Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Percolating

September 30, 2018 at 9:39 am by Claudia

Surprise rose in the midst of an increasingly fall-like landscape.

Three new babies on my monstera.  I was thrilled to see them as there had been no new growth during the summer. I know many of you think I have a green thumb and I guess I do, but I’ve had problems with certain houseplants this summer. My schefflera keeps dropping lower leaves – lots of them – but there is new growth as well. I can’t tell whether this is some sort of natural shedding or if something’s wrong. This particular plant has always been a bit touchy, but over the winter it did really well. I also have a few succulents that have bit the dust. So – I have my successes and my failures, just like everyone else.

Dollhouse renovation idea:

This is a small dollhouse. The rooms are not spacious and the kitchen is downright tiny. The stair placement is troublesome because it takes up so much room in the center of the house.

Not much can happen in this area. So now, we have an even smaller living room.

When I put the hutch in the kitchen, I realized how little space I would have there. One of the things I dislike about Hummingbird Cottage is the narrow, dark kitchen. Impossible to photograph, I did everything I could to lighten it up, but wasn’t very successful. In retrospect, I wish I had opened the wall up in some way.

So….

That’s what I’m going to do with the downstairs. I’m going to take the wall out, put a couple of columns in to support the floor above, take out the stairs and add something I found in a miniature catalogue – set of pull-down attic stairs. If this is a funky English stone cottage, why not? I thought about a spiral staircase, but they take up a lot of real estate.

Or, since it’s my dollhouse and dollhouses can be anything, maybe I’ll dispense with stairs altogether. I’d really like to open up this floor with a kitchen island where the wall is.

Those are my thoughts at the moment. I’ll let them percolate a bit while I’m off on my European adventure.

Your thoughts, my friends?

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: dollhouse, flowers, garden, houseplants, miniatures 30 Comments

Fall Is In The Air

September 24, 2018 at 10:19 am by Claudia

It was chilly this morning! Don and I both remarked on it. I ran upstairs to put on some socks, Don put on a sweatshirt. But we refuse to turn up the heat. Too early. Autumn is everywhere; in the changing leaves, the golden light, the gutters that need to be cleaned out today, leaves on the ground and leaves in my potted plants.

I can’t get over the fact that my heavenly blue morning glories have not produced a single flower. This has never happened before. I sowed the seeds at the same time I always do, they took off quickly and the vines are lush and filled with large, healthy leaves. But no flowers. The other morning glory that I planted – can’t remember the name – that flowers early did just beautifully. But not the heavenly blues, which are usually no-fail. Has anyone else ever had this happen?

The moonflowers usually flower well after the morning glories, so since they’re already flowering, I’m thinking nothing will happen with the MGs. Makes me sad. Ah, well.

We just booked our hotel in Edinburgh so we’re all set except for whatever train trips we take in England. Whoo hoo! There’s a lot to do before we leave, but we’ll get it done.

In the meantime, I have to go into the city tomorrow to work for a day on the Anastasia National Tour. It promises to be a LONG one, so I won’t be posting tomorrow. I’ll be back on Wednesday.

Happy Monday.

 

Filed Under: autumn, flowers, garden, our trip to Europe 28 Comments

Friday Potpourri

September 21, 2018 at 10:38 am by Claudia

• This gloriousness is down by our mailbox. I ran for the camera when I saw these big New England asters. They always show up in early fall, but these blossoms are particularly large. That purple and gold combination can’t be beat. Goldenrod in the background.

• Turns out, I was mixed up on the day for the mini show. It runs on Saturday and Sunday, not today. And Don isn’t going into the city today, so basically everything I told you yesterday was a lie. I’ll go to the show tomorrow morning.

• There has been a bit of improvement on the professional front. One of the situations has been slightly resolved, though it was handled badly and I remain disappointed in the overall lack of communication. But, there’s a crack where maybe some light can get in. (Paraphrasing Leonard Cohen.)

•  Second moonflower sighting this morning. More gloriousness. This one is high enough that I was able to breathe in the scent without contorting my body, as I had to do with the first flower.

• I urge you, really  urge you, to read this extensive reporting in today’s New York Times. It’s running as a special section in Friday’s edition. Title: The Plot to Subvert an Election, Unraveling the Russia Story So Far. You will be stunned. This is what Mueller will flesh out, I’m sure, along with much, much more.

• I love receiving a package in the mail! This one was from reader Kim, who wrote me to say she had two egg cups she wanted to send my way. Goodness, you are all so generous! The box contained these beauties:

Each of them is hand painted and each has Fanny and Farmer written on the base.

“Farmer” is on the other side. You might recall that I have two other Fanny Farmer egg cups. These were part of their Easter tradition. Each year, a new design would come out, filled with chocolate eggs. Kim thinks they were also included in boxes of Fanny Farmer chocolates.

My very first egg cup was a Fanny Farmer egg cup, given to me as a wee child by my godparents. I held on to it for many, many years (ahem! we won’t say how many.) When I saw an article about collecting egg cups in a 2002 Martha Stewart Living magazine, one of the cups pictured was the same as mine and then I had the lightbulb realization that I could collect them. One of the very first egg cups I added to my collection was also by Fanny Farmer, a rooster in yellow and red, coincidentally made by McCoy.

So I’m thrilled to add two more FF cups. They’re already in the cabinet, Kim. Thank you so, so much!

Off to do a bit of mowing – really, just a bit.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: egg cups, flowers, friends, gifts, Trump/Russia 18 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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