Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Claudia

Fiesta, An Egg Cup & A Movie

March 28, 2019 at 10:41 am by Claudia

You remember my recent post about the Fiesta collection I used to own? And how I lament my decision to sell it? I referenced a Fiesta yellow footed compote that used to sit on my kitchen table back in the days when I lived in Cambridge, MA. That bright pop of yellow and the simple, yet beautiful lines of the compote made it one of my favorite pieces.

Well, reader Kelli reached out to me in the comments, saying that she had that compote and was about to sell it, and several weeks later, here we are.

It arrived yesterday. Isn’t it gorgeous? The timing was perfect – it looks like it was meant to be sitting next to those tulips.

My plan is to put it in the center of the kitchen table when I move the fern back out to the porch.

I’m torn about the fern, which is looking better than it did on the porch, simply because light is coming at it from all sides. But it won’t do well with the air conditioner, which sits in that window. So it does have to go back outside. I’ll have to turn it more often. (As you can tell, I’ve bonded with the fern.)

Anyway, back to the compote. I’m so happy to have one again! Thank you so much, Kelli. Kelli lives in my home state of Michigan. Michiganders are the nicest people! There, I’ve said it.

In other news, imagine my happiness when I saw that a Sleepy egg cup was up for auction on eBay.

Then imagine my shock when I saw the price:

Whoa! I don’t think so.

What makes this frustrating is the fact that I NEVER see Sleepy egg cups come up for auction. And to finally see it, but listed at a ridiculously exorbitant price? Big sigh of disappointment.

There’s a little story about these cups. The one you’re looking at in the above listing is the original design for the cup. There are also Sleepy egg cups out there that look exactly like Sneezy; the same dwarf, same facial expression, only the name is Sleepy, not Sneezy.

Both are collectible: one for its accuracy, the other for what must have been some sort of weird production choice. I’d love to know the real story behind it. Anyway, maybe I should play the lottery today…perhaps I could come up with $400.00. I’m going to follow the auction simply because I’m curious. Will someone actually buy it? Will there be multiple bids? Or will the auction time out with no bids?

You can almost buy a whole set of the egg cups for that amount. In fact, I’ve seen them listed for $350.00.

We had one of our movie nights with Doug and Rick last night. We watched The Misfits, one of my favorite movies. So powerful. The stories about that film! Marilyn Monroe was often late to the set. Arthur Miller, her husband at the time, was the screenwriter. They were in the process of separating. Gable insisted on doing some of his stunts, one of which was in the scene where he gets dragged by a wild Mustang. One day after the filming was completed, Gable had a heart attack and eleven days later, he died. Monroe died the next year. Montgomery Clift (one of my favorite actors) died five years later. I think it was the best work of both Monroe and Gable.  It’s a haunting film, directed by the great John Huston (who apparently was often late to the set because he’d been up all night gambling) and one where I have to cover my eyes at times. The scenes of them roping the wild mustangs are difficult to watch. But the story and the power of that film! The four of us talked about it for an hour afterwards.

And Rick, who is becoming an excellent baker, made a flourless chocolate cake. Oh my heavens! We cheated on our diet, of course. You would have, too!

Okay. Have to go mail the bills.

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: egg cups, Fiesta, movies, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs egg cups 38 Comments

Tulips and Jadeite

March 27, 2019 at 10:41 am by Claudia

Tulips are so darned beautiful. I’m enjoying watching the flowers scattered around our house slowly open and reveal themselves. I’m one who thinks flowers are beautiful in all their stages, even when they’re withering and drying out. This little show they’re putting on for us is standing ovation worthy.

Still battling insomnia. I can’t keep my eyes open when I’m sitting downstairs on the sofa with Don. Then I get in bed and am wide awake for hours. It’s very frustrating. But I did sleep and I feel fairly good this morning. I am pulling away from all news (I can’t help thinking that is a major contributor to my erratic sleep) and I’m going to concentrate on all that’s beautiful and good and positive. I have to.

I stopped at another Michaels on my way home from TJs and found something miniature. I’d seen a few pictures on IG, but hadn’t been able find them at my local Michaels.

Miniature jadeite.

They’re hanging in the fairy garden section, and as are all things fairy garden, they’re not quite to scale. The plate and bowls are pretty close to scale but the glasses are huge – big, big, big gulp size. They’re made of lightweight plastic, so picture my frustration as I tried to get them to stand up in this cabinet without being knocked down again as I tried to maneuver another plate into position. Many swear words were heard in the office. I finally resorted to the tacky wax I use for other items in my dollhouses and that did the trick.

I love jadeite, though for some reason I don’t own any. The manufacturer did a great job with the color.

Anyway, if you’re interested, go to Michaels and make sure you visit the section where they have the fairy garden stuff.

Have I told you how much I love this hutch? One of my best miniature investments.

And have I told you how much I appreciate you? I do. Thank you for your support and the wonderful community we have created here.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: flowers, miniatures 52 Comments

I Must Have Flowers

March 26, 2019 at 10:23 am by Claudia

           “I must have flowers, always, and always.”

Claude Monet

Expect lots of flowers this week.

I made that trip to Trader Joe’s and came back with four bunches of flowers, which, on reflection, I worried might be too many. We have only so much surface space around here and I have a beloved husband who is a big guy and sometimes knocks things over. So that meant that the kitchen counters – where he concocts our dinners – were out of the running.

I did manage to find homes for each bouquet; on the bistro table in the living room, on the coffee table in the den, in a McCoy vase (see above), and on the wee kitchen island.

I can’t tell you what a difference it makes around here! And how my mood lightens when I see them. I love photography and my favorite subject is flowers. Truth be told, it doesn’t take much skill to capture the beauty of a flower. The flower does all the work.

So right now, as I write this, I’m looking at a beautiful bouquet of just-about-to-open alstroemeria on the coffee table and a big, bright splash of yellow daffodils in amongst the turquoise McCoy.

This bunch of alstroemeria has yet to open. That’s why I chose them. Alstroemeria always lasts a long time; getting them this early is a bonus.

I just remarked to Don that I should make this trip once a month. TJs has such great flowers and they’re so affordable. It’s worth the drive, especially when it’s too soon for any blooms in the garden.

And you know what? Four bouquets are not too many. In fact, I’m going to do five next time, so I can have some on my desk, as well.

It’s a beautifully sunny day and my one request of Don is that he move the snowblower from the porch back to the shed. I want access to the porch, because it’s time to start sorting and cleaning. I can put a couple of the chairs back on the funky patio. I’m not sure yet whether I can put the chairs and table in the secret garden. It may be too soggy back there. But I can do something, right? At the very least, I can remove the blue tarp that is covering the sideboard, aka former kitchen island.

We starting watching The Power of Myth  last night after seeing it listed on Netflix. We saw it when it first aired on PBS, but we’re getting so much more from it this time around. Joseph Campbell was brilliant.

I’m reading a spy thriller that I will be reviewing in April. In fact, I was so into it last night that I read a bit too long and had trouble getting to sleep. But all is well.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: flowers 40 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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