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You are here: Home / Archives for Blythe dolls

Crochet, Dystopian, and a Question

February 16, 2023 at 9:07 am by Claudia

Lucy wondering: “What the heck is Valentines Day??” I didn’t pose these two, Lucy’s head was already tilted this way. By the way, I just remembered that Zoe’s dress was originally Lucy’s. That’s what Lucy was dressed in when she arrived here at the cottage.

Hmmm. Maybe Lucy is wondering why Lucy is wearing her dress.

Today: Blythes, if only because that’s what I was working on most of the day yesterday. Actually, I was working on this ↓

That darned hat.

It was the most frustrating day. This yarn is very fine, full of varying thicknesses, and – for me – incredibly hard to crochet with. I’ve been wanting to store the yarn I have in the den, but I had yet to make a hat from this. So that was my project yesterday. It took me at least two hours longer than it would normally. I was cussing up a storm. It stretches too much and, often, attempts to hook the yarn are fruitless. On and on it went. And then, as I was getting close to the end of the pattern, I grabbed Katie to check on the fit and my suspicions that it was much too big were confirmed. It’s the same weight as the other yarns I’ve been using, but as all knitters and crocheters know, that ‘weight’ and gauge can vary. What to do? I did another two rows of decrease and prayed it would work. It did, but just barely.

It’s very pretty yarn and it is part silk/part mohair, so it’s very soft. But it’s a pain in the tush to work with. This little endeavor, which was supposed to go quickly, took up the entire afternoon.

She looks cute, though.

We’ve been watching The Last of Us –  episodes are being released weekly – a dystopian series about what happens after a fungal infection kills the vast majority of the population (it’s excellent) and Station Eleven, a series based on the book written by Emily St. John Mandel, which I raved about on this blog when it was first published. It’s also dystopian; this time it’s the flu that is the culprit. Normally, I don’t watch series based on favorite books, as you know, but several years have passed since I read Station Eleven, and I couldn’t remember the details any longer, so we went for it. Both series are very, very good. Tonight, we’ll watch the final episode of Station Eleven. By the way, both series are on HBO Max, which we get on a monthly basis (can cancel at any time) through Amazon Prime.

The temperature hit 65 degrees yesterday! But it was very windy, as it often is when the weather is unseasonably warm. Today: 60 degrees with a low of 48. Tomorrow, the low plunges down to 22 degrees. Crazy weather! It will get colder next week, with a chance of snow. Earlier, the prediction was for substantial snow fall. Now, it’s been changed to snow showers mostly; maybe some accumulation on one day. But I bet that changes.

Okay. I’ve been thinking about some other way to display my girls, but there are constraints. They have to be in the same place they are now – that little niche in the den. If I buy a narrow cabinet from IKEA, where do I put the music cabinet? I can’t see any other place in the house where that piece will fit. If I find something with deep and tall enough shelves that can fit on top of the cabinet, it has to be just perfect, like the egg cup cubby was perfect. If I install shelves on the wall, then they have to be be deep enough so the girls don’t slide off. Every time we come down the stairs to the den, there’s a bit of vibration and I don’t want it to cause any of these girls to slip and fall.

Any ideas?

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, crochet 26 Comments

A Valentine

February 14, 2023 at 8:37 am by Claudia

Zoe: Will you be my Valentine?

Zoe is very shy, as was I when I was little girl. Sending and giving Valentines was a bit stressful. I have assured Zoe that she is everyone’s  Valentine. We adore her.

It took me a long time to meet my true Valentine. I’m sure glad he’s here today. We’re not exchanging any cards this year, per my request. I think Don always feels that he has to do that, because, and I quote, “I’m the guy.” But he doesn’t. Not to sound too sappy, but truly, every day is Valentines Day here at the cottage.

Yesterday, I took a trip to a local antique market. I’m looking for a different way to display the girls. They’re so jammed together right now. I could buy a cabinet from IKEA, but where would I put the sheet music cabinet? Should I add some shelves on the wall, instead? This is what goes round and round in my brain. I secretly hope I’ll find just the right vintage piece but I didn’t see it yesterday, nor last week, when I made another trip to an antique shop.

But, I did come across a total surprise – only $20, by the way:

This little cabinet! It’s not all that old (and those drawer pulls are pushpins!) Maybe it was meant for jewelry? Or maybe it was meant for a doll or two. I have no idea, but I LOVE it! I plan to install some sort of rod to hang some of their clothing. I can stash some accessories in the drawers.

Isn’t this perfect? I almost didn’t go to this shop, which is an extension of the main shop. It has changed it’s concentration to vintage clothing, which makes sense in a college town, so I didn’t expect to find anything. But, there it was, tucked away in a corner, and everything in the shop was 20% off.

Huzzah!

____________________________

On a much more serious note. The shootings at Michigan State University shocked me to the core, though I suppose nothing is truly a surprise these days. My home state is Michigan, my brother went to MSU, reader Jeanie attended MSU along with my dear friend Jerry. Jeanie still lives in that area. Jeanie, I have thought of you so many times since the news last night.

I mourn the loss of lives, and the loss of innocence. Children aren’t safe in schools, students aren’t safe on college campuses, people aren’t safe in nightclubs, at the grocery store, in a movie theater. As in every case, the shooter was male.

Gun control. Gun control. Gun control. Gun control.

I have been fighting for this since my student was murdered nearly 29 years ago.

My heart breaks.

Happy Tuesday.

Happy Valentines Day.

Stay safe.

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, gun control, valentine's day 24 Comments

I Thought This Was February

February 13, 2023 at 9:02 am by Claudia

The winter that wasn’t. We’ll reach the 50s today. No snow in sight.

Really happy we paid to have our snow blower repaired.

It’s somewhat sunny today, though, so I’m happy about that.

I finished the latest Louise Penny yesterday. I started reading intensely in the afternoon, and when Don mentioned playing his guitar, I asked him if he would refrain because I was close to finishing a book. When I added that it was a Louise Penny, he immediately responded, “Of course!”

Excellent.

Today, I’m starting Underland  by Robert Macfarlane. Nonfiction.

War and Peace  is ongoing.

Pretty little Maeve.

Holly taking a stroll on the porch.

And so goes the routine of our days. Don is composing music and practicing the guitar, I read, clean, and play with the dolls.

But frankly, we both need to work and not just for financial reasons. We LIKE to work. We need that very specific kind of stimulation in our lives.

I should be gearing up to work on a Broadway show at the beginning of March. But, that isn’t going to happen.

Okay. Don is excited because it’s going to be relatively warm today and he can wash his shirts and hang them out on the line. I’m excited because I can have another piece of apple pie this afternoon.

It’s the little things.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, pottery 16 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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