Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Gifts, Shop Update & a Rose

at by

The heat and humidity have broken and it’s a glorious, sunny morning here at MHC. The grass has had the temerity to grow and I see a few days of mowing in the near future. (Sssh – don’t tell anyone, but I sort of like mowing.)

I have to share something with you that I received from my friend, Judy Clark. Judy has a wonderful Etsy shop that is wildly popular, 20 North Ora. Her pillows, banners and other creations are simply beautiful. Judy and were talking a while back and she mentioned that she’d like an Obsession Scarf. I knew that she had made a Nisse doll for Brenda, so I boldly asked if we could do a swap. (I wrote all about my obsession for these sweet dolls here.)

She agreed. I sent her the scarf and here’s what arrived on my doorstep the other day:

I think I got the better end of the deal. Oh. my. goodness. Isn’t she sweet? I am thrilled. I love the fabrics Judy chose, don’t you? Judy also sent along those cute pinwheels and a banner/bunting/garland (I’m never sure what to call these) that I found the perfect place for:

The dollhouse looks rather festive now, don’t you think? Just in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Thank you, Judy. Your work is exquisite and I will treasure your creations. Make sure you stop by Judy’s shop and see what she’s been creating.

I suppose it will be my Diamond Jubilee later this year, too. Yikes. Perhaps someone will design a bunting/garland in honor of that occasion? (I’m going to try to ignore it.)

Speaking of Etsy, I have a little update for you. I’ve listed my Crochet Flower Garland.

Initially, I’m listing the garland in the same colors I used in my own garland. I’m making them as they are ordered, so allow a few days before shipping. Each garland will have 12 flowers – 6 in aqua and 6 in the pale aqua. I’ll also include a length of ribbon.

I use Peaches & Creme yarn for these because it has a slightly stiffer quality that works well for the flowers. I ordered it in other colors, as well, so if you’re interested in the garland in another color combination, email me or convo me on Etsy and we’ll talk.

And it wouldn’t be my blog in the spring without a flower photo:

This is the New Dawn Rose that I planted last year. I’m training it to climb up the porch railing. I think this is my favorite rose (don’t tell the others) because that soft, blush pink is so beautiful.

I have to store up all the gloriousness (is that a word?) of the garden in my heart and mind. Its time is so fleeting. I’m so glad I’m home this spring to enjoy every moment of it.

Happy Thursday.

Peonies, Roses & Green Grass

at by

Flowers, flowers everywhere here at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. The roses in the garden have started to bloom. The poppies have finished their bloom – my goodness, their bloom time is very short! Maybe that makes their vivid orange color all the more rare and wonderful.

And the peonies:

The scent is heavenly. The other day I was standing in the den wondering where this amazing scent was coming from and I remembered I had some in a vase on the coffee table. And I smiled.

Due to someone’s forgetfulness at an airport counter, I have a lovely bouquet of pink roses that Don brought home for me.

There are lots of worries in my life at the moment. I don’t know what I’d do without my garden. I can lose myself for hours there. There’s always something to do and I love doing it all. Even weeding. It is a healing, magical place – at least for me.

Speaking of healing, remember the state of our lawn after it was dug up for the septic work and the tree removal? I’ll remind you:

Depressing. Full of rocks. Lots of ruts.

Well, some of the ruts are still there – we’re working on that. Many of the rocks are gone. But many are still there. Nevertheless….here is how it looks today:

Much better, don’t you think? There are still bare patches, but we’ll seed again in the fall.

Happy Wednesday.

The Arts are Alive and Well in Connecticut!

at by

I’ve been to Connecticut many times in my life. It’s a beautiful state, full of thriving cities, picturesque small towns, a beautiful shoreline and lovely countryside. Now that I live in New York state, I have the opportunity to visit Connecticut more often. And this year, through my work as a Voice, Speech & Dialect coach, I have been privileged to work at two of Connecticut’s premiere regional theaters. Through working in Hartford and New Haven, I was able to see and experience the thriving arts communities in both these cities.

I just got back from spending 5 weeks in Hartford working at the Tony Award winning Hartford Stage. The Hartford Stage was founded in 1963 by Jacques Cartier (who I was privileged to work with years later at Boston University) in a former grocery store warehouse. It has grown to become one of the leading regional theaters in the country. The productions are consistently excellent, the staff is wonderful and the new Artistic Director, Darko Tresnjak, is someone I’m proud to call a friend.

One of the great things about working out of town is the chance I get to explore the city I’m in. Hartford is a wonderful mixture of modern office buildings and beautifully restored historic buildings. It has a gorgeous park – Bushnell Park – right in the middle of the city.

It’s a great walking city. I was able to get to most of my destinations quite easily. And if I couldn’t walk, I could hop on a bus – the bus system is great. If you don’t have a car, a quick bus ride will take you to the Mark Twain House, where Samuel Clemens lived from 1874 -1891 and where he wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Right next door is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. Imagine, Stowe (the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which was a ground-breaking abolitionist novel) and Samuel Clemens were next door neighbors! She lived in this residence for the last years of her life.

I spent a lovely afternoon at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, founded in 1842, a gorgeous museum filled with art, sculpture, antiquities and decorative arts. This is the perfect-sized museum, not so big that it becomes overwhelming, but big enough to make the visit more than worthwhile. The museum has an incredible collection of Hudson River School landscapes. While I was there, there was an Andrew Wyeth exhibition going on as well as an exhibition on the Civil War.

This is a museum that I will go back to again and again. Their collection is vast. The gift shop is wonderful and there is a lovely cafe that is open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday.

Last January found me in New Haven working at the Tony Award winning Long Wharf Theatre. This amazing theater, founded in 1965 in a food terminal building by the New Haven harbor, has long been a leader in regional theater, presenting classis and contemporary theater. Over 30 of the Long Wharf’s productions have transferred to Broadway and off-Broadway. When I was just out of college, one of my first regional theater experiences as an audience member was at the Long Wharf. My husband, an actor, worked there a few years ago and loved the experience. My experience this past January was equally rewarding.

New Haven has a long history of exciting theater; for many, many years plays and musicals heading to Broadway had an out-of-town tryout in New Haven. If you go to New Haven, try to schedule a visit to the Long Wharf. You’ll see cutting edge, exciting theater. There’s also the famous Yale Repertory Theatre – another Tony Award winning theater – that is linked to the well-known Yale School of Drama. That’s two Tony Award winning theaters in one town!

Yale University’s beautiful campus is in New Haven, and a host of museums, as well. There is the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Yale Center for British Art, and the Connecticut Children’s Museum.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the famous Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, the home of Goodspeed Musicals. This wonderful theater’s mission is to “preserve and produce musical theatre of the highest quality.” And they do.

There’s so much more! Connecticut is a beautiful state and I know you’ll love exploring it.

There’s an exciting opportunity to win a $1000 giftcard, sponsored by
Leave a comment telling me what sites you would visit if you had a day to spend in Hartford, Ct.

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 6/13 to 8/8.

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