Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Tech-ish Sort of Day

August 16, 2016 at 10:10 am by Claudia

Yesterday will now be labeled “Tech Day.”

It started off with Don and I taking turns as we waited for the FedEx guy to deliver Don’s new iPhone. It arrived while I happened to be out watering and I signed for it. Then came the ‘orientation session’ where I showed Don how to activate it, etc.

I know guys are supposed to be adept with all things high tech, but in our house, that role seems to be mine. I’m always a step or three or four ahead of Don and I guide him through these things, whether it’s the remote, or a laptop, or a phone. Once we ironed out a misstep with Don’s Apple ID number, we were good to go. I mentioned to Don that he might want to get a case as soon as possible, because the newer phones are slimmer and can quite easily be dropped.

Then I went upstairs to work on my new drawer unit. Shortly after that, Don called up to me, saying he thought he should get a case ASAP. So we jumped in the car and went to a Verizon store in a neighboring town.

Here is where it gets tech-ish. Don picked out his case. I wandered next door to the Rite-Aid to get a couple of things. I came back to the Verizon store and the woman who was helping us – she was really great – asked if we had a tempered glass insert to protect the glass on the iPhone. No, I didn’t, though I had certainly thought about getting one. Next thing I knew, we were both getting the tempered glass.

Then…she mentioned a special deal on iPads, specifically the iPad Air. Now, up until recently I had no desire for an iPad, thinking I had my phone and my laptop. But this was such a good deal (a slightly older model, just like our iPhone 6.) I knew I would use it a lot both here and on the road, where I could take it to rehearsals and use it for research and downtime. I love my phone and I use it all the time, but for research? I need a bigger screen. So, after gulping a bit, I went for it.

8-16 ipad

And then felt guilty. Don, ever wonderful, urged me to get it and said he didn’t want to hear me expressing any regrets once we left the store.

Because he knows me.

The mobile version of the blog looks pretty good! After charging it last night, I synced it, and today I will spend some time getting to know the newest addition to my Apple family.

Still feeling guilty.

In other news, I did a little prettifying of the IKEA drawers:

8-16 drawer1

I am not a scrapbooker, but I do have a pad of scrapbook paper that’s been hanging around here for a while. So I cut the paper to fit the bottom of the drawer.

Each drawer uses a different design:

8-16 drawer3

8-16 drawer2

Six drawers = six different designs.

Then I went back to something I had done in my youth – gosh I must have been sixteen or so when I got my first file cabinet – and cut the scrapbook paper to fit into the label slot on the front of the drawer. I did the same thing all those years ago. I cut a pretty piece of paper for the label, rather than use a boring old white label.

8-16 labels

Each label matches the paper in the drawer. Why? Just because I like it.

8-16 finisheddrawers

And there you go!

In the midst of all this activity, I actually did  put minis in each drawer.

Added note: I love the way you can see the Target Loft to the left. See the tiny chair? The loft is currently on the floor until I decide where to put it.

A tech day, plus a little prettifying.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: iPad, iPhone, studio 49 Comments

First and Last

August 15, 2016 at 9:52 am by Claudia

The first zinnia:

8-15 firstzinnia

They’ve been a long time coming. Next year, I am amending the soil in the chicken wire fence garden. It clearly needs some nutrients.

The last of the daylilies:

8-15 last of the daylilies

I had two surprise blooms this week. That nicely extended the day lily season, but I’m pretty sure this is it.

It’s a soggy, humid mess out there. The hollyhock looks like it was struck down by some disease, it hasn’t been, but it is definitely done. The rain has been hard on all the flowers in the garden. There are weeds everywhere. It was cloudy yesterday morning, and it seemed  cooler outside, so I grabbed the weed chomper and worked on the area surrounding the Funky Patio. At the end of five minutes or so, which also included some quick stabs at weeding, I was dripping.

