Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Les Boites Des Vignettes

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Hello – hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day. We spent part of it with musician friends and had a great time. School started in our neck of the woods today and Scout couldn’t be happier. Two school buses to bark at! When the first bus stopped and she started barking, we all shouted “Hurray! The noisy bus is here!” And by all, I mean Riley, Scout, me and Don. I know…we’re nuts.

I’ve been playing around with an idea – something I’ve wanted to try for a while. You know I consider myself crafty in some areas but not so much in others. Yet I am inspired daily by all the wonderful creations I see out here in blogland. So this idea was percolating and then I received Lori’s present.


My little sheep needed a home. and off I went to Michael’s. I bought a very inexpensive unfinished box (well, actually 4 boxes.)


I painted it a creamy color, including those glaringly bright brass hinges.

Then I added some favorite things:


The French text on the left, the french soap label and the tag came from my friend Mary. The text looks like it is from an old prayer book and it fit perfectly in the indentation on the lid. I used one of my French stamps for the tag. I threaded some flowers through the opening on the hinge and tied them in a little bouquet with some vintage seam binding. I also added some flowers to the text.


A little crown that Meri sent me was painted, slightly shabbied and glued on what was the top of the box.


A shell or two was added.


Let’s move Sophie (yes, that’s her name) in.



What do you think?


I have her on my bookcase in the studio. I have all sorts of ideas floating around in my head for other little boxes. I shall call them ‘boites’ – how about “Les Boites des Vignettes?” Yes, that is what I shall call them. Such fun!

A Wondrous Surprise in the Mail

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I am blessed. Yes, I am. I have wonderful friends that I’ve known from the age of 4 and friends I have been lucky enough to meet in recent years. One very special friend is Lori, the owner of Vignettes. Lori is kind, generous, funny, beautiful inside and out, and incredibly talented. I have rhapsodized about Vignettes in many posts over the past 2 years and if I could beam myself up I would be there today. Nothing, I mean nothing, I have seen anywhere else comes close to the wondrous enchantment of that shop.

Lori sent me a message last week saying she had put something in the mail for me – a little care package from Vignettes and her that she thought would make me smile. Yesterday, it arrived in my mailbox. (Our rural mail carrier, also named Lori, always gives a toot on her horn when she leaves a package down by our mailbox – isn’t that sweet? As soon as I heard it, I was hightailing it on down there.)


The wreath adorned the package, which I forgot to take a picture of in my excitement. Lori sent this wonderful handmade card in which she wrote some lovely words to me and mentioned that she couldn’t bear to think of my sheep all alone without a pal (I’d seen some vintage putz sheep in the shop) and here was a “friend all dressed up in Vignettes’ finery.”

Just wait. This was also in the package:


Isn’t this beautiful? The lovely sentiment, the sweet cottage, the beautiful trim around the frame? I am already searching for the perfect place for it in our cottage. Are you ready for a sheep arrayed in the best Vignettes’ finery?


Take a minute to collect yourself.

Gasp… Swoon…no words are adequate to describe what Lori had Karen Lampard of Cafe Paperie create for me. In fact, my gasp as I unwrapped this could be heard throughout the cottage. Look at the detail: the hat and the rose, the saddlebags trimmed with a button and the sign ‘Vignettes or Bust’, the flowers, the bell, the decorations around each hoof. Oh. my. goodness.


Double swoon! An Eiffel Tower pendant.

Could there be a cuter rear view? Every little detail is perfection.

I am humbled by this. This isn’t a swap or my birthday. This is just because. I told my husband that I couldn’t believe anyone would take the time to make something like this for me. That lovely Lori remembered the sheep and then went the extra mile to envision all this fabulous finery is truly incredible. I still can’t take it all in. As you well know, it is rare when I am speechless. But I was. I’m still having trouble finding the right words to express my gratitude and awe. Thank you, Karen. Thank you, dearest Lori. I am so grateful for the gift of your friendship. I miss you terribly.******************************************************************

In other news: I have the giveaway winners, chosen through random.org.

First, the winner of a copy of HotHouse Flower:

Number 5 – Caseymini! I’ll send you an email, but if you see this first, drop me a line with your address and I will forward it on to TLC Book Tours who will forward it to the publisher.

Second, the winner of the CSN Giveaway:

Number 61 – Meeyeehere aka Rachel. Rachel, I will forward your email address on to CSN and they will contact you.

Congratulations to the winners!

One Last Vignettes Visit and Home

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I’d like to wish my sister a very Happy Birthday! Her birthday is actually Saturday and she is in Amsterdam until Monday. Love you, Meredith! Your little sheep are in the mail – finally.

I will be leaving Sunday around 1:00 in the afternoon. Sunday is the 4th, as you know, and that means it is the 16th anniversary of the day Don and I met. We met at the beach. Our friend, Kathy, had a 4th of July party every year – she lived in a charming cottage in Ocean Beach. Yes, Don and I literally saw fireworks the day we met! And four years later, on the same date, he asked me to marry him. My long flights, coupled with the time difference, mean I won’t land until close to midnight. I may just make it home on our anniversary.

I drove out to Vignettes one more time this week. Lori happened to be there for a short time (she is recovering from back surgery) and I was happy I had a chance to say goodbye. Here are some photos:







The bird cage and the fabulous zinc table in the next photo were found at an estate sale. Whoever owned these loved this shade of blue. So do I. Sigh.


Do you remember the photo of a wedding dress that was in my last post about Vignettes? Lori told me someone saw it on my blog and fell in love it. I’m not sure who it was, but she purchased it. That makes me happy.

Given my strong feelings about not being away from my home for another spring and my increasing distaste for the direction in which this theater is headed, I have a feeling I won’t be back to San Diego for a while. I’ll miss all of my friends. I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to spend time with you. I wish you only the best!

I’ll probably lay low for a few days when I first get home. After some cleaning and weeding and cuddles with my husband and dogs, I’ll be back.

I just realized that this is my 500th post!

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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