Gray days here.

I took this shot of the Catalpa tree because, if you look closely, you can see the bean pods hanging from the branches.

Did I ever tell you we had some honeybees come back to the Catalpa in late summer? If you remember, we had honeybees that lived in the tree for years and then a few years ago, an aggressive bee or two got in there and they were attacking us if we got too close, so we called in a beekeeper. We didn’t do anything because we decided to wait it out until winter, when, sadly, the bee colony died out. They didn’t come back that spring. We covered the access holes with window screen material.

But one day this summer, Don saw bees going in and out of an impossibly tiny opening at the top of the screening. They weren’t aggressive and we were happy to have them back. They disappeared at the first hard frost, but I’m hoping they come back next spring. Honeybees, you are welcome here. Just don’t attack us.

Clarification: When I mention hanging lights on the porch, let me assure you there is no climbing involved. We drape the lights over the railings, from post to post. Easy as pie and nothing I can’t do rather easily. No ankle worries.

New topic: I knew this was coming out in December (it’s the January 2016 issue), but since it’s published in the UK, I have to wait for my copy to arrive in the mail. Honestly, I was afraid they might have scuttled the article – these things happen all the time in the magazine industry – and when I wrote to the Editor yesterday to see if I was indeed in the issue, I got an automatic reply that she was on maternity leave. I finally found some info online that led me to believe I was indeed in the issue, so I bought a digital copy at pocketmags.

Shabby chic cottage renovation? That’s Caroline’s dollhouse! We’re the lead article. Whoo hoo!

This is a screen capture from my phone. It’s much easier to read the digital copy on the phone than on my laptop.

Gosh, they did a lovely job on this. Katie Holloway, who is the editor, contacted me and asked me if I would consent to a feature. Of course! She sent some interview questions, which I answered, and asked me to send along some photos of the dollhouse. Since I had also been featured in American Miniaturist  this year, I made sure to take all new photos so that each magazine had a different (and not duplicated) set.

The interview was fun; it gave me the chance to tell my dollhouse story. And the last page shows a photo of the bedroom, along with the title:

Get the look…Shabby Chic Bedroom. Replicate the style of Claudia’s shabby chic bedroom with these similar items.

And there are photos of a bed frame, rug, dresser, chair and wallpaper in the style of the room I decorated. Such fun!

I’m thrilled.

I haven’t told Caroline yet. I’m going to wait until the actual magazine arrives and then I’ll give her a copy, just as I did with American Miniaturist.

A big, big thank you to Katie Holloway and everyone at The Dolls’ House Magazine for the article. They really did a bang-up job and I couldn’t be happier with the end result.

I’ve seen this magazine at Barnes & Noble occasionally. But it takes a while for British magazines to arrive. Since I know this question will come up, the best way to get a copy is to buy a digital copy at pocketmags (dot) com. It’s very reasonable at $3.99.

I don’t mind telling you, seeing that article yesterday was a much needed bright spot in my day. In my month, actually.

Happy Monday.