Maybe this is nature’s way to slowly bring me around to the fact that September is a couple of weeks away. The garden looks bedraggled. I only have some much energy/desire to tackle it at this point in the summer. The humidity is stifling.

I’m not kidding. I think Mother Nature has a way of bringing us around to the realization that it’s almost over until next year. She breaks the news gently, but the facts stare us in the face and we have to admit defeat.

Though I’m still waiting on my morning glories and moonflowers and the rest of my zinnias.

Yesterday, I tackled the Helmer drawer unit from IKEA.

Can I just say that it was a pain in the tush? In the interest of total honesty, it was a pain in the tush because I had the drawer glides installed incorrectly and I didn’t realize it until I had cursed for over an hour as I tried to get the damn thing together. I finally realized my mistake and took the whole thing apart.

8-15 cabinetikea

It’s fine now. It’s very inexpensive and, therefore, the quality is fairly flimsy, but it will do until I can afford something else. Or even want something else. By the way, the screws that attach the casters to the base won’t go into the base correctly. They, my friends, were also a pain in the tush.

Little Z’s dollhouse should be a breeze compared to this.

We’re going to try to mow a bit this morning before it gets real hot. The grass is so long – everywhere – and there is still rain in the forecast for this week, so we have to grab any non-rainy time we can get.

Don’s getting a new iPhone today and he’s very excited. He’s been using an older model, much smaller than the one I have, and he needs something bigger and faster. He’s a big guy and he’s got big hands. Since he was eligible for an upgrade, his shiny new phone will be delivered to our door today.

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: flowers, garden, Ikea, studio 32 Comments

Creative Messes & A Quick Trip to IKEA

August 13, 2016 at 9:36 am by Claudia

Lest you think everything is in order around here – or that every photo I take is styled.

8-13 studio1

8-13 studio2

8-13 studio3

Yes, this is what it looks like up here in the office/studio. It’s a mess. A creative mess, but a mess nonetheless.

We went to IKEA yesterday. It takes an hour and a half to get there – it’s in New Jersey – so we rewarded ourselves with lunch while we were there. The new catalogue is out and I grabbed a copy as soon as we entered the building.

There were a couple of things I wanted to get. For Little Z:

flisat-doll-house-wall-shelf__0415370_PE577914_S4

This dollhouse, which can stand alone or hang on a wall. It’s the Flisat Doll House. I saw it on my friend Kat’s Instagram feed and since every time we Face Time with Little Z, he wants to see my dollhouse, I thought this might be fun for him. I’m not quite sure what to do with it yet. Do I decorate it à la Paw Patrol? Or is that too limiting? Do I gather up some basic furniture that is appropriate for a five year old boy, so he can play with it? Not sure yet, but I don’t mind saying I wouldn’t mind hanging this on my  wall! But, as you well know, the available wall space around here has already been taken.

Besides some new fry pans (which we desperately needed) and some new drinking glasses, I also spotted this little piece and decided it would be perfect for storing minis:

helmer-drawer-unit-on-casters-white__0175264_PE328644_S4

That’s what is in the box that’s leaning against the wall in the second photo. Now, unfortunately, I have to put it together, which will result, I’m absolutely sure, in lots of cursing.

The dollhouse is in the big blue IKEA bag. I have about 8 of these bags now, because I always forget to take the bags I already own with me when I visit IKEA and end up having to buy new ones. Since they are handy for so many things, among them, moving my crap into temporary housing when I’m in Hartford, I don’t mind having more.

There is an Excessive Heat Warning today with the heat index headed to well over 100°. I will water. I will walk down to the mailbox to get the mail. That’s it. I’m hiding indoors for the rest of the day, putting together fiddly pieces from IKEA, and…maybe…straightening things up around here.

I framed the watercolor of Scout:

8-13 scoutieframed

It’s so beautiful. Now, we just have to figure out the best place to hang it. There has been much discussion, but we haven’t come up with a decision yet. To be continued.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: dollhouse, Ikea, Little Z, office, studio 50 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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