The girls watching yesterday’s activity in the den.
Yesterday was about assembling my purchase from IKEA. I did most of it myself, but Don helped out when two people were needed. It took longer than I thought. I chose a narrow Billy bookshelf unit that is about 19 inches wide. I also purchased a glass door for it. I had doubts about the door, knowing that the light from our big picture window would cause reflection on the glass, so I’d have to keep the door open when I was in here. But then I thought – what if we get a dog someday? Would they be safe? That’s why I got the door.
The Billy choice was inspired by another Blythe collector who has the narrow unit, plus a large unit. She has a much larger collection than I do and she obviously has more space! But I recognized the shelves immediately and knew they would be perfect.
Anyway. Almost impossible to photograph from my vantage point in the room. This is the best I can do at the moment, but I promise to get better photos in the future.
And from a lower angle, shooting up:
The unexpected problem we encountered? The back of the unit has a cut-out at the bottom to accommodate a baseboard. The unit fits over the baseboard and is flush with the wall. But not our baseboards. Our baseboards are about a ¼” higher, so the cut-out doesn’t fit over them. We considered removing the baseboard and made a few tentative attempts, but we knew that would ruin the drywall – such as it is. (Every day I notice more and more cheap tricks that were used in the flip of this house. That’s another story entirely.)
The unit comes with braces to attach it to the wall. But we couldn’t use them since it isn’t flush. They’re meant for the weight of books, and Blythe dolls aren’t books, so I think we’re okay. We had to shim the base because this house is 132 years old and the floors slant and no wall is perfectly straight. This is another reason why we didn’t use the door. The weight might have been too much.
I briefly wondered if I should have installed shelves like the ones we use in the den for books. But I really wanted a “cubicle” with walls to support the girls. Plus, I like the bright white in this little niche.
The bottom two shelves.
Middle shelves.
Top shelf.
There’s one additional shelf that I didn’t use but I will in the future.
We finished in the afternoon and the sun was streaming in and it was so bright in this corner! Don went on and on about how much he loves this change. I feel the same way. (We still have to move the music cabinet upstairs, but after a morning of being on my knees putting this thing together, that was impossible.) Right now, it’s right outside the entrance to the den.
I quickly arranged the dolls and all of this will change depending on my whims, but there’s a lot of potential here! I can decorate the cubes, or leave them the way they are. Temporary tweaks would be fun. Most every girl’s eyes are looking to the left because I did that to all of them so I could take the photo of them on the sofa. That will change soon.
The best thing is that the girls are no longer jammed together. Their hair, especially, needed some breathing room!
Today is mostly cloudy but in the next few days I’ll try to grab some shots when the sun is shining.
Now, all the big and little girls, as well as their pets, are in one place. And there is a wee bit of room for additions.
You can see a little video tour of the shelves on my IG Blythe account: sophieandherpals.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
What a great idea for the vertical cabinet! I like your idea of using each space to have it’s own vignette…. changeable for holidays, seasons, etc. We’re getting cold, rainy weather…the Sierras continue to be snowed in… Yosemite is closed….brrrr!
Wow! I remember reading that Yosemite was closed! Goodness, you guys are really getting pelted with snow!
Stay safe, Barrie.
Perfect solution, Claudia. Loved seeing all your girls together. They look nice and cozy but still have lots of room to breathe and to welcome another sibling or two. It must have been fun to get them all in place. Thanks for sharing. Hugs, Elaine
You’re very welcome!
Thanks, Elaine.
Stay safe.
what a great choice, claudia … the piece fits well and the girls have more elbow (hair) room. :)
job well done to you and don for putting those shelves together! now just enjoy the fruits of that labor. :)
pup or no pup, i would have also bought the door, too, because pieces like that are so versatile. but … you and don might get another dog?!? no pressure ever intended from me, but i understand and have such thoughts about cats.
snowing lightly here, but not much expected today. tomorrow, however, we are to get up to six inches of snow. hope everyone stays safe, comfortable. same wish and prayer for when you and don take the music cabinet upstairs (i have an old music cabinet and love it, but it is super-heavy)!
happy wednesday to everyone.
kathy
We’re not ready for a dog. It was just a maybe in the future thought. But I really do believe you have to be ready for a dog and I know we aren’t yet. When and if the time is right, we’ll know.
Stay safe, Kathy.
i understand that part, too. especially with dogs because they require more space, training and outdoor walks. and hearts just have to be ready (been 21 and 19.5 years for me with my cats).
i know that you and don will know if it is time to get a dog (if it ever does). same for me with cats. :)
hugs and prayers,
kathy
xo
It’s perfect for the girls! It’s shows them off much more effectively than all jammed together.
And maybe another dog someday!?!
