Prize and Gifts From Maria of Il Cucchiaino Magico!

Here is the miniature vintage Italian cosmetics poster I won recently, shown in the child's bedroom of Cupcake Cottage. Isn't it adorable? It was made by Mari@ of Il Cucchiaino Magico blog:

Actually, Mari@ sent all of these darling miniatures in a gorgeous pink bag:

She included a book, Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway, which I had been eyeing forever in Maria's Etsy shop (book shown here on the fireplace mantel of Cupcake Cottage's master bedroom):

She also gave me the gorgeous cookbook, Salumi Italiani. Both books are printed inside. Here's a page from Salumi Italiani for you to see:

Wow! I could hardly believe my eyes when I found the thoughtful gifts, in addition to her giveaway prize, that Mari@ had sent. She told me that everything was made with love. Isn't that so sweet?! 

Thank you so much for your sweetness and thoughtfulness, Mari@! You are a gem, and your gifts are divine! I am nearly ready with some gifts to send back to Mari@. I am working hard, also with love! :-)

Mari@'s blog and shop are both gems too. Her blog tells interesting history about the stories in her books. It also shows many examples of her beautiful work. And as you can see, her books are magnificent pieces of art. I know you'll enjoy a visit to both places!

Keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Precious Dollhouse Miniature Kitties!

Dad's Dollhouse has a kitty in every room. Cupcake Cottage needed some kitties too. I kept searching, but I couldn't seem to find what I was looking for. They needed to be soft, look like a real kitty, and not break the bank.

Then I found a shop on Etsy and started stalking it. It had just what I wanted: cute, realistic-looking needle-felted kitties, but they were twice the size I needed. That was until two weeks ago when I checked again, and there were two of the cutest dollhouse miniature-size kitties I'd ever seen. Just look for yourself.

What did I tell you? I think they're the cutest kitties ever, but I might be a little bit partial, since they're my fur babies now. ;-)

They were made by artist Judy Johnson of Bay Colony Designs on Etsy. Judy makes several sizes of her needle-felted kitty sculptures. She even makes custom kitties from a photo of your own pet! And she has new dollhouse miniature-size cats in her Etsy shop right now!!!

My suggestion: run to her shop this minute, and get yourself one of these cuties. Don't forget to favorite her shop so you can find it later too. ;-) Keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Luna and Gino Make Friends

I'd like to give a big "thank you" to everyone who tried to help me name Cupcake Cottage's new puppy. After seeing Ana Garcia's comment that if the puppy was a girl, the name "Luna" would be a good one, I was sold! It suddenly struck me that she does look like a girl, and she looks lit up like the moon, so Luna it is! Thank you, Ana! Please email me your mailing address, and I'll send you a small gift. :-)

Now you can see that Luna and Gino the guinea pig are best of friends. It looks like they worked out their turf issues, at least for the moment. ;-)  Cupcake Cottage is a haven of sweetness and peace once again. Keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Magnificent Gifts From MelyMel!

I was so inspired by the sweet and wonderful gifts I received from Mely of MelyMel Piccoli Sogni blog that I've been secretly renovating the Victorian dollhouse I recently purchased into a two-story Cupcake Cottage! What could have inspired me to spackle, sand, and paint the walls, among other things? Just look at this....

Isn't this bedding magnificent? Mely made the bedspread and pillow shams from linen and the sheet and underpillow from cambric. Cotton lace finishes her work. I was and still am in awe of its beauty. I'd be crazy not to start decorating a space for this masterpiece immediately, wouldn't you agree?

You can see more detailed photos of this gorgeous bedding on her blog post. But wait--there's more! See these beautiful handmade clay toiletry bottles? Mely made these too:

And that wasn't everything she sent. She also included all of these handmade shabby plates, a teapot, a gorgeous handmade cherry pie, and a beautiful woven bag, all made by her!

And a precious picnic basket with handmade shabby-style bird plates. I love birds! This is the perfect picnic basket for me!

I think you can see why many tears of joy were shed when I received Mely's sweet package. How do you thank someone for such precious gifts? All I know is that I am indebted to her forever because of her kindness. Thank you so much for all of these gorgeous miniatures, my dear friend! Mely's blog is so worth visiting. The innocence and sweetness there are contagious.

Dad's Dollhouse is finished. I should show you that project before I unveil Cupcake Cottage in her new incarnation. So, there is still much to show you, including fun purchases, prizes I've won, miniatures that I've made recently, and a new giveaway soon. Until next time, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Two Final Purchases for Dad's Dollhouse

I recently made two final purchases for Dad's Dollhouse. With these two items, Dad's Dollhouse is complete. It was just over a year ago that I rediscovered my love for dollhouse miniatures and started working to renovate and complete my childhood dollhouse. Finishing Dad's Dollhouse after a thirty-year break was a blast! I'll write a post with photos of the completed house very soon.

For now, these are the last two items I needed to complete my project. I bought both from Caterina's shop Le Minis di Cockerina. First, I'd had my eye on this beauty for a while:

It's a readable 1:12 scale miniature version of the 1896 edition of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I love Little Women and love thinking of the lady of my dollhouse reading it. This copy is so beautifully done and looks so nice on the master bedroom nightstand. The second item I bought was another miniature memory box, this time a man's memory box for the study:

Caterina thought of all of the things you might find in a man's memory box. First, the items are in a Victorian men's shoe box. Then inside, there's a photo of a beloved dog, a picture of a mother holding a baby, several erotic Victorian photos, and some travel postcards. There's also a tiny seashell, presumably from a trip to the beach, and a beautiful cigar.

These were just the items I needed to complete each of my little scenes. I look forward to showing you the finished project in a series of photos. It has truly been a labor of love. Until then, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

New Puppy in Cupcake Cottage!

Hello everyone! I recently added a new furry friend to Cupcake Cottage. It's a little Labrador puppy made by Magda at 1717mk on Etsy. Do you know her blog? I'm a long-time follower and happened to see that she was offering a coupon. Lucky me, because I had favorited several of her shop's items.

He's a real cutie, but it looks like there's a slight problem. See, Gino the guinea pig wants to steal the puppy's  bed! They're having a "turf battle."

And so far, Gino the guinea pig is holding his ground! ;-)

The puppy came all the way from Poland, but he still doesn't have a name! Does anyone have any ideas for a good name? I appreciate your help and thank you for your visit. Hope you had some fun! xoxo Jennifer

Birthday Cards and a Winner!

Hi everyone! Let me share a little good news with you before I announce the winner to the followers giveaway. I don't know if you realize it, but my greeting cards are available in four brick-and-mortar stores now, and they're selling really well. A fifth store is in the works too! Here's my latest, a birthday card called "Tomcat is Ready to Party."

Inside, the card reads, "Happy birthday! It's time to party!" Tomcat is such a sweetheart! So that is some of why we're partying here at Plushpussycat. This card, as well as my others, is available online in my Plushpussycat Etsy shop. Check out the new three birthday card combo pack! There's a six birthday card combo pack too.

Of course, another reason we've been partying here is to celebrate 700+ Plushpussycat blog followers. Thank you, my friends. It is so good to have you all here. One of you is the lucky winner of my followers giveaway. The winner will take home the minis on this table:

and these three miniature bottle openers:

I used Random.org to pick the winner. So, without further ado, the winner is:

Sandy of  Gammy's Little House blog!

Congratulations Sandy! Please email me your mailing address, and I'll get your prize off to you right away! And for everyone else, I'm planning more giveaways for the very near future, so stay tuned for that. Thanks for sharing in my successes, and keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Last Day!

