Playthings and distractions

 
If I do say so myself, I've been doing an admirable job of moving stuff out of my house. I've been listing things on eBay and Etsy, stocking the antique mall case, making donations at the thrift store and swearing off sales (such as they are) until spring. (Unless they sound really, really good.) I can almost begin to see progress. But when it came to this box of spools and bobbins, I wavered.

 
It just seemed like they wanted to be played with. Made into something. Like a coat rack, with spools for pegs.

 
Or a toy wagon. All it needs is a pull string with a wooden bead on the end.

 
Or a table for dolls. It looks a little bare.

 
There, that's better. Just needed a vase.

 
I found these little wooden blocks a few weeks ago. I'll probably sell them at some point, but for now, they're nurturing my inner Anglophile. Must be the crown block. Although 'hare' and 'fawn' seem somehow British, too. I'm stifling the urge to use the word 'whilst' and spelling 'favorite' as 'favourite.'

Having a fox next door makes me feel very British, too, although it's well known that the red fox is the most widely distributed carnivore in the world. (I've been reading up on them on the Department of Environmental Conservation web site; can you tell?)

 
I'm getting even less done than usual because I'm constantly looking out the window to see if the fox is out. This morning when I looked, I was surprised to see that either we were living next door to a rare eight-legged fox ...

 

or that two foxes were living next door! Oh, yes! This is quite exciting, because this looks to me like a happy fox couple. And since they seem so very settled in, I can only think that kits are in their (and our) future.

 

 

Comments

[Lori @ My Vintage Whimsy]

Eeek! How exciting to have two of them living so near! And they look huge. I guess I've never really seen them up close & in person (unless on the side of a highway in which they've met their unfortunate fate counts). I need to google more info on foxes.

And good for you for being so productive w/ Ebay & Etsy. I wish I could say the same but I guess there's always next week, right? I do intend on being more productive next week. That gives me the whole weekend to procrastinate!

[Poppy]

Hooray! Nothing cuter than baby animals - and I'd imagine that fox kits are extra, extra cute.

I'd have bought the bobbins too - there's something nice about a collection already made, and the old-timey-ness of the wood and the lovely patina are good draws.

[Gina at Vintage Junk in My Trunk]

I just saw this lovely Valentine made out of old spools...

http://createbreathe.blogspot.com/2011/02/sew-pretty.html

[Whit]

Oh my goodness! How adorable!! They'd make a sweet Valentine greeting. To add to your feelings of Britishness, you could name your foxes Sir Robin and Maiden Marian!! :)

[Mary Ellen]

If you were truly British, those foxes would inspire you to give chase. Sidesaddle.

[Lena]

Oh love the idea of the peg rack! Very much! The table is charming!

The foxes are so pretty, and I imagine babies will be charming. Boy, I'd have to keep Miss Luna inside, all the time, if I lived near you.

[Lisa W.]

A fox family !! Good for you !! You are in for a treat .... just wait till you see those kits ... they are sooo cute and such fun to watch. Have fun !!

[My Blessed Serendipity Life]

What a great picture of the foxy couple!

Danielle

[Joy]

I guess foxes are better than the coyotes we keep seeing around CNY.

[Into Vintage]

Are you working for National Geographic these days? That last photo is incredible!

[Julie]

We had a Fox Family a couple of years back - they took up residance at the Nursery next door. It was quite fun to see them, though G&G were not to particular about the smell of them (drove them nuts!). Looking forward to more pics...
And I LOVE your spools - I would have had hard time resisting them myself - the blocks are quite cute too (and verthy verthy British as we say here).... Me thinks warm weather and great thrifts are not far off now (yeah!).