Sounds like a good idea to me.
Take care
Maybe. But not highly likely. We think about it, but – just as with children – I feel you have to really, really want a dog before you adopt one and we’re not there yet.
Stay safe, Marilyn.
Yeah, think about it really really REALLY hard, because my husband got our current rescue dog ‘way before I-personally was ready for another pet and it has been a challenging, sometimes rough year with the dog and we’ve learned he has some dug-in-deep issues we’ll probably never be able to rectify; the dog is a major handful, very needy and pushy and persistent, takes a lot of care and attention, never content to just go lay in his doggie bed off to the side but instead has to SMOTHER me on the sofa and no petting is ever enough. He exhausts me at times although I love him of course (do I have less patience now that I’m old[er]?) and this is just our family now; large-heavy 65-lb, troubled animal with such endearing qualities and my heart goes out to him but sometimes (a lot of times; just being honest!) I need a break from him and boy-howdy do I take one, saying to my husband, “Your turn tonight; he goes in the other room with you while I watch TV; I need some space!”
It’s just heartbreaking in a way of how bonded the dog is to me (I’ve done nothing special to coax this; just normal dog ‘ownership’; making him part of our lives) and how he thinks he has to be my loyal protector, even sitting on my feet when I’m on the throne (TMI TMI TMI) or, if I close the bathroom door, he lays outside the door, whining for me; it’s like this all the time, with everything, my shadow; if I go out the door of the house just to pick up the newspaper off the driveway, he howls that I’ve abandoned him by leaving him inside the house on the other side of the screen door although I’m in plain sight; when my husband leaves us in the car in a parking lot when he goes inside of a store, the dog howls for him too and it’s really hard to soothe the dog when he’s so tuned up; I’ve had something like nine dogs in my adult life but he takes the cake and my husband said today, “Who did this to him; who was so cruel to never give him attention that we can never seem to ever give him enough?” (He’d also been in and out of foster homes. Poor dog.)
We will continue to have to work and work and work with this dog; he still needs a lot of training to somehow ‘make’ him normal and you know we’ve got a heckuva lot of other stuff going on in our lives but I guess you could say he’s a good distraction. But if I’d known ahead of time what this was going to entail with this dog, I would have run the other way, crying in sadness and defeat over it and with worry for him, but knowing he was too much for me at this age and my state of health. Of course there are many, many other shelter animals who do not need to be ‘rehabbed’ and are your perfect fit from the get-go; we just happened to go for one who’d clearly had a not-good first three years.
You make the commitment for a pet, you can’t do it halfway; you can’t give up on them; it’s life-enriching and it’s important to adopt homeless animals but you have to sensibly also look at your age and circumstances, in my humble opinion (and experience).
And unless you’ve got a good setup with friends or relatives or neighbors to care for the dog when you have to be gone from the house for any length of time, who’s the pinch hitter for letting them outside to pee, get them fed and exercised, etc, because boarding for some dogs is catastrophic for them and I don’t know just how comfortable I’d feel with hiring somebody off the web (I know people who do it, though; these dog-sitting services; give ’em a key, they come into your house, help the dog, bring in the mail, leave on lights; but they’re also a stranger to the dog and my dog does not deal well with strangers even on his front porch; he has become uber-protective).
Pet ownership is rewarding but it can be confining and I find now, at the age I am, after having dogs and cats nonstop (multiples, groups, all at one time sometimes) for the past 34 years, it’s enough to just take care of US, husband and me, a lot of the time … but then you’ve got the pet, too, and I know I sound selfish but it’s just different when you’re in your 70s and not bouncing along like you once did in your 20s and 30s and 40s, doing the juggle and handling the responsibilities for ‘others’ besides just yourself; all that multi-tasking. Today, the days of retirement still seem darn full and I know I tend to guard my private/alone time. But I know of well-meaning adult children and adult grandchildren who will make the mistake of thinking the old(er) folks need a dog (‘to keep you company’); well, that’s not always the case, not at all. Definitely depends on the situation.
Kinda went off with the cautionary tale here but the subject smacks home with me at this stage of my life! Don’t rush into anything.
Oh, girl, I hear you! We are new puppy parents and either dogs have gotten harder or we have gotten older? Pretty sure at month three and a half, I looked at her and told her I knew why puppies were surrendered to the pound. Oh my. There might be light at the end of the tunnel or it might be an oncoming locomotive, lol! Thanks heavens for good dog trainers.
It’s worth it in the end, but these are valid concerns. And a dog is a commitment, that’s for sure. Bravo to you and your husband, but I know it takes a toll. In the end, you have saved that dear boy. You have given him a life worth living. Love.
