Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Two posts in one day!

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Two posts? Have I lost my mind? No, but I wanted to share my sofa makeover with you. My sofa in the den is old, old, old. We got it at Macy’s about 13 years ago. It hasn’t aged well. It originally was green, a color that seemed fine in our Craftsman house in San Diego. I quickly grew tired of the green, which seemed to fade and look muddy. When we moved to New York, I got a slipcover from Pottery Barn and that helped a lot. But, every day I had to rearrange the slipcover, re-tuck everything and it never looked neat. The whole process drove my husband mad. Me too. Then I read this post.

Liz at Mabel’s House had a sofa that in its before state (right down to the color) looked exactly like mine. I was inspired to go to Target and buy the slipcover. It has a separate cover for the cushions. Like Liz, I got rid of the mushy, support-less back cushions. Today I bought pillows to replace them.

I wish I had pictures of the sofa in its before state, but frankly, I avoided taking any because it always looked messy. It looks so much better now that I think I can stand having it around for a while longer.

Scout approves.

This and that

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I’ve just begun my Christmas decorating…I have 3 bins of ornaments and all other things Christmas waiting to be opened, but we have to get our Christmas tree first. I did add some lovely balls to the wreath that hangs permanently on our chimney.

I also strung lights on our porch railing. I love seeing Christmas lights appear on houses in the neighborhood. I can’t help but smile.

Look at the cupcakes I made!


Alas, I didn’t make these. They are fizzy soap cupcakes from the shop. Aren’t they adorable? One of our customers bought some and said she was going to display them on her cake plate when she didn’t have any baked goods on hand. I readily admit to taking her idea and running with it. They look so cheery on the island and there they will stay until I bake again. That might not happen for a long while, as both my husband and I are on diets.

Have a great day. More later.

Shades of Blue

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Scout is “resting” on her new dog bed courtesy of Home Goods. Pretty, don’t you think? And much nicer than the ratty old bed we’ve had for years.

Spare your worries about where Riley’s dog bed is. We’ve tried repeatedly to get him to lie on a nice soft bed. No dice. He likes the couch. He likes the chair in the den. But no bed for that boy. I’m not sure why, maybe it has to do with the fact that he had very little comfort as a young dog. He was, and is, a little wild.

Anyway, the interesting thing here is the fact that I am not a blue person. In the past, you would have been hard pressed to find much blue in my house except in my jeans. Then I started collecting these:

And these:

Then I crocheted my ripple throw, and bought the coverlet to match:


And, there you have it…blue, preferably aqua, is appearing throughout the house. Funny how certain colors, previously ignored, can suddenly have a great appeal. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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