Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for DIY

Monday Musings

August 2, 2010 at 2:37 pm by Claudia


My missing hat was located yesterday – buried in a box in our bottomless pit of a closet. Did I ever tell you that we share a closet? Not a walk-in closet, by the way, but a plain old average sized closet. There is so much stuff crammed in there that searching for something requires a deep commitment on my part. I have to be ready to hold my breath, dive in and hope I come up with something. Yesterday was one of those days…but I emerged rather quickly with my trophy. Ah, the joys of living in a 109 year old cottage. Yes, there are many perks but closet space is not one of them. The other closet in the spare bedroom/office/music studio looks like this:


I commandeered that space when we first moved in. I added shelves and they hold all my fabric, yarn, craft supplies, dialect tapes, the ironing board, assorted boxes of stuff I have no idea what to do with, the iron. Note to Norma: this was taken when I first got home – the Koala bear has been rescued from the interior of the closet!

I’ve been in a worrying mode lately. Worried about finances (as are so many of us), worried about my Mother’s health, worried about Riley’s health, worried about where my next job is coming from, worried about where Don’s next job is coming from (freelancing is problematic.) Of course, worry is projection, isn’t it? I’m not living in the moment if I am projecting about what might or might not happen in the future. And I firmly believe that what I send out to the universe comes back to me. So both Don and I write little reminders about what we know to be true right here and right now in our life.


This is today’s message. And we are indeed blessed. Since the chalkboard is located in the kitchen which is open to the living room, we see the message throughout the day. Oh, and it is right next to the door I use to let the dogs out, so add about 20 more times that I see the message.

If you’re new to the blog, the tutorial for the chalkboard is here. (Wouldn’t you know I’d use pink chalk?)

I’m grateful for abundance today.

Filed Under: DIY, tutorial 28 Comments

Pretty Basket & Square #11

March 11, 2010 at 7:29 am by Claudia

I was out looking for one of those old wicker sewing baskets the other day. The tin I was using to store everything to do with embroidery wasn’t really working for me. For a few dollars, I found this:


A little bigger than I wanted, but okay – not thrilled about the colors, though. Then I remembered that Tiffany of Shabby Scraps had done a post about prettying up old sewing baskets. Using only what I had on hand, I set to work and ended up with this:


I grabbed trims, ribbons, lace, millinery flowers and just glued them onto the basket. For some reason the measuring tape looks crooked in this photo – it really isn’t.


The lace and white flower came from my swap with Meri, everything else is from my meager stash. At least I got rid of the dark brown color of some of the weaving. It certainly looks cheerier. Maybe it will accompany me to San Diego? Sure would look cute in that apartment – and you remember – that place desperately needs all the prettifying it can get.

I worked outside cleaning out the garden beds today, then I came in and worked on the basket – so I stitched a very simple square – #11:


Oh gosh, now that I look closely I see another dog hair – this time courtesy of Riley! Think of it as part of my artistic vision.

Have a great day.

Filed Under: DIY, stitchalong 28 Comments

Pretty Pictures in my Book

February 4, 2010 at 10:05 am by Claudia

Greetings from what seems to be my other studio – at least for the moment. The kitchen table holds the dollhouse and my current project/obsession. I love magazines. Now, we all know that many of our favorite magazines have left us in the last year. Some, like Home Companion, I will never recycle. I have every issue. Country Home is another favorite. I am a magazine hoarder.


It has to stop. MHC is simply too small for all the stacks of magazines shoved into every available corner. Lately, I have been inspired by the posts of two blogging friends, Susan of The T-Cozy and Brenda of Cozy Little House. Both make inspiration books that are full of photos from favorite magazine articles. Susan graciously let me know the kind of sketch book she uses and I am in the midst of turning the sketch book into an inspiration book. I have been tearing sheets from my magazines – for hours. The stack of magazines to recycle is growing and there are many more to go through.


I have to say – it’s fun! I’ve decorated the sketch book with scrapbook paper. Some trim will be added. Brenda makes a pocket inside the front cover – I think I will do that, too.


Love this bedroom – the colors, the yard-long rose paintings, the weathered shutters.


Slipcovers like these would be a dream come true – and I love the colors in this room. Oh, and the rug!


And you know how much I want a dress form – isn’t this one gorgeous?

It’s all very satisfying. I’m getting rid of a lot of stuff and creating my inspiration book at the same time. There will also be a separate book for gardening.

I just found out that I have to drive to Providence, RI tomorrow to work on Beauty and the Beast. After working Friday and Saturday, I will drive back Sunday morning. Don has a performance in Manhattan on Sunday night and I have to be there! Elyse, will I be in your neck of the woods?

Filed Under: DIY 30 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • …
  • 33
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2025 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT