How I Spent My School Vacation

Since Wednesday, the start of my "mini vacation", I've put 36 hours of work into the mystery project and I'm really pleased with the results so far.  As soon as I finish waking up--it's still rather tender hours, here--I'll head to the store, to purchase a few missing items.  Have you ever had that incredibly frustrating experience of thinking, "oh good, I have everything I need", and finding that to be basically true...except you're one piece short?  One piece!  

Ever since the warp incident, I put a foot on everything; as it turns out, I'm just shy of the pieces I need to fit out this rather enormous base.

I'm not normally quite so industrious; in this case, my astonishing work ethic is due to missing my husband.  The good news is, he's coming home on Sunday.  By all accounts, he's really enjoying his golf trip (he's off to warmer climes with his dad and brother).  Having nothing standing in the way of making minis is both the good news and the bad news!  

Yesterday, the remaining ingredients for the thatched roof finally arrived, so expect that last segment of the thatched roof tutorial to arrive soon.  I'm really excited!!!  It's thrilling both to take one more step toward completing the Wizard's Eyrie, and finally have figured out a way to create a realistic thatched roof.  I love thatched roofs, but have been so unhappy with how generally unrealistic they look that I haven't used them in my work at all.  I guess...expect a glut on thatched roofs now?

In the meantime, here's a preview of coming attractions...

My "mystery project", covered by towels.  Why towels, you may ask?  Am I expecting eager copyists to peer in through the windows?  Our younger gentleman, Henry, loves to chew wood.  So far, the only solution we've discovered is to put it somewhere he can't get at it: in a different room with the door closed, on a very high shelf he can't reach (such as the mantelpiece), or covered with something he doesn't care for, like a towel.  Otherwise, poor Henry can't withstand the temptation.

Me, with my charming and delightful better half.

Component I of the soon-to-be thatched roof.

Component II of the soon-to-be thatched roof.  Yes, really.  Confused, yet...?

Cheers for now!  I hope everyone's week has gone well.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those with relatives in New Zealand.  I truly, truly hope that everyone's families and friends are well.  My own family--even those whose vocations have taken them to dangerous parts of the world--are, thankfully, all well and happy.