We hesitate at times. Just the other day, Don said that he felt too old to take on the responsibility of a dog. But then he’ll want one. Same for me. We go back and forth. And until we no longer go back and forth and are sure, we’re not going to get a new dog.
xo
The cabinet looks perfect. And, what a smart idea to get the glass door. I would think you’d want to protect them from dust and other irritants. We used to use 20# weight fishing line looped about 4-5 times through an eye hook or two to provide stability to bookcases and dressers. It protected our kids…should protect your girls, if you choose. I am looking forward to see how you decorate the cubbies.
4-8 inches of the white stuff is expected here Thursday into Friday. I need spring…I really do. Good luck moving the music cabinet! ;)
I don’t care about dust all that much. They’ve been sitting on the music cabinet for a year and half with no protection at all. They have much more protection in these little cubicles than they did before.
We’ll figure out a way to anchor the bookcase.
Stay safe, Donnamae.
Until I saw all of them together I didn’t realize how many girls you actually had! What a big collection. That’s a great idea. I have a narrow Billy (narrower, I think) for CDs and it isn’t bolted to the wall (because it’s flush at 90 degrees to another bookshelf/cupboard. I’ve never had a problem with it being tippy. And the dolls are light. I could envision the cubes in different ways — wallpaper behind one or painted. Or… if you didn’t want to mess the whole thing, you could cut a piece of plywood or similar board (even foam core) to fit the back wall (and sides, if you wanted) , paint or paper that, and then you could change it out for different seasons. Christmas colors or spring colors or a scene. Possibilities are endless. It’s wonderful.
Did I hear the word “dog”?
Ours isn’t flush to anything, so I think we’ll have to anchor it!
Yes, I’ve thought about foam board and wallpaper. Right now I’m going to keep it white because it’s so refreshing to have a clean backdrop for the girls.
Maybe with the dog, but that’s a big maybe. Sometimes we want one, a lot of the time, we don’t.
Stay safe, Jeanie.
Claudia – if you can figure out any way to anchor that piece I would definitely do it. I had those in my craft room of old house and they tipped over several times. Anything you can do to anchor top would be safe – especially after you get glass doors on. Love the look of your girls all posed! Great collection.
We’ll figure it out. Someone suggested using a 1/4″ piece of plywood underneath the base to raise it up.
Thanks, Judy!
Stay safe.
Love the new ‘house’ for your girls. It’s a great way to display them right in front of you as you sit on the couch in the den, and I can imagine the fun you will have decorating each cube.
I, too, noticed you mentioned the word ‘dog’! :-) I’ve always had a dog in my life and couldn’t imagine life without one. I was seventy-five years old when we got our current dog when he was just a puppy and six and a half years later, we have no regrets. The puppy stage was a challenge but so worth it.
Have a lovely day with Don and the girls.
Don’t read too much into the mention of a dog. We aren’t in a place yet where we want one enough to do anything.
Stay safe, Cathy.
Your dolls look great in their new home! The trip was worth doing. Thank goodness for IKEA😀
In fact, apart from the beds and sofa, most of my home is either second hand mid century furniture or IKEA.
It’s snowing now, I think our weather fronts are several days after yours but a milder version.
Have you been able to Babylon Berlin 4 yet? Series 5 of Unforgotten started this week but I won’t say anything if you haven’t seen Series 4 so far.
Happy Wednesday
No, darn it. I have no idea when Babylon Berlin is going to be available here. And every time I google it, I can’t find an answer.
We have seasons 1 – 4 of Unforgotten. I can’t remember if I’ve seen Season 4. Do you remember when it aired in Great Britain?
Stay safe, Dee Dee.
Hi, Series 4 aired in Great Britain in February 2021.
Without giving away too much of the plot, it starts with a body found in a freezer on a scrapheap but it’s from over 30 years ago.
Gosh, I can’t remember when I saw it last, but I suspect it was from earlier than 2021.
Thanks so much, Dee Dee.
How about a one quarter inch thick piece of plywood to place under the unit? That way, it would raise it to be clear of the baseboard and would lay flat against the wall, allowing it to be anchored to the wall.
My idea, too!
That’s a good idea. We may have some in the shed, I’ll have to go look.
Stay safe, Barbara.
I really like the shelves and the girls look adorable there. Great idea for a glass door if needed in the future. I want to rearrange my living room but need help to move furniture. Hugs!
You’ll have to call on your kids, right?
Stay safe, Linda.
I really enjoyed this angle and seeing everything at once. Love it.
Thank you, Susan!
Stay safe.
Could you add a carpet floor protector pad to raise the bookcase up 1/4″ to clear the baseboard?
I wouldn’t use carpet as it’s too pliable. I’d use a piece of wood.
Thanks so much, Wendy.
Stay safe.
