I’m running late this morning as I got waylaid by some stuff I had to do. It’s extremely cold here this morning. The wind chill was below zero when we got up. But it’s sunny out there and the snow is quite beautiful.
Don is trying to talk me into buying the kit for the Beacon Hill dollhouse. (My friend Barbara from Massachusetts also let me know of a kit for another house that was available on Craig’s List.) I’m going back and forth between the two, but the Beacon Hill remains my favorite.
This is the exterior.
(Photos courtesy of the Greenleaf Dollhouses website.)
And this is the interior. Bay windows, hallways, fireplaces, and nooks and crannies. It’s quite a bit larger than Hummingbird Cottage, so there’s that. Anyway, Don kept urging me to buy it as he thinks it would be a great project for this lockdown-winter. I’m almost there, but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
I love the dollhouse kit that Barbara mentioned, too, but there’s something about this juggernaut of a house that is pulling me. I will most likely go mad trying to construct it and want to throw it against a wall and I have no idea where the heck I would put it.
Am I mad? You tell me!
Anyway, that’s what I’m wrestling with at the moment. As I start to wind down the construction work on Dove Cottage, I will be slowly collecting the other pieces of furniture that I need for that project and that takes time. In the meantime, I could start in on the Beacon Hill. Just as with books, where I have to have another book on deck, I feel the same way about dollhouses (or any project.)
We’ll see.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
Good Morning Claudia,
Order the Beacon Hill. Wayfair has it for $214. Maybe they have a coupon. Free delivery. Don says get it, you really want it . Why not ? DO IT NOW !!!
I did it! And I ordered via Wayfair. Thanks so much for your support, Barbara. It was almost $35 cheaper on Wayfair.
Stay safe.
Woo hoo ! Your Beacon Hill adventure begins. I’m glad I could help. Enjoy. Stay safe. Merry Christmas 🎄🎄
You are a great help, Barbara. And your offer to drive to pick up that other house for me was so sweet. I’m not joking when I say it brought tears to my eyes. Bless you both.
Stay safe, my friend.
Northampton is only about 25 miles from us and we could have met you somewhere in CT. You made the right decision bc if you got the smaller house you would be thinking of your Beacon Hill. Stay safe !
xo
Buy the dollhouse, Claudia! I would love to see what you do with it:)
I did! I’m excited and scared because it is a behemoth!
Thanks, Karen.
Stay safe.
:)
xo
Way fair says there are eight left in stock. You wouldn’t have to fret about where to place it because it will be on your new work table for months.
You’re not kidding! It will be there for a long, long time.
xo
Follow your heart. You will find a space for it.
I ordered it, Marilyn.
Thanks!
Stay safe.
nope … you’re definitely not mad! you love it, you have don’s encouragement and you’ve thought about it for a long time. also, projects are good to have ready for creative people (especially in winter and during a pandemic). and it’s beautiful! for what it’s worth, i say go for it.
enjoy staying warm in your sweet cozy home!
stay safe!
kathy in iowa
Thank you, Kathy.
I did order it and it should be here on Wednesday. (Of course the USPS is moving very slowly at present, so we’ll see.)
Stay safe.
Yes, you’re crazy!! Lol But don’t fight it. It’s gonna be a tough winter and as a woman with 40 years of mental health therapy (but no degree), I say it’s a support for your mental health (and maybe Don’s). That Beacon Hill is a beauty. It will be a delight to see what you make of it. Honestly, I don’t get any kick back from Greenleaf. :-)
Definitely for Don’s mental health! He can record music downstairs while I try to put this monster together upstairs.
Thanks, Nora.
Stay safe.
oh …. yesterday at 5:00 pm, i finally learned the results of the mris: lots of arthritis (to be expected at 62) and, unfortunately, compression fractures in four vertebrae, due to osteoporosis (which my doctor and i have worked on for years). doctor is recommending vertebroplasty … usually done outpatient where medical-grade cement is injected into each fracture … basically creating casts on the inside of each vertebrae.
i am kind of terrified just writing those words. i am grateful that there’s help, but it is upsetting and they will have to knock me out.
can i ask for prayers, please? thanks.
i don’t like feeling whiny. sorry …
kathy in iowa
Oh, Kathy. I’m so sorry! It’s good to know there is a way in which to treat the compression fractures, but I understand your trepidation about the process. You may definitely ask for prayers and you know we are all praying for you.
