Day Thirteen - Housework

Yes, housework was the Christmas focus of today.

It was, however,  housework of the most delightful kind.

Perhaps it was those gingerbread stamps I came home with yesterday or maybe it was just my way of avoiding the life sized vacuum and feather duster that actually did need to be put to use, but either way inspiration had struck and it was time to decorate the Christmas dollhouse.

 

 Hands smaller than mine volunteered to help set all in place. There is often great debate as to where all the goodies should be displayed and the whole process often exhausts them. Nothing a good night's sleep won't remedy which is a good thing considering......

 

......the foot of snow we are expected to receive tomorrow will have those very same "smaller than mine" hands hard at work making up their very first batch of snowballs for the year!

 

 



Made a Playdate

It's not until the Christmas Dollhouse has been retrieved from the deep, dark corner of the basement that it truly feels as if the season is upon us. Once upon a time I was solely in charge of it's yearly interior decoration and let me tell you what a fuss pot I was about it. Not only were all the scale relationships in order and the colors coordinated but everything had to be placed just so. A place for everything and everything in it's place....year after year after year.

And then we had kids.

Tonight when the lids were lifted from the storage boxes I noticed how varied the contents had become over time. A fair share of official Dollhouse miniatures still remain.....on Etsy they would be considered "vintage" in age which is a really nice way to say they've definitely seen better days. The Fisher Price pieces that have wormed their way in, however, remain perpetually perky...boy does that plastic hold up over time! Dig a little deeper and you'll find a Calico Critter or two, an odd assortment of Playmobils, and a few Lego's to boot.

It wasn't until Child #3 came along that the real interesting additions occurred.....matchbox cars, plastic dinosaurs, pencil erasers, and stickers galore. And now this year the Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett figurines showed up looking to rent a room for the holidays!
 

Our favorite part is peeking in the windows to see how cozy it looks from outside. Child #3 took care of the kiddie rooms upstairs.

 



.....while I got to decorate the kitchen.

 



Now it's finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

Made Me See Double

 Yesterday we were off to Pop and Grandma's house for a Memorial Day cookout. Everyone was excited for the event.....

Kiddie #3 wanted to play Frisbee,

Teen #2 hoped to get a tan,

Teen #1 was game for some poker,

Dear hubby's tummy was hungry for steak,

Puppy dreamed of falling crumbs,

and I couldn't wait to see my mom's (newly redecorated for the summer holidays) dollhouse! 

 The housewarming gift was well received and fit in with the decor quite well if I don't say so myself! Speaking of decor.....I noticed something funny about grandma's houses. Mini house had a corner cupboard filled with blue and white china.....

 .....and so did the big house!

 Mini house boasted a decorated fireplace and more china hutch goodness...

 .....as again did the big house both here....

 .....and here!

 A sun dabbled table complete with sweet tablecloth and festive dishware?

 Ditto!

 Oh and don't forget the well groomed, obedient and oh so quiet puppy sitting by the rocker.

Well.....it's a puppy by a rocker but I'm not saying anymore!



A Tisket, A Tasket

The lingering influence of The Forgotten Garden combined with beautiful sixty degree weather and my discovery of a hidden stash of morning glory seeds has had my hands hankering to work in the floral realm. Considering spring has yet to officially arrived and that weather here in New England has a devilish track record of surprising us with March snowstorms, I've promised to refrain myself from from all dirt digging activities until April. So instead I turned my attention to making more of these little flower pins. In order to have something to arrange the bitty blossoms in I then finished up a flower basket quilt square I had lingering around and. . . ta dah. . .

. . . . . the Tisket Tasket Pincushion Basket was created!

Because it was so much fun I'm now in the process of making a batch of them to start listing in the shop. It was while stitching up tiny circles that my little friend Lucy came round. Greetings were followed by a bit of chit chat. . . . .our fine weather, her plans for spring cleaning, and the discovery of a new favorite tea blend. Eventually, however, the true purpose of her visit was revealed. "I've a favor to ask of you," she said quite sheepishly.

"Do you remember the new pillow Lily Red made for herself?" she continued. "She was ever so pleased with the lace trim work and proudly displayed it for me to see. Lovely as it was, I cannot help but be haunted by the image of her bed barren of any other comforts. Even a little wooden doll should have a coverlet to cozy up in. I really want to make one for her and was hoping you would entertain the idea of helping me pick some fabric out for the job."

And so we were off. . . . .

. . . . . to the fabric shop where Lucy had quite a dilemma choosing something just right. There were ever so many prints to pick from and she would have liked them all!

I on the other hand never have a problem making selections. I find you can't go wrong with a bit more gingham added to your stash so I snatched up a yard or so along with this delightful black and periwinkle bluebonnets. I've decided to consider them lupines however in honor of Miss Rumphius, a favorite book by Barbara Cooney. My second red work penny square was also waiting there for me since I missed it's debut during my bout with the sniffles.

