When I speak about small house decorating and the lack of wall space we deal with here at the cottage, I’m not kidding! The downstairs has lots of windows, which we love, and not so much wall space. The upstairs? Well, you can see from this photo that the roof lines are sharply angled. It makes for a charming attic bedroom look; but oh, how I’d love to have a bit more vertical space. Same for the other bedroom/office/husband’s studio. Those windows are on the petite side, too. If I had a dime for every time I’ve bumped my head on the ceiling, I’d be a wealthy woman!
I added these two Chinese watercolors to Don’s side of the bed. They’re his. He bought them when we were courting and he was staying in the actor apartments at the Globe. As you know from my posts while staying there, those apartments desperately need a personal touch.
I see my hand in most of the decorating around here. When we first moved in together, I was the one with all the stuff. Don had been on the road as an actor for years and had very few possessions. So, after painting all the bedroom furniture while he was away with his blessing, I also wanted to make sure he had something that was his here. The watercolors, which are on rice paper, are truly beautiful.
In other news, someone had a bath yesterday:
Scout: Again with the iPhone? I’m like a drowned rat here!
She sure smells better. We were long overdue and since a bath requires a forty minute round trip drive to the Dog Wash and warmer-than-winter-temps, it took a while before we could successfully complete this task. I emailed this photo to Don, who is pleased to know his daughter will be sweeter smelling when he arrives home next week.
Speaking of Don: On Wednesday he did some more sight seeing and ventured to the grounds of the Castle. It was very cold and windy but he was determined. Before he left, he told me he would love to be able to perform one of his songs at a coffee house or open mic night in Prague. As he was exploring the grounds of the castle, he saw a young woman and her son and the woman was carrying a guitar on her back. Fortunately, she knew a bit of English and they spoke about music and guitars and it turned out she was to be the host that evening for an open mic night! Serendipity. So Don went there, borrowed her guitar and sang one of his songs. The other performers all sang in Czech – Don was the only one singing in English. He said the audience was really attentive and wonderful. Now he can say he’s performed in Prague!
Yesterday, he filmed all day and he will again today. He loves every minute of it. They are filming on the grounds of an old hospital which is no longer in use and there is no heat. The wardrobe staff hurries over with a big old down coat for him to wear in between shots. He’s having a great time.
I’m on Act 3 (out of 5) of Twelfth Night. The hand quilting on the bed quilt top is nearly done! Two more evenings should do it.
Happy Friday.
I so wish you were there to share the Prague experience – but lovely that you are in touch daily and that Don is being well-cared for in the cold! Fabulous he was able to perform – always important to ask locals for info – see what you can end up doing, and it will remain a great travel memory…………and look good on his resume!!!!
Send Don my best wishes when you next chat please – and tell him we’ll be looking for his photos when he gets back. Miss Scout looks good despite being put through such torment – perhaps she should be wearing that down coat, ha! ha!
Love ya – Mary
I wish I was there, too, Mary. Darn it!
Looking forward to pictures of Prague when Don has returned…. and the attic bedroom looks so very comfortable and cozy!
I think he’s taken hundreds of them on his iPhone.
Sounds wonderful! I’m glad that Don is having fun, that Scout’s “torture” is over and she’s smelling sweeter, and that your quilting and work is progressing nicely.
XO,
Sheila
And she does think of it as torture, Sheila.
Awwww, poor Scouty. One of my Min Pins (now gone) hated to have a bath worse than anything, shivered, and was miserable. The other one loved it and enjoyed being pampered. The one who enjoyed it more had a thicker coat, and the other one had a thin coat like a little Italian Greyhound. I wonder if it’s the long hair getting tangled maybe on Scout. My Collie loved to play in the sprinkler and with the hose when I was young, but I’m not too sure how she liked a bath. My mother took her to be groomed, and I didn’t ask. Our collie did, however, love to be brushed which we did daily.
Regardless of her trials with baths, Scout is one pretty girl. Aromatic or not. ;-)
XO,
Sheila
Claudia, I truly believe that things like that are never coincidences (Don running into the gal with the guitar). I am so glad for him!. You bring so many layers of interest into our lives. I think you two really do “Live Large”! Tell Scout we still Love her even in her compromising position! -Judy A-
I agree, Judy – it wasn’t a coincidence!
Scout, so glad you survived your bath, I’m sure you look gorgeous today! Claudia, that is so great that Don got to play in Prague, I didn’t realize he’d be back that soon, glad for you.
Yes, he is only gone this time for around 9 days.
I love all the character in your home. The sloped ceilings remind me so much of the attic bedrooms at my Grandma’s house. Scout looks so cute, even dripping wet. Don’s trip to Prague sounds fascinating. That is one place I would love to go!
Thank you! I so wish I could have gone with him – Prague sounds truly beautiful.
Such a beautiful bedroom–I love the sloped ceiling! It reminds me so much of the bedroom at my Grandmother’s house that was mine when I stayed overnight… so cozy and comforting. I love the ‘Dog Wash’ shot of Scout–a great way to bathe doggies… unfortunately there’s no such facility near us so I always end up locking Charlie in the shower with me and giving him a good scrub! :-)
The dog wash is so great. We used to use one in Southern California when we lived there – it was right by the dog beach. She has so much hair that it would truly clog our drains.
Poor Scout! She does look like a drowned rat! But will look and smell really pretty for Daddy when he gets home. :-) I love your bedroom! We have those kinds of walls in our bedroom too and they can be a pain, but I’ve learned to deal with them.
Don will have so many interesting tales to tell about Prague. It’s one of my husbands favorite places to visit.
Blessings,
Betsy
She smells great today and I just brushed her. Pretty!
Such a nice attic bedroom!!
Also, looks like the same set up at our pet store that we use to wash our Augie. so much easier than using the home bath tub!!
SO much easier!
How lovely for Don to play and sing in Prague! I hope he has taken some great photos to share with you! Poor Scout, but being a clean girl is important. Glad you are getting so much done. I had another sweet night with Tiger and will be heading home this afternoon.
hugs,
Linda
Safe journey, Linda!
I love your bedroom, Claudia. It looks so cozy. Sounds like Don is having a great time. Scout not so much :)
xo
Laura
Not so much, but today, though exhausted, she’s much better!
Your bedroom is SO lovely! The soft colors are beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Odette!
Lovely post, but I especially love your “about me” description in the sidebar!
” I love to write. I love my camera. I love creating” and “I’m a solitary person who’s chatty.”
I love these descriptions – they hit rather close to home. I think we could be friends! :)
I bet we could, Amanda! Thank you for your lovely comment.
Slanting walls are a small price to pay for the charm of your attic bedroom. Our younger two sons grew up in their attic bedrooms and they are still a big hit when children come home to visit. Our son-in-law, who builds luxury houses on Amelia Island, calls our attic bedroom his sanctuary when he and our daughter visit. And to him cutting grass on the tractor is therapy. I think people have discovered McMansions to have many drawbacks. While I wish I could offer en suite bedrooms to our grown kids when they come home, they still find it fun to climb the stairs to the attic!
Does Scout feel great once she gets out of the bath and shakes herself off? Ours do. At first you’d think we were killing them and then they act like happy nuts when finished.
There is indeed a coziness to the room that makes up for the lack of wall space, Dewena. I am definitely not a McMansion type of person!
Scout does feel better after a bath. She won’t admit it, but I can tell!
Claudia – it sounds like Don is having a wonderful time in Prague!! And how nice he was able to sing at the coffee house – that was serendipity!!! It sounds like he is really enjoying himself. Scoutie looks like she enjoyed her bath but was really saying “get me out of here.”!! I really liked your cozy bedroom – but I know those celings can be rough – my grandmother had them in her house. Your bedroom looks nice and peaceful!! Have a great day! Francine
Don is having a great time, Francine.
Our upstairs looks just the same, with the steeply pitched ceilings and lack of vertical space. But your bedroom looks very charming!
I listened to some of Don’s music via your link. I would think that the Prague audience (and actually, any audience) would love his music! I wish you and Don could come up for the Alaska Folk Festival – it is such fun! A week of free concerts and anyone can sign up for a 15 minute set. I’ve performed with several different bands over the years.
Scout does look like a drowned rat, but she will be a squeaky clean girl when her Daddy comes home!
Music transcends language, doesn’t it, Paula?
Good news about Don, and Scoutie you look beautiful to me.
Aunt Mere
Scout loves you, Aunt Mere.
Your bedroom looks lovely and bright. Poor Scout, I am sure she looks beautiful all dried off. My three are covered in mud and need a bath really bad. So happy about Don, it must be thrilling for him. My son is in the film business ( a sound tech) and even in the worst conditions he still loves his job. Glad Don got to sing, the wonderful thing about music, it does not matter what language it is everyone understands it.
have a lovely weekend,
Sue
She was awfully muddy herself, Sue! Have a great weekend.
Have you ever tried a dry shampoo or a shampoo that does not need water or rinsing on her for the winter? You can find them at HDIS.com.
Thanks, Janey!
Hi Claudia,
Your bedroom is so cozy and comfortable looking. I really love the way the sun is shining in the window!
Scout looks really thrilled with the bath thing!
Suzan
Ladybug Cottage
I love the charm of the angled walls in your bedroom, but I could see why it’d be a pain (literally) with banging your head. Pretty – but not so practical!
Could you bathe Scout in the bathtub at home? Or, is it too hard to bend over to do so?
I always wondered about people with slanted ceilings…guess you do continue to bang your heads! Guess it’s cold in Prague too…anxious to see Don’s pics! ;)
Glad that Don is enjoying his time in Prague. And, how cool to have that opportunity to perform.
We don’t have angled walls to deal with, and I think I have filled every available space.
Scout looks like she is ready for a good shake.
I hope you will come visit me at my blog sometime.
I love that bedroom, Claudia, but can sympathize about wall space. In my cottage, it seems every wall has either a window or a radiator. It makes it hard to have furniture against the wall since I hate to block the heat, especiallly after the kind of winter we’ve had! That Scout sure gets the darndest looks on her face. No doubt what her thoughts are most of the time!! That’s so wonderful that Don happened on that woman and was able to perform. Sounds like he’s having a wonderful time. And it sounds like you’re getting a lot accomplished! I hope you have a lovely weekend, with warm sunny weather. Take care.
So much to comment on, lol!
POOR WET SCOUT
Yay for you getting so much done!
Glad all is going well for Don
The bedroom is charming despite you banging your head, ha ha …pretend you are Heidi. I used to love that book when I was a child. I think she stayed in her grandfather’s loft….? Now I want to go find Heidi and re-read it : )
One thing I admire about you and Don is that you each have your own adventures (which you share with each other) and you have adventures together. You two know how to make life work for you. Good for you!!!! Your home always looks like a place that makes a person feel welcome. Can you hear it rain on your roof in your attic bedroom? I always loved that at my parents house.
Scout, look at you SPARKLE!!! Beautiful as always. :-)
I love your bedroom walls!! When it rains can you hear the raindrops? I would love that! take care, Jen
My upstairs rooms are quite similar to yours! I wear my glasses on top of my head a good part of the time. Can you imagine how many pair I have squashed over our 16 years here? A good thing we get shorter as time passes! ;)