You’re aren’t whiny. You’re understandably scared. We’re with you.
Much love,
Claudia
looking at it, “whiny” isn’t the right word. it’s more wishing that i had good news to share, not something that’s upsetting and scaring me. and that you and everyone else have been/are going through your own stuff and maybe needed a break.
still, i will keep you posted … let you know the good news when it gets here. :)
thanks much for this space in which to share and moreso your kindness and everyone else’s, for listening, for your support and prayers. means a lot, more than i can say. love you all.
kathy in iowa
ps … i am so glad you followed your heart and ordered that dollhouse! will be fun watching you create it from the start.
Love you, Kathy.
xoxo
Kathy- You are not whiny at all. Thank you for sharing with us. You definitely will have prayers to cover you.
Kathy, you are definitely not whiny. I will be praying for you!
SO not whiny!!!! It sounds scary, and anything with the back can make one frightened. It is a miracle that there are so many things to help us now, but it doesn’t mean the decision is an easy one to make. You know good thoughts and prayers are on their way from everywhere, including Wisconsin!!!!! ♡
hej, chris k in wisconsin. :)
thanks very much for the support and prayers.
i agree … pain, etc. in the back/spine is scary and i am feeling a wreck about it now. i know God is bigger, though, and has the way for me and that’s what i will try to focus on (instead of wishing there was a pan of brownies in the kitchen right now).
thanks again for your cheer and prayers.
hope you and your family are well, safe and you get some cute photos of your granddaughter at Christmas!
xo
kathy in iowa
hej, dottie in georgia …
those prayers are much appreciated!
hope you and your family are well and safe.
kathy in iowa
thanks, melanie m. that helps!
hope you and your family are well and safe.
kathy in iowa
Kathy,
I’m glad you finally got the mri results.
My mother in law had vertebroplasty done a couple times and it helped her quite a bit. That was quite a few years ago…at least 10. I’m sure they are even better at it now. I will pray for you.
Take care
hej, marilyn …
sorry that your mother-in-law had to go through that … twice … but good to hear it was helpful for her.
thanks very much for the prayers. means a lot.
hope you and your family are safe and well!
kathy in iowa
Oh Kathy! Sending positive vibes and thoughts your way! No…not whiny at all! I’d be really scared myself. Please keep us informed! Stay safe! ;)
hej, donnamae. :)
thanks much.
i am scared and (as a person faith … that obviously needs to grow), i don’t like that. working on it!!! :)
hope you and your family are well, safe and ready for Christmas.
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
will for sure let you know. will talk with my doctor on monday, hopefully get some questions answered and then the vertebroplasty scheduled as soon as possible.
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
Prayers & more prayers for you, Kathy.
Lots of support and you are nit whiny, absolutely not! as others agree. <3
NOT whiny (IHIP – I hate iphone!)
martha … while i am scared, i believe in the power of prayer and moreso in He Who hears them … thank you so much for the prayers!
hope you and your family are safe, well.
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
:)
thanks.
i have an android phone that also does auto-correction (or whatever it’s called) and sometimes it’s been helpful. what i’d really like on my phone is the option to retrieve misdirected messages (right words, wrong address) … but that’s on me, plain old operator error. :)
have a nice weekend ahead!
kathy in iowa
I am glad you finally got your your results Kathy, and totally understand your apprehension. We never look forward to medical procedures, but, try to focus on the fact that it will lessen and possibly alleviate your current pain. You have prayers coming to you from all corners of this country. Always feel safe here to share your thoughts and concerns. We are all indebted to Claudia for creating such a safe place for all of us! Now to go make yourself some brownies!!!
hej, donna.
thanks much for your kind words, support … unlike brownies, they are much needed and very much appreciated!
i agree … claudia has created a wonderful and safe place in a world that’s lately felt so dirty, hard and scary (thanks, claudia, very much for mhc and your wonderful example bringing more kind people here).
hope you and your family are well and safe and have a nice weekend.
kathy in iowa
… many prayers going your way, kathy; just glad, too, that you got some answers …
hej, vicki …
i didn’t really like the answers, but they lead to the path for healing and that’s good.
thanks for your prayers and support. much appreciated!
hope you are safe and well.
kathy in iowa
Good for you! You are going to love it.
I completely lucked out and found an assembled Beacon Hill on Craigslist for $65. It was painted a lurid pink and blue and each room was painted a different color and had a different glued on flooring. I ended up removing the wall between the living room and entry way to make a larger living room area. It’s still very much a work in progress but it is just such a lovely house.
