miniatures — Page 32

Day One Hundred Thirty-Two

July 23, 2020 at 9:41 am by Claudia

We had a big old storm late in the afternoon yesterday; lots of rain, thunder, and lightning. There were severe thunderstorm warnings all over the Hudson Valley. When we were sitting in the den, I saw golden light coming through the closed blinds, so I quickly opened them and saw this. I was immediately out on the porch in my bare feet so I could capture this view.

Don is feeling much better today. He got a lot of sleep and he’s in a kind of “Hello, beautiful world!!” mood. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I, on the other hand, did not get enough sleep and it’s entirely my fault. I slept downstairs again and was scrolling through Twitter (something I never do before I go to bed) and the news was so upsetting and depressing that I couldn’t get to sleep for the longest time. I have no one to blame but myself. Lesson re-learned. We have decided that I’m moving back upstairs tonight. I can’t wait for my comfy bed! I’ve actually been sleeping well and pretty solidly during this time (probably because I can’t hear Don snore) but the narrowness of the sofa is so limiting that I feel sore when I get up. It’s as if my body knows it cannot stray from the confines of the sofa, so it tenses up.

Anyway, sheets will be washed today, pillows moved back into the bedroom, no more clothes stashed on top of the basket of throws in the den. No more having to turn on the light in the bathroom and leaving the door slightly cracked so I can navigate up the steps to the bathroom in the dark.

I filmed another short video for IGTV yesterday, this time focusing on the vintage dollhouse in the den – the Lake House. You can find it on my IG account. I had to use iMovie to stitch two different videos together and somehow the video looks smaller than usual. But if you click on the square at the lower right of the frame, the video will enlarge.

I’m always picky about how I sound, the hesitations and pauses I use when I speak. But that is the way I speak in real life, so why hide it? I pause and consider and move on and pause again. I also go off on tangents. Basically, I chat.

You’re getting the real me, my friends.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine

July 20, 2020 at 9:24 am by Claudia

I woke up with a sore back (sleeping on a 25 year old sofa will do that to you) and a foggy brain. This unbelievably humid and hot stretch we’re in is having its way with me, as well. Mostly, I just feel exhausted with absolutely no energy. I’m on my second cup of coffee now, so fingers crossed that it finally kicks in.

Don was out of bed for several hours yesterday, then he took a long nap in the afternoon. Slowly but surely, he’s doing better, but we have to remember that it takes a while to get back to normal.

Two sad sacks here at the cottage this morning!

We have one more day of this heat advisory. Last night we had thunderstorms and rain – we needed it. That also means I don’t have to hand water the gardens, just the porch plants.

We sat together on the sofa in the den last night and watched some episodes of Frasier. We were laughing out loud a lot (that almost never happens with most sitcoms) and boy, was that laughter good for the soul – especially for Don. Laughter is healing.

We stayed in during the day with the a/c on and I looked at miniatures on Etsy. By the way, I tried the grout on some test stones and it was messy and didn’t work. I may just leave it as is, because I certainly don’t want to ruin all the work I put in on that ‘stone.’ I’ll definitely seal it with a matte sealer and then, I think, I’ll move on to the windows (not sure what to do with them) and the door. Then, inside. I have more than few choices for wallpaper, which I will have to narrow down. One, in particular, keeps calling me for the big room downstairs. It’s a bit bold, so I’m hesitant. I think I’ll try two different patterns in the space and see which one works best. But first, I’ll have to do the downstairs floor.

Basically, I’m playing around with furniture, thinking through spacing, ordering what will be the kitchen island, which will separate the two spaces, thinking about how to make two beams for the ceiling, trying to come up with something for the windows that is different than the stuff that came with the kit, which I don’t like at all. And – ongoing – trying to make the door fit in the opening of this dollhouse I found at the dump.

There’s a lot to do. First up, seal the stones, but I think I’ll have to wait until it’s less humid so I can do it outside.

Okay. I was going to go the store this morning but I’m too out of it, so that will be delayed until tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Day One Hundred Twenty-One

July 12, 2020 at 10:07 am by Claudia

Big storms yesterday, unbearable humidity, lots of rain. From the level of water in my galvanized bucket, I’d say we got 4 inches over two days. Today? No humidity, a gentle breeze, the sound of the wind chimes. Heaven.

I finished the three exterior walls of the house late yesterday afternoon. Dove Cottage made a little trip outside this morning for a photo shoot.

I am also going to cover the base of the porch in these stones, as well as the base in the rear of the house, so there’s more work to do. But the big job – the cottage – is finished.

After that I’m going to spray the stones with a matte sealer so the color doesn’t run. I’m also going to do a few test stones. I’m experimenting with grout (grout made from spackle with a tiny bit of color added) and I want to see if spraying them with a sealer will keep them safe from the spackle. I know it will be painstaking work, but if I could pull it off, I’d be very pleased. If it turns out otherwise, I leave them as is, but the perfectionist in me will not be happy.

So, a bit more work to do on the exterior then I’ll move on to the interior.

I’m very pleased with the look of the stones. I have to admit, when I first started I wasn’t at all sure this was the way to go. I had serious doubts. But now, I’m really in love with the look.

Just to review, I collected cardboard egg cartons for months. When it was time to start making stones, I cut the textured section of the egg carton, usually the top, into strips. I painted each strip with a base coat of Deco Art Americana acrylic paint in Buttermilk – two coats. Then I used another paint I had on hand in a shade of rusty brown and added touches of it here and there, sometimes rubbing some of it off if it was too much. Then I cut each stone individually, trimming it as necessary. Then I glued each one into place. It was painstaking work, but now – after most of it is done – well worth it.

I’m excited about decorating it. I’ll try to share some of my ideas about the interior this week. Just know that these two pieces will be a big part of the kitchen end of the open concept first floor –