Back in 2010, Thoughts From Alice blogger Alice Wingerden and her husband renovated their home, but this year she's been tackling something a bit…smaller. It all started when Wingerden's husband brought a dollhouse home from a yard sale. Made of plywood and minimally painted, the house was in desperate need of a makeover. Alice began renovating the tiny abode as part of the Dollhouse Therapy Challenge, revealing a new room redo each month from April until June, but the house isn't complete yet. She still has to work her magic on a several rooms, but check out the flawless taste and attention to detail in what she's done so far: You'll Want to Live in This Country Playhouse a Mom Created for Her Daughter This Couple Spent All Summer Renovating Their Lonely Neighbor's Deteriorating House See This Tennessee Fixer-Upper Go From Tattered to Picture-Perfect Joanna Gaines Just Shared Photos of the One Room at Her Farmhouse You've Never Seen Before This Drab Mudroom Is Now a Bright and Beautiful Space

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45.5 x 55.5 x 56.7 cmJana Cooley knows that little girls (and maybe even big ones) want to be princesses, and she can make that happen at The Dollhouse Tea Room on Molalla Avenue in Oregon City. It is there that Cooley stages “specialty princess dress-up tea parties” for all ages and any occasion, and even boys can get in on the action. “We provide the gowns, hats, tiaras and halos. After the kids come in, they go to the wardrobe room (to choose an outfit), then the dressing room, and then they get a mini-makeover in our salon,” Cooley said, adding that she has dress-up clothes for boys, girls and adults. Before the partygoers sit at the “birthday table,” they come out and strike poses or curtsy at a fashion show for parents and adult friends in attendance. Parents get a “pretty good bang for their buck,” Cooley said, noting that once parents put down a deposit on a party, she supplies the invitations, party favors, thank-you notes, a full luncheon and birthday cupcakes.

Cooley makes everything from scratch herself, including tea sandwiches, the cupcakes, scones, jam, British-style cream for the scones and lemon curd. While the youngsters are enjoying their lunch and party favors, adults guests sit in the front room; while they are watching the festivities, they can indulge in complimentary coffee, tea and a tray of sweets. When the partygoers are finished eating, Cooley and her staff help the birthday girl open her gifts, while keeping a log of who gave her which gift. “We send her home with a special present, the gift log and thank-you notes. On the back of the thank-you notes is a discount coupon for each guest, in case they want to have a party,” Cooley said. Improving on a theme Cooley said she can’t take credit for the concept of the specialty teas, but instead she took the initial idea and ran with it. The business originally opened in Milwaukie in 2000, and Cooley purchased the business nearly six years ago. She moved the Doll House Tea Room to Oregon City because she wanted a house with a yard, in order to hold summer garden parties.

“This house has a big front yard, and two big rooms in the shape of an L. One room is open enough so you can see the birthday table, but it is not in the way, and the kids feel that the other room is their area,” Cooley said. The Oregon City tea room opened officially Jan. 21, with a ribbon cutting and guests from the OC Chamber of Commerce. Once Cooley repainted the house and redid the hardwood floors, the fun of redecorating began. The front rooms are awash in vintage dolls dressed up and sitting on shelves, teapots, cups and tea sets, and lots of knickknacks. Cooley calls the decor “shabby chic,” adding, “We have bone china and real linens, but most of it doesn’t match.” The parties are fun, but make no mistake, they are a lot of work, so why does Cooley do this? “I enjoy children so much. I was a bar manager for many years, and this is kind of the opposite of that; this is my retirement. I enjoy entertaining and cooking, and I love interacting with people, creating memories.”

Cooley notes that she couldn’t do it alone, so her two daughters and daughter-in-law help out, and even her son occasionally comes in to wait on tables. The tea room can accommodate 30 guests, and once people book a party, they have the entire site to themselves. She can deal with short notice to some extent, but advises that the most popular times are Saturdays and Sundays, when there are three seatings: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. “During the week we can be more flexible,” Cooley said. She has hosted a “Gone With the Wind” themed birthday party for a 90 year old, Red Hat parties, and wedding and baby showers, just to name a few. “As long as people have little girls and bring them here, I will keep making memories for them,” Cooley said. She added, “I am never as happy as I am when this place fills up with love, laughter and happiness.” Princess for a day What: The Dollhouse Tea Room Where: 1114 Molalla Ave., Oregon City Contact: Call Jana Cooley, owner, at 503-653-6809, or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots.