Mockingbird Hill Cottage

I see the sun peeking out this morning – very welcome after a rainy day yesterday. I look outside and think of the massive clean-up that awaits me, but since the ground is still soggy after all the rain and snow we’ve had, I think I’ll hold off until next week when Don is home. Then I can work outside for long periods without having to check on Dame Scout.

This is where she is right now. The sound of snoring provides the background ‘music’ as I write this post.

Three weeks ago I went to IKEA and Trader Joe’s. Remember? And yesterday, exactly three weeks after I bought them, the pink alstromeria in the den kicked the bucket. But the white alstromeria flowers in the living room are still hanging in there.

The leaves are yellowing but the blooms are still fresh. I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know, but if you want to get some bang for your buck, buy alstromeria. I don’t have the funds to buy flowers that last only a few days. If I’m going to treat myself to some flowers, I sure as heck want them to last for a while. If you can buy a bouquet where the flowers haven’t opened yet, even better.

And besides, they’re lovely. I’ve been buying alstromeria for years. The tulips I bought at the same time? I loved them, but they lasted about 5 days. If that was the only bouquet I bought that day, I would have been disappointed.

On to the dollhouse. I go through periods where I’m not interested in doing any work on it and then, suddenly, something will jump start my creative process and I’m back in the dollhouse game. That’s what happened this week. A blogging friend of mine who is a miniaturist is sending me something for the dollhouse. She made it for a specific room and I am still gobsmacked that she offered to do it. It’s coming all the way from the other side of the world. I know what it is, but I haven’t seen it yet. Needless to say, I’m excited, which is putting it mildly! That will be a post in itself. I’m still amazed and awed by the generosity and kindness of bloggers. Oh heck, by the generosity of all of my readers, bloggers or not.

That knowledge is what got me thinking about the dollhouse and about the rooftop potting shed once again. I’ve got all sorts of plans for that space and I’ve been pouring over catalogues and websites. I’ve literally spent hours scrolling through all the dollhouse miniatures on Etsy. I bookmark every item that I think I’d love to have in my dollhouse. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot of bookmarks. Gosh, there’s so much I want to add to Hummingbird Cottage. It’s all in the tiny details and I haven’t spent a lot of time on those details yet because I’ve been working on the bigger picture. (You’ll notice the red paint has been removed from the Cherub. Much better. Still have to re-paint the ceiling.)

While digging through one of my dollhouse bins, I found something I bought about 4 years ago. I’ve been looking for it, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Of course, it was right there all along, but you know how that goes.

It’s that mirror over the chest. I found it in the jewelry-making section of Michael’s. It had a loop at the top which I removed with wire snips. I was originally thinking of it for the bathroom but I now realize it is too small for that space. Much better here in the bedroom where the owner can stop and do some last minute adjustments when she’s getting ready for her day. I thought of painting the frame, but I like the pewter-y looking metal.

As for details, imagine some make up brushes and perfume bottles on top of that dresser. That’s the kind of detail I can’t wait to add to the dollhouse. But I’m on a budget, so it will take some time. That’s okay. I love the creative process, don’t you?

Happy Saturday.