miniatures — Page 68

On a Windy Sunday

May 15, 2016 at 8:36 am by Claudia

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The spirea bush that is down by the road is blooming. Big, fluffy tufts of white. I have always assumed this is a bridal veil spirea, but I could be wrong. I sure love it – it’s one of the early spring delights around here.

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So pretty, so delicate. Today, that bush is being blown every which way as a cold front comes through here. The temperatures have dropped but will start to climb back up tomorrow.

I caught Henry investigating the top of the garden bed. I opened the front door and said “Hey, no garden for you.” He took off like a shot. I actually didn’t need to say a word; just opening the door is enough to send him back to his lair.

It’s so windy today that my parents’ wind chimes are constantly making beautiful sounds. Hi Mom and Dad.

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These are the albums that dear Linda sent my way. Don loves all of these artists, so they are perfect for the TSP.

Coincidentally, some albums I ordered arrived yesterday.

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Also in this particular group that arrived in yesterday’s mail? The exact same albums that Linda sent to me! Great minds think alike. They are from the Etsy shop, Petals and Brims. Again – all albums Don would love to have, including Earth Wind & Fire, though I must confess that they are a particular favorite of mine. I’m the big Earth Wind & Fire fan around here.

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We’re slowly getting there.

We watched one of our favorite movies last night, The Awful Truth. It’s a very funny screwball comedy starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, and Ralph Bellamy (who Don worked with many years later on LA Law.) We actually own a copy of the movie, but it’s somehow more fun to watch when it just pops up on TCM. Brilliant.

You know, Don had a recurring role as attorney Russell Spitzer on LA Law and we figured out that the episode with Ralph Bellamy aired in 1988. I remember seeing it when it first aired. It’s a very touching story about Bellamy, a legendary lawyer who, it turns out, is losing his mental faculties. Russell Spitzer (Don) was defending Bellamy’s character. They had a lot of time to talk and Bellamy told great stories about his days in Hollywood.

Anyway, in 1988, I saw Don on that episode. Little did I know I would meet him six years later!

Amazing, how these things happen.

Happy Sunday.

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Trash, Books & Minis

May 14, 2016 at 9:01 am by Claudia

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I know a good trash can is a necessity in a kitchen – in ours, we need one that is really secure, since various critters fly inside our house during the summer months. We had one for years that was made by OXO and it was great; except for the lid, which had structural flaws in its design. Eventually, no matter how careful we were, the plastic portions would disintegrate and it wouldn’t work. OXO was very helpful, sending us replacement lids throughout the years. We must have had at least 6 different lids. But the flaw actually got worse, and the latest replacement fell apart in less than two months.

So we bit the bullet yesterday and bought a new one. Not the most exciting thing to buy, but a necessity. We rewarded ourselves by going out to breakfast and stopping at the bookstore.

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I picked up Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty – a memoir by Diane Keaton (I am a huge fan) and then I got a discount copy of The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. I read her newest novel, Broken Monsters, a few months ago and really liked it.

I also ran into Michael’s to get some plastic storage bins for my minis – right now, they’re all over the place.

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And I found this mini table – I like the color and the lines.

Then we came home. Driving up and down a busy highway full of stores and strip malls isn’t really our cup of tea. We were relieved when we got back to our little cottage.

All this running around meant I didn’t get the seeds planted in the Chicken Wire Fence Garden, so I’ll do that this morning. And by the time we got back home, I realized that I had to pick my health plan before the end of the day, so that became a priority.

But there was a little package waiting for me in our mailbox. It was from my pal, Linda.

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Oooh! The egg cup on the left is Harlequin by Homer Laughlin (in my favorite color) and the egg coddler is a lovely one from Royal Worcester. Thank you, Linda! We both collect egg cups, by the way, so we are definitely enablers.

She also sent along three mini record albums for the TSP, but I am unable to get a good shot of them this morning. I’ll remedy that later in the day.

We might get more rain later in the day, so I’m going to attend to gardening and potting later this morning.

Happy Saturday.

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It’s Nice To Be Spoiled Every Now And Then

May 12, 2016 at 9:56 am by Claudia

Greetings from the land of mulching, and mulching some more, and soaking morning glory seeds, and planting impatiens. I did a bit too much yesterday (big surprise) but the garden beds are looking so much better. It was worth it!

As to the mystery plant, I’m still leaning toward spirea, but reader Ann suggested chokecherry and when I looked it up, well – it could very well be a chokecherry. The way to determine that is to watch and wait, and if it eventually develops berries, then I’ll know the answer. And since chokecherry is a tree, I would have to remove it. So let’s hope it’s a spirea – they are both from the same family, as it turns out.

The day before yesterday, a package from Barbara arrived in the mail.

She mentioned that she found a wonderful site on Etsy that sells fèves. Fèves are little trinkets that are made to be put in a King Cake, which is baked on Epiphany. Whoever ends up with the fève is King for the day. I didn’t know about any of this, but I’ve since explored the shop and I am enchanted by these little mini figures. Barbara thought they would be perfect for dollhouse miniatures – and they are. They’re from France.

Some photos of the little fève vases:

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Right around this time in the picture-taking, I thought I’d throw in a penny for a size comparison.

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They are made from porcelain and are hand painted. Simply exquisite.

I’m over-the-moon about this shop – it’s called ValueARTifacts. I already have a wish list going. These pieces are so well made and the are perfect for dollhouse projects.

Also in the box:

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A can of Pringles (not a fève) – that will go in the TSP.

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And some muffins!

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An overhead shot of one of the vases in the TSP. Don’t you think the colors are perfect in that space? And heaven knows, I can’t fill that shelf unit entirely with record albums, though I do have a few more on the way via Etsy.

Oh, I almost forgot the other item in the box:

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This piece of Roseville. Barbara wasn’t sure if it was a legit piece (it is) and it has a tiny chip on the base. As you know, I care not one bit about little chips, so I am thrilled to have this join my Roseville family. It’s the Bleeding Heart pattern. Love those graduated Art Deco-like handles!

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The other side.

I’ve had curtail my Roseville buying lately, as any extra funds I have are being used for the TSP. Thank you, Barbara, for everything. You spoil me!

But, I have to admit, it’s nice to be spoiled every now and then.

Speaking of spoiling, the other present I received from Don on Mother’s Day was Adele’s new record album, 25 – yes, on vinyl. I love it.

Happy Thursday.

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On a Windy Sunday

Trash, Books & Minis

It’s Nice To Be Spoiled Every Now And Then

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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