Karla's Cottage

Snowday Adventures with the Pack

We had the most perfect snow!

No roads were closed, the temps barely got below freezing, there wasn't a hint of wind.  I could get behind winter if snow days were always like this.

We had a great time in the woods with the dogs, and I really enjoy watching the interplay between the pups.  They are slowly, but surely becoming a "pack", not just a bunch of dogs that live together.

While Albie isn't exactly lovey dovey with the Bigs, he participates in outdoor hunts with them and they have a routine, where he checks underneath the roots, while they scout out the upper level.

He is pretty proud of being one of the big dogs and works hard to keep up.

Actually, he is pretty much on the sidelines, and they don't even acknowledge his help. I don't think he notices, he feels like he is in on all of the action. Twinkle, on the other hand, knows she isn't invited and watches from a few feet away when something important needs to be dug up or chased.

Albie never misses a move, and keeps a close eye on what is happening, in case he is called upon.

He may be delusional, but he is happy.

Over time, we have come a long way with the relationships.  And now, on the other end of the learning curve that time created, Twinkle is becoming a Senior dog, and losing her vision.  Out in our woods, we have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't wander off and can't find us.

Not that we would ever consider leaving her behind! These walks in the woods are her happiest times.

She isn't the only one who loves them!

Me too.

 

The countdown is on

Our family is  on the countdown to Christmas and trying to fit in as many festivities as we can.

Sugarwings and I went to see the plays Elf, Rudolf and Annie...

checked out the holiday displays at Legoland... (although, Dorothy and Toto were faves, even if they weren't Christmassed up like the rest of the bricks)

we’ve sipped cocoa by candlelight and the twinkling of the tree...

are going to go to see the Nutcracker movie...

and have been making as many holiday crafts as we can.

We had a gathering to craft with friends too, and the group took a field trip to the Lecompton Territorial Museum to see the Midwest’s largest display of vintage Christmas ornaments.  

Lecompton was important during the Civil War and is a town full of history.

And great, old ornaments!

In between, I’m trying to get things wrapped to place under the tree or in the mail and flying off to loved ones.  Trying is the key word there- heck,I’ve not even finished shopping, let alone wrapping.

 

I hate to see the whirlwind wind down, I’ve been loving every minute of it. 

But before you know it, Christmas will be here.  And that means Dewdrop will be back from North Carolina to join in on our fun!

The Halls are Decked!

Typically, the day after Thanksgiving, I delve deeply into the boxes of holiday goods that I've been waiting to decorate with. Sugarwings and I have a saying, "Respect the Bird."  Which means that we hold ourselves back from tumbling headfirst into Christmas until after the Thanksgiving turkey has been eaten.

This year, I was a bit slower, it was Monday before I got around to tackling the trees.  

I set up quite a few, slowly but surely, and by the end of the day, I was ready to kick back, eat some Thai take out and enjoy the lights.  

Thank you for all of your kind comments and messages about my health. My heart is beating as it should, the procedure worked, which is great news. I'm feeling a tad worn down but am rallying a bit more each day.

There will be some more photos of the holiday decor soon. I'm using my infirmity as an excuse to be lazy for now.  

Have a seat

Dorothy is happy to be back and to resume her role as blog model.

This chair has been needing a new seat for, well, way, way too long. It is Sugarwings' seat at the dining table, and she tends to be...a messy boisterous diner.  The original seat was quite ugly, and I hated it from the minute I saw it, but it didn't show the results of her dining mishaps.  I'd made a seat slipcover to use over it when company came, but didn't leave it on all of the time, because it was light colored.

When I saw these chairs on clearance at Nebraska Furniture Mart, I was inspired to recover Sugarwings' seat in a faux leather look, to compliment this chair, which I bought for the other end of the table.

Hancock Fabric is going out of business, and I got the cloth for 75% off, and a ruffled trim for  an 85% discount.  The two chairs don't exactly match, but I prefer things that blend nicely, not match perfectly.  The other chairs are a mix match too, but I'm considering covering the seats with this 'pleather' stuff.

The kitchen/dining/living rooms will all be open to the new hearth room, where two of these genuine leather recliners will sit in front of the fireplace.    The home will still be mostly whites and creams, but I'm looking forward to adding these darker, more rustic elements of leather, especially in the hearth area.

I'm not a fan of recliners, but my husband is.  And the fireplace is his dream.  So I searched high and low to find a couple that we could both live with.  While I'd prefer some cushy, velvet seats with plush footstools instead, I have to remember it is his space too.  And don't you think that this recliner is less recliner-y than most? It reminds me more of a leather club chair than a typical recliner, so I think I'll like it. 

Maybe with a soft throw over each, and a distressed, white table between them?  Oooh, and an alabaster lamp!?

