Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated

One of my coworkers commissioned me to make a roombox for her husband. He belongs to the Greek fraternity, Omega Psi Phi-or affectionately called "The Ques." Infamous for their purple and gold colors (namely, the gold boots they "stomp the yard" in), as well as making the bulldog an ever-but-so popular mascot. She also told me that her husband is not only a Fire Department Chief, but he's also a Pastor. Now, how could I possibly incorporate that all into a single roombox? Gabriel knew exactly how, "He needs to have an office or a study for the business side of his personality. And, don't forget to put a bible in the office. Pastors study, you know."
So, taking Gabriel's tidbit of advice, I set out to create a roombox that would capture everything about my coworker's husband. The final design was most pleasing and delivered to my coworker for their anniversary. (She wanted to give him a gift that was unique. I'd say this was definitely a unique gift.)

I placed pictures of two of the four Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.'s founders on the walls of the office/study and adorned the bookshelf with a picture of my coworker and her husband. As for the other room, I placed a pool table in the center of the room. On the pool table, was the Omega shield. (That was my first time trying to utilize Photoshop for a miniature transfer. I mean, I've made pictures before, but never tried putting the picture on an iron-on transfer.) Lastly, I found a bulldog that could guard the "men only" territory of the roombox.

It's Been A While...

Well, Gabriel and I have been very busy. So busy, in fact, we've forgotten to blog. Xmas is fastly approaching (only 4 days away) and we still haven't finished the Apple Blossom for the children at the hospital. I got side-tracked and focused on the Foxhall Manor. Remember, the Apple Blossom is supposed to be the first house being donated to a child at the Northern Virginia Children's Hospital (Oncology Unit). I decided to change the layout of the house-which ofcourse caused some structural problems. (If I had did a dry-fit first, I would have known that you can't change the direction of the tower without needing new pieces for the roof to fit properly!) No worries, though Gabriel reminded me that I knew a GREAT Amish carpenter who could probably make the pieces that I needed for the roof to go on properly. Boy was she ever right! Mr. Ben Kurtz (B.K.'s Furniture, in Charlotte Hall, Maryland) was able to make me a few pieces to go on the roof. Now, my Apple Blossom is successfully turned! Gabriel thought it would be a good idea if I showed you what I was talking about when I say, "I turned the Apple Blossom a different way." So, the picture in the top left corner is how Real Good Toys (RGT) actually designed the kit to look once it was put together.

I really like this house because it's sturdy and all of the trim work is smooth (not much sanding needed), allowing me to paint right away! I forgot to mention, the colors of this house are inspired by the sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated. Their colors are Crimson and Cream. I've built two Alpha Kappa Alpha-inspired houses and wanted to do something different. I'm pretty impressed with how the colors came out.

I still have lots to do on the inside, but I'm hoping to have this house completed by the end of December.

Wish me luck.

The Foxhall Manor

And this is the work Gabriel completed on the Foxhall Manor. The lights were installed and working. The trim work had been done on the conservatory. AND, the wallpaper had been put up in some of the rooms. She had even added the flooring to the main entry area!

I'm going to love having an angel in my life. Gabriel has brought new meaning to my walk with Christ and the mini world that I live in. She was telling me today that God wants me to start using this "hobby" of mine to bless people. She said, "He especially loves children. Can't you figure out a way to use this hobby of yours to bring glory to His Kingdom?" Then, with a twinkle in her eyes, she ran to get on the computer. I asked her what she was looking for on the computer, that maybe I could help her. "A hospital for children. Don't you think they would love something like this? Or maybe you could donate a house a month to a church."

Wow. Gabriel surely didn't waste any time with telling me what God has in store for me to do. I just wasn't so sure I could complete a house per month. "Sure you can. You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you." Then, she turned back to typing on the computer.

This is going to be real interesting.

God bless and goodnight.

He Already Knows Your Heart's Desires!

When I woke up this morning, I found a ton of work had been done on all of my miniature projects! The Thornhill had been stuccoed and painted. Le Reve Estates' laundry room had been wallpapered, and the Foxhall Manor had wallpaper in several rooms.

I immediately ran to Gabriel and asked her what was going on. She looked at me and said, "I told you, God already knows your heart's desires. You wanted all this stuff done and just didn't know how to get started. So, while you were sleeping, He told me what you wanted. I did it." And there she stood, looking at me as matter-of-factly as she possibly could. I didn't have to tell her that all of the work was perfect. I could tell that she already knew it.

I wanted to ask her if she was tired. Before I could even say a word, she looked at me and said, "Angels never sleep nor slumber. 'Tired' is NOT in our dictionary." Then, she started singing, "He knows your every desire...He knows what you need. Yes, He knows." (I'd never heard that hymn before, but I imagine there are A LOT of hymns that the angels in heaven sing we've never heard!

I can't wait to go to sleep tonight. I can only imagine what she'll have done by tomorrow morning!

It's in your bible!!

Gabriel was so anxious to show me in the bible where if you believe in God, He has a whole host of angels just waiting to do whatever it is you need them to do. She said, "there are so many of us just sitting up there twiddling our thumbs because y'all just don't give us any work."

Imagine that. All we have to do is tell our assigned angels what we want them to do and it's done. "All you have to do is speak His word." Little did she know, I was going to speak His word and thank Him for sending her to me. There's much to do in my miniature world; three personal houses (or estates I should say), two commissioned orders, and a home for my mother. (She's always wanted a dollhouse, so I thought I had better build her one.)

I hope Gabriel is still excited about her assignment once I tell her all of the things we have to get started on and complete by at least December! I just hope she doesn't request a change in assignment when she learns of my projects!

Psalm 91:11

"For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. " (NASB)

Gabriel was created by Gina on August 23. I LOVE her and she hasn't even arrived just yet. Please take a moment and go to Lone Wolf Mini Creations and see for yourself the amazing talent this woman has! I was especially impressed with the pricing for such an amazing doll.

Well, once Gabriel arrives, I am sure she will be excited to get started to work.

Until then, God Bless you all.

Athena's Orchid

It is finished! Here's what Athena's Orchid looked like once it was all complete. Challenging, but worth it. Athena is an AKA (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.) in the making; so her mother says!! So, the house had to have some pink and some green (I added the yellow to give it a little more color combo).

This Makes It All Worth While

I built my first Greenleaf dollhouse for my real life little angel, Athena. When she saw the dollhouse, she was so amazed. The first thing she wanted to do was rearrange all of the furniture and open and close the front door. I captured a picture of her looking into the dollhouse from the front door. This made the building process all worth it!

I didn't realize that Greenleaf dollhouses were so detailed and had so many parts! It was a true challenge, but well worth every minute of the build because the finished product was such a beauty.

The Shell (Who Makes It Beautiful?)

In dollhouse universe, a shell kit is the simplest form of a dollhouse that you can get. It doesn't include any component parts (i.e., windows, doors, trim, etc.). And, it's usually very inexpensive. It's up to you (once you acquire it) to make the house beautiful. This makes me think of how "empty" we are before we find God. And then, He turns us into a beautiful being by filling us up with all HIS beauty and glory.

Here's what my LeReve Estates looked like before I started filling it up with the beautiful and glorious little items I can find.

My Second but First Dollhouse

Does that make sense? Well, let me explain. I purchased my first dollhouse in 1995. The San Franciscan by Dura-Craft. That was short-lived. I put it together and then gave it to my best friend; she turned it into a sorority house! In 2001, my (then) boyfriend asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I went to the computer and pulled up the website for dollhouse properties. I showed him the 3200 series shell kit from Real Good Toys. He reached into his wallet and pulled out his credit card. Just like that...I was the proud owner of a new dollhouse.

Fast forward...9 years later: Le Reve ("The Dream") Estate is born! Not quite complete, but tremendous progress made. I consider this my first TRUE dollhouse because I've dedicated so many hours (a true labor of love) to building, decorating, and completing this enormous project.

By George, I Think I've Got It!!

I think I've found the miniature artisan to sculpt my Angel! http://http://www.lonewolfminiaturecreations.com/ Check out the beautiful work of this artisan. The dolls are simply amazing. Now, do I get a male or female Angel and what shall his/her name be?

I'll pray on it and return later.

In Search of an Angel

Inspired by Caseymini, I decided to start a blog about my ventures in the miniature world. So, I thought that I needed a helper to assist me with blogging. And, it dawned on me what I needed-or whom I needed. An Angel. Yeap, an Angel. Therefore, before I officially start blogging really hard; I want to make sure I have the perfect helper. I'm now in search of a miniature artisan who can create an Angel to my specifications.

Stay tuned. (But for now, I'll blog about the houses I've built to date.)