Prairie wagon: As far as the interior of the wagon is concerned...most of them were sturdy farm wagons with a cover attached to keep out the weather. They would have probably had a bench attached to each side, but, as Jeri Moriarty's post so well illustrated, the wagon was probably packed with stuff. Most people did not ride in the wagons, but walked along side for most of the way west. I tried to find some interior pictures on the internet for you, and put in 'Conestoga wagons' and learned something new for myself! I thought that those were the wagons that people came across the prairies with, but it turns out that they were quite large 'freight' wagons...not the kind that a poor immigrant would be able to afford. (Nor could they afford the teams of oxen that it took to pull them.) Those were the ones called 'Prairie Schooners' because of their big, canted canvas tops.

Kaye in L.A.

Prairie wagon: Well, I've been reading more posts on coming West across the prairie, and visualizing a miniature scene with the wagon stopped, and a beautiful pipe organ, or lovely table being taken off...a huge fight, too! I can't imagine that after having carted something precious enough to me to gone to the trouble of carrying it all that way, just to be left by the side of the trail..and not doing mighty battle for it. It had to be done, of course...those mountains are high, and the canyons are deep...actually, it's really hard to imagine any wagon and any team of oxen being able to negotiate them, but they did. (I think that sometimes, in some places, they had to dismantle the wagons and carry them up or down, or float them across rivers.) I hope that you include something like a beautifully painted Danish dower chest...which is one of the things that would have had to come with a Danish immigrant family.

Kaye in L.A.

Prairie wagon: If you look closely at the covered wagons that crossed the Plaines, they sagged in the center. This was intentional so that all the items stored inside tended to fall toward the center as the schooner went over rough ground rather than fall out the front or rear of the wagon. They were also very high off the ground so as to clear rock and tree stumps.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Prairie wagon: Just remembered a PBS show I saw last year on the Oregon Trail that brought home exactly how careful the pioneers had to be about what they took along. The narrator said that old Western movies are very inaccurate because they show the larger Conestoga wagons with the family riding inside with room for their worldly goods. In reality, the prairie wagons' cargo space was exactly the size of a modern minivan with the back seats removed, so the travelers could include only what would fit into that much space, and there was room only for the driver and one passenger at a time, so most people who traveled the Oregon Trail walked the distance -- which was achievable because most wagons were hauled by slower oxen, not horses, and traveled 10 to 12 miles a day at best.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Hat Shop: The Hat Shop would have to include - Hat Pins, Hat Boxes, extra trim for the hats in small boxes (cherries, flowers, ribbon, etc). Also, I would think a hat shop may sell Scarves and gloves as accessories to match their hats, maybe even a small clutch purse. Sound like fun. By the way in regards to hat stands, I know that Michaels carries a lot of wood pieces that are great for creating hat stands, like small pegs. I know about miniatures suggested using small stairway spindles to get a decorative stem for the hat stand.

Suzy, Chicago, IL

Hatstands: I've made very plain hatstands by gluing together a round wood bead, golf tee, and a round wooden base to stabilize, then paint it all a neutral color. Simpler the better, that way the hats get the attention, not the stand.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Hatstands: I've used tear drop shaped hatpins stick into bell cap jewelry findings with nice results. You may also use tear shaped beads or you could also use the heads of small plastic dolls which have spray painted either gold, silver or matte white. Being a doll maker myself, I often use just the head and shoulders of my porcelain dolls.

Marilyn, MI

Hat Pins - How to: For those making hat shops, a quick tutorial on hat (or corsage) pins. Cut a length that is easy for you to handle, perhaps an inch, of the finest beading wire in either brass or 'silver'. Dip it into the paint used to paint on tee shirts, (the thick pearlized kind) until a tear drop forms on the end. Stick it into styrofoam to dry. If you'd like it bigger, repeat. You can make pins of various colors and even imbed tiny rhinestones if you desire! When dry, cut off to the proper length.

Alice Zinn- Pt. St. Lucie FL

I bought those key rings that have those little battery run lanterns attached to them...took off the rings and set them around.(Got them at Wal-Mart) It looks really nice...wish I had a picture on here to show you.