Plus, they were half price. Well, at least the floor model was, and the salesman gave the second one to me at the sale price too!

See what I mean about how open it will all be?  When the deconstruction started, it was a gamble, not knowing if we'd be able to have it this opened up or not.  Old houses can be tricky and the builder told us we'd have to see what was in the walls before he could say for sure whether it would require supports or not.  

But we lucked out and the room will be finished as we'd hoped.

Now, to pick out paint colors. And from looking at this photo, I think I need to redo the wallpaper on the stairs. In the past, you couldn't see the roses on the risers and the text on the wall next to them, at the same time. Now, from the new room, they are on full display and look a bit busy together.

 

There is a lot of work ahead, but I can feel it coming together.

Look who is back!

Dorothy Rosebud left us months ago, due to her phobias of the momma cat and Honey's playful puppyhood, that both left her trembling in fear. And crying out.  Sometimes, she would get a glimpse of Honey and start shrieking. That squeaky toy noise got Honey's attention and she would run right at the tiny, little girl. Then, poor Dorothy would hide in her cubby hole under the stairs for 8-10 hours, not coming out even to potty.  

She was terrified of life on the farm.

My pal, Beth offered to take her in and love her. Beth and Jeff did love her, but due to a problem that developed  with her brother Button, one of Beth's other dogs, little Dorothy Rosebud had to leave their home.

At first, I was afraid I was in for more heartbreak. That Dorothy would be too scared to be here with us. I made a call to another friend who could care for her.

But while this little girl was away, she developed some confidence.  Honey grew up, and is more under control. The momma cat's kittens no longer needed her protection. Things felt a tad bit safer here for a tiny dog.   No one was picking on her.

She's been back in my arms for a week now and I am thrilled that we kept her.  And grateful that Beth kept her safe til it was time to come home.

Looking for Luck, 4 leaf clovers in the grass

When I was a kid, finding a 4 leaf clover and learning how to do a back flip into the pool were two driving forces in my life.  I'd sit in the yard for hours, fruitlessly searching through the patches of green, desperate to find my own lucky charm.

And as for the flip? I'd put on a heavy sweatshirt, to deaden the pain of slapping the water with my back, and relentlessly, toss myself off the diving board, trying to learn that trick.  It was a good thing I had the sweatshirt, because my back got a lot of slaps, I never once made it all the way around into the turn to land feet first in the water.

I gave up on ever learning the flip when I was in my thirties, but never gave up on my hope of finding a 4 leaf miracle.  

When I saw my friend, Angie, and Dewdrop's gypsy mama both gathering handfuls of 4 leaf clovers in a matter of moments, I doubled my efforts with some hints from them both.

What I discovered is that discovering one is kind of like those magic pictures that were so popular in the 90s.  It's a way of looking at it, not simply searching.  They are out there, if you can focus your eyes in the right way to see them.

Happily, I can now find one anytime I feel the need for a piece of luck to hold in my hand.  But mostly, I just let them grow, and not pick one unless necessary. It is nice to know that the grass around my cottage is filled with Luck.

I've been known to scratch at the grass with a rake, and sprinkle clover seeds all around the yard.   These plants are so much more interesting than typical turf.  And the hope of a flock of four leafers spreading through the lawn, is a nice thing to think about.

Hmmm, now that I've learned the clover trick from two experts, maybe I should tap the knowledge of my circus performer family and finally master the backflip???

Somehow I doubt that I'll do that... but if I do give it a try, I'd better fill my sweatshirt pockets with as many lucky clovers as I can find!!

A new look for the little dorks and my teeth

Twinkle and Albie have their new spring hairdos. 

Albie seemed a little chilly at first, but is getting used to it.

The poor dogs had been a mess.  Their hair had gotten pretty shaggy, and I'd been chopping tangles out here and there, instead of brushing it.

I always wait too long to take them in, but am always so happy to see them all tidied up and pretty again when I finally get around to doing it.

Is there anything softer than a freshly trimmed dog? Maybe a horse's nose. Those are purely velvet too.

The pups aren't the only ones with a new look. For the last year, I've been dealing with the after effects of having my tooth knocked out and the root broken when I carelessly slammed my face into a cabinet door that was left open.

 

Here is how I looked after it happened. My dentist then made a temp flipper thing that helped, but after gum surgery to build up a post to reset a fake tooth, that never fit well and was uncomfortable and funny looking.  

And all of this was after I'd gone through having all new crowns just a matter of months earlier, as well as reconstructive gum surgery to fix  a receding area above my front teeth. I'd been thrilled with the results that first time, so was doubly upset that all of that expense was wasted by this accident.

