I stayed indoors much of the day yesterday to give my allergies a break. It helped a great deal. Since it rained all night (right after I had sprayed the plants to keep the deer away, grrr!) I’ll probably wait to do anything else outside until tomorrow.

I did venture out to get the mail and grabbed these pictures.

A bud on the shag hickory.

The lilacs have just started to open. Don told me he got a whiff of their heavenly scent so I had to investigate.

Don had an encounter with Phileas the other day. And we’re sure it’s the same frog this year. Don heard a splash in what we’re calling the Frog Pond, so he went over to investigate. As he stood there patiently, he sang the Phileas song he sang last year. Eventually, Phileas appeared and swam to the side of the culvert, popping up his head to say hi. It made Don’s day.

Started in on the baseboards for the living room. I was having ‘a day’ and couldn’t quite figure out how to mitre the joins in this strangely angled room. My solution? Fudge it. And that’s what I’ve done, if only to save my sanity. In the end, this project is for me. I’ll use a little spackle to cover up any space in the join. I briefly thought about painting the fireplace white, but that seems too matchy for me. I’m going to stain it in pecan, instead.

And lest you think I have things under control, this is the current state of the studio:

It’s a mess. A creative mess, but a mess. This is when I long for a larger space. Ah, well. I just saw some photos of my friend Gwen’s new studio and doll space and I’m incredibly envious!

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

On Wednesday, I mowed the largest part of the front lawn. And then I mowed the Secret Garden. And then…even though I knew I was pretty darned tired, I mowed the lilac side of the front lawn. I did take about a 10 minute break in the middle of it all. That is a lot to mow with a push mower! I felt pretty proud of myself at the age of 73! Later in the day, however, I had a big old allergic reaction. My left nostril felt tingly and I started sneezing. I must have sneezed over 30 times in the next few hours. And it came back yesterday – more tingling, more sneezing. Crazy! Everything is bursting forth all over the property, I’m allergic to grass pollen, lots of mowing = a recipe for discomfort.

Yesterday, I made one last trip to the nursery and came home with two hanging plants and some small plants for two of my vintage pots. They’ll go in the Secret Garden.

I’m only filling two pots this year. The other two vintage pots are now at the porch entrance filled with pansies. I swept the porch, filled some trash bags, and I think the porch is ready to go!

I was determined to finish the wood floor in the Beacon Hill living room, so I went up to the studio. A few hours later, it was done.

It is such finicky and messy work. But it’s what I know and prefer. I watched a video of a guy who is an amazing miniaturist. He does his floors with thin veneer strips. I can see where this might be easier, but the veneer is too perfect and that’s not what I go for, as you well know. I like imperfections and slight gaps here and there between the floorboards – just like our floors here in the cottage. I like things to look old. I will be doing this in other rooms as well. Maybe a different stain color here and there, but this is an “old” house and it should look that way.

Now I start in on the baseboards.

It’s been a busy week. Don has a gig tonight. I may sneak in some back forty mowing when he leaves. Shhh! Don’t tell him.

And I have to sow my zinnia seeds.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Saturday was a day of endless rain, but we need it. Yesterday, I did a little work outside, but I mainly concentrated on this:

I’ve begun to lay the living room floor.  You have to be in the mood to do this because it’s tedious and exacting. That may not look like much to you, but it took about 3 hours. I stain each stick individually, let it dry, then cut it to fit into the jigsaw puzzle that is a wood floor. This room is trickier than normal because it isn’t just 4 walls. It has insets into the bay windows, and a kind of bump out on the left – all of it making this whole thing more challenging.

It’s also messy. Each piece has to be covered in glue. I usually use another clear glue, but I’m trying a white glue for part of this – just to see how it goes.

I know that other miniaturists cut a backing the size and dimensions of the room and attach the floor to it, but I don’t. This is the way I learned how to lay a wood floor many years ago when I first started on this hobby and all floors in my dollhouses are still intact and still secure. The only one that isn’t? The one in Don’s mini music studio and that floor was the kind that is made in a sheet. I had to re-glue the join recently.

I also stain each piece of wood before I attach it. I don’t wait until all of the bare wood pieces have been glued in place to stain the entire floor. I remember someone advising me that there is less chance of warp when you stain them individually.

So, we stick with what works, no matter how tedious! I’ll add some more ‘boards’ today. Then I’ll work on the baseboards – also a pain in the tush.

I’m using my favorite stain from Minwax that I’ve had for several years. It comes in a big tube. And, much to my surprise, it isn’t being made anymore! This is ‘walnut’ and I have another tube in ‘pecan.’ I must guard them with my life!

I also managed to detach the center window in the bay window and replace the acetate that had paint on it from the previous owner’s work on the dollhouse. I had to be very careful because I didn’t want to break any of the wood surround. But it worked and it’s much better for photos now.

Outside:

Those are little leaves on the big maple!

And here is the lilac update.

Heaven.

I am going to rake out a couple of small garden beds today. I want to sow my zinnia seeds and uncover the plants in the beds on the far side of the house.

It’s beautiful out there today.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.