a 'cabinet of curiosity' in the making...

today was cleaning day. cleaning day is always a little dull and always seems to roll around way too quickly for my liking. i do not have a specific day of the week designated to this less than thrilling task. rather i judge it upon the build up of dust, dog hair, crappity crap piles etc. when they have got to the point where there is an accumulation in most areas, then i announce a day to clean.

as i was home alone today and the accumulated piles had been mocking me for quite the while, i felt this would be the most fitting day and thus arose with good intentions, donned my most handmade frock of them all and went about my merry way 'tidying and a cleaning'

i do not do this alone, i am always shadowed by my constant canine companions and when Mr Hoover starts up, Little Olive comes alive and there continues a battle between the pair until Mr H switches off again. i was doing 'a-okay', i was on track with a motivation not been seen since the days of Mr Motivator on morning telly during the 90's but then it happened. Mr Dull came knocking, pointed out this was all very well but really it was terribly dull and why not make it more thrilling by adding a bit of shuffling to the drudgery of cleaning. 

"no no no" protested i

"yes yes yes" insisted Mr Dull

and that was that...

except it wasn't a bit of shuffling in the least, it turned out to be an epic several hours, requiring the electric sander to be bought in from the garage, (contributing nicely to the buildup of dust already in the family room). then after giving Kathleen's cupboard a good old rub down, (causing quite a bit of distress to her newly painted coat from last month), 

i stripped her of her blouse and piles of fabric 'inners', and proceeded to collect from all four corners of our mossy shed, my most treasured possessions, (mainly my Marys and a few other forsaken souls). 

yes, the sudden urge to create a 'cabinet of curiosity' had possessed me, however i was not sure what i had to offer up to my cupboard was of a curious nature in the least. i told myself, do not fret, this is perhaps the beginning of a new collection, for now, add some books, and a bit of greenery found on the tree outside. oddities and eccentricities will seek you out, if a 'cabinet of curiosity' is in your destiny.

upon closing the door 

and looking from a far, 

i have high hopes, my destiny will indeed hold curiosity and collectibles but for now, i must figure out where i can ferret away a whole cupboard full of vintage linens which had to be removed to make way for my 'cabinet of nearly, but not quite curiosity'. darn and drat, i see not only cleaning rolling over to tomorrow, but more shuffling as well...

Rhody, the Doctor & me...

i have no idea where this shrub called Rhody has come from...

i do not recall in five years ever seeing it before.

i am highly suspicious of  Rhody.

i watch Doctor Who.

i know what goes on out there.

i am thinking Rhody was sent from another planet and is of another life form disguising its self as an innocent over sized bit of shrubbery between ours and our neighbour's yard. i am thinking it could quite possibly have evil intentions of taking over the earth and eradicating the human race.

"oh yes, i'm not stupid you know" i told Rhody when i took its picture, i thought this would be a good way to let it know, i knew it was up to no good. i warned Rhody, "i have my beady eye on you, one false move and i know just what to do"

oh yes, i've seen how it works, i will stand in my yard and shout to the skies above "doctor, doctor... can you hear me, doctor? i need you doctor". it might get a little messy and no doubt i must be prepared to get a little frightened but i have no doubt, the Doctor will save the world from the evil clutches of Rhody the Shrubbery and all will be well just in time for teatime.

how do i know? because i've seen it on the telly, therefore it must be true...

pulling up one's pesky saggy baggy crafty knee socks...

on monday,  i pulled up my crafty knees socks and made the 'lucky happy' baja sunshiny frock which has been knocking around my crafty cogs for a while. 

a few weeks back i found some lovely lengths of lightweight cotton at the thrift store with a nod to retro and with their perfectly perfect mini sprigs of floral delights i knew they were destined to be sun frocks for tres hot days in tres sunny climes. its quite true to say, many folks think our area does not know what summer is all about, but they are misinformed! for indeedy, the summers here are just the most beautiful i have ever known in my life and when the temps rise, all one requires is one's granny knickers, a wispy frock to allow the air to circulate in all the right places and a pair of clog sandals.

i am beyond delighted with my 'lucky happy' baja sunshiny frock and its 'lucky horseshoe shaped' pocket... i would be telling a fib if i did not say i was most happy with the quilted vintage bib of luckiness as well. when i stepped back to try my sunshiny frock on my bod, how thrilled i was to note it fitted just as i hoped. oh yes indeedy, i could not help but feel glad i had taken a right turn, following the bread crumbs back to the path and pulling up those pesky saggy baggy crafty knee socks once again...

footynote: 'lucky happy' baja sunshiny frock design belongs to dottie angel ltd