LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Monday, May 22, 2017

Small Things


I have always loved small things.  I often carry a small polished stone in my pocket.  I have another polished stone in my jewelry case.  It was given to me by a dear little girl who got a rock polisher for Christmas more than 45 years ago.  And I have several small things scattered over my study.  A talisman for every need.  I do so admire people who can work in miniature.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when our daughter gave me a little sea hutch, filled with items for a scientist at the sea.  She knows that I love the ocean.  And I love small things.  So this was a perfect gift.  The top shelves of the chest contain various sea items.  Note the chest has four drawers, all of which open and contain miniature treasures, and two side panels which also open to reveal tiny surprises.  I will not reveal all the surprises in this post.

The lovely wooden hutch



Here you can see the items in the left panel.  And the tiny wooden box which was behind the right panel door.  It is complete with metal hinges and handle.

What could be inside this box?




It's something every would-be scientist needs.
A microscope




These are the items from the left panel.  Note the little insect in resin
The papyrus does indeed open as well.


I often take the hutch down and open all its treasures.  Then I give my imagination leave to go wild.  And for that moment in time, I am not a mountain woman at all.  I'm a child of the sea.


A quarter leans against the chest to give you a perspective on the size.
The height of the hutch is a mere six inches

[NOTE:  I'm having camera issues so these photographs were taken with my somewhat older iPod.  So the photographs do not do the hutch justice but you get the idea anyhow.]

The chest was handmade by Janice VanBeck.  You can find her  shop here but she is currently not taking any orders.  Click on the reviews to see more of her amazing work.


8 comments:

Vicki Lane said...

How magical! I imagine you sharing the wonders of the sea hutch with Violet -- making stories to go with each treasure.

The Bug said...

Oh I love it! I had a doll house when I was young & briefly enjoyed putting together the furniture for it, but then I got bored. I would enjoy it so much more as an adult.

KB said...

That is truly magical. Until your last photo with the quarter, I really had no idea that the hutch was so small. It sounds like your daughter knows you very very well. A perfect gift for you, the mountain and ocean loving woman.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

What a special treasure this little hutch is and thanks for the photo to show its actual size.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow! I love that hutch and all those tiny treasures. The photo with the quarter is wild! I had no idea how tiny that hutch really is. What a truly lovely gift of love.

Arkansas Patti said...

I am so glad you used the quarter for a reference. Wow, it is small. That box would have eaten me up with curiosity if it couldn't have been opened. You definitely have a treasure trove.

Tara said...

Oh, your lovely daughter knows just what you like. This is a wonderful hutch with sea treasures. That little starfish - wow! You must feel like a child again when you open those drawers and hold those treasures in your hand. Wonderful.

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone

Vicki - Oh yes. There are so many things I want to tell her.

Bug - I had a cheap dollhouse when I was a child so I made an elaborate Victorian for our daughter. Glued on every shingle and painted/papered the whole thing. She loved it. When we moved she decided to sell it since it was too large for her apartment and truth be told, she had lost interest by then.

KB - Yes, much as I love the mountains, I also love the sea.

Beatrice - It is so detailed that it can't be appreciated unless there is something to give some idea of just how small it really is.

Robin - My daughter knows me well.

Patti - I agree. In spite of the lovely miniatures in sight, the ones in the drawers are even more fascinating.

Tara - Yes, and anything that takes me away from the present is a blessing these days.