Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Easter

The Pink Cabinet

April 5, 2019 at 10:53 am by Claudia

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but you do know that emails of the blog posts come from a separate email address, and that I have no way of responding to you when you choose to comment via a response to the email? I still get a lot of comments that way – and I read them – but I can’t respond to them. So, if you really want a direct response, come to the blog and comment here. If you simply want to write to me and don’t care whether I respond or not, then have at it.

I say this today because I got a response like that from Claudia in Oklahoma about a month ago. I came across it the other day, when I was cleaning out my inbox. Claudia was responding to a post about Vintage by Crystal; she had fallen in love with Crystal’s whimsical spun cotton creations. And she asked how I displayed them. (I hope you’ve found a piece that you love, Claudia!)

So I went upstairs and took some photos for you. Keep in mind that my Santa that sits on a bell and my Butterfly Rider are displayed right here in the den. But everything else is upstairs in the office.

They’re in my pink cabinet in my little hideaway at the top of the stairs.

I’ll take you on a little tour.

The top shelf holds several pieces of Roseville Pottery, including a child’s plate. On the right is an antique napkin holder inscribed with “Claudia.” My friend Lynne gave that to me.

The middle shelf holds several pieces of cream-colored McCoy Pottery, as well as a pottery deer (maker unknown). In the back is a pink cardboard candy box that holds letters my grandmother exchanged with her youngest sister, Rhoda, when Gram was attending nursing school in Barrie, Ontario. I’ve read many of them. Rhoda died at the age of 15 in the flu epidemic of 1918, along with an older sister, Maggie. Grandma never got over that. And from what I’ve read, Rhoda sounded delightful – full of life, funny, and kind. I wish I’d known her. And Maggie. Both gone long before I was born.

The Friends framed motto was a gift from my friend Lori, who owns Vignettes in San Diego. The pink powder puff was hand made by a blogging friend from long ago, who, sadly, no longer blogs. The Swarovski crystal bunnies came from Barbara. On the left, a Vintage by Crystal creation that looks like my mom when she was a little girl. On the right, a Valentine girl.

The bottom shelf holds copies of the magazines and book in which I was published. On top are little trinket holders that I love. Next to them are two chocolate boxes; one from Harrods in London and one from Laduree in Paris. And a little Paris/Eiffel Tower medallion I bought several years ago from Vignettes. Another piece of Roseville (the hard to find, an even harder to afford Cherry Blossom). Behind it, four vintage glove boxes. And then more Vintage by Crystal.

The elf is a Christmas ornament and not from Vintage by Crystal, but everything else here is. The two bunnies were my very first purchases.

So, that’s how I display them. I don’t do seasonal displays as a rule; rather, I prefer to have things out where I can see them all year long.

I have eight pieces by Crystal and – yes – I succumbed once more during yesterday’s blog sale. I’ll show you that when it arrives. I hope this helps, Claudia! I hope you see this post.

I love all the pieces I have displayed in my three china cabinets, but I must admit, this one is my favorite. It’s my ‘private’ cabinet, tucked away in our office. It’s painted a pale pink, it sits perpendicular to my desk, and I can see some of my favorite treasures when I’m working there. On top of the cabinet are my dolls and a poster for Anastasia. In fact, I went upstairs yesterday to work on the dollhouse and take these pictures, however, I ended up simply faffing the inside of the cabinet. I added that paper that backs the bottom shelf.

I’ll go stare at it some more today. It makes me happy. And I’ll share some more views of my little corner of our office in the next couple of days.

It’s Easter time. Yesterday, I started to post a little round-up of egg cups on Instagram. The first? Bunny-themed egg cups.

Adorable.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: china and pottery, decorating, dollhouse, Easter, egg cups, McCoy pottery, Roseville pottery, Vintage by Crystal 39 Comments

Crazy Wind, Crazy Me

April 4, 2019 at 10:14 am by Claudia

Okay. I wrote yesterday’s post bright and early. When I finished, I got up to visit the bathroom, did a few more things around the house, came back to my laptop to delete even more outdated emails. All the while, in the back of my mind, I was wondering why no one had commented yet on my post. Along about 12:15, it hit me. Had I ever hit “Publish?” I hightailed it back to the tab I had open for the blog and, sure enough, I hadn’t published it.

That’s a first, my friends, in 11 years of blogging, most of it every day. That’s the first time I’ve done that. So I missed the window of opportunity to get the post out to you via email. That means you’ll have two posts to read and respond to in today’s email.

The ongoing challenge: Be in the moment. Both Don and I have forgotten a few things lately and I know it’s due to stress. Stay present, Claudia.

A little flower substitution as the tulips officially bit the dust yesterday afternoon. I want to get more of them soon – I just love their sculptural look.

It was so windy yesterday. All day long and into the night. We’ve had so much wind in the past year and I don’t do well with loud wind. I was working up in the office which is at the front of the house. Up there, the sound of the wind is so loud that you’d swear you were in a wind tunnel. The wind was so strong that it knocked the Boston fern off the former kitchen island and threw it to the ground. (It’s okay, thank goodness.)

Today, better, just a breeze. Tomorrow, a rain/snow mix and a high that never gets out of the thirties. Saturday, highs in the sixties.

Go figure.

We took a trail walk on Tuesday. We’re going to take another one as soon as I finish this post. We’re trying to do it every other day, which seems to be a more reachable goal than every day.

I noticed that the front lawn is looking greener. Huzzah! Leaves are emerging on my hyacinths in the big garden bed. I’m sure I’ll see more growth when I rake all the leaf mulch out of the garden beds, but since it’s still going down to the thirties at night for the next several days, I’m going to hold off on that.

If you get this before 11 am, Vintage by Crystal’s Easter blog sale starts right at 11 – you have to move quickly if you want anything. You can reach her blog here. Crystal and Ben publish the post at 11 and you have to email them with your requests – not a comment, but an email. So get there early and find her email address and be ready to pounce on anything you’re interested in. I’m most likely not going to bid this time, but it’s very tempting!

Okay. I’m going to actually hit ‘Publish!’

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: blog, blogging, Easter, Vintage by Crystal 30 Comments

Easter

April 1, 2018 at 10:18 am by Claudia

If you celebrate this day, Happy Easter! If not, Happy Sunday!

Our particular Easter day is cloudy and windy and, yes, we’re supposed to get snow tomorrow. Nothing momentous, and it will melt quickly, but we’re told we might get up to an inch of the stuff. Though it is April 1st, March still seems to be ruling the weather, with colder days this coming week.

This will be a short post (Don and I still haven’t decided what our plan is. Neither of us wants to travel, it seems!) Yesterday, was gloriously sunny and my mood lifted. Today? Maybe not so much.

I found some more egg cups. I’m so used to seeing them in the kitchen that I forgot about them. These are newish and were a gift from my dear friend (through blogging) Judy.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

I love them so much, they won a place on the little shelf that lives below a kitchen cabinet. (Right next to Stella.) And they always make me smile.

Have a lovely day, dear friends.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: collecting, Don, Easter, egg cups, flowers 32 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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