Without giving much explanation, I can say that I have been changing gears and working on a couple small side projects. Not the southwest/Spanish style patio project - it is finished and I'll have a post about that later this week. This is a whole other commitment I made around the beginning of the year.
For this one, I started off with vintage The Daisy House Hall Table w/Mirror kits, and, making a few minor modifications, turned them into bathroom vanity sink units. I added a full shelf to the bottom and made new deeper stained wooden countertops to accommodate a sink and faucet. Adding the mirrors will be one of the last things I do as it is safer that way!
Each will have a different overall theme, and so accordingly, the accessories will be made up of supporting color schemes. Think eucalyptus and lavender. Below are the candle sets for each, and the candle and pillar tutorial can be found on the tutorials page or in the March/April issue of American Miniaturist.
What am I going to do with them? Well... I can tell you part of the story...
A lot of you know that Russ is a contractor. That means that we experience a lot of Feast or Famine depending on the work situation. Our married life has been sprinkled with a few very scary times, especially in the younger years when we often did not have two dimes to rub together or much food in the cupboard. I remember a time when our kids were really little. Russ had to have surgery and so was out of work for about six weeks. We were struggling to make ends meet and our grocery budget was dismal. In our mail box one day was a grocery store gift certificate for $25 and the name of a local food bank. I did not know our tiny town even had a food bank! The angel who sent us that help touched us in such an amazing way. It was an anonymous gift, but we knew who it was from. They were a young couple, too, and they had three kids! And yet they shared what they could with us. That amazing gesture opened up our minds and hearts to the idea of giving whenever you are able to give. This is why Russ and I support our local food bank and I encourage you, if you are among the lucky in these times, to donate food or money to yours. A little can go a long way!
When the vanity sets are finished, I'll hold a drawing for one of them. All you have to do to enter is to donate to your local food bank. If you are among the folks relying on the food bank to help you through this time, all you have to do is agree to one day, when times are better, pay it forward. More details to follow...
In the meantime, I am going to continue to make accessories for the vanity sets until I run out of materials or ideas. In digging through drawers to come up with ideas, I came across these! Looks like no boredom is in the cards for me!
And just so you know that I am serious about getting back to the bakery, I have ordered three cake kits from Stewart Dollhouse Creations! I imagine the learning curve will be a sharp one, but hopefully, you'll be here to laugh (or cry) with me through the process!
Stay safe and get busy making!
xo xo,
Jodi
Oh these look like they're going to be cool! And I can't wait to see your baking progress.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheila! Me too! I am excited about the cake kits! Hope I can make them look decent!
DeleteIt's those rough times that teach us who we are and allow us to grow. I can relate as a stay at home mom when my children were little and we lived on one income. Fortunately we did have a house payment--meaning that we had a home. One pay check went to pay that mortgage and the other paycheck paid the other bills, so I shopped for groceries once a month. My girls ate food commodities and generic brands for a long time. My heart breaks for those who have lost their jobs and are struggling. You are a very fine person to think of others and to inspire us to do what we should be doing without such inspiration. I'm all in, Jodi.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ann! I am so grateful to have had the struggle and I bet that you are, too! Without it, how would we have learned to feel empathy for those in that situation, and to feel the overwhelming gratitude of having enough food to keep us fat. Now that we're older we understand the blessings in that struggle, and that if God loves you, you suffer in order that you grow closer to Him.
DeleteYOu and your work are nothing short of INSPIRING, Jodi
ReplyDeleteMay GOD bless you for your open heart and desiring and working towards blessing others -
Paying it forward INdeed!
Thank you, Elizabeth! How can our hearts be anything other than full of love for others when we've experienced that love from Him. I am so blessed to know this and to help others come to that knowing, too!
DeleteWhat a wonderful story about the good out there in the world. For many, life has its ups and downs, times of feast and famine, happiness and sadness, so we should endure those hard moments with faith and give back when life is smiling at us. Very moving story Jodi as well as your project, it´s a wonderful and very kind idea, I would love to be part of it as soon as you tell us. Take care xxx.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true, Alex! There is so much suffering and need in our world but in some places it is never seen or confronted. Until you actually experience it for yourself you can't fully empathize with people's plight. I am grateful for my times of pain and struggle because in hindsight, those are the things that made the the person I am proud to be today. If we all stop to help in some small way, we also bless ourselves in ineffable ways.
DeleteYour vanity sink kits look wonderful, Jodi, what a great and nice make over of this vintage kit!
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent idea to donate to the food bank, we here, in The Netherlands, are unfortunately also familar with food banks. And at this very moment lots of Dutch people are losing their jobs/income too, due to the crisis. So, I fully agree with you, that especially in these hard times it's good to think of people who have more less than others.