There was a lot of healing time after breaking my tooth before I could get it replaced. This caused a few comfort issues and plenty of migraines. Even a bit of vertigo here and there.  Really? Odd fitting teeth can make me dizzy? Who knew that would happen.

Also, I had to get the tooth next to it recapped and the two were braced together. Because of the type of injury to the root, I had to have the two made of  extra strong materials, not porcelaine.  I thought they weren't all that great looking, and I had to train myself to not talk with whistling esses and funny effs. Plus, they still hurt, and were always sensitive.

My dentist didn't like them either and offered to redo them with zirconium, (although I call it adamantium, like what Wolverine is reinforced with) and even redid the teeth on either side of the two front ones, bracing those for even more strength.

Now, nothing hurts at all. And I think it looks much more natural.  I'm pretty happy and feel lucky that I had a dentist who went above and beyond to give my smile back to me.

Of course, I have a LOT to smile about! My son married the lovely Miss Tree last week.

I'll have photos to show you soon.

I'm Spring Cleaning in the Boutique, if you'd like to take advantage of my urge to purge the inventory, please use THIS link to access the shop.  All items will be 50% off including the tutorials and existing sale prices.

Springtime sprucing up

 

I

Our breezeway takes a beating over the winter.  It is too cold for me to care about cleaning it up, cats make it their home, we stack firewood out there, and it just becomes a mess. Sadly, it is also the entrance to our home and it never looks all that welcoming in the coldest months. 

The paint has needed touching up for a while, so I decided to tackle that small job first. Well, I thought it would be a small job....

First mistake? I used the wrong can of pale blue paint.  I had brighter blue freckles from one end of the room to the other.  Because, of course, I was efficient and finished the job quickly, and didn't realize the colors weren't a match till the paint dried and I was long done.

Second mistake?

I rarely use a drop cloth, because I'm pretty tidy and don't drip, unless it is a big job and I start to get tired and careless as it goes on.

And I didn't drip this time either. 

But I did leave the lid off the can while I went to the store to buy more paint.  And the cats checked the color out while I was away.

Third mistake?

I didn't save the name of the original paint, or any samples.

Which might have been helpful, even though the hardware store no longer had that brand of paint, I could have at least done a computer color match.

I pride myself on not only, not being a dripper, but on also having an excellent eye for remembering colors.  (uh, except for using the wrong can of paint, that doesn't count, does it? That was not paying attention).

So, I bought what looked like the right shade and once again repainted the freckled areas I'd created by using the brighter blue. This time, I painted entire boards, not just spots and I have to say, it was looking good.

Til it dried

Paint always dries darker.

Well, at that point, I wasn't giving up. I did NOT want to repaint the whole room, those boards are hard to get in and around, I couldn't use a roller and that sounded like a BIG job.  (although, as much time as I'd spent messing up and redoing, I probably could've repainted the whole shebang another color much quicker)

So, I started adding white to the color I'd purchased, since the shade was right, the tone was just too dark.

And it worked.  I don't think you can see the patches, and the room looked so fresh and clean that I touched up the doors and washed the curtains too.

A clean coat of paint on the door is so much more welcoming, isn't it?

The Christmas wreath on the door is perked up for springtime too.  I pulled off the winter trimmings and stuck some pink roses into the grapevine.  Then clipped a bird and eggs to the nest (there had been a big white dove, and some ornaments in the nest).  

None of them are glued down, and the stems seem to be staying in pretty good. 

This urn was stuck in front of the new gas line pipes. It doesn't completely hide them, but will help until the azalea gets bigger and does its job of obscuring the pipe.

And now, I'm ready for the next project.  There is a lot of spring spiffing up to be done around here. (like painting that wardrobe in the first photo. I bought it late fall and haven't tackled a redo on it yet)

I'm also Spring Cleaning in the Boutique, if you'd like to take advantage of my urge to purge the inventory, please use THIS link to access the shop.  All items will be 50% off including the tutorials and existing sale prices.

Our Christmas

I hope your holiday was full of joy. We had some fun experiences, and plenty of laughs. With lots of hugs.

 

We started out our two day, holiday extravaganza with a nice, long walk in the woods on Christmas Eve.

It has been mild weather, ideal for a light jacket and some time in the trees.

Albie took that literally, and showed off his climbing abilities. That boy loves to climb trees. 

Dewdrop likes to be a damsel in distress waiting to be saved from her perch in the branches.

And her Pop Pop is always happy to step in and help her down.

Katie's girls are as adventurous as Albie and showed off their circus skills by straying off the path and up the branches at every turn of the trail.

Of course, when you hang out with trapeze artists and circus performers on a regular basis, things usually get interesting.

We also had a big, family yoga session before our dinner Christmas Day.

Which soon led to a human pyramid.

Or two.

