Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Favorite Thing Saturday #5

September 28, 2012 at 8:00 pm by Claudia

Hello, friends! It’s time for another A Favorite Thing Saturday – our fifth! It’s a rainy Friday as I write this post, rather dreary and gray, so let’s look at some happy highlights of last week’s party.

Be still my heart – look at all those deliciously vintage Santas and other Christmas goodies. Dottie, of It’s Just Dottie, displays these gems in a cabinet in her entryway. How could you not smile every time you walked past it?

Rob, of Island Rustic, collects mottos. I, too, am drawn to these wonderfully framed vintage mottos, with fabulous graphics and words to live by. I only have one, but Rob has a whole collection!

And look at this dearly loved bear:

Anikó, of Idle Needle, has had this teddy bear since she was a child. You must read the story to get all the details, but years later, sweet teddy had no more eyes. Eventually, she decided to use all of her mother-of-pearl buttons to create new eyes for him. Or as Anikó says, to make his eyes bright as buttons.

I love seeing everyone’s favorite things. And I think I’m not the only one!

Which brings me to my favorite thing:

This copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was given to my great-aunt Rhoda by my grandmother. Grandma wrote an inscription inside the cover. I never met Rhoda because she died in 1918, along with another sister, Maggie, from influenza. They died within 10 days of each other during the devastating influenza epidemic that took so many lives in 1918. Rhoda was only 15 and was the apple of my grandmother’s eye. I don’t think she ever got over the untimely loss of her sisters. The pages of this book are so fragile that I rarely open it. Grandma held on to it all her life and I am honored to have it here at the cottage.

Now it’s time for you to share your favorite things.

You can link up anytime from this evening through Sunday. Make sure you enter the URL of your post. If you’re unsure how to do that, just click on your post title after you’ve published it and copy the information in your browser address window. Come back here, paste the URL into your link entry and there you go! If you have any problems, drop me an email and I’ll help you out. Please link back to this blog on your post. That way, those that read your post and are interested in reading more can do so.

One of my concerns about link parties is that the very reason for them has somewhat gone by the wayside. They’ve become so big and there are so many of them that many bloggers don’t take the time to visit any of the other participants. Link parties are a way to meet new bloggers and share with each other and the only way to do that is to visit each other. So, please, take some time to visit everyone over the next few days. No rush. Stop by, introduce yourself, and leave a comment. It’s the neighborly thing to do.

Have fun!



Filed Under: A favorite thing 34 Comments

A Stroll with Scout (and me)

September 28, 2012 at 7:00 am by Claudia

Would you like to take a walk with Scout and me? It won’t be taxing. Just a quick trip around the property. It’s a lovely day and the sun is shining. (At least on Thursday when I took these photos! Friday’s forecast is rain.)

The hydrangeas, zinnias, pokeweed and sedum are really hanging in there. That second photo is of my cosmos. I planted all sorts of cosmos seeds and only one came up and it’s just now blooming! Such a nice autumn surprise! (Note to zinnias, sunflowers, bean vines and cosmos: I promise to plant you earlier next year.)

As Scout is well over 13 now, we find these walks around the yard are the best thing for her – not too taxing but full of scents and sights and a sense of adventure. We try to do this with her every day. We’re lucky that we have almost 2 acres here for her to explore. We stay out of our woods, though. Too many ticks for both humans and dogs.

I had 4 inches chopped off of my too-long hair yesterday. Feels so much better.

It’s my dad’s 89th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Don’t forget that I have two giveaways going on. One is for a copy of The Unfinished Garden from my book review earlier this week and the other for velvet pumpkins from LoveFeast Table. The book giveaway ends tonight. The other giveaway ends on Saturday evening. Just scroll down and you’ll see the posts.

I’ll be back later at 8:00 EST with A Favorite Thing. Please join me!

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: A favorite thing, flowers, garden, gardening, nature, Scout 27 Comments

LoveFeast Table Velvet Pumpkin Giveaway

September 27, 2012 at 9:45 am by Claudia

I have an exciting giveaway for you today. I’m sure you’ve seen these gorgeous velvet pumpkins as you’ve been out and about in blogland. I sure have.

Chris Ann and Kristin are two friends who now live several states apart. They started LoveFeast Table as a way to “curate beauty for all those who would gather around this table.” Their site is chock full of interesting and helpful tips and their shop The LoveFeast Shop carries hand-crafted and artistic items, including these velvet pumpkins. They also give back to those in need with The Kitchen Project that is helping build a Children’s Home and Community Center in Mexico, and the Traveling Cookbook, a project to raise awareness and funds for a Mobile Pack Unit for Feed My Starving Children. The unit will provide “100,000 meals for starving children in the highest needs area of the world.” You can read all about Chris Ann and Kristin on their site.

If you visit the site, you can watch a short video in which Chris Ann and Kristin talk about their friendship and how that friendship spawned the idea for LoveFeast Table. Their plates are full – they each have children and busy lives – but they’ve created something quite wonderful together.

I love seeing women band together in a creative endeavor and one that also helps those in need. Since Brenda and I are two friends who met through blogging, we thought it would be a perfect idea for each of us to host a giveaway for these pumpkins on the same day. So make sure you head on over to Cozy Little House for another chance to enter.

Trio Set: Set of 3 – 6 inch, 5 inch and 4 inch. All of LoveFeast’s Velvet Pumpkins, Acorns and Mushrooms are meticulously hand-stitched and handcrafted out of natural organic stems and luxurious velvet fabrics. LoveFeast Shop exclusively carries the velvet colors of Sage and Mushroom.

The winner of this giveaway will be able to choose one of the Trio Sets from the web site. There are even more possibilities than the four trios I chose to show you today! (You know, of course, what trio I would choose for myself. Hint: Turquoise.)

To be entered: Just leave a comment on this post telling me where in your home you might display these pumpkins. The winner will be chosen by the Random Number Generator on Saturday night and announced on Sunday.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: giveaway 90 Comments

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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.

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Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

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