Katie and Hayden's new bed solves some problems but creates others

Hayden is pleased, but a bit gobsmacked, to finally have a sturdy bed with storage underneath.

I think I may need a step stool to get in bed, Fitzroy!

The bed is based on plans for an actual real-life bed, found at This Old House. Mine is a bit simplified, and the measurements are based on laying the dolls on the foam core and seeing what fit for length and width, then using the wire baskets I found at Tuesday Morning as the starter for determining height. The black foam core is covered with black leather-pattern contact paper and trimmed out with random wood strips. Unlike the original, which has baskets on both sides and one at the end, I went with long baskets that are accessible only from the "public" side of the room.

Hayden demonstrates the working of the bins.

Of course, I had the entire bed frame together and was very proud of myself for getting it essentially straight and orthogonal (I can measure six times and still cut crooked), when I realized I'd assembled it so that the "public" side was public only if the headboard backed the bathroom divider rather than the solid side wall.

So Katie and Hayden will be getting a real bathroom wall, which was already sort of scheduled to happen because Home Depot put its sheets of quasi-miniature faux subway tile on sale at a price where I can finally afford to do the gals' bathroom the way I'd originally wanted to.

The wall that the bed now faces will get fake sliding closet doors... which means I need more foam core and more trim. If Amazon had a subscription plan that just delivered foam core, trim, tacky glue, foam paint brushes, and a surprise pack of fat quarters every month, I'd be signing up for Prime as we speak.

Oops. This is not a comfortable position for reading.

The matchbox nightstands are now too low! I took one apart to rework it as three drawers atop a stand shaped like a sideways U, then realized that, while I have enough foam core scraps to do that, I don't have enough trim.

The bed also needs a new mattress, more streamlined linens, and a matching panel on the headboard to hide infelicities related to bumpiness from deciding the headboard was too short and extending it... but after obsessing over fabric in a futile way, I decided it was time to declare victory, clean off the kitchen counter, and let the problem simmer.

Fitzroy, it seems like every project leads to another project!

Also on hold for future work is Kaylee and Mila's bedroom, which got papered back on Monday.

Mila warms her toes by the bedroom fire.

This condo has the problem that the bed is obviously smaller than Pilar and Adele's bed. Their latter is sized so the gals can fit in it. This bed is part of a small collection of vintage Jaydon that the condo exists to display, so it's not going anywhere. But putting a sitting area in the bedroom makes it possible to blame perspective for why the bed looks so small -- look how far away it is! -- while also enjoying the Strombecker sofa and chair that I'm particularly fond of.

Although the next two weeks are going to be devoted to sewing for the multitudes, starting with finishing Cloe's new outfit, when I was in bed-linen-avoidance-dithering mode, I got the itch to do something about Katie and Hayden's dishes.

It looks like somebody stacked their Pyrex. Oops.

The dishes are vintage. I think they were vintage back when I was fond of them -- or of others much like them -- as a mid-sized urchin. As far as I know, they aren't rare, and even if they were, damage to the pattern has made that point moot.

So I decided to see if pure acetone would take the rest of the paint off.

Behold! Restaurant china.

That would be a yes.