Stay well, take care.
Warm hug, Ilona
Thanks Ilona! Isn't it amazing that we can imagine something fun and make it in miniature!
DeleteIn the U.S., not everyone can qualify for unemployment benefits and there are many families falling through the cracks. It feels good to know when we eat a meal that we also helped a family eat one, too. I wish I could do more!
I am sure I am one of many who share your young life experience - my husband was self employed photographer so, like you we always lived a feast or famine existence and something like this current pandemic would have completely finished us. Every penny was stretched - my daughter to this day eschews minced beef as the highlight of a poor stretch was a recipe from the one hundred recipes for minced beef book 😊 Luckily I was a post war baby and had a plethora of poor food meals in my repertoire along with free milk and orange juice for the children - we were given coupons for the milkman. It did however stay with me and I knew first hand how upsetting it is to think you may not be able to feed your family tomorrow. Where I normally shop they have a huge bin by the checkouts where you can drop something for a food bank - of course I do that but if only every single person of those thousands of shoppers did that think what a difference it would make. I don't think people are mean I think they just don't think about it, especially if they have never been in the same position. Food and clean drinking water is every human beings primary basic right and sharing is really very easy. OK lecture over!
ReplyDeleteBut of course the vanities are your usual drop dead beautiful and I love the green holders and white candles, so clean and crisp looking. I am not a fan of anything around the mauves so am ducking the other pair. Totally personal and no negativity intended. What's the betting I will change my mind when your make is revealed.
Marilyn you really did share our experience! Our "on the cheap" meal was tuna casserole. $3, $3.75 if you added peas. It was dinner for four and lunch for Russ the next day! Russ and I were married 10 years before we crossed over the poverty line, and we both worked!!! My paycheck each week netted $50 after I paid for after school care for the kids, but that $50 was preciously needed! I am so grateful for what we have now, and I feel that we have it because we have been trusted to share it wherever we can. A lot of folks just have too much on their minds already and so they don't think about it as you say. It is good to do what we can to be the gentle voice that encourages thinking about our own blessings and how we can help others.
DeleteI love your honesty, truly! We'd be best friends if we were neighbors! 💗
Thank you Jodi. Lovely to imagine being friends in 'real life'.
DeleteYou will love Ruth Stewart's cake kits. She has wonderful step by step instructions and while they aren't a breeze to do, they are fun and very, very doable. I've now taken two cake classes from her and will take another one online this coming weekend. Fun, fun, fun.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Thank you Marilyn! I am really excited about trying them! I also have a couple molds that I bought back in 2017, so it will be a real goody making marathon! I'd have loved to take a class! I didn't even know she offered them online!!!
DeleteEmotivo relato, aquí también funciona el banco de alientos , en estos momentos muy necesario.
ReplyDeleteSiempre tus proyectos son muy inspiradores.Buen día y cuídate
Gracias rosa maria! ¡Es en nuestras luchas que somos verdaderamente bendecidos! ¡Espero que las cosas también empiecen a mejorar rápidamente para todos en España!
DeleteHola Jodi!ya sabes que me encantan los proyectos inesperados,es señal de que nuestra imaginación,nuestra creatividad sigue sin tener límites y eso es signo de que disfrutamos con nuestros pequeños retos!
ReplyDeleteÉse gesto de generosidad que tuvieron con vosotros,no sólo os ayudó en momentos difíciles,sino que se quedó grabado en vuestro corazón para siempre,son pequeños detalles como esos los que nos hacen mirar más allá de nosotros mismos,nos hacen reflexionar y aprender a compartir,algo que muchas veces en las sociedades capitalistas se deja de lado y no se fomenta en los niños y jóvenes.
El banco de alimentos,desde nuestro ayuntamiento se ha fomentado desde hace muchos años y creo que en mi pueblo al menos lo tenemos muy asumido y colaboramos mensualmente con lo que podemos,que fácil es desprenderse de algo,para ti mismo pequeño,y que se transforma en algo grande para otros.
Estoy ansiosa de ver tu patio terminado,los dos pequeños proyectos de los lavabos y esos kits de pasteles!!!
Besos.
Gracias Pilar! ¡Los tiempos difíciles realmente nos convierten en mejores personas, por lo que son una bendición disfrazada! ¡Estoy muy contento pero no sorprendido de saber que también apoyas a los menos afortunados de tu comunidad! ¡Y si! ¡Gracias a Dios por nuevas ideas y un suministro de materiales para mantener nuestras manos y nuestras mentes estimuladas!
