Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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On My Mind This Morning: Words and a Gift

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Thank you for the fascinating discussion yesterday! I loved reading your comments.

You know by now that my life largely centers around words. It’s what I do for a living; I teach and coach speech, dialects, text and voice. All of that is about words and their use and how that changes according to the context in which the words are written. That includes regionalisms and dialects and how they change the texture and rhythm of speech.

I write this blog daily. Words. I write another blog that is all about books and literature. I read and review books. Words. I minored in English Language and Literature. I majored in Drama and Speech. Words and the use of them and, yes, misuse of them, and topics like ‘trendy’ word usage are always on my mind. Occasionally I will write about those things because they fascinate me. And I will have opinions about those things, just as you have opinions about them. No one, including me, uses words ‘correctly’ all of the time. If I tried to do that, I would be so self-conscious and self-aware in the moment that the emotion that fuels my words would be stifled. Who could live that way?

So, I hope you understand that I can comment on current trends in word usage and the ways in which words have been changed, for example, from a noun to a verb, and still respect and honor the incredible variety of sounds, speech, regionalisms, and dialects that are out there. Try as I might, and as careful as I am about the posts I write, I write a blog post every day and chances are I will offend someone at sometime. That is never my intention. Nor is it my intention to make anyone feel self-conscious. Everyone’s voice is welcome here.

Okay. On to something else.

My friend Barbara sent me a package. I picked it up at the post office yesterday and had to wait while I got an oil change and my tires rotated and then stopped at Target before I finally got home and could open it! Do you want to see what was inside?

3-5 jewelry stands

These are acrylic jewelry stands which are being repurposed as tables and desks by miniaturists. Since I have a couple of modern projects going, these will be perfect!

3-5 cupandsaucer

Love this cup and saucer! Barbara ordered it from the Etsy shop Twelvetimesmoreteeny. I’ve several plates from that same shop in Hummingbird Cottage.

3-5 moderntable

This modern table is from The Little Dollhouse Company. Perfect! The question is: will it go in the Top Secret Project or in the Loft that I got from Target?

3-5 minidollhouse

And this miniature dollhouse is also from The Little Dollhouse Company. It’s for Caroline to work on. Somehow, Barbara knew that Caroline had been bugging me about getting her own dollhouse.

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Cool!

Also in the package was a piece of pottery belonging to Barbara which she decided should be in Mockingbird Hill Cottage. I am very grateful.

3-5 clematisbasket1

A gorgeous basket in the Clematis pattern. Isn’t it lovely?

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The other side.

Thank you so much, Barbara! Goodness, you should have seen the smile on my face as I was unpacking everything!

And speaking of words, Rest in Peace, Pat Conroy. I loved your writing and the passion you had for words and literature. Thank you.

Happy Saturday.

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Monday Thoughts

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scoutonpillow

• It’s been three weeks today since we lost our girl.

We still can’t believe that this magical being is no longer here with us on Earth.

We cry most days. We are still, and always will be, in mourning. It’s been an incredibly hard time for us. We work hard to stay positive and to find laughter as often as possible. (Thank goodness for Frasier on Netflix.) I even made a funny face yesterday that made Don laugh.

And my back, though slowly getting better, is still quite painful and I’m babying it all day long. Muscle spasms aren’t fun.

• It’s also exactly four months since my father passed away. And it’s raining today. Appropriate. Too much loss.

• I only made it through about half of the Oscars. I was tired and I was pretty sure the predicted Best Actor and Actress winners would be who they ultimately were. I haven’t seen any of the films yet. Lady Gaga’s performance was incredibly moving. I’m not sure why that song didn’t win…but I’ve given up trying to predict these things.

2-29 dh bedroom

• I’ve been reacquainting myself with Hummingbird Cottage. I see it from my blogging chair, but the inside is usually facing toward the wall. It’s awfully nice and Caroline is a lucky woman. I took the opportunity to take some pictures when she was ‘away’ from the house.

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Flowers are blooming in the world of Hummingbird Cottage. If only they were blooming here at Mockingbird Hill Cottage!

• Speaking of miniatures, you must visit Marian Russek’s blog and also watch her YouTube Video on her completed Shipping Container House. She builds and designs her houses and her work is incredible. While you’re at the blog, take a look at her other creations. They are so lifelike, so detailed, you’ll forget they are miniatures.

Happy Monday.

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Mystery Solved

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As to the mystery item….where did we leave off?

Ah yes. I ordered it online and drove to another Target location to pick it up. But first, some back story. Last week, when I was back home, I read a post on a favorite blog, Call of the Small, about a child’s dollhouse she had picked up at Target. Call of the Small is one of several miniaturists who love the midcentury modern look in miniatures and dollhouses, and it’s hard to find dollhouses that have that look because most of them are more traditional in design.

This particular dollhouse was $49, and it was part of a line called Our Generation, the Lori 6″ dollhouse – Loft to Love. The 6″ notation refers to the doll size. Dolls for dollhouses are not something I am into. But the house itself looked to me like a great roombox (which just got auto corrected to rhumba!) and a fun way to play with the midcentury modern look – a look I’m not at all interested in for my real home, but one I’ve really come to love in miniatures.

I was going to stop at our local Target on my way back to Hartford, but I didn’t. Thus began my Hartford-area search. And now I have it.

1-29 roomboxoutside

Here’s a glimpse of the outside. The door is plastic and huge (probably for the dolls) but it can work. Green felt top for a roof garden.

Here’s the inside:

1-29 roombox1

You can see the loft and a battery operated yellow light, which I’ll probably remove at some point. I’m in love with the tall windows. Since this was designed as a kid’s toy, plastic furniture sets are available for the rooms, though there were none available at the Target store I went to. It comes with a kitchen.

1-29 roomboxwithkitchen

It’s okay, but it’s plastic. It takes up too much of the main space. And it’s a little bigger than 1:12 – maybe 1:10? I’m not sure. I think I’ll be ‘redesigning’ the kitchen.

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I think it’s really cool.

I brought a couple of pieces back with me, just to play a bit. But not enough to truly play, darn it!

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Such a neat space and so full of possibilities. After all, though I have midcentury modern in the Top Secret Project, it is for Don. So I can’t really play with it after it’s finished. I have to be a good girl and leave it alone.

Reader Bridget solved the mystery and I was shocked and delighted that she did! Good for you, Bridget. I left one clue in yesterday’s comments and replies: miniatures. That, coupled with the fact that I was looking for the item at Target, was apparently enough for Bridget. Bravo!

It’s available online here, if you’re at all interested. Target: once again I am referring readers to your site.

Ahem. Hint: Loveseat.

The Target I went to yesterday had about three of these left. I think they’re quickly going out of stock because the one I visited the other day had none on the shelves. And none of the Targets had the accessories, but since I wasn’t interested in them, it was fine. In other words, they’re pretty picked over, due, I’m sure, to it being post-Christmas.

So I have added a little dollhouse to the temporary digs. I wish there was a miniatures shop nearby but there isn’t. Sigh.

And I do have to work. Right?

Happy Friday.

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Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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