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 nature

A Sunrise, A Wedding & A Scarf

October 1, 2012 at 8:44 am by Claudia

Oh boy. The morning sunrise was so spectacular that I had to run outside in my socks and flannel pjs to grab some pictures.

This kind of amazing light spotlighting the autumn colors is so fleeting. One minute later, it was gone.

A moody sky, fall colors and a sunrise makes for some pretty pictures, no?

We went to a wedding this weekend. Heidi’s daughter Whitney got married to her longtime beau, Cory. I have to say this might be the loveliest wedding I’ve ever attended (not counting our own, which was pretty perfect.) They chose to be married at one of our local farms. The barn was decorated with hanging lights, hay bales and simple decorations. The rustic theme was beautifully realized with perfect touches everywhere I looked.

The ceremony itself was free of all extraneous hoopla and whittled right down to the essence of the vows. At the end, the minister said (I’m paraphrasing) Now the bride may kiss the groom. Right on, Whitney!

There were 2 white tents right outside the back of the barn – one for hors d’oeuvres and one for dinner. We drank out of mason jars. Heidi and Whitney collected all sorts of vintage china for 9 months so that every place setting was different. There was beautifully mismatched silverware. The napkins were tied with twine that held a place card. My neighbor, Elissa, did the flowers and they were pitch perfect.

There was such a relaxed vibe throughout the whole event. Whitney and Cory were completely at ease, as were their parents and wedding party. I’ve known Whitney for 7 years and have watched her grow into a lovely young woman. I am frankly amazed that she, at the young age of 22, handled all of this with such ease and grace. It was truly lovely.

Yes. I shed a tear or two.

There was dancing in the barn later, but we left before it started. Does that make us old fogies?

Probably.

Here’s a shadowy photo of Don and me at the reception.

Thank you, Whitney and Cory, for including us in your special day.

I just added this scarf to the shop:

The changes in color and shade are subtle and beautiful. (I can’t take credit for that – just the crochet!)

Update: Gosh, that went quickly! Penny bought it!

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: crochet, etsy, life, nature 17 Comments

A Stroll with Scout (and me)

September 28, 2012 at 7:00 am by Claudia

Would you like to take a walk with Scout and me? It won’t be taxing. Just a quick trip around the property. It’s a lovely day and the sun is shining. (At least on Thursday when I took these photos! Friday’s forecast is rain.)

The hydrangeas, zinnias, pokeweed and sedum are really hanging in there. That second photo is of my cosmos. I planted all sorts of cosmos seeds and only one came up and it’s just now blooming! Such a nice autumn surprise! (Note to zinnias, sunflowers, bean vines and cosmos: I promise to plant you earlier next year.)

As Scout is well over 13 now, we find these walks around the yard are the best thing for her – not too taxing but full of scents and sights and a sense of adventure. We try to do this with her every day. We’re lucky that we have almost 2 acres here for her to explore. We stay out of our woods, though. Too many ticks for both humans and dogs.

I had 4 inches chopped off of my too-long hair yesterday. Feels so much better.

It’s my dad’s 89th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Don’t forget that I have two giveaways going on. One is for a copy of The Unfinished Garden from my book review earlier this week and the other for velvet pumpkins from LoveFeast Table. The book giveaway ends tonight. The other giveaway ends on Saturday evening. Just scroll down and you’ll see the posts.

I’ll be back later at 8:00 EST with A Favorite Thing. Please join me!

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: A favorite thing, flowers, garden, gardening, nature, Scout 27 Comments

Fall: It’s Time for the Flannel Pajamas Club

September 20, 2012 at 8:45 am by Claudia

Suddenly it’s Fall around here. The night before last, the east coast was pummeled by rain. Big storms, lots of rain, lots of wind.  And leaves were falling everywhere. They’d already secretly turned from green to gold but since they were hidden high up in the trees, we were fooled into thinking a bit of summer was still here.

Time to look up.

Ah, there they are. Still a lot of green up there, but that won’t be for long.

Ahem. Time for an official announcement:

This morning I have my flannel pajamas top on. Not the bottoms – I’m still wearing my summer pajama bottoms. But if the top is in evidence, can the whole thing be far behind? You know that I’m reluctant to say goodbye to summer, but oh, how I love my flannel pajamas. And that means that it is almost time for our club to begin meeting once again. Oh heck, it is time.

Membership is free. There are some rules, however.

  • • You must love wearing your flannel pajamas.
  • • Simply loving them isn’t enough. You have to find any excuse to wear them.
  • • Possible excuses: “But I need to clean the house.” “My writing suffers if I’m not comfortable.” “It’s 3:00 pm.” ” It gets dark early.” “I just came home from work and I have to change my clothes, so why waste another outfit? I’ll just go straight to my pajamas.”
  • • More excuses: “If I must cook, then I have to wear my flannel pjs.” “But I’m drinking hot chocolate.“
  • • That’s all. Simple.

Feel free to use the button. As the official Flannel Pajamas Ambassador, I feel compelled to spread the word, to extol the pleasures of soft, warm flannel. I pledge to educate my readers as we move into fall and winter as to the many things that can be executed successfully, nay, even more successfully, in flannel pajamas. I promise to keep you informed. And yes, I have driven the car while wearing my flannel pajamas.

Will you join me?

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: autumn, flannel pajamas club, nature 31 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • …
  • 27
  • Next Page »
  • 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