Karla's Cottage – Page 39 – by Karla Nathan

Grandfairy Time

By Karla Nathan / July 7, 2022

It’s after the 4th and we just got our boat out on the water for the first time this season.

Partially because Rich has been traveling. He has been vacationing as well as shuttling kids across country for family visits. And look what we got in return! Yep, he brought Dewdrop to be here with us for a bit.

Between her time split up with other family in the area, I’m making the most of her being with us and getting out to go to our favorite places.

I always wonder if it is my last year to do our traditional activities, if they have out grown them or are heading towards that stage where they might be too cool for silly outings.

But then I think, hey, I enjoy this stuff and I’m 50 years older than they are! There is no reason to ever outgrow it.

We’ve filled carts with craft supplies at Hobby Lobby, and our stomach with popcorn at a 3D movie. We’ve shopped for clothes and for fireworks, and headed toward the zoo.

Before going into the Topeka Zoo, we stop at the 100 plus year old carousel, and I had a moment of thinking that the time I’d been dreading had come.

Had Sugarwings turned into a moody teen and was not enjoying our day? There was a very unhappy look on her face halfway through their ride and when they got off the ponies, I was asked to take them home and not go to the zoo!

Oh no!

Was it wrong of me to be relieved that the poor kid simply was feeling a bit ill, not bored? (Sugarwings feels better now, nothing major).

We followed our typical 4th of July habits of watching the neighborhood spend thousands of dollars on fireworks while we had a few snakes and sparklers. Then, Fin, who worked at a firework stand this year came by with rockets and set a few off.

Surprisingly, the dogs were fine with the never ending booms coming from surrounding homes for days. Poor little Twinkle used to be terrified, but without her this year, there was no need to comfort any dogs.

The kiddos and I have limited time to make plans and do our regular excursions, so I hope to make it back to finish our zoo day. Soon, we will have even more fun coming, though. We are hosting a family reunion starting next week and will have a houseful staying here with us.

Before they all arrive, I am trying to take advantage of having my little ones here together. Because I know how fast things can change. I have been blessed with so much fun with them and am enjoying seeing how they grow and change. Whenever I try to choose a “favorite age” I always go back to right now, because they just get better and better as they get older.

I am lucky they still like to go on adventures with their Grams, but am also enjoying watching them grow up and change their perspectives. Like after all those years of going to this merry go round, they just now noticed this extremely odd thing on the back of this wooden horse.

WTF?

And I appreciate them still enjoying an outing, but in a more grown up way like discussing the movie together after leaving it, looking at make up together while shopping, not just toys. Laughing about things that would’ve been over their heads when they were younger.

With Adam and Dewdrop both moving to North Carolina, we have limited time together. Kia has moved to Oregon. And now Fin, who I have been so happy to have back in our lives and living nearby, is moving away too and his adorable sister, Clover, is heading to college. There are rumors of Avahni leaving.

It isn’t easy to be grown up about other people growing up. And to be happy for them to move on and find their own happiness. The trick is to appreciate the time I do have with them. After losing Ryan, I understand how fleeting it could be. And watching them all grow and change becomes a delight when viewed properly.

But please, please, little grandfairies- always remember to look for the fun, don’t outgrow the ability to enjoy silly outings!

Happy 4th of July!

antiques/junking, celebrations

By Karla Nathan / July 3, 2022

It was a festive weekend at Good Juju, and every month I am enjoying the venue more and more. I even got into the spirit of the holiday and put together a mini, red, white, and blue display to fit in with all of the other patriotic arrangements around the mall.

My itsy bitsy wagon with a couple red and blue doodads in it wasn’t much compared to the rest of the mall’s July tones. There were varieties of these colors used throughout the mall.

And Uncle Sam on stilts even came by to say hello to us.

I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the place, and then I’ll be headed outside to watch the colors in the sky.

We live right by the I70 overpass and every year, I walk up to the bridge to watch all of the neighbor’s fireworks being set off.

It’s a pretty low key way to celebrate, but it’s a tradition I look forward to. Sugarwings and I have been doing this since she was tiny.

