Claudia — Page 1350

Sorting Out The Studio

October 4, 2013 at 9:36 am by Claudia

When did I first go to Hartford this year? April? That sounds about right.

Well then, since April, my little studio has been rather a mess. I packed up 2 boxes of supplies to take to Hartford, along with Mabel. Then when I returned in late May, knowing I would be leaving again at the end of July, I simply stacked the boxes on the floor right by my chair.

Yesterday I grabbed a couple of hours while Don was here to keep an eye on Scout and I finally unpacked those boxes and put everything in its proper place. I grabbed the camera and quickly took some pictures. No styling. No perfect lighting. Just as is.

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This is what greets you at the top of the stairs. If this is your first time visiting the studio or craft space, whatever you want to call it, it’s located in the hallway upstairs. I don’t have a separate room for my things. This is it. Consequently, it’s almost impossible to get a complete shot of anything, especially in front of the cabinet – too narrow.

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The skylight is a welcome source of light. (It’s rather dark here today as it’s going to rain, so excuse any graininess in the photos.) You can see Mabel, back in her rightful place.

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A closer view of the mantel turned shelf.

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My little nisse is hanging from a hook. And on the little shelf? My original Lamb With The Party Hat. See how tiny he is?

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Underneath that vintage doily cover is my trusty Elna.

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I refolded all the fat quarters that I took to Hartford. Oh fabric, you are so pretty.

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My bookshelf, beloved muse Lambchop and some framed press that I’m rather proud of. The little vintage toy piano was a gift from Don. The other lamb, made of paper, was a gift from my sister Meredith.

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Letitia, wearing my bloomers (from a play I was in, long ago.)

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The cabinet that I got via Craig’s List, formerly painted in a combination of taupe and blue, now a soft pink.

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The corner between the cabinet and the door leading to the guest bedroom/Don’s studio/office. That’s a flannel covered mini-design board on the wall and my chalkboard on the door. The silk parasol was a gift from my cousin when I was a young girl. He brought it home from Korea.

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On the board? My current favorite quote.

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Little treasures and supplies inside the cabinet.

The light isn’t the best, but take heart, if you want to see more you can find a lot of other photos of the studio on the blog.

Today I have to find space for all the reference books I’ve stashed in various totes since April. They go on the bookshelf in the bedroom. More sorting. More arranging.

And I will be watching my Red Sox in the ALDS at 3:00!

Scout update: Little miss continues to improve. I wish the bleeding would stop but yesterday, when I had to run to the vet for some special food, I happened to see the doctor who operated on her and she assured me again that it was normal. It only happens when she urinates – I guess that area is still healing. We have towels stashed in all her favorite places in which to recline, including the ‘tunnel.’ Last night she was so ravenous it was like she was hopped up on speed! But she’s eating and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. We are still really tired as we haven’t been sleeping all that well.

Here she is. This was taken just a moment ago:

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Scout says thank you for all your prayers and love and everything. We do, too. Have I told you how much you all mean to me? A whole lot.

Happy Friday.

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The Lamb With The Party Hat Says Welcome

October 3, 2013 at 9:22 am by Claudia

My husband is a fun, slightly wacky guy. He has a wonderful sense of the absurd, as well as…get ready for my favorite word…a sense of ‘whimsy.’ Since I’m the same way, we get on beautifully. During one visit to Hartford, he saw my new Lamb with the Party Hat canvas and loved it. His immediate reaction? Hang it in the living room.

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Since I had been thinking he would most likely think it was cute but would go along with my idea to hang it in my studio or above my desk in the den, I was surprised. And pleased. So this is what greets you if you enter the cottage via the front door. Is she the official greeter? Ummm, no. Scout would have a problem with that. But she’s certainly second in command.

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Gosh, I love a splash of whimsy in a room.

During the course of our initial conversation, Don said we should hang it above the piano. Yes, I said, it would look nice there, but one of my favorite things is hanging above the piano and that bit of wall space is the perfect place for it. This is what I was referring to:

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(There’s a post on this blog that tells the story of this sign. You can read about it here.)

