Painting trim isn’t as much fun as sewing doll dresses…

Really, it’s not… but that’s what I was doing today. I traded my “carpenter’s assistant” cap for a painter’s cap today! I filled many holes and imperfections in the minty green paneling with spackle and my hubby did his thing with caulk, filling LOTS of cracks where the planks used at the top had pulled away from the paneling where they met. The sitting room looks like it has a bad case of the measles…there are spackle spots everywhere… but this room hasn’t been painted since 2004, when we first bought the house, so it was time! It was way overdue!

As I was filling lots of cracks and splinters in the paneling, I kept looking up at the trim around the top next to the ceiling and it just looked yellow to me. I wanted all the trim in my house to be one color, Sherwin Williams Snowbound, so when something needed touched up, I knew exactly what color paint can to grab. So when my hubby went out to mow the grass, I ran to the basement, grabbed the Snowbound paint and as quickly as I could, started painting that trim.

This is kind of a weird spot in the room… just outside out bedroom door… it’s slanted because the stairway to the attic is on the other side of it.

My picture didn’t turn out very clear, but here is the difference in the paint colors. Snowbound is on top of Colonial White, which is what was up there…

By the time my hubby came back in, I had about 12 feet to go and I would be finished. He said he didn’t know I was going to paint the trim. I just told him the old color had yellowed… which it really had…and that was that… he just walked away without saying anything else… Whew! I knew he wanted me to get started on the painting of the walls, not necessarily the trim. I look at it like this, if I’m going to go to all the trouble to make the room look as nice as possible, why not spend an extra hour or two and make it look exceptional? It does now… well, at least the trim does… the painting never happened.

But I did get most of the holes and areas that needed to be spackled finished along those top 10″ wide boards. They even got sanded too! Now tomorrow I can sand all those spots below and get ready to paint. I’ll surprise you with the color.

I think you can see the difference in these 2 pictures… the Snowbound is on the left and the more yellow, Colonial White is on the right…

Just a quick update on the Ruby Red Fashion Friends Christmas dresses. Thought you might like to know which dress is in the lead so far… Sara’s Berries dress has 256 views, Stella’s green dress has 206 views and Rozen’s red plaid dress had 154 views. There are right at 29 watchers on each dress. Thanks for all your kind comments about the listing and for being such fun cheerleaders! :o) I really appreciate that.

Also you might want to know… Addy will be the next doll up for a dress. I just have to make a Civil War dress every so often, to satisfy my love of that style dress. I’m not sure what fabric I’m going to use, but I’ll decide soon.

Now, for something fun… Laura sent me some pictures…and I’ll let her tell you about them… Thanks Laura!

Just in case you need photos, I thought I’d share my two small autumn displays.. Here is my Galilee with The Queen’s Treasures baking set getting ready to mix up an apple cake once she finds some apples.

And here is my Gilead heading off to the Harvest Festival in 1904. She and Daisy masquerading as a black kitty hope to win the title of Harvest Queen.

I think someone on here asked about this piece of furniture when I used it for my backdrop before. It’s an antique Victorian hall tree. Please enjoy the bonus of two of my kitties. =^-^=

I believe when I bought my RRFF Requiem and mentioned that she would match my bedroom furniture someone asked to see a piece. This is my chest of drawers. My whole set includes a double bed, nightstand, chest of drawers, dressing table with caned bench, and desk and chair. It’s from the 1920’s and came from Mabley & Carew in Cincinnati. It was my mom’s first and she received it from a family friend as a young child. I’ve had it since I was 15 and have never tired of it, not ever will.

A close-up of the rose spray. There’s a large one on my head and footboard of my bed as well as small ones on the dresser, and desk drawers, bench, and nightstand.
Thank you for letting me share, Jeanne.

You are welcome Laura! It was a bit difficult to come up with an interesting post just using spackle splotches and shots of trim…

See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

21 thoughts on “Painting trim isn’t as much fun as sewing doll dresses…”

  1. Charlotte Trayer

    Well, I see there is a second bid on one of the dresses!! Hm, maybe there will end up a bidding war on one (or more) of them!!

    I do like that Snowbound trim color, much better than Colonial White. Definitely the trim should be painted if the walls are going to be!

    Laura, thanks for sharing your pictures. Your dolls are lovely, and I just might need to see if I can find that baking set for my girls!! I’m sure they would love to try their hand, also!!