DeleteThanks so much for reminding and encouraging us to contribute to those less fortunate. I too experienced lean times as a child and as a young adult, and feel that it has made me a better mature adult. We have a very active food bank and community dining room here, which we donate to regularly.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly generous of you to offer such an adorable piece. I’m more a maker than a collector, so I’m hoping it goes to someone who will give it a worthy forever home.
We are a beacon of hope to those struggling in their early years! Things really do get better as you age and work hard! I am not surprised at all to learn that you support the charities in your community - our humble beginnings make us aware of how lucky we are and that that luck comes with responsibility to help those in need.
DeleteI am with you on the creating/not collecting part - soon I am going to have to give another batch of projects away to make room for the future ones!!!
Nadie sabe si en algún momento va a necesitar ayuda. Y cuando estás ahogándote y te echan una mano es algo que se queda grabado y que tarde o temprano acabas reproduciendo. Es una bonita cadena.
ReplyDeleteTu comienzo de nuevo proyecto es interesante.
Gracias isabel ¡Es maravilloso estar en el lado de ayuda ahora ya que hemos sido bendecidos de ser los receptores de la ayuda muchas veces!
DeleteYour food bank story touched me so much that I teared up. You are a good egg Jodi Hippler. I can tell you are one of His children.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carrie! I am, and so grateful to be! 💗
DeleteDear Jodi, not only are you one of the most Creative mini bloggers.... you are among the most Generous as well! What a project! And no matter what you are making, you share and explain and help the rest of us learn! Hard times are hard and help is a blessing indeed! I am blessed that even in poor stretches we never starved... and you are right to remind us to give back when we can!
ReplyDeleteI love the new projects... but I always love new projects.... and old ones, and new ideas for old ones too! (Hence none of mine are done yet! LOL)
Thank you Betsy! I am most grateful for the hard times for that is when my faith grew...
DeleteAnd old, new, any and all I think we can agree that this mini thing is the best addiction that exists! So fulfilling!!!
What a wonderful post - even more wonderful than usual. Your story touched me deeply and it's a generous and great idea to support the food banks by offering a stunning giveaway. Here in Germany our sort of food bank is "Die Tafel" (could be translated with "the table") and it's a private organisation by volunteers who collect food from supermarkets, grocery stores etc. which would otherwise have been thrown at the garbage and hand it out to those who are in need. It's a shame how many are in need of this help in a rich country like Germany... Sadly our "Tafeln" are suffering very much from the corona crisis and many had to close temporarily these days. Food donations were less because people were hoarding, but most of all the volunteers are in majority older people who belong to the risk group and they have to stay at home now.
ReplyDeleteAccording to me you can start new projects forever... I always love seeing what you're doing, whatever it is. ;O) And this new one is no exception, your transformation of these kits is awesome and I'm looking forward to see them decorated. Thanks for the candle tutorial, this is one very clever way... especially for making candles. I have a tendency of ending up with 11 different sized candles when I try to make 10 candles out of polymer clay. *LOL* Keep on crafting whatever you're crafting at the moment, stay healthy and remain to be the wonderful person that you are.
Hugs
Birgit
Than you, Birgit! Everyone needs help at some point in their lives, and it's so good to think that those who have received the help are generally apt to give it, too!
DeleteThank you for the new project vote of enthusiasm! It is nice to take a small break from a big project to make something with quick gratification! I find that now that I have stepped away from the bakery for a few weeks, the original ideas for it that had me so excited are beginning to return! Much better to be on fire about a project than just moving forward because you "should"!
Oh, I love those! I donated to a Food Bank already (Food Bank of New York). I am worried about so many people losing their jobs and not having food. It all makes me very sad. :( But your post was very uplifting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy! I am having fun with the vanities!
DeleteI am so worried about families, too. I still remember from when we were young how much of a difference it made in my feeling of hope and security just by having food in the cupboards. I want to pass that peace on to parents going through this stressful time if I can. I am so happy that there are so many thoughtful and generous souls in our hobby, and you are definitely one of the good gals! :O)
La generosidad siempre encuentra su recompensa.
ReplyDeleteEstoy segura que será un bonito proyecto.
Gracias Eloisa! ¡Espero que ambos receptores se sientan esperanzados y emocionados cuando los reciban! ¡Se siente bien traer felicidad a los demás!
DeleteVery generous with the less fortunate. Here too there are many needy people.
ReplyDeleteYour bathroom vanity sink unit is so beautiful already, let alone with mirror and accessories. The candles are so beautiful.
Thanks Faby! I'm so glad you like the vanities so far and I hope you'll like them even more when I have them finished!
DeleteIt just feels so good to help those in a less secure position when you have so much to be grateful for! The emotions you endure when you are worried about taking care of your kids is awful. I hope what we are able to do helps in some way.