As I get older, holiday traditions mean more and more to me.

I hope you are enjoying yours this weekend too.

Ready for First Friday at Good Juju

antiques/junking, Good JuJu

By Karla Nathan / June 29, 2022

My space at the mall isn’t large, but it can sure hold a lot.

So much so that I was very surprised at how much I packed in.

The lower shelf on that table might not look very full, but that is because I am bringing in sterling silver jewelry, that needs to be kept packed up so it won’t tarnish. On Friday morning, that shelf will be as overfilled as the rest of the set up.

See what I mean?

Hopefully, it will tempt guests into wanting to treasure hunt and dig through.

This month, I was set up and ready way early, and did it all in one trip. Previously, I was just getting settled and figuring out my space. I had painting and construction to do, and wasn’t quite sure how things were going to fit. Between the concussion that was still lingering, and being overwhelmed trying to figure it all out from scratch, I was, well, like I said – overwhelmed.

But now that my head is better, thanks to PT and time, and possibly the CBD oils gifted to me by Treadwell Farms, I am ready to enjoy the process and have fun being with the creative people around me at the venue. Man, that concussion made me feel flat. And like I kinda had tunnel vision. I could only barely focus on what was just right in front of me.

I’m feeling more like myself now, but still not quite right.

While getting ready for my first month here, while I was still in pretty bad shape was it pretty tough, it was worth it. I am very excited to be a part of Juju, and am already looking forward to planning set ups for fall and for the holidays.

If you are in the area, come by and say hi. I am downstairs and to the right.

There is so much to see in this big mall, and in the surrounding warehouses, it is quite an event.

Good Ju Ju

1420 W. 13th Ter

Kansas City, Mo. 64102

816-421-1930

Some recent jewelry making

Uncategorized

By Karla Nathan / June 26, 2022

7

Someone special recently had a birthday and I knew she liked Italian micro mosaic and milliefiori glass.

I had some pretty beads, and a mosaic that was missing some bits. I did a repair on it by finding tiny quartz stones that fit into the holes and then filling in the rest with a clear coat, hard setting glue. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t look like it is missing teeth now.

It hangs from the gold chain by a clasp that can be used to switch it out with other charms. My friend mentioned losing a lot of single earrings lately and I told her that she could take the earwire off of them and use this clasp to wear them as pendants instead.

I gifted her with some extra earrings too.

I had heard from others that they are also losing earrings, due to taking masks off and on. I thought I was pretty lucky to have never, ever lost an earring. Of course 90% of mine are made by me, and are easily replaced, so it was not as big of a deal if I did lose one, since I could usually make another. Still, I thought it was kind of interesting to realize that I simply do not lose any at all.

So, of course, I lost one.

And not one I made. The one time in my entire life that I splurged and bought some pricier ones for myself, because, look at that beautiful stone! It’s layered quartz over mother of pearl.

I spent more than I really should’ve considering I am a jewelry maker, and here I go, losing one of those.

I thought back to where I’d been and realized that my mask had been twisted up in Costco. People told me that I should call and see if it had been turned in, but I did not, thinking it wouldn’t do any good.

So, I did what I could to salvage my loss, and adding the remaining one to an opal p, pearl, rose quartz, and moonstone necklace I’d made.

Then, during a lull at Good Juju while sitting with friends, I dropped my phone from my pocket and had to reach under a cabinet to fetch it. There, by my hand was the missing earring! Weeks later, and after multiple sweepings of the space.

So I guess my record is safe. But I won’t be bragging about not losing earrings, or not ever breaking a phone. Oops, I hope I didn’t jinx myself on that one!

Sometimes a short cut repair is better than nothing

cottage, Hand painted, redos

By Karla Nathan / June 22, 2022

Our chicken coop/storage shed/cat dwelling sure was (and actually, still is) in bad shape.

Very

Bad

Shape

But with a few sheets of siding and less than two cans of paint, at least it isn’t an eyesore like it was.

Here it is as we got started. My husband had already began adding the siding to the bottom on the left before I remembered to get a photo. He also emptied it out.