C: Love the display! Bravo! Would you mind if I asked a couple of questions? Did you notice if the Billy bookcases come in black or any other color? On a scale of 1-10, how difficult were they to assemble? I believe that I have read . . . somewhere . . . that IKEA Billy bookcases as good quality. Do you think they would be good for books? I need some bookcases (for books) for a home office. I have always wanted to go to an IKEA but have never been there. It just might be time for a trip there. Thank you . . . and thanks for the inspiration! C
I think they’re available in black; may be a bit more money.
I’m pretty good at assembling things, so I usually have no problem. IKEA supplies drawings of each step and they’re pretty easy to understand, plus there are scads of blogs that talk about the process.
They’re very popular and they’re meant for books. Just google Billy Bookcases and you’ll see what I mean.
Stay safe, Chris.
Claudia I just read Miss Mustard Seed blog. She also put up Billy Bookcases today. She has books in hers and also used the sixth shelf. Just thought it was such a coincidence that you both chose the same subject for your blog. Or maybe just great minds think alike.
Great minds, of course!
xoxo
Many thanks, Claudia, for your response! I am going to check them out. Chris
xoxo
I love the girls in their new shelving! The decorating ideas are endless. Little pieces of furniture and tiny rugs! I watched the “Blyth Con” convention on YouTube last night. Fascinating. The doll clothes were everywhere. Have fun, Claudia.
What year of Blythe Con was it, Judy?
Thanks so much! Stay safe.
Decorating the cubes will be so much fun. I would cover cardboard that fits the cube with material so it can be changed easily. Almost like you have five new doll houses to decorate. I agree it does look nice and clean just the way you have it now.
It will probably stay white for a while, but we’ll see what happens in the future.
Stay safe, Olivia
Okay, so you’ve put the glass door safely away until such time that there might be a dog and then you’d reposition the Blythe cabinet somehow to support the door weight; but, yes, until such time for a dog, your only enemy will be something like dust as in any open cabinet (I fight this all the time).
I particularly like that the ‘cubicles’ have the white background because it allows the girls to shine. I have two display cabinets that are dark wood and the items recede instead of popping out such that I need to get lights in there in some way I’ve never figured out, so that my next step is eventually to just paint the entire dark-wood cabinets white or maybe do some kind of foldout backdrop, like a temporary scene with a white/pastel-toned background (some collectors will do this with dioramas); maybe some kind of adhesive paper or even wallpaper to the interior spaces between shelves if I can summon the commitment for that (until then, I’m just lazy and haven’t worked it out).
Last day today for a nice drive up and down the coast here in SoCalif as we have reportedly MORE atmospheric-river rain coming in tomorrow (continuing to next week even worse) as far south as San Diego although Central/North Calif gets the brunt of it. At least four places/roads we were on today had work crews, still cleaning up rock slide, mud; the slides still go on long after the rain has stopped. But anyway, yeah, guys in their hardhats and big earth-moving equipment still working to correct the problems in my area since the January and February storms; so who knows what’s gonna happen next in a March series of them, as they’re even starting to release some water out of the reservoirs which last year were suffering from not nearly enough water. The old expression, something to the effect of when it doesn’t rain it pours; that’s us. Although on the other hand it is such a boon for us after ten years of drought.
And we continue to have quite a lot of snow in the backcountry; it has lasted SO long (really pretty viewed from all over two counties in my neck ‘o the woods); is making us chilly. High 30s about 5am today; then sunny but 49 degrees at 2pm in town. When we walked the dog at the shore at 11am, very brisk 50s although the wind was light and there was sun but I needed a jacket for sure and didn’t carry one out with me (I don’t know what I was thinking, as in NOT thinking; other parts of the coast were a little warmer two hours later and I enjoyed sitting in the sun).
Such an unusual ‘winter’ for us, and to think ‘the time’ will change this weekend seems very premature; I wish they’d leave it alone; I don’t like springing forward. I no longer believe the benefit of Daylight Saving. And it’s going to make the mornings SO dark for awhile. Sigh. I don’t like going to bed when the sun hasn’t finished setting, and that sometimes happens in summer when it’s still ‘light’ out at 9:30pm and an early turn-in is necessary. Oh well. Grumble, grumble; can’t change what is.
But to your new cabinet and beyond my weather/time obsessions: Good job; good choice; looks great, Claudia! What you bought and constructed really shows off your collection and look how little space it takes up with the narrowness/vertical height. Perfect solution.
Dust is everywhere in this house. I don’t let myself get troubled by it. I’d rather shake off the dust than have the glare of the glass keeping me from seeing the girls!
Stay safe, Vicki.
So many possibilities for your girls now! I’ll look forward to their exploits in their new home.
Thanks so much, Roxie.
Stay safe.
Looking good!