:: Letitia has taken to wearing my ratty old parka and snow shoveling hat (faux fur, of course.) Perhaps that’s because I’ve been wearing it a lot myself lately. Of course, I don’t wear the flower when I’m outside in the snow. Yesterday was just a horrible, terrible weather day. Snow came down and turned to sleet, then turned to freezing rain, which turned to ice. All the trees and plants are coated with it. Our driveway, which slopes down to the street, was completely iced over this morning. Oh joy. Don salted it and about an hour later, there we were, hacking away at the ice. It’s a long driveway, so excuse me while I pause for a moment to curse. I’m also dealing with sinus/allergy/whatever and feel a more than a bit under the weather. Thank goodness I didn’t have to be in the city yesterday or today. I wouldn’t have been able to make it.
Spring cannot come soon enough.
:: After trying a new recipe for Oatmeal Cookies yesterday, I wasn’t sure I liked the results. Today, however, they taste great. But during the time I thought the cookies were a bust, I quickly scoured the pantry to see what else I had on hand to make another batch. Ah, molasses. So I baked this favorite of ours:
These are “Ben’s Favorite Molasses Sugar Cookies” from The Bake Sale Cookbook, which you can get here. I may not like to cook, but I do like to bake. And I have a sweet tooth. Which is why I don’t bake very often.
:: I’ve just finished another obsession scarf. I haven’t blocked it yet. It’s for my best friend, Laural. Since she doesn’t read this blog, I don’t have to worry about her seeing it. Debi and Karen, I had to special order the yarn for your scarves and it just got in today. Hopefully, I’ll be able to break out of my prison house tomorrow and pick it up from the yarn shop.
:: I’ve decided I’m going to post something about the dollhouse every week. That way I will be forced to keep plugging away. It’s been completely primed. Now I have to paint the outside and figure out what I want to do with the rooms. I’ve been pouring through my catalogs and am getting ready to order baseboards, crown molding, window trims, spindles and railings for the staircases….if I let myself, I could go nuts. Working on this dollhouse is tricky because it was already assembled when I found it on Craigs List. Usually, all the painting, etc. is done before assembly. Since I can’t do that, I have to work in very tiny spaces and it isn’t easy. The dollhouse came with this door:
I don’t particularly like it and it doesn’t close. So, I bought another door.
What do you think? I like it much better. It’s a bit larger than the other one and that means I might have to do some sawing…any tips from my mini friends on the best way to do it? By the way, that plant and urn came from my friend Jayne of Tallulah – Belle Originals. She sent me lots of wonderful things for my dollhouse – she’s incredibly generous.
I’m off to drink hot chocolate and blow my nose.
Love that new door on your dollhouse, Claudia! I’m sorry about the weather. We don’t have it like that of course. So I guess I’d better stop bitching about the gloom.
Brenda
cute coat and hat :-)
love the cookies…i used to have a plate like that…where is that plate? hhhmmmmmm… chalk up another one to the “moving Gods” i guess….
love the dollhouse too
sorry you’re under the weather…
sending get well wishes
stay warm and cozy
kary and teddy
xxx
I just love dollhouses and the touches you have already put on yours – looking forward to seeing how it comes together.
And please, the scarf is no hurry – I am so happy to know i’ll have one! They are so pretty and I have not seen anything like that pattern around here :)
I love your doll house! I used to have one but my life got too busy to keep it :(
Wish I could get me one of the warm and furry hats too. Weather has been pretty cold this winter for Vancouver.
I think the new door on your dollhouse is perfect, Claudia, and that urn with the flowers is so neat. I adore dollhouses so this is right up my alley. Sorry you’re not feeling well. I am finally going to escape the house after being sick for a month. I am staying away, however, from anyone who so much as coughs.
Love the scarf you made! Your friend will, too.
Feel better…
XO,
Sheila
Hi Claudia, The weather here is the same!!! Snow,sleet,rain, and a lot of gloom, and i have a bad cold too.I would love some of those cookies.They look so good.
Kathy
We had real warm sunshine here today and I am so thankful for it. I pray yoy get it soon. The doll house door id delightful!
Love the new door. It looks much more welcoming! Hope the cookies helped to ease the pain of the weather.
Claudia, as I am typing this, my thermometer reads 75 degrees.(Running for cover now.) Get better soon.
If you would like, I could send you some instructions for cutting out the door. Just e mail me if you need help.
Claudia, oh yes, we are having a snowstorm here in Kansas City!!!
Come and enter my grand giveaway from Blydesign…
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Hope you feel better soon Claudia.
Oh Claudia, you crack me up. That line about pausing for a moment… so funny!
