Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for dollhouse

Scout, Flowers & The Dollhouse

April 5, 2014 at 9:29 am by Claudia

I see the sun peeking out this morning – very welcome after a rainy day yesterday. I look outside and think of the massive clean-up that awaits me, but since the ground is still soggy after all the rain and snow we’ve had, I think I’ll hold off until next week when Don is home. Then I can work outside for long periods without having to check on Dame Scout.

This is where she is right now. The sound of snoring provides the background ‘music’ as I write this post.

sleepy

Three weeks ago I went to IKEA and Trader Joe’s. Remember? And yesterday, exactly three weeks after I bought them, the pink alstromeria in the den kicked the bucket. But the white alstromeria flowers in the living room are still hanging in there.

stillhanginginthere

The leaves are yellowing but the blooms are still fresh. I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know, but if you want to get some bang for your buck, buy alstromeria. I don’t have the funds to buy flowers that last only a few days. If I’m going to treat myself to some flowers, I sure as heck want them to last for a while. If you can buy a bouquet where the flowers haven’t opened yet, even better.

And besides, they’re lovely. I’ve been buying alstromeria for years. The tulips I bought at the same time? I loved them, but they lasted about 5 days. If that was the only bouquet I bought that day, I would have been disappointed.

On to the dollhouse. I go through periods where I’m not interested in doing any work on it and then, suddenly, something will jump start my creative process and I’m back in the dollhouse game. That’s what happened this week. A blogging friend of mine who is a miniaturist is sending me something for the dollhouse. She made it for a specific room and I am still gobsmacked that she offered to do it. It’s coming all the way from the other side of the world. I know what it is, but I haven’t seen it yet. Needless to say, I’m excited, which is putting it mildly! That will be a post in itself. I’m still amazed and awed by the generosity and kindness of bloggers. Oh heck, by the generosity of all of my readers, bloggers or not.

pottingshedsaturday

That knowledge is what got me thinking about the dollhouse and about the rooftop potting shed once again. I’ve got all sorts of plans for that space and I’ve been pouring over catalogues and websites. I’ve literally spent hours scrolling through all the dollhouse miniatures on Etsy. I bookmark every item that I think I’d love to have in my dollhouse. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot of bookmarks. Gosh, there’s so much I want to add to Hummingbird Cottage. It’s all in the tiny details and I haven’t spent a lot of time on those details yet because I’ve been working on the bigger picture. (You’ll notice the red paint has been removed from the Cherub. Much better. Still have to re-paint the ceiling.)

While digging through one of my dollhouse bins, I found something I bought about 4 years ago. I’ve been looking for it, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Of course, it was right there all along, but you know how that goes.

mirror2

It’s that mirror over the chest. I found it in the jewelry-making section of Michael’s. It had a loop at the top which I removed with wire snips. I was originally thinking of it for the bathroom but I now realize it is too small for that space. Much better here in the bedroom where the owner can stop and do some last minute adjustments when she’s getting ready for her day. I thought of painting the frame, but I like the pewter-y looking metal.

As for details, imagine some make up brushes and perfume bottles on top of that dresser. That’s the kind of detail I can’t wait to add to the dollhouse. But I’m on a budget, so it will take some time. That’s okay. I love the creative process, don’t you?

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

 

Filed Under: dollhouse, Fellow bloggers, flowers, Scout 22 Comments

Springifying the Dollhouse

April 3, 2014 at 7:20 am by Claudia

Well, we had a mix up at the mechanics yesterday morning and the parts hadn’t arrived yet. So I came back home and I’ll be going back there early this morning.

When I got home I decided to do some work on the dollhouse. Whenever I feel stressed, I find it really helps to concentrate on something creative. It’s my very own crafty version of “Calgon, take me away!” Since Spring is here and I can’t do anything with my garden yet (May 1st is the magic date here in the Northeast) I thought I’d springify (my new word) Hummingbird Cottage.

How about some flowers in the window boxes?

flowerbox2.2

One…..

flowerboxes2windows

Two….

flowerboxeslongview

Three.

And on to another little dollhouse project. Remember that I told you I had plans for the tower at the top of the house? Don came up with the initial idea. He’s awfully creative, that guy. Well, today I started on it. That room is going to be a potting shed of sorts. And I’m going to eventually have a little rooftop garden.

