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You are here: Home / Archives for garden

Dollhouse: A Tour Of The Roof Garden

July 16, 2015 at 8:55 am by Claudia

Okay, my friends, it’s tour time!

This roof garden is not completely finished. I have to add the hanging plants. I have a few other ideas swirling around in my brain. Mini flowers and pots are not cheap, so I’ll add more as funds allow.

In no particular order, here are some photos (and there are quite a few, so settle in for Caroline’s Roof Garden – The Tour.)

7-16 DH RG 1

The hedges arrived in the mail yesterday. They’re just what I wanted and something I see in the big city quite frequently. After all, Caroline needs some privacy.

7-16 DH RG 2

7-16 DH RG 3

A planter at the ready. (Purchased last year at Chautauqua Miniatures.)

7-16 DH RG 4

Caroline can’t believe what a difference the hedges make – she remarked that she could now sunbathe in total privacy.

7-16 DH RG 5

A cool drink, anyone?

7-16 DH RG 6

7-16 DH RG 7

Caroline likes to grow things.

(I got the flowers from Miniatures.com, the succulents were from a faux plant that I took apart. I  found it at Michael’s. The picket fence planter boxes were found at Chautauqua Miniatures. Pea gravel, which is really ballast, found at Train Sets Only.)

7-16 DH RG 8

Planter and potted plants from Chautauqua Miniatures, watering can, hedges, and large French pot from Miniatures.com.

7-16 DH RG 9

Chair and ottoman, as well as the pillows, are from Chautauqua Miniatures. The magazine, I believe, was a gift from my friend Norma.

And now, Claudia climbs on a chair for the aerial view:

7-16 DH RG 10

This gives you a nice look at the skylight. (All information about sources for the potting shed can be found here.)

7-16 DH RG 11

Oh my goodness. I love this little space, which provides more living space for Caroline in the spring, summer and fall.

7-16 DH RG 12

Pot and flowers from Miniatures.com – purchased separately, but don’t they go nicely together?

7-16 DH RG 13

Table and chairs from Chautauqua Miniatures, pitcher and glasses were given to me by a friend (I’m having trouble remembering exactly who that was, so if it was you, let me know! I just heard from her, it was Sharon! Thank you, Sharon.) and the banner was part of a swap.

7-16 DH RG 15

Boo really likes it up there. He can bark at the birds and listen to all the sounds of the city. (Boo came from Chautauqua Miniatures.)

7-16 DH RG 16

The roof top garden and potting shed.

I love the hedges, but the dark green and the black wrought iron railing sort of blend into each other.

7-16 DH RG 14

See?

I’m contemplating switching out the black wrought iron for the same item in white. I painted a piece that I had in my stash to see how it would look.

7-16 DH RG 17

I think it provides more definition to that area. The trim and the hedge don’t become one big dark blob. I can always switch it back to the black if I decide to eliminate the hedges, but I really like them so I don’t see that happening anytime soon!

When Don came home late yesterday afternoon and I did a sort of Ta-dah! reveal, he said he wanted to be able to hang out there. We contemplated miniaturizing ourselves and going for it, but we soon realized that Caroline wouldn’t like that. Big thumbs up from Don, and he also mentioned again how much he loves the red floor in the potting shed.

I’m thinking I need a climbing plant of some sort on the side of the potting shed. Maybe another raised bed. And more plants. But for now…I think we’ve got a pretty nifty roof garden.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

I’d love to open things up again for general dollhouse questions. I started a little series about that and haven’t written an additional post as of yet. So if you have questions, leave them in the comments section, or if you’d rather, email them to me.

 

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: dollhouse, flowers, garden, miniatures 84 Comments

Waiting for Postie

July 15, 2015 at 7:46 am by Claudia

7-15 white moth on spirea

Thank you, little moth, for staying on the spirea for quite a long time. I enjoyed taking lots of pictures of you.

7-15 white moth on spirea 2

I also saw our friend, the Hummingbird Moth, flitting around the geraniums. And there’s been a steady stream of visitors to the birdbath. The temps have been quite warm and humid and they need some relief! Even the bees take a little drink from the birdbath. It’s the neighborhood pool.

I’d have loved to take some pictures of the frolicking birds with my telephoto lens, but alas, I don’t have one. Plans to buy one were scotched in favor of paying my dentist! There must be priorities, after all.

