Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Little Tour of the Porch

June 9, 2022 at 9:40 am by Claudia

I took a few pictures of the porch area yesterday, since some of you had mentioned wanting a little tour.

In no particular order, here we go!

Our weathered former kitchen island. I know some of you preferred it in its previous pristine white, but I really love the way the way the elements have had their way with it. I love chippy.

The Boston fern is barely hanging in there since it had an unfortunate encounter with an unexpected hard frost while I was away in Brooklyn. I’m hoping it will recover after a nice long summer outside.

Just to the right of the entrance. The purple coneflowers have spread even more this year. We’re going to have masses of them. That’s the entrance to our basement and beyond that, the picket fence we recently added.

We figured out that we’ve had this glider for over 25 years. Don found it by the curb when we were living in San Diego. He paid $25 for it, so that works out to $1/yr. A bargain. We love it so much!

The vintage and rusty wrought iron planter I will never regret buying. I love it.

I had to wait until the impatiens had grown a bit.

It’s not really that different from other years, although I usually buy 3 of the purple hanging plants. But they’re expensive, so I just purchased one this year. The other hanging plants are full of impatiens. I usually buy one flat and from that I plant all the pots and the hanging pots as well.

We were chatting about the porch the other day, remembering that the moment I saw it, I wanted the house. Don’s selling point was the high ceiling in the kitchen. Mine was the porch. I grew up with a porch, which seemed big to me at the time, but was much smaller than the one we have now. Our neighborhood was full of porches and I have fond memories of playing, reading, chatting, and conversing with our neighbors – all from that porch.

We also had a porch on the house we rented in San Diego – which is why Don bought the glider. It was lovely as well, though I was so busy in those days that I didn’t get to use it as much as I would have liked.

And now we have this beauty. An extra room from April until November.

We’re grateful.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: flowers, garden, porch 47 Comments

Amusing Myself

June 8, 2022 at 8:45 am by Claudia

I stayed inside all day yesterday – my allergies have been making me miserable. I don’t know, maybe this is peak pollen time? It sure seems that way. Don mowed a lot of the lawn, thank goodness. Thanks, husband!

Still feeling poorly this morning. I’ll get outside to water the porch plants but that’s about it. Thankfully, it rained during the night so the garden beds are nicely watered. It’s a beautiful morning, the kind you get when the sun has broken through after a rain. Truly gorgeous.

What do you do when you’re feeling poorly and you don’t have enough energy to concentrate on reading? Well, naturally, you play with your dolls! Doesn’t everyone?

Mei taking Bertie for a walk.

Good thing Zoe was on alert! (Mei tends to daydream.) There was traffic ahead.

Zoe.

You also go upstairs to take pictures of a little miniature project.

I wanted to recreate one of the ‘dolly tubs’ you see in British gardens. (I would love a real-life version, but they’re very expensive here.) I thought it might be a neat addition to the exterior of Dove Cottage.

They’re made from zinc in real life. Mine is made from plastic – two Nyquil bottle caps glued together.

I’m rather proud of this little tub! I’m going to make another one in the not-too-distant future.

We’re nearing the finish line. Dove Cottage is almost finished.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, dollhouse, Mei, miniatures, Zoe 29 Comments

Wild Roses, Yarrow, and Bees

June 7, 2022 at 9:03 am by Claudia

Sorry for the somewhat short posts the past few days but my allergies are misbehaving and I feel as if I’m in a fog most of the time. I slept a heck of a long time last night, so I guess my body knows it needs some extra sleep.

But gosh darn it, it’s beautiful around here right now. All the wild roses are blooming, wildflowers are everywhere, humidity-free days, gentle breezes…it’s quite lovely. But we are going to get some rain and thunderstorms later today and then a couple more days of rain later in the week. Bring it on; it will rein in the pollen.

The yarrow that self-seeds in the corral. It started happening a couple of years ago. The yarrow sprang up in two patches on either side of the path the dogs used to use. It still does. I love it – masses of white flowers.

Wild roses are everywhere.

They’re so lovely and the scent lingers in the air.

Soon they’ll revert back to what they are 99% of the time – prickly brambles. But at this moment in time I love them and I forgive them for all the little nicks they’ve given me over the years.

Oh, forgot to tell you! Remember the honey bees that used to live in the catalpa tree? Well, after an absence of several years, they’re back. We’re very happy they’re here.

Okay, my friends. I’m off to make some oatmeal.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

 

Filed Under: bees, flowers, wildflowers 8 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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The Dogs

The Dogs

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

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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