Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Monday holiday today: Labor Day. As I say every year, my brother and my dad were union members. My husband is a proud union member.

We support and celebrate our labor unions.

My vintage miniature sofa arrived on Saturday.  I don’t know its history or who made it, but I love it. The other sofa has moved back to the folk art dollhouse. I love sofas with big flower prints, sort of like the ones you see in movies from the 40s.

Yet another frustrating day re-wallpapering this wall. Yes, I will have to do it again because I want it right or as right as it can be given the funkiness of this house. But not now. So I made that rustic frame for a print and placed it just above the chaise, right where one of the mistakes is. Another miniaturist slipped that little print in a package years ago and I’m finally using it!

I also stained and painted that table. It was by the bed, but I moved it next to the chaise.

Then I played house with the den, trying to figure out possible furniture arrangements. If I put a a chair in there, then I can’t have bookcases. But I could have bookcases on the second floor stair landing, so all is not lost.

With the Morris chair, moved upstairs from the living room.

(Dark, because it was taken this morning.)

Then I tried chainging out the chairs. This beautiful red velvet chair is from the bedroom in Dove Cottage. I like the way it picks up the red in the sofa.

Just playing, but it’s sure fun!

We’re taking it easy today. I’m feeling a bit under the weather. Tomorrow, we mow the front lawn. I ordered wallpaper for the Beacon Hill bathroom. We’ll see when it arrives….its from the same Etsy shop that sometimes takes forever to ship.

Don’t forget, I have a YouTube channel where I do a weekly Beacon Hill Update. You can hear me talk about my thought process, the things I screw up, the things that work, all of it! Here is the link.

I hope you have a lovely day. It’s definitely beginning to feel like fall here. The light is changing, leaves are falling…I watch the goldfinches cling to the branches of the giant thistle. They love pulling out stuff from the blossoms. They’re quite entertaining!

The Rose of sharon is winding down and I’m sad. But, on the other hand, I’m so grateful for the abundance of blooms this year. Both bushes put on a spectacular show!

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

I’ve been working on the bed for the Beacon Hill.

The bed in its unfinished state.

After two coats of pecan stain, I think. I added one more coat after this.

It came with a piece of foam for the mattress, which I covered in a light flannel. I won’t show you that – it’s covered the same way I would wrap a package, but it works.

I had this idea in my head for the bed cover. I wanted something that really took center stage. Simple, but striking. Also, it had to be relatively easy to do because I am not a seamstress. Maybe I had a piece of fabric somewhere, a scrap, an handkerchief, something. Then I thought of a drawer that held some scarves. And I found the perfect fabric, which picks up the color of the flowers in the wallpaper.

After some measuring and cutting and yes, some stitching, I came up with this:

I wanted something that looked like fabric the owners bought on a trip to Asia. And I thought I would casually drape it across the bed and let it puddle on the floor.

I remember friends covering their beds in saris. I was always so taken by the beauty of that look.

I don’t have pillows yet (perhaps they’re stored in that little cubby to the left during the day?) I pulled the bolsters from my stash. They came with the sofa in Dove Cottage, but I don’t use them there.

I was so excited with this idea and so thrilled when it actually was realized. I even asked Don to come upstairs to look at it!

I always think of the owners of this house as collectors. I try to keep that in mind as I choose what goes into each room.

I’m removing some of this wallpaper today and replacing it with more of the same pattern. I don’t know what happened when I originally applied it but it’s been buckling, for lack of a better word. I put this off but because I was ‘in’ this room so much yesterday, it really got to me. The wall the bed sits on is fine, but the other two walls must be fixed.

Too much wallpaper paste? Not enough? I’m not sure.

I’m still shopping for a wardrobe for this space.

On another note: I can’t give you details as Joe wants to keep this quiet, but the reason his heart stopped during the beginning of his surgery was due to medical error.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. I’ve seen his discharge report.

It’s a miracle he’s still alive.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.