Isn't this...

..a Swiss Guard helmet on a snowman?! LOL I got this from weather.com this morning.

Miniature Dollhouse Display

This past Sunday, I took Molly out by herself, "without the boys," for the first time. We went to see a miniature dollhouse display at Locust Grove, the place where I recently attended the ball. I really wasn't sure what to expect. But it was amazing! It was put on by the Louisville Miniature Society.

By the way, my camera is putting the wrong dates on the photos, so I am not lying that it was Sunday the 17th!

Molly enjoying a miniature cottage house. The glass dome behind it looks to me like it houses a miniature Italian house, maybe, though I don't remember for sure.

We had to be very quiet and only whisper, because the Jane Austen Society was having a lecture right on the other side those cubicle dividers. A woman with a very British accent was giving a lecture on how Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice. Apparently this year is the 200th anniversary of the release of that book, so there are many events all over the world celebrating the occasion. Note to self: remember to start going to some of these meetings.

This house (above) was pretty amazing. Look at the tiny bookshelves in the front. Those tiny books and magazines on the shelves were each made separately out of paper! Each one had a title on the spine. I took this picture with Molly in front of it so you can get an idea how tiny the items inside were. Notice the bathroom at top left....

Here's a close-up of the bathroom. Look at the tiny pink fuzzy towel on the right wall! And the tiny, tiny garbage can... and the newspaper on the floor by the toilet. That cracked me up.

I was just entranced with the perfect little crocheted afghan in this tiny wooden cradle, and the tiny candle in the mounted holder on the left wall.

There were even displays guys might have enjoyed. This one was an old-fashioned filling station. On the other side (back) of it was a miniature auto repair shop with a little car lift and everything!

Some of the displays were in really unique containers, like this one. This one amused me because it's just like many guys' workshops I've seen—not too tidy! LOL
In fact, it looks a little like some areas of the print shop where I work!

Another scene in a unique container, a watering can. Look at the tiny green hose. Inside the brown tub were two tiny fish swimming in what looked like clear water (but it was hard). At the tops of the green vines growing up the wall were tiny pink flowers, with a tiny bluebird perched among the flowers. Unfortunately you can't see them in this photo.

This was one of our favorites. It was adorable.
There is even a tiny blue foil-wrapped egg on the ground in front of the table!

This was my second favorite scene. I love white wicker furniture. See the rabbit on the table and the Easter basket, complete with tiny plastic eggs, on the floor at left?

Now THIS one was my absolute favorite. The wedding cake was probably about 1 inch tall. There is a pearl-crowned veil draped across the sofa, and beside it is a white cushion with two minuscule wedding rings on it. The bridal bouquet is on the floor at left, and note the tray with champagne on top of the wicker tea cart..... The photos on the wall looked like real photos to me, just shrunk down tiny.

Only afterwards did I find out what Molly's favorite scene was, and I regret not taking a picture of it. It was a child's bedroom with white furniture, blue curtains and blanket, and a tall white shelf with a tiny Peter Rabbit ceramic plate sitting on one of the shelves.

Afterwards we went outside to walk around the fields and inspect the old cemetery and the log buildings which were once used as barns and sheds and an outside kitchen. We also walked all around the historic old house where George Rogers Clark spent his last years. I had to keep explaining that this item was old-fashioned and that kind of building was old-fashioned....

We also stopped in the gift shop, where Molly said she wants me to buy her (another day, because it was Sunday) a carved wooden fan and... a big plastic spider. We'll see about that one! I also showed her a quill pen set and explained how people used to write letters in that old-fashioned way.

When we left, I asked Molly what kind of a house she wants to live in when she grows up. It will be a big house, she told me, and it will be old-fashioned (I must have said "old-fashioned" once too many times!), and it will be painted light blue on the outside. Her bedroom will be white, with pink 'parkwy (sparkly) curtains at the window. Hmmmm. Can you just picture that?

She also said recently that she wants me to make her a dress with "ball sleeves." We are not sure what "ball sleeves" are, so my sister asked her to explain. She replied helpfully, "You know....the kind I want!"

So this Sunday, I asked her myself to tell me what ball sleeves are. She sighed. "Haven't you ever seen Cinderella?" she asked me.

Oh. That kind of sleeves.

My Week in Pictures

Last week was such a great week. Something interesting or exciting happened every single day!

SUNDAY

I attended Baby Liam Joseph's Baptism after Mass. He was only 3 days old. Congratulations, Bryan and Siena!

Isn't he darling? I am always amazed at how the human heart can seemingly love an ever-increasing number of people. There is always room for one more. Luckily I think there will always be one more baby coming that we can love!

MONDAY

My friend Margaret had just arrived home from a week in Rome. My family and her family got together to listen to the stories of her pilgrimage and look at her pictures. Here is the cake her sister Katie made to welcome her home. Wasn't that sweet?

Margaret came home late Sunday night, and woke up Monday to the very sobering news of the Pope's resigning. What a shock it was for all of us.

TUESDAY

It was Mardi Gras. According to our family tradition, I had to have pancakes for supper, so my friend Stephanie and I went out to Cracker Barrel. After that we went to Wal-Mart to look at fabric. I want to make Molly a dress, so I took some photos of some fun fabrics I might use. 

Molly liked this one when I showed her the pictures some days later. Oh, did you guess that she likes ladybugs?

WEDNESDAY

It was Ash Wednesday, so of course I was starving all day. But Stephanie remembered that she had an extra sewing machine that she could give me. It has only been used once. I was SO excited. Now I can sew whenever I want! I can't believe it!

After a dress for Molly, I need to make myself another Regency dress that is not for balls, but less formal.

THURSDAY

Today was Valentine's Day. On the way to work I was amazed to see that the daffodils are already "bloomified" as my brother Michael put it. We have had such a warm winter that they have bloomed quite a bit earlier than normal. Usually I see them around the first week of March.

FRIDAY

I had organized an afternoon tea at Theo's house. Theo is the lady in the middle of the picture. Our guests were Gwen (at left) and her lovely daughter Erin (on the right), who live next door to the community where I work. We were celebrating Valentine's Day a day late.

I am beginning to think I have a calling to revive the very civilized and civilizing custom of having fancy teas. I do love them!

Erin had brought some homemade chocolate eclairs. YUM! Take a closer look at our goodies.

SATURDAY

I went to Versailles, KY with my friend Pat to meet Sr. Gemma, and all 3 of us went out for lunch at the Woodford Inn, a historic house which is now a bed and breakfast/restaurant. We had a great lunch. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures, and their website is not letting me steal any, either. But I assure you the dining room is lovely and the food was very good. I had fish 'n chips. We were celebrating Pat's birthday, which was back in January. (Website: Woodford Inn)

Sunday (yesterday) was a day all in itself, but I will have to do that post later... I am getting a little weary of waiting for photos to upload. It takes a long time! : )

Videos From The Ball

Videos at last! Please enjoy!

This dance is straight out of Pride and Prejudice - look for "Mr. Darcy" in the last clip: