Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Lake Cottage: Christmas Edition

December 19, 2022 at 9:06 am by Claudia

Okay. I managed to get some new photos of the Lake Cottage. This involved dragging a heavy wooden chair that normally lives in the kitchen to the den. I used the big-girl camera for everything except a shot of the tree, which happens to be placed at the back of the miniature living room – a very dark corner. So I shoved my iPhone in the room, hoping I was aiming at the right place and kept taking pictures until something passable appeared.

A few photos of a dark interior on a dark day.

But here we have a brighter photo of the exterior.

The living room. I haven’t really done anything to it since I first grabbed some pieces of furniture and accessories that I had on hand. I did my best to fill the bookshelves and supplied a cozy chair and sofa for the owners to sink into as they sit in front of the fire. The only new piece is the Arts and Crafts side table by the sofa. I purchased that at a miniature show. Looking at these photos has made me want to do more with the interior – at the very least, add some more books and rugs.

This little house is funky. The two rooms next to the living room are very small. I can barely get my hand into the one that is by the front door. I often think about trying to add a bed – but how? I do have some ideas. But the only way you’d get to see it is in a picture shot from outside the front window.

The kitchen – or kitchenette – has hardly any room either. I have added a piece exactly like the kitchen island in Dove Cottage. I bought it because I knew it would fit. It’s still in its raw wood stage.

I also think I could stick some “tile” down on the wood floor. It, like the wallpaper in the living room, would be installed with something temporary. It wouldn’t be glued in. The door is a bit too wide (wider than the front door!) and out of scale, but opening that door temporarily might offer another view of the bedroom for a photo shoot. Now, to figure out where I could put a little stove, because the left wall contains another door to the living room. There’s barely any wall space available.

The tree. It used to be in the modern dollhouse where it worked perfectly. It’s not what I would have initially chosen for this house, but after looking at it here, the glittery silver is much better than a dark evergreen tree. It stands out more.

It needs a skirt. I’ll work on that.

One good thing about this mini photo shoot: it’s inspired me to do a bit more with this beauty of a dollhouse.

Okay. I referred to the book about Dorothy Kilgallen yesterday. I want to add that it’s not perfect. It definitely needed better editing. At times, a word is omitted. The author sometimes repeats himself. But he has really done his research and none of those things have had an impact on my reading enjoyment.

Time to get going. The last January 6th Committee meeting will be televised today. It’s at 1 pm.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, dollhouse, miniatures 16 Comments

Puzzles and Books

December 18, 2022 at 9:43 am by Claudia

I hoped to have updated photos of the Lake Cottage but I was waylaid by the task of chopping up ice on the parking area and driveway. Don and I happened to be out there during the sunniest time of the day. By the time I came back in and turned on the heating pad, I was tired. It was only later that I realized I’d never taken the photos.

Hopefully, today.

The latest finished puzzle. This one was all about vintage paper dolls. I really love it. It brought back memories of all the paper dolls I played with as a kid. Don really loves it, too. That’s why you see the foam board behind the puzzle. He thinks we should frame it and hang it on the wall in the upstairs bathroom. The walls in that room are a brightish green and this would look great there. Don has a good eye. So I’ll get to that in the new year.

I put the foam core there so I can safely remove it from the table without taking it apart. A new puzzle arrived yesterday and I want to get cracking.

What else? We’ve vowed to take it easy today. I’m in the middle of a book about Dorothy Kilgallen:  The Reporter Who Knew Too Much. She died at a young age and there has always been a suspicion that she was murdered. At the time of her death, she was in the middle of an investigation concerning the assassination of JFK. She disagreed with the Warren Commission report and felt there was a coverup. She covered the trial of Jack Ruby. She was a crack reporter who made a lot of enemies because she wouldn’t give up her investigation. When her body was discovered in her townhouse at the age of 52, a combination of alcohol and barbiturates was said to be the cause. However, many of her friends felt she was in danger. She felt she was in danger. Her phones were tapped. Their phones were tapped.  J. Edgar Hoover had voluminous files on her. There were several factions that had an interest in quashing her investigation.

Frankly, I’ve never fully agreed with the results of the Warren Commission. I’m not one who leans toward conspiracy theories as a rule, but in this case…

Anyway, I find it fascinating, especially since we watch old episodes of What’s My Line  every day. Who knows if it’s true? I’m more than halfway through the book. After that, I’ve got the most recent Herron waiting in the wings.

Okay.

Back to the book, back to my second cup of coffee.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

Filed Under: books, jigsaw puzzles 24 Comments

A Peek at the Lake Cottage and Christmas Sweaters

December 17, 2022 at 9:28 am by Claudia

Both of us slept in today, which is rare – so I’m running behind. I haven’t even had my second cup of coffee! The endless rain and mixed precipitation has ended, thank goodness, and I do believe the sun is making an appearance. And next week’s forecast has changed to another round of “mixed precipitation” and maybe an inch or two of snow. We want more  snow like you originally predicted, thank you very much!

I’m not sure why we have such a need for a white Christmas this year, but we do. I have my suspicions, life has been tough for all of us. Anyway, fingers crossed.

The Lake Cottage is very hard to photograph. It’s very dark inside, it’s up on top of the china cabinet in the den, and I have to stand on the old ottoman to take the pictures. So, these are not the best, but frankly, this is what you’re going to get.

The exterior of the Lake Cottage. For those of you who are new to the blog, this is an antique dollhouse that I found a few years ago. It’s handmade and incredibly charming. But, because it’s handmade, I am reluctant to change it very much, as I can feel and see the love and care that went into its construction. I’ve not painted it and I won’t.

See? It’s funky but I love it. I consider both this house and the vintage dollhouse in the kitchen to be folk art. Therefore, they stay relatively untouched. I added the tree that I previously used in the modern dollhouse.

I had some other photos of the interior, but I’m going to retake them today. They’re blurry, most likely because I was balancing on the squishy ottoman when I was taking them. I’ll move one of the  kitchen chairs into the den this time. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Miss Lucy is our model of the day.

I just knew she had to wear one of the red sweaters.

Oh my goodness, she’s adorable. I’m really so crazy about her.

I have to tweak the other red sweater and then I’ll have made them all Blythe-wearable. A group photo will be forthcoming.

For those of you new to the blog: Maria asked I could take detailed photos of the dollhouses and descriptions of the pieces I chose. I’ve already done that! All of that information is up in the navigation bar under “dollhouses/minis.” There are posts showing the progress of each dollhouse and there is always a final post in which I describe everything and give sources.

Okay. Have to go.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Christmas, dollhouse, miniatures 23 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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