In the end Lucy made out just fine and toted home quite a handsome bundle. With a quick, "Tootles to you miss natalie jo," she was away through the door of Boggs Cottage anxious to get to work.

Christmas Tidbits

Christmas has come and gone for yet another year and the crazy chaos that filled the days leading up to the big event has been forgotten. Memories instead focus on those moments that brought a special sparkle to the season like decorating the tree with our favorite ornaments.

Making up batches of sweet treats to share with friends and family, but only after abundant taste testing has been performed of course!

Wearing a favorite Christmas ensemble.

Taking a trip to grandma's house. . . . .

. . . . .where every room is filled with Christmas joy!

Finding your name on Santa's list is always a good thing,

...but receiving an unexpected gift is particularly exciting!

Especially when it turns out to be a doll of your very own.

Playing Dolls

Summer Fun item #41 was to attend the Sunapee Fair up in New Hampshire, and so we did! Creativity abounded under each and every tent there. . . . . .wood carvers, basket makers, jewelers, and fiber artists galore. We even got to see a glassblowing demonstration and try our hand at weaving on a loom. But of course, as you well know, the main event for me was the Gail Wilson booth. Lily Red spied it first and headed directly for the dollhouse display. We both shared a few moments of silent awe and then proceeded to make quite a spectacle of ourselves oohing and ahing over every little detail.

Gail Wilson herself was there, for which I feel I must interject a mighty little "yippee!" Unfortunately, the excitement of the moment had me practically tongue tied but I did manage some sort of request to take photos to which she kindly responded in a positive manner and even gave me some tips to avoid the glare from the glass cases in which the items were displayed. At this point let me say, photographer I am not, so any help I can get is most appreciated! I use my little blue Canon ELPH which I have permanently set to "Digital Macro" with no flash. I aim, click and hope for the best.

It was quite humbling to see the amazing quality of her work. I am especially impressed with those braids!

After seeing her doll's doll I'm afraid my little Sally Anne is in desperate need of a makeover in the hair department! And some clothes wouldn't hurt either.

I fell in love with this wonderful wee wooden dolly! Her creation will have to wait, however, as someone else is next in line. . . . .

. . . . .Hitty! She was so lovely I wanted to just snatch her up and take her home with me that very day. But it was necessary that restraint be employed in this matter as I had it from a very reliable source that one such doll kit would be awaiting me at my birthday celebration next month (thanks mom. . . .and dad too although I'm sure he's not aware of it yet!)

Another Hitty and wee wooden to ooh over.

Hitty actually had her own display case filled with little treasures to collect for her. This tiny quilt and sewing set was my favorite.

Eventually it was time to return home where I meet with a small troop of my own creations awaiting completion. Many of them were quite anxious as they have places to go and people to see. Some undivided attention was promised but not before this little Maybelle Sweetie. . . . .

. . . . . .was delivered down to Cape Cod!

After that the real work began. Fabric choices were made. . . . .

. . . . . fittings were conducted. . . . .

. . . . .and final touches were deliberated.

I do believe I see the influence of the Gail Wilson basic doll kit popping up in my own work here what with the wee doll's doll and the braids!

This little one was actually a hoot to make. She could possibly be the first of the Pick-a-Little Pals to come down the path.

Petite in stature she may be, but short in personality she's not! Barely a day old and already she's a hit with the the other girls in the neighborhood.

Wayside Wonders!

It was the most pleasant of spring days and Lucy had the urge to venture out and about. A pop in to Wayside Cottage was always a treat and so her destination was certain. Perhaps Lily Red would put on a pot of tea and whip up a batch of her famous sugared scones. So engaged was Lucy in her daydreams of delightful goodies and good natured gossip that she nearly knocked over her dear friend while passing round what used to be the back of the cottage. Lily Red fought to regain her precarious position atop her ladder in the midst of total disarray. All manners aside Lucy could not help but exclaim aloud, "Whatever have you been up to over here Lily Red?"

"My what a fright you've given me," she responded. "But I'm ever so glad to see you. I'm hanging the last of the wallpaper and am in need of an expert cut to size it up." Quick as a wink Lucy's scissors did their job. It only took a few more minutes to tidy up a bit before they two took themselves outside for a little show and tell. "You see," explained Lily Red, "I decided to add a summer kitchen onto the cottage. And now that the weather has taken a turn for the better I do hope you'll call more often to share a spot of tea with me in it. In fact let's give it a trial run right now!"

A makeshift table was easily put together out of wood scrap. The two gathered round and discussed all the ins and outs of household renovations. "Only a bit of finish work and you'll be done," said Lucy. Lily Red picked up her tiny cup for a final sip. Turning then to Lucy she said, "Yes, Wayside Cottage is far from a jumble now. And in that case I do believe it's time to turn my attention to the garden, or the lack thereof. I can't imagine anything better than to have a patch of veggies and flowers growing out in the dooryard. Have you any recommendations?" Lucy took only a moment before responding. "I can't say I've much farming experience but I do have an idea..."