New Year's Resolutions ... Really!

More exercise and better display for minis ... those were the resolutions. I know it's now mid-February, but sometimes one needs to ponder before acting. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! We have a TV room in the basement, adjacent to my craft area. It wasn't functioning very well. I'll spare you the before photos, but here is the result of my efforts with major help from friend NJ. (Thank you, dear heart!)

The problem of how to view both sides of the houseboat was solved by putting it here, in the entry to the room, and screening it with a light screen that can be moved for viewing. A white extension cord isn't obvious on the white bricks of the fireplace and provides power for the boat. Now that the boat is where it can be seen easily, I need to do a major dusting. Not looking forward to that ... all of those little 1:24 accessories ... ugh. Two bookcases that were not holding much but junk are stacked and now serve as display for some of Lloyd's mini sculptures and ceramics. It faced the basement stairs, so is the first thing seen when coming down. Nice. (A light green skirt has been added to the boat table. Finishes it nicely and provides hidden storage for minis-in-waiting.) The exercise part is the Gazelle, pulled out of storage and recommissioned. Putting the sofa at an angle made room in the corner where the Mardi Gras float used to be. Marie Laveau's Creole cottage can be seen from both sides and also is near an outlet so it can be plugged in for viewing.

The Mardi Gras float did a 90-degree turn and slid down the wall to another corner. To the left, out of the picture, is the TV and a white brick fireplace wall. The pictures need to be moved, but I'll leave that up to Lloyd. We've been enjoying the Olympics in this now cozy area.

I didn't show you what the TV area looked like before, but this is what my craft area looked like when we finished up the TV room. It took me a whole day to gather up courage to face it. I'm pleased to report that improvements have been made. It is still in dire need of a deep cleaning and reorganization. I'm telling myself that will happen with the quilt shop is finished and all of its bits and pieces can be cleared away.

When the bulk of the debris had been dealt with, I was able to work on the quilt shop. The ground floor will be covered with linoleum left over from our real kitchen. It will be held in place with double-stick tape so it can be taken up if someone ever wants to turn this back into a residence. I was surprised to discover that it cuts easily with a pair of scissors. In the photo below, the front room (at left) has been done. The original house had a shag carpet cut in one piece that made a very nice template for the linoleum. I'm preparing to make a template for the dining room. That worked out well. The ugly part was making the template for the kitchen (behind the dining room). I'm not looking forward to wallpapering the kitchen. Three of the four walls can't be seen from this view -- the only access -- but they can be seen through the windows. Here is the lino cut and in place. It's not stuck down yet. The inside needs one more coat of paint on the walls before it goes in permanently. At the moment the pieces are lying flat with weights on top to remove the slight curl that can be seen here. I want them as flat as possible before taping them down so as not to have to use much tape. The front edge will be covered with a quarter round trim. The section inside the front door had to be cut out in order for the door to open. Those edges will also be finished with quarter round trim and the open area will be painted -- faux flagstone or something to resemble a sturdy entryway flooring. The door is original and opens inward. I don't want to mess with taking it off its hinge to trim away the bottom. The shag carpet was also cut away.