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You are here: Home / Archives for cats

The Cats & an Update

August 18, 2010 at 9:12 am by Claudia

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while might remember Nella, my parents’ adored cat. They had to say goodbye to Nella several months ago. On that terrible day, to their surprise, they came home with 2 rescued kittens that had been living at the Vet’s – Luke and Lydia. Here is Lydia today:


She is the smaller of the two. She has an exotic look and her profile looks rather Egyptian and sphinx-like. She is also the one who gets in the most trouble.


Mr. Luke the handsome. This boy has huge eyes. He is shy, but I am proud to say that yesterday he let me pet him. That accomplishment took 6 days. These two run and play and provide an endless source of amusement for my parents.

Filed Under: cats, Dad, mom 26 Comments

McCoy Monday (and a Kitten Update)

January 25, 2010 at 1:05 am by Claudia


Time for installment #3 of McCoy Monday! Today’s piece is a jardiniere in the basket-weave pattern. McCoy jardinieres are quite large and, in this case, very heavy. I’m pretty sure I won this piece on eBay. I love the creamy color and the pattern of berries and leaves, along with the basket-weave. This sits on the step leading down to our den – but tucked safely away from the traffic pattern of humans and dogs.

By the way, do you remember my story last week about the over-priced antique shop on Long Island? They had a McCoy piece priced at $150.00 – marked on sale for $72.00. I was shocked at the mark-up. How over-priced was it? I’ve seen two of the same piece on eBay this week. Both were in wonderful condition. One went for $9.00, the other went for $13.00. I felt like emailing the listings to the shop with a little note about ridiculous pricing – but I didn’t. That was just a little fantasy I had.


Say hello to Lydia and Luke – my parents’ newly adopted kittens. They are two and three months old. Luke is looking at us and Lydia is sleeping on Luke.

Such adorableness.

Filed Under: cats, McCoy pottery 32 Comments

Re-Imagining the Bulletin Board

January 20, 2010 at 10:58 am by Claudia

You never know what might happen when I clean out a closet. I have this closet in the guest bedroom/office/music studio. By the way, we only have 2 closets upstairs and a very small one downstairs. My husband and I share the one in our bedroom and it is not a big walk-in closet. Oh no. We cram our clothes in there, which allows me to have the other closet for fabric, yarn, craft supplies, office supplies, etc. When we first moved here, I installed shelves and that makes a huge difference. I was ruthless the other day and filled up a big contractor’s bag with stuff. I still have to go through my yarn and donate the yarn I know I won’t use. While I was tossing things, I found a bulletin board. It got me thinking.

I have a memo board, the kind with ribbons on the diagonal. While pretty, it isn’t entirely practical as I have to shove everything under the ribbons. It limits what I can do. So, why not have one board for some things and the bulletin board for others? I pulled out my trusty aqua paint – the same can I used on the mantel shelf in my studio and on the chalkboard.


I painted this much the day before yesterday. Fast forward to this morning, oh, about 5 AM. I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up, finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (really liked it) and got out my paints. Of course, I was in my flannel pajamas, which seems to be the norm for my creative spurts. Just like with the chalkboard, I added the antiquing glaze to ‘age’ the bright aqua paint. Then I painted these:


I bought these from Rita when I was in California – at the Barn Sale. These also were aged. Looks like an frowning face, doesn’t it? I was unsure what to do with the cork when I remembered all the sheet music I have. I pulled out an exercise book that I know I will never use – that would mean I would have to practice. Ah…no.


With the help of Mod Podge and the adrenaline from strong early morning coffee, I came up with the above arrangement. I used an almost-dry brush and aged the sheet music a bit.


Then I attached my little garland and roses.



And, here is my pretty bulletin board:


Almost too pretty…I don’t want to clutter it up. Oh well, I’m sure that feeling will pass. I have to seal it somehow – any suggestions from all you crafters? Some sort of clear acrylic sealer? Any advice would be most welcome.

Thank you for your lovely comments about sweet Nella. I will pass them on to my parents. We will always miss her. I’ve already seen photos of Lydia and Luke and they are so adorable. Hopefully, I will be able to share them with you soon.

Filed Under: cats, DIY 43 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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