Starting my Christmas list right now.

It rained last night and we’re due for storms today. I’m anxiously awaiting a package from miniatures.com containing two hedges for the dollhouse roof. I thought it would be here yesterday, but no such luck! I’m terribly impatient when I’m waiting for a package – are you? If it isn’t here by the time I think it should be; well, it isn’t pretty.

I’m also anxiously awaiting my copies of American Miniaturist, so I can see Hummingbird Cottage’s spread in the August issue. Caroline is also experiencing some impatience. She wants to see her house in print!

I’m reminded of this print that we have on our bathroom wall:

sunpostie

It’s actually a card Don gave me long ago because it reminded him of Scout and Riley. It’s entitled “Waiting for Postie.” Very British.

That’s me at the moment – I’m waiting for postie.

Sneak peeks:

7-15 roofgarden sneak peek 1

7-15 roofgarden sneak peek 2

I have to say that I’m loving the ‘pea gravel’ more and more. Though it was a pain in the ass to execute, I think it looks great.

I’m already thinking about my next project, which will have to be on the smaller side. Mockingbird Hill Cottage is definitely on the smaller side, which means there’s only so much display space. Even thought I don’t want to admit it in the midst of all this summer splendidness, winter isn’t that far off, and winter is the perfect time to work on a new dollhouse.

Ideas, ideas – I’ve got a lot of them.

Happy Wednesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: dollhouse, flowers, garden, miniatures 39 Comments

Headline: Two Itinerant Artistes Settle Down in the Country

July 14, 2015 at 8:32 am by Claudia

7-14 coneflowers

It’s the height of the gardening season here in the Northeast. The coneflowers and brown-eyed Susans are opening their pretty petals, the phlox is beginning to bloom – and oh, that scent! – more day lilies are making their presence known. Bees are everywhere, especially in the catmint – a plant they seem to love. All of the hostas, and we have a lot of them, are blooming as well. All in all, a good time to come back home after three weeks away coaching.

7-14 hostablooms

Gol’ darn it! I love my gardens.

We’ve been here almost 10 years. Who’d have thought it? Two itinerant artistes got together and somehow landed here in this too-small-but-charming cottage situated on almost two acres with woods and grass and space for a garden bed or two or three.

This was a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I always wanted what I termed “a cottage somewhere in the country.” It took me awhile, but I got it. And I wouldn’t trade those years living in apartments in cities, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Cambridge, San Diego, for anything. They’ve shaped me; they’ve given me a strong taste of city life (which I still love) and countless adventures.

7-14 gazingball

But at this point in our lives, both Don and I find ourselves preferring this  life – this quieter version of life. Being in the Arts, with jobs and opportunities that have taken us all over the country and abroad, has broadened our horizons. Maybe that’s why we appreciate this little cottage and our life here all the more. It’s rooted in our love for each other and our doggie and our love for the simple beauty of nature. (And for eclectic and whimsical decorating.) It’s the culmination of our lives before we met each other and the twenty-one years we’ve been together.

7-14 pinkish daylily

Yesterday, my friends, was a stressful one for me. I had an appointment to have some dental work done (an extraction) and I, being petrified of the dentist, was rather a nervous wreck. Our health care changes every year and the dentist I trust implicitly (and who is quite near our home) was no longer available under our policy. I dithered about it for a while and finally decided to have the work done and pay for it myself. That isn’t the ideal scenario given our tight budget, but going to someone I already know and trust makes what is a scary ordeal for me much less stressful.

So at 10 am, I was in the dentist chair. Don, thank goodness, went with me for moral support and then got my prescriptions filled (which, thankfully, are covered under our health care) and then went back out in the afternoon to buy some soft foods for me to eat. I was on pain meds yesterday, but today I don’t seem to need any, which is a good thing. I’m also on antibiotics for a few days.

I have another appointment in a month or so to deal with another issue. But for now, I can relax.

And maybe work on the dollhouse roof garden.

Don’t forget to read the book review I posted yesterday. I really loved the book and I’m giving away a copy. (I loved it so much that I passed it on to Don, because I think it’s right up his alley. It’s funny.)

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: cottage, flowers, garden, life, Mockingbird Hill Cottage 37 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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