Or three. (Although this one is only 2/3 human)

Notice that I am not in any of the piles? I was in charge of Santa Hats and photos.  Somehow, I wasn't added to the stacks of people, I think my reputation for clumsiness is pretty well known.

Our Thursday was full of exciting deliveries, there were presents being left on the porch all day! One was a package of steaks which came with DRY ICE packed in it.  

I was intrigued by the dry ice and used it to create a mini fog machine in this old, silver coffee pot, with the mist flowing from the spout and around the evergreen branches.  (Adding rubbing alcohol to the block makes clouds of swirling fog rise from it)

We also tried making sushi on Christmas Eve.

Tried pretty hard.

Then my husband got us some take out.  

It was a little like the Bumpas' hounds ruining Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story.  

On Christmas morning, we had evidence of the Jolly Old Elf's visit, by the tracks of glitter left on the floor.  And I have a feeling, I'll be seeing remnants of that holiday magic for the rest of the year.  

The evening ended with Elf and Nightmare Before Christmas, after a big poker tournament where Ryan won 40 bucks from his cousins and was beaming with pride.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures of our celebration, and wishes for a happy holiday season to you too.

Books with Beth and poor Dorothy

Beth and I had a fun craft day together recently.  So much fun that I forgot to get out my camera. We redid her booth at the antique mall, made a run to Costco (where I kept mumbling to myself, "we're gonna need a bigger boat car"), then made a couple of books from some great old albums she'd found at an estate sale.

She gave me a  lesson in stitching the signatures into the book. But, I had a hard time with trying to be precise with templates, and poked my own holes with a needle.  Her book is going to be lined up much better than mine.  I always go with the idea of throwing something together "good enough" then hiding any crookedy spots with plenty of lace.

We spent most of the afternoon cutting paper, and sewing it in.  She had to help me so much, she didn't get hers put together that day.

It was also a play date for our dogs.  Dorothy Rosebud has been in hell since the kittens were born. She never liked the cats at all, but when Pumpkin became a Protective  Mama Cat with a Temper, Dorothy's life fell apart.  Then, along comes Honey, the big galoot of a puppy who thinks Dorothy makes the most interesting squeaky noises when squeezed.

I've been keeping Dorothy away from Honey, but honestly, I don't even have to try. She keeps herself tucked into hidey holes and darts furtively from one secret spot to another, always on the lookout for attack by kittens, their mom, or the giant dog who adores playing with her.  

I thought I'd get her out of the house for the day, and it wasn't until I saw how happy she was at Beth's that I fully realized how terrible she felt at home.  All day at Beth's, she was full of energy, happiness, and wiggles.  Typical Yorkie behaviour.  I'd forgotten just how happy she used to be, because her mood changes were so gradual, I didn't realize how drastic they were.

Now, I'm determined to do something to make her life better. I've seen how she can  thrive and have fun again.  

It kills me to think of giving her away.  Because she is my baby. She is such a snuggler.  But with all of the dogs, chickens, cats, and kids, life is too overwhelming for her here.  I have to think of what is best for her, and not be selfish about wanting to keep her myself so she can be my teddy bear at night (she likes to be held under my chin when I sleep).

But I think I'd sleep even better knowing that she wasn't living her life in terror when I wasn't holding her. I don't know that I am ready to give up yet, I started to write an ad to find the perfect home for her, but I couldn't go through with it.  

Still, I have to think about her, not me.  She was injured as a baby, and has a bad leg. Honey grabs it and has re-injured her. Luckily, my son is a massage therapist and can repair the damage (he is MAGIC).  That doesn't mean it isn't going to keep happening, though.  Being in fear is bad enough, but getting hurt is even worse.  Plus, that makes the terror even greater.  

It is breaking my heart to see her fade away to a shadow of herself. Seeing her jump with joy and play at Beth's house with her brother, Button, gave me hope that she can have a good life again. 

Yes, I know it is all my own fault. I do LOVE animals and wish I could have dozens of them. But it is irresponsible to take on more than I can properly care for.  This is a problem I caused myself by filling my house up too much.  Dorothy is suffering from my mistakes.  

I've let her down, and I have to fix it.

Honey is going to be a great dog, I can see the intelligence and the calm in her eyes. But for now she is a big oaf of a bouncy pup. It will be a while (years???) before that stage has passed.

But in the meantime, Beth and her sweet husband, have offered to let Dorothy stay with them for the month of October.   That will give the giant Golden some time to mature, at least a little.  Then, I've made an appointment with a dog trainer for private sessions for the two combatants.  I'm also keeping Dorothy on a leash or carrying her around, to keep her near me.

 This little dog is not going to be allowed to spend her life hiding away.  Things have got to change for the better for her!  Spending some time with her foster family and her bro is a start.