Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for dollhouse

February

February 1, 2022 at 10:07 am by Claudia

Why did Caroline dump Christmas decorations on the porch?

Actually, I’d like to blame this on Caroline, but it’s all on me. And this has been there for a year. None of the dollhouses were decorated for Christmas 2021. Perhaps it’s time to take these upstairs and put them away?

Also, it’s time to dust the dollhouse interior and exterior. And Don’s mini studio, as well, as that’s right in front of a window and it gets dusty rather quickly. (I use a small paintbrush to dust.)

The “blues” are driving me nuts. I think I might have found 5 pieces that fit yesterday. To say this is slow going is putting it mildly. Don suggested that I start a new puzzle and just let this one go, but no! It’s a challenge and I’m not going to move on until I fit each and every piece in place.

Then I’ll have a piece of sugar-free chocolate to reward myself.

It’s sunny today and cold, but it will be milder during the afternoon than it’s been recently. We’ll have a couple of days respite until we get snow and ice on Friday. Oh, joy.

I’m almost finished with The Missing Hours, which I read for a big chunk of time yesterday. It’s okay, not great, but whether I like it or not, Julia Dahl is a very good writer. It’s simply that the plot doesn’t interest me a great deal. Her first books revolved around crimes in the closed Hassidic community and I found them incredibly fascinating. I kind of wish she’d go back to that.

I’ve just started reading It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again  by Julia Cameron, who wrote The Artist’s Way – a book that both Don and I read and studied when we lived in San Diego. Subtitle: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond. It was a gift from Todd, a producer on Spoiler Alert  and Jim’s husband. Todd and I had so many conversations about creativity and Covid isolation and finding our way through it all. Todd was trained as an artist and he’s rediscovering that part of himself. He walked onto the set the last day and said he had a present for me and it was this book.

One of the highlights of working on the movie was getting to know Todd. Because so much of the time on the set is spent waiting, we talked a lot. He’s a wonderful person and I adore him.

Okay, my friends.

Happy February.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

Filed Under: dollhouse, jigsaw puzzles 14 Comments

Whimsy

January 28, 2022 at 7:17 am by Claudia

For some reason, both Don and I woke up at the same time this morning feeling quite rested. I turned on the light. We got up.

It was 4:15.

I reminded myself that I routinely got up at that time when I was working on the movie and then proceeded to work for 12 hours. I don’t have to work a twelve hour day today, so no big deal!

I actually like waking up early – maybe not quite  this early – but I love to rise when it’s still dark. There’s something lovely and quiet and mysterious about it.

Some guidance for my day today, and every day: a quote that appeared when I opened Upstream  by Mary Oliver to a random page. These words jumped off the page:

               You must not ever stop being whimsical.

Mary gets me.

You know how much I love whimsy, how much I believe in whimsy. I cannot imagine my life without it.

On that note: Ben (from the movie) sent me an email yesterday and one of the things he asked was “How is the doll’s house looking? Show me!” So I sneaked into the office where Don was recording and took a quick picture.

Lots of little details yet to go, including dressing the bed – something I’m avoiding. I need some lamps, a couple of plants, more kitchen stuff, a few more books. And I need to address the porch area and add some window boxes.

And more whimsy:

Maeve in her hat. My longtime online friend, Jill (I met her many years ago through miniatures) left a comment on Instagram re this photo. “I see a little attitude in this one. Or is it just me?”

That made me laugh out loud. Jill is right!

Maeve does have some attitude.

Okay. Time to go.

Yes, we’re getting snow tomorrow but only 1-3 inches, which is nothing. We’re relieved.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, dollhouse, miniatures, whimsey 20 Comments

The Cubicle

January 23, 2022 at 10:00 am by Claudia

I call this “Out of Control Office.” Or “When Dollhouses Become a Cubicle.”

I’m getting ready to do some finishing work on the exterior of the English Cottage, as well as finishing off bits of the interior. There will be little bits and pieces to add over time –  that’s what happened with Hummingbird Cottage. In fact, I added a new table and chairs for the kitchen of that house last year, so I guess I’m never completely done. I also want to add some window boxes and paint the raised porch area.

The fourth wall of the cubicle.  Yes, that’s toilet paper on the shelf below. I’m not sure why it’s there, maybe I needed something to wipe up paint? Who knows?

Between the girls and the dollhouses, I have a lot of miniature endeavors going on.

I have a few books on ‘small things’ you might be interested in. I was straightening up my stacks of in progress reading material yesterday and I separated these books from the pile so I can read them over the next few days.

The Book of Mini – Inside the Big World of Very Small Things   is by Kate Esme Unger, who I’ve been following for many years through her @dailymini feed on Instagram. She has photographed miniatures for years and this book is a compilation of her photos, including interviews with some of the artisans. It really is a treasure trove. Available in bookstores and on Amazon.

Collectively Speaking – My Passionate Pursuit of Miniatures  (2 volumes) is by Kate Savage Browning. Her collection is vast, so much so that she established the KSB Miniatures Collection, which is in a 3,300 square foot gallery in Maysville, Kentucky. I met her several years ago at the IGMA show and I’ve seen an interview/tour of the gallery. It’s extraordinary. The photographs are excellent and Kay shares so much history and information. Well worth it and available on Amazon.

This is Blythe  by Gina Garan. Written in 2000 (I believe it might be out of print now) Garan photographed her Blythe dolls – and I’m talking about the original Kenner Blythe dolls pre-customization – out in nature and in and around the streets of NYC. It’s considered a classic for Blythe and doll lovers, especially those who collect the original dolls.

Don somehow found this book – I’d never mentioned it to him – and got it through a bookseller. He gave it to me for my birthday.

Yes, he’s cool.

Garan’s photography was groundbreaking. Nowadays, Blythe collectors photograph their dolls everywhere especially in this world of social media, but at the time it was rare. She had a book of those photographs published – unheard of. It reminds me of The Lonely Doll, a childhood favorite.

It’s cold here today and unfortunately, no sunshine. Hang in there, everyone.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

Filed Under: books, dollhouse, miniatures 10 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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