Doll Beds for Christmas

This Christmas I decided to build doll beds for the girls' American Girl style dolls.

I started out cutting, rounding and marking the posts for the foot of the 2 beds

To get smooth, flat notches in the bed posts I did multiple passes over the table saw

These 4 posts would become the heads of the beds.

A little bit of work with my band saw prepared the head and foot boards

A few taps with a chisel cleared out the notches. Always cut away from your hands, right Chani?

I cut down the rails a little bit to get them the right size and shape to fit into the notches

Rough assembly of the bed.

Rough assembly of the other bed.

I drilled out the top of the bed post and added a threaded hole for the tops of the bed posts, which I had bought from the store

I notched the bed posts for the head and foot boards. I added a piece on the bottom of the rails to hold the bed board

I mounted the store bought legs on the top of the bed posts and painted the bed

I made the mattresses out of foam and Amy covered the mattresses.

May 2012

Abby's ballet recital

Abby and her friend Megan

Sibling support

My Mother's Day flowers, the rose is from church and the other "flowers" the kids picked from the field across the street.  Aren't they sweet?

Molly and Leia

Brenham Ice Cream Festival May 2012

Eating ice cream

Molly riding the carousel

Thomas and Abby talking and riding

I love this picture!  Molly freaked out a little going down this slide!

Thomas going down the biggest slide!

Sisters!

Thomas climbed this rock.

Still not done with catch up

I participated in my first 5K (April) (Molly joined me for the last 50 feet)

My friend, Belin, who inspired me to work on my health.

Toby got me these flowers after completing the 5K.

Abby was able to participate in an activity for Gifted Students, they built the Great Wall of China out of Legos. (April)

One of the cool Lego displays they had there.

Old Katy (April)

Toby likes to play with the settings on his camera, this time he turned the kids into ghosts!  (April)

Molly as a ghost.

More catch up

Thomas got to go camping with the Cub Scouts.

One of the trails that they hiked.  (March)

Molly holding a chick at the Katy Folk Life festival (March)

Abby holding the chick

They all shot the bow and arrow, but since this was Molly's first time, I only included her picture

We carried on the Texas Easter tradition of confetti eggs.  (April)

The kids coming down for the Easter egg hunt.

Getting too far behind post

Molly waiting to see the Trail Riders. (February)

Blue and Gold Banquet (March)

Toby playing with the kids at Galveston Beach

The family at Galveston Beach (Spring Break)

We took along this big inflatable ball that you can get in and roll around, the kids loved using it in the water!!

Building a butcher's block and cabinet for Amy

A couple of weeks ago Amy asked me to build a small cabinet in which she could store some of the large kitchen appliances.  After looking at several designs I decided to add an oak butcher's block to the top.  For the cabinet I used a few pine stair steps that I cut into the cabinet shape.  For the block I built it out of 1x2 red oak strips.  I chose to build it in sections.  Each section was bordered by a long strip of oak and then filled in with the little blocks of oak which were laid with the end up.  The alternating end and side grain pieces gave it a nice pattern.

Close up on the block

 

The block mounted on top of the cabinet in our kitchen

Amy finished the back of the cabinet off with some fabric.  She found a nice kitchen themed material, which we cut and then mod-poge'd it onto the wood.  The cabinet is mounted on small wheels to make it easier to move it around.

The completed cabinet