Mockingbird Hill Cottage

You know how you see some object in a store or on a blog and somewhere in your brain you register that you really like it? And then you see it over and over and you think, “Oh, well now I’m seeing it everywhere” and you (meaning me) dismiss it? That happens to me frequently. A few weeks ago I saw a photo somewhere in blogland of a mug/bottle rack filled with colorful cups and mugs. One of them was a large Anthropologie cup in a pattern that I loved – the very thing I had rejected so many times in the past.

Well, darn it! There it was back in my head again.

And I thought to myself, “There are very few things you can afford at Anthropologie, Claudia. But you can spring for a pretty cup or two.”

So, yesterday I escaped from downtown Hartford and drove to Anthropologie. I do love that store and we don’t have one near us back home. They sure know how to style and market their merchandise. It’s always a treat for the eyes.

Ah. Do you see why I love it? It’s oversized and holds a lot of coffee or tea. The little flower right under the  top of the handle is such a sweet touch.

Well, I couldn’t help it. I got one in red, too. I had to, aqua and red are the colors of this blog.

They’re for me. I can safely assure you that Don will not be interested in them.

I had some herbal tea in the red cup yesterday afternoon. And I’m drinking my morning coffee from the aqua cup. They make me smile. And they sure beat the mug I’ve been using with the words “Spring Green General Store” stamped on the side. Nothing against Spring Green. It is a lovely little town and is yet another place where I lived for several weeks while on a coaching job.

There are flowers at the bottom of the cup – a lovely surprise.

I’ve also been feeling the siren call of crochet. It happens every year, like clockwork, as the temperature begins to drop.

So I stopped at Joann’s. This is the incredibly soft yarn I use on some of the scarves for the Etsy shop. It’s made of silk and bamboo.

Oh, and before I forget:

That white building you see on the left is the one that is reflected in the waters of the pond on Saturday’s post. If you look closely at those photos you’ll see bits of the building rearranged and repeated, creating that incredible design. I took this photo yesterday during my walk around the park.

I temporarily halted my reading of The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny to read Michael Connelly’s newest, The Black Box. It was on the New Fiction shelves at the library. I would have been tempted to buy it, so I ended up saving some money. I’m halfway through it and have to finish it soon because I’m leaving on Saturday. (And since I saved money, I feel I can validate the cup purchase. See how that works?)

Two of my former students won Emmy’s last night and they’ve both won them before. Dear Jim Parsons won his third Emmy for The Big Bang Theory. And Abraham Higginbotham won his second Emmy for Modern Family. He is a writer and producer on that show and he was onstage during the acceptance speech. I taught Abe at Boston University when he was a young man studying acting. (He’s a good actor, by the way.) Former students, now good friends; I am thrilled for both of these great guys.

Happy Monday.