Two of my Vintage by Crystal Christmas beauties on the piano.
This is the first year that I haven’t purchased any new ones. That’s not to say I won’t in the future, but display space is at a premium here (they live in the pink cabinet in my office, which is full.) Plus, I’ve been buying miniatures and that’s where my wee bit of discretionary income has been focused.
Speaking of miniatures, if you didn’t read the comments yesterday, you didn’t see that I ended up ordering the Beacon Hill. I found it on Wayfair for less than it was listed for on the Greenleaf website. Plus, they ship quickly. It should be here on Wednesday, but with the way thing are going lately, that’s questionable.
When I wake up in the morning, I usually look at something I was excited about the day before with a jaundiced eye. I don’t know why that is, but it happens more often than not. Groggy, no coffee yet, congested? Who knows? So this morning, I wondered why the heck I bought it, it was going to be an enormous project, where would I put it – there is absolutely no spare room here, what makes you think you can build this monster…etc. The good news is that within about 10 minutes, I see things more clearly. A sip of coffee and feeling a bit more awake helps. Now I’m excited again. By the way, I’ve learned to ignore those first-thing-in-the-morning thoughts. I just wait them out, knowing sanity is on the way.
Don is incredibly supportive (he’s literally surrounded by dollhouses here at the cottage) and he was the one who pushed me to go ahead an order it. Plus, my fellow dollhouse lovers; Helga, Megan, Andrea (all of whom have their own Beacon Hills) and Barbara urged me on, giving me quite sound reasons why I should do it.
It’s a gray day today. I figure if we’re going to have lots of snow on the ground it should be sunny. Unfortunately, it isn’t. I think we’re going to get some snow showers later this morning.
I found the mini Christmas accessories I had been looking for. They were wedged in the back of a drawer. I had a moment of panic that in one of my vigorous “clean everything” phases I might have thrown them out.
Caroline will be self-isolating this year, as will so many of us. She’ll light a fire in the living room, then she’ll come upstairs to the den to open her presents, most likely while she’s on a Zoom call with family. Sound familiar?
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
Love the pictures. I am so frugal that I did not comment on buying the house…lol…you don’t need my thoughts…as to isolation…yes we will Facetime…I remember the comment someone made…one generation is dying in hospitals and nursing homes alone while another generation is worried about a holiday gathering…look what has happened since T’giving…hospitals full…I also heard this insight…we are living daily in a 9/11…people dying everyday…I love ordering my groceries and picking them up–touchless…not even safe for my family to drop off my food right now…too dangerous…Vaccine soon…it is something we must do for a year or so…and hopefully, we move on…you have done wonderfully…you keep all of us going with your comments and photos…working in the snow…working on your roof…imagine…you are amazing…prayers prayers
hej, brendab …
i agree with your words about claudia … and hope you apply them to yourself. despite pain and troubles, helping your family and planning for a move to florida (am i recalling that right?), you keep going so you are amazing, too.
hope you have a good day today and stay safe.
kathy in iowa
Thank you so much for your kind words, Brenda.
You’re right. It’s something we must do. And then it will get better.
xo
Stay safe!
Congratulations on your purchase! It sure looks wonderfully challenging and fun. I was planning to turn an old bookcase into a dollhouse now that I store my books elsewhere (the library:)) but don’t have room for more than the one dollhouse I have. Then I started thinking about your shed clean out and the real estate I could gain with a good clean out of my own shed. It would be like visiting a different mini neighborhood 5 steps away from my back door. A little dollhouse studio in a corner of the shed. Thank you for the inspiration. Off to the dump!
Oh! What a great idea, Deb! Perfect, perfect, perfect!
Stay safe.
Friend: SO glad you purchased the dollhouse you wanted. You need an outlet for your creativity. You’re talented and will be able to do it – I have the utmost confidence! Looking forward to watching the project unfold on your blog. Your friend.
Thank you so very much, Chris!
Stay safe!
i am glad that you bought the beacon hill dollhouse. sounds like it will be lots of fun, with maybe a few challenges tossed in. you’ll make it look easy and beautiful.
i am very glad you and don have each other, filling your days with love and support, cheering the other on with their interests and through good times and tougher times, working together on big projects like that shed clean-out and overall making life easier and better. cheers to love!
i have a couple aunts in nebraska and cousins from florida to alaska, minnesota to texas and there are six households of my family here. we are all having separate Christmas celebrations this year. that thought makes me both tearful (i miss them) and grateful (no one’s being reckless), but it has to be that way right now. i don’t know the source/who to thank, but we are again doing this:
“we isolate now
so when we gather again
no one is missing.”
hope you are having a good day. stay safe!
kathy in iowa
I am very lucky that I met the love of my life at the age of 41. I never expected it, I was doing fine, but oh, what a wonderful gift it was.
That quote is always moving and true. We do it for now and the future.
Stay safe, Kathy!
Three cheers on the purchase. And 10 cheers on finding the holiday accessories! It’s so pretty — I want to see the whole room, now that those are found! It really is so enchanting.
I have my two Christmas crystals out and love them. But I didn’t get any on this sale, either. Partly for the reasons you did and partly because it seemed a little self-indulgent this year. I’m glad to be self-indulgent at other times of year, but right now what discretionary funds I have are headed elsewhere!
