Living in the Candle Drawer

If I could live anywhere in my house, it would be in the candle drawer.

Of course I would have to be much smaller. And install a bathroom, kitchen, and electricity. One living in the candle drawer would need tiny lights to read all of those mini books. A cozy chair and bed would be nice.

Oh, and while we are at it, how about a miniature fireplace and snuggly kitty?

You may be wondering why, of all things, would I want to live in the candle drawer? And what in the world is a candle drawer anyway?

In this house, the candle drawer is in the hall cupboard. It holds a horrible mess of mismatched candle holders, Christmas tree wires (why? - too tangled to clear them out), rocks, tealights, scented candle wax for burners, and interesting containers and knickknacks.

But why?

The smell. Every time I open that drawer to get a tealight or extra scented wax, I am greeted by the best fragrance in the world. A combination of pine, lavender, pumpkin spice, mulberry, and other scents rush out, wrapping smokey fingers of delight around my head and nose.

I want to live in that drawer.

I'll clean out a corner and set up my studio apartment. I'll decorate it with handcrafted quilts, watercolor paintings, fluffy pillows, and shimmering candles. That's me, good to go.

Just remember to check on me once in a while. I may need food, coffee, cat food, or more books.

I'll be as happy as a lark on a spring day in May.

Do come visit.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Christmas Past - Taylor's Miniature Shop

Back in the day, when my babies were in grade school, before I was in grade school (as a teacher) I had hobbies. I know. Hard to believe.

But I had actual hobbies. One hobby that challenged me and gave great pleasure was doing miniatures. Making tiny worlds (hmmm, that is a form of play for children - making small worlds - and a type of writing for fantasy and science fiction - world building; may be on to something here) is fascinating. Trying to make toys and little bits of this and that look like real life dwellings and places is a wonderful pastime. All to scale of course. I was even in a miniature club. We met each month, made miniature items, and had fun networking as we shared ideas and resources.

Welcome to Taylor's shop. (I need to make it perfectly clear that Taylor would NEVER allow his tools to lay all over the floor and look this disorganized. But in the miniature world, how will you know there are cool tools and stuff if they are not out on display? We do what we have to do in our playtime.) I worked on this shop the same way I worked on a dollhouse for his sister. With much diligence and attention to detail. No doll stuff here though. No siree Bob.

Lots of fun features adorn Taylor's shop. Take the back wallpaper. Over time, the quality has faded. But it was originally a newspaper article that featured his kindergarten teacher and her treks across Manastash Ridge. I shrank it on a copy machine and glued it to the wall. The wood side walls are tiny stained coffee stir sticks. Or look at the collie. We had Jessie Collie Quantrell, a collie dog, when our children were growing up. Taylor's coffee mug has his name. A lawn mower sits in the attic (he was very attached to lawn mowers when he was growing up. He still lives and breathes engines. Just semi truck engines.) Some things are just for fun, but some are just for my boy.

Here we have been storing the shop for years. Now our grown-up boy can take it home. To his own shop.

Note: I do have actual hobbies now, just not so much in the miniature world. I dabble on occasion to create a seasonal themed display or some tiny gift. I even have a miniature house waiting for me, still sealed in the box. Hayden is dying to help me put it together. So when he is older, and maybe Khloe and Donavyn, too, they can help Nana play with miniatures.

The eyes have a harder time seeing minute items, but the spirit is willing. Let's play!