Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1570 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The Painting

November 16, 2011 at 9:38 am by Claudia

Do you have some special something you’d grab if there was, God forbid, a fire or flood in your home? I have several. Heaven knows if I’d be together enough to think of any of them in a moment of panic. But I do know that I would be yanking this off the wall:

For those of you who are newer readers of this blog, a couple of years ago I was working in San Diego for an extended period of six months. I often visited my favorite shop: Vignettes. This painting was hanging behind the counter. I’d seen it for the first time the year before and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Over the course of several months, I visited it; rather like paying homage at a shrine. I’d stand there, pretending to look at something else, while I was really stealing glances at the painting. Eventually, when I realized how transparent I was, I started talking about it to Lori, the owner of Vignettes. The price was more than I had ever paid for a piece of art. It really wasn’t all that much, just a lot for us. Our modest income forces us to be extremely frugal.

Lori called the dealer, who was willing to give me a bit of a discount. She wrote down the price on a business card. I still have it.

Still, I couldn’t imagine actually buying it.

But I loved this cherub painting that had come to Vignettes all the way from France. Sometimes we see something that touches us deep in our core and no amount of rational thinking will change the fact that we are in love – in love with something that brings us joy. You know that feeling? Well, I had it.

Eventually, I took a picture of it. I had it on my computer desktop. I pondered. I was afraid to tell Don of my need for this piece. Would he scoff? Would he not get it?

I finally emailed the photo to him. And then, fairly sure that he wasn’t a fan of cherubs, I haltingly tried to explain my passion for these cherubs. And my love for the pale aqua of the frame. And the price.

After being away from my family and home for 6 months, perhaps I felt I deserved a treat. Bless his heart, he understood.

Sigh of relief. Still not absolutely sure I would buy it, I trotted off to Vignettes. There it was. No one had stolen it away from me. Then Lori saw me and said that she had been thinking of me, especially since a customer had come to the shop, bought the painting and was having it wrapped up when, at the last minute, he changed his mind. She said all she could think about as the painting was taken down off the wall was how upset I would be.

That did it. The universe was telling me to buy it. I wouldn’t be so lucky a second time.

It hangs in our bedroom. It’s inspired the choice of the pale aqua coverlet on the bed.

Which brings me to our bedroom. The bedroom needs work. We have several pieces of furniture that need to be painted. That’s a project I want to tackle soon. I’d like to try chalk paint but it’s so darned expensive. Anyway, I want the color to be inspired by the colors of this painting. I’d love any suggestions you might have, especially from those of you who have used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. If I use it, I can only afford one color, so it has to be the right choice.

Any ideas?

Defending the Small House #1

November 15, 2011 at 8:00 am by Claudia

{Living Big in 1200 Square Feet.}

Week 1: Frugal Storage for Crafts

Brenda and I are starting our new series, Defending the Small House, today. We’re really excited to share our ideas with you and to hear your ideas. We are starting the series with craft storage. Brenda recently moved and has fixed up her office/craft space and I have found my own solutions to the problem of storage. Here goes!

As many of you know, there are two of us living here. My husband needs his studio space, which is in the guest room/studio/office. I need my space, as well. So I made the upstairs landing and hallway my creative space. Why not? The hallway was pretty boring as it was and now it is fun, filled with creative energy and both my husband and I love it.

This is the view at the top of the stairs (you can see the newel post in the lower left hand corner.) There is a little niche under the slanted ceiling and that is where I tucked my sewing machine table. It fit perfectly, which I took as a sign from the heavens to go ahead with my wacky idea. I made that skirt out of an old Shabby Chic shower curtain. I pulled it from my fabric stash so the cost was $0. Storage tip #1: Go under. That skirt looks sweet, but it also hides a lot of things that I need but don’t necessarily want out on display. If something is unsightly, mask it with a skirt and then use that area for storage.

The white shelf unit behind the sewing table was something I found in our shed and repainted. Now it functions as a handy place to store sewing notions.

I collect pottery, so I have a lot of it scattered around the house, which leads me to Storage Tip #2: Use what you have on hand. Shop your house. Pottery and china are not only attractive but can provide valuable storage space. You may not have lots of storage space, but some cheerful pieces of pottery that hold buttons or beads or paint brushes may just do the trick. This piece holds fabric for whatever project I’m working on at the moment.

This little creamer with my initials on it (that was a find!) holds fabric markers, paintbrushes, and seam rippers.

This mug holds my measuring tapes.

This piece of Roseville pottery holds vintage seam binding.

My craft and decorating books are in this bookcase that I bought for $30. Frugal. That vintage sewing basket also stores supplies.

Here’s the view as you turn the corner in the hallway. I bought this cabinet for $75 through an ad on Craig’s List. Storage Tip #3: Buy vintage, buy used. Not only will you get a great deal, you’ll often find something with much more personality than anything you would buy new. This cabinet, with its sort of deco-looking handles is wonderfully funky and I certainly wouldn’t have found anything like it in a furniture store.