I love the new door for your dollhouse. (I don’t like the door that came installed in my dollhouse either.) I hope the installation of the new door is fairly easy. If it is, maybe I’ll get the courage to attempt a door change also.
Stay warm~ wishing you warmer weather :)
Hugs,
Jill
Ice is the worst, Claudia…but looks like you’ve kept your sense of humor anyway! Those cookies look SO GOOD!! Looking forward to seeing your dollhouse project!
I feel for you in the snow and ice, but you are dealing with it so well….by making cookies and scarves!
I am excited to see how your doll house comes along. I do like the new front door.
Hugs,
Terri
Letitia looks like she’s ready to help with the shoveling. hehe!
Your molasses cookies look yummy! Wish I had some right about now!
I can’t wait to get my beautiful scarf, but don’t go out in the snow if you don’t have to. yuck!
Love the new door for your dollhouse! I really need to do some work on mine. One of these days….
Claudia,
I have gotten so behind on my blog visits. I just spent some quality time catching up with you girl! So much to comment on…..
Love your scarves, lucky girls who will receive them. Knitting & crochet are skills I do not have. I do however have several ‘how to’ books & a few skeins of yarn. You may have inspired me to crack open a book.
The dollhouse. Ever since I was blessed with a daughter I’ve wanted to make her a Victorian dollhouse. In fact I thought it would be a fun project to do together. Only problem is I was blessed with 2 boys at the same time. Boys who like to do bad things to Barbie & other toys. Pesky boys. Maybe next year….in the meantime I’ll live vicariously thru you!
Lastly, you have made me want to bake up a storm Claudia! Your Cheddar biscuits & cookies have my mouth drooling & it’s only 6:30 am!
Hope you have a beautiful (not to cold) day!
Lisa
oh dear….your weather doesn’t sound good…hang in there…Spring is on her way..really it is. xoxo
your cookies look amazing. xo
I feel your pain Claudia- I am also sooooo sick of winter and trying my hardest to stay positive and remember it doesn’t last forever. Right now it is 1 degrees out- just too cold for anything in my opinion. I LOVE your scarves- makes me wish I knew how to crochet- every one has been so beautiful! I would take Casey up on her offer for help- she is the master of minis in my opinion :) I do like the new door much better- I can’t wait to see you work on the dollhouse ♥ stay warm and safe ♥
Hope for you Spring starts soon!
Thank you for your comment at my post and it is nice to hear I inspired you to work on your dollshouse again…I think the new door is much and much better. Have fun with the progres!
Sabihax
So sorry to hear about the yucky weather…we are getting our own version of it as well. Ugh! Come on spring!
I love the reno look at the dollhouse… keep up the good work! That flowery pedestal/urn thing is a real sweetie!!!
Jillian
Bella Rosa Antiques
Hi Claudia~
Wow, lots of snow in your area this winter. Lots of shoveling. The snow is a pain but oh so beautiful!
Cooking look yummy.
Love the jacket on the dress form.
Ok…looking forward to updates each week on your doll house!
Have a warm and cozy weekend.
Hugs, Cory/Dogwood
you make me laugh. hang in there with that crazy weather. i keep staying home with kids because of snow days. i’m ready to go nuts. i wish i had a city to go to. lol.
i curse too with the ice and salt and mess and snow and cold and you name it….ucky weather. yuck.
the cookies look soooo good. i love molasses. my mom used to put it in everything when we were little. it was the in thing back in the day.
good luck with your cold. feel better and thanks for the laugh.
sue
Hi Claudia,
I’m with you on the weather thing…another snow day here in Maine today and it’s getting old. Anxious to say “Good-bye” to January and welcome Spring. I love dollhouses, too, have three completed ones and one in my craft room that I need to get started on…maybe your weekly “dollhouse progress” posts will inpire me to get to it. I agree about the new door…like it much better that the one that came with your house. Can’t wait to watch your progress as the little house comes along. Stay warm!
~Cheryl at My Sister’s Cottage
Oh, Claudia, I feel for you and I relate… Court and I were so sick for a while – NOT fun. And as far as longing for spring? Oh my goodness… We are buried again today. Will it never end? haha At least the days are getting longer. I’m grasping at anything I can to think positive until the warm weather arrives! Hope you are feeling better in no time! … Donna
I’m sending wishes of Spring your way. Our girls are in the middle of this, too. We are cold and had a new dusting today, but I’m not complaining. Okay, here goes…….WARM WISHES……..WARM WISHES………WARM WISHES to my friend Claudia……
That new door looks perfect! Much better!
Mercedes
….more for our sweet tooth cravings – yummy!
Yes, new door is perfect!