fun trip sometime, so that isn't a bad thing. It's nice to get out of Farmsville once in a while.

So back to BlogHer '13.

I'm going to see AWESOME BLOGGIE FRIENDS.
I'm going to GIGGLE WITH MY SISTER IN A HOTEL ROOM.
I'm going to ROADTRIP IT WITH MY SISTER LIKE WHEN WE WERE KIDS (after the Nightmare That Was Newark, we decided to drive, thank GAWD).
I'm going to LOAD A BAG WITH SWAG.
I'm going to DANCE LIKE NO ONE'S WATCHING (because they aren't).
I'm going to BE OPENLY RIDICULOUS.
I'm going to LAUGH and probably CRY.

It's going to be GREAT!!

I have two months left to build up a sh*tload of anticipation. It's ON, people.



Just kidding. I'm totally NOT wearing a cute baby.

But I will be there. And it will once again be AWESOME.

The Greenleaf Spring Fling 2013

 All images c/o Greenleaf

It's that time of year again, people. It's the Greenleaf Spring Fling! Well, um, the Summer Fling? Usually the contest gets started a little earlier in the year, but no harm, no foul. The kit was worth waiting for. Check out that puppy above. WOW.

I entered my first Spring Fling back in 2009 with the Observatory. Oh my. I was SO green with dollhouses back then. Now, I notice that I didn't add doors or windows. I didn't paint the trim. I didn't do any interesting paint. And I barely finished the upper floor. The Observatory is a Hawt Mess. However, I have a soft spot for it because Pa helped me with the outer covering. I basically threw that house together in one weekend because, true to form, I waited until the Very Last Second to get the kit finished. I was so proud of myself and thought maybe I could win a prize and then I saw the other entrants and went HOLY SH*T I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN!

But the true purpose of the Spring Fling is not so much to win as it is to have a ton of FUN with my miniaturist pals over on the Greenleaf forum. The excitement has been building for about a month as we all waited impatiently patiently for the kit to be announced. People were already making lists of ideas and foaming at the mouth. I wasn't sure I wanted to participate. Last year, I bought the kit even though it didn't really speak to me, burned out, and never finished it. It's OK though because April won last year with the Asahi Tea House. WHOOT!

The really fun part of the Fling is that we tease each other ruthlessly with pictures of little parts of our builds that don't give anything away the whole time. Photos get posted that have NOTHING to do with the builds, so you never know what people are really doing. It's a grand mystery, and the reveal is ridiculously exciting. Seriously. It's like finally finding out what all of your friends have been working on when you get to the art fair or science fair or Valentine's Day when all of the purty boxes show up. Childlike joy as an adult? It rules.

But when I saw the kit above, my heart fell.

*cymbal crash*

I HATE BEACHES!

I'm a redhead, people. When I think of beaches, I think of the third degree burns I got in Florida back in high school on vacation. I think of the shame of wearing a swimming suit and the nasty smell of suntan lotion. I think of hotness, sand, and misery. Ugh.

But then I remembered something!!!

The Spring Fling kit can be WHATEVER I WANT IT TO BE!

I conferred with Brae, April, and Lyssa. Should I? Shouldn't I? Hem, haw. I couldn't think of any ideas. Originally, the girls weren't going to participate. There are Other Contests going on this year, and there are many houses to build. But then they got The Fever. I totally don't blame them. It's ON!

And magically, we all thought of ideas that are completely different from each other. I thought about it for a few days and then it hit me. I'm going to build a ________. Nope, I can't tell you what it is. It's a SECRET. And I'm not telling you what the girls are building, either. But I will say that it's THRILLING to be able to secretly talk to my girls about our builds because it can be kind of lonely not knowing what other people are working on and having no one to SQUEE with when something turns out Just Right. YAY!

Here is how the contest works from the Greenleaf site:

As with past Spring Flings; we're going to name this new dollhouse after the winner! That's right, we'll rename it after you… it's your chance to be forever immortalized as part of the Greenleaf product line. Now how cool is that? Just submit your photos by Halloween, October 31, 2013 (detailed instructions included) and win one of these great prizes:

First Place: $500 gift card from the Greenleaf Company Store plus you rename this dollhouse
Second Place: $250 gift card from the Greenleaf Company Store
Third Place: $125 gift card from the Greenleaf Company Store
Luck of the Draw: A random entry will win a $50 gift card from the Greenleaf Company Store

Excited yet? I thought so.

You don't have to buy that whole big, giant beach house above (but you totally can if you want to, oh yes you can). You can buy whichever of the components you want and make whatever you want. Changing a kit from its original form is called "kit bashing," so you can bash like crazy if you want to.

All you have to do is buy this original house:

That's it! Take the house and go wild! 

For my plan? I need a bit more. I'll share with you what I purchased to make you wonder what I'm up to. I bought this handy roof upgrade:

There are two different kinds of rails for you to choose from. I ordered one set of these rails:

And then I decided I wanted a nice door, so I bought this version:

What am I going to build with all of these things? IMMA NOT TELLIN'. You will have to wait until Halloween to to see my _______. Although I might put up a few teaser photos along the way...

When I mentioned to my father that I was going to enter the Spring Fling again, he asked: "Are you going to stop working on the Beacon Hill?" No, no worries. I'll keep trucking along with the BH. She's here to stay, and she's my top priority. Of course, I also need to work on Little's Lily kit this summer, so it might get very dollhousey in here... Meh, no one comes over anyway.

Have a hankering to build a dollhouse? Even if you don't want to enter the contest, you can still get these kits for a discounted price right now and see if the mini bug bites you. Use promo code SF2013 to get free shipping, too!!

*shamelessly trying to get more people interested in miniatures*

My goal this year is simple: Improve on my skills. Make the _____ more "finished" than the Observatory. Stretch my wings. Pay attention to details. And, most importantly, have a BLAST.

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I'd like to send out a HUGE thank you to Greenleaf for being such a great company. Not only do they make great kits, they also host a giant forum where people who build everything (even non-Greenleaf kits) can join together to chat about minis AND they have fun contests each year with great prizes. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY CRUSTY BLACK HEART.