There are societies and groups around the country devoted to miniatures of everything from teeny baskets of flowers to books no larger than 3 inches in size.  When put together, some of the miniatures resemble those Swiss chalet barometers, where the milkmaid comes out to indicate sunshine, and the lederhosen-clad shepherd signifies clouds.

The one above is well proportioned, but there’s something askew in the miniature scene I bought at the Goodwill in Denver.

How about the giant bacon and eggs in front of the tiny fireplace, and the very small chairs under the table?  I don’t know that I could do better in crafting small furnishings from balsa wood.  Were this my little cabin in the woods, though, I’d want to decorate it with a little holiday cheer.  A new picture over the mantle,  a wreath, a new rug for the floor…

As the next project, I’ll be trying my hand at a miniature makeover to deck the halls for the holidays. On the time line this week—consultations for space planning and color.  The week after that, we’ll do furniture and accessories.

Suggestions more than appreciated! In fact, your ideas desperately needed. If this were your out-of-the-way little getaway, what would you do to make it merry?

Weekend Dumpster Watching

Late last week I found a dumpster behind a neighborhood office building that was overflowing with strands of Christmas lights.  Not just a couple, but hundreds of strands.  A huge mound of tangled green wires and teardrop bulbs.  My best guess is they were once used to decorate the exterior of the building, and since it’s now close to vacant, the lights were discarded.

I pulled out one strand, took it home to test and it worked.  Saturday morning, I went back to rescue them and found that someone else had the same idea.  A man and his dad were loading the lights into the back of their van.  He said they would use some of the lights in their house, and the rest they’d donate to the thrift store across the street. Don’t you just love a happy ending?