Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1552 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The Hanging Lamp Saga Continues

January 31, 2012 at 10:15 am by Claudia

Hello! Happy Tuesday. It’s going to be 51 degrees here today. 56 degrees tomorrow. I live in upstate New York. It’s January. What the ???? I’m not complaining, mind you, just a little flummoxed. Flummox (bewildered, perplexed) is an old-fashioned word that I’ve just decided to use more often. Do you like old-fashioned words like I do?

The bare-bones lampshade is still sitting on the kitchen table and I’m sick of seeing it there. Therefore, I must decide what to do with it. I’ve thought of just about every possibility, with great help from all of you, and I remain undecided. But…

Yesterday afternoon, while Don was in his sickbed (why are men so difficult when they are under the weather?), I started playing around with some vintage doilies I have in my stash. These particular doilies have aged to a sort of pale beige – if I chose a designer-like name for the color I would use Café au Lait. I temporarily fastened them onto the frame with paperclips.

I’d have to do a fair amount of adjusting, but I rather like the frame being exposed here and there. With the light on:

Hmmm. It’s awfully pretty. I don’t want something too frou-frou. Somehow, this doesn’t come across as too frilly.

I must say that the light shining through the doilies is a very pretty look.

It would also catch the sunlight from the kitchen windows. (I’m looking at it right now from the den and the sunlight is giving it a wonderful glow.)

It’s a work in progress. Not the finished product.

Is it right for my cozy, homey, country kitchen? I’m growing quite fond of it.

Re-thinking the Need to Buy, Buy, Buy

January 30, 2012 at 11:55 am by Claudia

Did you know there are vintage Golden Wedding Anniversary Cake Toppers? I must confess I didn’t until I ran across this one in a local shop. At just a few dollars, I felt justified in adding it to my collection. I’m not sure I’d ever want that particular shade of gunmetal gray in my hair, but at least husband and wife match.

Back to a few dollars.

These are tough times for so many of us. Reading your comments on the Thrifty Living posts has been revelatory. Every one of you has a story, whether it concerns job loss, retirement on a fixed income, illness and medical bills, lack of health insurance, putting a kid through college… I could go on and on. Many times I have been moved to tears. You are all so brave. You’ve written from the heart about your own struggles and I thank you.

So when I read blog posts here and there in blogland that continually center on accumulating things one after another, I must admit I get more than a little turned off. It just seems so inappropriate in these times. I should clarify that thought. We all love a deal. When we can find something for a song, or snag something at an auction or estate sale for next-to-nothing, recycle by purchasing something vintage, find something on the side of the road and remake it – that calls for Hurrahs all around. That’s being thrifty, creative and thinking outside the box.

(chalkboard and hanger made out of materials I had on hand)

Taking something you have on hand and rethinking it is a great idea. It’s not about accumulating but it is about using what you have.

I understand the thrill of buying something new. It’s a high. I’ve felt that high.

Let me tell you, the high I get from recycling, reusing, and finding some little treasure for a few dollars is much more satisfying.

Would I like to get rid of this well-over-twenty-years-old-loveseat and buy something new? Something that is a wee bit more comfortable? Yes. But that’s an expense we can’t handle right now. So I make it as pretty as I can with what I have and that’s just fine.

All you have to do is watch the nightly news or read the comments on our Thrifty Living Series to know that there are so many people out there who are struggling to survive. Many have lost their pensions, their homes and are trying to make sense of this new world we live in. And I’m the first to say I love pretty pictures and beautiful homes. We all need to dream. But even more, I love seeing a ‘make do’ kind of attitude. The creativity that arises from that mode of thinking is amazing.

(repurposed lamp shade made into swag light)

Some of my favorite pieces in my home have come about from thinking: What can I do with what I have?

Of course, I made this discovery because I had to. It was and is a necessity.

I don’t begrudge anyone what they have or how they spend their money. It’s their business. I just find posts about living creatively on a very small budget more enriching. I’d much rather read about a headboard that was made out of scrap lumber than read about one that was custom-made with expensive fabrics.

(screen redone with fabric strips)

I’d rather read about someone spending a few dollars on flowers to pretty up a room than see a room re-done for thousands and thousands of dollars.

Or read about a lovingly hand-made item that adds a level of warmth and comfort to a room.

I’d rather see a kitchen re-done on a small budget than one with all the bells and whistles.

This has become my own particular sensibility. And I’m grateful for it. It allows me to be thankful for what I have, if only for a moment in time. It allows me to look around our little cottage and think, “It’s fine just the way it is, but maybe I can use this fabric in my stash to….”

Your thoughts?

My Boys are Under the Weather

January 29, 2012 at 11:01 am by Claudia

Sunny skies on this Sunday morning. Thank you Old Man Winter. You’ll see photos of this particular view fairly often on the blog. This is what I see when I stand in the kitchen doorway and look up. That’s a maple on the left, the catalpa in the middle and our sugar maple on the right, along with a cast of thousands. We have a lot of trees.

My boy Riley had a very bad night. I woke up to discover he’d had some elimination problems (no big deal, we’re used to that now) and he’d somehow managed to get wedged half-way under the kitchen island. I can only imagine he panicked and, since he has problems getting around anyway, somehow slipped on the wood floor and couldn’t get up. When I managed to get him up, he kept collapsing. I finally got him outside where he regained a little strength in his legs.

He’s exhausted. Life is hard for my dear boy and I try to reassure him when he’s distressed or worried. Because he does worry. At this point in his life, nothing is worth one second of his feeling bad or guilty.

We try to make getting around as easy as possible. We lift him up and down the stairs. We help him up when his body is stiff and sore. When we look outside and see a mass of mud on the path to the corral, Don runs to the Agway to get some hay.

We cover the mud and tamp it down, so he can get a solid footing. (We put a bit too much down this time!) I vacuum up bits of hay every day. But if it helps Mr. Riley, I’ll vacuum ten times a day.

Don has a cold. Both my boys are having a tough time of it.

Scout and I are fine. Right, Scout?

What are your plans for this Sunday? Is it sunny in your neck of the woods?

The Hanging Lamp Saga Continues

Re-thinking the Need to Buy, Buy, Buy

My Boys are Under the Weather

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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