Back to that bookshelf: I tried and tried to find a used bookshelf that would fit in my tiny space. It was a fruitless search. When I found this new one, I could justify it because it was so inexpensive.

The cabinet is not too deep, has shelves behind glass (for display,) shelves behind cupboard doors and a drawer. I don’t know what I did without it. It provides valuable storage for this tiny space.

None of these jars cost more than a few dollars and they hold trims, thread, ribbons, buttons and embroidery floss. Storage Tip #4: Use Glass Jars for Storage. You can see what you have and they’re pretty to look at.

When it’s time to embroider, for example, I just pull out this jar and take it with me to my chair.

I already had the vintage glove boxes, which also provide storage.

Back to ‘Use what you have’ – this set of vintage Chinese nesting baskets is something I’ve had hanging around for years. I spray painted it white and now it’s in the studio holding fat quarters, trims and patterns. Because the baskets nest, I can get a lot into a tiny area.

Storage Tip #5 – Think Up. I use the top of the cabinet to display things. One of those things is a wire basket that holds trims. I also use the wall space next to the cabinet.

Hanging on the wall is this vintage feedsack shoe bag. Each pocket holds lots of supplies. It’s pretty and useful. Next to the feedsack is my mini design wall.

See? There it is, to the right. Before I got the cabinet, this whole wall was a design wall. When the cabinet came into the studio, I decided to get rid of most of it, but this one section has remained. It reaches the ceiling, so there’s a lot of design space available. Right now, since I’m not working on a quilt, it displays my embroidery projects and my mom’s baby dress. But the minute I need it, it will be available for design work.

Storage Tip #6: Have fun – add something whimsical (but useful) to your space. I treated myself to Letitia last year. She was found on eBay for $75. Since it was birthday money, the cost to me was $0. Her presence adds a lot to the studio and she also serves as a display for all sorts of things. Last year, she modeled some of my crocheted scarves for my readers. Beautifully, I might add.

Nothing in this space cost more than $75. (I’m not counting the sewing machine which I’ve had for years.) Most of it I already had on hand. By the way, my supplies are not all neatly contained in the studio. I have a closet in the guest room where I store fabric, yarn, and my ‘real job’ work supplies. I work on my dollhouse in a corner of the den. I sometimes need more space and spread things out on the kitchen table. But everything has a place and when I’m finished for the day, it all goes back.

Maybe these ideas will serve as a bit of inspiration. You can create a space for crafts and craft storage in a tiny space.

We’re hoping you’ll give us ideas for future posts. Share your thoughts and your solutions with us.

Stop by and visit Brenda, who lives with her 2 little dogs in 1010 square feet in Tulsa. She has some wonderful ideas to share with you.

McMansions and the Small House

November 14, 2011 at 9:26 am by Claudia

my house – 1200 square feet

Good morning! Another Monday has rolled around. How do the weeks fly by so quickly? Time really does seem to go by more quickly these days. I’m not sure I have a lot to show for it, but there you go.

I’m so excited about the new series that Brenda and I are starting, “Defending the Small House.” My neighborhood consists of quirky, individual houses, many of them quite modest, along with some McMansions. The quirky and small have the edge, thank goodness. There was a building boom around here a few years ago. As more and more New Yorkers either sought a refuge away from the city or could no longer afford to live in the city, the population in our neck of the woods increased. There are a few newer McMansion communities that are unfinished. No one can afford these houses. Construction has halted.

We have 3 of these newer homes across the road from us. One of them, which is huge, is only used on the occasional weekend. While I am impressed by the money this young couple must have, I can’t help thinking what a waste that is. Really? You need all that space for the weekend? Hard to believe.

I grew up in a very small house. It was part of a suburban community of bungalows that sprang up after World War II. The houses all looked alike. I was young and school filled my days but I still knew that every house looked like the one next door. I longed for something different.

Nevertheless, my parents managed to raise 4 children in our tiny bungalow. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have loved more space. But none of us grew up traumatized from living in a small house. And I loved our modest, middle class community, which now, after 60 years or so of existence, looks old, established and has beautiful tree-lined streets.

Brenda’s House – 1010 square feet

Many of us are downsizing for a variety of reasons; empty nests, the economy, a too-high mortgage. And in the end, do we really need all that space? How many trees are chopped down so that the land around these new houses can be flat, boring and clear of any natural beauty? How many animals have lost their natural habitat and are displaced because everyone has to have a bigger home?

There is a movement happening. Much has been written about the small house. Sarah Susanka has been a strong advocate for the small house and its smaller footprint. For an even tinier footprint, visit Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

I’ve really never had a choice as to the size of my home. Modest income = modest house. I’d love a wee bit more space for a laundry room and a downstairs bedroom. It may never happen. And we’ll be just fine. We have learned to live in a small space that leaves a small imprint on the land. Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about living comfortably in a small space.

Our house is small and charming and unlike any other house I’ve seen. It’s cozy.

That does it for me.

Our series starts tomorrow. Please join us!

The Painting

Defending the Small House #1

McMansions and the Small House

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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