Are you already a follower of Plushpussycat blog? If so, today is your last chance to join my giveaway just for you! If you're interested, go to my giveaway post and leave a nice comment. I will pick a name at random on Friday and announce the winner on Saturday. I'm even going to throw in these three dollhouse miniature bottle openers on top of the original prize:

I'm adding the three bottle openers in the foreground to the existing prize!

While you're looking at this photo, don't you love that basket of bread? Maria Ireland of Pretty Things Ireland blog made all of those cute artisan breads for a swap we did--I just adore them! She also gave me the cute wine bottle. Thanks again, Maria!

I'll see you all on Saturday to announce the winner of this special giveaway to thank all of my 700+ blog friends. You making blogging a real joy! Keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Gorgeous Gifts From Flor and FF!

I recently admired some beautiful miniature lavender plants on Flor's blog, Flor and FF. I asked Flor if she would mind doing a swap with me--those plants were amazing! See what I mean?

Thankfully, Flor said yes, and she sent me all of these treasures, including a tiny bunny that I had previously admired on her blog. Wow! What thoughtful gifts. She even made me a few special shabby chic items for Cupcake Cottage!

Here is one of the items that I sent to Flor. It's a miniature white silk corset with pink silk trim. I hope she likes it!

Did you all catch the fact that I'm having a blog giveaway for existing blog followers? It ends in a couple of days, so if you're interested in joining, please leave a comment on my previous post. Keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

A Lavender Dilly Plus More Fun!

Blueberry muffins with fresh strawberries and tea.

I don't know about you, but when I find a new shop that I love, it's a thrill. I discovered A Lavender Dilly on Etsy back in March, and I've made several purchases from the shop since then. Look at these gorgeous plates:

So many choices, so little time!

I always wanted some mini blue willow dishes, and now I have them. There are so many designs to choose from--these are just some of my favorites.

And here's the first item I bought from A Lavender Dilly, a pile of shabby books. They're so fun! One book even has a faint coffee mug ring on it! How's that for realism? It's always been a pleasure buying from Carrie at A Lavender Dilly too. Her customer service is top notch, and she has always included something free with my purchases--yay! Plus, isn't it fun anticipating receiving a package from far away? I love it.

A Lavender Dilly's shabby books in Dad's Dollhouse study.

I love A Lavender Dilly, and I love all of my blog friends, so here's a giveaway just for you. If you're one of my existing 700+ (!) followers, and you'd like to be included in the giveaway, just leave a nice comment below. No need to post this giveaway on your blog. Leave your comment by midnight on Thursday, July 26, 2012, and I'll announce the winner on Saturday, July, 28, 2012. That's one week away!

What you could win:

Giveaway Prize!

I purchased one of Carrie's traditional tea towel sets with you all in mind. Also included is a set of three miniature books made by me, three miniature magazines, a mini bottle of olive oil, and a cup and saucer. I hope you like it, my friends!

As I mentioned in my last post, I have a lot to celebrate, so there will be more giveaways in the very near future. I'll tell you more then. Keep it fun, and good luck in the draw! xoxo Jennifer

Breakfast Time at Cupcake Cottage

It's breakfast time at Cupcake Cottage. There's bread with jam and milk, fresh strawberries, and of course, cupcakes! Everything touching the green cloth came from LugArt petit on Etsy, including the tiny tea towel and oven mitt.

Next, we see another tea towel from LugArt petit, this time at the shabby kitchen sink. It's almost time to wash the breakfast dishes!

And finally, in preparation for a mid-morning chocolate chip cookie break, we see another one of their cute oven mitts in the background:

Two of the nicest people you'll ever meet, LugArt petit is the work of sisters Maria Jose and Monica from Barcelona. They're currently having an adorable blog giveaway. Don't miss the chance to win a miniature purse with matching shoes! They also take custom orders in their shop. You can look at their sold orders, as well as their current shop listings, for ideas on what to order.

