Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Very Soggy Monday

December 18, 2023 at 9:15 am by Claudia

It has rained and rained and rained and is still raining this morning. We got about 3 inches overnight. It’s some storm that came up from the Gulf, but we were already drenched here and definitely did not need more.  Who would have thought that a week before Christmas we’d be getting rain instead of snow? And – at least through January 1st – there is no snow on the horizon.

I’m still a bit under the weather but I’m definitely feeling better than I was. Don is also feeling much the same. We were as sure as we could be that we didn’t have Covid, but we ran a test last night anyway. Negative.

We just feel crappy, that’s all.

I wasn’t sure where to put the putz houses this year. Their former space was on top of the music cabinet which is now upstairs, having been replaced by Blythe headquarters. I put them on the bookshelves, but their sweet colors were lost among the colorful book jackets.

So I moved some things off the little spinet desk and here you go. I’m always tempted to start looking for more of them when I see them here and on various IG accounts. But I didn’t do any antique shopping this year, so I haven’t added to the collection.

This seemd like an appropriate place for this little guy.

I’ve sold a few  smallish pieces of aqua McCoy, but only a few. It’s my favorite color and I’m going to hang on to it. Activity in the Etsy shop has stopped for the last week. I suppose no one is buying at the last minute for Christmas. Plus, my shop has less McCoy than it had. There are other beautiful pieces including an incredible Roseville vase. I’m considering adding a few more pieces of McCoy.

I’ve been working on a beautiful puzzle and expect to finish it today or tomorrow. I’ll share a picture of it then.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, McCoy pottery, putz houses 30 Comments

Potpourri on Saturday

December 16, 2023 at 9:21 am by Claudia

My dears, I’m under the weather today with some intense sinus stuff, so I’m going to keep today’s post on the short side. I just need to hunker down and wait this out. A little dolly companionship is my prescription.

♦ The outside of the vintage dollhouse – the ‘Lake House’ – has been decorated. This year the owner used white wreaths found at Target. She discovered that they were larger in size than the green wreaths previously used, so they make more of an impact.

A sweet little deer is visiting on the porch. (An ornament from – once again – Target.)

Alas, the interior has not been decorated as I need to either make or find a tree that will work there. I would love to find a white or pink tree because the interior is so dark that one of the trees I make would be impossible to see. That’s for another day/year.

♦ An outfit that I ordered 2 months ago arrived in the mail the other day and Lucy volunteered to be the model.

Alas, after I posted it, I realized they were on backwards. Though they work either way. However, the pockets are supposed to be on the tush. (By the way, I would like to have a tree up all year round because photographing the girls by the tree is the best.)

The correct way:

♦ And a quick jaunt to the library yesterday revealed this:

Forsythia buds opening because the poor bushes are confused by this weather.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Christmas, decorating, dollhouse, flowers, miniatures 15 Comments

Lake Cottage: Christmas Edition

December 19, 2022 at 9:06 am by Claudia

Okay. I managed to get some new photos of the Lake Cottage. This involved dragging a heavy wooden chair that normally lives in the kitchen to the den. I used the big-girl camera for everything except a shot of the tree, which happens to be placed at the back of the miniature living room – a very dark corner. So I shoved my iPhone in the room, hoping I was aiming at the right place and kept taking pictures until something passable appeared.

A few photos of a dark interior on a dark day.

But here we have a brighter photo of the exterior.

The living room. I haven’t really done anything to it since I first grabbed some pieces of furniture and accessories that I had on hand. I did my best to fill the bookshelves and supplied a cozy chair and sofa for the owners to sink into as they sit in front of the fire. The only new piece is the Arts and Crafts side table by the sofa. I purchased that at a miniature show. Looking at these photos has made me want to do more with the interior – at the very least, add some more books and rugs.

This little house is funky. The two rooms next to the living room are very small. I can barely get my hand into the one that is by the front door. I often think about trying to add a bed – but how? I do have some ideas. But the only way you’d get to see it is in a picture shot from outside the front window.

The kitchen – or kitchenette – has hardly any room either. I have added a piece exactly like the kitchen island in Dove Cottage. I bought it because I knew it would fit. It’s still in its raw wood stage.

I also think I could stick some “tile” down on the wood floor. It, like the wallpaper in the living room, would be installed with something temporary. It wouldn’t be glued in. The door is a bit too wide (wider than the front door!) and out of scale, but opening that door temporarily might offer another view of the bedroom for a photo shoot. Now, to figure out where I could put a little stove, because the left wall contains another door to the living room. There’s barely any wall space available.

The tree. It used to be in the modern dollhouse where it worked perfectly. It’s not what I would have initially chosen for this house, but after looking at it here, the glittery silver is much better than a dark evergreen tree. It stands out more.

It needs a skirt. I’ll work on that.

One good thing about this mini photo shoot: it’s inspired me to do a bit more with this beauty of a dollhouse.

Okay. I referred to the book about Dorothy Kilgallen yesterday. I want to add that it’s not perfect. It definitely needed better editing. At times, a word is omitted. The author sometimes repeats himself. But he has really done his research and none of those things have had an impact on my reading enjoyment.

Time to get going. The last January 6th Committee meeting will be televised today. It’s at 1 pm.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, dollhouse, miniatures 16 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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