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 whimsey

Whimsy

January 28, 2022 at 7:17 am by Claudia

For some reason, both Don and I woke up at the same time this morning feeling quite rested. I turned on the light. We got up.

It was 4:15.

I reminded myself that I routinely got up at that time when I was working on the movie and then proceeded to work for 12 hours. I don’t have to work a twelve hour day today, so no big deal!

I actually like waking up early – maybe not quite  this early – but I love to rise when it’s still dark. There’s something lovely and quiet and mysterious about it.

Some guidance for my day today, and every day: a quote that appeared when I opened Upstream  by Mary Oliver to a random page. These words jumped off the page:

               You must not ever stop being whimsical.

Mary gets me.

You know how much I love whimsy, how much I believe in whimsy. I cannot imagine my life without it.

On that note: Ben (from the movie) sent me an email yesterday and one of the things he asked was “How is the doll’s house looking? Show me!” So I sneaked into the office where Don was recording and took a quick picture.

Lots of little details yet to go, including dressing the bed – something I’m avoiding. I need some lamps, a couple of plants, more kitchen stuff, a few more books. And I need to address the porch area and add some window boxes.

And more whimsy:

Maeve in her hat. My longtime online friend, Jill (I met her many years ago through miniatures) left a comment on Instagram re this photo. “I see a little attitude in this one. Or is it just me?”

That made me laugh out loud. Jill is right!

Maeve does have some attitude.

Okay. Time to go.

Yes, we’re getting snow tomorrow but only 1-3 inches, which is nothing. We’re relieved.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, dollhouse, miniatures, whimsey 20 Comments

Play

August 30, 2021 at 9:53 am by Claudia

Today marks the 16th anniversary of the day we officially moved into the cottage. Wow! For two people who thought the dream of owning our own place might be unattainable, that dream came true. We are ever grateful and never, never take this for granted. We have too many years of living in rentals, sometimes – in my case – very, very small rentals – behind us. We know how lucky we are.

Speaking of small, I’ve been thinking a lot about how, as I get older, my life and the things I collect speak to childhood and whimsey. I was talking about it to Don this morning. It all started in 2002, when I began to collect figural eggcups with chickens and ducks and geese and bunny rabbits. They spoke to something deep inside of me – a yearning for simpler times, perhaps, a love of the whimsical, and a love of the small. In the course of the past twenty years, I rescued two baby dolls. I made a cloth bunny rabbit. I’ve knitted bunny cozies for my egg cups. I started to collect thing from Vintage by Crystal – the queen of whimsey. I decided to try renovating a used dollhouse and look where that led me! I collect dollhouse miniatures. I collect putz sheep. I collect miniature pottery. I collect dollhouses.

The evolution of my collections – the change from art deco Fiesta Ware to the charming and whimsical designs of McCoy and Roseville (which were the beginning of this new focus) is fascinating to me. There’s something that draws me more and more to my childhood, which wasn’t idyllic, but was full of imagination and toys and making dollhouses out of shoeboxes.

Is there a comfort in the small? In the detail, the designs, the sweetness? Yes, the sweetness – that word just came to me. There’s a sweetness to dollhouses and wee bits of furniture. There’s a sweetness to dolls and eggcups and putz sheep and stuffed bears. A longing, perhaps. A yearning.

Yesterday, after dithering about it for days, I ordered a Blythe doll. I don’t know if you know what Blythe dolls are, but I see them all over Instagram and I have become entranced with them. There’s a whole world out there of Blythe collectors, people who make clothes for Blythes, people who modify the dolls to have distinct features. It’s like walking through a secret door and discovering a new world. The doll itself is not particularly attractive; it’s the way it has been sculpted and modified that can transform it into something darling.

Anyway – and I trust you will understand – I’ve been looking and I found a Blythe that spoke to me yesterday. (I think you have to fall in love with a particular face – it’s very personal.) She will be winging her way to me from England. I plan to slowly accumulate a wardrobe for her. I’ll take her with me to NYC for company, just as I used to take my stuffed bear and bunny with me when I went away for coaching jobs. (Maybe I’ll take all three!) I find myself yearning to play dress up with my doll. Maybe it goes back to my beloved Tiny Tears doll, with a wardrobe handmade by my grandmother – I can still see her pink corduroy coat and bonnet, which my mom disposed of without telling me. I still miss that beautiful doll. So I’ll have a new  doll that I can play with.

A little bit crazy? No doubt. But I strongly believe that play and whimsey keep us young at heart. I ran across this quote from my adored George Bernard Shaw this morning:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

That says it all.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: dolls, whimsey 42 Comments

  • 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