Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The Cubicle

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I call this “Out of Control Office.” Or “When Dollhouses Become a Cubicle.”

I’m getting ready to do some finishing work on the exterior of the English Cottage, as well as finishing off bits of the interior. There will be little bits and pieces to add over time –  that’s what happened with Hummingbird Cottage. In fact, I added a new table and chairs for the kitchen of that house last year, so I guess I’m never completely done. I also want to add some window boxes and paint the raised porch area.

The fourth wall of the cubicle.  Yes, that’s toilet paper on the shelf below. I’m not sure why it’s there, maybe I needed something to wipe up paint? Who knows?

Between the girls and the dollhouses, I have a lot of miniature endeavors going on.

I have a few books on ‘small things’ you might be interested in. I was straightening up my stacks of in progress reading material yesterday and I separated these books from the pile so I can read them over the next few days.

The Book of Mini – Inside the Big World of Very Small Things   is by Kate Esme Unger, who I’ve been following for many years through her @dailymini feed on Instagram. She has photographed miniatures for years and this book is a compilation of her photos, including interviews with some of the artisans. It really is a treasure trove. Available in bookstores and on Amazon.

Collectively Speaking – My Passionate Pursuit of Miniatures  (2 volumes) is by Kate Savage Browning. Her collection is vast, so much so that she established the KSB Miniatures Collection, which is in a 3,300 square foot gallery in Maysville, Kentucky. I met her several years ago at the IGMA show and I’ve seen an interview/tour of the gallery. It’s extraordinary. The photographs are excellent and Kay shares so much history and information. Well worth it and available on Amazon.

This is Blythe  by Gina Garan. Written in 2000 (I believe it might be out of print now) Garan photographed her Blythe dolls – and I’m talking about the original Kenner Blythe dolls pre-customization – out in nature and in and around the streets of NYC. It’s considered a classic for Blythe and doll lovers, especially those who collect the original dolls.

Don somehow found this book – I’d never mentioned it to him – and got it through a bookseller. He gave it to me for my birthday.

Yes, he’s cool.

Garan’s photography was groundbreaking. Nowadays, Blythe collectors photograph their dolls everywhere especially in this world of social media, but at the time it was rare. She had a book of those photographs published – unheard of. It reminds me of The Lonely Doll, a childhood favorite.

It’s cold here today and unfortunately, no sunshine. Hang in there, everyone.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

Will It Ever Warm Up?

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It is so cold here this morning! It’s now 9 am and I’ve been up for 3 hours – Don has been up even longer – and the house is still  cold. Trying to stay positive, but cripes!

It’s sunny in that way it is on very cold days. This particular weather pattern is going to be here for at least 5 days. If we start going crazy here, I’ll be sure to let you know.

I finished the puzzle yesterday afternoon. I LOVE this illustration, which is straight out of my favorite era. The title of the illustration is “Swan Cottage.”

Can I live there, please?

Had to pause to warm up my hands.

Okay. What else? I played with dolls.

This outfit arrived in the mail a few days ago, all the way from China. This incredible seamstress goes by Quilizio on Instagram. Over the course of the past few months, I’ve studied her hip and contemporary designs. I really love them. But as sometimes happens, I couldn’t find a place to purchase them. So I contacted her through a Direct Message. She couldn’t be nicer. I ordered the outfit below.

The jacket has a hood. I cannot tell you how exquisite her stitching is! There are tiny white buttons that actually work, strings coming from the hood, and the white blouse has a beautiful button closure on the back. She made the leggings as well. Also: the boots. You can’t see them well here, but here’s a better picture:

She even scuffs them up!

She’s pretty darned amazing. I can’t conceive of doing this tiny work and doing it so beautifully.

And, just because she’s so pretty, here’s a closeup of Imogen.

Still cold. I’m going to go make some hot oatmeal in a minute.

Happy Saturday from Ice Station Zebra.

Stay safe.

 

Frigid Friday

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Yesterday’s sunset:

Don’s snowman is still standing, though we found the carrot that had been the mouth right outside our kitchen door. Hmmm…Did a bird try to take it?

Puzzle status:

There’s still quite a bit to put in place, though I managed to cover a lot of ground yesterday. Patience, my friends, it takes patience. If I get impatient for some reason, I get up and leave it for a while.

Don just made pancakes and scrambled eggs. That’s not our usual breakfast, but it’s very, very cold out there and when that occurs, Don often feels the need for a ‘big breakfast.’ This cold snap will be with us for the next 5 or 6 days.

Right now, the sun is reflected in the girls’ eyes and they look like zombies.

But yesterday, Sophie spent some time with me while I was working in the den. She was happily ensconced on my planner.

Marilyn, you’re right. I will  have to use double pointed needles if I want to knit sweaters. Gulp. I ordered some on Amazon. I’m going to have a learning curve, that’s for sure. A note for all of you who think I’m a great seamstress: I’m not. Yes, I can stitch a (fairly) straight seam to put basic quilt blocks together. I can knit, crochet, and embroider. I CANNOT make clothes. That’s another thing entirely. I was dreadful at it in Home Ec class. My grandmother was a seamstress. She could do anything. And my mom made clothes for us. But making clothing and sewing a straight seam are not the same thing. There’s a lot more to it than that. And, let’s add to this discussion the fact that I have no desire to make clothing. None. But I so appreciate your cheering me on. I’ll leave the Blythe clothing to others who are unbelievably talented at what they do. I kneel at their feet.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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