Turns out Don isn’t so crazy about this sign.

What???? I couldn’t believe my ears. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I am absolutely gaga, certifiably crazy, as well as nutty, about this sign. When pressed to give his reasons, he said it just didn’t do anything for him.

Well, I said, with hands on hips. It’s staying. I’m not moving it. It’s the perfect place for it. It’s staying.

Then I gave him a look of utter disbelief.

And besides, I said, there’s enough aqua in and around the piano. I don’t want things to be too matchy-matchy.

I put my proverbial foot down.

Actually, we’re pretty sympatico as to the decorating of our house. For the most part, we like the same things. This is the rare blip on the horizon. But I am the driving force behind most of the decorating. I usually get the final say, except for parts of the guest room/Don’s studio/office. I let him have (mostly) free rein there.

He’s a pretty easy-going guy about this sort of thing.

Nevertheless, I was sort of shocked. Just when you think you know someone….

In other news, the New Dawn Rose stopped blooming a long time ago. What did I see yesterday evening?

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A single blossom. A surprise early autumn gift. Lovely.

Scout turned a corner yesterday. She slept a lot the night before and when she woke up, she looked more like herself. She’s been eating white rice and cottage cheese, with the addition of few pieces of kibble. She was hungry all day long, not surprising considering she hadn’t had anything to eat since Friday. We’re taking it slow. She is getting around just fine and any pain she had seems to be gone. She’s still bleeding a bit, but the doctor said that would happen, as the blood has to drain.

We still have to keep a close eye on her, but the relief we both felt yesterday was enormous. I’m starting to see my girl again. What a trooper she is! What a feisty, strong, beautiful girl.

We’re all recovering here at the cottage.

Happy Thursday.

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Butterflies, Flowers & Scout

October 2, 2013 at 9:22 am by Claudia

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I saw my first Monarch Butterfly yesterday. We have a lot of milkweed around here, so there well may have been more of them flying around during my time away. But I have seen less and less of them each season, so I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of this beauty flitting from zinnia to zinnia. The first time I saw her I was outside with Scout and didn’t have a camera. The second time, I was able to run into the house and grab my older camera with the zoom lens.

Aren’t butterflies supposed to symbolize transformation? Good, because we can use some around here with our little Scout. She continues to have a hard time recovering and we continue to be concerned. She was nauseous yesterday and has been since she came home, so we took her back to the vet for some fluids and a shot of anti-nausea medicine. She also got a shot of penicillin, so that we don’t have to try to get her to take a pill for a couple of days. She hasn’t eaten much at all, she’s lost 4 pounds, and her breathing is labored. She has allergies and her breathing has become a bit raspier as she has aged, so some of it we weren’t worried about, but it’s worse now and she sometimes moans. We can’t always tell whether she’s moaning because she’s in pain or because her stomach is upset.

She’s walking around just fine and the doctor says her eyes and color look good. But yesterday, late in the afternoon, she seemed worse and I didn’t know what to do. We monitored her and eventually phoned the doctor who was on call to talk about her breathing. Of course, the minute we made the call and started discussing whether we should bring her in again, she started to sleep somewhat peacefully. So we decided to wait and she how she is today. I slept downstairs with her last night. The sofa in the den is pretty comfortable. She’s sleeping a lot, which is a good thing.

She’s been through so much and she’s a senior dog, so I expect her recovery might be longer and harder. She isn’t snapping back as quickly as she used to. It’s all very worrisome. It’s all I think about.

I came home on Saturday and she’s been to the vet every day since then. I just want her to get stronger and eat something because she needs the strength. She still needs your prayers, my friends.

Not much else to report here. The weather has been beautiful and warmer than usual. Sunny skies and golden light.

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Thankful for zinnias that bloom at this time of year.

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And the morning glories that nestle alongside of them.

Happy Wednesday.

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Sorting Out The Studio

The Lamb With The Party Hat Says Welcome

Butterflies, Flowers & Scout

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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