Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for antiques

Hudson

August 10, 2021 at 10:29 am by Claudia

We had a little adventure yesterday, always welcome after a year and a half+ of staying home. It was a gorgeous day with a blue sky and big fluffy clouds. We headed north on the thruway, then crossed the Hudson River on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, and arrived in Hudson. We did a lot of walking and as the day went on, it got really hot; 90 degrees and humid. So we were pretty tired at the end of the day. Nevertheless, it was a fun day!

Some photos for you. This will be a picture-heavy post.

The beautiful old Hudson Opera House. (Wear a Mask signs in the windows.)

Beautifully restored buildings everywhere on Warren Street, which is the main drag.

A gate between buildings. Isn’t is gorgeous?

Out of necessity and, in the end, quite naturally, we had our first meal out since the pandemic started. Healthy food, prepared with masks and gloves on, and wonderfully tasty. We sat outside. We couldn’t have found a better place for our first, somewhat cautious, meal.

This vintage dollhouse was displayed in a window, but the shop wasn’t open. They were selling it for a donation of $600, which would be earmarked for Hudson non-profits.

Outside an art gallery.

Inside my favorite shop which is full of mostly French antiques: Red Chair on Warren.

It’s full of beautiful antiques; furniture, garden pieces, jewelry, and lots of china, porcelain, and old silver. The owner has impeccable taste. I used to read about her shop years ago when she was located in New Hampshire. She’s been here at this location for about 10 years, if I remember correctly. Last time I was there, I dashed in while Don was waiting in line at the DMV and purchased a couple of vintage café au lait bowls. I bought two little items that I’ll share with you tomorrow.

This! I don’t know where it came from, but isn’t it stunning? Can you imagine this as a kitchen island, or simply as a display piece in a home? Goodness!

After a couple of hours, we were really hot and tired – most of the antique shops weren’t air conditioned and yours truly was over it. We made a stop on the way out of town at the Antique Warehouse. I follow them on IG and was ready to find a new dresser for Don and a couple of other things that we needed.

Nope. It was huge, and full of stuff. Some of the pieces were beautiful, in fact, many of them were beautiful. A lot of them were just ‘stuff.’ But it wasn’t organized well, and different areas were different shops, but not clearly defined as such. It made me a little crazy. And it was way overpriced. The shops in downtown Hudson tend to be overpriced as well, and they trend toward lots of mid-century modern. But since this place was out of downtown proper, I expected more equitable pricing. Nope. And it wasn’t air-conditioned, so by that time I admittedly had little patience.

However, I did find one stunner:

This antique dollhouse. Oh my heavens, it is beautifully made.

The dollhouse was in a very dark corner of the warehouse, so picture taking was challenging. You can see the very tall ceilings, the stairs and hallway. Only four rooms but big ones.

The front looks like it slides into two grooves on the edges of the dollhouse interior. Check out that charming detail around the window!

The details are so charming!

Oh my. Actually, I think the price is pretty fair on this piece considering it’s quite old, in good condition, solid, handmade, and one-of-a-kind. If I had lots of space and more money than I do have, I would have bought it. But I never seriously considered it.

However, it’s still in my head. I don’t know who made this, but it sure was a love-filled gift for a very special someone.

All in all, a lovely day.

I reached out to the woman selling the Beacon Hill this morning, but I haven’t heard back from her yet. Hopefully, we can make a deal – Don seems to be willing to make this trip, God bless him. I don’t deserve him. Truly. I’ll keep you updated.

(The porch on that Beacon Hill is on crookedly and there may be more that needs to be redone. But that’s what I did with my first dollhouse, Hummingbird Cottage, so I can do it again.)

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: antiques, dollhouse, On The Road, vintage 28 Comments

Butterflies, Bees & A Little Adventure

August 9, 2021 at 9:40 am by Claudia

This little one was hanging around the garden all afternoon. He/she was quite skittish, so capturing this shot was a little miracle. He was on the small side – did he just emerge from his chrysalis? Last year’s adventures with a chrysalis were rare as they are almost always hidden somewhere on the property. I always check the bottom of the birdbath, just in case another caterpillar has decided to use that spot for his transformation. Nothing yet.

It was a gorgeous day yesterday and we are blessed with another gorgeous day today. After so much rain, this run of dry, sunny days is most welcome.

We’re going to take a drive today, headed north on the thruway to Hudson, NY. We went to Hudson, if you remember, to register Don’s ‘new’ car. Hudson is a charming old town, known for its antique shops. I had the chance to go in one while we were waiting to enter the DMV. But there’s a lot more to explore there and today seems to be the perfect day for it.

Congratulate me. I managed to talk Don into this little excursion today. Usually, he has something else he wants to do. By the way, he said he’d be willing to drive three hours to get that dollhouse but he wasn’t too enthused. I’m still thinking about it. I’m not sure if that particular house is the one I want…but I am in communication with the seller. And three hours one way seems daunting.

Heavens, the Olympics were just what we needed in this time of insanity. I’ll miss watching them. So grateful for all the stories and triumphs and tears and joy. Amazing.

Okay, my friends. I have to get moving.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: antiques, bees, butterfly 16 Comments

The DMV and Antiques

May 25, 2021 at 10:13 am by Claudia

We had a lovely drive to Hudson and the DMV. You cross the Hudson River on my favorite bridge, the Rip Van Winkle bridge. Once we got there, we fed a quarter into the parking meter and joined the lines outside. There were two lines, one for county residents and one for non-residents, like us.

Altogether, we stood outside for about an hour and a half. At one point, I had to go buy something so we could feed more quarters into the meter. I bought a bag of chips which ended up being a godsend on the way home.

Hudson is a charming town with beautiful architecture, and the main drag is lined with antique shops, many of them high-end. I knew that a shop I’d always wanted to visit, The Red Chair on Warren, had relocated from New Hampshire to Hudson about ten years ago. The owner sells a lot of French antiques. I scooted over there (it was just around the corner) and I fell in love. It’s simply beautiful.

I chatted a bit with the owner while I looked around. Since I had limited time, I’m determined to go back again and take my time. But I did spy two café au lait bowls and bought them.

Side note: I saw a display of vintage café au lait bowls on IG that a woman had collected for years and I was so entranced that I saved the photo. A new thing to collect, I thought! The irony here is that I could have purchased a lot of them when I was in Paris, as I saw several each time I was at the flea market. And another visit to Paris is not a possibility for a long while, as we’ve just bought a car. Sigh.

Anyway, I rejoined Don in line, all the while sweating the meter. Right before we were about to go inside to join yet another line, the couple in front of us, who we had been chatting with off and on, overheard us talking about being out of quarters, and one of them went to their car to get us some. And they wouldn’t take a dollar bill in exchange from us. Good people are everywhere.

We encountered one minor snag about the insurance when we got to the window, but the clerk advised me to go to the end of the inside the building line while Don went over to the corner to call our insurance company. Eventually, it was resolved, Don joined me in line, and he got his plates and registration.

We knew we had to get back on the road quickly, whereupon we wolfed down the bag of chips while driving. I dropped Don off at the mechanic’s shop, where they put the license plates on the car, and Don came home with his new car.

We left at 9:30. We got back at 3:00. A long day, but it’s all taken care of now.

Today, we mow.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: antiques 32 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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