But first, the beginning of the potting shed.

pottingroom1

I started out painting the walls a pale aqua. But it didn’t turn out as pale as I wanted it to. So I wiped some of it off and the uneven surface on the walls brought out an interesting texture. Then I thought about this being some attic room at one point that the owner had turned into a potting shed, so I aged the walls a bit.

Then, after considering floor possibilities and not being in the mood to cut sticks and paint them individually, I decided to paint some left over beadboard a vivid red. It was sort of a ‘what the heck’ moment.

And I find I like it!

The sink was the top part of a bathroom sink unit that was out of scale for the dollhouse. It was too tall. So I took it apart and just used the sink. Then I attached some legs. I removed one of the faucets and, you can sort of see it here, attached it to the outside wall. I’m going to figure out how to make a hose.

By the way, the cherub artifact on the wall should NOT have a red nose. I have to sand that red paint off. I think it got there when I was painting the floor.

Unless the cherub is a clown cherub…

Eventually, I’m going to add some pots and a bench and some tools (rakes, trowels, etc.) I ordered a few things today from a supplier and I’m excited about adding them to the room. Maybe some hooks to hang the tools from?

pottingroom2

I’m excited about this new space.

Hummingbird Cottage has a potting shed!

Where is Mockingbird Hill Cottage’s potting shed?

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: decorating, dollhouse, life 46 Comments

Tending Riley’s Dish Garden

March 25, 2014 at 8:37 am by Claudia

I’ve been searching for succulents to replace the ones that didn’t make it when I knocked over Riley’s Dish Garden about a week ago. Right now, the pickings are slim around my neck of the woods. I’m sure there will be much more available when the nurseries put out their new stock for the spring. But since snow is forecast for the Northeast today, I think that’s going to have to wait. (By the way, I think we are going to dodge that bullet, with only a sprinkling of snow. Cross your fingers.)

I did find two plants, one of which will probably have to be transferred to a pot in the near future. But in the meantime, my precious Riley’s Dish Garden has been replanted.

rileysdishgarden1

The tall plants in the back are from the original dish garden.

rileysdishgarden2

rileysdishgarden3

rileysdishgarden4

I miss my boy.

I was fine yesterday when I was adding soil and plants but, today, looking at these photos? I’m suddenly teary eyed. I see the dish and I see his big brown eyes. I can smell his wonderful scent. I feel the silky smooth hair on his ears and forehead. I tell him I love him and miss him and oh, how I wish he was here.

You never get over the loss, do you?

I was recently telling someone the story of our first dog, Winston, and his rapid decline at the age of eight when a tumor was discovered on his heart. To my surprise, I started to cry. It’s been over ten years since we said goodbye to our beloved boy, yet in an instant I can be right back in that horrible time of grief and loss. It wasn’t until a year or so after we lost Winston that I realized I had been in a sort of depression for several months following his death.

My dogs are my children. As I watch Scout lose the crazy energy she once had, see her slow down and sleep more, hear her groan because of her aching joints, with eyes and ears that aren’t functioning as sharply as they used to, I know that this time is precious. Beyond precious. We are all too aware that she is 15 and we are so grateful she is still with us. Don doesn’t like being away from her at this time in her life. I understand. She is everything to us. She is our daughter. She is the magic dog that everyone loves. Her smile lights up the room.

Ah, I’m crying again.

Anyway. I know you understand. Riley has been gone for a year and a half, though it seems like yesterday when he was here with us. Winston has been gone for over 10 years, yet in an instant, I am with him.

I like to think they are with me in spirit and soul. I hope they are. I hope they nuzzle up against me when I’m down. I hope Winston and Riley visit Scout, who has outlived them both. I hope that, when I am sleeping upstairs, they are all having a fine time together downstairs. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Once again, a blog post has taken me somewhere I didn’t expect to go. I was just going to write about the new look of the Dish Garden and here I am, writing about love and loss.

By the way, Scout is on Glucosamine and that has helped a lot. Nevertheless, she has swelling on her joints, her hips hurt, she limps a little. She gets tired easily. But her spirit is strong.

Let’s close on a ‘cute’ note. While I was at the nursery, there was a display of minis meant for fairy gardens. But fairy gardens are ubiquitous and I have enough to handle with my real-sized gardens. However, one piece stood out and I bought it.

For my dollhouse, of course.

adirondackchair

Yep. That adirondack chair. The owner of the dollhouse sits in it and reads while drinking a glass of iced tea. Sometimes she props her legs up on the porch railing. Sometimes she just sits and watches the world go by.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: dogs, dollhouse, Riley, Scout, Winston 53 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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