Yesterday was one of those days where I felt mildly irritable and slightly ‘off’ all day. The simplest tasks went awry. You know what I mean? And through it all, I was completely aware that my reaction to everything was totally up to me, that I could change it all with an attitude adjustment. But I didn’t.
As the day went on, things got better. Don was having the same sort of day, so I guess we sort of wallowed in the whole thing. It was cold. Wintery weather is most definitely here – too early for our taste. An upside-down kind of day.
But I managed to noodle around with some things for the dollhouse. By the way, on an upside-down day, trying to maneuver fully adult human hands and fingers around the miniatures in a dollhouse makes for a lot of cursing.
Oh yes. Quite colorful, I might add.
I bought a little kit when I was in Chautauqua (now I wish I’d purchased two) and finally put it together.
It’s a little Victorian corner shelf with wonderful scroll work that was laser cut. Once I got out the glue, it was very easy to put together. I was going to paint it, but I decided I liked it better ‘au naturel.’
Gosh, it’s hard getting good photos way back in the depths of the kitchen!
A while back, Linda, a generous reader of this blog, sent me a box full of kits from The House of Miniatures. One of them was for a cupboard that would function as the top of a secretary. But I had a different idea. I put it together yesterday. Then I stained, painted, and sanded it.
I wanted it to look vintage and salvaged. (I’d like one of these for our real-sized cottage!) I never liked the free-standing bookcase I had in here. It was really just a marker of sorts until I figured out something else to do here. I stained the piece first with some antiquing gel, then I painted it and sanded it to show wear and tear. I deliberately left some parts of the doors unstained.
Then I put some of the books I’ve made on the shelves. There will be more added eventually.
(I took these photos late in the day.)
So, in spite of an upside-down day, I managed to create a couple of additions to the dollhouse. That makes me happy.
Happy Saturday.
They’re both so cute! I’m still searching for my dollhouse. I wonder if I have the patience for it now, lol!
You have to decide you’ll take it a little bit at a time, and then work on it when you want to. That’s the secret!
I’m glad that you could turn your day around like that….usually, I just give up and curl up and read. Aunt Dora had one of those corner shelves in her kitchen in Detroit. She kept a set of small china rabbits on it and I loved them. Funny to see that shelf again…from her kitchen to your blog!
I can barely remember Aunt Dora’s kitchen – just little bits of it. I like that I have something that Aunt Dora had in her home. xoxo
The way you’ve photographed the miniatures makes them look like “real life”!
That’s what I aim for, Rebecca!
Claudia, I think we have all had those days. Some times I will hear Ted grunting as he is doing something. I will ask if it is hurting him…then he laughs…he says he doesn’t realize he is doing it. I do think our cold weather is not making many happy. It seems too soon. The sun is out here but snow is coming our way. I want to enjoy this while it last. Blessings to you for a better day. xoxo,Susie.
p.s. yes, a nice pretty dress to wear at tea would be nice. :)
I agree – it’s too soon. Sort of depressing!
Both new pieces in the doll house are so perfect! I had one of those days yesterday also (something in the air). I was less patient with my Mom and ended up with a mega headache. GRRRR….so some oatmeal and toast for dinner, wrapped in a warm blanket and I started reading the new Jack Reacher book that I finally got from the library. Things looked up! The sun is shining today and I hope to get some work done around the house.
hugs,
Linda
I also stopped reading a book I finally admitted I didn’t like – now I’m going to start the new Michael Connelly – that will help!
We have those upside down days now and then. This week there were several! We try accentuating the positive…that can be a challenge now and then.:-)
I love your miniature home. Once in awhile I think about having one.
It’s extremely cold here, as well. J’s surgery was Wednesday…freezing between car and hospital!! We stayed an extra day in the big city and drove home in flurries, Thursday. Real snow is predicted for today and tomorrow. We are on the southern edge…perhaps it will miss us.
I hope J is recovering nicely, Pat! Much love to you.
Sweet, sweet, very sweet. (When I read that, it sounds just like my new ring tone, the call of my favourite bird, the American Goldfinch.)
You’re doing such a great job of scale in your doll house. I have two doll houses, too, but haven’t worked on them for years. In my dotage, hopefully. I enjoy doll house-building virtually, through you!
Hopefully, you’ll get back to them someday, Gail!
Your dollhouse is just as warm and inviting as your cottage :-) I can’t wait to hear what plans you have for the roof top garden. I’ve been fiddling around a bit with the dollhouse I finally restored. I decorated the front porch for autumn and now I am gathering bits and pieces for an old fashioned Christmas change out. And some days ‘you just gotta cuss’ to get through them.
Yep. I sure did cuss!
My day always feels off if I can’t get outside for a walk. Yesterday was “frost bite” cold and it snowed again all day, so the roads are rapidly becoming rutted with ice. Winter is long and harsh where I live – I don’t know why I can’t get used to it.
I really like the additions to the dollhouse, especially the cabinet for books. How did you affix it to the wall? I’d like to add a cabinet like that in my dollhouse over the kitchen sink. Are the kits very difficult to assemble? I picked up a couple of the same brand kits this summer at a sale, but haven’t opened them yet. Do you need any special tools to assemble them?
Sorry about the barrage of questions, but now you’ve got me enthused. Between your lovely dollhouse photos and the sun finally coming out, the day is definitely shaping up!
No, you don’t need any special tools – just glue and patience. Sometimes the pins that go in the doors to help them swing in and out are too big. That’s what happened yesterday and I ended up using some wax to affix them.
I use wax -either dollhouse wax or earthquake wax to fix the cabinet to the wall. Some pieces I glue on, but if I’m not sure if it’s going to be there permanently I use the wax. You can get it at any dollhouse/miniatures shop or online.
What’s lovely Scout up to today? I took my eleven-year-old pal out into the snow, such as it was (much like your limited snowfall) the other night, and she frolicked like a puppy. She avoids puddles and streams like the plague, but embraces and celebrates snow. It was very entertaining.
Claudia, I had to scroll through your dollhouse archives (which was fun!) in order to see your “before” bookcase. That’s because I love “before and afters.” Now I can’t wait to see where the tall bookcase ends up. I know you’ll find the perfect place for it. It is a pretty color.
We had an online conversation some time ago about how the dollhouse is an environment that one can control, unlike reality. Sounds like you needed, and found, a bit of control in your life yesterday. Well-done.
Apparently, reading your blog cheers up an awful lot of people!
Yes, I love that I can control it…appliances don’t stop working, there’s no furnace to deal with, etc. And it’s much, much more affordable to fix up. If only I could hang things in my real home with mini wax!
Scout loves the snow, but we really didn’t have enough yesterday for her to frolic in. This year, however, if it’s as bad as last year – we’re going to have to find some other area for her to do her business in. The little hill she has to climb up and all the ice that stayed in the dog corral caused her to slip and fall a lot. I don’t want her to have to go through that this year. It’s too hard on her.
At the moment, she’s lying here next to me in the living room….waiting for SOMETHING to happen.
Can’t get over the beautiful things in “Caroline’s” house. I don’t think I have the long tapering fingers [that I think are] necessary to be able to work well with miniatures, but it sure is fun seeing what you’re doing. Every time you write a dollhouse post, I see new and exquisite teeny things. Today’s that itty basket hanging on a wall peg, with even “ittier” skeins of yarn stashed inside. Like Miss Scout, they’re way too cute. Hope your Saturday is right side-up!
Much better today, Janet! Noodling around with plants that I’ve brought indoors and the dollhouse, etc.
I like what you added to Caroline’s cottage…and I’m sure she would approve too! Upside down days are frustrating to me. I don’t have a lot of patience those days…so doing anything delicate is out of the question. Kudos to you for what you did! Me…I tend to clean on those days….seems to work the frustration right out of my system. Vacuuming, scrubbing…nothing delicate like dusting…might break something! I hope today is a better one for you and Don! ;)
I think that’s why it was so much more difficult than usual for me to work with the minis. It’s rather painstaking work!
OK — I totally thought that first picture of the sweet corner shelf was “real.” Well, “real” as in human scale. It’s so sweet!
I have always planned on working on a dollhouse – maybe someday when I’m done with my “real” house, I will. Or, if I have a grandchild!
What a beautiful dollhouse you are creating.
Cass
Thank you so much, Cass. I work on the dollhouse because it’s a heck of a lot more affordable than working on my real house!
Well done Claudia! Love the corner shelf. Good choice of not painting it.
Yes, I think it looks much better this way. Thanks so much, Casey!
Best thing to do on those kind of days is find something to keep you busy..even if you have to curse at it..lol..the new additions are perfect..love the little books in the cupboard..Wishing you both a better day today..Hugs
It’s cold but sunny – a rather beautiful day. Though yesterday was the same. But my attitude is much better today, Nancy.
Claudia,
I know EXACTLY what you mean! Those upside-down kind of days definitely do a number on my nerves, let me tell you! Greek women believe that when we have days like these, ( it seems, the older I get, the more I have!), whatever we try to cook or bake, will either burn, not rise, be too much of this and not enough of that, and generally, just ends up being ‘off’ in some way. Skeptical of this old wives’ tale at first, now, I can practically preach on the matter, having witnessed way too many culinary calamities to call them coincidences!
xo
Poppy
Yes – you have to be careful of what you attempt on those days, Poppy!
Oh Claudia, Why wouldn’t we expect Colorful language from a fabulous Speech Expert, as you
– Judy A-
Indeed! Well, you’ve got it! I can cuss with the best of ’em.
I like that name for it Claudia, upside down days. I have a lot of those days … more and more of late. I seem to be out of sync with everything.
Your miniature pieces are darling. Losing myself in a solo activity is the only way I seem to be able to navigate those kinds of days and work through them …
Glad you’ve got your garden and a much loved project to tootle with and feel the day come round again to right side up!
Good job..so cute…great distraction?? Hope tomorrow is better for you both..
All my days feel ‘upside-down’ lately – so much to do for the coming season, no energy to address it all other than make lists and then find excuses not to follow up……..until later!!! Not like me at all, just can’t get going right now.
Love the new touches to the dollhouse Claudia – you have an amazing ‘second home’ there!!
Hugs – Mary
Love those miniatues. You must have great patience to work on them.