    Thanks, too, for sharing the pictures of your beautiful furniture! I just love your dresser–so special!!

    I started smocking Delaney’s new dress while I was at the beauty shop today, and tonight I finished my summer top that I cut out back in August! Will have to put it away until next summer, though–58° is just a little too cool for cap sleeves!

    1. Thank you, Charlotte! What also neat about my furniture is that Cincinnati is my birthplace and I had been to the Mabley and Cerew department store in Western Hills Plaza and maybe the one downtown before they close.
      Here’s the QT set. http://www.thequeenstreasures.com/18-inch-doll-accessories/18-inch-doll-food-dishes-more/vintage-baking-tool-set.html
      It’s all wood, metal, or fabric and the flour and sugar sacks are just darling.

      Delaney may have a speck of time to wear the top. We’ve had a few cooler in the 50’s morning, but haven’t had a freeze yet, so Indian Summer is still to come. 🙂

      1. Charlotte Trayer

        Oh, Laura, you may have started something here!! Those QT accessories are just wonderful! I just spent a chunk of time looking thru that web site!!

        Actually, the smocked dress is for Delaney. The top is for me! And, no, I won’t be able to wear it until next summer–I would Freeze!! Today it did get up to 70, but blew like crazy, and it’s down to 48 and pouring rain tonight. So, long sleeves, plus sweaters, plus jackets when I go out! For then next 8 months or so.

  2. Debbie in Tennessee

    Jeanne, Congratulations on the interest on the Christmas dresses. It is fun following along with the auction. Also following along with your painting projects – I might have to “borrow” your paint colors. I love your choices. We are not planning on painting the fairly new gray paint but the seller has left her mark on the walls and I am afraid our house will have the measles too!

    Laura, Thanks for sharing your pictures. Your AG girls look like they are having fun with your kitties or is it the other way around : ) I can see why you love your furniture. You can’t buy that design or quality today.

    Sally, Thanks for asking, I have packed 38 boxes as of 4:00 pm Wednesday; most of them from my closet. I still have (had) clothing dating back to my teaching years, 10 years ago. I don’t know why I thought they would be back in style again or that I would return to teaching. Neither of those happened. I am glad “everything” worked out with Alexandra and that you love her. I haven’t been an angel as I imply, I tired of waiting for my Little Darling from Magalie so bought a substitute, a convention doll, until I get the real thing. Now I am done!

    Another cold front is blowing in today, Happy Fall to All,

    Debbie

    1. Thank you, Debbie! No, it’s not a style of furniture I’ve ever seen. All the pieces are dovetailed which makes it super sturdy. I saw a set by the same manufacturer once in a magazine. The owner had received hers from her great aunt. It was a moss green with white roses and had a different design to the pieces as well as different pieces.

      The Little Darlings that I’ve seen that Magalie paints are just beautiful. Hope you’ll share a photo when she finally arrives.

  3. Joy in northern CA

    Snowbound rules!! The white white trim really is lovely. Whatever color is chosen for the walls will pop with that trim. It always amazes me when we go to paint, how much prep work is involved. Out here in CA, it is patching sheetrock cracks. We live with adobe soil which moves with the seasons so after several years, cracks open up again. Everyone has them. But, the cracks require taping, spackling, and sanding between coats to ensure a flat surface which then lastly has to be textured. I’ve developed my own system to prevent the sanding dust. I just use a damp sponge which levels the joint compound and gets it ready for the last texturing. Works like a charm and there is no dust. Can’t wait to see the chosen color. 🙂

    Laura has some lovely furniture pieces. The beautiful hall tree looks like a perfect kitty perch. The bedroom furniture is simply elegant. How wonderful it has lasted so well through the generations. The flower detail is fetching. Love it. And Gilead and her “black” kitty is such a cute photo. Hope she wins Harvest Queen. 🙂 Looks like Galilee is enjoying the Queens Treasures accessories. A slice of pie would be great right now. 🙂

    Been busy with online shopping for the grands. They have lists now which really helps. Middle grand is into LOL dolls and Barbie. Not my favorites, but oh well. 🙂 And, the rain continues. Sounds like the north states, Washington, Oregon, and way northern CA are going to have a lot of rain in the next few days. Now the weather people are worried about burn scars and mud slides. They are calling for three feet of snow in the Sierra, which is good. What a nice base that will be for skiers. 🙂

  4. Linda in St. Louis

    Painting with Jeanne, and pictures from Laura! What a wonderful surprise, Laura, to see some of your dolls and your kitties, plus your beautiful furniture! Wow, that hall tree is gorgeous and such a treasure! Your bedroom furniture is so feminine and perfectly suited to you, and the story behind it makes it more so! I can’t believe how well it has held up through the years.

    Your dolls are precious! I love Galilee’s dress, since I just bought one like it for Kirsten! Better get some apples for her so she can start baking!

    Gilead looks perfect as a medieval princess for the Harvest Queen! Daisy might just steal the show though! And your two kitties are adorable! Makes me want to get one again!

    Jeanne, your painting was the right thing to do, since the woodwork will now match all the other woodwork in the house. You will never regret doing it now, and not later!

    Whew, I managed to get my comments in! I previously wrote two times only to have it disappear. My problem, not yours. My iPad went on the blink, but it’s fixed now.

    1. Well that was strange. Please see below, Linda. For some reason my comment to you posted by itself instead of a reply to you.

  5. Barbara in SE Texas

    Great idea to just go ahead and paint the woodwork. If you had painted the walls and decided the woodwork needed painting after you would have had to worry about paint getting on the walls. Fortunately I never have to do the woodwork. David has such an amazingly steady hand that he doesn’t even have to do any taping like I would have to. I’m usually relegated to using the paint roller.

    I love Laura’s pictures and the names of her dolls. Galilee’s dress is really pretty and I’m sure Gilead will be the Harvest Queen. Cute kitties, all of them. I love the bedroom furniture. So sweet and perfect for a little girl’s room. And the Victorian hall tree is one beautiful piece of furniture.

    My grandson Skyy goes tomorrow for surgery to realign his nose. He went to school yesterday but it was too soon. He stuck it out but was exhausted when he got home. He told one of his teachers he could not do a lot of screen time right now. She told him to do it till it hurt. He’s staying home today.

    I can’t remember who mentioned that they had bought a wheelchair for their daughter’s doll because she was missing a leg. When I was talking to Dionne about what to get Jaiden for Christmas and/or her birthday (12/31) she mentioned she had a doll with a missing leg and wants a wheelchair for her. I got on Ebay and found an Our Generation wheelchair set that had never been opened for $14.99. Can’t beat that. She’ll not only have the wheelchair for that doll but she’ll have all the other pieces like crutches and leg and arm casts and some other things I couldn’t identify from the picture.

    I will have the pleasure of my granddaughter Jaiden’s company tomorrow. She is off from school and Dionne will have her hands full with Skyy’s surgery and taking care of Azure so Sean is going to bring her out when he comes. I told Dionne to send her My Life As doll with her. I want to figure out which one she has since she threw the box away and she can’t remember.

    1. Thank you so much, Barbara, for the sweet comments. I spent quite a bit of time deciding on doll name each time. My collection is small with only seven, but you’d never know it from the names. Each one gets at least two middle ones and most received a new first and last even though they started as AG assigned historicals. i move some of their eras and make them my own. Far more fun that way.

      I’ll be praying that Skyy’s surgery goes well. Have a fun day with Jaiden. Perhaps you can choose fabric for a doll dress. I remember sewing with my grandmother and choosing fabric and trims.

  6. Thank you so much, Linda! I do love detailed feminine furniture. Congratulations on Kirsten’s work dress. That dress is probably my favorite in her whole collection followed by her winter skirt and blouse and checked dress and apron. Actually, I do have the apples from Caroline’s Travel basket, but I didn’t have time to go through another box to get them and the basket out. I do have my items well organized in under the bed boxes, but each box holds a specific historical or historicals items.

    Now that you have your own Kirsten, I would be happy to enable you with Kirsten must-haves. My Antebellum/Civil War era dolls share Kirsten’s and Addy’s things.

    My kitties thank you as well. They certainly know they are precious! You need a snuggle bunny for the winter.

  7. The snowbound paint is so fresh and crisp, Jeanne. Of course, you have to paint the trim if you are painting the walls. . Curious as to what color you have chosen.
    I was thrilled when I saw Marilyn had suggested a Civil war dress and that’s what you will be making next. I’m sure Addy is eagerly waiting.

    Thank you again, for letting me share photos. I’m glad I chose a good time to send some.

