Dollhouses and Perspectives on Beautiful Music

Dollhouses and tiny trinkets let the imagination of little girls and sometimes big girls soar.

Here is the first stage of the dollhouse which I think will become a mercantile filled with treasures just waiting to be taken home!

The color palette of this little gingerbread cottage will emerge. I am thinking a chabby chic...

So there you have it,,,Stay one in the contruction and the development of "The Merchantile".

This is not a dollhouse but our little Doll! He is stretching and wagging his tail as I ask him if he is ready for a walk! Now I know he's chubby but he loves going outside and walks are the best in his book!

This next item is fasinating and needs to be shared.

(This is True! According to Snopes.)

This is a great story/lesson!!

You just never know . . .
THE SITUATION
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist and again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . ..
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
Enjoy life NOW .. it has an expiration date

















Frosty Morning, Hearts and All that Makes Us Unique

As we got ready to go to church and grocery store we had no idea what it was doing as we slept.  Much to our surprise the trees were glazed with ice and snow.  The ice was not heavy (freezing fog according to the weatherman) but it gave surface for the snow that appeared to look just like glitter.  So pretty...although sometimes too long winter does share it's beauty.  The picture does not do it justice.

As we arrived home our neighbor stopped over to deliver a package we missed yesterday.

The dollhouse kits have arrived! I can hardly wait to open the boxes and get started.

I think I will do the merchantile first.

The heart shaped boxes below were a purchase from a cute second hand store named "Ashury" run by the United Methodist Church.  I am thinking they will be the basis for a center piece for our table throughout February.  I be sure to share it when completed.

I have much to be grateful for and am going to do something that was suggested in the sermon today.

We are to be the unique person God created and share our unique qualities with those we encounter.

What makes me unique will be my meditation for the day.

What makes you unique?

"Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren't any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn't be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person."

                                                                                                        R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983)  

Dollhouses Come in All Shapes and Sizes

I have become infatuated with the whole idea of creating dollhouses.  I have just about completed my second house and am waiting for two one room house kits to arrive.  A surprise from Hubby John the other day.  He was watching me explore the net for a new project and low and behold he ordered not one but two!  I had showed him pictures of the kit done up and mentioned how it would be fun to create a mercantile and maybe a bakery. (It will have to be a fusion of French and Polish desserts and breads.I must honor both our heritages.)  The book pictured below is a find I picked up awhile back for 10 cents at our local Salvation Army.  I pulled it off the shelf last night to read a bit.  We are setting aside at least one evening each week where the TV is off and we read. (Loving it because I just don't get enough time to read for pleasure.)  Anyway, I was taken by the photo on the cover.  Transform a bookcase into a dollhouse; what a fabulous idea!  I will have to start hunting for just the right one.

I apologize for the picture quality my camera (or the operator) is just not working well.  The exposures just don't look focused and crisp. But you can at least get the idea.  Isn't it fun!  I can just imagine decorating for the changing seasons and holidays throughout the year.

This is another favorite.  Remember the old woman who lived in the shoe?  This is a permanent display but oh so cute! The entire scene is enclosed in a glass sided box that is a lamp base. I simply must go shoe shopping.

Hope you are having a day filled with discovery, creativity, and fun!

And the House Becomes a Home...

As you can see the decorating has begun.  I have the major pieces in place and it is now time to make curtains, and add those little touches that help make a house a home.  The kitchen cupboard needs dishes and maybe some fruit for the little silver plate.  The livingroom needs a reading lamp, and the bed needs pillows and a coverlet.

Notice the little visitor on the railing...

The bench for ready for the garden.

The neighbors have come to pay a visit.  It must be a very chilly day.

The mail box is hung and the vines have begun to wrap the porch rails.

These little pots (1" tall) will hold plants to flank the porches.

And as you can see the coach has arrived at the house could he be bringing news from a far off friend?

And the house begins to become a home!