Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1101 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Day Two in the City

October 5, 2015 at 7:32 am by Claudia

10-5 piano top

It’s early morning and I’m doing my best to get this post up and head on into the city for another day of coaching. This will be a long one, as I have to have individual sessions with all ten actors in the show. It’s the kind of thing I can’t think about too much or it will be overwhelming. I just have to breathe and take one session at a time. I’m grateful, of course, for the chance to do some work and get paid for it and for the chance to be of service.

It’s a talented group of actors. The musical is called Songbird and it’s an adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull set in modern-day Nashville. The idea is an interesting one and it really works well. It has great country music sung by very talented performers. They also play their own instruments. I really liked it. As is almost always the case, I walked in the door and recognized someone I knew. The musical director worked on Kiss Me Kate, the show I did earlier this year.

I’m tempted, but only tempted, to go to John Connolly’s book signing at The Mysterious Bookshop tonight. Since the day off in theater is usually a Monday, I never even entertained the possibility that I might be in the city. But I will be.

We’ll see. I might be too tired at that point in the day. When you add in 3+ hours of travel, it makes for a long, long day. But I’ll keep it rolling around in my brain as a possibility.

Don’s box of shiny new CDs should arrive today. He is very excited. Hopefully, he should have them available and on a web site by sometime next week. (I wish I could be here when he opens the box!)

How are you? What are you up to today?

Quick little post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Monday.

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Manhattan Bound

October 4, 2015 at 7:30 am by Claudia

10-4 mg buds

There’re still coming, my morning glories, so you can imagine my relief when I found out our current weather situation is going to change. Warmer temps are on the way, huzzah!

The heat came on today, all by its lonesome. Then Don turned it on again because it was so damp and cold. Then I made him turn it off.

But boy, has it been chilly! We dodged a bullet with the hurricane. We got a lot of rain, but not a deluge. Very thankful.

And very thankful that I have a few days work this week on a new musical that takes place in Nashville. They want a little dialect consistency and yours truly is going to help with that. I wrote that post the other day about trust and turning it over to a higher power, and two days later I got an email about the job. In fact, I’m headed into the city today (I’m writing this post on Saturday evening) to watch a bit of the show, which has already been in rehearsal for two weeks. I’m leaving early in the morning, once again, so there won’t be any time to write a post.

Happy Sunday.

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Oh My!

October 3, 2015 at 9:36 am by Claudia

We all need a little unexpected treat now and then, don’t we? This, as you know, has been a bit of a worrisome week for us; especially for me, the Chief Worrier at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. So when Don came home from the Post Office on Thursday with a package for me from my friend and fellow miniature enthusiast, Barbara, I started smiling, which I suspect hasn’t been happening all that much of late.

Barbara had recently been to a miniature show and had asked if she could send me a little something she found there for me. Of course!

It turns out Barbara had also been setting things aside for me, so when I opened the box I gasped at the treasure trove inside. Actually, I’m sure I gasped more than once.

This is a picture heavy post. I hope you don’t mind. But with minis, if you simply group them together in one photo, they become indistinct. Besides, I wanted to play with an idea I’ve seen on Brae’s blog. She often uses scrapbook paper to back a temporary scene in which she displays new minis. Since the Top Secret Project is relatively unencumbered by furniture at the moment, I found a piece of scrapbook paper and tried my hand at photographing things in this new way. Eventually, I want to get a room box that I can use for just that, as well as playing with miniature scenes.

Don: Stop Right Here. Go No Further!

10-3 mini tin

First up, a lovely little tin. (KristinaBears/Etsy)

10-3 mini tray

And a tray. (Miniatyrmama/Etsy)

10-3 mini trunk

A beautiful wooden trunk, which opens like this:

10-3 mini trunk (open)

(From VictoriaMiniLand)

10-3 mini beads-pottery

Beautiful beads which can function as mini pottery.

10-3 mini crochet throw

A beautiful crocheted throw.

10-3 mini foodstuffs

Yummy food.

10-3 mini fabric

Fabric.

10-3 mini rugs1

Rugs.

10-3 mini rugs2

And more rugs.

10-3 mini fiesta vases

Two beautiful vases.

10-3 mini fiesta pitchers

Eeek! Two Fiesta pitchers. (I have some real-sized ones in the cottage.) I used to collect vintage Fiesta and that collection evolved because I initially fell in love with the Art Deco look of the pitchers. The pitchers and vases were made by I.G.M.A Artisan Janice Crawley. Gorgeous.

And for the Top Secret Project:

10-3 mini guitar

A beautifully made guitar! Oh boy. (Made by LALittleArtist on Etsy.) I think I’ll be ordering another one…this is far better than the ones I’ve been looking at online.

10-3 mini beatles posters

Beatles posters. Don is going to love these!

10-3 mini beatles albums

And Beatles albums! (from LCMinatures/Etsy)

Some of these treasures will go in Caroline’s house. Some will be saved for a future build. Some, obviously, will go in the Top Secret Project. I will almost certainly use a couple of the rugs there because recording studios often have rugs to help with the sound.

Oh my goodness. Barbara: you have spoiled me. Thank you for your incredible gift. I showed Don a lot of it, though not the items for the TSP. He gasped, too!

I don’t deserve it all, but I am thrilled, nonetheless.

As if you haven’t seen enough photos, I’ll show you where I put some of these pieces in Caroline’s house.

10-3 fiesta on shelves