books — Page 162

Baseboards and Zinnias

September 27, 2015 at 9:38 am by Claudia

9-27 zinnia bud

The zinnias are putting on an early autumn show. They just keep blooming. Along with the morning glories, they provide lots of beautiful flowery color even as the leaves turn yellow and the morning temperatures turn very cool.

9-27 red zinnia

They make me smile.

Yesterday, I once again seized on a window of Don-free time to do some work on the Top Secret Project.

Don: You know the drill.

Baseboards in hand, it was time for me to try a mitered corner.

I didn’t use mitered corners in Hummingbird Cottage, though now, after having done it, I wish I had.

9-27 mitre box

I used this aluminum miter box that comes with a blade and handle. I’d ordered it a few months back from HBS/miniatures.com

I admit to getting confused about which angle goes where in a mitered corner, so I googled the whole thing and found this wonderful tutorial, ‘Mitering 101’ from Miniature Designs. It made the whole process easy as pie. Thank you!

By the way, I made a cover for that sharp blade.

9-27 blade cover

I used a cardboard express mail envelope.

9-27 baseboard

Baseboard.

9-27 mitred corner

Mitered corner.

9-27 mitred corner with dog

Baseboard with table and dog.

It looks so nice!

When I put furniture in this room, I realize that it’s quite a big space. That’s why, I’m sure, some of the miniaturists working on the Creatin’ Contest are creating rooms within the space. I thought about doing that; for example, adding a bathroom. But I think I’m going to keep it open and studio-like. If mini Don has to go to the bathroom, he can hike up to the house.

I do have lots of ideas for the space, including a counter-high refrigerator and a counter top with a coffeemaker, a lounging area with the Eames chair, a coffee table and a sofa, a stereo and lots of record albums, an area with recording equipment, speakers, a computer screen, stools, musical instruments, maybe an electronic keyboard and/or an upright piano and a floor microphone. There would be a rug or two on the floor for acoustic purposes. There will be framed posters and artwork.

And a retro fireplace like the ones you see in older A-frame and mid-century modern homes. I’ve found a tutorial for it and that is my next project.

I’ll try to make a floor plan in the next few days, so you can see what I have in mind – though I’m not really sure what will go where.

So far…I’ve got the Eames chair and the baseball cards and record album Barbara sent to me.

Oh, what fun it will be!

I’ve just finished Pop Goes the Weasel by M. J. Arlidge (who wrote Eeny Meeny, a book I reviewed previously) and there is a review on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.

Now I’ve started A Song of Shadows, John Connolly’s newest Charlie Parker mystery, which is being published on Tuesday. He’s a wonderful writer and I’ve now read every book in the series, except for this one.

I’ve read nine books this month. My new early morning reading regimen is paying off!

Happy Sunday.

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Re-Emerging (and the TSP)

September 24, 2015 at 9:07 am by Claudia

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Excuse me while I shake off the world of Three Pines and do my best to re-emerge into the world of blogging.

I just finished The Nature of the Beast and I am stunned by how good it is. Louise Penny is brilliant. I’ll write a review tomorrow for Just Let Me Finish This Page, but I need to let it percolate a bit in my brain before I put my feelings into words.

Oh my goodness.

I finished it this morning in the lamplit den. The sun had yet to make its presence known. A shawl around my shoulders, coffee mug in hand, I couldn’t do anything but read straight through to the end.

And now, I have to wait a year for another Three Pines mystery. I feel Penny is at her best when the action takes place in and around Three Pines. Last year’s book, The Long Way Home, took place elsewhere and, though good, I thought it lost its way.

This has been a week for excellent reads: Jan Karon’s Come Rain or Come Shine, and Penny’s The Nature of the Beast. How can I keep from smiling at the sheer pleasure of being allowed to read their words?

Don: Do Not Read Any Further!!

I did a little work on the Top Secret Project yesterday. Excuse the darkish photo, but I took it late yesterday afternoon.

9-24 flooring

I finished painting the walls. No wallpaper this time. I envision this as a bright, sunny space. So I used Wicker White by Folk Art. After trying a brush for a couple of coats, I bought a foam roller. Much better! I have to do some patching and spackling, but I’ll get to that later.

That flooring is Random Plank Flooring made of wood veneer. No popsicle stick flooring this time. Now I’m trying to decide whether I should use it ‘as is’ in this lighter color, or whether I should stain it a darker color. I have some stain left over from the bookshelves in the den.

Hmmm.

Then I’ll add the baseboard. Wish me luck, I’m going to be making some mitered cuts.

This project is going to take longer than I had planned. Budget is a big issue. I can only do so much at a time. Yesterday, I made a list of the items I would like to see in the room. Some of them will have to be handmade. Some of them I will buy.

In either case, it will take time.

Happy Thursday.

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Living in a Dollhouse, Morning Glories, Reading

September 22, 2015 at 9:26 am by Claudia

The morning glories have been slow in coming. One flower will appear every few days. Only one. While I would love to have a profusion of morning glories, I sort of like this one-at-a-time business. It heightens the pleasure, the beauty.

I was surprised, therefore, to see three new flowers yesterday. That’s a first for this summer.

9-22 three mgs

Three new beauties and one from the day before.

9-22 one mg

This one. Equally beautiful.

When our friend Adrian was here, he was very charmed by our cottage. When he said, “It’s like a dollhouse!” I smiled and thought, well there you go! I never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense. We live in a dollhouse. (A dollhouse that contains other, smaller dollhouses.) I have a feeling that if any of you were to stop by for some tea and scones, you’d say the same thing.

I like that. Oh lord, we get so frustrated by lack of storage space, by having no usable basement or attic or garage. We say, “This house is too small!!” And it is. But, then again, it’s gosh-darned charming. And after having thoroughly cleaned it in preparation for Adrian’s visit, we look on it with fresh eyes and fall in love with it once again.

We really concentrated on the guest room/office/studio which ends up being a catch-all room for everything that doesn’t have a ‘place’. Don took on that room, as he’s the one who uses it the most, especially in the winter months. He did a bang-up job. It looks great.

It’s autumn. The nesting instinct has one again hit me smack in the face.

9-22 two mgs

By the way, I’ve finished Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon (which is being released today) and am now happily immersed in the world of Three Pines via The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny.

There’s a review of Come Rain or Come Shine on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.

I’m hoping to get some work done on the Top Secret Project this week. Wish me luck!

Happy Tuesday.

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Baseboards and Zinnias

Re-Emerging (and the TSP)

Living in a Dollhouse, Morning Glories, Reading

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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