Yep, he did a clean up on the inside too! That man is a keeper. (Unlike some of the spider webby piles of hoarded junk we found inside)

We know that the correct way to repair this structure would have been to pull all the siding off. It’s rotting. But- so is the rest of the building and we aren’t ready to tear it all down and rebuild. It’s still functional for what we needed.

What we did instead was cover up the worst part and paint the rest.

Paint is magic.

After adding a slice of siding over the bottom, we thought a strip of trim would help it look more intentional instead of just bandaged.

Rich also trimmed off the most ragged of the ends of the roof boards and I painted over them too.

See how bad they were to start with? Also, years ago when I used this shed as an antique store, I’d painted vines around the entry, added cute aqua shutters, and a barn door as a canopy over the entry. Well most of it rotted away with time, but those vines were still hanging in. I’d used oil based paint, which is why I think it held up so well.

To paint over them, I’d need to prime, but I still kind of liked them and the history of adding them, so instead, I got a small brush and painted around the leaves.

Same with the metal peacocks. They had hung on that building for 30 years, from way back when we used to raise peafowl. I had to leave those, they were history.

It isn’t done right, but it’s done good enough. Sometimes you gotta just slap some lipstick on a pig and get on with things, right? It’s better than it was. And at under $250 for the clean up, as opposed to the cost of demolition and rebuilding?

I’m pretty happy with the cosmetic improvements. This pig is much cuter with make up.

I’m proud of my boy

family, redos

By Karla Nathan / June 19, 2022

What a cool old barn! It’s an event center and my talented boy has been doing the carpentry there on the remodel.

But should it just be called carpentry? How about wood artistry?

Especially this pedestal sink!

It started as a stump, and he burnt out the center.

So that there was a hollow for the plumbing. And isn’t the trim on the bottom cool!?

And look at how he incorporated the twisty vines on this shelving.

This is such a creative space, and I’d love to walk through and admire the details.

I’m sure he doesn’t send me photos of all of it, but I really appreciate the ones I get.

It’s hard having part of my heart living so far away, but seeing what he is doing and knowing that he has found a place where he can use both his creative and wood working skill talents eases the pain. I’m so proud of him.

A special celebration in the country

celebrations, Food and Drink, friends

By Karla Nathan / June 16, 2022

Isn’t this deliciousness just beautiful? Well, EVERYTHING at Julie’s house was. Don’t ask me why I didn’t take more pictures, because I just don’t know.

I am kicking myself that I can’t share it all, every detail was more special than the one before.

From the moment we pulled into the drive.

The food, the displays, the home tour, the company, the gifts, well, on and on. What a delightful day. We gathered to celebrate Tami’s birthday and her buddies, Nora and Julie hosted this delectable day of friendship.

Julie not only has a perfectly edited and designed farmhouse filled with vintage treasures, she has a she shed.

And an event barn.

And a pond.

And well thought collections.

And gorgeous landscaping.

Do you know what I had? A camera that I barely used.

Here is a little bit of the event barn.

They host weddings and other parties there.

We sat in the barn for our bird nest craft. Nora provided silver vessels to choose from and moss to form a nest.

That’s it on the photos for the day. Take my word for it, absolutely everything was wonderful.

A friend’s garden and thoughts on house colors

flowers, friends

By Karla Nathan / June 13, 2022

Diane’s home was on the garden tour last year, and all of their hard work still shows, it looks like it permanently belongs on the list.

Before the event, some friends gathered to make mosaic stepping stones for it as a birthday gift for her.

The stones are interspersed with natural rock in the pathways.

The yard is laid out in such a welcoming design, it intrigues you to want see around the next corner. As all great landscaping should.

There is just the right amount of sculpture and yard art to add to the ambiance and not be cluttered. I tend to over do that and junk things up, but this yard has an understated elegance that I could probably never pull off.

The stained glass artwork hanging inside the window adds to the overall feeling of curated beauty too.

Sitting on the upper deck, drinking wine, and listening to the frogs in the pond is an ideal way to spend an evening. Adding a tour on top of it? Perfection!

They are remodeling the decks soon and making them larger, then painting the house. The cedar planks have always been stained in this natural look, but they are ready for a change. My suggestion of color was a grayed blue. Diane’s interior is filled with shades of blue, some more sky and aqua, but enough different varieties of blue that I can tell it’s her favorite. And at our regular mosaic parties, she tends to go for the blue pieces of glass.

That said, blue can be tricky on an exterior of this style of house. You don’t want to be too cute with it. There are some terra cotta bricks in the trim and chimney, natural stone around the house, with a roof similar to the stone color.

The closest neighbor’s home to the right is a medium gray, the next is a sage gray, I think. I can’t remember the color to the left, but there is an empty lot between, if that matters.

In my opinion, the right shade of blue would be a good companion to the terra cotta bricks, and also compliment Diane’s airy personality, while fitting nicely with this neighborhood.

While dark blue could also be a good choice, it seems to me like she needs a lighter, cheerier shade to reflect her more. Now, I like the house in it’s dark, natural stain, and I’m sure a navy would look good too, but I’m still leaning more towards a light, softer shade. Not true blue, but grayed and warmed a bit.

She has used blue accents throughout the the inside and outside of the home, so there is the thought that a color pulled from the landscaping stones would also give the house the lightness it deserves, while complimenting her blue touches and looking nice next to the terra cotta bricks.

And the brick color could be a fine choice, but to me, not enough of a change. Although, I’d pick that over a gray or a dark shade.

Of course, I love thinking about colors and this puzzle has kept me entertained. I can’t wait to see what she picks. What do you think?

I wish I’d gotten more photos of the yard and veggie garden, it was really a magical place to be on a pretty evening.

Some painted shirts

family, paintings

By Karla Nathan / June 10, 2022

Way back when my boys were little, I used to hand paint tee shirts for them. Then, later on, it became a business for me and I’d sell tees and sweatshirts wholesale to local boutiques and to Silver Dollar City. After years of it, I burnt out and went on to other endeavors.

When the grandfairies came along, I painted a handful of shirts for them, but not many.

Funny, that I never took the time to create more than a couple for them. I guess that burn out ran deep.

Every once in a while, I do some as baby gifts because babies in onesies are about as cute as anything can be. I love onesies, but they can be kinda boring as a gift, so I add something personal. Like this fish for a nephew who lives by the shore.

And this pup for another nephew who has two yellow labs and a new baby. I painted a six pack of shirts as baby gifts, but forgot to take photos of the rest.

The best part was that I really had a good time doing them. Maybe the exhaustion from the year that I painted over a thousand has finally dissipated.

Seashell fairies at Indian Rocks

fairies, Ryan, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 7, 2022

I had a restful, and much needed vacation with my sisters at the beach.

Indian Rocks is not my favorite beach, mostly because of the lack of shells. But the ocean was beautiful, the sunsets were colorful, and the company was the best. Plus, I managed to find just enough shells to make two fairies.

And I am being very precise with my words telling you that, there honestly were not many shells.

I was pleased to be able to make one fairy and felt very lucky to have scrambled enough shells together for her, then told myself on the last day that I wanted to find a heart and create an Angel for my Ryan before I left. The wind was rough that day so I decided to walk into it for the first part of the stroll, knowing it’s always easier to return with the wind at your back, not in your face.

These bits and pieces came my way on that last, windy walk and I was able to construct this for Ryan, just as I’d hoped to. I sprinkled a few more of his ashes, listened to his song again, and told him that I love him.

But he knows that.

Here is the first sprite I made. Her hair looks like she was battling the wind as much as I was, doesn’t it?

I consider her more of a fairy, and the second one is an Angel. But I guess it is all in the eyes of who sees them and what they think of them.

That is, if anyone actually sees them. But that isn’t the point of making them.

The beach fairies are a blessing and a thank you to nature that I make for the pure pleasure of crafting them.

My sissies took me to another beach, where I also gathered some shells to bring home. I’m hoping to craft some shellfolk in epoxy with those, so will have some to share that aren’t just memories that wash away in the surf.