Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for Michigan

Tuesday Potpourri

October 4, 2022 at 8:42 am by Claudia

• I won’t be mowing today as it’s raining. I somehow missed the fact that rain was in the forecast but then again, I don’t remember checking it at all yesterday. Lots of rain today and some rain tomorrow, as well.

• It was so cold and gray yesterday. Once again, Don and I found ourselves feeling a bit blue. I miss summer. The zinnias are blooming which gives us a little splash of color. Some of the phlox is still blooming, as well as the butterfly bush, and of course, lots of autumn wildflowers.

• I know I’ve mentioned this before but I was a camp counselor for two summers when I was in college. It was a camp in northern Michigan affiliated with the Lutheran church – Michi-lu-ca. Sadly, it was sold a few years ago, which made all of us very, very sad. I had always wanted to show it to Don as it meant so much to me. I recently connected (via Facebook) to a fellow counselor from my second summer there. I suddenly wondered if there was a group of former counselors/staff on Facebook as there seems to be a group for everything under the sun. Sure enough, there is. It looks like it’s predominately more recent employees, but I found – or they found me – 5 or 6 fellow staff members from 1973. It’s been fun chatting with them SO many years later. Those two summers were extraordinary experiences for me and I remember them fondly. In those days, there were no cell phones or computers, so we really were cut off for the summer and it was quite magical.

• A coat arrived for the girls yesterday. A Blythe friend has been making lovely coats from felt – they remind me of swing coats. (I had two of them myself and loved them.) Since I only had one coat for the girls, I ordered one in red.

Red is notoriously difficult to photograph and can change dramatically depending on the light. Case in point:

Madeleine, photographed in the late afternoon light shining on the porch. The coat looks much brighter than it actually is. It’s a deep red.

Zoe, photographed in the darkish house. This is much closer to the real color (though a bit too dark) and of course, Zoe always looks great in red. Isn’t the coat adorable? Melissa calls them ‘adventuring coats.’

I also received a little hand knit beret from another artist in Ukraine. I’ll try to get a photo of it today.

• I’m working on a new puzzle and spent a nice chunk of time on that yesterday. I’ve also been reading The Ink Black Heart  for long periods of time.

I’m grateful to be home with my husband and feeling rather cozy.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, jigsaw puzzles, life, Michigan 18 Comments

A Nostalgic Find That’s Making Me Smile

July 24, 2013 at 8:25 am by Claudia

IMG_9063

Detroit, the city of my birth, is the home of Vernors Ginger Ale. It originated there. If you aren’t familiar with this uniquely Midwestern soda, I understand. But those of us who grew up drinking Vernors are spoiled and refuse to drink any other ‘supposed’ ginger ale on the market. At one time, I lived just down the street from Vernors’ headquarters.

However, it is a regional delight and I haven’t been able to find it out here in the East. A couple of years ago, I was working in Wisconsin and I discovered that a local store stocked it. I was in heaven. I even wrote a post about it.

If I was visiting my home state right now, you may be sure that I would be stockpiling some Vernors to bring back to the cottage. It’s that good. Years ago, I found some in San Diego, of all places, and when my parents were visiting, my dad made Boston Coolers for us from Vernors and vanilla ice cream. A friend of mine who moved to Ithaca, New York, bought several cases and stored them in his bathtub. We love our Vernors.

I get it. If I had an extra bathtub, I might do the very same thing.

So….the other day I was browsing in a local antique mall. And what did I see? (For pennies, my friends, for pennies.)

vernors1

This. An oh-my-goodness, incredibly wonderful, calling-my-name vintage Vernors soda crate.

I’ve never encountered one out in this neck of the woods. I had to get it.

vernors2

Mustardy yellow and red. A nicely battered patina.

vernors3

Everything else that was on the table? Moved to a new home. Except for Riley’s Dish Garden. That stays.

vernors4

The other side advertises Squirt.

vernors5

It’s on the inside of the crate as well. So is the Vernors logo.

vernors6

My bakelite flatware seems to be made for the crate.

vernors7

I love it. It’s perfect for our kitchen. After trying all sorts of things on this table, I think I’ve finally found the right mix. Rustic, nostalgic, bright but faded paint and a memory of my childhood – could anything be better?

vernors8

I’m thinking I need to put some flowers in that vintage Ball jar.

I can see it from my blogging chair in the den and it makes me smile. We love graphics here at the cottage. This may be my best find yet.

I was born in Detroit, Michigan. I lived in the metropolitan Detroit area for 30 years. My parents grew up and attended school in Detroit. This post is a tribute to something that is uniquely Detroit. I must say that my heart is aching for Detroit as this once-proud and thriving city goes through a terrible ordeal. I lived on the edge of downtown Detroit for several years in an area called Lafayette Park and my friend who still lives there assures me that businesses are moving back to the city, young people are renting and buying apartments downtown, theater, the symphony and the opera are thriving, lots of urban farming is happening and that Detroit is far from dead.

I’m banking on it.

Happy Wednesday.

signature2

Tagged With: Vernors Ginger AleFiled Under: Detroit, Michigan, vintage 97 Comments

  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2025 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT