A Sunny Day!

On Sunday morning I went with my daughter and son-in-law to Oak Mountain State Park here in Birmingham. It was the first warm and sunny day we've had for a long time! It was fun being outdoors with the animals at the farm.

Even the donkeys were friendly. They ate corn right out of my hand.

Sharyn posed with a beautiful little donkey.

Kris talked with one of the horses. I introduced myself to a goose.

This goose is rather special. Here's why -

We hadn't realized that this goose had followed us all the way across the field to where the horses were. The goose bonded with Kris and began to follow him around! Step by step. Never leaving his side!

Even when it was time to go, the goose followed Kris to the gate and cried when he left!

Needless to say, Kris has a new friend. He named him "Douglas". I'm sure we will go back to visit him soon!

Hope you have a beautiful day! Thanks for all of your kind comments lately. I do appreciate your friendship!

A Morning Muse

It is Wednesday, February 13, 2013. The time is 3:59 AM. A thought returned to me just now. It was something my sweet daughter said to me on Sunday. It was raining outside and cold. We had planned to go to the Wellness Center together for a swim. Neither of us felt like going out in the rain. 

We chatted a while. She asked me what I had done on Saturday? I told her I spent most of the day in bed. She mentioned that she had tried to call me and had driven by my house. She said it looked like we were sleeping over here. We were.

Then she told me how warm and sunny it was outside on Saturday. She had wanted me to go with her to feed the donkeys at Oak Mountain State Park. She said there were beautiful blue birds in her yard. She loved that. She took her dog for a long walk at the park near her house. She said it was a really nice day.

As she was talking I felt tears well up inside. I realized that I had lost an entire day to my depression. A day I could have spent with my daughter. A day I could have enjoyed the outdoors. Instead, I wasted precious moments hiding and feeling sad.

Yesterday at work I realized that most of my patients know me by name. They ask me about my dogs. They ask if I have been to Florida lately? Some of them even know my voice on the phone before I say who I am. I like that. 

I've been here in Alabama for almost five years now. I found my first dollhouse at a garage sale here. That opened an entire new world for me. I found an outlet for my creativity. I found friends online. I have spent hours and hours engrossed in doing what I love and sharing that with you.

As I look around my work room today I see many things I would like to do. Instead, I've been led away be my compulsion to escape this nasty weather and return to the sunshine. For six weeks now I have been focusing on things I don't like and ways to get out of here. No wonder I'm depressed!

I am certain that I have a Seasonal Affective Disorder. Yes, there is a pill for that. They don't work. 

I have applied to many job opportunities in Florida and have had no replies. I have searched for houses to buy. I have spent these past weeks yearning for a new life. This morning I realize that I have everything I need right here. God has been so good to me. He has given me good health, a nice home and a great job.

I miss Florida. I miss the warm weather and sunshine. I miss the beach. In spite of that, I am going to try to stop focusing on the things I don't like and start appreciating what I have. I'm going to spend more time creating and less time worrying. If I am supposed to move, God will find a way for me. I need to relax and stop wasting my days longing for what I don't have.

I'm going to clean off my desk, make room for my projects and get back to work! I appreciate those who have stayed with my blog during this time of distraction. If you have read this post so far, I know you are a true friend. You have been my inspiration. I have learned some life lessons from you too.

Today is really only day I have. Tomorrow will take care of itself. 

For Sale by Owner

I'm still here. Still looking for a job and a home in Florida. This is a condo I found on Zillow in Deltona Florida. Close to my son and daughter-in-law. :D

It comes furnished. Less stuff to move.

It is obviously owned by a New York fan!

This would be a really BIG remodeling project! Good thing I like to do that sort of thing...

The best part about this place is - the pool!

The owner wants CASH. I don't have cash. Sigh....

Another Distraction

I have found yet another distraction from mini-making. Planning a MOVE (possibly) back to Florida!

I've been searching for jobs online. Searching for homes to buy. Cleaning out my "stuff" to get ready, just in case. I'm doing one room at a time. Leaving my work room for last. It's the worst!

I took four HUGE bags of stuff to the thrift store yesterday just from my bedroom. There will be a LOT more to go!

I just don't think I can stand another winter here in Alabama. I wasn't made for winter!!!

I'm hoping to find a great job and a cute little house with a big room for my miniature life. I'm looking at places near my oldest son and his wife. They are not far from the beach and have a great salt water swimming pool. Two of my granddogs live there too. :D

This is Kieran and Hobbes, relaxing after a swim in the pool. I'm ready for some big slobbery kisses from these two!

Hope you have a nice day. I'm going to bundle up and go to work. :(

First photo courtesy of Completely Coastal on Facebook. Thanks, I needed that!

Now THIS is FUN!

It's been quiet over here at BMB. No minis. No cleaning. Not much being done at all!

I have been going to the Wellness Center. I'm still waiting for my arm to heal so I can swim again.  I'm going to try to sneak in today with a waterproof band aid. Hope no one will notice. :D

I found this video this morning before work and thought I might (might) be able to do this?



I'm not ready for a class OR a mirror yet but it was so much fun!  I felt 25 again. Well, almost....

Thanks for being patient with me and my minis. I'm trying to add some positive changes to my life and regain some much needed energy too.

Maybe this will be the weekend for the big clean up?  Maybe.

Hope you have a beautiful day!

What Happened Here?

How did this?

Turn into this?!

Yes, those are cobwebs covered with dust above the door!  I hadn't even noticed that until I took this photo!

Sigh....

A Great Idea!

My goal this weekend is to organize my workroom and find a place to display my dollhouses. I found a perfect solution at A Home for Dolly.

Image from Rick's blog

New Dollhouse Display

Rick used Ikea shelving in his dining room as a place to display his wonderful collection of houses. I love this idea!

I currently have four HUGE houses that are "works in progress." They are scattered around my house and taking up valuable work space. 

My largest house is the Adelaide Beachy beach house. It is 30" tall, 36" wide and 18" deep. Right now it is on the buffet in the kitchen. 

Grandpa's garage is on a small table in my workroom. Still unfinished. I have made lots of accessories for this project.

Grandma will have a sewing room in the loft area. That part is almost complete.

Then there is this house. 

I've bashed it since this photo was taken. It will be a very modern house someday...

My current project is the Mini Town Loft that I am using to build a garden center. Maybe this one will get finished?  :D

If I could just concentrate on one thing at a time! Today I will be moving things around and trying to find space to work!  

I think finding some shelving for the dining room will be a good thing. Thanks Rick, for sharing your great idea!

I found some adjustable shelving online at Home Depot. Basic black. If I spray painted it my favorite color and painted the shelves grass green?  Might work?

Hope you have a great day!

More Bathroom Ideas

Here is another idea I'm trying for the garden center bathroom. Adding wainscoting to the wall breaks up the clash between the wallpaper and floor. 

I may start over and make a more modern commercial style bathroom. I can always use these fixtures in another house. This IS a business. Not a Victorian house. We'll see? 

I tried a different layout with a stall for the toilet. This will require a slightly larger bathroom. Not a problem since I am still in the planning stage.  :D

The vanity is a dollar store table with some plates to mark where the sinks may go. I'm going to look at this for a while before I decide what to do?  I found some glass bowls at Beautifully Handmade on Ebay. I like the blue ones. They might make great sinks?

I LOVE this sink found at Family Home Plans! If you need inspiration, this is a great site to visit!

Hope you have a good day!

Back in the Bathroom

My miniatures have been so neglected this month! January is almost ending and I have little to show you. I finished the garden center bathroom floor. I'm not sure it agrees with the palm tree wallpaper I used?

Now I'm working on the glass block window for the side wall. This is a real challenge but I think I'm going to like it.

This coming weekend I plan to clear off my work table and dry fit the building. I still need to finish the supports for the roof and complete my lighting plan.

Dylan is doing well. My arm is healing. Thinks are looking UP! Thanks for continuing to follow along! There WILL be progress. I promise!

Hope you have a beautiful day!

Warning - Not For The Squeamish

I am VERY mad at what happened just now!  I was trying to get something out of my dryer and didn't realize that it was still spinning. Well, maybe I did know that, but reached in there anyway. Bad dryer. BAD move!

The tumbler inside caught the edge of my arm and ripped a big tear in my skin! OUCH.

Of course this means I cannot go swimming at the gym today, or tomorrow or maybe even Tuesday! I'll have to wait for this nasty wound to heal first. I am very mad at this! I really wanted to go swimming this afternoon!!

Maybe I will go shopping for a new swimsuit and work out clothes instead? First I'll need to shower and put something over this wound. A Telfa pad should work. Wish I still had my home health wound care stash!

Oh, and some lady at the gym yesterday scraped the side of my car with her new Prius. Her loss was worse than mine but now I have a big scratch to take care of. She said she would pay for it. I just may take her up on that?  Especially now that I'm MAD.

Hope you are having a good day? Mine will get better, I hope!

Maybe I should re-name this blog - No So Beautiful Mini Blessings?"  :D

Just Keep Swimming

The past eight days here have been cold and dark and rainy. We even had tons of snow on Thursday! All I've wanted to do was stay in bed under my warm electric blanket with my three furry friends. I didn't want to go to work. I didn't want to make minis. I didn't want to eat, but I did, because that's what I needed to do. SAD.

Something HAD to be done about this! So, on Wednesday after work I went down the street to the Trinity Wellness Center. A nice lady showed me around, encouraged me and gave me information on joining.

Today it is warmer outside and most importantly the SUN is shining!  After my morning nap, I got up and got dressed and went to the Wellness Center! I signed up for six months. Hopefully, summer will be here by then!?

I walked around the track four times, then on a treadmill for 20 minutes. I did five minutes on a bike and realized how out of shape I am! I lifted on two weight machines with no weights. I found out I can't lift two pounds with just my arms!  Here I've been lifting and carrying Dylan all around but couldn't lift a 2 pound weight on a machine!

The very best part of my visit was putting on my swimsuit and walking into the pool area. They have two huge heated pools. One of them is a 95 degree spa with bubbling jets! There was no one else there! Just me. I can't remember the last time I went swimming? WAY too long ago that's for sure!



I got right into that warm water and started swimming! As I swam I felt myself smiling again.





I did 1/2 laps; the crawl, breast stroke, side stroke and back stroke. I wasn't sure I would remember how to do them? It was like "riding a bike" only easier! I really didn't want to stop, even after an hour, but knew I might not be able to walk tomorrow if I kept going. :D

I think the Wellness Center will see me a lot. I'm surely going to get my money's worth! After just one visit I feel so much better. I can't wait to go swimming again! Now I feel like singing THIS song!



Hope you do something today that makes YOU smile! I went swimming. What will you do?

Floor Number Four

This is my fourth attempt at making the floor for the garden center bathroom. 

This time I took four of the little 1/2 tiles and glued them on a piece of card stock to make a one inch tile. I scanned that tile, then copied and pasted it to Word until I had enough to fill an 8 1/2 inch x 11 inch piece of paper. My floor is 5 x 6 inches so I have extra tiles.

When I printed them out there was a small white border that I cut off. If you look closely you can see that some of the tiles have black edges. They are not consistent around each tile. Does that matter? To me, it does.

I think I will try once again. This time I will use a fine black marker to make sure each edge is black.

I thought I would be finished with this project by now! The sad part is that when the floor is installed in the bathroom and the door is closed no one will be able to see it!

Just call me crazy!

Back To "Normal"

Now that Toby is gone, Henry Cat has taken his place next to Dylan. Dylan loves his kitty.

I'm working on the bathroom floor for the garden center. It is not as easy as I thought it would be. This is my second attempt. Will there be three?

Now that things are getting back to normal around here, I have some time for minis. :D

Hope you have a beautiful day!

Split Level Floor Plan

I found a floor plan that is very similar to my daughter's house. Her entry stairs are on the outside. There is a foyer is where you see the stairs here. There are four steps up to the bedrooms. She has two small bathrooms. If Greenleaf doesn't design a split level dollhouse, I could use this plan for a scratch build?

We are talking FUTURE project here. I'm way too busy right now to even consider starting another house!

Dylan is doing well. I bought him a couple of 12 month baby t-shirts at Walmart. They fit him well and cover his incision so he can't get to it. Such a clever mommy I am! :D

I'm working on the Garden Center bathroom floor this morning. The little 1/2 inch tiles look great. More on that later...

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Ask Greenleaf

My daughter and son-in-law live in a house like this here in Birmingham. They have done just a little upgrading. For the most part it is still in its original condition.

I have been collecting remodeling ideas for them. Money is tight, so they are enjoying their home as it is.

Today I sent an email to Greenleaf Dollhouses. I asked if they would possibly design a tri-level dollhouse kit? The only houses I have seen that are similar are the vintage 1950s Marx tin dollhouses. I think it's time someone made a wooden house like this!

I would LOVE to build and decorate a tri-level dollhouse. I wonder if anyone else would be interested in a kit like this?

Hope you have a good day! Dylan says "thank you" for your comforting comments!

Dylan's pathology report came back today. It is a "subcutaneous liposarcoma with necrosis and hemorrhages. There are also a few areas of suspicious vascular invasion. It is an intermediate grade of malignancy. Tumor cells are seen in the borders of the sections examined. Prognosis for these tumors is usually guarded. Wide surgical excision is the best approach."

Dylan has had his "wide surgical excision." He has survived a post-op hemorrhage. He has improved day by day. He is comfortable and at home where he needs to be.

Dr. Weber said his wound looks as expected after the radical surgery he had. I can cleanse his wound with antibacterial soap, rinse it and apply antibiotic ointment. I can feed Dylan whatever he wants. I can hold him and hug him and tell him what a wonderful little dog he is. I will continue his pain medication and antibiotics. Right now he is happy and comfortable. I plan to try to keep him that way as long as possible.

We will just take each day as it comes. I don't believe that dogs know when they are sick. They just keep on loving you with their unconditional love.

Some dogs make a special imprint on your heart. Dylan is one of those dogs.

Dylan at six weeks. So sweet.

♥