I hope you enjoyed this little morning visit to Cupcake Cottage. These are some of my first photos since I relocated to the new dollhouse. It sure has a lot more room! Keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

P.S. I have several things to celebrate, including 700 blog friends! Look for my giveaway in the next few days! :-)

P.P.S. Does anyone know how to get rid of the white highlighting around some of my text in this post? I'm not sure what is causing it. Thanks in advance!

Another Dollhouse?

I can't believe I did it again: I added another dollhouse to my collection. Friends told me about it. It's the kind of feminine, romantic house I love, and it already has a cedar shake roof, gingerbread galore, a stairway, and working windows and doors--woohoo!

I wasn't planning on adding another house to my collection. I already have Dad's Dollhouse, the 1960s mid-century modern ranch dollhouse, and the house I won in a giveaway that has featured both the 1920s Lover's Cottage and shabby chic Cupcake Cottage inside (not at the same time, of course!).

I never want to have too many projects that are overwhelming to me, so I was a little concerned about adding this house to my collection. Once I got it home, however, I realized that it is just perfect for my yet-unrealized miniature dreams.

The shabby chic kitchen that is known as Cupcake Cottage fits on the spacious first floor, and the second floor could house a dreamy bedroom and a little nook for a young child's room--fun!

Adding this one makes a total of four dollhouses for me. How about you? Do you have a number of dollhouses or roomboxes? If so, how many do you have? What feels like a comfortable number for you, and how many is too many? ;-)

Does anyone recognize the brand of this dollhouse? I researched online but found nothing. I'm also not sure about its architectural style. It says "Victorian" to me, but does it have a specific style, such as Queen Anne? I would be grateful for any information. Thank you in advance for your help! Keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Precious Swap Gifts From Carmen of Mi Pequena Evasion

As a regular reader of Mi Pequena Evasion blog, I can't help but notice that Carmen is extremely prolific at making miniatures. Each blog post, she shows the miniatures she has made. She makes about ten times as many miniatures as I do in the same amount of time! And she's so resourceful and creative too!

So recently, when I was looking at her latest blog post, there they were again: her adorable miniature daisy plants growing out of old tin cans. I finally decided to ask Carmen if she would mind doing a swap with me. All I wanted was a couple of her daisies. Here's what she sent me--wow!

The gorgeous orchid went straight into Dad's Dollhouse. And Carmen's beautiful hyacinth fits perfectly in my shabby chic Cupcake Cottage:

And look at these adorable miniature shabby plates she sent me, with pictures of my own little plush characters. Oh my! It took my breath away when I found them. There's Plushpussycat herself, Mama Mouse, Raccoon, Tomcat, Bella the Bride Bunny, and Houndstooth Pup!

She also sent tiny embroidery kits and miniature embroidery pattern books. So sweet!

Thank you so much, Carmen! You are so thoughtful! I love everything you sent me. My swap gifts to you are on their way. I hope you like them as much as I like your gifts to me! Keep having fun, everyone! xoxo Jennifer

Exquisite Swap Gifts From Norma of make mine mini

I remember the first time I came across Norma's make mine mini blog--her miniature photos and letters literally took my breath away! Recently, I asked Norma if she would do a swap with me for some of her mini mail. I received her precious package yesterday, and look at the exquisite miniature memory box she sent me!

The envelopes are filled with tiny letters, the postcards are double-sided, and the photos are clear and beautiful. 

The biggest mini photograph is a picture of Norma's mother as a child with all of her possessions around her. The framed photo is of Norma's uncle in his WWI uniform. The box lid image is a photo of some of Norma's mother's toys, taken around 1920, and was hand colored at the time. Knowing these details makes the items that much more precious.

And luckily, just in time for Norma's gift, I finally wallpapered Dad's Dollhouse study, the better to show off her beautiful work!

Thank you for your special present, Norma! I will treasure it always! You can see my gifts to Norma on her latest blog post. Here's to more fun! xoxo Jennifer