Have a wonderful, puttery day!
I’ll try to take a picture of the whole room, Jeanie.
Yes, sometimes money has to go to other things, my friend.
Stay safe. That Jerry has STILL not written back! xo
I’m so glad to read that you did go ahead and buy the Beacon Hill! Such a great project. We have a Beacon Hill that I bought from a lady who ordered it directly from Greenlead a few years ago, paid the duties and taxes to bring it across the border and then she never opened it up! I paid $25. We opened it when we got home to ensure everything was there (still sealed and nothing missing). But we tucked it away for a future project as I’m still working on the others that are already built. I’ll be watching with great interest as you work away on yours!
I often wake up with worries that float in to my head. Learning how to calm those so the day is not off to an anxious start. Some days, it works well. Other days, like today, it’s hard to get them out of my head.
Off to bake cookies. Made our dough yesterday and now we get to roll and cut and decorate and bake and then eat!
Enjoy your day Claudia. And keep dreaming of your project!
X Chy
Oops, Greenleaf, not Greenlead!
Baking cookies sounds like just what the doctor ordered, Chy. It will keep you busy and it’s fun.
Stay safe, Chy!
I think you are, indeed, very happy with your decision…. groggy morning feelings aside, I think it will truly help your mental health over the next several months. We all should assume that we need to keep busy over these upcoming winter months which can be depressing in the most normal of times. I heard last night on the news that 150 million people were out shopping inside stores and malls yesterday. 150 million. How stupid is that? Not to mention those millions who will take off in a few days because they are just so tired of Covid and want to do something fun. I guess I never realized how many selfish people cared more about fun than each other. It is a bit mind boggling, isn’t it?? It hurts my heart when I hear those stories. Again, 150 million……
What the heck? WHY oh WHY would they do that?
I just said that very thing to Don this morning. I never dreamed there were so many selfish people in our country.
Stay safe, Chris.
I feel guilty to interfere in your life, Claudia. It is always the same with us elderly Ladies: Something new is like a foreign body until you get used to. And this will be harder every year.
This is a project that will keep you young. No matter if it ruins your nerves or your moneybag (both surely will happen)!
I’m intrigued, stay safe!
Thank you, Helga!
I’m excited to start in on it, but first I have to finish the bathroom in the English cottage.
Stay safe!
Love the Zoom call with Family! So many of our Christmas’s will be like that this year. I’m glad you ordered the doll house. I think it will be an amazing project for you.
Thank you so much Linda!
The important thing is that we protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Stay safe!
I think your purchase is just what we all needed – an antidote to the real world. You are able to immerse yourself, with your imagination creating a wonderful little world to get lost in while exercising your creative juices. I can’t imagine a better way to use your time (well, maybe a good book).
Enjoy!
Anne V
Both would do! And will do. I love reading and thank goodness for that escape into another world,
The same thing with the dollhouse.
Thanks, Anne.
Stay safe!
I am delighted you bought the dollhouse. Early morning regret on yesterday’s purchases? I understand that, too. But…you’ve wanted one for awhile now. So when the opportunity presented itself….I’m glad you went for it.
Gloomy here today…I have a few presents to wrap, so that will be today’s task.
I’m glad you found the mini presents…those must have been really difficult to wrap! Stay safe! ;)
Unfortunately, I’m still waiting for some of the real-sized presents to arrive in the mail!
Thanks, Donna.
Stay safe!
what an incredible artist you are !!! for many years, I painted Christmas houses and ornaments for children/grandchildren, had several made ahead but now down to the last ones. arthritic hands and bad eyesight make doing these very small pieces nearly impossible for me now. did find 1 more set to paint but seem to have lost ability to get to work on them. could that be pure laziness???? ha, I suspect so haha!! love every one of your dollhouses, you have made each piece unique and beautiful. good luck as you continue to work. although early — best wishes for good, safe, healthy holidays to you and Don.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Linda!
Stay safe and Happy Holidays!
Congrats on getting a deal on Beacon Hill. It’s fun to read about your miniatures process. I like that you also explain your options and why some are better, for you, than others.
Stay safe, sane and happy.
Thank you so much, Wendy.
Stay safe!
Congratulations on your new house. Am eager to see how it develops
Me too. I won’t start it right away, as I want to be a bit further along on the English Cottage before I start a new project. But soon.
Stay safe, Nora.
you bought a doll house and I just splurged on my passion, a piece of corningware. I hope my husband is as understanding and supportive as yours!!
He should be! I suspect you don’t splurge very often and you deserve it!
Stay safe, Jan.
Hooray for Beacon Hill! It’s an investment in you. And you’re a good example and inspiration to many of us, so it’s money very well spent.
I’ve seen some of the most untalented and uninspired people make a decent go of it, so yours is sure to turn out spectacular. Just take it easy and don’t put pressure on yourself to rush the construction. I have the feeling that this is a house that one dreams about as you build it. And since you’re putting off the project for a while until you’re finished with the bathroom in English Cottage, you will have lots of time to gird your loins for the task of construction. Once you have the parts in front of you, you will have so many possibilities to be excited about.
I’m excited, Megan. The big dream dollhouse!
Stay safe!