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Changing, Playing & Cleaning Up

October 24, 2011 at 10:42 am by Claudia

Doesn’t Fall seem to be a time for nesting? For changing things around, cleaning things up? My theory is that memories of “back-to-school-new-shoes-new-notebooks-and-pencils” are bred in our bones and once that cooler air hits, we want to renew and start fresh. That, and a need to nest in preparation for the coming Winter.

I’m definitely feeling it. Unfortunately, I’m not feeling it for the cottage. I’m feeling it for the dollhouse and this blog.

The blog has changed a bit lately, as you no doubt have noticed. A new header, a new background and now… a new font. Like an idiot, I stayed up until the wee hours last night because I suddenly got the urge to play with fonts. Lately, I’ve been wanting a cleaner, fresher looking blog and all these changes are being made with that in mind. Brenda will be happy – she had trouble reading the Papyrus font I’ve been using. We good-naturedly (spell check doesn’t like my word choice) argued about it. What do you think? Is this new font clear enough for you?

While Don was working late last night, I was watching the World Series and playing with the dollhouse. Two chairs have been painted and added to the kitchen.

This bookcase/armoire was a gift from Rizzi. I’m going to paint it a pale, pale aqua and put wallpaper backing behind the shelves.

Honestly, I was like a little girl last night. I pulled out my box of furniture and accessories and played house. I don’t have very much at the moment and I have a wish list a mile long, but it was such fun. (I love the way the sunlight pours into the room.)

I’d share the other things I did this weekend with you, but do you really want to see the enormous pile of tree limbs (courtesy of Hurricane Irene) that I dragged one by one into the woods?

Or the window air conditioners that were finally taken out of their summer homes and stored in the shed?

I thought not.

Unofficial Bed Maker vs Non-Bed Maker poll results:

Bed Makers: 29
Non-Bed Makers: 5
Hit-and-Miss: 6

Have a great Monday.

Okay, now I’ve changed the font again. This time to Century Gothic. I’m not sure which one I like better!

Now you will officially think I’m insane. I’ve changed it back to my original ‘new’ font.

A New Cozy Little House

October 23, 2011 at 4:23 pm by Claudia

This post is dedicated to my dear friend, Brenda. Her blog, Cozy Little House, is very popular and many of you reading this post know her well. If you don’t, trot on over and make her acquaintance. Brenda and I have been close friends for a couple of years now. Do you want to know the story behind the beginnings of our friendship?

Like many blogging friendships, ours was first confined to leaving comments on each other’s blog. I liked her blog and I liked her style. She’d leave a comment on my blog, I’d leave a comment on her blog. I had noticed that we were both readers of another blog. I’d often see Brenda’s comment when I was leaving mine. This particular blogger had some health issues. To protect her privacy, I don’t want to go into more detail than that. One evening, I read a post by this blogger that greatly concerned me. It worried me enough that I felt compelled to reach out to someone else who also read the blog. I emailed Brenda, introduced myself officially, and expressed my concern. By that time, she had also read the post and shared my concern. We each wrote to the woman in question and in the process, Brenda and I exchanged telephone numbers. We also spoke to this woman (now becoming a friend) on the phone several times over the course of a couple of months. To make a long story short, eventually she decided to stop blogging, cut off all contact and we had no idea what happened to her. We still don’t. We were worried about her and tried to contact her via email and phone calls but it became clear that, in the midst of coping with her illness, she had cut her ties to the blogging world. We had to respect that. In the meantime, our friendship had grown. And it keeps growing.

Brenda has gone through a tough time lately. Her marriage has ended and she is moving from East Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma. A new start. I couldn’t be happier for her. Through all the adversity, even when everything seemed hopeless, she has kept her sense of humor – even through the tears.

Here is the new Cozy Little House. The movers are coming today – Sunday – and Brenda departs for Tulsa tomorrow. Her daughter (a realtor) and her husband have been instrumental in helping Brenda find her new haven. They have simply been extraordinary.

Leaving any place you have lived for a number of years is always emotional. Leaving a marriage is also emotional, even when you are grateful for your new-found freedom. Life is complicated that way. But look what’s waiting! A new home, a new life, daughters and grandchildren nearby, independence and the chance to start anew.

I know I’ll visit Brenda one day in Tulsa. I can’t wait.

Bon voyage, my friend. You deserve every happiness.

Dollhouse: Kitchen & A Shabby Sofa

October 22, 2011 at 10:41 am by Claudia

I found the sweetest wallpaper for the dollhouse kitchen. It arrived yesterday. So what was I doing last night when it was really too late to be doing it? You guessed it.

Not the best lighting this morning, but I’ll take more photos later in the afternoon. The pattern is of pink roses with a light robins egg blue on a creamy background. Sweet and old-fashioned – just the way I wanted it. This is the first room in which I’ve also used beadboard. There will be more. I started to add a chair rail, but until I decide where cupboards and appliances will be, that’s all I can do for now. Don’s reaction last night? “I want to live there!” Sorry, Don, no boys allowed.

It’s not perfect. Despite my best intentions, sometimes the trim is a bit crooked, sometimes a bit of glue gets on the wallpaper (rather like our for-real house.)

But, gosh darn it, I’m having such fun with it all.

The reality of my life lately is one of sadness, worries and tears. That’s just the way it is at this point in my life. My parents consume my thoughts. My mother will never be able go home again. She is getting weaker by the day. My father cries when he speaks to me on the phone, all the while trying to cope with his new reality. I need to find a job as there are no coaching jobs on the horizon. These are the facts. So I try to snatch some joy wherever I can find it. My little dollhouse provides a wonderful, magical escape where I can imagine and create and play. Surely that is good for the soul.

Isn’t this gorgeous? It arrived in the mail yesterday – all the way from Italy. Flora, who is a talented miniaturist and has an Etsy shop and a blog, made it for me. I had discovered it on Etsy but it was reserved for another customer. When I asked Flora if she would make one for me, she answered with a resounding yes and here it is. Since the living room will be a bit more formal, in a shabby sort of way, I thought this sofa fit the bill.

Etsy is a wonderful source for handmade miniatures. There is so much talent out there! Thank you, Flora.

I plan on searching eBay for another one of these chests because I want to put it in two places and we all know that is impossible. I want it here, under the stairs. I also want it in the bedroom. So, I simply have to find one more. I’m not crazy about the fabric on the chair, so I will be recovering it when I find just the right look.

Anyone want to join me for a cup of tea on a Saturday morning?

Changing, Playing & Cleaning Up

A New Cozy Little House

Dollhouse: Kitchen & A Shabby Sofa

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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