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 Scout

Oh Boy

December 27, 2012 at 8:28 am by Claudia

snow1

snow2

Guess what I’m going to be doing today? All by my lonesome?

You guessed it. Several inches of snow arrived yesterday evening and overnight.

We have a long, uphill driveway. Heating oil is supposed to be delivered today. I am supposed to be driving to Hartford tomorrow. So I am currently sitting here, hurriedly writing a post, drinking enough coffee to wake up and tackle the snow.

snow3

The snow is much deeper than this photo indicates. This is the section I shoveled last night so Scout could find her way up the hill to the dog corral. There we were at 10:00 pm – me shoveling, Scout frolicking. She was having such a good time, she wouldn’t come in.

As Don said to me on the phone (I called him while I was waiting for her to decide to come in) she is pure joy.

Have to go, my friends. Have a great day.

Happy Thursday.

signature2

Filed Under: Scout, snow 39 Comments

Holiday Nesting

December 26, 2012 at 8:08 am by Claudia

afghan

I needed something to keep myself occupied over the holidays. With a lot of time to fill, I pulled out the afghan/throw I started crocheting….well…a long time ago. It was put to the side when I started crocheting all the Obsession Scarves. I’ve spent an enjoyable few days plopped on the sofa in the den, watching The Bishop’s Wife and Meet Me in St. Louis and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (that movie breaks my heart, every time) and old episodes of The Rifleman and The Big Valley.

This is a variation of the ripple stitch in seemingly random colors ( but not really). It’s a scrappy throw for the den. Because it’s so big, I usually leave it on the sofa between bouts of crocheting.

Of course, my little nester had her eye on it and it wasn’t long before I saw this:

scoutafghan

and this:

scoutcrochet

That girl sheds like crazy and everything in me wanted to move her back down to the other end of the sofa. But it was Christmas and, let’s face it, her hair is going to get on it anyway, especially if we use it in the den.

Besides, she’s awfully cute.

I’m glad Christmas is over. It was a long day, punctuated by a couple of Skype calls with Don and phone calls with my sister and dad. I got to say Merry Christmas to my mom, which I’m grateful for. Any sort of phone conversation with her nowadays is very rare and very short – she is not doing well.

I did make myself a special vegetarian holiday dinner: mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, steamed asparagus, some Quorn (which is a chicken substitute – no meat for me), jellied cranberry slices ( I love them) and my grandmother’s Cloud Biscuits:

biscuits

Ummm mmmm good.

I’m off to run a few errands as we have a winter weather watch up for this afternoon and tomorrow. Yuck. I want it to be out of here by the time I have to drive to Hartford on Friday.

Thank you for all the holiday greetings!

Happy Wednesday.

signature2

Filed Under: Christmas, crochet, Don, food, Scout 57 Comments

Camera Love & Flannel Pajamas

December 21, 2012 at 8:00 am by Claudia

It’s amazing what a good camera can do. Let me stop and say that my other camera is very good indeed and has served me well. I plan to keep it around here because I’m rather fond of it. However, this new camera is…well, it is several steps up and, goodness, I am in love.

vasebokeh

Oh, that bokeh. I’m sure glad it’s Christmas time, if only for the Christmas tree lights! It’s a perfect time to experiment.

And here comes Scout, wondering why the heck I’m taking her picture yet again.

Scoutbokeh1

scoutbokeh2

If looks could kill.

Scout is always highly photogenic, but I’m loving the detail in these photos. And the bokeh. And the light shining through her pink ears.

vaseupclose

Pretty dried hydrangeas. Ah, camera, you make me very happy.

In other news, my squirrel flannel pajamas are showing signs of wear and tear. A tear in the back, worn fabric near the pockets and, ahem, a rip in the crotch…so I had to buy a new pair.

OpenZoomLayer

I got these at Target. Nick and Nora – my favorite brand of PJs. I love the color and the little birds on wintry branches. After I came home with them and wore them a few days, Don said he missed my squirrel pajamas (probably because he gave them to me.) He sounded so forlorn that I wore them every night until he left for San Diego. Sort of sweet, don’t you think?

flannelpajamas-2

Fellow flannel pajamas lovers, I plan on having some sort of bloggie get together in January or February. On a date I will set later, each of us will link up with a photo of ourselves wearing our flannel pajamas or with a photo of the pajamas themselves. They can be simple or funny or anything you like. We’ll call it Flannel Pajamas Day. What do you think of that idea? Hey, don’t worry. I’ll have a big old picture of me in my pajamas. I promise.

I’ll be back tonight at 8:00 est for A Favorite Thing – Holiday Edition.

A reminder about the great holiday deal going on at the Frédéric Fekkai Website – valid on all items. With a minimum $50 purchase, you will receive 10% off your order and a complimentary exclusive holiday headband. You can read more about the products in my post here. And be sure to visit the website to explore.

Happy Friday.

signature2

Filed Under: camera, life, pajamas, Scout 68 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • …
  • 123
  • 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