The acetate windows were covered in paint so I just removed them all and now I’m pretending that the windows are super clean so you can’t see them. Ha! The thought of replacing all of them makes my eye twitch. You are a stronger woman than I!
I forgot that you have that house, Andrea! Lucky you for finding it on Craigslist! I’ve looked and looked here to no avail.
I wish I’d done the same thing you did with your windows on my current project – also by Greenleaf. I ended up cutting a sheet of acrylic into an already constructed window frame and boy, is it a pain in the tush!
I’ll have to go back to your blog and look at your house – you painted it all white, am I right?
Stay safe!
You asked for advice so I say order the Beacon Hill! It’s beautiful and if you don’t order the one you really want, you might not ever be satisfied with the other one. Besides, in my own selfishness, I would like to see your work on the Beacon Hill house!
Just my 2 cents- for what they’re worth.
-Jane
I did, Jane! Thank you for weighing in! It really does help to hear from all of you.
Your 2 cents are worth a lot!
Stay safe.
Claudia- I’m so glad you ordered and can’t wait to see the process and finished product!
Thank you, Melanie!
I’ll try to bring all of you in on the project so that you can see it slowly take shape.
Stay safe.
It is amazing and I saw a comment where you said you did order it. Yes!!
In my opinion, there are never quite enough rooms in dollhouses, Hummingbird Cottage being the exception. And there are rarely hallways. This house has a lot of rooms and it has hallways!
Thanks, Linda.
Stay safe.
So glad that you ordered it!! It will be a fun adventure we can all follow with you through the next long months. (The next 32 days alone are going to seem like a year, I am sure.)
Keep warm and have a great Saturday! Take care.
Oh my god. The next 32 days are going to make me even more insane. I’ll be holed up in the studio!
Thanks so much, Chris.
Stay safe.
Oh, she did it! Congrats, Claudia, you did well! I can only agree with the words of Jane in your comments.
Further plusses of the Beacon Hill: when ready its still lightweight and you can move this”monster” to another place easily with the help of Don. I will really enjoy your progress in building this house, you will love it!
Stay safe!
Your advice helped a lot, Helga. Thank you for sharing it with me. In fact, your comment is what really got me thinking about taking this project on. Blessing!
Stay safe!
xoxoxo
Don’s right. I’m so pleased you’ve ordered it.
Thank you, Fiona!
Stay safe.
Congrats on a new dollhouse. It might be easier for you to build it yourself and have it be the way you want it instead of buying used and having to undo other people’s mistakes. It will help you pass the time during COVID.
Good luck and stay safe!
Well, that’s true. I’m so used to having to undo others’ mistakes. Now, I’ll have to take responsibility for any mistakes!
Stay safe, Ellen.
I see you ordered the dollhouse! Terrific!! I looked the dollhouse up on Etsy, and then got distracted. (You know how that goes.). I found a Tudor dollhouse…gorgeous, also by Beacon Hill. But…I really have no room to put one here. But, I did find my own distraction…a rug hooking kit. I used to do latch hook rugs, a long time ago, so I thought I might try this. I must have some diversion to not only get through the next 32 days…but beyond, until we get vaccinated! Now, I can’t wait til it gets here.
Sounds like you got a good deal, too, at Wayfair. Hope it comes soon. I think it will be fun for you to build a dollhouse. And, then you get to decorate it! ;)
I absolutely have NO room for this dollhouse. There are already 6 dollhouse scattered around here. I think I’ve gone insane.
Glad you found a distraction. Doing something like rug hooking is meditative and it will really help.
Stay safe, Donna.
Very pleased for you, Claudia. Wonderful teamwork between Don & you, too. Very smart. Keep the sanity.
Continue well & safe xoxo
So grateful for your steadiness & being THERE on the web
Thank you, Martha!
Stay safe.
Sure, you’re mad! Why should that ever stop us from doing or having something we really want? Especially these days. It’s a beautiful doll house and I can see how you would make it all the more so. And it’s going to be a long, cold winter. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Thanks so much, Jeanie!
Stay safe.
You’re not mad! Buy the house!
Thank you, Vicki!
Stay safe.
So glad you decided to buy the house. Think of it as a gift not only for yourself and your sanity, but ours also :-) Can’t wait to watch you put your magic touch on it. Stay safe.
Thank you so much, Donna.
Stay safe.