Anita...BelAir, MD

Lighthouse: for those of you looking for lighthouse ideas, here is a link to a virtual lighthouse tour!   Pigeon Point Lighthouse Virtual Tower Tour http://www.pigeonpointlighthouse.org/vtt_intro.htm This is a really interesting virtual tour to take with the whole family.  When you get to the site you are introduced to a 19th century lighthouse   Keeper. He will be your tour guide. On each page of the tour you can  read all about the history of the lighthouse and the many  responsibilities of the Keeper. There are clear photographs of every  feature of the lighthouse -- both inside and out -- and the Keeper explains them all. You will even discover what qualifications are necessary to be a Keeper. The tour continues to the top of the tower where you can see the Fresnel Lens and learn how it was used to help sailors avoid the dangerous rocky shoreline.

Jenny Gabrenas

I Love Lucy room: Why not troll garage sales/flea markets for a "dead" small portable tv, gut it, build the roombox to fit behind the screen opening, and then decorate it entirely in black, white, and shades of gray? Spray the exterior bright red like Lucy's hair or a fifties hot pink, decoupage a couple of the I Love Lucy logos in black and white on the sides, and you'd have a real eye-catcher, with the monotone color scheme completely self-explanatory.

Loretta.Sniarowski

I Love Lucy room: I used to work at Universal Studios/CA where they have a whole exhibit dedicated to 'I Love Lucy' and even have the sets up.  The colors on the walls and, i believe, the fireplace is gray.  I could be wrong on the fireplace, they may have left the brick exposed.   I'm also thinking that most everything in the room might have been painted in assorted shades of gray, it showed up on black and white tv screens much better then colored furniture.  Wish i could be a bit more helpful, as I just watched a tribute to Lucille Ball last Friday on one of the ABC, and her daughter and son were filmed on the set.   You might want to try going to the Universal Studios website to see if they have any pictures of the exhibit, and if not, you may be able to get a phone number to contact guest relations.   Hope this helps!

Monique

I Love Lucy room:   I don't know about the show living room BUT Lucy's dressing room at Universal Studios was done in greens that she believed helped enhance the redness of her hair. (At least what the guide said) You may get more of her dressing room info from Universal Studio Tours which could be applied to the TV living room.

On the other hand, has anybody ever done a set from an old B&W TV show IN black, white, and shades of gray? With no color? Wouldn't that be a hoot?

Mel K.

I Love Lucy room:   For the person doing the I Love Lucy Roombox, I just had to share the following site    http://www.dhminiatures.com/dhm/roombox/roombox98.html

The Lucy living room is the third roombox from the top (directly beneath the wonderful "All in The Family" box by Pearl Jordan)

Reva Losiewicz

Chinese Miniatures: I am happy to inform you all that I am going to run a miniature shop in Hong Kong ,hoping to bring back alive the unforgettable past--- the East meet West culture of Hong Kong of the bygone years, and also the contemporary designs of the city. I have had a very simple website of my own at the moment. Do come to visit my site if you feel interested in Chinese cultures.
http://www.loisminitreasures.com

Loi, Hong Kong

Oriental Miniatures: I found a site with miniatures that is really unbelievable, it is Japanese or Chinese, but there are English links too, just look at your cursor and click You won't believe what you will see and it is all mini.
http://www.nn.iij4u.or.jp/~shin98/

Klara

Other Scale Dolls: American Girl miniature dolls for Xmas does anybody have any idea what scale they might be?

I use them as five year olds in my Playscale dollhouse. (That's instead of saying Barbie.) I think that's about Two inches to the foot. They really aren't right for one inch scale but they are certainly charming and well made.

If you wanted to use them with one inch scale miniatures you might want to put them in a chair on top of a roombox reading a story that has the roombox theme as its subject. This can be very effective to draw in your audience.

There is a new series of Barbie product out with dolls from famous books (Heidi, Fern from Charlotte's Web and Anne of Green Gables.) They are a nice young teenager with nice appropriate costumes.

Laurie Sisson

Medical miniatures: here are some medical things.
http://www.dollhouse-miniatures.com/catalog/en-us/dept_107.html

Tom & Kari

Medical miniatures: I have a lot of doctor/pharmaceutical items on my website - all in stock. http://www.spminiatures.com/doctor.htm

Carol

Minis for mentally challenged:  I personally would think of her as a very young girl, maybe 6 years old? and go from there.

You could gather up fabrics, little cardboard boxes, (for stoves, tables, cabinets, etc.,) glue, findings...and let her play with them on her own.  Maybe a plastic doll that she could glue clothes onto.

Seems like just a box of various and sundries would be fun for a child, or a child like adult.   (Heck, it's fun for me!)

Also, there are many, many printables that would be simple to put together.

Just my thoughts...hope some of them help.

Kaye in L.A.