    1. Dorothy in PA and the World

      Dear Laura, I loved seeing your photos. Your girls are really having fun.

      Our local doll club almost made it to Queens Treasures for a road trip last year then, of course, the world shut down. We will get there someday. We did make it to Sophia’s.

      There was an American Girl outlet in Hershey, PA but I understand that it closed recently. I did get there a few times.

      I love dressing my 18-inch Gotz Happy Kidz girls. They can wear the AG size clothing but not their shoes. The Gotz girls have slightly bigger feet.

  8. Anne Coldron in New Zealand

    Loved the photos Linda, they knew how to make furniture back then! We have a shop in Kaiapoi just outside of Christchurch that make ‘Antiques of the future’, Way too expensive for me I’d rather spend the money on dolls lol but the furniture is lovely. My furniture will end up in a garage sale when I have finished with it, it is so ordinary and not well made none of my grandchildren will want it. Love your kitties too, I just have one and the dog but my daughter has 3 so if/when she moves in we will have 4 cats and 2 dogs!!! She would love to be a ‘cat lady’!!

    Jeanne, I think you were right to paint the trim. Even if it was ‘ok’ before you painted it it would have been very noticeable when you finished the walls. I have been checking the auction and see the red plaid has 4 bids on it. I think that is my favourite anyway.

    My Sara is still in her box. I just enjoy looking at her she is so sassy in her denim. Not that I am a fan of jeans with holes in!!! In my world if something has holes in it you throw it away or repurpose it!!!

    1. Hi Anne,
      No worries, but the doll pictures, kitties, and furniture are mine. 🙂 =^-^= I’m glad you enjoyed them.
      I didn’t know you had a kitty as well. I love both, dogs and kitties.
      Having 4 kitties and two dogs will be lots of fun, I would think. I have a few enamel pins proclaiming dog and cat love.

      I can’t believe you still have Sara in her box. I got my RRFF out right away and let her meet my other girls. Even my kitties got to greet her with sniffs and nuzzles.

  9. Kathie in Omaha

    Cooking for sick friends today so didn’t get to read anything earlier. The Snowbound white is just what it needed. Good choice. Looking forward to seeing the new color for the walls😉
    Laura what fun pictures ….the hallway piece is fantastic and your bedroom furniture is too! Maybe you could send pictures of the other pieces sometime? The rose bouquet that was tole painted is just the right touch…or is it a decal? Is it on the other pieces too? Your little AG baker
    Looks serious about her recipe😉 Something about blonde hair and blue eyes is always pretty.
    Wow…all three dresses with bids is great..hope they keep bidding☺️

    1. Thank you very much, Kathie! I happened to be watching something online and stopped back over. I’ll send pictures of the rest of my bedroom suite sometime in the future. Yes, large and small rose sprays are on all the pieces, sometimes in two or more places. Yes, they are all tole painted by hand. I can see a slight variation between certain ones.

  10. Dorothy in PA and the World

    Dear Jeanne, I like snowbound also. I think white trim on older houses looks very pretty.

    I wonder if any of the Sofa Sisters watch the TV show Cheap Old Houses. I love to see how the hosts rescue old houses and restore them to their original state.

    1. Barbara in SE Texas

      Dorothy, what channel is this show on? I love seeing things like that. I used to watch Chip and JoAnna Gaines all the time because they would take the old houses in Waco and make them over. A couple years ago we had an old home a block over from us put on the market. I love going online when houses go up for sale and I checked this one out. Oh my! It was in terrible shape. Needless to say it didn’t sell. Then after about a year I guess a flipper bought it and fixed it up and what an adorable house it became. Definitely ugly duckling to beautiful swan. I wish I could have bought it. I would have used it for my sewing/doll collecting. It has only two bedrooms but the reno guy added another bathroom and the kitchen is absolutely amazing.

      I love the Gotz dolls but I don’t collect the bigger dolls or I would love to have one. I’d love to see pictures of yours.

  11. Susette from Southern California

    Thanks, Laura, for sharing the pictures of the unusual and beautiful furniture! The hall tree is a wonderful piece. The painted pieces are really lovely and knowing where they were made is interesting too. Your dolls are so cute as are the kitties. It looks like you have a beautifully furnished homes that is well suited to hosting both dolls and cats 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 ! I really enjoy seeing other blog followers pictures. Thanks again for sending them.

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